Patents by Inventor Michael Wallace

Michael Wallace 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: 8646460
    Abstract: A method for providing therapy to tissue at a treatment site is performed by ablating tissue at the treatment site with an ablation device. Next, a cleaning device is attached to an instrument. The cleaning device attached to the instrument is used to remove ablated tissue at the treatment site. The cleaning device may also be used to remove debris from the treatment site prior to ablation or other therapeutic or diagnostic procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: David S. Utley, Robert Garabedian, Michael Wallace, Brent Gerberding
  • Publication number: 20140026535
    Abstract: A propulsion device including a chamber that stores a superfluid, a substrate coupled to a portion of the chamber, a plurality of orifices extending through the substrate, each of the plurality of orifices having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end disposed in an interior of the chamber and the second end disposed outside the chamber; and a pressure source that generates a pressure differential between the first end of each of the plurality of orifices and the second end of each of the plurality of orifices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University
    Inventors: Michael Wallace VERHULST, Joseph D. Nix, Christopher W. Smith
  • Patent number: 8614389
    Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philp Trevor Odom
  • Patent number: 8517383
    Abstract: An interactive game board system includes a game board, a plurality of capacitive sensors embedded in the game board, a microprocessor with input channels for the capacitive sensors, computer memory means, software instructions and data for directing an interactive game, one or more playing pieces with electrically an conductive portion, and power supply means. An interactive game board system includes interdigitated sensors. An interactive game board system includes capacitive sensors operating in dynamic sensing mode. An interactive game board system includes means for identifying individual game pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Publication number: 20130218153
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating tissue within a lumen may include a therapeutic or diagnostic instrument. A cleaning device may also be supported by the instrument. The cleaning device has a portion of a cleaning surface positioned proximal to the distal end of the cleaning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: TYCO Healthcare Group, LP
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, David S. Utley, Brent Gerberding, Robert Garabedian
  • Patent number: 8471138
    Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
  • Patent number: 8412852
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, computer program product, and a data processing system access a version of shared assembly in a componentized environment, wherein multiple versions of the shared assembly exist concurrently in a single process, and wherein each version of the shared assembly comprises an assembly stub and an assembly implementation. A call to an assembly stub of the shared assembly is received. The call is then forwarded from the assembly stub to an identified assembly implementation using a proxy pointer. A function table structure is then retuned from the identified assembly implementation, wherein the function table structure contains implementation symbols from the identified assembly implementation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Wallace Gray, Alexander John Hennekam, Peter Reginald Horner, Simon David McMahon, Michael James Thomas, Peter Thoedore Waltenberg
  • Patent number: 8403291
    Abstract: A slide clamp for use with an infusion pump and infusion set provides finger grips and support members for supporting the infusion tubing. The finger grips make the slide clamp easier to use while reducing the risk of error. The tubing support members reduce the likelihood of improperly loading the tubing and reduce the risk of kinking the tubing during use. An infusion set is provided wherein the slide clamp may be coded through the use of colors, holes, or the like so as to identify the type of infusion tubing used therewith. The infusion pump can identify the code on the slide clamp and thereby determine the type of infusion tubing, and thereby allow access only to infusion programs for drugs or infusion solutions which are compatible with the particular type of infusion tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Wallace Howlett, James Victor Mercer
  • Patent number: 8378203
    Abstract: Embodiments of an electronic instrument simulating a percussion instrument using capacitive touch sensitive sensors are described herein. Embodiments described comprise an art layer, a sensor layer, a shielding layer, an electronics package and a speaker. The art layer has depictions of one or more percussion instruments. The sensor layer is deposed under the art layer. The sensor layer has one or more instrument sensors, each comprising one or more capacitive touch sensors. Instrument sensors are positioned underneath one of the depicted percussion instruments in the art layer so that a finger tapping the depicted instrument will trigger the sensor. The capacitive touch sensors are electrically connected to the electronics package configured to detect changes in capacitance when a particular capacitive touch sensor is touched, causing the electronics package to play on the speaker a sound sample of an percussion instrument associated with that capacitive touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
  • Patent number: 8373672
    Abstract: Thin film capacitive touch sensors and applications thereof are described herein. Embodiments include construction of one-sided and two-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors with partial fill patterns, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including conductive ground plane layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including air gap layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including a combination of both separation layers to create air gap layers and conductive ground plane layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
  • Patent number: 8273012
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating tissue within a lumen may include a therapeutic or diagnostic instrument. A cleaning device may also be supported by the instrument. The cleaning device has a portion of a cleaning surface positioned proximal to the distal end of the cleaning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group, LP
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, David S. Utley, Brent Gerberding, Robert Garabedian
  • Publication number: 20120212241
    Abstract: Embodiments of an interactive play set with capacitive sensors, the play set configured to detect human touch, the presence or identity of small play objects, and play sound effects in response thereof. In some embodiments, play sets have capacitive sensors that detect the presence of play objects with coplanar sensor pads and ground pads in various geometries. In some embodiments, play sets have capacitive sensors that identify particular play objects by detecting the presence or absence of conductive tabs at a plurality of tab locations on each of the play objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
  • Publication number: 20120191518
    Abstract: An electronic advertising system anonymously directs the attention of a user to content provided by an advertiser, in exchange for subsequently permitting the same user to access otherwise restricted desirable content of another part. Such desirable content may include online entertainment media, digital video content, social media, news media, and other privileged services or data. The user accumulates points, or virtual currency, in exchange for viewing the advertisements of vendor affiliates of the present system. The user may then spend previously accumulated points, or virtual currency, in order to access desirable content of redeemer affiliates of the present system. The present system further facilitates financial transactions between the system operator, vendor affiliates, and redeemer affiliates, relative to the movement of virtual currency amongst the various parties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Joseph D. Nix, Michael Wallace Verhulst, Christopher Warren Smith, Thomas Nathaniel Supple, Donald Charles Ganiere, Matthew Wayne Cox
  • Patent number: 8210432
    Abstract: A method and system for encoding a numeric value by the placement of indicia at fixed sensing locations on a substrate, each indicium chosen from two or more sets of indicia, each set producing different responses in a sensor, and for decoding the numeric value by sensing the presence and character of the indicia with a set of sensors apposed to the fixed sensing locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Publication number: 20120108771
    Abstract: It has been discovered that using n-butylmethyldimethoxysilane (BMDS) as an external electron donor for succinate-containing Ziegler-Natta catalysts can provide a catalyst system that may prepare polypropylene films with improved properties. The catalyst systems of the invention provide for controlled chain defects/defect distribution and thus a regulated microtacticity along with broadened molecular weight distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Fina Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Blackmon, Joseph L. Thorman, Shabbir Ahmedbhai Malbari, Michael Wallace
  • Publication number: 20120080842
    Abstract: A method and system for determining the presence and identity of a game piece placed at a sensing location by attaching one or more conductive rings at fixed concentric locations on the bottom of the game piece and sensing the presence or absence of the conductive rings by means of sensors that are insensitive to the rotational orientation of the game piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Publication number: 20120024132
    Abstract: Embodiments of an electronic instrument simulating a percussion instrument using capacitive touch sensitive sensors are described herein. Embodiments described comprise an art layer, a sensor layer, a shielding layer, an electronics package and a speaker. The art layer has depictions of one or more percussion instruments. The sensor layer is deposed under the art layer. The sensor layer has one or more instrument sensors, each comprising one or more capacitive touch sensors. Instrument sensors are positioned underneath one of the depicted percussion instruments in the art layer so that a finger tapping the depicted instrument will trigger the sensor. The capacitive touch sensors are electrically connected to the electronics package configured to detect changes in capacitance when a particular capacitive touch sensor is touched, causing the electronics package to play on the speaker a sound sample of an percussion instrument associated with that capacitive touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
    Inventors: MICHAEL WALLACE, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Patent number: 8104688
    Abstract: A method and system for determining the presence and identity of a game piece placed at a sensing location by attaching one or more conductive rings at fixed concentric locations on the bottom of the game piece and sensing the presence or absence of the conductive rings by means of sensors that are insensitive to the rotational orientation of the game piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Publication number: 20110308378
    Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
  • Publication number: 20110272260
    Abstract: Thin film capacitive touch sensors and applications thereof are described herein. Embodiments include construction of one-sided and two-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors with partial fill patterns, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including conductive ground plane layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including air gap layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including a combination of both separation layers to create air gap layers and conductive ground plane layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
    Inventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom