Patents by Inventor Kevin Francis

Kevin Francis 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: 20170322237
    Abstract: A busbar current sensor assembly includes a busbar member that includes a first cavity and a second cavity. The second cavity is disposed opposite the first cavity. The busbar current sensor assembly also includes a first current sensor disposed in the first cavity such that the first cavity at least partially surrounds the first current sensor and a second current sensor disposed in the second cavity such that the second cavity at least partially surrounds the second current sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Hanley, Thomas Snyder
  • Publication number: 20170321541
    Abstract: A communication system 100 is configurable to operate in either a transparent mode or a data streaming mode. In the transparent mode data is transferred to a data requesting component 112 from a data source 102 using a request-response protocol. In the data streaming mode a second data transfer component 106 is configured to obtain 606 data from the data source component via a third data link 104, and to transfer 608 the data to a first data transfer component 110 via a second data link 106, which has a relatively higher latency, without using the request-response protocol. The first data transfer component is configured to store 610 the transferred data and to transfer 614 the stored data to the data requesting component via the first data link upon receiving a request for the stored data from the data requesting component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: GARY KEVIN FRANCIS, ANDREW ROBERT MACKEY, MATTHEW ROBERT GORE
  • Patent number: 9792769
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: (a) determining a minimum prize value to be awarded for a current game outcome based on a previous game outcome; (b) generating the current game outcome; (c) determining a provisional prize value based on the current game outcome; (d) comparing the provisional prize value with the minimum prize value; and (e) setting a current prize value at the minimum prize value upon the provisional prize value being less than the minimum prize value or at the provisional prize value upon the provisional prize value being greater than or equal to the minimum prize value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Prendergast, Chi We Chim
  • Publication number: 20170271916
    Abstract: A resident remotely operated vehicle may be deployed subsea by deploying a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) (200) configured to be disposed and remain resident subsea for an extended time where the ROV comprises an ROV electrical power connector port (202) to be operatively connected to an electrical power supply (700) dedicated to the ROV. An RTMS configured to be disposed subsea for an extended time is also deployed subsea (210), typically proximate the ROV. A subsea docking hub subsea is also deployed subsea proximate the RTMS and operatively connected to the ROV and the RTMS. In addition, an umbilical is connected from the subsea docking hub to a subsea structure and a signal supplied from the subsea structure to the ROV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Chance, Kevin Francis Kerins, Christopher S. Mancini, Peter Andrew Robert Moles
  • Publication number: 20170271911
    Abstract: Electrical power may be provided to a subsea system, which may include one or more battery packs, from a subsea power system comprising a surface buoy which comprises an electrical power generator and a surface buoy power outlet operatively in communication with the power generator; a subsea battery bank which comprises a predetermined set of batteries, a subsea battery bank power inlet operatively in communication with the surface buoy power outlet and with the predetermined set of batteries, and a subsea battery bank power outlet operatively in communication with the predetermined set of batteries. The subsea power system is deployed at sea, by way of example and not limitation including by use of an autonomous vehicle, and generates electrical power at the power generator which may be provided to the subsea battery bank or other structures requiring electrical power subsea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Chance, Kevin Francis Kerins, Christopher S. Mancini, Peter Andrew Robert Moles
  • Patent number: 9760756
    Abstract: When a mobile device is known to be at a venue, readings from one or more sensors of the device are used to generate a sensor fingerprint of the venue and/or a venue category corresponding to the venue. The sensor fingerprint indicates typical sensor readings for the one or more physical sensors for devices that are located at the venue and/or venues of the same category. Sensor fingerprints can also be generated for other circumstances associated with the mobile device, such as the activity being undertaken by the corresponding user and a type of event currently occurring at the venue. Fingerprints can also be generated for combinations of circumstances, such as a particular activity at a certain category of venue. When location data cannot distinguish at which venue a mobile device is located, sensor fingerprints are compared to sensor readings received from the device to resolve this ambiguity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: ARO, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Eustice, Michael Perkowitz
  • Publication number: 20170256137
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: (a) determining a minimum prize value to be awarded for a current game outcome based on a previous game outcome; (b) generating the current game outcome; (c) determining a provisional prize value based on the current game outcome; (d) comparing the provisional prize value with the minimum prize value; and (e) setting a current prize value at the minimum prize value upon the provisional prize value being less than the minimum prize value or at the provisional prize value upon the provisional prize value being greater than or equal to the minimum prize value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Prendergast, Chi We Chim
  • Patent number: 9720044
    Abstract: A circuit interrupter apparatus for plug-in connection to a panel board. The circuit interrupter apparatus includes a line terminal for plug-in connection with a line power member provided as part of the panel board, a load terminal for plug-in connection with a load power member provided as part of the panel board, a moveable contact moveable between a closed position, where the line terminal is electrically coupled to the load terminal, and an open position, where the line terminal is not electrically coupled to the load terminal. The circuit interrupter apparatus also includes a sensor module for a plug-in connection to a number of signal conductors provided as part of the panel board. The sensor module detects whether the moveable contact is in the closed position or the open position and output a signal to at least one of the signal conductors indicating a current position of the moveable contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: LABINAL, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Wellington Mills, Kevin Francis Hanley, James Michael McCormick
  • Patent number: 9659452
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: (a) determining a minimum prize value to be awarded for a current game outcome based on a previous game outcome; (b) generating the current game outcome; (c) determining a provisional prize value based on the current game outcome; (d) comparing the provisional prize value with the minimum prize value; and (e) setting a current prize value at the minimum prize value upon the provisional prize value being less than the minimum prize value or at the provisional prize value upon the provisional prize value being greater than or equal to the minimum prize value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Prendergast, Chi We Chim
  • Patent number: 9594262
    Abstract: First and second coherent light beams of the same wavelength are propagated in opposite directions to interact on a sub-wavelength thickness metallic metamaterial layer which is structured with a periodicity such that there is a resonance matched to the wavelength of the coherent beams. The first beam is then able to modulate the intensity of the second beam by modulating the phase and/or intensity of the first beam. The interference of the counter- propagating beams can eliminate or substantially reduce Joule loss of light energy in the metamaterial layer or, on the contrary, can lead to a near total absorption of light, depending on the mutual phase and/or intensity of the interacting beams. A modulation is thus provided without using a non-linear effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: University of Southampton
    Inventors: Nikolay Ivanovich Zheludev, Kevin Francis MacDonald, Jianfa Zhang, David John Richardson
  • Publication number: 20170022588
    Abstract: A centrifugally cast composite metal product having an axis of rotational symmetry and a mass of at least 5 kg, comprises a host metal and insoluble solid refractory particles of & refractory material in a non-uniform distribution throughout the host metal. The particles have a density that is within 30% of the density of the host metal at its casting temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Xinhu Tang, Kevin Francis Dolman
  • Publication number: 20170026085
    Abstract: A subsea umbilical and signal distribution hub (SDH) comprises a signal source, the signal comprising power and/or data; one or more signal carriers operatively in communication with the signal source; and a subsea signal distribution hub, which comprises a signal input connector operatively in communication with the signal carrier and a signal output connector operatively in communication with the signal input connector. Signals may be provided by deploying a device such as remotely operated vehicle (ROV) subsea; deploying a riser tension and mounting system (RTMS) with a resident ROV (RROV) installed; deploying a jumper from the RTMS to the RROV; operatively connecting the jumper to a signal distribution hub with such as via an ROV; and once in place, switching the signal on at the signal distribution hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Kerins, Christopher Francis Mancini, Peter Andrew Robert Moles
  • Patent number: 9541652
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a plurality of sensors, each with one or more costs associated with it. In order to reduce the cost associated with using the sensors to infer information about the device's current context, a sensor manager first collects readings from relatively low-cost sensors, and attempts to infer the device's context based on these readings. If the context cannot be unambiguously determined (within an acceptable degree of tolerance) using the low-cost sensor readings, the sensor manager activates one or more higher-cost sensors to identify the current context. In some instances, if the higher-cost sensor is still not adequate to determine the context, one or more even higher-cost sensors are activated. The weighting of the various costs associated with the sensors can be adjusted based on previous and/or predicted contexts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: ARO, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian DeWeese, Erin Mounts, Ian G. Clifton, Oliver Crandall Johnson, Kevin Francis Eustice, Michael Perkowitz
  • Patent number: 9505473
    Abstract: A remotely operated vehicle integrated system comprises one or more remotely operated vehicles (ROV) configured to be deployed substantially continuously subsea and one or more a tether management systems configured to be deployed substantially continuously subsea. The ROVs and tether management systems are typically deployed substantially continuously subsea where a first signal interface, e.g. for power and/or data, is operatively connecting the signal source deployed substantially permanently subsea and one or more of the ROVs operatively connected the signal source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Francis Kerins, Peter Moles
  • Publication number: 20160104566
    Abstract: Decorative, multi-layer surfacing materials, surfaces made therewith, methods of making such and wireless power transmission using the same, which surfacing materials comprise: a first resin-impregnated paper layer and a second resin-impregnated paper layer, and a first conductive material having a first terminus and a second terminus and capable of carrying an electric current from the first terminus to the second terminus; wherein the first conductive material is disposed on a first surface of the first resin-impregnated paper layer; wherein the first resin-impregnated paper layer and the second resin-impregnated paper layer are disposed in a stacked and compressed such that the first conductive material is encapsulated between the first resin-impregnated paper layer and the second resin-impregnated paper layer; and wherein at least one of the first resin-impregnated paper layer, the second resin-impregnated paper layer or an optional additional resin-impregnated paper layer is a decorative layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Kevin Francis O'BRIEN, Bryce Lamar COLE, Robert Jacob KRAMER
  • Patent number: D767950
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: InterDesign, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Francis Kraemer
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    Patent number: D774763
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: InterDesign, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Francis Kraemer
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    Patent number: D774764
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: InterDesign, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Francis Kraemer
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    Patent number: D789708
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: InterDesign, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Francis Kraemer
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    Patent number: D795311
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: InterDesign, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Francis Kraemer