Patents by Inventor Neal M. Lackritz

Neal M. Lackritz 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: 12097740
    Abstract: A support system includes a primary actuator that transfers force between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass. A control system operates the primary actuator to provide additional control when a damper exceeds a capacity threshold. The control system changes the capacity threshold according to the environmental condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Matisse J. Milovich, Paul J. Keas, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 11634167
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, a combined suspension and steering module is disclosed that is positionable between an in-hub motor and a body of a vehicle. The module includes a housing, an actuator connected to the housing and including first and second components, and a steering system that is in mechanical cooperation with the actuator to rotate at least one of the first and second components in relation to the housing. The second component is axially movable in relation to the first component and is configured for connection to the in-hub motor to transmit rotational force from the actuator to the in-hub motor to cause angular displacement of the in-hub motor to thereby steer the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: James J. Dowle, Philipp J. Wolf, Dan-Sverker A. Fhyr, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 11285773
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a wheel, a suspension system that supports the wheel relative to the vehicle body, a sensing system for determining an environmental condition ahead of the vehicle and a control system. The suspension system includes a primary actuator that transfers force between the wheel and the vehicle body, and a wheel hop damper that includes a moving mass and that transfers force between the wheel and the moving mass independent of the vehicle body to inhibit resonance of an unsprung mass formed by the wheel and a portion of the suspension system coupled thereto. The control system operates the primary actuator to provide additional secondary ride control when the wheel hop damper exceeds a capacity threshold. The control system changes the capacity threshold according to the environmental condition. The wheel hop damper may be a reaction mass actuator or a tuned mass damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Matisse J. Milovich, Paul J. Keas, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 11173766
    Abstract: A suspension component includes a suspension spring, a screw actuator that is operable to compress and decompress the suspension spring upon supply of electrical power to the screw actuator, and locking structure that engages a portion of the screw actuator to restrain motion of the screw actuator to maintain a current degree of compression of the suspension spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Neal M. Lackritz, Troy A. Carter
  • Patent number: 11065931
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a primary actuator, an inertial actuator, and a controller. The primary actuator applies force between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle to control movement therebetween. The inertial actuator applies force between the unsprung mass and a reaction mass to damp movement of the unsprung mass. The inertial actuator has a threshold capacity. The controller controls the primary actuator and the inertial actuator. The controller determines a required damping of the movement of the unsprung mass, and apportions the required damping between the primary actuator and the inertial actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Keas, Jonathan L. Hall, Kan Zhou, Troy A. Carter, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 10906370
    Abstract: A suspension actuator assembly includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The first actuator selectively applies a first force between an unsprung mass and a sprung mass of a vehicle to control movement therebetween. The second actuator selectively applies a second force between the unsprung mass and a reaction mass to damp movement of the unsprung mass. The second actuator is coupled to the first actuator to form the suspension actuator assembly as a singular unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hall, Kan Zhou, Troy A. Carter, Paul J. Keas, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 9417075
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Publication number: 20150160021
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 8948968
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 8938333
    Abstract: An active wheel damper. An active suspension damps vertical displacement of an unsprung mass in a frequency range and reduces vertical displacement of a sprung mass in another frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Amar G. Bose, Paul Bender, Marco Giovanardi, Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, William R. Short, Wade P. Torres, Upendra V. Ummethala, David J. Warkentin
  • Publication number: 20140012467
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Publication number: 20140005888
    Abstract: An active wheel damper. An active suspension damps vertical displacement of an unsprung mass in a frequency range and reduces vertical displacement of a sprung mass in another frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Amar G. Bose, Paul Bender, Marco Giovanardi, Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, William R. Short, Wade P. Torres, Upendra V. Ummethala, David J. Warkentin
  • Patent number: 8517395
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, William R. Short
  • Publication number: 20110160959
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 7878510
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 7434816
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 7195250
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Publication number: 20040251643
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Publication number: 20040046335
    Abstract: An active suspension system for a vehicle including elements for developing and executing a trajectory plan responsive to the path on which the vehicle is traveling. The system may include a location system for locating the vehicle, and a system for retrieving a road profile corresponding to the vehicle location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Knox, Neal M. Lackritz, James A. Parison, William R. Short
  • Patent number: 5410300
    Abstract: A switching array as described for connecting ones of a plurality of data sources to ones of a plurality of data sinks. The array includes source data busses which transmit from a connected source, data words, a connection mask and a connection designator. The connection mask has bit positions that map to individual data sinks. A multiplexer/control circuit module is associated with each individual data sink for controlling the interconnection of the data sink to a source data bus. Each multiplexer/control circuit module is connected to each source data bus and is responsive to an active state connection mask bit and a connection designator on a first source data bus, to establish a connection between an associated sink and the first source data bus. This configuration enables the multiplexer/control circuit module to establish a connection without reference to any other multiplexer/control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel M. Gould, Neal M. Lackritz