Patents by Inventor Patrick M. O'Connell

Patrick M. O'Connell 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: 11686936
    Abstract: A head up display mirror holder arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit producing a light field. A mirror reflects the light field such that the light field is visible to the driver as a virtual image. A mirror holder has two opposite ends and an activation feature. The two opposite ends are aligned along a rotational axis of the mirror. The mirror holder retains the mirror. Each of two bushings is coupled to a respective opposite end of the mirror holder. A calibration switch has minimum proximity to the activation feature of the mirror holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Edo Omanovic, Patrick M. O'Connell
  • Publication number: 20220155605
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a head up display producing a virtual image that is visible to a driver of the motor vehicle when he is sitting in a driver's seat and his eyes are above a first vertical level and below a second vertical level. An eye tracking system detects a vertical level of the eyes of the driver and transmits a height signal indicative of the detected vertical level of the eyes of the driver. A motorized seat height adjustment module adjusts a vertical level of the driver's seat. An electronic controller is communicatively coupled to the eye tracking system and to the motorized seat height adjustment module. The electronic controller controls the motorized seat height adjustment module based on the height signal to move the driver's eyes to a vertical position above the first vertical level and below the second vertical level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: DAVID KAY LAMBERT, FIDELIS ITSEDE, PATRICK M. O'CONNELL
  • Publication number: 20220043260
    Abstract: A head up display mirror holder arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit producing a light field. A mirror reflects the light field such that the light field is visible to the driver as a virtual image. A mirror holder has two opposite ends and an activation feature. The two opposite ends are aligned along a rotational axis of the mirror. The mirror holder retains the mirror. Each of two bushings is coupled to a respective opposite end of the mirror holder. A calibration switch has minimum proximity to the activation feature of the mirror holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: EDO OMANOVIC, PATRICK M. O'CONNELL
  • Patent number: 11181738
    Abstract: A head up display mirror holder arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit producing a light field. A mirror reflects the light field such that the light field is visible to the driver as a virtual image. A mirror holder has two opposite ends and an activation feature. The two opposite ends are aligned along a rotational axis of the mirror. The mirror holder retains the mirror. Each of two bushings is coupled to a respective opposite end of the mirror holder. A calibration switch has minimum proximity to the activation feature of the mirror holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Edo Omanovic, Patrick M. O'Connell
  • Publication number: 20210193086
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit emitting a light field including an image. A mirror is positioned to reflect the light field after the light field has been emitted by the picture generation unit. A windshield is positioned to reflect the light field after the light field has been reflected by the mirror such that a human driver sees the image in the light field after the light field has been reflected by the windshield, and such that the driver sees the image as a virtual image that appears to be outside of the windshield when eyes of the driver are in an imaginary eyebox. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the picture generation unit and translates the image on the picture generation unit display to thereby change a vertical level of the eyebox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: DAVID KAY LAMBERT, DAMON EDWARD STAUFFER, FIDELIS ITSEDE, PATRICK M. O'CONNELL
  • Publication number: 20200150434
    Abstract: A head up display mirror holder arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a picture generation unit producing a light field. A mirror reflects the light field such that the light field is visible to the driver as a virtual image. A mirror holder has two opposite ends and an activation feature. The two opposite ends are aligned along a rotational axis of the mirror. The mirror holder retains the mirror. Each of two bushings is coupled to a respective opposite end of the mirror holder. A calibration switch has minimum proximity to the activation feature of the mirror holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: EDO OMANOVIC, PATRICK M. O'CONNELL
  • Publication number: 20170343342
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the placement of material forming a blow-molded plastic container after the container is released from a mold of a blow molder having a plurality of molds, wherein each plastic container comprises a continuous sidewall and a base, the method comprising the steps of: detecting with an infrared camera infrared light emitted from the container after the container is released from a mold; converting the detected infrared light into corresponding electrical signals; transmitting the electrical signals to a microprocessor; comparing in the microprocessor the electrical signals with stored data regarding desired material distribution forming the plastic container; and producing output information regarding the placement of material forming the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Garrett R. Pennington, Russell Varone
  • Patent number: 9778031
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the placement of material forming a blow-molded plastic container after the container is released from a mold of a blow molder having a plurality of molds, wherein each plastic container comprises a continuous sidewall and a base, the method comprising the steps of: detecting with an infrared camera infrared light emitted from the container after the container is released from a mold; converting the detected infrared light into corresponding electrical signals; transmitting the electrical signals to a microprocessor; comparing in the microprocessor the electrical signals with stored data regarding desired material distribution forming the plastic container; and producing output information regarding the placement of material forming the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Garrett R. Pennington, Russell Varone
  • Publication number: 20150343698
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the placement of material forming a blow-molded plastic container after the container is released from a mold of a blow molder having a plurality of molds, wherein each plastic container comprises a continuous sidewall and a base, the method comprising the steps of: detecting with an infrared camera infrared light emitted from the container after the container is released from a mold; converting the detected infrared light into corresponding electrical signals; transmitting the electrical signals to a microprocessor; comparing in the microprocessor the electrical signals with stored data regarding desired material distribution forming the plastic container; and producing output information regarding the placement of material forming the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Garrett R. Pennington, Russell Varone
  • Patent number: 9146099
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the placement of material forming a blow-molded plastic container after the container is released from a mold of a blow molder having a plurality of molds, wherein each plastic container comprises a continuous sidewall and a base, the method comprising the steps of: detecting with an infrared camera infrared light emitted from the container after the container is released from a mold; converting the detected infrared light into corresponding electrical signals; transmitting the electrical signals to a microprocessor; comparing in the microprocessor the electrical signals with stored data regarding desired material distribution forming the plastic container; and producing output information regarding the placement of material forming the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Garrett R. Pennington, Russell Varone
  • Publication number: 20120007289
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of measuring the placement of material forming a blow-molded plastic container after the container is released from a mold of a blow molder having a plurality of molds, wherein each plastic container comprises a continuous sidewall and a base, the method comprising the steps of: detecting with an infrared camera infrared light emitted from the container after the container is released from a mold; converting the detected infrared light into corresponding electrical signals; transmitting the electrical signals to a microprocessor; comparing in the microprocessor the electrical signals with stored data regarding desired material distribution forming the plastic container; and producing output information regarding the placement of material forming the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Garrett R. Pennington, Russell Varone
  • Publication number: 20100000959
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reforming a portion of a blow molded plastic container includes directing energy from a heater onto the portion of the container so as to heat the portion while leaving the remainder of the container relatively unheated. The heated portion of the container is then engaged by a reforming tool having an embossed or imprinted characteristic on a contact surface of the reforming tool so as to reform the portion of the container and form a three-dimensional feature thereon which is not reproducible without using the method and/or apparatus of the present invention. Alternatively, the heated portion of the container is engaged by a reforming tool having a transferable element on a contact surface of the reforming tool so as to reform the portion of the container and transfer the transferable element to the portion of the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, LP
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Brian J. Chisholm
  • Patent number: 7637733
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reforming a portion of a blow molded plastic container includes directing energy from a heater onto the portion of the container so as to heat the portion while leaving the remainder of the container relatively unheated. The heated portion of the container is then engaged by a reforming tool having an embossed or imprinted characteristic on a contact surface of the reforming tool so as to reform the portion of the container and form a three-dimensional feature thereon which is not reproducible without using the method and/or apparatus of the present invention. Alternatively, the heated portion of the container is engaged by a reforming tool having a transferable element on a contact surface of the reforming tool so as to reform the portion of the container and transfer the transferable element to the portion of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick M. O'Connell, Brian Chisholm
  • Patent number: 4304254
    Abstract: A dust valve for the discharge line of a dust collection system includes a removable closet with two wear surfaces and a coacting removable valve door with two wear surfaces mounted within the valve body. Once the coacting wear surfaces on the closet and the door are sufficiently worn that they need replacement, each element can be disconnected from its supporting structure, inverted, and then reconnected to the valve body so as to expose a new wear surface. The useful lives of these elements is thus doubled over conventional single wear surface closets and doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1981
    Inventors: Stephen R. O'Connell, deceased, Patrick M. O'Connell, executor