Patents by Inventor James A. Wheeler

James A. Wheeler 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).

  • Patent number: 11735023
    Abstract: A disaster detection system includes a device processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the device processor to perform the following steps: receiving data from a plurality of geographically distributed personal electronic devices; determining, based on the data received from the personal electronic devices, that a disaster has occurred; and sending one or more commands pertaining to the disaster to one or more third parties. The one or more commands pertaining to the disaster may include one or more alerts to one or more organizations that provide support for disasters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Edward Manuel Alonzo, III, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11568722
    Abstract: A criminal act detection system may include a device processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the device processor to perform the following steps: receiving data from a plurality of geographically distributed personal electronic devices; determining, based on the data received from the personal electronic devices, that conduct consistent with a criminal act has occurred; and sending information pertaining to the conduct consistent with a criminal act to one or more of the personal electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Edward Manuel Alonzo, III, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 10930132
    Abstract: A disaster detection system may include a device processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the device processor to perform the following steps: receiving data from a plurality of geographically distributed personal electronic devices; determining, based on the data received from the personal electronic devices, that a disaster has occurred; and sending information pertaining to the disaster to one or more of the personal electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Edward Manuel Alonzo, III, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 10930125
    Abstract: A criminal act detection system may include a device processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the device processor to perform the following steps: receiving data from a plurality of geographically distributed personal electronic devices; determining, based on the data received from the personal electronic devices, that conduct consistent with a criminal act has occurred; and sending information pertaining to the conduct consistent with a criminal act to one or more of the personal electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Edward Manuel Alonzo, III, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6397998
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the rate of engagement of a clutch in response to an indication provided by the driver, such as the depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially determines a start rate as the minimum duty cycle which is required to modulate an engage valve in order to cause movement of a release bearing of the clutch in the engagement direction. The start rate is determined by initially moving the release bearing to the disengaged position. Then, the engage valve is modulated incrementally modulated until the release bearing begins moving in the engaged direction from the disengaged position. When a predetermined amount of such movement has been detected, the electronic controller sets the start rate as the current duty cycle of the engage valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Transmisiones TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: James A. Wheeler, Anand C. Patel, Liu Ning
  • Patent number: 6364813
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the rate of engagement of a clutch in response to an indication provided by the driver, such as the depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially determines a start rate as the minimum duty cycle which is required to modulate an engage valve in order to cause movement of a release bearing of the clutch in the engagement direction. Following the receipt of a signal from the operator of the vehicle to initiate the engagement of the clutch, the electronic controller calculates an initial transition rate of movement of the release bearing from a disengaged position to a transition point. The transition rate is determined as a function of the start rate and a position error signal. The position error signal can be calculated as the difference between the actual position of the release bearing and the transition point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Transmisiones TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Anand C. Patel, Peter T. Szymanski, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6319173
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a clutch in a partially or fully automated mechanical transmission which is responsive to the actual load on the vehicle engine for varying the engagement rate of release bearing during re-engagement of the clutch. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially sets a desired speed for the vehicle engine during the shifting process, determines a rate of engagement movement of a release bearing of the clutch, and actuates appropriate valves to initiate the gradual engagement of the clutch. The electronic controller sets a first lower engine speed threshold and a second lower engine speed threshold. In a first embodiment, the magnitude of the first lower engine speed threshold varies with the actual load on the engine. If the actual speed of the engine remains above both the first lower engine speed threshold and the second lower engine speed threshold, the engagement process is continued without interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Transmisiones TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Anand C. Patel, Peter T. Szymanski, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6309325
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing a kiss point determining algorithm which is responsive to the approach rate of the release bearing of a clutch for performing the algorithm only under reliable operating conditions. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which sets an approach rate for engaging the clutch in response to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle by the operator. The amount of engine torque or other engine operating condition is measured and compared against a predetermined magnitude which is indicative of the onset of engagement of the clutch. When an increase of a predetermined magnitude is detected, the accelerator pedal position is compared against a predetermined value. If the accelerator pedal is depressed more than the predetermined value, the kiss point is re-defined as the current location of the release bearing. If the accelerator pedal is not depressed more than the predetermined value, the kiss point is not re-defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Transmission TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Kurt R. Baer, Anand C. Patel, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6227999
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the engagement rate of a clutch in a partially or fully automated mechanical transmission is responsive to certain calculations derived from the rotational speeds of the input member and the output member of the clutch. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially sets a desired speed for the vehicle engine during the shifting process, determines a rate of engagement movement of a release bearing of the clutch, and actuates appropriate valves to initiate the gradual engagement of the clutch. The electronic controller compares the actual speed of the engine with a first value. If the actual speed of the engine is greater than or equal to the first value, the electronic controller then compares the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the clutch in order to determine if the difference therebetween is less than a second value. In a first embodiment of the invention, the magnitude of the second value is a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Transmisiones TSP, S.A. DE C.V.
    Inventor: James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6223874
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the engagement rate of a clutch in a partially or fully automated mechanical transmission is responsive to certain calculations derived from the rotational speeds of the input member and the output member of the clutch. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially sets a desired speed for the vehicle engine during the shifting process, determines a rate of engagement movement of a release bearing of the clutch, and actuates appropriate valves to initiate the gradual engagement of the clutch. In a first embodiment, the electronic controller compares the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the clutch in order to determine if the difference therebetween is less than a first constant value. If so, it can be inferred that the clutch is sufficiently close to full engagement as to warrant the interruption the gradual engagement process and immediately move the release bearing from its current position to the fully engaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Transmissions TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventor: James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6213916
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the engagement rate of a clutch in a partially or fully automated mechanical transmission in response to an indication provided by the driver, such as the depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially sets a desired speed for the vehicle engine during the shifting process, determines a rate of engagement movement of a release bearing of the clutch, and actuates appropriate valves to initiate the gradual engagement of the clutch. The electronic controller is responsive to the position of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle for adjusting the rate of engagement of the release bearing of the clutch. In a first embodiment, the electronic controller is responsive to movement of the accelerator pedal in a first direction (depressed for further acceleration) for incrementing the rate of engagement of the release bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Transmisiones Tsp, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Liu Ning, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6206803
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the rate of engagement of a clutch in response to an indication provided by the driver, such as the depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially determines a start rate as the minimum duty cycle which is required to modulate an engage valve in order to cause movement of a release bearing of the clutch in the engagement direction. Following the receipt of a signal from the operator of the vehicle to initiate the engagement of the clutch, the electronic controller calculates an initial transition rate of movement of the release bearing from a disengaged position to a transition point. The transition rate is determined as a function of the start rate and a position error signal. The position error signal can be calculated as the difference between the actual position of the release bearing and the transition point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Tranmissiones TSP, S.A. DE C.V.
    Inventors: Kurt R. Baer, Anand C. Patel, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 6059691
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a clutch in a partially or fully automated mechanical transmission which is responsive to the actual speed of the vehicle engine for varying the engagement rate of release bearing during reengagement of the clutch. The apparatus includes an electronic controller which initially sets a desired speed for the vehicle engine during the shifting process, determines a rate of engagement movement of a release bearing of the clutch, and actuates appropriate valves to initiate the gradual engagement of the clutch. The electronic controller sets a first lower engine speed threshold and a second lower engine speed threshold. The magnitude of the first lower engine speed threshold may vary with the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle. If the actual speed of the engine remains above both the first lower engine speed threshold and the second lower engine speed threshold, the engagement process is continued without interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Transmisiones TSP, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Anthony B. McDonald, Anand C. Patel, Peter T. Szymanski, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 5948033
    Abstract: An electronic controller for use in a partially or fully automatic vehicle transmission. The transmission includes an automatic shifting mechanism for partially or fully automating the shifting thereof to select and engage gear ratios. The automatic shifting decisions are made by an electronic control circuit including an electronic controller which receives electrical signals representative of the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the transmission. An algorithm is performed by the electronic controller to identify the structure of the underlying transmission and adopt an appropriate shifting strategy based upon the rotational speeds of the input and output shafts of the transmission. Initially, the electronic controller determines if the transmission is, in fact, engaged in a gear ratio. Once it has been determined that the transmission is engaged in a gear ratio, the electronic controller determines what the specific magnitude of that gear ratio is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Transmission Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt R. Baer, Liu Ning, James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: D362568
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Inventor: James A. Wheeler
  • Patent number: D364291
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Inventor: James A. Wheeler