Patents by Inventor Richard Combs

Richard Combs 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: 20180130329
    Abstract: An automated material safety data management method includes creating in memory of an environmental control data processing system a listing of different materials stored in a geographic location managed by the environmental control data processing system. The method also includes querying a data store of safety data sheets and receiving in response to the querying different safety data sheets, each corresponding to a different one of the materials and parsing each of the different safety data sheets to identify one or more environmental limits specified in one or more of the different safety data sheets. The method yet further includes monitoring one or more sensors disposed in the geographic location. Finally, the method includes responding to an environmental condition sensed by one of the monitored sensors that exceeds one or more of the environmental limits by transmitting a notification to an operator of the environmental control data processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Matt Horton, Richard Combs
  • Publication number: 20170248927
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for ground moisture content adaptive irrigation control. A method for ground moisture content adaptive irrigation control includes specifying a geographic region in memory of a computer and retrieving with respect to the geographic region from over a computer communications network, weather data that includes precipitation and temperature information. The method also includes computing by a processor of the computer moisture content of the ground within the geographic region utilizing the weather data. Finally, the method includes transmitting a command to an irrigation control system configured to control irrigation of the ground, the command modifying either a reduction in an irrigation schedule in the irrigation control system responsive to a determination that the ground is of a high moisture content, or an increase in the irrigation schedule responsive to a determination that the ground is of a low moisture content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Richard Combs
  • Patent number: 7912744
    Abstract: An automated service broker can include a Global Positioning System (GPS) data processor for processing GPS data associated with communicatively linked service providers wherein the GPS data corresponds to a geographic position. The automated service broker also can include an event handler for responding to maintenance and repair events received from communicatively linked systems. Finally, the automated service broker can include a service provider selector for selecting a particular service provider to respond to a particular received maintenance and repair event received from a particular communicatively linked system. More particularly, the service provider can be selected based on whether the selected service provider is suitable to perform required maintenance and repair on the particular communicatively linked system, and the geographic position of the particular service provider relative to the particular system as reported by GPS data associated with the particular service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Energy Control Technologies
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Walter Flugel
  • Publication number: 20070033087
    Abstract: An automated service broker can include a Global Positioning System (GPS) data processor for processing GPS data associated with communicatively linked service providers wherein the GPS data corresponds to a geographic position. The automated service broker also can include an event handler for responding to maintenance and repair events received from communicatively linked systems. Finally, the automated service broker can include a service provider selector for selecting a particular service provider to respond to a particular received maintenance and repair event received from a particular communicatively linked system. More particularly, the service provider can be selected based on whether the selected service provider is suitable to perform required maintenance and repair on the particular communicatively linked system, and the geographic position of the particular service provider relative to the particular system as reported by GPS data associated with the particular service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: ENERGY CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Walter Flugel
  • Patent number: 7147201
    Abstract: A method for annealing a structure formed by electrodeposition is provided, the method comprising providing the electrodeposition structure, the electrodeposition structure comprising an electroformed mold, the electroformed mold having a nominal thickness between and including 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm and having a melting temperature; heating the electrodeposition structure to a temperature between ambient temperature and the melting temperature of the electrodeposition structure; isostatically pressurizing the electrodeposition structure to a pressure above ambient pressure; cooling the electrodeposition structure to ambient temperature; and depressurizing the electrodeposition structure to ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman
    Inventors: Robert Grimmer, Alex Risca, Richard Combs
  • Publication number: 20060247072
    Abstract: A pair of Styrofoam floating asymmetric targets are advantageously selectively tethered to either a side of the swimming pool or to the bottom of the swimming pool to maintain their spacing and alignment, facilitating a tossing game such as “cornhole” or “toss across” that are generally known for use on land.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Thomas McGraw
  • Patent number: 7058508
    Abstract: An automated building service broker can include a Global Positioning System (GPS) data processor for processing GPS data associated with communicatively linked service providers wherein the GPS data corresponds to a geographic position. The automated service broker also can include an event handler for responding to maintenance and repair events received from communicatively linked building systems. Finally, the automated building service broker can include a service provider selector for selecting a particular service provider to respond to a particular received maintenance and repair event received from a particular communicatively linked building system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Energy Control Technologies
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Walter Flugel
  • Publication number: 20060020532
    Abstract: A combined loan and investment program comprises a computer processor and program code configured to be executed by the computer processor to process financial loan and investment data by calculating from the data interest and principal loan payments on a loan principal at a given rate and term, calculating investment performance data on a periodic principal investment deposit at a given rate and calculating loan principal amortization parameters as a function of the investment performance data. The present invention provides a method for paying off a mortgage and simultaneously generating wealth via an investment account by making a payment to a mortgagee, dividing the payment, applying a first portion of the payment to satisfy the interest due on the mortgage, applying a second portion of the payment to an investment account, allowing the investment account to grow and applying a portion of the investment account to satisfy the mortgage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Inventor: Richard Combs
  • Publication number: 20050127267
    Abstract: A method for annealing a structure formed by electrodeposition is provided, the method comprising providing the electrodeposition structure, the electrodeposition structure comprising an electroformed mold, the electroformed mold having a nominal thickness between and including 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm and having a melting temperature; heating the electrodeposition structure to a temperature between ambient temperature and the melting temperature of the electrodeposition structure; isostatically pressurizing the electrodeposition structure to a pressure above ambient pressure; cooling the electrodeposition structure to ambient temperature; and depressurizing the electrodeposition structure to ambient pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Grimmer, Alex Risca, Richard Combs
  • Patent number: 6814915
    Abstract: A method for annealing a structure formed by electrodeposition including providing the electrodeposition structure, the electrodeposition structure including an eletroformed mold, the electroformed mold having a nominal thickness between and including 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm and having a melting temperature; heating the electrodeposition structure to a temperature between ambient temperature and the melting temperature of the electrodeposition structure; isostatically pressurizing the electrodeposition structure to a pressure above ambient pressure; cooling the electrodeposition structure to ambient temperature; and depressurizing the electrodeposition structure to ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Collins & Aikman Automotive Company Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Grimmer, Alex Risca, Richard Combs
  • Publication number: 20030173705
    Abstract: A method for annealing a structure formed by electrodeposition is provided, the method comprising providing the electrodeposition structure, the electrodeposition structure comprising an electroformed mold, the electroformed mold having a nominal thickness between and including 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm and having a melting temperature; heating the electrodeposition structure to a temperature between ambient temperature and the melting temperature of the electrodeposition structure; isostatically pressurizing the electrodeposition structure to a pressure above ambient pressure; cooling the electrodeposition structure to ambient temperature; and depressurizing the electrodeposition structure to ambient pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Grimmer, Alex Risca, Richard Combs
  • Publication number: 20020095323
    Abstract: An automated building service broker can include a Global Positioning System (GPS) data processor for processing GPS data associated with communicatively linked service providers wherein the GPS data corresponds to a geographic position. The automated service broker also can include an event handler for responding to maintenance and repair events received from communicatively linked building systems. Finally, the automated building service broker can include a service provider selector for selecting a particular service provider to respond to a particular received maintenance and repair event received from a particular communicatively linked building system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Walter Flugel
  • Patent number: 5096221
    Abstract: An interior trim product has an opening therein formed to overlie an air bag restraint assembly including a canister for generating gas for inflating an air bag for deployment into the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The opening is closed by a door having a vinyl outer covering matching the aesthetic appearance of the outer surface of the interior trim product and including a soft foam backing formed by reaction injection molding foam between the vinyl skin and a first substrate having construction holes therein; a second substrate is connected to the first substrate to cover the holes and to reinforce the door to prevent foam and vinyl damage during air bag deployment and wherein the second substrate is adapted to define a hinged connection between the door and a releasable connection at the opposite end of the door for holding it in place within the opening against separation therefrom until an air bag is inflated and deployed into the passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Davidson Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Combs, Scott Rafferty