Patents by Inventor Paul Kevin Smith

Paul Kevin Smith 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).

  • Publication number: 20240010168
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 11801808
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 11441983
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for conducting a drop test of an article with one or more target parameters can include dropping the article and a drop carriage of a drop tower from an initial height with respect to a base of the drop tower for an initial drop test. The article can be coupled to the drop carriage. The method can include detecting accelerometer data with respect to the article for an initial impact between the drop carriage and the base of the drop tower; determining a constant energy balance curve; determining, based on the constant energy balance curve and a target pulse duration, a target complex stiffness and/or a target total weight; adjusting, based on the target complex stiffness or the target total weight, the complex stiffness and/or the total weight for a subsequent drop test; and conducting the subsequent drop test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Miller, Paul Kevin Smith, Mark Vincent Brancale
  • Publication number: 20220281420
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 10857980
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Publication number: 20200139940
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 10518754
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 10391452
    Abstract: A portable liquid-filtration device includes an inlet port, a filtering portion including a filtering medium and fluidly coupled to the inlet port, a filtered-liquid output port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, a flush port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, and a manually activated pump assembly fluidly coupled to the inlet port, filtering portion, output port and flush port. The pump assembly is configured, when activated, to create a negative fluid pressure at the inlet port and a positive fluid pressure at the output port and the flush port. As a consequence of activation of the pump assembly, the filtering portion receives unfiltered liquid from the inlet port, the output port receives from the filtering portion only liquid traversing the filtering medium in a first direction, and the flush port receives from the filtering portion liquid traversing the filtering medium in a second direction different from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: CASCADE DESIGNS, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Lewis Oriard, Paul Kevin Smith, Steven Robert Schwennsen
  • Patent number: 10382862
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for determining a noise level associated with an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can include a passenger compartment configured to house one or more passengers. A method can include positioning one or more microphones at one or more locations in the passenger compartment, collecting first data indicative of a first sound level by the one or more microphones with the autonomous vehicle operating at a first operating condition, implementing an operating condition change for the autonomous vehicle from the first operating condition to a second operating condition, collecting second data indicative of a second sound level by the one or more microphones, and determining a noise level associated with the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kevin Smith
  • Publication number: 20180367895
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for determining a noise level associated with an autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle can include a passenger compartment configured to house one or more passengers. A method can include positioning one or more microphones at one or more locations in the passenger compartment, collecting first data indicative of a first sound level by the one or more microphones with the autonomous vehicle operating at a first operating condition, implementing an operating condition change for the autonomous vehicle from the first operating condition to a second operating condition, collecting second data indicative of a second sound level by the one or more microphones, and determining a noise level associated with the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the first data and the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Paul Kevin Smith
  • Publication number: 20180290631
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sensor cleaning system that cleans one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle. Each sensor can have one or more corresponding sensor cleaning units that are configured to clean such sensor using a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid). Thus, the sensor cleaning system can include both a gas cleaning system and a liquid cleaning system. According to one aspect, the sensor cleaning system can provide individualized cleaning of the autonomous vehicle sensors. According to another aspect, a liquid cleaning system can be pressurized or otherwise powered by the gas cleaning system or other gas system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Wesly Mason Rice, Nikolaus Wittenstein, Zhizhuo Jin, Paul Kevin Smith, Sean Joseph Kennelly, Peter Brueckner, David Patrick Rice
  • Patent number: 7024804
    Abstract: A braking member attachable to a sledder's boot is provided. The braking member includes a braking surface that is oriented at a specific ranges of angles with respect to the boot. In use, the braking surface engages the snow like an anchor as the sledder traverses snow covered terrain, thereby producing a braking force against sled forward movement. In one embodiment, the braking member is rotatably attached to the boot and is moveable between a first, walking position, and a second, braking position. In another embodiment, the braking member is fixed in the braking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Inventors: David E. Levy, Paul Kevin Smith, Lou Patnode
  • Patent number: 6349950
    Abstract: A sled (24) traversing a surface is provided. The sled includes a shell (22) having an upper surface, a lower surface, and spaced first and second ends. The sled also includes a steering assembly (24) coupled to at least the shell, elongate first and second runners (26a) and (26b), and a pivot assembly (60) extending between the shell and at least one of the first and second runners. The pivot assembly permits pivoting motion of the first or second runner relative to the shell. The sled also includes a first attachment assembly (58a-58c) extending between the shell and at least one of the first and second runners, such that the first attachment assembly permits sliding and pivoting motion of the first and second runners relative to the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: SledWorks, Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Levy, Paul Kevin Smith