Patents by Inventor Michael Waters

Michael Waters 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: 20130111651
    Abstract: Headgear is provided having one or more electrical devices, such as light sources mounted thereto. The headgear includes a power source for providing power to the electrical devices and a motion sensing device, such that any operating electrical devices are shut off if the hat does not move within a predetermined time period to conserve the life of the power source. In one form, the motion sensing device is operable to reset a shut-off timer when movement of the headgear is detected by the motion sensor so that the light sources, for example, are not turned off when the headgear is worn with the light sources turned on. In this manner, the shut-off timer is constantly being reset when the headgear is worn to keep the shut-off timer from timing out and turning the light sources off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20130094632
    Abstract: The subject matter herein relates to voice mail systems and, more particularly, cross-media voice mail notification and delivery. Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures that operate to, or facilitate, dispatching of voice mail notification messages to voice mailbox owners. In some embodiments, the notifications are sent to the voice mailbox owners in a text format, such as a short message service text message, email, or other text based service. These and other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: Ribbit Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore Leon Griggs, Christopher Michael Waters, Dan Seyer, Peter X. Leong
  • Patent number: 8388164
    Abstract: A variety of lighting devices are provided to provide hands-free illumination to enable illumination without needed to hold a flashlight. The hands-free lighting includes lighted headgear, lighted eyeglass frames, lighted clothing, or a lighted head band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20120325793
    Abstract: A heating accessory system for a vehicle comprising: a heating unit, where said heating unit is placed in a duct of an existing heating system; a power inverter/transformer, where the power inverter/transformer supplies power to the heating unit; and a power source, where the power source sends power to the power inverter/transformer. The heating unit may include a series of wired coils wrapped with insulating materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8333485
    Abstract: There is provided hands-free lighting, components thereof, and other accessories combined with the hands-free lighting. The hands-free lighting is preferably lighted headgear including hats and includes various accessories for use therewith, such as a protective switch guard associated with hat packaging surrounding an activation switch to prevent inadvertent activation while still allowing intentional actuation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8320533
    Abstract: An exemplary system and associated method for a communications system allowing responses to messages in an electronic environment are disclosed. The communications need not be based on the same platform or carrier. The system comprises a processing center to couple to a telephony network where the processing center provides a sender, not subscribed to the system, with messaging capabilities. The processing center includes a voice mail server to record a message from the sender and retrieve the message for a recipient that is subscribed to the system. A call processing logic module is arranged to access a database to determine whether a telephony device used by the sender has non-voice capabilities. The call processing logic module can notify the recipient of the message and informs the recipient of the capabilities of the sender to allow various response modalities (e.g., by voice mail, e-mail, or text message).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ribbit Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20120292205
    Abstract: A case for lighted glasses is provided having one or more battery holders therein for receiving and retaining standard sized batteries for the lighted glasses. The battery holders can include a retaining surface that is sized and configured to engage and frictionally retain the standard size battery in the battery holder. This provides the battery holder with a friction fit with the standard sized battery. The battery holder may also be provided in a liner for the lighted glasses case. Upper and lower housing portions of the case are pivotably connected together to be pivotable with respect to each other between a closed configuration to form a housing interior space sized to receive the lighted glasses therein and an open configuration to provide access to the interior space to remove or replace the lighted glasses therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8235524
    Abstract: Illuminated eyewear is provided that directs light forwardly from the user when wearing the eyewear. The illuminated eyewear herein is in the form of eyeglasses, either with or without lenses, or with a lens or lenses that can be refractive or non-refractive, that in one aspect has the lights arranged so as to optimize their performance. In another aspect, the illustrated eyewear herein has electrical components for the lights arranged to provide enhanced aesthetics over prior lighted eyeglasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8220095
    Abstract: An example method of expanding a highway have a multiple lanes passing under a highway overpass bridge having a center pier is described. The center pier may be between lanes passing in opposite directions. The center pier may be replaced with two replacement central piers having a gap there between. Additional lanes may be added through the gap between the replacement central piers. Various methods of construction and detailed designs for such bridges are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Skanska USA Civil Inc.
    Inventors: Randall C. Schultz, Michael Waters, Charles Keit Tipton
  • Publication number: 20120155064
    Abstract: Rechargeable lighted glasses are provided having one or more light sources mounted thereto and powered by a rechargeable power source. The rechargeable power source can be recharged through a recharging interface mounted to at least one of the temple arm portions of the rechargeable lighted glasses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8152330
    Abstract: Lighted reading glasses are provided to enable clear reading of normal sized text to occur when the reading material is held at usual distances from the reader in poorly lit locations. The lighted glasses have high intensity lights, such as in the form of LEDs that generate narrow light beam cones and which are oriented in light modules to inwardly cant the light beam cones to meet and overlap so high brightness light is generated in a conical overlap area of light which is maximized in size in the range of normal reading distances. In another form, a clip-on light apparatus is provided that includes a spacer frame having opposite end portions each mounting lights, preferably constructed as described above. In one form, retainers at the end portions are adapted to releasably engage outer sides of the eyeglass lenses. The frame preferably incorporates a draw spring assembly to allow adjustments for different size glasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 8155281
    Abstract: The subject mater herein relates to voice mail systems and, more particularly, cross-media voice mail notification and delivery. Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures that operate to, or facilitate, dispatching of voice mail notification messages to voice mailbox owners. In some embodiments, the notifications are sent to the voice mailbox owners in a text format, such as a short message service text message, email, or other text based service. These and other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ribbit Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore Leon Griggs, Christopher Michael Waters, Dan Seyer, Peter X Leong
  • Publication number: 20120062830
    Abstract: Lighted glasses are provided that selectively project light forwardly of the glasses while also having a thin profile by avoiding the use of temple arms. The lighted glasses include a central light mount and a pair of lenses connected to the light mount by resilient arms. The arms allow a user to pull the lenses generally away from each other to fit on a wearer's nose. The light mount is configured to house a light assembly that includes a battery, a light source, and a switch to control operation of the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20120014095
    Abstract: There is provided hands-free lighting, components thereof, and other accessories combined with the hands-free lighting. The hands-free lighting is preferably lighted headgear including hats or visors or other headgear. The hands-free lighting may include multiple light sources positioned at the brim of a lighted hat and configured to provide beams of illumination along different axes thereby illuminating distances both near and far from the wearer at the same time while maintaining natural and streamlined appearance of the lighted hat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20110228211
    Abstract: Lighted eyewear is described that projects light forwardly thereof. The eyewear includes a cross frame portion with temple arm portions extending rearwardly therefrom. Light mounts at forward portions of the temple arm portions include a forward opening and an interior space. Light emitting diodes are received in the interior space of the temple arm light mounts are mounted to project light through the forward openings thereof to a position forwardly of the cross-frame portion. A mounting surface of each light mount orients the light emitting diodes at a predetermined inwardly canted angle relative to normal from the lateral axis of the cross frame portion with the temple arm portions extending rearwardly from the cross frame portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20110187989
    Abstract: There is provided illuminated eyewear having one or more light sources mounted thereto to project light forwardly thereof. The illuminated eyewear includes a cross-frame member or portion and temple arm members or portions extending rearwardly therefrom in a use configuration. The illuminated eyewear may include a pass-through portion of the cross-frame member that is oriented to be forwardly of the light source to allow light projected from the light source to pass therethrough to an area forwardly of the cross-frame member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20110188929
    Abstract: An example method of expanding a highway have a multiple lanes passing under a highway overpass bridge having a center pier is described. The center pier may be between lanes passing in opposite directions. The center pier may be replaced with two replacement central piers having a gap there between. Additional lanes may be added through the gap between the replacement central piers. Various methods of construction and detailed designs for such bridges are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Skanska USA Civil Inc.
    Inventors: Randall C. Schultz, Michael Waters, Charles Keit Tipton
  • Publication number: 20110122601
    Abstract: There is provided hands-free lighting, components thereof, and other accessories for being combined with the hands-free lighting. The hands-free lighting is preferably lighted headgear including hats and includes various accessories for use therewith, such as lighted headgear having two switch or actuator devices mounted thereto. The two switch devices can include a temporary switch device and a maintained switch device. The lighted headgear can further include a switch guard associated therewith. The lighted headgear can alternatively or also include a switch cover. The switch guard and/or the switch cover can be associated with packaging configured to mount to the lighted hat to substantially prevent inadvertent activation while still allowing intentional actuation thereof, or substantially prevent activation thereof, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Publication number: 20110075095
    Abstract: Illuminated eyewear is provided. In one form, the temple arm members have all the lighting components mounted thereto including for each temple arm member a light, power source for the light, and electrical connections including a switch for providing power from the power source to the light. In another form, the cross-frame member has blinder portions integrally formed at either end thereof which are configured to block stray light to avoid glare problems. The blinder portions preferably include surfaces that are inclined to generally extend along the light cone generated by an LED light source mounted to the front end portion of each of the temple arm members. In another form, the temple arm members each have a recessed cavity formed in inner surface portion thereof in which the power source and switch components are received with the switch actuator mounted to the inner surface portion so it is hidden from view when the eyewear is worn for enhanced aesthetics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Waters
  • Patent number: 7896250
    Abstract: A reading card is provided having a reading lens portion that is integrally molded in a unitary form with a card base. The lens portion is formed so as to have a well-defined diopter rating. Preferably, the lens portion includes convexly curved, continuously smooth, opposite light refractive surfaces. Generally, the lens portion can be thicker than a thin, generally flat remaining portion of the card base. The reading card can be implemented in a credit or debit card size, or used as a key ring holder. Optionally, the reading card includes a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Waters