Patents by Inventor Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones 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: 20210325910
    Abstract: An autonomous inspection solution includes: a UAV having a navigation component and a first inspection sensor suite. The navigation component is configured to: autonomously deploy the UAV from a support vehicle; fly a first route at an inspection site, based at least upon a sensor type of the first inspection sensor suite; and autonomously return to the support vehicle upon completion of assigned inspections. In some examples, the first inspection sensor suite includes an optical camera, a thermal imaging sensor, an RF sensor, or an inventory management sensor, and a second inspection sensor suite has at least one different sensor than the first inspection sensor suite. The navigation component is further configured navigate the UAV to fly a second route, based at least upon a sensor type of the second inspection sensor suite. A data component stores or wirelessly transmits data received from the affixed inspection sensor suites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventor: Stephen Matthew Jones
  • Publication number: 20210312415
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to monitor and adjust perpetual inventory (PI). Some embodiments comprise multiple point of sale (POS) systems; an inventory system and a perpetual inventory (PI) engine control circuit that receives inventory information and is configured to identify the occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product at a shopping facility and corresponding to a potential inconsistency in a determined inventory count; and for each of the events: identify a first set of inventory evaluation rules; apply the first set of inventory evaluation rules to determine a type of inventory count error; determine an inventory adjustment action to be implemented based on the first product and the determined error type; and cause the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the determined inventory count of the first product at the first shopping facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Cristy C. Brooks, Benjamin D. Enssle, David B. Brightwell, Daniel R. Shields, Greg A. Bryan, Matthew A. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210307920
    Abstract: An expandable intervertebral implant having an upper body portion, a lower body portion opposite the upper body portion, a wedge member connecting the upper body portion to the lower body portion, a nose member having a tapered distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, and an actuator disposed between the nose member and the wedge member, for translation of the wedge member along a longitudinal axis of the implant. A pin disposed in a center of the nose member connects to the actuator for centering the nose member with the actuator. Translation of the wedge member along the longitudinal axis of the implant displaces the upper body portion and the lower body portion away from each other, thereby expanding the intervertebral implant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: John Lawrence Walker, Joseph Matthew Jones
  • Publication number: 20210312414
    Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for a retail facility to maintain information regarding product location, in part, from correlating a shopper's cart path and their purchased items with those of other shoppers. In some approaches, the methods and apparatuses may determine a cart path for a particular shopping cart by analyzing aisle markers captured by an image capturing device in the shopping cart, associate that cart path with the purchased items from that shopping cart, and compare the associated cart path and purchased items with similar information from other customers. In some examples, by comparing the associated cart paths and purchased items form a plurality of customers, an aisle location of one of the retail items is identified and the database of aisle locations and retail items may be updated accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor, Aaron J. Vasgaard, Matthew A. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210295253
    Abstract: A perpetual inventory (PI) value associated with the selected product and a last PI adjustment time that indicates when the retail store last adjusted the PI value are received. The PI value of the selected product is compared to the back room quantity value of the selected product, and a time when the back room quantity value becomes greater than the PI value for the selected product is determined. An adjustment to the PI of the selected product is blocked when the PI adjustment time is after the time. When the back room quantity value is greater than the PI value and the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the PI value is adjusted to be the back room quantity value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Greg A. Bryan, Cristy C. Brooks, David Blair Brightwell, Benjamin D. Enssle, Matthew A. Jones, Jesse L. Eaton
  • Patent number: 11118943
    Abstract: A sensor device is removably attachable to a drug delivery device. The sensor device comprises an array of optical sensors arranged within the sensor device such that, when the sensor device is attached to the drug delivery device, which has a first movable element configured to move along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drug delivery device, each optical sensor is operable to detect light received at different locations along the path and to output a signal indicative of an amount of detected light. Circuitry is configured to receive the signals output from the optical sensors and, based on the received signals, determine information associated with a location along the path of the first movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH
    Inventors: Matthew Jones, Samuel Steel, Barry Yates, Anthony Paul Morris
  • Publication number: 20210264360
    Abstract: Scans of a selected product on shelves of a retail store are obtained and the scans are transmitted over a network via a transceiver circuit. A perpetual inventory (PI) value is stored for a selected product in a database. A data structure includes a first category and first actions programmatically linked to the first category. When the selected product is out-of-stock and when the PI value is greater than a predetermined threshold, one or more of the first actions associated with the first category are performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Greg A. Bryan, Cristy C. Brooks, David Blair Brightwell, Benjamin D. Enssle, Matthew A. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210255128
    Abstract: A technique for monitoring the quality of objects is disclosed. A container includes a multiple sensors and is configured to receive an object. The sensors monitor various metrics associated with the quality of the object, and a display is affixed to the container for displaying a visual indication of the quality of the object. The visual indication is based on data collected from the sensors. A quality monitoring module is executed by a processor to control the sensors to switch operation between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation based on a detected change in one of the metrics monitored by the sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Bruce W. Wilkinson, David C. Winkle, Matthew A. Jones, Aaron J. Vasgaard, Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor, Todd D. Mattingly
  • Patent number: 11093895
    Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of managing bins audits in a stock room of a retail sales facility include generating at least one bin audit management factor for the bins at the retail sales facility. The bin audit management factor can include an amount of time a total number of products stored in the bin does not change; a number of times a one product is binned or picked from the bin, a number of products stored in the bin; and an accuracy percentage of a worker at the retail sales facility during a preceding audit of the bin. Based on whether the value of one or more of the bin audit management factors meets a predetermined threshold value that supports the auditing of a bin, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility is generated as to whether that bin is to be audited or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor, Matthew A. Jones
  • Patent number: 11093889
    Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to enable delivery to a delegate of a user. A calendar function of the user can be utilized to determine whether a delivery can be successfully completed. In several embodiments, a system as described herein can access wireless smart devices of the user and one or more delegates thereof to schedule a delivery of one or more products. The system analyzes locations and times of scheduled events to determine whether the user has a conflict for a delivery time and, if so, whether any of the delegates are authorized and available to receive the delivery. The system can send out notifications and/or invites based on priorities determined by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew A. Jones, Todd D. Mattingly
  • Patent number: 11093810
    Abstract: A multizone equipment tracking solution includes radio frequency identification (RFID) tags affixed to items of inventoried equipment; a plurality of RFID readers deployed in a plurality of different zones, including a transit zone and a storage zone, wherein an RFID reader in a transit zone comprises a mobile reader; and a monitoring node. The RFID readers read the plurality of tags, for example from items that are in the different zones, and report the tag codes to the monitoring node. Examples permit a real-time, end-to-end view of inventoried equipment across different zones, spanning multiple, widely-dispersed storage locations, in-transit routes (for both installation delivery and decommissioning recovery), and at operational sites. Reported data, including locations, times (e.g., durations), may be advantageously mined to provide value for inventory management by locating misplaced or incorrectly-routed items, and identifying excessive transit and storage times and actual loss events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Matthew Jones
  • Publication number: 20210241196
    Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of bins at a retail sales facility are described. The methods include receiving an identification of a product being binned at a retail sales facility, then determining the size of the product, and then ranking the products in the bins based on the time stamp of a time of binning of the product. The physical size of the product and the ranking of the product are correlated to a size of the bins to determine the relative physical locations of the products in the bins. A pick of a product from a bin is generated based on a determination that the location of the product to be picked in one of the bins is higher than a location of at least one identical product in at least another one of the bins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor, Matthew A. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210228301
    Abstract: A re-usable medical procedure power tool includes enclosed housing including a tool attachment portion, a handle portion connected to a tool attachment portion and a power portion. A removable, single use, contamination-blocking cover substantially covering the housing, the handle portion the power portion. The cover also includes an opening adjacent an exposed first end of the tool attachment portion, whereby a tool accessory is selectively attached to and removed from the first end of the tool attachment portion during a medical procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Peter M Aman, Frederick N Matthews, Matthew Jones, Richard Acevedo, Daniel Tagtow, Roy Melling
  • Patent number: 11062276
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for reusing containers. A system for container reuse comprises an order database storing a plurality of orders associated with an order fulfillment facility, a conveyor system, and a control circuit. The control circuit being configured to determine container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders in the order database based on dimensions of products in each order, predict container usage for fulfilling orders at the order fulfillment facility based at least on the container capacity requirements of the plurality of orders, determine whether a used container received at the conveyor system should be retained based on a container dimension of the used container and the container usage predicted for the order fulfillment facility, and cause the conveyor system to route the used container to a fulfillment area or a disposal area based on whether the used container should be retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaus A. Jones, Matthew A. Jones
  • Patent number: 11051949
    Abstract: An expandable intervertebral implant having an upper body portion, a lower body portion opposite the upper body portion, a wedge member connecting the upper body portion to the lower body portion, a nose member having a tapered distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, and an actuator disposed between the nose member and the wedge member, for translation of the wedge member along a longitudinal axis of the implant. A pin disposed in a center of the nose member connects to the actuator for centering the nose member with the actuator. Translation of the wedge member along the longitudinal axis of the implant displaces the upper body portion and the lower body portion away from each other, thereby expanding the intervertebral implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Zavation, LLC
    Inventors: John Lawrence Walker, Joseph Matthew Jones
  • Patent number: 11051953
    Abstract: A surgical implant and a surgical kit. The surgical implant has a body portion comprising a first hole formed in an exterior surface of the body portion, a second hole adjacent the first hole, and at least one through-hole within the body portion and extending entirely thought a depth of the body portion extending entirely thought a depth of the body portion. The implant has a central opening abutting the body portion and extending through the body portion. The first hole has a first sidewall and a first cavity in the body portion, the second hole has a second sidewall and a second cavity in the body portion, and the first cavity and the second cavity have an interconnected opening there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Zavation Medical Products, LLC
    Inventors: Katie Lynn Motley, John Franklin Cummins, Joseph Matthew Jones, John Lawrence Walker, Colbert Yeates Williams
  • Patent number: 11055662
    Abstract: A perpetual inventory (PI) value associated with the selected product and a last PI adjustment time that indicates when the retail store last adjusted the PI value are received. The PI value of the selected product is compared to the back room quantity value of the selected product, and a second time when the back room quantity value becomes greater than the PI value for the selected product is determined. An adjustment to the PI of the selected product is blocked when an indication of upcoming inventory adjustment for the selected product is received. An adjustment to the PI value of the selected product is also blocked when the PI adjustment time is after the second time. When the back room quantity value is greater than the PI value and the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the PI value is adjusted to be the back room quantity value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Greg A. Bryan, Cristy C. Brooks, David B. Brightwell, Benjamin D. Enssle, Matthew A. Jones, Jesse L. Eaton
  • Publication number: 20210201255
    Abstract: An analysis of the scans is performed to determine whether the selected item was moved from the back room to the shelf, then returned from the shelf to the back room. The analysis also determines a re-bin time when the selected product was returned to the back room. An adjustment to the PI is blocked when last PI adjustment time is later than the re-bin time. An adjustment to the PI is also blocked when an audit indicator is received at the interface indicating that the retail store is under an audit. An adjusted PI value is determined when the analysis indicates that the selected item was moved from the back room to the shelf, then returned from the shelf, the adjusted PI value being at least one more than the shelf capacity value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Greg A. Bryan, Cristy C. Brooks, David Blair Brightwell, Benjamin D. Enssle, Matthew A. Jones, Jesse L. Eaton
  • Patent number: 11049086
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to monitor and adjust perpetual inventory (PI). Some embodiments comprise multiple point of sale (POS) systems; an inventory system and a perpetual inventory (PI) engine control circuit that receives inventory information and is configured to identify the occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product at a shopping facility and corresponding to a potential inconsistency in a determined inventory count; and for each of the events: identify a first set of inventory evaluation rules; apply the first set of inventory evaluation rules to determine a type of inventory count error; determine an inventory adjustment action to be implemented based on the first product and the determined error type; and cause the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the determined inventory count of the first product at the first shopping facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Cristy C. Brooks, Benjamin D. Enssle, David B. Brightwell, Daniel R. Shields, Greg A. Bryan, Matthew A. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210168197
    Abstract: In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving at an origin controller node, a task and determining a destination work node where the task is to be executed, wherein the origin controller node and the destination work node each comprise a receptor node among a plurality of receptor nodes forming a receptor network, and each of the plurality of receptor nodes functions as one or more of a router node, a controller node, and a work node. The method further includes determining a first router node comprising a first hop on an optimal path to the destination work node, the first router node determined from among a set of receptor nodes functioning at least as router nodes. The method further includes transmitting the task to the destination work node via the first router node and performing the task via the destination work node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Matthew Jones, Joshua Ginsberg, Jesse Jaggars