Patents by Inventor James W. Bacus

James W. Bacus 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: 20230241489
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 11654346
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20210394042
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 11045713
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 10226685
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. The frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, automatic provision of a shot clock, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20180140935
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. The frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, automatic provision of a shot clock, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 9827483
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. The frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, automatic provision of a shot clock, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20170043241
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 9485399
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20160249023
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. The frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, automatic provision of a shot clock, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20160037139
    Abstract: A billiard table top lighting apparatus provides substantially uniform lighting across the surface of a billiard table surface. In one form, the lighting apparatus includes a frame supporting lights that are non-centrally placed such that no lights are supported above a middle portion of the billiard table surface. So configured, the frame can have an attractive profile and further mount additional items above the billiard table surface to enable a variety of other features. For example, the frame may support one or more cameras, one or more motion sensors, one or more microphones, and/or one or more computing devices to enable any of a variety of innovative features. Such features could include automatic game play recording from one or more perspectives, merged video track storage for replay, review, and analysis, automatic lighting and dimming control, control of the apparatus from any mobile device, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 8625920
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for constructing a virtual microscope slide. The method encompasses the construction of a data structure by digitally scanning a specimen and acquiring digital image data of a series of digitized adjacent image segments of the specimen. The image segments are useable to provide an overall magnified image of the specimen as well as higher magnification images of selected points on the specimen. The scanned digital image data can be stored and transferred over an Internet or intranet communication channel. A control program is provided for the data structure for viewing the overall magnified image and higher magnification images of selected points on the specimen. The control program allows for the selection of a point on the overall magnified image, and display from the stored digital image data a corresponding higher magnification image of the selected point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus America Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 8306300
    Abstract: A virtual microscope slide includes images of a specimen for a given level of optical magnification which are associated and stored in a data structure. The forming of the data structure having the multiple Z-plane images preferably includes automatically focusing at a principal reference focal plane and capturing and digitizing an optically magnified reference Z-image and then shifting the specimen relative to the lens system by a predetermined increment to capture and digitize another Z-plane image. Preferably, a multiple sequence of Z-plane images above and below the reference image and captured and digitized. For ease of retrieval and use, each reference image has its associated Z-plane images are formed in a stack that is sent over the Internet, or Intranet to a local computer storage for quick retrieval when a viewer wants to mimic a focusing up or down to better view a detail in an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus America Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Bacus, James W. Bacus
  • Patent number: 8306298
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for viewing microscopic images include transmitting tiled microscopic images from a server to a client. The client assembles the tiled images into a seamless virtual slide or specimen image and provides tools for manipulating image magnification and viewpoint. The method and apparatus also provides a virtual multi-headed microscope function which allows scattered viewers to simultaneously view and interact with a coherent magnified microscopic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus America Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Bacus, James W. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20110181622
    Abstract: A virtual microscope slide includes images of a specimen for a given level of optical magnification which are associated and stored in a data structure. The forming of the data structure having the multiple Z-plane images preferably includes automatically focusing at a principal reference focal plane and capturing and digitizing an optically magnified reference Z-image and then shifting the specimen relative to the lens system by a predetermined increment to capture and digitize another Z-plane image. Preferably, a multiple sequence of Z-plane images above and below the reference image and captured and digitized. For ease of retrieval and use, each reference image has its associated Z-plane images are formed in a stack that is sent over the Internet, or Intranet to a local computer storage for quick retrieval when a viewer wants to mimic a focusing up or down to better view a detail in an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS AMERICA INC.
    Inventors: James V. Bacus, James W. Bacus
  • Publication number: 20110145755
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for viewing microscopic images include transmitting tiled microscopic images from a server to a client. The client assembles the tiled images into a seamless virtual slide or specimen image and provides tools for manipulating image magnification and viewpoint. The method and apparatus also provides a virtual multi-headed microscope function which allows scattered viewers to simultaneously view and interact with a coherent magnified microscopic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS AMERICA INC.
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: 7925067
    Abstract: A virtual microscope slide includes images of a specimen for a given level of optical magnification which are associated and stored in a data structure. The forming of the data structure having the multiple Z-plane images preferably includes automatically focusing at a principal reference focal plane and capturing and digitizing an optically magnified reference Z-image and then shifting the specimen relative to the lens system by a predetermined increment to capture and digitize another Z-plane image. Preferably, a multiple sequence of Z-plane images above and below the reference image and captured and digitized. For ease of retrieval and use, each reference image has its associated Z-plane images are formed in a stack that is sent over the Internet, or Intranet to a local computer storage for quick retrieval when a viewer wants to mimic a focusing up or down to better view a detail in an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus America Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Bacus, James W. Bacus
  • Patent number: 7856131
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for viewing microscopic images include transmitting tiled microscopic images from a server to a client. The client assembles the tiled images into a seamless virtual slide or specimen image and provides tools for manipulating image magnification and viewpoint. The method and apparatus also provides a virtual multi-headed microscope function which allows scattered viewers to simultaneously view and interact with a coherent magnified microscopic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus America Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus
  • Patent number: D776328
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: SMART BILLIARD LIGHTING LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus, Daniel J. Williams, Geoff Pedrick
  • Patent number: D835652
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Smart Billiard Lighting LLC
    Inventors: James W. Bacus, James V. Bacus