Patents by Inventor Richard A. Shaffer

Richard A. Shaffer 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: 20240093962
    Abstract: A crossbow may have a main beam, two bow limbs, a bow string and a trigger mechanism. First ends of the bow limbs may extend distally beyond the distal end of the main beam on respective sides of the main beam. The bow limb first ends may be separated from each other such that a minimum distance between them is at least as wide as a user's foot but not greater than about 5 inches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Richard L. BEDNAR, Michael SHAFFER
  • Publication number: 20240081489
    Abstract: A band includes a latch body that is movable by pulling a tab. The latch body extends through an opening of the band and secures with a pin located on a head-mountable device. The band can detach from the head-mountable device by pulling the tab, which actuates the latch body and removes the latch body from the pin. A spring (or springs) can bias the latch body toward the opening, causing the latch body to enter the pin. An applied force to the tab can overcome the biasing force provided by the spring(s), and move the latch body away from, and out of, the pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Yiwei TAO, Aiden D. MOSSOP, Benjamin A. SHAFFER, Lauren D. GERARDI, Nicolas LYLYK, Paul J. THOMPSON, Richard P. HOWARTH, Robert V. TANG, Toria F. YAN, Wei-Ling CHANG, Zebinah P. MASSE
  • Patent number: 11913752
    Abstract: A crossbow de-cocking mechanism may include a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. A first rotational input to the winch may move a trigger latch to disengage the trigger mechanism. A second rotational input to the trigger latch, opposite to the first, may move the trigger mechanism to move a crossbow bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Hunter's Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Bednar, Michael Shaffer, Gary Smith, Jr., Eric Vankeulen
  • Patent number: 11624798
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: PSYCHOLOGY SOFTWARE TOOLS, INC., UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH—OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
    Inventors: Anthony P Zuccolotto, Leroy K Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20200256943
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Anthony P. Zuccolotto, Leroy K. Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 10634756
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignees: PSYCHOLOGY SOFTWARE TOOLS, INC., UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH--OF THE COMMONW
    Inventors: Anthony P Zuccolotto, Leroy K Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A Shaffer
  • Publication number: 20190331751
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Anthony P. Zuccolotto, Leroy K. Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 10345415
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignees: PSYCHOLOGY SOFTWARE TOOLS, INC, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH—OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
    Inventors: Anthony P Zuccolotto, Leroy K Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A Shaffer
  • Patent number: 10324986
    Abstract: A machine is configured to access a search phrase or other communicated phrase and deconstruct the accessed phrase into multiple sub-phrases. The machine performs an analysis of n-grams that occur within the sub-phrases, generates a set of potentially different sub-phrases from the n-grams, and selects which data source among multiple available video sources should be accessed for each generated sub-phrase in the generated set. For example, the machine may allocate each generated sub-phrase to a corresponding data source and cause the corresponding data source to execute a query based on its corresponding sub-phrase. Thus, the machine chooses from which data source to obtain partial search results that correspond to each sub-phrase generated based on the analyzed n-grams in the accessed phrase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Hipmunk, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Julian Goldstein, Navin Lal, Zak Lee, Richard Shaffer, Zohaib Ahmed
  • Patent number: 10223467
    Abstract: A machine is configured to perform an example method that causes the machine to parse sub-phrases within a phrase, recognize that a sub-phrase has or can have a geographically specific meaning, and notify a user that the sub-phrase is being processed using the geographically specific meaning. For example, supposing a user has communicated a phrase, the machine builds sub-phrases from the n-grams of the phrase and detects that an n-gram has a geographically specific meaning, thus disambiguating the n-gram. This disambiguation is performed using one or more geographically specific databases of n-grams. The machine determines that a geographical location is relevant to the n-gram, selects a specialized search procedure for the n-gram, and obtains search results using the selected specialized search procedure. The machine may also notify the user that the n-gram or a sub-phrase in which the n-gram appears is being processed using the geographically specific meaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Hipmunk, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Julian Goldstein, Navin Lal, Zak Lee, Richard Shaffer, Zohaib Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20170344566
    Abstract: A machine is configured to perform an example method that causes the machine to parse sub-phrases within a phrase, recognize that a sub-phrase has or can have a geographically specific meaning, and notify a user that the sub-phrase is being processed using the geographically specific meaning. For example, supposing a user has communicated a phrase, the machine builds sub-phrases from the n-grams of the phrase and detects that an n-gram has a geographically specific meaning, thus disambiguating the n-gram. This disambiguation is performed using one or more geographically specific databases of n-grams. The machine determines that a geographical location is relevant to the n-gram, selects a specialized search procedure for the n-gram, and obtains search results using the selected specialized search procedure. The machine may also notify the user that the n-gram or a sub-phrase in which the n-gram appears is being processed using the geographically specific meaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Adam Julian Goldstein, Navin Lal, Zak Lee, Richard Shaffer, Zohaib Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20170344640
    Abstract: A machine is configured to access a search phrase or other communicated phrase and deconstruct the accessed phrase into multiple sub-phrases. The machine performs an analysis of n-grams that occur within the sub-phrases, generates a set of potentially different sub-phrases from the n-grams, and selects which data source among multiple available video sources should be accessed for each generated sub-phrase in the generated set. For example, the machine may allocate each generated sub-phrase to a corresponding data source and cause the corresponding data source to execute a query based on its corresponding sub-phrase. Thus, the machine chooses from which data source to obtain partial search results that correspond to each sub-phrase generated based on the analyzed n-grams in the accessed phrase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Adam Julian Goldstein, Navin Lal, Zak Lee, Richard Shaffer, Zohaib Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20170184696
    Abstract: A universal, modular, temperature controlled MRI phantom for calibration and validation for anisotropic and isotropic imaging comprises an outer insulating shell configured to be received within an MRI chamber; an inner shell received within the outer insulating shell; a fluid conduits adjacent the inner shell for receiving temperature controlling fluid or gas cycling there-through; and a series of stacked layers of frames containing test points for the MRI phantom, each layer including at least one fiducial and including at least some anisotropic imaging test points in at least one frame and at least one isotropic imaging test point in at least one frame. The anisotropic imaging comprises hollow tubular textile fibers, wherein each hollow tubular fiber has an outer diameter of less than 50 microns and an inner diameter of less than 20 microns, wherein at least some hollow tubular fibers are filled with a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Anthony P. Zuccolotto, Leroy K. Basler, John Dzikiy, Walter Schneider, Richard A. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 8578396
    Abstract: An event reporting system includes a computational component 228 operable (a) to receive notification of a change to an attribute of an entity, the entity, prior to the change, being associated with a first surrogate key, and (b) to defer the use of a second surrogate key for the entity until a selected time. The second surrogate key was generated to reflect the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Bland, Stephan Edward Friedl, Terry Don Jennings, Jeffrey James Olson, Richard Shaffer Youngkin
  • Publication number: 20100235371
    Abstract: An event reporting system includes a computational component 228 operable (a) to receive notification of a change to an attribute of an entity, the entity, prior to the change, being associated with a first surrogate key, and (b) to defer the use of a second surrogate key for the entity until a selected time. The second surrogate key was generated to reflect the change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: AVAYA INC.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Bland, Stephan Edward Friedl, Terry Don Jennings, Jeffrey James Olson, Richard Shaffer Youngkin
  • Patent number: 7779042
    Abstract: An event reporting system includes a computational component 228 operable (a) to receive notification of a change to an attribute of an entity, the entity, prior to the change, being associated with a first surrogate key, and (b) to defer the use of a second surrogate key for the entity until a selected time. The second surrogate key was generated to reflect the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Bland, Stephan Edward Friedl, Terry Don Jennings, Jeffrey James Olson, Richard Shaffer Youngkin
  • Patent number: 7577640
    Abstract: A database architecture providing high availability and scalability is provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, multiple data sources are supported by multiple source databases. Partial copies of data stored in one or more of the source databases are provided to a consolidated database in response to requests for data received by the consolidated database from a data client. Multiple consolidated databases may support multiple data clients and data clients that are geographically dispersed. A sparse replication component operates to retrieve data from the source databases for storage in consolidated databases. The sparse data replication component can also monitor source databases for updates to requested data, and retrieve such data for storage in a consolidated database. In addition, each consolidated database may be associated with a data rationalization component to ensure that the data stored in the associated consolidated database does not include pathological data redundancies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: M. Alan Bland, John F. Henry, Danny Lee Prentice, Richard Shaffer Youngkin
  • Patent number: 6487758
    Abstract: A polypropylene closure arrangement for flexible packages comprises a blend having a polypropylene random copolymer as a base resin with a flexible modifier, and a slip component. The polypropylene closure arrangement 10, 110 is sufficiently flexible to be extruded and coiled around guide wheels similar to the fusion process of a polyethylene closure arrangement. The polypropylene closure arrangement in accordance with the present invention has the ability to be fusibly attached to a polypropylene film or other fusibly compatible thermoplastic material launch conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Richard Shaffer, Charles Stempka, Lisa Mae Harris
  • Publication number: 20020133919
    Abstract: A polypropylene closure arrangement for flexible packages comprises a blend having a polypropylene random copolymer as a base resin with a flexible modifier, and a slip component. The polypropylene closure arrangement 10, 110 is sufficiently flexible to be extruded and coiled around guide wheels similar to the fusion process of a polyethylene closure arrangement. The polypropylene closure arrangement in accordance with the present invention has the ability to be fusibly attached to a polypropylene film or other fusibly compatible thermoplastic material launch conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2001
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Richard Shaffer, Charles Stempka, Lisa Mae Harris
  • Patent number: 6411207
    Abstract: A personal alert device for a user includes a portable housing to be carried by the user, a processor in the housing, and at least one sensor connected to the processor for detecting a possible physical threat to the user. The processor generates an alert message relating to a recommended course of action for the user to avoid the possible physical threat. The alert message may be an audible speech message, and a visual message displayed on a display connected to the processor. Since a person can be exposed to a variety of physical threats on any given day, the personal alert device carried by the user provides reliable detection of a possible physical threat, and by generating an alert message the user receives a recommended course of action to avoid the possible physical threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Avaya Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Karl Richard Shaffer