Patents by Inventor Michael Hermes

Michael Hermes 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: 20240290466
    Abstract: A method for sleep training includes recommending a default sleep pattern for a user based, at least in part, on crowd-sourced sleep data. The method further includes determining first sleep quality data for the user during one or more first sleep sessions subsequent to the recommending the default sleep pattern and with the user adopting the default sleep pattern in the one or more first sleep sessions. The method further includes identifying based, at least in part, on the first sleep quality data an optimum sleep pattern for the user. The method further includes providing direction to the user prior to, during, or any combination thereof one or more second sleep sessions to encourage the user to sleep in the optimum sleep pattern. The method also includes presenting a dashboard for the user that communicates how the optimum sleep pattern and the providing the direction have affected sleep.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventors: Mohankumar Krishnan Valiyambath, Liam Holley, Andrew Berry, Monica Singireddy, Aoibhe Jacqueline Turner-Heaney, Cindy Ann Chen, Dylan Hermes da Fonseca Beadle, Michael Scannell, David Frederick Conrad, Amar Kohli, Yuen Sang Ho, Mark Thomas Felcansmith
  • Publication number: 20180153346
    Abstract: A grilling structure that has at least one slidable drawer for burning solid fuel for cooking, and a plurality of gas burner tubes are located under the slidable drawer for cooking with gas. Both the slidable drawer and gas burner tubes are beneath the same cooking surface of the grill body. The slidable drawer includes a plurality of passages therethrough that are substantially vertically positioned above the plurality of burner tubes when the slidable drawer is slid into the grill body such that debris which falls through the passages of the slidable drawer does not substantially impact the plurality of gas burner tubes. The grill body can include an ash collection drawer in its base to catch debris, such as ash and food drippings, and the slidable drawer can have an extendable shield that extends under it as the slidable drawer is pulled outwardly from the grill base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: John Lee Simms, II, Michael Hermes
  • Patent number: 8808075
    Abstract: In some example pliable air duct systems, inflatable ducts of various diameters and lengths are created by selectively assembling pre-existing stock pieces in different combinations. In some examples, the stock pieces include disconnectable longitudinal joints and disconnectable circumferential joints, wherein the longitudinal joints enable interconnecting multiple stock pieces to achieve a desired tube diameter, and the circumferential joints allow connecting multiple tube segments end-to-end to produce an air duct assembly of a desired length. To control the volume and/or the direction of air discharged from the duct, the duct assembly, in some examples, includes an adjustable register comprising a movable pliable sheet that overlies a discharge opening in a pliable sidewall of the duct. In some examples, the inflatable duct includes one or more cutout patterns on the duct's sidewall to provide guidance in creating a sidewall discharge opening of a proper size and location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Rite-Hite Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Gebke, Frank Heim, Michael Hermes, Michael A. Jacobson, Nicholas L. Kaufmann, William A. Niehaus
  • Publication number: 20120006442
    Abstract: In some example pliable air duct systems, inflatable ducts of various diameters and lengths are created by selectively assembling pre-existing stock pieces in different combinations. In some examples, the stock pieces include disconnectable longitudinal joints and disconnectable circumferential joints, wherein the longitudinal joints enable interconnecting multiple stock pieces to achieve a desired tube diameter, and the circumferential joints allow connecting multiple tube segments end-to-end to produce an air duct assembly of a desired length. To control the volume and/or the direction of air discharged from the duct, the duct assembly, in some examples, includes an adjustable register comprising a movable pliable sheet that overlies a discharge opening in a pliable sidewall of the duct. In some examples, the inflatable duct includes one or more cutout patterns on the duct's sidewall to provide guidance in creating a sidewall discharge opening of a proper size and location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Kevin J. Gebke, Frank Heim, Michael Hermes, Michael A. Jacobson, Nicholas L. Kaufman, William A. Niehaus
  • Publication number: 20060166489
    Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming openings extending through electrically insulative layers to electrically conductive materials. In an exemplary aspect, a substrate is provided which supports a stack and an electrical node. The stack comprises an electrically insulative cap over an electrically conductive material. An electrically insulative layer is formed over the stack and over the electrical node. A first etch is utilized to etch through the electrically insulative layer to the electrical node and to the electrically insulative cap. The first etch etches partially into the electrically insulative cap but does not etch entirely through the electrically insulative cap. A second etch is utilized after the first etch to etch entirely through the electrically insulative cap to the electrically conductive material of the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Publication number: 20060097327
    Abstract: A process for forming a semiconductor device comprises the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate assembly comprising a semiconductor wafer having an active area formed therein, a plurality of transistor gates each having a TEOS cap thereon and a pair of nitride spacers along each gate, a plurality of conductive plugs each contacting the wafer, and a BPSG layer overlying the transistor gates and contacting the active area. A portion of the BPSG layer is etched thereby exposing the TEOS caps. A portion of the BPSG layer remains on the active area after completion of the etch. Subsequently, a portion of the TEOS caps are removed to expose the transistor gates and a titanium silicide layer is formed simultaneously to contact the transistor gates and the plugs. An inventive structure resulting from the inventive process is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Hermes, Kunal Parekh
  • Publication number: 20060030145
    Abstract: A dielectric is formed over a node location on a semiconductor substrate. The dielectric comprises an insulative material over the node location, an insulative polish stop layer over the insulative material, and an insulator layer over the insulative polish stop layer. A contact opening is formed into the insulator layer, the insulative polish stop layer and the insulative material to proximate the node location. A conductive material is deposited over the insulator layer and to within the contact opening. The conductive material and the insulator layer are polished to at least a portion of the insulative polish stop layer. In one implementation and prior to depositing the conductive material, at least a portion of the contact opening is widened with an etching chemistry that is selective to widen it within the insulative material to a degree greater than any widening of the contact opening within the insulative polish stop layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Publication number: 20050208745
    Abstract: A dielectric is formed over a node location on a semiconductor substrate. The dielectric comprises an insulative material over the node location, an insulative polish stop layer over the insulative material, and an insulator layer over the insulative polish stop layer. A contact opening is formed into the insulator layer, the insulative polish stop layer and the insulative material to proximate the node location. A conductive material is deposited over the insulator layer and to within the contact opening. The conductive material and the insulator layer are polished to at least a portion of the insulative polish stop layer. In one implementation and prior to depositing the conductive material, at least a portion of the contact opening is widened with an etching chemistry that is selective to widen it within the insulative material to a degree greater than any widening of the contact opening within the insulative polish stop layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Publication number: 20050095853
    Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming openings extending through electrically insulative layers to electrically conductive materials. In an exemplary aspect, a substrate is provided which supports a stack and an electrical node. The stack comprises an electrically insulative cap over an electrically conductive material. An electrically insulative layer is formed over the stack and over the electrical node. A first etch is utilized to etch through the electrically insulative layer to the electrical node and to the electrically insulative cap. The first etch etches partially into the electrically insulative cap but does not etch entirely through the electrically insulative cap. A second etch is utilized after the first etch to etch entirely through the electrically insulative cap to the electrically conductive material of the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Patent number: 6312986
    Abstract: A container capacitor and method having an internal concentric fin. In one embodiment, the finned capacitor is a stacked container capacitor in a dynamic random access memory circuit. The finned container capacitor provides a high storage capacitance without increasing the size of the cell. The capacitor fabrication requires only two depositions, a spacer etch and a wet etch step in addition to conventional container capacitor fabrication steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Patent number: 6188100
    Abstract: A container capacitor and method having an internal concentric fin. In one embodiment, the finned capacitor is a stacked container capacitor in a dynamic random access memory circuit. The finned container capacitor provides a high storage capacitance without increasing the size of the cell. The capacitor fabrication requires only two depositions, a spacer etch and a wet etch step in addition to conventional container capacitor fabrication steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Hermes
  • Patent number: D988792
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Inventors: Michael Hermes, John Simms, II