Patents by Inventor Patricia A. McGinnis

Patricia A. McGinnis 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: 4742215
    Abstract: An IC information card includes a programmed microprocessor and a nonvolatile read/write memory (EPROM) embedded in a plastic card. Terminal contacts on the face of the card enable interfacing with a reader/writer coupled to a host computer, such as an IBM-XT. The data storage portion of the memory in the card is segmentable into one or more data zones, each requiring either no access code or one or more access codes to be entered in the card in order to access (read and/or write) that zone. Segmentation of the card memory and the assignment of required access codes is achieved by writing a zone definition table and one or more access codes into the card memory using a special access code that is fixed in the microprocessor program. The access codes for the data zones are thus stored on the card and the programmed microprocessor in the card compares incoming codes to the stored codes to determine whether access to a particular data zone is permissible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Personal Computer Card Corporation
    Inventors: Turpen A. Daughters, Patricia A. McGinnis
  • Patent number: 4588074
    Abstract: A holder (10) is disclosed for storing books and similar articles and for supporting the articles in open position includes a body (14) and a cover (16) hinged together to define a right rectangular polyhedron shape when the holder is closed. The cover (16), which forms the upper portion of the holder (10), is pivotable forwardly and downwardly about a pair of double-acting hinges (18) located along a horizontal centerline on the front wall of the holder (10). The cover (16) includes a top wall (46) which forms the top of the holder (10) when the cover (16) is closed and then lies flat on the surface on which the holder is standing when the cover (16) is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1986
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Strong, Patricia A. McGinnis, James D. Peterson, Steven A. Ballmer, Vern L. Raburn, Dorothy L. Hall, David A. Fleck