Patents by Inventor Mark A. Thurber

Mark A. Thurber 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).

  • Steering wheel mounting for transmission shift controls
    Patent number: 7703570
    Abstract: A steering wheel (20) that has an axis of turning (64) axis for steering a motor vehicle that has an engine, a drivetrain, a transmission that provides different gear ratios for coupling the engine to the drivetrain, and a transmission controller that in an automatic mode automatically shifts the transmission from one gear ratio to another in response to changing vehicle torque requirements and in a manual mode shifts the transmission from one gear ratio to another in response to manual actuation of a shift command device. A module (36) contains both the shift command device (58, 60) and a mode selection device (62) for selecting between the automatic and manual modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Ringger, Matthew W. Hormann, Mark A. Thurber, Mary Mc. Wesler, John F. Rotz
  • Common control interface for diverse automated manual transmissions
    Patent number: 7139653
    Abstract: A gearshift to transmission controller interface is based on a controller area network and a gearshift interface interposed between the gearshift and associated displays and the network bus. The shift controller can be made universal to all transmission types of automated manual transmissions by incorporation of a library program relating to a transmission type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Ringger, John F. Rotz, Mark A. Thurber