Patents by Inventor Philip Thrift

Philip Thrift 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: 20200224408
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to clips for fastening members together using friction connections, as well as kits and structures comprising such clips, and methods of construction involving such clips. Some embodiments relate to panel clips to assist in fastening panels to frames. For example, in some embodiments, a clip may comprise a plate defining a frame engaging portion and panel engaging portion. The clip may be fastened to the panel with a bolt, and the frame engaging portion urged against a flange of a frame element to form a friction connection. One or more projecting portions may extend away from the plate to engage the frame element and restrict rotation of the clip relative to the frame once installed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventor: Philip THRIFT
  • Patent number: 7340457
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for customizing television content uses an application (70) operating on a computing platform (12) associated with a display device (40). The platform (12) accesses a display component database (48) containing display components (6). The application (70) includes a profile database (80) that stores a viewer profile (84) and a filter module (76) that is coupled to the profile database (80). The filter module (76) accesses the viewer profile (84) and display components (6) and, in response, selects a preferred display component (6?) according to the viewer profile (84) and the display components (6). The preferred display component (6?) facilitates the targeting of viewers based on demographic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Todd Killian, Philip Thrift
  • Publication number: 20060235695
    Abstract: This is a voice activated Hypermedia system using grammatical metadata, the system comprising: a speech user agent; a browsing module; and an information resource. The system may include: embedded intelligence in hypermedia source; a means for processing the actions of a user based on the embedded intelligence; a means for returning a result of the actions to the user. In addition, the hypermedia source maybe a HTML page or an instructional module for communicating allowed actions by a user. The system may also include embedded intelligence as a grammar or reference to a grammar. The grammar may be dynamically added to a speech recognizer. In addition, the actions can come from a speech recognizer. Furthermore, the system may include voice activated hypermedia links and intelligent modules that process information from the information resources for allowing actions from the user. Other devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Philip Thrift, Charles Hemphill
  • Patent number: 6977691
    Abstract: A system for nonlinear viewing of television show segments is provided by transmitting a main signal and an ancillary signal. The ancillary signal is a short show segment. The television receiver system can select either the main signal or the ancillary signal. The ancillary signal is stored in a small cache memory for later access in place of the main signal. An icon is generated on the television set to notify the user of the presence of the ancillary signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan Middleton, Philip Thrift
  • Patent number: 5398302
    Abstract: A method enabling a neural network, having weights organized into a weight vector, to learn, comprising the steps of: (a) assigning a first memory location for storing a first learning rate, a second memory location for storing a momentum factor, a memory block for storing the weight vector, and a third memory location for storing a second learning rate; (b) initializing the learning rate, momentum factor, and weight vector; (c) storing the first learning rate, the momentum factor, and the weight vector into their respective memory locations; (d) saving the first learning rate in the second learning rate by storing it into the third memory location; (e) using a search technique to adjust the first learning rate to adjust the weight vector, and updating the first memory location and the memory block; (f) adapting the momentum factor using the first learning rate and the second learning rate; and repeating steps (c) through (f) until a predetermined convergence criterion has been met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Inventor: Philip Thrift