Patents by Inventor Stephen Ferris

Stephen Ferris 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: 20080225631
    Abstract: A continuous feed mixer for cement or other mixtures includes a mixing tube which is inclined downward from a feed end to a mixing end. Cement solids are deposited at the feed end. Water is introduced at various locations along the length of the mixing tube to provide a proper proportion of solids and water. The mixing tube is rotated to provide the desired mixing process. A scraper is positioned within the mixing tube to remove material from an inner wall of the mixing tube during the mixing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventor: Stephen Ferris
  • Publication number: 20080224493
    Abstract: A container is disclosed for a pickup truck. The container is formed as a box positioned upon the sides of the pickup truck. The sides of the container open upward to allow easy access to the interior of the compartment. Trays may be positioned within the container which can be extended for access to items within the container. Equipment may be attached to the trays and used along the side of the container and pickup truck when the tray is extended. According to another embodiment, the sides of the pickup truck are formed as doors which open upward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventor: Stephen Ferris
  • Patent number: 5631972
    Abstract: A fingerprint matcher links together minutiae from a search print and minutiae from a file print in a chain to determine if the two prints match. Minutiae are extracted from the images of the search and file prints. Geometric and other relationships between close minutiae in each print are calculated. A table of candidate "steps" is formed. Each step consists of four minutiae, two close search minutiae and two close file minutiae. Each "rung" of the step is a search-file pair, the candidate mating of presumed identical minutiae in the two images. Each "riser" of the step is formed by two close minutiae, search minutiae on the one side and file minutiae on the other. A candidate step is entered into the table if and only if the relationships between search minutiae are similar to those between file minutiae. The number of candidate steps is reduced by requiring that each step adhere to various rules regarding the presence of other steps in the table and the identity of minutiae therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Inventors: Stephen Ferris, Robert L. Powers, Terry Lindh