Patents by Inventor Robert A. Sim

Robert A. Sim 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: 20080262909
    Abstract: Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for intelligent information display are described. In embodiments, a display environment is monitored for one or more audience data and, upon receiving the one or more audience data, display information is processed in accordance with the one or more audience data and the processed display information is presented. In various embodiments, the audience data includes user gestures that indicate a communication with the intelligent information display, such as gestures indicating a mouse motion or a mouse click. In various other embodiments, the audience data includes demographic indicia such as the typical gender and/or typical age of an audience in a display environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Li Li, Robert A. Sim, Tarek Najm, Ying Li, Yi Chen
  • Patent number: 6911593
    Abstract: A transparent electromagnetic shield to protect solar panels and the like from dust deposition. The shield is a panel of clear non-conducting (dielectric) material with embedded parallel electrodes. The panel is coated with a semiconducting film. Desirably the electrodes are transparent. The electrodes are connected to a single-phase AC signal or to a multi-phase AC signal that produces a travelling electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic field produced by the electrodes lifts dust particles away from the shield and repels charged particles. Deposited dust particles are removed when the electrodes are activated, regardless of the resistivity of the dust. Electrostatic charges on the panel are discharged by the semiconducting film. When used in conjunction with photovoltaic cells, the power for the device may be obtained from the cells themselves. For other surfaces, such as windshields, optical windows and the like, the power must be derived from an external source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas
    Inventors: Malay K. Mazumder, Robert A. Sims, James D. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20040055632
    Abstract: A transparent electromagnetic shield to protect solar panels and the like from dust deposition. The shield is a panel of clear non-conducting (dielectric) material with embedded parallel electrodes. The panel is coated with a semiconducting film. Desirably the electrodes are transparent. The electrodes are connected to a single-phase AC signal or to a multi-phase AC signal that produces a travelling electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic field produced by the electrodes lifts dust particles away from the shield and repels charged particles. Deposited dust particles are removed when the electrodes are activated, regardless of the resistivity of the dust. Electrostatic charges on the panel are discharged by the semiconducting film. When used in conjunction with photovoltaic cells, the power for the device may be obtained from the cells themselves. For other surfaces, such as windshields, optical windows and the like, the power must be derived from an external source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Malay K. Mazumder, Robert A. Sims, James D. Wilson