Patents by Inventor Paul Jorge Sousa

Paul Jorge Sousa 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).

  • Radio frequency identification transponder with electronic circuit enabling/disabling capability
    Patent number: 6104281
    Abstract: An RF tag has an enable/disable circuit connected to a critical part of an electronic object/circuit, e.g. a computer mother board. The critical part of the circuit is any circuit component and/or connection that can enable and/or disable the electric circuit operation. Signals are sent to the tag to change data in the tag memory which causes the enable/disable tag circuit to control the critical part to enable and disable the electric circuit. A system checks the status of the tag, e.g. the electronic circuit was paid for, before enabling the electronic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Intermec IP, Corp.
    Inventors: Harley Kent Heinrich, Peter George Capek, Thomas Anthony Cofino, Daniel J. Friedman, Kevin Patrick McAuliffe, Paul Jorge Sousa, Brian John Hugh Walsh
  • Method for communicating with RF transponders
    Patent number: 5995019
    Abstract: A method of selecting groups of radio frequency RF transponders (tags) for communication between a base station and the tags. The tags are selected into groups according to a physical attribute of the signal sent by the tags to the base station, or according to the physical response of the tags to a physical attribute of the signal sent from the base station to the tags. Communication with the tags is thereby simplified, and the time taken to communicate with the first tag is markedly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Intermec I.P. Corp
    Inventors: Trieu Can Chieu, Thomas Anthony Cofino, Harley Kent Heinrich, Paul Jorge Sousa, Li-Cheng Richard Zai
  • Radio frequency identification transponder with electronic circuit enabling/disabling capability
    Patent number: 5874902
    Abstract: An RF tag has an enable/disable circuit connected to a critical part of an electronic object/circuit, e.g. a computer mother board. The critical part of the circuit is any circuit component and/or connection that can enable and/or disable the electric circuit operation. Signals are sent to the tag to change data in the tag memory which causes the enable/disable tag circuit to control the critical part to enable and disable the electric circuit. A system checks the status of the tag, e.g. the electronic circuit was paid for, before enabling the electronic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Harley Kent Heinrich, Peter George Capek, Thomas Anthony Cofino, Daniel J. Friedman, Kevin Patrick McAuliffe, Paul Jorge Sousa, Brian John Hugh Walsh
  • Method of transporting radio frequency power to energize radio frequency identification transponders
    Patent number: 5850181
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of transporting energy from a base station to energize a remote RF transponder having an energy store is described, comprising transporting power in pulses of frequencies chosen from a randomly ordered list of frequencies, wherein the time between pulses when little power is transmitted is less than the time taken for the remote transponder to deplete the energy store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Harley Kent Heinrich, Rene Dominic Martinez, Paul Jorge Sousa, Li-Cheng Richard Zai
  • Method of grouping RF transponders
    Patent number: 5777561
    Abstract: A method of selecting groups of radio frequency RF transponders (tags) for communication between a base station and the tags. The tags are selected into groups according to a physical attribute ofthe signal sent by the tags to the base station, or according to the physical response of the tags to a physical attribute of the signal sent from the base station to the tags. Communication with the tags is thereby simplified, and the time taken to communicate with the first tag is markedly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Trieu Can Chieu, Thomas Anthony Cofino, Harley Kent Heinrich, Paul Jorge Sousa, Li-Cheng Richard Zai