Patents by Inventor Michael Rains
Michael Rains 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).
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Patent number: 10883391Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cam drive system of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear assembly including an idler gear and idler pulley, the idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and the idler pulley coupled to and sharing a rotational axis with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include first and second camshaft pulleys positioned vertically above the idler gear assembly and a cam drive belt contacting each of the first and second camshaft pulleys and the idler pulley.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2019Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20190345849Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cam drive system of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear assembly including an idler gear and idler pulley, the idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and the idler pulley coupled to and sharing a rotational axis with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include first and second camshaft pulleys positioned vertically above the idler gear assembly and a cam drive belt contacting each of the first and second camshaft pulleys and the idler pulley.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2019Publication date: November 14, 2019Inventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Patent number: 10473071Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a gear driven diesel fuel injection pump of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and a fuel pump drive gear in meshing engagement with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include a fuel pump, where an input shaft of the fuel pump is directly coupled to the fuel pump drive gear.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2017Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Patent number: 10422253Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cam drive system of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear assembly including an idler gear and idler pulley, the idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and the idler pulley coupled to and sharing a rotational axis with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include first and second camshaft pulleys positioned vertically above the idler gear assembly and a cam drive belt contacting each of the first and second camshaft pulleys and the idler pulley.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2017Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20170335811Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a gear driven diesel fuel injection pump of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and a fuel pump drive gear in meshing engagement with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include a fuel pump, where an input shaft of the fuel pump is directly coupled to the fuel pump drive gear.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2017Publication date: November 23, 2017Inventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20170306808Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cam drive system of an engine. In one example, a front end of an engine includes an idler gear assembly including an idler gear and idler pulley, the idler gear in meshing engagement with a first end of a crankshaft and the idler pulley coupled to and sharing a rotational axis with the idler gear. The front end of the engine may further include first and second camshaft pulleys positioned vertically above the idler gear assembly and a cam drive belt contacting each of the first and second camshaft pulleys and the idler pulley.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2017Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventors: Paul Nigel Turner, Kevin John Maile, Chris Michael Raines
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Patent number: 9652184Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for regenerating workflows for print jobs at a print shop in response to changed conditions. The system identifies a first workflow of print shop activities for a print job, and directs resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the first workflow. The system also stores rules that describe activities at the print shop. Further, the system detects a triggering event and halts processing of the first workflow. The system identifies rules defined for the customer, identifies activities available at the print shop, and generates a second workflow for the print job based on the changed condition, the rules defined for the customer, the available activities, and a job ticket of the print job. The system further directs the resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the second workflow.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Michael Raines, Daniel Hufnagel
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Patent number: 9329808Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for user interfaces that aid a user in rule-based workflow generation. The system accesses activities available at a print shop, displays the available activities to a user at a sequence bar that sorts the activities by their priority, receives input from the user defining a rule that relates to a print shop activity, and stores the rule in a memory. Further, the system determines that a workflow of activities to perform has been generated for a print job of the print shop based upon the rule, wherein the workflow comprises an ordered subset of the activities available at the print shop, accesses the workflow, and displays the workflow of activities to the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2011Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Michael Raines
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Patent number: 8860984Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating workflows for incoming print data. The system generates a workflow for a print job based upon rules defined for the print shop. The system receives a print job for a customer. The system also stores rules, defined for customers, that describe logical relationships of activities at a print shop. Different combinations of the rules may be used to generate different workflows of print shop activities. The system identifies rules defined for the customer, identifies activities available at the print shop, and generates a workflow for the print job based on the rules defined for the customer, the available activities, and a job ticket of the print job, wherein the workflow comprises an ordered set of activities. The system also directs the resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the workflow.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LtdInventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Michael Raines
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Patent number: 8693014Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to provide conversions from job tickets submitted by clients to normalized tickets in a ticket standard used by the print shop. In one embodiment, a system receives a plurality of print jobs submitted by clients to a print shop. For each of the print jobs, the system identifies extension elements that describe services requested from the print shop. The extension elements are extensions to a job ticket standard used by the print shop. The system maps the extension elements to corresponding standard elements defined in the job ticket standard to generate normalized job tickets for the print shop. The system then transmits the normalized job tickets to a system of the print shop for generating workflows for the print jobs based on the normalized job tickets.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LtdInventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Michael Raines
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Patent number: 8526044Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for installing workflow servers for a print shop. One embodiment is a system that installs a workflow server for a print shop. The system accesses installation templates, configured for different categories of print shop, that describe a set of print shop resources expected to exist at the category of print shop. The system also installs workflow server software on a computer system of a print shop. During the installation, the system determines a category for the print shop, selects an installation template that matches the category of the print shop, and performs a dialogue of queries with a user to determine which resources of the set of print shop resources identified by the installation template are available to the print shop, wherein the dialogue excludes queries for print shop resources that are not in the set of print shop resources described by the installation template.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LtdInventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Yukikazu Mori, Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20120250075Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for installing workflow servers for a print shop. One embodiment is a system that installs a workflow server for a print shop. The system accesses installation templates, configured for different categories of print shop, that describe a set of print shop resources expected to exist at the category of print shop. The system also installs workflow server software on a computer system of a print shop. During the installation, the system determines a category for the print shop, selects an installation template that matches the category of the print shop, and performs a dialogue of queries with a user to determine which resources of the set of print shop resources identified by the installation template are available to the print shop, wherein the dialogue excludes queries for print shop resources that are not in the set of print shop resources described by the installation template.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Yukikazu Mori, Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20120243028Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for user interfaces that aid a user in rule-based workflow generation. The system accesses activities available at a print shop, displays the available activities to a user at a sequence bar that sorts the activities by their priority, receives input from the user defining a rule that relates to a print shop activity, and stores the rule in a memory. Further, the system determines that a workflow of activities to perform has been generated for a print job of the print shop based upon the rule, wherein the workflow comprises an ordered subset of the activities available at the print shop, accesses the workflow, and displays the workflow of activities to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2011Publication date: September 27, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20120218577Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to provide conversions from job tickets submitted by clients to normalized tickets in a ticket standard used by the print shop. In one embodiment, a system receives a plurality of print jobs submitted by clients to a print shop. For each of the print jobs, the system identifies extension elements that describe services requested from the print shop. The extension elements are extensions to a job ticket standard used by the print shop. The system maps the extension elements to corresponding standard elements defined in the job ticket standard to generate normalized job tickets for the print shop. The system then transmits the normalized job tickets to a system of the print shop for generating workflows for the print jobs based on the normalized job tickets.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20120218593Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed provide for filtering print shop services that are available to a customer based on rules for the customer. In one embodiment, a system identifies services that are available from a print shop, and filters the available services based on rules for a customer to identify a subset of available services. The system displays the subset of available services to the customer as options for the customer to select for a print job. The system receives a selection from the customer of one or more of the options from the subset of available services. The system then generates a job ticket for a print job based on the selection from the customer, and transmits the job ticket to the print shop.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Michael Raines
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Publication number: 20120218590Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for regenerating workflows for print jobs at a print shop in response to changed conditions. The system identifies a first workflow of print shop activities for a print job, and directs resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the first workflow. The system also stores rules that describe activities at the print shop. Further, the system detects a triggering event and halts processing of the first workflow. The system identifies rules defined for the customer, identifies activities available at the print shop, and generates a second workflow for the print job based on the changed condition, the rules defined for the customer, the available activities, and a job ticket of the print job. The system further directs the resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the second workflow.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Michael Raines, Daniel Hufnagel
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Publication number: 20120218591Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating workflows for incoming print data. The system generates a workflow for a print job based upon rules defined for the print shop. The system receives a print job for a customer. The system also stores rules, defined for customers, that describe logical relationships of activities at a print shop. Different combinations of the rules may be used to generate different workflows of print shop activities. The system identifies rules defined for the customer, identifies activities available at the print shop, and generates a workflow for the print job based on the rules defined for the customer, the available activities, and a job ticket of the print job, wherein the workflow comprises an ordered set of activities. The system also directs the resources of the print shop to perform the activities of the workflow.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Inventors: Tiberiu Dumitrescu, Daniel Hufnagel, Michael Raines
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Patent number: 7760866Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for automatically auditing code routing instructions on switches in a telecommunication network. Code routing information is retrieved from at least one source containing code routing information. Based on the retrieved code routing information, the correct code routing instructions for a switch are automatically determined. The actual code routing instructions programmed on the switch are retrieved and discrepancies between the actual code routing instructions retrieved from the switch and the determined correct code routing instructions are identified.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2005Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company, LLCInventors: Zyad Ahmad Dwekat, Jeffrey M. Fries, Robert Michael Raines, Robert A. Hanford, Jr.
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Publication number: 20070242303Abstract: Apparatus and methods for distributing print jobs. A print job is generated at an application node of a network, and has associated therewith print parameters. The print job is routed to a distribution node on the network. The parameters are then parsed from the generated print job and the print job parameterized with predetermined metrics that are a function of at least one of the parsed parameters. The parameterized print job is then routed to a destination device on a destination node on the network.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2007Publication date: October 18, 2007Inventors: Michael Barry, Jeffrey Dockman, Kevin O'Neill, Robert Pennington, Michael Raines, Matthew Shumaker, Elliot Tompkins
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Patent number: 7182218Abstract: The present invention is a pill dispenser and organizer to provide easy access and clear organization of various pills to be consumed daily. The dispenser can hold pills in 12 compartments (4 rows of 3 columns each) or 28 compartments (4 rows of 7 columns each). In operation, a user drops pills from the top of the dispenser into the columns of the topmost row. Various embodiments of a mechanism on the side of each row (except the bottommost row) allows the user to transfer the pills from a column in a higher row to a column in a lower row. A set of mechanisms allow the user to remove the pills from the bottommost row, one column at a time. The present invention can be rectangular (the compartments lined in rows and columns) or circular in shape (the compartments extending radially from the center).Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Sammylife, Inc.Inventor: Michael Raines