Patents by Inventor Michael F. O'Connor

Michael F. O'Connor 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: 6477909
    Abstract: A powertrain has a countershaft transmission and a throttle controlled engine. The transmission has an operator controlled friction clutch that is effective to connect and disconnect the transmission and the engine. The transmission also has coaxially aligned input and output shafts and a countershaft parallel therewith. The input shaft, countershaft, and output shaft are connected through meshing gears. In order to maintain the lash between the connecting gears, a selectively actuatable friction damper is disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft. The damper is actuated during transient events that would otherwise cause the gear meshes to separate resulting in noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: David Allen Gilbert, Jeffrey S Rayce, Michael F O'Leary
  • Patent number: 6322081
    Abstract: A circumferential seal for sealing between a rotating shaft and a stationary housing circumscribing the shaft. The seal comprises a stator mounted to said housing and having a radially inward facing carbon portion and a rotor with a ceramic sealing member having a radially outward facing surface in rubbing contact with said carbon portion. The rotor also includes a metal clamping means for mounting the ceramic sealing member to the shaft. The clamping means includes an axial flexible clamping member, and a radial flexible clamping member that together clamp onto a mounting flange of the ceramic sealing member when exposed to the compressive force of a lockup assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Ceramic Engineering Consulting, Inc.
    Inventors: M Rifat Ullah, Michael F. O'Brien, Fred Fuller, Gary Boyd
  • Patent number: 5916584
    Abstract: A controlled release container includes an outer shell and a separately produced core that comprises at least one bioactive molecule. At least a portion of the outer shell comprises a biodegradable polymeric material that has a predetermined rate of degradation. The outer shell preferably is non-porous and provides a predetermined delay of at least two days from administration of the capsule before release of the active ingredient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Daratech Proprietary Limited
    Inventors: Michael F. O'Donoghue, James A. Morris
  • Patent number: 5892211
    Abstract: A transaction system having a first transportable integrated circuit (IC) device, a terminal, and a security device is disclosed. The first IC device includes a processor, memory, data stored in the memory, and an operating program stored in the memory. The terminal includes a reader/writer device, a processor, memory, and an operating program stored in the memory. The reader/writer device establishes communication with the first IC device whereby the processor of the first IC device is in communication with the terminal processor. The security device includes a processor, memory, data stored in the memory and an operating program stored in the memory. The security device communicates with the terminal so that the processor of the security device communicates with the terminal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Electronic Payment Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry L. Davis, James A. Hart, Vincent A. Imperia, Michael Love, Michael F. O'Malley, James F. Russell, John W. Sears, Philip H. Trice
  • Patent number: 5872510
    Abstract: A bicycle signalling device that may be releasably mounted on a bicycle. The signalling device includes a holder, first and second elongated flexible arms connected to and extending outward from the holder, and first and second signalling lamps mounted on the first and second arms respectively. Each of the lamps is connected to an electric power source to selectively actuate the lamps. Each of the arms is universally bendable in three mutually orthogonal directions and has sufficient rigidity to retain a configuration imparted thereto. In this way, the arms may be used to position and to hold the lamps at selected positions within a three-dimensional space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Inventor: Michael F. O'Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 5832457
    Abstract: A system for automatically distributing discount coupons or certificates in a retail store, conditioned on a preselected combination of present and past shopping behavior of a customer whose order is being processed at a checkout stand. Generation of a printable discount coupon can be based on any desired combination of customer-supplied data, obtained from a customer identification data base, past shopping activity, derived from data gathered during previous customer visits to the store, and present shopping activity, as evidenced by items identified in the current customer order. Collection of data pertaining to past behavior of customers is facilitated by filtering all sales transaction data at the point of sale. If all of the preselected conditions for generation of a coupon are satisfied, the coupon is generated and printed at the checkout stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. O'Brien, George W. Off, Timothy L. Cherney, Gary M. Katz
  • Patent number: 5577121
    Abstract: A transaction system and method of conducting a transaction between in integrated circuit (IC) card and a transaction terminal which includes a security module comprises establishing communication between the terminal and the IC card. Separate session keys are generated in the IC card using data stored in the IC card and a code associated with the particular IC card and the security module using data stored in the security module, and the code associated with the particular IC card. The session key generated by the IC card is used to encrypt data using an encryption algorithm to obtain a first result and the session key generated by the security module is used to encrypt the same data using the same encryption algorithm to obtain a second result. The first and second results are compared to enable the terminal to conduct the transaction only if the comparison establishes that the first result and the second result are identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Electronic Payment Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry L. Davis, James A. Hart, Vincent A. Imperia, Michael Love, Michael F. O'Malley, James F. Russell, John W. Sears, Philip H. Trice
  • Patent number: 5559887
    Abstract: A first transfer device receives a first transaction signal from a second transfer device and provides a first certification signal. The second transfer device receives the first certification signal and encrypts it to provide a first encrypted signal. The first transfer device receives the first encrypted signal and encrypts the first certification signal to provide a second encrypted signal. A transaction is verified in accordance with the first and second encrypted signals and stored value is transferred between the first and second transfer devices in accordance with the verifying. A third transfer device, separate from the first and second transfer devices, receives a second transfer signal from a selected one of the first and second transfer devices and provides a second certification signal. The selected transfer device receives the second certification signal and encrypts it to provide a third encrypted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Electronic Payment Service
    Inventors: Terry L. Davis, James A. Hart, Michael F. O'Malley, James F. Russell, John W. Sears, Philip H. Trice
  • Patent number: 5410838
    Abstract: A tree stand container for holding water for a cut tree which is mounted on a tree base of horizontal support members. The container has a plurality of integrally connected container segments extending radially from a central portion. The container segments have a generally horizontal bottom surface and side walls extending generally vertically from the bottom surface. The side walls of the container segments are coextensive with, and define, the exterior side walls of the container. The container forms a top opening to receive a tree base and to maintain the base and the lower end of a cut tree in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventors: Phyllis C. O'Leary, Michael F. O'Leary
  • Patent number: 5277431
    Abstract: A scaled-down basketball goal, backboard, and basketball standard attached to a base in the shape of a scaled-down basketball key. Said base has at its front end a highly magnetized concaved portion which can attract and hold numerous paper clips. The miniaturized basketball hoop has a funnel attached to it. This funnel has a basketball net painted or imprinted on it. The hoop and funnel are located directly over said concaved portion of the base portion so that when paper clips are tossed through said hoop, they will fall directly into the highly magnetized concave portion of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Inventor: Michael F. O'Grady
  • Patent number: 5265011
    Abstract: The system measures the pressure pulses in an upper body peripheral artery and produces an electrical signal which represents the contours of these pulses. It then digitizes the signal and synthesizes the pressure pulses in the ascending aorta using either a frequency-domain or a time-domain calculation method. Next, the system separately averages the signals corresponding to the measured pulses and those corresponding to the synthesized pulses, and forms for each an "average pulse." The system identifies the wave foot in each of the average pulses, identifies the incisura in the average peripheral pulse, determines the amount of time associated with systole and, based on this time, segments the synthesized pulse into systolic and diastolic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: Eastern Medical Testing Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael F. O'Rourke
  • Patent number: 5240259
    Abstract: A scaled-down basketball goal, backboard, and basketball standard attached to a base in the shape of a scaled-down basketball key. Said base has at its front end a highly magnetized concaved portion which can attract and hold numerous paper clips. The miniaturized basketball hoop has a funnel attached to it. This funnel has a basketball net painted or imprinted on it. The hoop and funnel are located directly over said concaved portion of the base portion so that when paper clips are tossed through said hoop, they will fall directly into the highly magnetized concave portion of this invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Inventor: Michael F. O'Grady
  • Patent number: 4326263
    Abstract: A programmable data processor or controller serving as the main control in a control system contains an executive program for controlling the transfer of information between the processor and system equipment, updating that information during on-line control of the equipment and modifying the executive program to change operating parameters of the system while the data processor is controlling the system equipment. Modification of the executive program and displaying of system parameters related to the executive program and the system equipment is accomplished through the use of an operator's console which communicates with the data processor and system equipment as a result of operator intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1982
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arthur P. Given, Michael F. O'Meara
  • Patent number: 4206963
    Abstract: A filtered adapter assembly is disclosed for retrofitting electronic filtering elements between matable coaxial connector units, and comprises a contact sub-assembly, tubular adapting means including an adapter shell, a conductive retention ring, and a pair of dielectric inserts. The contact sub-assembly includes a ceramic filter sleeve having a pin extending therethrough and a flanged collar around the filter sleeve. The adapter shell is provided with a step profiled throughbore receiving the contact sub-assembly therein with clearance, and the retention ring is press-fit into the bore against the collar flange to secure the sub-assembly within the bore, and to electrically common the sub-assembly filter sleeve and the adapter shell. The dielectricinserts are subsequently inserted into the adapter shell with alternate ends of the sub-assembly pin extending therethrough to insulate the pin from the adapter shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1980
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith H. English, Edgar W. Forney, Jr., Michael F. O'Keefe
  • Patent number: 4189773
    Abstract: A programmable data processor or controller serving as the main control in a control system contains an executive program for controlling the transfer of information between the processor and system equipment, updating that information during on-line control of the equipment and modifying the executive program to change operating parameters of the system while the data processor is controlling the system equipment. Modification of the executive program and displaying of system parameters relative to the executive program and the system equipment is accomplished through the use of an operator's console which communicates with the data processor and system equipment as a result of operator intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1980
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Michael F. O'Meara
  • Patent number: 4182577
    Abstract: A swivel connector for attaching a handle to a body which comprises:(a) a pivot member secured to said body;(b) a pin member including first rotational means for rotatably engaging said pivot member to define a first axis of rotation for rotating the pin member about the pivot member; and(c) a socket member having an upper end portion adapted to receive a handle and including at the lower end portion second rotational means for rotatably engaging said pin member to define a second axis of rotation for rotating the socket member about the pin member such that said first and second axis of rotation are substantially perpendicular and intersect each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1980
    Assignee: The Drackett Company
    Inventors: Michael F. O'Dwyer, John J. Feroce, David A. Jones
  • Patent number: 4127319
    Abstract: A means for terminating a bundle of glass optical fibers comprising a single plastic element and a single metal ferrule. The plastic element has four main, generally concentric, sections beginning with a nut on one end, an externally threaded portion adjacent the nut, a cylindrically-shaped portion adjacent the threaded portion but with a smaller diameter and employed to align the plastic element in a coaxial coupling means, and a small tubular portion adjacent the cylindrical portion and concentric therewith. The metal ferrule fits around the small tubular portion. An aperture having portions of decreasing diameters extends concentrically through the plastic element with the largest diameter portion being at the nut end and the smallest diameter portion being within the small tubular portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1978
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Edgar W. Forney, Jr., Tore R. Johnson, Michael F. O'Keefe