Patents by Inventor M. Jean-François Ménard

M. Jean-François Ménard 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: 9089786
    Abstract: In a building equipped with a plurality of motion-enabled chairs such as a movie theatre, the vibration of the motion-enabled chairs adds up and may damage the foundation of the building especially at the resonance frequency. The present application describes a system and method for controlling the resulting vibration by introducing an alteration such as a delay or an inversion in the motion signals sent to the motion-enabled chairs. This delay causes the vibration of some motion-enabled chairs to be de-phased from the vibration of the other motion-enabled chairs. Whereby, the intensity (magnitude) of the resulting vibration is reduced. Control of the motion-enabled chairs may be done centrally through a central controller, or locally at selected motion-enabled chairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: D-BOX TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: M. Jean-Francois Ménard, M. Sylvain Trottier
  • Publication number: 20120239200
    Abstract: The present document describes a system and method for rendering a vibro-kinetic feedback representative of the vibro-kinetic properties of a remote object on a vibro-kinetic platform. The user may control the motion of the remote object using a remote control such as a joystick or the like. Motion commands generated by the remote control are sent to the remote object for execution. Telemetry data representative of measurements related to the remote object may be captured by a telemetry capture system. A vibro-kinetic encoder generates, using the telemetry data, a vibro-kinetic signal representative of the vibro-kinetic properties of the remote object for rendering on the vibro-kinetic platform. The vibro-kinetic platform may be a motion-enabled chair, or a vibro-kinetic platform having the shape of the remote object for more realistic effect. In an embodiment, the audio and/or video environments of the remote object are also captured and rendered on a feedback system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: D-Box Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: M. Jean-Francois Ménard
  • Publication number: 20120215363
    Abstract: In a building equipped with a plurality of motion-enabled chairs such as a movie theatre, the vibration of the motion-enabled chairs adds up and may damage the foundation of the building especially at the resonance frequency. The present application describes a system and method for controlling the resulting vibration by introducing an alteration such as a delay or an inversion in the motion signals sent to the motion-enabled chairs. This delay causes the vibration of some motion-enabled chairs to be de-phased from the vibration of the other motion-enabled chairs. Whereby, the intensity (magnitude) of the resulting vibration is reduced. Control of the motion-enabled chairs may be done centrally through a central controller, or locally at selected motion-enabled chairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: D-Box Technologies inc.
    Inventors: M. Jean-Francois Ménard, M. Sylvain Trottier
  • Publication number: 20110170945
    Abstract: The present document describes a link member for providing an interface between an actuator and a seat base. The link member has a translational degree of freedom and at least two rotational degrees of freedom. The link member comprises: a joint member having a spherical surface, the joint member for attachment to one of the actuator and the seat base; a housing for attachment to the other one of the actuator and the seat base; and a slider mounted on the spherical surface and within the housing. The slider is free to move in a direction of a translational plane within the housing thereby providing the translational degree of freedom. Furthermore, the slider is free to slide on the spherical surface and to pivot about a first axis and a second axis thereby providing the at least two rotational degrees of freedom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: D-Box Technologies inc.
    Inventors: Stéphane Gagnon, M. Jean-François Ménard, Steve Boulais, M. Sylvain Trottier