Patents by Inventor Louis Ashford

Louis Ashford 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: 11668031
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Fractal Braid, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Jarrell, Louis A. Ashford, Dustin French
  • Publication number: 20210348314
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Jesse JARRELL, LOUIS A. ASHFORD, DUSTIN FRENCH
  • Patent number: 11008683
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: FRACTAL BRAID, INC.
    Inventors: Jesse Jarrell, Louis A. Ashford, Dustin French
  • Publication number: 20200240057
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise a magnetic device arranged in a three-dimensional configuration. The apparatus may comprise a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The magnetic device may be configured to provide a magnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material. The apparatus may comprise a controller configured to control the magnetic device to modulate the magnetic field. The controller may be further configured to detect a position and/or motion of the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Jesse JARRELL, LOUIS A. ASHFORD, DUSTIN FRENCH
  • Patent number: 10640897
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise one or more stator coils arranged in a three-dimensional configuration, and a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The stator coils of the apparatus may be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: FRACTAL BRAID, INC.
    Inventors: Jesse Jarrell, Louis A. Ashford, Dustin French
  • Publication number: 20190390380
    Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a material is provided. The apparatus may comprise one or more stator coils arranged in a three-dimensional configuration, and a surface on which at least one carrier is configured to move. The stator coils of the apparatus may be configured to generate an electromagnetic field for driving the carrier on the surface to manipulate a material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Jesse Jarrell, Louis A. Ashford, Dustin French
  • Patent number: 9027015
    Abstract: A device and method of connecting an interactive communication system to a processing device. The device is a cable system that includes first and second ends. The first end of the cable system has a leg connector, while the second end of the connector system has first and second arm connectors. The method implements the cable system to load or run software onto the processing device, and includes connecting the leg connector to an interactive communication system; connecting the first arm connector having a memory device to the processing device, wherein the memory device includes predetermined software; loading/running the software on the processing device; disconnecting the first arm connector having the memory device from the processing device; and connecting a second arm connector to the processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Steelcase, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Hildebrandt, Ian G. Hutchinson, James D. Watson, Michael H. Dunn, Neal A. Hofmann, Scott E. Wilson, Brent W. Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Patent number: 8723815
    Abstract: The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Steelcase, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Hildebrandt, Ian G. Hutchinson, James D. Watson, Michael H. Dunn, Neal A. Hofmann, Scott E. Wilson, Brent W. Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Patent number: 8355892
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing causes of a malfunction of an electronic whiteboard that includes a white-board surface, the method comprising the steps of linking a remote computer that includes a remote display to the electronic whiteboard from a remote location, interacting with the whiteboard surface to generate X and Y coordinates associated with surface activity, transmitting at least one of the X and Y coordinates associated with the surface activity to the remote computer, displaying at least a subset of the at least one of X and Y coordinates via the remote display and examining the at least a subset of the at least one of X and Y coordinates via the remote display to ascertain the cause of a board malfunction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Brand C. Kvavle, James D. Watson, Neal A. Hofmann, David W. Behner, Louis A. Ashford
  • Publication number: 20100275132
    Abstract: The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: PolyVision Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. HILDEBRANDT, Ian G. Hutchinson, James D. Watson, Michael H. Dunn, Neal A. Hofmann, Scott E. Wilson, Brent W. Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Patent number: 7750892
    Abstract: The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Polyvision Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Hildebrandt, Ian G. Hutchinson, James D. Watson, Michael H. Dunn, Neal A. Hofmann, Scott E. Wilson, Brent W. Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20100030505
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing causes of a malfunction of an electronic whiteboard that includes a white-board surface, a position sensor for sensing surface activity and generating at least one of X and Y coordinates associated with the surface activity and a local computer that runs board software to convert the at least one of X and Y coordinates into operational commands, the method comprising the steps of linking a remote computer that includes a remote display to the electronic whiteboard from a remote location, interacting with the whiteboard surface to generate X and Y coordinates associated with surface activity, transmitting at least one of the X and Y coordinates associated with the surface activity to the remote computer, displaying at least a subset of the at least one of X and Y coordinates via the remote display and examining the at least a subset of the at least one of X and Y coordinates via the remote display to ascertain the cause of a board malfunction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Brand C. Kvavle, James D. Watson, Neal A. Hofmann, David W. Behner, Louis A. Ashford
  • Publication number: 20090146965
    Abstract: A device and method of connecting an interactive communication system to a processing device. The device is a cable system that includes first and second ends. The first end of the cable system has a leg connector, while the second end of the connector system has first and second arm connectors. The method implements the cable system to load or run software onto the processing device, and includes connecting the leg connector to an interactive communication system; connecting the first arm connector having a memory device to the processing device, wherein the memory device includes predetermined software; loading/running the software on the processing device; disconnecting the first arm connector having the memory device from the processing device; and connecting a second arm connector to the processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: PolyVision Corporation
    Inventors: Peter W. Hildebrandt, Ian G. Hutchinson, James D. Watson, Michael H. Dunn, Neal A. Hofmann, Scott E. Wilson, Brent W. Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20050280636
    Abstract: The present invention includes interactive communication systems that incorporate several beneficial embodiments including an interactive tray system, an electronic presentation messaging system, an interactive podium, and a key drive system. The interactive tray system enables a single, transferable interactive unit to be fastened to a communication medium, turning into a fully interactive medium. The electronic presentation messaging system enables the e-mailing of presentations and notes to and from components of the interactive communication system. The interactive podium increases conventional podium mobility, enabling both the presenter, and podium, to move and be moved about the room without attention to wired connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Applicant: PolyVision Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Hildebrandt, Ian Hutchinson, James Watson, Michael Dunn, Neal Hofmann, Scott Wilson, Brent Anderson, Louis Ashford, Richard Meissner
  • Publication number: 20020032055
    Abstract: The invention uses the conventional PC game port as a port for a digital game input device, employing a Digital Game Port (DGP) protocol which uses the four discrete or button lines and a single analog line (one of four) on the conventional game board to form a dual serial port. Data from a DGP control device is packetized with each packet consisting of 13 bytes of data. The packets or blocks are then grouped into frames. A frame consists of two blocks of data. A total of two frames are transmitted to the driver for each driver request. The 13-byte data block is divided between six one byte analog values and four bytes of digital data, with three bytes that identify and define the device. This device definition and identification is unique. By sending the device identification and configuration to the driver, the driver can determine not only the presence of the device but also very specific aspects of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Applicant: Thrustmaster, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Church, Doyle A. Nickless, Stephen T. Kaminsky, Louis A. Ashford
  • Patent number: 6270415
    Abstract: The invention uses the conventional PC game port as a port for a digital game input device, employing a Digital Game Port (DGP) protocol which uses the four discrete or button lines and a single analog line (one of four) on the conventional game board to form a dual serial port. Data from a DGP control device is packetized with each packet consisting of 13 bytes of data. The packets or blocks are then grouped into frames. A frame consists of two blocks of data. A total of two frames are transmitted to the driver for each driver request. The 13-byte data block is divided between six one byte analog values and four bytes of digital data, with three bytes that identify and define the device. This device definition and identification is unique. By sending the device identification and configuration to the driver, the driver can determine not only the presence of the device but also very specific aspects of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Guillemot Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Church, Doyle A. Nickless, Stephen T. Kaminsky, Louis A. Ashford