Patents by Inventor Peter Thomas

Peter Thomas 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: 20180015745
    Abstract: A method for controlling a printing machine including a revolving transport device for transporting a substrate, includes continuously scanning the surface of the transport device using a detection device, evaluating measured results to find defects on the surface, saving the defects in a data memory and outputting information on the defects. The method advantageously provides an operator with targeted information on defect type, defect location and defect frequency and thus allows a targeted elimination of defects, which may increase the overall productivity of the printing machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: ARNO JUENGER, ALBERT MAUL, WOLFGANG DOLZ, PETER THOMA, THOMAS SCHMIDT
  • Patent number: 9857660
    Abstract: An Optical Information Transfer Enhancer System includes a first system for producing an information bearing first optical wave that is impressed with a first information having a first information strength wherein the first optical wave has a first shape. A second system produces a second optical wave. An information strength enhancer module receives the first and said second optical waves and impresses the first optical wave upon the second optical wave via cross-phase modulation (XPM) to produce an information-strength-enhanced second optical wave having a second information strength that is greater than the first information strength of the first optical wave. Following a center-wavelength changer by an Optical Information Transfer Enhancer System improves its performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Setsuda DeVore, Jason T. Chou
  • Patent number: 9852310
    Abstract: In some implementations, a first user associated with a first user account may send a request to exchange digital libraries with a second user associated with a second user account. Upon acceptance, the second user receives first library information associated with the first user account that identifies content items that may be accessed by the second user due to the exchange. Similarly, the first user receives second library information associated with the second user account that identifies second content items that may be accessed by the first user. In other examples, a user may access the digital library of a selected person or entity, such as a historical figure, celebrity, author, friend, or organization. Additionally, in some cases, a user may view content of a content item that a selected person is currently reading, and which may include annotations made to the content item by the selected person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua M. Goodspeed, Peter Thomas Killalea
  • Patent number: 9833267
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide compression/distraction methods and tools useful for fitting a spinal stabilization system in a patient through minimally invasive surgery. The spinal stabilization system may comprise screws anchored in vertebrae. The vertebrae may need to be compressed or distracted. One embodiment of an instrument disclosed herein may comprise a shaft for engaging one of the screws through an extender sleeve. A driver may engage another screw through an opening of the instrument. Through this engagement, a surgeon may use the rack and pinion of the instrument to compress or distract one or more levels of the vertebrae in a parallel motion, which can be advantageous clinically in certain situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Zimmer Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Emily King, Bruce A. Riceman, Charles R. Forton, Peter Thomas Miller
  • Patent number: 9827451
    Abstract: There is provided a height rescue apparatus comprising a safety line (1) which is attached at (3) to a flexible elongate element (2) which has a lower tensile strength than the safety line 1 which is wound on a drum (9) which is part of a speed control means. A friction device (5) acts on a portion of the safety line (1) to reduce tension in said portion of the safety line by at least 50% in a full arrest situation. The drum (9) or the speed control means is held in a first position which prevents rotation of the drum and release means can be actuated after the fall arrest to allow the drum to provide a controlled lowering action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: FALLSAFE LIMITED
    Inventors: Julian Elwyn Renton, Peter Thomas Mence Nott
  • Patent number: 9824131
    Abstract: A technique includes determining at least one metric associated with a replication operation to replicate at least a portion of a first object stored on one of a client, a first storage appliance and a second storage appliance onto another one of the client, the first storage appliance and the second storage appliance. The technique further includes regulating the replication operation including selectively regulating at least one parameter of the replication operation based on the metric(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Camble, Andrew Todd, Ramadoss Nirmal
  • Publication number: 20170304845
    Abstract: A magnet cleaner cooperates with one or more permanent magnets positioned over a conveyer carrying pieces of metal in non-ferrous material so as to remove the metal from the non-ferrous material. The magnet cleaner includes a frame and a capture sheet mounted to the frame and positioned on the frame so as to be substantially flush with the permanent magnets when they are in their lowered positioned. The magnets are spaced by an attenuation distance from the capture sheet when they are in their raised position. The permanent magnets, which may be mounted in a housing, are positionably mounted on the frame so as to be selectively elevatable between their lowered and raised positions upon actuation of an actuator. The actuator is positioned so as to cooperate with the permanent magnets and the frame so as to raise or lower the magnets relative to the capture sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: David Roger Miles, Peter Thomas Watson
  • Patent number: 9797261
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component, especially an aerofoil-sectioned nozzle guide vane (NGV), having at least one internal cooling chamber for passage of cooling air, the chamber including leading edge portion and one inlet portion via which cooling air may enter the chamber from feed source, wherein the component includes a partitioning element, e.g. curved or scoop-shaped partitioning plate or wall, provided in the chamber inlet portion and defining within the inlet portion a sub-chamber adjacent the leading edge portion, and wherein partitioning element is configured so the cooling air velocity in the sub-chamber is less than the cooling air velocity in the remainder of inlet portion. The reduced velocity of the cooling air in the sub-chamber adjacent the leading edge serves to increase pressure therein, thereby maintaining desired backflow pressure margin between the feed pressure of the cooling air delivered to the showerhead holes and the gas-path from the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Peter Thomas Ireland, Anthony John Rawlinson, Irene Cresci
  • Patent number: 9798741
    Abstract: A method for browsing a collection of digital images on a soft-copy display comprising: receiving a collection of digital images; interactively user selecting a digital image using a user interface; determining a plurality of subsets of the digital images, wherein each subset shares a common category with the selected digital image; and displaying the subsets of digital images on the soft-copy display, together with the selected digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: MONUMENT PEAK VENTURES, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Fry, John Denis Piper, Graham Robert Kiddle, Hani Muammar, Alan Payne
  • Publication number: 20170273725
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for vertebral reduction using sleeves detachably coupled to collars of bone fasteners. The reduction can be performed during a minimally invasive procedure for implanting spinal stabilization systems. A sleeve can include internal threads that match threads on the respective collar to form a continuous set of threads. Threads on a closure member can be engaged with the threads on the sleeve and the closure member turned to translate the closure member along the sleeve. The closure member can be used to push a rod relative to the collar to which the sleeve is attached to cause a vertebral body to move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Miller, Charles R. Forton, Bruce A. Riceman, Larry T. Khoo, Reginald J. Davis, Michael Scott Hisey
  • Publication number: 20170268339
    Abstract: A method for measuring load performance of a positive displacement motor (PDM) test coupon. The test coupon comprises a partial length of a PDM stage and is received inside a sealable test chamber. In some embodiments, the test coupon may be cut from a failed PDM stage. The test chamber is filled with test fluid. In some embodiments, the test fluid may be drilling fluid sampled from a live well. Rotation of the rotor on the test coupon actuates rotation of the stator. A braking torque is applied to the stator rotation, enabling evaluation of, for example, fatigue load performance of test coupon. Additional embodiments comprise the rotor axis and the stator axis being offset in order to simulate rotor/stator eccentricity in a full size PDM stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Cariveau, Timothy Mark Miller, Jing Lu
  • Patent number: 9754288
    Abstract: Content items, such as e-books, audio files, video files, etc., may be recommended to a user based on the user's presence at a geolocation or venue. Geolocation is the geospatial location of the user, while a venue is a designated area for an activity, such as a concert hall, aircraft, waiting room, etc. The recommendations may be of content items relating to the geolocation or venue, or they may be content items being accessed by others who are, or have been, in approximately the same geolocation or venue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis J. Kane, Jr., Peter Thomas Killalea, Llewellyn J. Mason
  • Patent number: 9756458
    Abstract: Some examples include determining a proximity between a first user device and a plurality of other user devices based at least in part on comparing location information of the first user device with location information for the plurality of other user devices. Additionally, a commonality may be determined that is associated with at least some user profiles of the other users, but is unassociated with a user profile of the first user. For example, the commonality may have a frequency of occurrence among the user profiles of the other users that is greater than the frequency of occurrence among user profiles associated with a larger population. In other examples, a first portable computing device may receive profile information from a nearby second portable computing device for determining a compatibility between a first user profile and a second user profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Shih Shen Chein, Peter Thomas Killalea, Hilliard Bruce Siegel, Brent Russell Smith, Walter Manching Tseng
  • Publication number: 20170250801
    Abstract: Utilizing error correction (ECC) for secure secret sharing includes computing an encrypted key using a key and a number of random values, computing, based on a first ECC scheme, a key ECC for the encrypted key and the random values, and storing a number of key fragments on a number of storage servers, the number of key fragments includes the encrypted key, the random values, and the key ECC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
    Inventors: Liqun CHEN, Peter Thomas CAMBLE, Mark Robert WATKINS, Ieuan James HENRY
  • Patent number: 9731641
    Abstract: A mobile drive unit including a docking head assembly is provided. The docking head assembly is configured with a set of actuator assemblies to lift an holder structure and tilt the holder structure in at least one direction. The direction of tilt and an associated angle may be determined based on a location of a center of gravity of the holder structure relative to the mobile drive unit. The direction of tilt and the associated angle may also be determined based on information describing external forces acting on the holder structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Colantonio, Allan Andrew Katz, Parris S. Wellman
  • Publication number: 20170204665
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a composition useful for forming a stator or a portion thereof. The composition may include: a curable elastomer; a fiber or fibrous compound; a fiber dispersion compound; and optionally carbon black.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Scott Meng, Peter Thomas Cariveau
  • Patent number: 9707019
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for vertebral reduction using sleeves detachably coupled to collars of bone fasteners. The reduction can be performed during a minimally invasive procedure for implanting spinal stabilization systems. A sleeve can include internal threads that match threads on the respective collar to form a continuous set of threads. Threads on a closure member can be engaged with the threads on the sleeve and the closure member turned to translate the closure member along the sleeve. The closure member can be used to push a rod relative to the collar to which the sleeve is attached to cause a vertebral body to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Zimmer Spine, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Miller, Charles R. Forton, Bruce A. Riceman, Larry T. Khoo, Reginald James Davis, Michael Scott Hisey
  • Patent number: 9696285
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas analysis system comprising, from upstream to downstream: a module (SEP) for separating at least a portion of the species contained in the gas to be analysed, comprising at least one microcapillary column (GC) for gas phase chromatography, and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) coupled to said separation module, said spectrometer comprising a ion source (MS1, MS2) adapted to ionise at least a portion of said species and to emit a ion beam, and a free-flight zone (MS4) for said ions, said mass spectrometer (TOFMS) being arranged in the volume of at least one substrate and comprising a micro-reflectron (R) arranged between the source (MS1, MS2) and the free-flight zone (MS4), a wall (R1) of said micro-reflectron comprising a layer made from a resistive material designed to be polarised between at least two regions so as to create a continuous electrostatic field gradient in said reflectron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, Analytical Pixels Technology-Apix Technology
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci, Charles-Marie Tassetti, Eric Colinet, Pierre Puget, Joshua Whiting, Peter Thomas Stevens, Mélanie Petitjean
  • Patent number: 9696492
    Abstract: A radio-frequency photonic devices employs photon-phonon coupling for information transfer. The device includes a membrane in which a two-dimensionally periodic phononic crystal (PnC) structure is patterned. The device also includes at least a first optical waveguide embedded in the membrane. At least a first line-defect region interrupts the PnC structure. The first optical waveguide is embedded within the line-defect region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Albert Cox, Robert L. Jarecki, Jr., Peter Thomas Rakich, Zheng Wang, Heedeuk Shin, Aleem Siddiqui, Andrew Lea Starbuck
  • Patent number: 9695638
    Abstract: A moving cavity motor or pump, such as a mud motor, comprising: a rotor, a stator, and one or more apparatus for constraining (i.e., controlling or limiting) the movement of the rotor relative to the stator, where the apparatus for constraining is operable with the rotor catch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventors: William Murray, Lance D. Underwood, Peter Thomas Cariveau, Brian P. Jarvis, Nigel Wilcox, Brian Williams, Geoffrey Downton, Lawrence Lee, Shun'etsu Onodera, Daniel Alvarado, Maxim Pushkarev, Gokturk Tunc, Andrei Plop