Patents by Inventor Mark A. Francis

Mark A. 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: 20140092316
    Abstract: A method of operating a miniature projector that comprises: receiving image data to project; generating light beams for a screen; scanning the light beams according to a first pattern from a first edge to an ending edge in the screen to form at least one image, the first pattern being a wave pattern of scan lines such that amplitudes oscillate along a first axis as the beams progressively scan along a second axis, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the first pattern has a first oscillation from the first edge that is directed in a first direction along the first axis; and scanning the light beams according to a second pattern from a second edge to a second ending edge for the screen to form at least another image, the second pattern being a wave pattern of scan lines such that amplitudes oscillate along the first axis as the beams progressively scan along the second axis, wherein the second pattern has a first oscillation from the second edge that is directed in a sec
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventor: Mark Francis Rumreich
  • Patent number: 8687464
    Abstract: A very low frequency marine seismic source has a reservoir of water (47) feeding water to an aperture communicating with the surrounding water (13). The rate of water flow through the aperture is controlled by a rotor disc (11) and stator disc (9) having holes which overlap to a greater or lesser extent as the rotor rotates. The modulation of the flow of water produces a modulated pressure signal which is radiated into the surrounding water. The device is intended to produce acoustic signals over a band extending down to 0.5 Hz or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company Limited
    Inventors: Martin Thompson, Mark Francis Lucien Harper
  • Patent number: 8657254
    Abstract: A gas release device that includes a reservoir of pressurised gas and a passageway from said reservoir to an outlet. There is an elastic gas permeable membrane in the passageway that allows gas release only via the membrane. A gas impermeable member is provided in the passageway that includes an interface positioned to contact said gas permeable membrane. Displacement of the gas permeable membrane is responsive to the pressure of the gas in the reservoir such that there is a greater interfacial contact between the gas impermeable member and the gas permeable membrane at a higher gas pressure than at lower pressure to thereby vary the exposed cross sectional area of the permeable membrane available to the flow in an inverse relationship to pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited
    Inventors: Lynn Roland Cate, Robert Bruce Jordan, Dean Antony Barker, Keith Robert Sharrock, Mark Francis Roche, Ronald Francis Henzell
  • Publication number: 20140027708
    Abstract: Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are based on quantum cascade (QC) structures. In embodiment methods and corresponding devices, a QC layer in a wave confinement region of an integrated multi-layer semiconductor structure capable of producing optical gain is depleted of free charge carriers to create a low-loss optical wave confinement region in a portion of the structure. Ion implantation may be used to create energetically deep trap levels to trap free charge carriers. Other embodiments include modifying a region of a passive, depleted QC structure to produce an active region capable of optical gain. Gain or loss may also be modified by partially depleting or enhancing free charge carrier density. QC lasers and amplifiers may be integrated monolithically with each other or with passive waveguides and other passive devices in a self-aligned manner. Embodiments overcome challenges of high cost, complex fabrication, and coupling loss involved with material re-growth methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicants: EOS Photonics, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anish K. Goyal, Laurent Diehl, Christian Pfluegl, Christine A. Wang, Mark Francis Witinski
  • Patent number: 8630149
    Abstract: A low frequency sound source has a radiating piston (3) of the order of a few meters across backed by a gas spring (13, 15) containing a fixed mass of gas. The gas pressure in the spring is kept at levels for which the natural frequency of the piston (3) loaded by the fluid (41) lies in the seismic band and may be as low as 0.5 Hz. The piston (3) is given an initial displacement and begins to oscillate. Its oscillations are sustained by an actuator (27, 29) whose drive signal is derived from the velocity of the piston (5) via a velocity or displacement sensor. The sound source is caused to perform a frequency sweep by gradually compressing the gas in the gas spring (13, 15) so that the spring becomes stiffer both because of the rising pressure and because of the reducing length of the gas spring spaces (13, 15). This double effect allows large changes in stiffness to be produced and hence allows the source to operate over at least three octaves of frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: BP Exploration Operating Company Limited
    Inventors: Martin Thompson, Mark Francis Lucien Harper
  • Patent number: 8624980
    Abstract: A video apparatus such as a television signal receiver enables a video display that readily indicates the detected degree of a video attribute such as motion and/or other video attribute present in the video display. According to an exemplary embodiment, the video apparatus includes first circuitry operative to receive video data. Second circuitry is operative to enable a video display corresponding to the video data. The video display includes first and second video attributes. The first video attribute varies in proportion to a detected degree of the second video attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Mark Francis Rumreich, Ronald Thomas Keen
  • Patent number: 8614789
    Abstract: The invention is a microplate mounting system for mounting a microplate relative to an optical reader to control an angle of incidence of an interrogation beam at the microplate and includes a reference plane with at least one set of mount features that engage one or both of the bottom of the microplate and the skirt of the and a first positioning mechanism that provides a reversible and predetermined separation in the z direction between a plane formed by the bottom of the microplate and the reader, to control the angle of incidence of the interrogation beam at the microplate by reversibly controlling the relative positioning of the microplate in the z direction through the engagement between the bottom and/or skirt of the microplate and the at least one set of mount features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignees: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc, Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: David Noblett, Robert E. Krug, Steven Liebold, Mark Francis Krol, David Andrew Pastel, Ravi Marala, Dawn Neumann
  • Patent number: 8583604
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method and computer program product is provided for integrating an external workload manager with a database system. The method according to one embodiment includes a method comprises: receiving a request in a database component, the request including a cross component token; starting a new unit of work in workload management software in the database component, in response to the request; determining, from a cross component workload management unit, a transaction class and a synchronization code using the database component; finding an internal workload in the workload management software that matches the transaction class and the synchronization code of the cross component workload management unit; and using the matching internal workload for the new unit of work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Miller Bird, Donna N Eng Dillenberger, Mark Francis Hulber, David Cree Manners, Francis Wong, Peter B. Yocom
  • Patent number: 8581853
    Abstract: A method for using a slider-based capacitive sensor to implement a user interface having discrete buttons. Button locations are designated on a slider-based capacitive sensor having at least two conductive traces such that a user input at any button location results in a capacitance change in the conductive traces. Locations of inputs are distinguishable by ratios between the capacitance changes of the conductive traces, which can be correlated to a particular button location. Ratio ranges corresponding to areas covered by each button are used to identify which button has received an input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Mark Francis
  • Publication number: 20130274675
    Abstract: A drug administration safety device having a label configured to be attached to a drug container such as a syringe or IV bag, an adhesive on the back face of the label, and a backing or substrate for holding the label and protecting the adhesive prior to the application of the label to the drug container. In one embodiment, the label includes a first drug name section in a first orientation, a second drug name section in a second orientation, a third drug name section in a third orientation, a drug concentration section, a variable information section, and a gradiation viewing section. The first orientation, second orientation, and third orientation are different from each other to enable a user to readily see the drug name regardless of the position and orientation of the drug container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Amy Elizabeth Langan, Richard John Kruzynski, John Anton Kollar, III, Patricia Lynn Miyake, Monique LaSayre Kruk, Mark Francis Wagner
  • Publication number: 20130272843
    Abstract: A pump assembly includes a centrifugal pump having an intake, a discharge, a pump chamber and an impeller to deliver water from the intake to the discharge. A priming system is fluidly coupled to the pump chamber. A drive assembly includes a drive shaft coupled to the priming system and positioned around an impeller shaft coupled to the impeller for selective rotatable coupling of the impeller shaft and the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: Waterous Company
    Inventors: Thomas Joseph Mettler, Mark Francis Haider, Henry Yinwah Tsang, Brian Jacob Johnson, Jason Adam Smith, Robert Allen Johnson
  • Patent number: 8531611
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for powering down particular circuits in an electronic device based on the usage habits of the user. An exemplary method comprises collecting usage data for a plurality of device functions of the electronic device, and reducing power consumption by circuitry associated with at least one of the plurality of device functions when the electronic device is in use if the usage data for the at least one of the plurality of device functions indicates that the at least one of the plurality of device functions is used less than at least another of the plurality of device functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: William John Testin, Mark Francis Rumreich
  • Publication number: 20130192823
    Abstract: A method includes releasing a flow device into a wellbore to travel towards a target device that is positioned in the wellbore and that is actuated by the flow device, monitoring for communications transmitted by the flow device. The method further includes identifying a condition of the wellbore from the communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Francis Barrilleaux, Gary Hurst
  • Publication number: 20130134681
    Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing an assembly including a plurality of extrusions and a molded part. having a mold mark. The method includes the steps of: placing the plurality of extrusions into a mold; molding the molded part of the plurality of extrusions to form the assembly; forming the mold mark on the molded part at the joint line between the molded part and at least one of the plurality of extrusions; and detecting the presence of the mold mark at the joint line to determine whether the assembly has formed at the correct size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Toan Cong Ho, Richard Vitai Huynh, Mark Francis Buchanan
  • Publication number: 20130118757
    Abstract: A control line protector for use with a tubing string, e.g. production tubing having at least one control line on an outer surface thereof is disclosed. The control line protector comprises a sleeve having a cylindrical rigid outer wall, the sleeve being locatable around the tubing string and the at least one control line, and a polymeric scaling element disposed, in use, between an inner surface of the outer wall of the sleeve and the tubing string, operable to substantially seal the space between the outer wall of the sleeve and the tubing string.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: BP Exploration Operating Company Limited
    Inventors: Mark Francis Barrilleaux, Daniel Ndzi Shirmboh, Jim W. Spearman
  • Patent number: 8423603
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention enable a person to easily and without having any specialized knowledge configure a webpage to automatically provide real time information. More specifically, embodiments of the invention are directed to a remotely hosted element which may be easily configured and placed in a webpage by an un-sophisticated publisher. The remotely hosted element provides the real time information. In certain embodiments, the real time information is stock quotes, charts and associated news items. In certain embodiments, the real time information unit is interactive. In other words, it allows webpage viewers to interact with it in order to cause it to show additional, or differently organized information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay V. Sohoni, Mark Francis Interrante, Brian Paul Channell, Hu Pan
  • Patent number: 8400409
    Abstract: An interface device and method are provided for sensing movement of an actuator across a surface of a window in an enclosure thereof. The interface device comprises an optical navigation sensor including an illuminator within the interface to illuminate at least a portion of the actuator through the window when the actuator is positioned in contact with or proximal to the surface of the window, and a detector to receive light reflected through the window from the actuator. The interface device further includes a number of capacitive guard-sensors in the enclosure adjacent to the optical navigation sensor to disable the optical navigation sensor when a conductive body is sensed in proximity to the guard-sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Francis
  • Publication number: 20130065820
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel synthetic myostatin antagonists, comprising a synthetic mature myostatin peptide, wherein the peptide comprises at least two cysteine residues at positions 281 and 282 which are forced to bond and form a disulfide bond or a functional variant or fragment thereof and are useful in the treatment of myostatin related disorders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: COVITA LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert Syndecombe Bower, Monica Senna Salerno De Moura, Gina Diane Nicholas, Mark Francis Thomas, Carole Judith Berry
  • Patent number: D682886
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Waterous Company
    Inventors: Mark Francis Haider, Thomas Joseph Mettler, Henry Yinwah Tsang, Brian Jacob Johnson, Jason Adam Smith, Robert Allen Johnson
  • Patent number: D693850
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Waterous Company
    Inventors: Mark Francis Haider, Thomas Joseph Mettler, Henry Yinwah Tsang, Brian Jacob Johnson, Jason Adam Smith, Robert Allen Johnson