Patents by Inventor Patricia I. Brenner

Patricia I. Brenner 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).

  • Robotic vacuum cleaner with edge and object detection system
    Patent number: 7801645
    Abstract: A robot uses an infrared sensor including an infrared light source which produces pulses of infrared light. Optics focus reflections of the infrared light pulses from different portions of the environment of the robot to different detectors in a 2D array of detectors. The detectors produce an indication of the distance to the closest object in an associated portion of the environment. The robot can use the indications to determine features in the environment. The robot can be controlled to avoid these features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sharper Image Acquisition LLC
    Inventors: Charles E. Taylor, Andrew J. Parker, Shek Fai Lau, Eric C. Blair, Andrew Heninger, Eric Ng, Patricia I. Brenner
  • Input unit for games and musical keyboards
    Patent number: 7382356
    Abstract: A computer game system uses an infrared sensor which produces an infrared light to produce pulse of infrared light. Optics focus reflections from the infrared light pulse from different portions of the environment to different detectors in a 2D array of detectors. The detectors produce indications of the distance of the closest objects. The indications can be used by a processor to determine each action. The determined action can be used as input to a computer game. The infrared sensor can also be used with a musical keyboard system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Sharper Image Corp.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Parker, Charles E. Taylor, Patricia I. Brenner
  • Robotic vacuum cleaner with edge and object detection system
    Publication number: 20040220698
    Abstract: A robot uses an infrared sensor including an infrared light source which produces pulses of infrared light. Optics focus reflections of the infrared light pulses from different portions of the environment of the robot to different detectors in a 2D array of detectors. The detectors produce an indication of the distance to the closest object in an associated portion of the environment. The robot can use the indications to determine features in the environment. The robot can be controlled to avoid these features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Charles E. Taylor, Andrew J. Parker, Shek Fai Lau, Eric C. Blair, Andrew Heninger, Eric Ng, Patricia I. Brenner
  • Hair curling device
    Patent number: 5944029
    Abstract: A hair curling device which has an elongated flexible member in the form of a strip which has a self coiling capability from an at-rest storage configuration, and when initially moved from a longitudinally straight configuration will automatically form a coiled configuration of a substantially circular shape. An attachment is mounted on the strip to connect the outer side of the strip with the overlapped inner side of the strip when in the coiled configuration and maintain the substantially circular shape. Depending on the point of connection of the attachment, coiled configuration can comprise various different diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Inventor: Patricia I. Brenner