Patents by Inventor Robert Blanchard

Robert Blanchard 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: 8429713
    Abstract: A method and structure for establishing faster transmission of Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) commands between first and second HDMI-compatible devices. The first and second devices may transmit CEC commands via a shared alternate interface, a signaling path distinct from a standard HDMI CEC interface between the first and second devices. Authentication may furthermore be performed prior to use of the alternate interface to confirm that the communication is authorized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Brant Candelore, Aravind Asam, Peter R Shintani, Robert Blanchard, Takashi Hironaka
  • Patent number: 8414046
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a vehicle wall, a reinforcement member, an accessory attachment member and a plurality of mounting structures. The vehicle wall includes an outer wall surface facing an outboard direction of the vehicle and an inner wall surface facing an inboard direction of the vehicle. The reinforcement member is mounted to the outer wall surface. The accessory attachment member is mounted to the inner wall surface. In addition, the plurality of mounting structures is spaced along the reinforcement member and extends through the vehicle wall to couple the accessory attachment member to the reinforcement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Pencak, Matthew Mollick, Robert Blanchard, Dan Hustyi
  • Patent number: 8414066
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a vehicle panel, an elongated structural support member, and a support structure. The vehicle panel includes a first panel surface and a second panel surface, and defines a first opening that extends through the vehicle panel between the first and second panel surfaces. The elongated structural support member supports a portion of the first panel surface of the vehicle panel, and defines a first channel extending along the vehicle panel. The support structure is coupled to the structural support member at least partially within the first channel, includes a mounting structure that is aligned with the first opening in the vehicle panel, and defines a second channel extending transversely to the first channel of the structural support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Hustyi, Brian Shepard, Emily Hospodar, Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 8408638
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a first vehicle wall, a second vehicle wall, an accessory attachment member and a reinforcement member. The first vehicle wall has a first outer wall surface facing an outboard direction and a first inner wall surface facing an inboard direction. The second vehicle wall extends transverse to the first vehicle wall, and has a second outer wall surface facing a first direction and a second inner wall surface facing an opposite direction. The accessory attachment member is mounted to the first inner wall surface. The reinforcement member has a first end mounted to the accessory attachment member and a second end mounted to the second inner wall surface with the reinforcement member spanning the first and second vehicle walls such that the reinforcement member does not extend parallel to either of the first and second vehicle walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Pencak, Matthew Mollick, Robert Blanchard, Dan Hustyi
  • Patent number: 8407754
    Abstract: A mobile receiver is programmed with available channels by initially searching for all potentially available channels and autoprogramming the receiver with channels that are detected by the receiver. Subsequently, only potentially available channels that have not been programmed into the receiver are searched for to reduce autoprogramming time when, e.g., the mobile receiver is carried to a higher elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Peter Shintani
  • Patent number: 8393985
    Abstract: A variable-speed drive unit, in particular for a variable-speed drive device, such as a riding mower, includes at least one belt transmission between two pulleys, each mounted on a shaft, each pulley including variably-spaced flanges. In this variable-speed drive unit, each pulley has a flange that equipped with a loading device that tends to exert, in a permanent manner and in the active state of the transmission, an axial effort in the direction in which the flanges move toward the pulley to clamp the belt between the flanges, whereby one of the pulleys has a loading device that exerts a lesser axial effort than the other device, and whereby one of the pulleys also includes, independently of the loading device, a manual control element for drawing together or separating flanges that can exert on the flange a slight control effort corresponding essentially to the power difference of the loading devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 8349129
    Abstract: The present invention provides a debonding apparatus, a system comprising such apparatus, and methods for using such apparatus or system for the removal of flexible substrates (14) post-processing without damage to fabricated devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate of the State of Arizona acting for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, R. Steve Rednour, Douglas Loy
  • Patent number: 8302121
    Abstract: An interceptor detects command signals from a TV remote control and logs the signals. The signals can be correlated not just to channel number but also to programs by accessing a program/channel database. A log of channels/programs that have been viewed by, e.g., a child can thus be obtained and viewed by a parent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Behram DaCosta, Peter Shintani
  • Patent number: 8279356
    Abstract: A digital TV (DTV) incorporates a TV white space device capable of operating on plural TV frequencies and responsive to the DTV processor to send a signal to an interfering white space device nearby the DTV that is interfering with a TV channel being presented on the TV. The signal sent from the TV white space device to the interfering white space device alters operation of the interfering white space device so as to reduce if not eliminate the interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Shintani, Robert Blanchard, Koichi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20120217769
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a vehicle panel, an elongated structural support member, and a support structure. The vehicle panel includes a first panel surface and a second panel surface, and defines a first opening that extends through the vehicle panel between the first and second panel surfaces. The elongated structural support member supports a portion of the first panel surface of the vehicle panel, and defines a first channel extending along the vehicle panel. The support structure is coupled to the structural support member at least partially within the first channel, includes a mounting structure that is aligned with the first opening in the vehicle panel, and defines a second channel extending transversely to the first channel of the structural support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Dan HUSTYI, Brian SHEPARD, Emily HOSPODAR, Robert BLANCHARD
  • Patent number: 8210324
    Abstract: A device for braking an elongated rotating body, includes at least two parts with coaxial conical surfaces, able to be slipped onto the body, and one, a so-called male cone, mounted integrally in rotation with the body, and the other, a so-called female cone, mounted fixed in rotation relative to the body. The female cone assumes the shape of a wheel with an axial bore with a conical bearing, and the male cone has a center recess. The cones are controlled in terms of axial relative movement by a control element. The male cone is, when the cones are close to one another, corresponding to the braking position, housed inside the axial bore of the female cone, with its conical external peripheral surface being held, by contact with a support, with the conical bearing of the female cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20120145501
    Abstract: A transmission between a driving primary shaft and an outlet shaft of a self-propelled machine, includes a housing within which there are housed, at least in part: a stepdown mechanism; two clutch mechanisms, one being progressive and the other being non-progressive with a movable dog; and a clutch control device including first and second clutch control elements. The second clutch control elements include at least one spring blade extending along the outlet shaft, the spring blade being mounted to move axially on the outlet shaft during axial movement of the dog from the unclutched extreme position towards a clutched position as a result of the movable dog bearing thereagainst, the spring blade being drivable axially on the shaft and being elastically deformable between an active position in which the dog comes into abutment against the spring blade, and an inactive position in which the dog slides along the spring blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Patent number: 8197368
    Abstract: A system for a self-propelled vehicle with variable travel speed, such as a mowing tractor, includes, between the primary driving shaft of the vehicle and an output shaft, such as the wheel drive shaft of the vehicle, at least one controlled variable speed drive with a belt and controlled mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of the vehicle, the primary driving shaft transmitting, via the variable speed drive, its motion to the input shaft of the reversal mechanism, itself able to directly or indirectly engage the output shaft, such as the wheel drive shaft of the vehicle, in such a way as to allow the vehicle to travel forward or in reverse respectively, at a variable travel speed. This transmission system is characterized in that the variable speed drive and the mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of the vehicle are controlled selectively from the same control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: France Reducteurs
    Inventor: Robert Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20120126576
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a vehicle wall, a reinforcement member, an accessory attachment member and a plurality of mounting structures. The vehicle wall includes an outer wall surface facing an outboard direction of the vehicle and an inner wall surface facing an inboard direction of the vehicle. The reinforcement member is mounted to the outer wall surface. The accessory attachment member is mounted to the inner wall surface. In addition, the plurality of mounting structures is spaced along the reinforcement member and extends through the vehicle wall to couple the accessory attachment member to the reinforcement member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey PENCAK, Matthew MOLLICK, Robert BLANCHARD, Dan HUSTYI
  • Publication number: 20120126561
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a first vehicle wall, a second vehicle wall, an accessory attachment member and a reinforcement member. The first vehicle wall has a first outer wall surface facing an outboard direction and a first inner wall surface facing an inboard direction. The second vehicle wall extends transverse to the first vehicle wall, and has a second outer wall surface facing a first direction and a second inner wall surface facing an opposite direction. The accessory attachment member is mounted to the first inner wall surface. The reinforcement member has a first end mounted to the accessory attachment member and a second end mounted to the second inner wall surface with the reinforcement member spanning the first and second vehicle walls such that the reinforcement member does not extend parallel to either of the first and second vehicle walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey PENCAK, Matthew MOLLICK, Robert BLANCHARD, Dan HUSTYI
  • Publication number: 20120129637
    Abstract: Transmission device for self-propelled equipment, includes a housing having a driving input shaft transmitting movement to an output shaft, the input shaft bearing a receiving pulley around which pulley a belt transmission is wrapped. The input shaft also bears a component that rotates as one with the shaft and a member for controlling the movement of the pulley along the input shaft in terms of the pulley movement towards or away from the component so that the pulley, which is mounted with freedom to rotate on the input shaft, can be moved from a disengaged position when it is away from the component, into an engaged position when it is close to the component, the pulley having a groove of constant predetermined width for accepting the belt so that when the belt is taut inside the groove, the belt tension is maintained as the pulley moves along the input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: FRANCE REDUCTEURS
    Inventor: Robert BLANCHARD
  • Publication number: 20120126579
    Abstract: A reinforced vehicle structure includes a vehicle floor, a reinforcement member, an accessory attachment member and a plurality of mounting structures. The vehicle floor has an underbody floor surface facing an underbody of the vehicle and an interior floor surface facing an interior of the vehicle. The reinforcement member is mounted to the underbody floor surface. The accessory attachment member is mounted to the interior floor surface. The plurality of mounting structures is spaced along the reinforcement member and extends through the vehicle floor to couple the accessory attachment member to the reinforcement member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey PENCAK, Matthew MOLLICK, Robert BLANCHARD, Dan HUSTYI
  • Publication number: 20120120323
    Abstract: A CE device is vended with a TV tuner module which may be provided in an envelope in the same shipping container along with instructions to the consumer to connect the tuner module to the CE device if TV capabilities are desired and to return the module for a rebate if TV capabilities are not desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Peter Shintani, Stephane Lejeune, Robert Blanchard, Graham Clift
  • Publication number: 20120105736
    Abstract: In accord with embodiments and implementations consistent with the present invention, rather than perform a full scan of every frequency to find a channel, the tuner is programmed to find a reasonable sample of channels. For example, the tuner can search for at least two or three channels to determine the frequency plan of the channels (by virtue of detection of at least one channel) and then use one of the known plans to directly identify the frequency map. The process can then step quickly through each frequency, without optimizing or fine tuning each channel, to determine the existence of a channel. With this process the number of tunable channels is found quicker and the initial setup time is shortened. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Blanchard, Robert L. Hardacker
  • Publication number: 20120096971
    Abstract: Transmission mechanism housing (1) of the type including two half-shells (1A, 1B) that can be assembled generally via a parting line, this housing (1) accommodating at least one control member (2) moved angularly with the aid of a lever (3) outside the housing (1), the lever (3) including a sleeve (4) that can be inserted removably into a receiving bearing (5) of the housing (1), the sleeve (4) being capable, in the state in which it is inserted into the receiving bearing (5), of being held in at least one predetermined axial position by locking elements (6A, 6B). The locking elements (6A, 6B) are configured in order to travel from the locked position to the unlocked position, and vice versa, by simple relative rotary movement of the sleeve (4) and of the bearing (5) about the longitudinal axis of the sleeve (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: FRANCE REDUCTEURS
    Inventor: Robert BLANCHARD