Patents by Inventor R. Shepard

R. Shepard 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: 7822802
    Abstract: A method and system of communicating between a wireless network and a process control system communicatively coupled to a server via a process control system interface, such as OPC or a proprietary API. The wireless network may be a mesh network and the server may be a mesh server. The server receives data from the wireless network, where the data is generated from an input/output data point within the wireless network. The server maps the data between the input/output data point and a data point placeholder within the process control system. The server writes the mapped data to the corresponding data point placeholder of the process control system via the process control interface, and the mapped data is provided to the process control system as process control data native to the process control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Deji Chen, Shenling Yang, Mark J. Nixon, Tom Aneweer, John R. Shepard, Aloysius K. Mok
  • Patent number: 7813157
    Abstract: A high-speed, low-power memory device comprises an array of non-linear conductors wherein the storage, address decoding, and output detection are all accomplished with diodes or other non-linear conductors. In various embodiments, the row and column resistors are switchable between a high resistance when connected to a row or column that is non-selected, and a low resistance when connected to the selected row and column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Contour Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100247548
    Abstract: Antagonists of cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor-II receptor are provided for attenuation of CTGF signaling in a method of down-regulation of receptor signaling and downstream decreased signaling of connective tissue growth factor in ocular disorders involving inappropriate CTGF signaling. Ocular disorders involving inappropriate CTGF signaling include ocular hypertension, glaucoma, glaucomatous retinopathy, optic neuropathy, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, choroidal neovascularization, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy, for example. Such disorders are treated by administering antagonists of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Allan R. Shepard, Debra L. Fleenor, Abbot F. Clark, Najam A. Sharif
  • Publication number: 20100232200
    Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate, and, disposed thereover, an array of vertical memory switches. In some embodiments, each switch has at least three terminals and a cross-sectional area less than 6F2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100183629
    Abstract: Antagonists of S1P3 (Edg-3) receptors are provided for attenuation of Smad signaling in a method of down-regulation of receptor signaling and downstream decreased production of connective tissue growth factor in ocular disorders involving CTGF accumulation. Ocular disorders involving inappropriate CTGF accumulation include ocular hypertension, glaucoma, glaucomatous retinopathy, optic neuropathy, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, choroidal neovascularization, proliferative vitreoretinopathy and ocular wound healing, for example. Such disorders are treated by administering antagonists of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.
    Inventors: Debra L. Fleenor, Allan R. Shepard, Iok-Hou Pang
  • Publication number: 20100165727
    Abstract: An information storage array includes a programmable material at one or more storage locations and pulse generation circuitry for generating at least two pulses—in particular, a write pulse that writes a value into the programmable material an erase pulse that erases a value from the programmable material. In general, the erase pulse is greater in duration than the write pulse. Either the write pulse or the erase pulse is selected based at least in part on a state of a data bit to be stored in the programmable material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100164543
    Abstract: In various embodiments, an adder circuit includes a plurality of transistors, all of the transistors being of a single type selected from the group consisting of NMOS transistors and PMOS transistors, and dissipates no more power than an equivalent CMOS circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100165726
    Abstract: An information storage array includes a programmable material at a storage location and a capacitor set. A switching network charges the capacitor set to a first voltage and discharges the capacitor set at a second voltage. The second voltage is greater than the first voltage and it or a waveform derived therefrom is applied to the storage location to thereby change a state of the programmable material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100166676
    Abstract: RNA interference is provided for inhibition of tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF?) by silencing TNF? cell surface receptor TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1) mRNA expression, or by silencing TNF? converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM17) mRNA expression. Silencing such TNF? targets, in particular, is useful for treating patients having a TNF?-related condition or at risk of developing a TNF?-related condition such as the ocular conditions dry eye, allergic conjunctivitis, or ocular inflammation, or such as dermatitis, rhinitis, or asthma, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.
    Inventors: Allan R. Shepard, Jon E. Chatterton, Abbot F. Clark, Martin B. Wax
  • Publication number: 20100163836
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array comprising a plurality of storage locations disposed above a plurality of generally parallel lines, where each storage location comprises a programmable material disposed on a sidewall of a conductive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100157646
    Abstract: A memory device having a plurality of storage locations disposed along a plurality of generally parallel lines includes, connected to the lines, a decoder circuit for selecting one line, and, connected to each line, a line-disabling circuit for selectively preventing the line from being energized during line selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100158897
    Abstract: The invention concerns in one embodiment a method for treating glaucoma or elevated IOP in a patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of a composition comprising an agent that modulates PAI-1 activity. In a preferred embodiment, the agent that modulates PAI-1 expression and/or activity is cilostazol or an analog or metabolite of cilostazol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.
    Inventors: Debra L. Fleenor, Allan R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100149865
    Abstract: One of the simplest forms of data storage devices is the diode array storage device. However, a problem with diode array storage devices is that as the size of the array increases, the number of non-addressed diodes connected between a given selected row or column of the array and the non-addressed columns or rows of the array, respectively, also becomes very large. While the leakage current through any one non-addressed diode on the selected row or column will have little impact on the operation of the device, the cumulative leakage through multiple thousands of non-addressed diodes can become significant. This aggregate leakage current can become great enough that the output voltage can be shifted such that the threshold for distinguishing between a one state and a zero state of the addressed diode location can become obscured and can result in a misreading of the addressed diode location. The present invention is a means to manage the leakage currents in a diode array storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: Contour Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100120851
    Abstract: The invention concerns in one embodiment a method of treating glaucoma or elevated intraocular pressure comprising administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a composition comprising at least one prenyltransferase inhibitor. In another embodiment, the invention concerns a composition for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure and glaucoma comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of a prenyltransferase inhibitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.
    Inventors: Allan R. SHEPARD, Debra L. FLEENOR
  • Publication number: 20100096610
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a current-steering device, a phase-change material disposed thereover, and a heating element and/or a cooling element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Hsingya A. Wang, Daniel R. Shepard, Mac D. Apodaca, Ailian Zhao
  • Publication number: 20100085830
    Abstract: A memory-array decoder operably coupled to a memory array comprising a sequence of rows and receiving as input a plurality of address bits includes first and second decoder stages. The first decoder stage selects one or more first rows by decoding a first subset of the address bits, and the second decoder stage selects one or more second rows based on locations, within the sequence, of one or more third rows different from the one or more second rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Patent number: 7667996
    Abstract: The scale of the devices in a diode array storage device, and their cost, are reduced by changing the semiconductor based diodes in the storage array to cold cathode, field emitter based devices. The field emitters and a field emitter array may be fabricated utilizing a topography-based lithographic technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Contour Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Publication number: 20100035969
    Abstract: RNA interference is provided for inhibition of connective tissue growth factor mRNA expression in ocular disorders involving CTGF expression. Ocular disorders involving aberrant CTGF expression include glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, choroidal neovascularization, proliferative vitreoretinopathy and wound healing. Such disorders are treated by administering interfering RNAs of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: ALCON, INC.
    Inventors: Allan R. Shepard, Iok-Hou Pang
  • Patent number: 7652916
    Abstract: One of the simplest forms of data storage devices is the diode array storage device. However, a problem with diode array storage devices is that as the size of the array increases, the number of non-addressed diodes connected between a given selected row or column of the array and the non-addressed columns or rows of the array, respectively, also becomes very large. While the leakage current through any one non-addressed diode on the selected row or column will have little impact on the operation of the device, the cumulative leakage through multiple thousands of non-addressed diodes can become significant. This aggregate leakage current can become great enough that the output voltage can be shifted such that the threshold for distinguishing between a one state and a zero state of the addressed diode location can become obscured and can result in a misreading of the addressed diode location. The present invention is a means to manage the leakage currents in a diode array storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Contour Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard
  • Patent number: RE41733
    Abstract: A read-only data storage and retrieval device is presented having no moving parts and requiring very low power. Addressing can be accomplished sequentially where the address increments automatically or can be accomplished randomly. High density storage is achieved through the use of a highly symmetric diode matrix that is addressed in both coordinate directions; its symmetry makes the Dual-addressed Rectifier Storage (DRS) Array very scaleable scalable, particularly when made as an integrated circuit. For even greater storage flexibility, multiple digital rectifier storage arrays can be incorporated into the device, one or more of which can be made removable and interchangeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Contour Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Shepard