Patents by Inventor Keith Allen

Keith Allen 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: 9718387
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback frame and a seat frame defining a seating frame. A plurality of distinct assembly modules are configured for attachment with the seating frame. The plurality of distinct assembly modules include a back cushion module, a hard back module, a headrest module, and a seat cushion module. The seat cushion module includes a composite cushion pan having a rearward support defining an intermediate open area. A forward support is pivotally coupled to the rearward support. A suspension assembly is disposed in the intermediate open area. A cushion extends over the composite cushion pan. A coverstock covers the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Llne, Marc Silva Kondrad, Brett E. Ronzi, Christian J. Hosbach, Rodney Charles Brinker, Keith Allen Godin
  • Publication number: 20170214988
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly comprises a seat having a lower seat and a seatback extending upwardly from the lower seat. The seatback comprises a forward facing surface, a rearward facing surface, a headrest mounted on an upper portion of the seatback and received within a headrest cup disposed on the forward facing surface of the seatback, a speaker assembly mounted in the headrest cup, and a resonance cavity formed proximate the headrest cup within which the speaker assembly is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Ferretti, Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Kevin Preuss, Keith Allen Godin, David Frederick Lyons
  • Patent number: 9665103
    Abstract: An example computer-implemented method involves determining that an aerostat is located within a first atmospheric layer. A first wind-velocity measure is indicative of wind velocity in the first atmospheric layer. The method also involves determining an altitude of an atmospheric layer boundary between the first atmospheric layer and a second atmospheric layer. A second wind-velocity measure is indicative of wind velocity in the second atmospheric layer, and the second wind-velocity measure differs from the first wind-velocity measure by at least a threshold amount. The method further involves determining a desired location for the aerostat, and during at least a portion of a flight towards the desired location, causing the aerostat to traverse back and forth across the atmospheric layer boundary while remaining within a predetermined vertical distance from the atmospheric layer boundary in order to achieve a desired horizontal trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Keith Allen Bonawitz, Johan Mathe
  • Publication number: 20170119219
    Abstract: A product dispenser may be customized by incorporating a backplane having multiple different electrical contacts points and multiple different connectors for receiving one or more dispenser plug-in circuit modules, where each plug-in circuit module has mating electrical contacts and connector members. Different dispenser plug-in circuit modules may be easily installed, i.e. plugged-in, during assembly and/or during installation of the product dispenser to change the operating features of a particular dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventor: Keith Allen Pelfrey
  • Patent number: 9631603
    Abstract: A wing with slipstream turbine comprising: a wing or airfoil and at least one turbine, wherein wing or airfoil has at least one partial cylindrical void in a surface and at least one turbine is partially encapsulated within partial cylindrical void. Optionally, wing with slipstream turbine may further comprise at least one slipstream outrigger to help focus the flow of the slipstream more directly on a turbine. Optionally, wing with slipstream turbine may further comprise at least one lateral outrigger to create a low-pressure area which functions to add additional energy transfer to turbine. Optionally, wing with slipstream turbine may further comprise two leading outriggers to help focus the flow of the slipstream more directly on a turbine. Optionally, wing or airfoil may further comprise a leading subcomponent, a left subcomponent, and a right subcomponent to create a super low-pressure area which functions add additional energy transfer to turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventors: Don Allen Harwood, Keith Allen Harwood
  • Patent number: 9635706
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining control policies for a fleet of vehicles are provided. In one example, a method is provided that comprises receiving a sequence of coverage requirements for a region and an associated period of time, and receiving an initial location of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles. The method may further include determining a control policy for each of the one or more vehicles. Additionally, based on the determined control policies and the initial locations, one or more estimated distributions of the fleet of vehicles at respective phases within the period of time may be determined. According to the method, a score associated with the control policies may be determined based on a comparison between the estimated distributions and corresponding desired distributions of the sequence of coverage requirements. In some examples, the control policies may also be revised using an optimization technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventor: Keith Allen Bonawitz
  • Patent number: 9624730
    Abstract: Bits configured for drilling rock that are of the type that includes a plurality of teeth supported in pockets that are on a cutting face that is driven to rotate. The pockets are configured to allow the teeth to passively rotate while in the pockets. The present disclosure provides a bit having hardfacing around the pockets and related methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Randy R. Runquist, Keith Allen Hoelting, Chris Fontana
  • Publication number: 20170101038
    Abstract: A method for selecting and controlling massage functions of a motor vehicle seat having a control system comprising the steps of: switching the system to a selection mode and starting the selection mode; providing a menu list having options for querying the user's requirements during the massage; selection of an option by the user and providing predefined responses to the respective query and selection of the response by the user and if necessary repeating the steps for further queries; and terminating the selection mode and automatically determining suitable massage settings on the basis of the user's selection and controlling the massage actuators in the motor vehicle seat on the basis of determined massage settings to perform the massage function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Amber LaVerne Hall, Michael Kolich, Keith Allen Godin, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20170104779
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for an engine for exposing vulnerability within applications based on application characteristic identification. In this way, the engine identifies existing data sets that aid in understanding the possible privacy vulnerabilities associated with technologies such as applications, operated by an entity. The engine comprises dials and levers that allow for prioritization visualization of vulnerabilities critical to a particular portion of the entity. In this way, a user can drive the application engine allowing them to narrow the focus on any number of variations of application characteristics including, but not limited to types of vulnerabilities, status of the vulnerabilities, critical applications, regulated applications, vulnerabilities, business continuity and/or accessibility to the applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Edward Middleman, John Henry Denning, Keith Allen Topel
  • Publication number: 20170101073
    Abstract: A vehicle seatback assembly includes an outer shell coupled to a seatback carrier via a releasable coupling arrangement. The releasable coupling arrangement can take various forms in order to securely couple the outer shell to the seatback carrier. A seatback frame is disposed between the seatback carrier and the outer shell in assembly. An airbag module is coupled to the seatback frame, and the releasable coupling arrangement is configured to release upon deployment of an airbag from the airbag module to define a peripheral gap between the outer shell and seatback carrier through which the airbag can be deployed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marc Silva Kondrad, Brett Ronzi, Christian J. Hosbach, Keith Allen Godin, David Frederick Lyons, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170080517
    Abstract: A method and friction welding system for friction welding. Metallic components are positioned such that welding surfaces of the metallic components contact each other. A metallic component in the metallic components has a relief feature adjacent to a welding surface for the metallic component. The welding surfaces are moved relative to each other while the welding surfaces are in contact such that solid-state joining of the metallic components at the welding surfaces occurs to form a structure. The relief feature causes a material from at least one of the metallic components to form with respect to the relief feature in a manner that enables performing an additional solid-state joining operation with the structure at a subsequent welding surface on the structure without removing flash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Matthew Douglas Carter, Keith Allen Richmond, Eric Carl Eide
  • Publication number: 20170072349
    Abstract: A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Keith Allen Holloway
  • Publication number: 20170056894
    Abstract: A separator assembly is provided for, among other things, separating debris particles from a fluid in a fluid system. In an embodiment, the separator assembly may include a housing forming an internal chamber. An inlet port may be in communication with the internal chamber of the housing, and the inlet port can be oriented in a tangential relationship relative to the internal chamber. A first debris separation ring may be disposed in the housing and can extend around an inner surface of the internal chamber. A second debris separation ring can be disposed in the housing and can extend around the inner surface of the internal chamber, wherein the second debris separation ring may be spaced from the first debris separation ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Keith Allen Santeler, Rolland Tracy James, Stephen Showalter
  • Publication number: 20170057415
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a rear panel having an outer surface. A rear pocket is defined by a recess in the rear panel. A rigid polymeric rear door is disposed over the rear pocket and is operable between an open position and a closed position. An outer surface of the rear door is flush with the outer surface of the rear panel when in the closed position. A side pocket is defined by a recess on an inboard side of a vehicle seatback. A rigid polymeric side pocket door is operable between an open position and a closed position. An outer surface of the side pocket door is flush with the outer surface of the rear panel when in the closed position. Flexible sidewalls are disposed between a body and the side pocket door. The flexible sidewalls are constructed from a flexible fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Sean David Fannin, Keith Allen Godin, Marcos Silva Kondrad
  • Patent number: 9579998
    Abstract: A method for selecting and controlling massage functions of a motor vehicle seat having a control system comprising the steps of: switching the system to a selection mode and starting the selection mode; providing a menu list having options for querying the user's requirements during the massage; selection of an option by the user and providing predefined responses to the respective query and selection of the response by the user and if necessary repeating the steps for further queries; and terminating the selection mode and automatically determining suitable massage settings on the basis of the user's selection and controlling the massage actuators in the motor vehicle seat on the basis of determined massage settings to perform the massage function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Amber LaVerne Hall, Michael Kolich, Keith Allen Godin, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 9573528
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a rear panel having an outer surface. A rear pocket is defined by a recess in the rear panel. A rigid polymeric rear door is disposed over the rear pocket and is operable between an open position and a closed position. An outer surface of the rear door is flush with the outer surface of the rear panel when in the closed position. A side pocket is defined by a recess on an inboard side of a vehicle seatback. A rigid polymeric side pocket door is operable between an open position and a closed position. An outer surface of the side pocket door is flush with the outer surface of the rear panel when in the closed position. Flexible sidewalls are disposed between a body and the side pocket door. The flexible sidewalls are constructed from a flexible fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Sean David Fannin, Keith Allen Godin, Marcos Silva Kondrad
  • Patent number: 9566930
    Abstract: A vehicle seatback assembly includes an outer shell coupled to a seatback carrier via a releasable coupling arrangement. The releasable coupling arrangement can take various forms in order to securely couple the outer shell to the seatback carrier. A seatback frame is disposed between the seatback carrier and the outer shell in assembly. An airbag module is coupled to the seatback frame, and the releasable coupling arrangement is configured to release upon deployment of an airbag from the airbag module to define a peripheral gap between the outer shell and seatback carrier through which the airbag can be deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marc Silva Kondrad, Brett Ronzi, Christian J. Hosbach, Keith Allen Godin, David Frederick Lyons, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9571030
    Abstract: A solar module has a plurality of solar panels framed within a frame member having side frame members connected to end frame members. Each side frame member and end frame member have a groove and a channel, and side frame members also have an elongated flange that raises up the solar panel a distance to allow cooling air to pass under the solar panel. Framed solar panels are connected to lengthwise support members having top, bottom and side channels, such as T-slots. These channels allow for easy adjustment and compensates for variability in the installation process. Each solar panel is connected to the lengthwise support members by way of legs. To connect adjacent solar panels to the lengthwise support members, a pair of legs, one long leg and one short leg, are stacked on top of one another and fastened to the lengthwise support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventors: Keith Allen Kube, Mike Lawrence, James L. Law
  • Publication number: 20170036577
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback frame and a seat frame defining a seating frame. A plurality of distinct assembly modules are configured for attachment with the seating frame. The plurality of distinct assembly modules include a back cushion module, a hard back module, a headrest module, and a seat cushion module. The seat cushion module includes a composite cushion pan having a rearward support defining an intermediate open area. A forward support is pivotally coupled to the rearward support. A suspension assembly is disposed in the intermediate open area. A cushion extends over the composite cushion pan. A coverstock covers the cushion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew LIne, Marc Silva Kondrad, Brett E. Ronzi, Christian J. Hosbach, Rodney Charles Brinker, Keith Allen Godin
  • Patent number: 9550558
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to the use of an optimal altitude controller for super pressure aerostatic balloon in connection with a balloon network. The aerostatic balloon includes a bladder containing a gas that is lighter than the air present in the environment of the balloon. Additionally, the aerostatic balloon includes an envelope filled with air. A mass-changing unit configured to selectively add or remove air may control the amount of air in the envelope. Further, the balloon has a communication module configured to transmit data relating to a current balloon state, and receives data relating to a desired balloon state. Additionally, the balloon includes a processor configured to control the mass-changing unit based on the desired balloon state. The mass-changing unit of the aerostatic balloon may be powered by a renewable energy source, such as solar power. The mass-changing unit adds or removes air with an impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Johan Mathe, C. O. Lee Boyce, Jr., Keith Allen Bonawitz