Patents by Inventor James A. Webster

James A. Webster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240130464
    Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a transition region between two sole structure layers. The transition region includes a curved portion having a geometry defined by a portion of an ellipse. A plate which includes the curved portion can be provided between the two sole structure layers. The sole structure enhances the roll acceleration of the article of footwear during use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Monibert Narito Gaba, Tom Luedecke, James Webster
  • Publication number: 20240108089
    Abstract: A method of forming an insulated composite fabric including attaching an insulating-filler fabric layer to an outer fabric layer, where the insulating-filler fabric layer is a textile fabric with at least one raised surface on the fabric. One side of the insulating-filler layer has a first surface with relatively high pile, including regions of no pile or relatively low pile interspersed among regions of relatively high pile and the other side of the insulating-filler layer has a second surface with relatively high pile, including regions of no pile or relatively low pile interspersed among regions of relatively high pile. The method further contains coupling at least one of a fleece and velour that is respectively lower than the relatively high pile of the first surface or the relatively high pile of the second surface to at least one of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Moshe Rock, James Zeiba, Gadalia Vainer, Jane Hunter, Charles Haryslak, David Costello, Shawn Flavin, Marcus Webster
  • Publication number: 20230405922
    Abstract: A method is provided of making an upper for an article of footwear, the method including applying a liquid to select portions of a first substrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the first substrate sheet of material, applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material in order to remove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid to form a selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additional liquid, additional powder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material, using compression and heat to join the stack of selectively powdered sheets of material into a partially cured structure, and removing uncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structure leaving a cured structure. Different portions of the cured structure can have different properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Patent number: 11747305
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus for measuring binding kinetics of an interaction of an analyte material present in a fluid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensing resonator having at least one binding site for the analyte material; actuation circuitry adapted to drive the sensing resonator into an oscillating motion; measurement circuitry coupled to the sensing resonator and adapted to measure an output signal of the sensing resonator representing resonance characteristics of the oscillating motion of the sensing resonator; and a controller coupled to the actuation and measurement circuitry, wherein the controller is adapted to detect an individual binding event between the at least one binding site and a molecule of the analyte material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Qorvo Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Patent number: 11701823
    Abstract: A method is provided of making an upper for an article of footwear, the method including applying a liquid to select portions of a first substrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the first substrate sheet of material, applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material in order to remove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid to form a selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additional liquid, additional powder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material, using compression and heat to join the stack of selectively powdered sheets of material into a partially cured structure, and removing uncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structure leaving a cured structure. Different portions of the cured structure can have different properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Publication number: 20230210213
    Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes an upper layer formed of a first foam material and a lower layer formed of a second foam material and having a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the upper layer. In addition, a plate can be disposed between the upper layer and the lower layer, where the plate has a hardness that is greater than each of the upper and lower layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Fred Dojan, Monie Gaba, James Webster
  • Publication number: 20230143571
    Abstract: A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes a first portion including a lateral side and a medial side that opposes the lateral side, and a second portion connected with and extending upward and transversely outward in an angled manner away from the first portion such that a terminal end of the second portion is distanced from the first portion. An exterior surface of the last can include a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas Foxen, David McManus
  • Patent number: 11633015
    Abstract: A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas Foxen, David McManus
  • Publication number: 20230023769
    Abstract: A solid mount resonator sensor has a substrate. An anti-reflector stack is disposed proximate the substrate. The anti-reflector stack includes one or more acoustic interference layers. A first electrode is disposed proximate the anti-reflector stack. A second electrode having a first surface facing towards the first electrode and an opposing second surface facing away from the first electrode. A substantially quarter-wave piezoelectric material layer is disposed between the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Publication number: 20220349857
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus for measuring binding kinetics of an interaction of an analyte material present in a fluid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensing resonator having at least one binding site for the analyte material; actuation circuitry adapted to drive the sensing resonator into an oscillating motion; measurement circuitry coupled to the sensing resonator and adapted to measure an output signal of the sensing resonator representing resonance characteristics of the oscillating motion of the sensing resonator; and a controller coupled to the actuation and measurement circuitry, wherein the controller is adapted to detect an individual binding event between the at least one binding site and a molecule of the analyte material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Publication number: 20220295943
    Abstract: A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes providing a first material layer over a shoe last, providing a second material layer over the first material layer such that the first and second material layers adhere to each other at an interface between the first and second material layers, where one or both of the first material layer and second material layer is provided by spray forming a polymer material onto the last. The material layers are removed from the last and turned inside out such that the first material layer includes an exposed surface that forms an exterior surface of the upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas White, Kevin Fallon
  • Patent number: 11415551
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus for measuring binding kinetics of an interaction of an analyte material present in a fluid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensing resonator having at least one binding site for the analyte material; actuation circuitry adapted to drive the sensing resonator into an oscillating motion; measurement circuitry coupled to the sensing resonator and adapted to measure an output signal of the sensing resonator representing resonance characteristics of the oscillating motion of the sensing resonator; and a controller coupled to the actuation and measurement circuitry, wherein the controller is adapted to detect an individual binding event between the at least one binding site and a molecule of the analyte material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Qorvo Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Patent number: 11284674
    Abstract: A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear includes providing a first material layer over a shoe last, providing a second material layer over the first material layer such that the first and second material layers adhere to each other at an interface between the first and second material layers, where one or both of the first material layer and second material layer is provided by spray forming a polymer material onto the last. The material layers are removed from the last and turned inside out such that the first material layer includes an exposed surface that forms an exterior surface of the upper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Publication number: 20210227935
    Abstract: A method of forming a shoe upper includes obtaining a mold defining a shoe component, spraying a polymer formulation onto the mold to form a sprayed polymer formulation layer, curing the sprayed polymer formulation layer to form a polymer film, removing the film from the mold, and incorporating the film into the shoe upper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas White, Kevin Fallon
  • Publication number: 20210120916
    Abstract: A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas Foxen, David McManus
  • Patent number: 10846928
    Abstract: Systems for controlling concentric tube probes are disclosed. In some examples, the system includes a concentric tube position display interface and a control system. The concentric tube display interface includes a display for displaying visual feedback to a user indicating a position (and possibly orientation) of a tip of a concentric tube probe and a user input device for receiving user input from the user designating a goal position (and possibly orientation) for the tip of the concentric tube probe. The control system is configured for interactive-rate motion planning of the concentric tube probe by creating, in real-time or near real-time, a motion plan to move the tip of the concentric tube probe to the goal position (and possibly orientation) while avoiding contact by the concentric tube probe with one or more obstacles and for configuring the concentric tube probe as specified by the motion plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ron Alterovitz, Luis Guillermo Torres, Philip Joseph Swaney, Hunter Bryant Gilbert, Robert James Webster, Richard Joseph Hendrick
  • Patent number: 10827801
    Abstract: A last for forming an upper of an article of footwear includes an exterior surface, where the exterior surface includes a plurality of three dimensional structural surface components disposed over at least 50% of the exterior surface of the last.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
    Inventors: James Webster, Thomas Foxen, David McManus
  • Patent number: 10803662
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for transoral lung access. In some examples, the system includes a bronchoscope, a concentric tube probe deployable from within the bronchoscope, and a steerable needle nested deployable from within the concentric tube probe. The system can include a control system for deploying the concentric tube probe from the bronchoscope into a lung to a location where a target is within a range of the steerable needle and for deploying the steerable needle from the location to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignees: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Ron Alterovitz, Richard Harry Feins, Bryan Irby Hartley, Alan David Kuntz, Erik Lamers, Arthur William Mahoney, Andria Annette Remirez, Philip Joseph Swaney, Robert James Webster, III
  • Patent number: 10739809
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes a body having a passenger compartment and at least one pedal box for controlling vehicle acceleration or braking. The pedal box is movably coupled to an interior structural point disposed within the passenger compartment and movable between first and second positions with respect to the structural point. At least one pedal, actuatable by an occupant, is coupled to the pedal box. The vehicle additionally includes an actuator operably coupled to the pedal box and configured to selectively move the pedal box between the first position and the second position. The vehicle further includes at least one controller. The controller is configured to, in response to satisfaction of a first operating condition, control the actuator to move the pedal box to the first position, and, in response to satisfaction of a second operating condition, control the actuator to move the pedal box to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James Wojciechowski, Tomasz R. Warzecha, James A. Webster, Daniel D. Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 10737398
    Abstract: Continuum robots and similar devices and methods and systems for controlling such devices are provided. The devices can include rods comprising strips, that are pre-curved, or both. Also provided is a system and method for modeling and controlling the configuration and operation of such devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Andria A. Remirez, Daniel Caleb Rucker, Robert James Webster, III