Patents by Inventor Martin Simmons

Martin Simmons 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: 8900486
    Abstract: A resin material is provided which comprises at least one thermoset resin, carbon conductive additive material, and at least one thermoplastic polymer resin. The thermoplastic polymer resin dissolves in the thermoset polymer resin and phase separates upon cure. There is also provided a method of making the resin material, and additionally a composite material that comprising said resin material in combination with a fibrous reinforcement. The resin material and composite material may each be used in an uncured or cured form, and may find particular use as a prepreg material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hexcel Composites Limited
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Cawse
  • Patent number: 8866790
    Abstract: A method of tracking multiple touches over time on a touch sensor, for example a capacitive touch screen. The method analyzes first and second touch data sets from adjacent first and second time frames. First, the touch data sets are analyzed to determine the closest touch in the second time frame to each of the touches in the first time frame, and calculating the separation between each such pair of touches. Then, starting with the pair of touches having the smallest separation, each pair is validated until a pairing is attempted between touches for which the touch in the second time frame has already been paired. At this point, the as-yet unpaired touches from the first and second touch data sets are re-processed by re-applying the computations but only including the as-yet unpaired touches. This re-processing is iterated until no further pairings need to be made. The method avoids complex algebra and floating point operations, and has little memory requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, Daniel Pickett
  • Patent number: 8823656
    Abstract: The examples enable tracking of a touch gesture that may extend across a discontinuity between two or more touch screens of a mobile device or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Simmons
  • Publication number: 20140217332
    Abstract: A prepreg comprising a fibre reinforced curable resin, the curable resin being composed of 25 to 35 weight percent tetrafunctional epoxy resin based on the total weight of the curable resin; 18 to 28 weight percent difunctional epoxy resin; 4 to 18 weight percent polyether sulfone; 2 to 10 weight percent polyamide 12 particles; 2 to 10 weight percent polyamide 11 particles; 1 to 8 weight percent potato shaped graphite particles; and 17.4 to 27.4 weight percent of a curing agent for said curable resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicants: HEXCEL CORPORATION, HEXCEL COMPOSITES LIMITED
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, Dana Blair, David Tilbrook, Maureen Boyle
  • Patent number: 8659557
    Abstract: A method of determining touches from a data set output from a touch screen comprising an array of sensing nodes. The method comprises analyzing the dataset and identifies a node with a maximum signal value among all unassigned nodes, and, if present, assigns that node to a touch. A logical test is applied to each node that is a neighbor to the assigned node to determine if that node should also be assigned to the touch and the logical test is repeatedly applied to the unassigned neighbors of each newly assigned node until there are no more newly assigned nodes, or no more unassigned nodes, thereby assigning a group of nodes to the touch defining its area. This process can be repeated until all of the nodes of a touch panel are assigned to a touch. The method is ideally suited to implementation on a microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, David Pickett
  • Publication number: 20140047710
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising a prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one conductive fibrous reinforcement, electrically conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin and a top layer of a metal-coated carbon fibre comprising a further resin component, wherein the metal comprises one or more metals selected from nickel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, indium and silver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Hexcel Corposites Limited
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Cawse
  • Publication number: 20130330514
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and glassy carbon particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites Limited
    Inventors: John Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
  • Patent number: 8517300
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising a prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one conductive fibrous reinforcement, electrically conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin and a top layer of a metal-coated carbon fiber comprising a further resin component, wherein the metal comprises one or more metals selected from nickel, copper, gold, platinum, palladium, indium and silver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Hexcel Composites Limited
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Cawse
  • Publication number: 20130071626
    Abstract: A prepreg comprising a single structural layer of electrically conductive unidirectional fibers and a first outer layer of curable resin substantially free of structural fibers, and optionally a second outer layer of curable resin substantially free of structural fibers, the sum of the thicknesses of the first and second outer resin layers at a given point having an average of at least 10 micrometers and varying over at least the range of from 50% to 120% of the average value, and wherein the first outer layer comprises electrically conductive particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: HEXCEL COMPOSITES LIMITED
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Ellis
  • Patent number: 8313825
    Abstract: A curable resin with at least one electrically conductive metal region on its surface formed by depositing on the surface a composition comprising activator, contacting the activator with a solution of a reducing agent and a solution of a metal ion, the reducing agent and metal ion undergoing chemical reaction activated by the activator to form an electrically conductive metal region on the surface, and method of forming is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignees: Hexcel Composites Limited, Conductive Inkjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Leslie Cawse, Ian Rees, Xiuyan Sun
  • Patent number: 8263503
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: John L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
  • Publication number: 20120141763
    Abstract: A curable prepreg comprising a structural layer of conductive fibres and a first outer layer of thermosetting resin, the resin layer comprising thermoplastic particles and glassy carbon particles provides improved electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: HEXCEL COMPOSITES, LTD.
    Inventors: John Cawse, Martin Simmons
  • Publication number: 20120050177
    Abstract: The examples enable tracking of a touch gesture that may extend across a discontinuity between two or more touch screens of a mobile device or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Martin SIMMONS
  • Patent number: 8105964
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: John L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
  • Publication number: 20110294387
    Abstract: One or more layers of structured thermoplastic polymer, such as a light weight veil of thermoplastic polymer fibers, are located within the interleaf zone of laminates that are composed of fibrous layers and thermosetting resin. The thermoplastic veils are used in the interleaf zones as a replacement for thermoplastic toughening particles. The structured thermoplastic polymer may be coated with a conductive material to improve electrical conductivity through the laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, Dana Blair, Steve Mortimer
  • Publication number: 20110174522
    Abstract: A prepreg comprising resin and at least one fibre layer and further comprising an electrically insulating layer and an electrically conducting layer is provided, and particularly wherein the conductive layer is at or near the top surface, beneath that is the insulating layer and beneath that is a fibre/resin interleaf structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, Michael Jeschke
  • Publication number: 20110163275
    Abstract: A resin material is provided which comprises at least one thermoset resin, carbon conductive additive material, and at least one thermoplastic polymer resin. The thermoplastic polymer resin dissolves in the thermoset polymer resin and phase separates upon cure. There is also provided a method of making the resin material, and additionally a composite material that comprising said resin material in combination with a fibrous reinforcement. The resin material and composite material may each be used in an uncured or cured form, and may find particular use as a prepreg material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Simmons, John Cawse
  • Publication number: 20110091718
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: John L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
  • Publication number: 20110088923
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: John L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green
  • Publication number: 20110091719
    Abstract: A composite material, the composite material comprising at least one prepreg, said prepreg comprising at least one polymeric resin and at least one fibrous reinforcement; and conducting particles dispersed in the polymeric resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Hexcel Composites, Ltd.
    Inventors: John L. Cawse, Martin Simmons, George Green