Patents by Inventor Mark Alexander

Mark Alexander 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: 11960029
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to selective deactivation of light emitters for interference mitigation in light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example method includes deactivating one or more light emitters within a lidar device during a firing cycle. The method also includes identifying whether interference is influencing measurements made by the lidar device. Identifying whether interference is influencing measurements made by the lidar device includes determining, for each light detector of the lidar device that is associated with the one or more light emitters deactivated during the firing cycle, whether a light signal was detected during the firing cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Patent number: 11958040
    Abstract: A method is described for preparing an eggshell catalyst comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate catalyst support, (ii) treating the calcined shaped alkaline earth metal aluminate support with a gas containing water vapour to form a hydrated support, (iii) with or without an intervening drying step, impregnating the hydrated support with an acidic solution containing one or more catalytic metal compounds and drying the impregnated support, (iv) calcining the dried impregnated support, to form a calcined catalyst having a catalytic metal oxide concentrated at the surface of the support and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii), (iii) and (iv).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Mikael Carlsson, Mark Alexander Kent, Stefano Martinuzzi, Shanneal Readman, John West
  • Publication number: 20240094727
    Abstract: An example method involves detecting a sensor-testing trigger. Detecting the sensor-testing trigger may comprise determining that a vehicle is within a threshold distance to a target in an environment of the vehicle. The method also involves obtaining sensor data collected by a sensor of the vehicle after the detection of the sensor-testing trigger. The sensor data is indicative of a scan of a region of the environment that includes the target. The method also involves comparing the sensor data with previously-collected sensor data indicating detection of the target by one or more sensors during one or more previous scans of the environment. The method also involves generating performance metrics related to the sensor of the vehicle based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Stephanie McArthur, Mark Alexander Shand, Colin Braley
  • Patent number: 11927697
    Abstract: A computing system may operate a LIDAR device to emit and detect light pulses in accordance with a time sequence including standard detection period(s) that establish a nominal detection range for the LIDAR device and extended detection period(s) having durations longer than those of the standard detection period(s). The system may then make a determination that the LIDAR detected return light pulse(s) during extended detection period(s) that correspond to particular emitted light pulse(s). Responsively, the computing system may determine that the detected return light pulse(s) have detection times relative to corresponding emission times of particular emitted light pulse(s) that are indicative of one or more ranges. Given this, the computing system may make a further determination of whether or not the one or more ranges indicate that an object is positioned outside of the nominal detection range, and may then engage in object detection in accordance with the further determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Patent number: 11913294
    Abstract: A coiled tubing injector for running coiled tubing into and out of a well in a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, includes a coiled tubing injector head including a base and a gripping mechanism configured to grip the coiled tubing running through the base and to advance and retract the coiled tubing, and a control system. The control system includes a coiled tubing indicator disposed between the gripping mechanism and a blowout preventer coupled to a head of the well, to indicate a change from presence of the coiled tubing to absence of the coiled tubing. The control system also includes a gripping mechanism control coupled to the coiled tubing indicator and operable to stop movement of gripping mechanism, thus discontinuing movement of the coiled tubing in response to the coiled tubing indicator indicating the change from the presence of the coiled tubing to the absence of the coiled tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Cenovus Energy Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Day
  • Publication number: 20240061089
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate light detection and ranging operations. An example method includes determining, for at least one light-emitter device of a plurality of light-emitter devices, a light pulse schedule. The plurality of light-emitter devices is operable to emit light along a plurality of emission vectors. The light pulse schedule is based on a respective emission vector of the at least one light-emitter device and a three-dimensional map of an external environment. The light pulse schedule includes at least one light pulse parameter and a listening window duration. The method also includes causing the at least one light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices to emit a light pulse according to the light pulse schedule. The light pulse interacts with an external environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Publication number: 20240050198
    Abstract: There is herein described a dental kit comprising a dental aligner or mouth tray and dissolvable films. More particularly, there is described a dental kit comprising a dental aligner or mouth tray and dissolvable films wherein the dental aligner acts to straighten teeth and the dissolvable film may 5 contain active ingredients that may promote whitening and/or reduction of dental hypersensitivity (DH) in teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: John Edward CULLEN, Mark Alexander LIVINGSTONE, Melanie MACFARLANE, Ian Herbert STEVENS
  • Publication number: 20240045060
    Abstract: A computing system may operate a LIDAR device to emit light pulses in accordance with a time sequence including a time-varying dither. The system may then determine that the LIDAR detected return light pulses during corresponding detection periods for each of two or more emitted light pulses. Responsively, the system may determine that the detected return light pulses have (i) detection times relative to corresponding emission times of a plurality of first emitted light pulses that are indicative of a first set of ranges and (ii) detection times relative to corresponding emission times of a plurality of second emitted light pulses that are indicative of a second set of ranges. Given this, the system may select between using the first set of ranges as a basis for object detection and using the second set of ranges as a basis for object detection, and may then engage in object detection accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Patent number: 11860626
    Abstract: An example method involves detecting a sensor-testing trigger. Detecting the sensor-testing trigger may comprise determining that a vehicle is within a threshold distance to a target in an environment of the vehicle. The method also involves obtaining sensor data collected by a sensor of the vehicle after the detection of the sensor-testing trigger. The sensor data is indicative of a scan of a region of the environment that includes the target. The method also involves comparing the sensor data with previously-collected sensor data indicating detection of the target by one or more sensors during one or more previous scans of the environment. The method also involves generating performance metrics related to the sensor of the vehicle based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Stephanie McArthur, Mark Alexander Shand, Colin Braley
  • Publication number: 20230400564
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for managing the operation of sensors in an electronic device. According to certain aspects, the electronic device may detect a change in motion from a set of lower-sensitivity sensor data generated by a sensor(s) operating in a lower-sensitivity mode. When the change in motion is detected and during a timeout window, the sensor(s) may generate an additional set of lower-sensitivity sensor data and a set of higher-sensitivity sensor data. The electronic device may initially confirm the change in motion based on analyzing the set of higher-sensitivity sensor data. Further, the electronic device may determine that the additional set of lower-sensitivity does not indicate an additional change in motion, and may deem the confirmation of the change in motion as a false positive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Felch, Christopher Findeisen, JinJie Chen, Mark Alexander, Shang Shi, Zhuo Wang
  • Patent number: 11841464
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate light detection and ranging operations. An example method includes determining, for at least one light-emitter device of a plurality of light-emitter devices, a light pulse schedule. The plurality of light-emitter devices is operable to emit light along a plurality of emission vectors. The light pulse schedule is based on a respective emission vector of the at least one light-emitter device and a three-dimensional map of an external environment. The light pulse schedule includes at least one light pulse parameter and a listening window duration. The method also includes causing the at least one light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices to emit a light pulse according to the light pulse schedule. The light pulse interacts with an external environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Publication number: 20230359430
    Abstract: Media input audio data corresponding to a media stream and microphone input audio data from at least one microphone may be received. A first level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the media input audio data, as well as a second level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the microphone input audio data, may be determined. Media output audio data and microphone output audio data may be produced by adjusting levels of one or more of the first and second plurality of frequency bands based on the perceived loudness of the microphone input audio data, of the microphone output audio data, of the media output audio data and the media input audio data. One or more processes may be modified upon receipt of a mode-switching indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Alexander, Chunjian Li, Joshua Brandon Lando, Alan J. Seefeldt, C. Phillip Brown, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart
  • Patent number: 11804057
    Abstract: The techniques described herein relate to a systems and methods for a digital asset generation platform. The digital asset generation platform may ingest an ingest input. The digital asset generation platform may utilize a document identification engine corresponding to a first stage of a multi-stage convolutional neural network for identifying document types of documents. The digital asset generation platform may utilize an object detector engine corresponding to a second stage of the multi-stage convolutional neural network for detecting a dynamic mapping in the digital file. The digital asset generation platform may utilize a post-processing engine for classifying the dynamic mapping in the at least one digital file. The digital asset generation platform may dynamically generate a digital asset representative of the document based on the key value data pairs extracted from the dynamic mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: LiquidX, Inc.
    Inventors: James Toffey, Frank Dimarco, Coby Dodd, Shayan Hemmatiyan, Venkat Naidu, Edmond Costantini, Mark Alexander, Vishal Panchamia
  • Publication number: 20230322551
    Abstract: A process is described for steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock containing one or more nitrogen compounds, comprising passing a mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam through a catalyst bed consisting of one nickel steam reforming catalysts disposed within a plurality of externally heated tubes in a tubular steam reformer, wherein each tube has an inlet to which the mixture of hydrocarbon and steam is fed, an outlet from which a reformed gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam, ammonia and methane is recovered, and the steam reforming catalyst at least at the outlet of the tubes is a particulate eggshell steam reforming catalyst comprising 2.5 to 9.5% by weight nickel, expressed as NiO, wherein the nickel is provided in a layer at the surface of the catalyst and the thickness of layer is in the range of 100 to 1000 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Mileta BABOVIC, Mikael CARLSSON, Mark Alexander KENT, Andrew Edward RICHARDSON
  • Patent number: 11782149
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for managing the operation of sensors in an electronic device. According to certain aspects, the electronic device may detect a change in motion from an initial set of sensor data generated by a sensor(s). A memory cache may store the initial set of sensor data or additional sensor data generated by the sensor(s). The electronic device may initiate a supplemental algorithm that analyzes the cached data. Based on the analysis of the cached data and whether the change in motion is confirmed or whether additional motion is detected, the electronic device may manage the operation of the supplemental algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Felch, Christopher Findeisen, JinJie Chen, Mark Alexander, Shang Shi, Zhuo Wang
  • Publication number: 20230310284
    Abstract: There is herein described a teeth whitening strip or film. In particular, the present invention relates to a dissolvable or substantially dissolvable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) teeth whitening strip or film comprising a concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at or above 10 wt. % of the strip or film. There is also described a process for the manufacture of a dissolvable or substantially dissolvable tooth whitening strip or film along with the method of using a strip or film comprising a concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at or above 10 wt. % of the strip or film to whiten and/or bleach teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: John Edward CULLEN, Mark Alexander LIVINGSTONE, Melanie MACFARLANE, Robert CRICHTON
  • Patent number: 11774590
    Abstract: A computing system may operate a LIDAR device to emit light pulses in accordance with a time sequence including a time-varying dither. The system may then determine that the LIDAR detected return light pulses during corresponding detection periods for each of two or more emitted light pulses. Responsively, the system may determine that the detected return light pulses have (i) detection times relative to corresponding emission times of a plurality of first emitted light pulses that are indicative of a first set of ranges and (ii) detection times relative to corresponding emission times of a plurality of second emitted light pulses that are indicative of a second set of ranges. Given this, the system may select between using the first set of ranges as a basis for object detection and using the second set of ranges as a basis for object detection, and may then engage in object detection accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Mark Alexander Shand
  • Patent number: 11744244
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for improving the compatibility of aqueous herbicide solutions containing at least one of a water soluble salt of an aryloxyalkanoic acid, a water soluble salt of a pyridyloxyalkanoic acid, and a water soluble salt of glyphosate, and optionally ?16% of one or more fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate, by adding certain polymeric crystallization inhibitors are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE LLC, NOURYON CHEMICALS INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Alexander, Anne Austin, Alex Kennedy, Lei Liu, Klin A. Rodrigues, Holger Tank
  • Patent number: 11740859
    Abstract: Media input audio data corresponding to a media stream and microphone input audio data from at least one microphone may be received. A first level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the media input audio data, as well as a second level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the microphone input audio data, may be determined. Media output audio data and microphone output audio data may be produced by adjusting levels of one or more of the first and second plurality of frequency bands based on the perceived loudness of the microphone input audio data, of the microphone output audio data, of the media output audio data and the media input audio data. One or more processes may be modified upon receipt of a mode-switching indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Alexander, Chunjian Li, Joshua Brandon Lando, Alan J. Seefeldt, C. Phillip Brown, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart
  • Patent number: 11723863
    Abstract: The present invention provides oral care compositions. The compositions may be provided in a solid form, such as a film. The compositions can comprise one or more film forming polymers, one or more bioadhesive agents, one or more plasticizers, benzocaine (and optionally one or more further active ingredients), one or more polymeric solvents, and an aqueous solvent. The oral care composition can be a solid or semi-solid composition up to a temperature of at least 40° C. Methods of providing such an oral care compositions are also provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Lindsay Grant, Dominic Gregory Walsh, Mark Alexander Livingstone