Patents by Inventor Michael L Roberts

Michael L Roberts 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: 5999938
    Abstract: A system and method for creating a new destination data structure in memory populated with data from fields of an existing source data structure. A representation of the source is selected, dragged over, and dropped onto an icon representing a program module. The source and the program module are each associated with a type of data structure. If these types of data structures are different, then the destination is created in memory of the type associated with the program module. Once the destination is created, the data within the source is transformed to populate predetermined fields of the destination. One way of populating the destination is by determining which field in the destination corresponds to a given field in the source. Data from a given field of the source is loaded into the corresponding field of the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Bliss, Jerry R. Hughson, Jr., Lois E. Bauer, Suryanarayanan Raman, Michael L. Roberts, Eric Horvitz, Erich S. Finkelstein
  • Patent number: 5265829
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for decelerating and absorbing impact of a re-entry vehicle suitable for payloads that are relatively light as well as payloads weighing several tons or more. The apparatus includes four inflatable legs displaced equidistantly from each other around a capsule or housing which contains a payload. The legs are inflated at a designated altitude after entering Earth's atmosphere to slow the descent of the re-entry vehicle. Connected between each of the four legs are drag inducing surfaces that deploy as the legs inflate. The drag inducing surfaces are triangularly shaped with one such surface being connected between each pair of legs for a total of six drag inducing surfaces. The legs have drag inducing outer surfaces which act to slow the descent of the re-entry vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Michael L. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4403980
    Abstract: A prefabricated panel system which can be erected to form a watertight surface such as the roof or walls of buildings is described. The panels are structurally sufficient to bridge between spaced support beams. Each panel includes a rectangular sheet metal support subpanel having corrugations extending between and bridging the support members. A surface panel assembly comprising a Hypalon membrane intimately bonded to a thin, flat metal sheet by an epoxy adhesive is mounted on the corrugated subpanel by a foamed insulating layer. The corrugated metal panel extends beyond the foam and the surface panel assembly to form a corrugated lip. Hypalon fastener halves are disposed along each edge of the Hypalon sheet on flexible flaps for extending over the joint between adjacent panels and mating with similar fastener halves along edges of adjacent panels to form a watertight mechanical interconnection between the Hypalon membrane on adjacent panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1983
    Assignee: Star Manufacturing Company of Oklahoma
    Inventors: Harold G. Simpson, Michael L. Roberts
  • Patent number: D320057
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Inventor: Michael L. Roberts