Patents by Inventor Stephen McFarland

Stephen McFarland 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: 12151036
    Abstract: An electrification system is used to prevent the transmission of pathogens by dermal contact. The electrification system includes a skin-bracing object, a power supply, and at least one resistor. The skin-bracing object includes an object body and a conductive feature. The skin-bracing object is an object that regularly comes into physical contact with a user's skin. The object body is the structure of the skin-bracing object and can be, but is not limited to, a pillowcase, a bed sheet, a bed pad, a blanket, a piece of medical gauze, a face mask, a set of medical scrubs, or a food preparation surface. The power supply, the resistor, and the conductive feature are electrically connected in series to each other. Thus, the conductive feature carrier an electrical current to electrify pathogens that come into physical contact with the conductive feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Inventors: Grant Kitchen, Luis Francisco Garcia, Bill Ling, Kevin Stephen McFarland, Carlos Rene Mendez, Marc Donohue
  • Patent number: 11720805
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed. The system is configured to determine a weight distribution of a vehicle and determine a trajectory associated with the vehicle. The system is further configured to generate a vehicle recommendation based on the weight distribution of the vehicle and the trajectory associated with the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen McFarland, Armin Lange
  • Patent number: 11690768
    Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a passenger compartment and a master controller. The passenger compartment has a plurality of rear passenger seats disposed on a track. Each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats is configured to move on the track. The master controller is configured to receive a first data from a wheelchair and to direct a movement of each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track. In response to receiving the first data, the master controller actuates at least one actuator to move at least one of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track to provide a transportation space for the wheelchair based on the first data received from the wheelchair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsumi Nagata, Stephen McFarland, Jr., Jerry R. Tipper
  • Publication number: 20210275368
    Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a passenger compartment and a master controller. The passenger compartment has a plurality of rear passenger seats disposed on a track. Each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats is configured to move on the track. The master controller is configured to receive a first data from a wheelchair and to direct a movement of each seat of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track. In response to receiving the first data, the master controller actuates at least one actuator to move at least one of the plurality of rear passenger seats along the track to provide a transportation space for the wheelchair based on the first data received from the wheelchair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsumi Nagata, Stephen McFarland, JR., Jerry R. Tipper
  • Publication number: 20210213146
    Abstract: An electrification system is used to prevent the transmission of pathogens by dermal contact. The electrification system includes a skin-bracing object, a power supply, and at least one resistor. The skin-bracing object includes an object body and a conductive feature. The skin-bracing object is an object that regularly comes into physical contact with a user's skin. The object body is the structure of the skin-bracing object and can be, but is not limited to, a pillowcase, a bed sheet, a bed pad, a blanket, a piece of medical gauze, a face mask, a set of medical scrubs, or a food preparation surface. The power supply, the resistor, and the conductive feature are electrically connected in series to each other. Thus, the conductive feature carrier an electrical current to electrify pathogens that come into physical contact with the conductive feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Grant Kitchen, Luis Francisco Garcia, Bill Ling, Kevin Stephen McFarland, Carlos Rene Mendez, Marc Donohue
  • Publication number: 20210158185
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed. The system is configured to determine a weight distribution of a vehicle and determine a trajectory associated with the vehicle. The system is further configured to generate a vehicle recommendation based on the weight distribution of the vehicle and the trajectory associated with the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen McFarland, Armin Lange
  • Patent number: 7573402
    Abstract: A vehicle guidance and parking system that continuously guides the operator of a vehicle to a pre-determined parking position by using two laser beams impinging on a forward or rearward surface. The two lasers beams project to a substantially vertical surface to which a vertical line has been applied and the vehicle is guided by the operator such that the two laser beams are kept equidistantly horizontally centered around the line during the vehicle approach to maintain the correct lateral position in the pre-determined parking position. When the two laser beams converge on the vertical line, the vehicle is longitudinally positioned to the pre-determined parking position. Temperature compensation, due to the wide temperature of potential use range, is provided by the laser emitting device used in the vehicle guidance and parking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Inventors: William J. Herbert, Stephen McFarland, Anthony Dechiara
  • Patent number: 7190774
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an inbound call from a caller to a device. A plurality of outbound calls are initiated from the single device based on information received from the inbound call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen McFarland
  • Publication number: 20070046500
    Abstract: A vehicle guidance and parking system that continuously guides the operator of a vehicle to a pre-determined parking position by using two laser beams impinging on a forward or rearward surface. The two lasers beams project to a substantially vertical surface to which a vertical line has been applied and the vehicle is guided by the operator such that the two laser beams are kept equidistantly horizontally centered around the line during the vehicle approach to maintain the correct lateral position in the pre-determined parking position. When the two laser beams converge on the vertical line, the vehicle is longitudinally positioned to the pre-determined parking position. Temperature compensation, due to the wide temperature of potential use range, is provided by the laser emitting device used in the vehicle guidance and parking system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Inventors: William Herbert, Stephen McFarland, Anthony Dechiara
  • Patent number: 6931112
    Abstract: A method including making a plurality of outbound calls to a plurality of called parties from a single device and detecting each called party that answers the call is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen McFarland, Louis LeBlanc
  • Publication number: 20030068029
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an inbound call from a caller to a device. A plurality of outbound calls are initiated from the single device based on information received from the inbound call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventor: Stephen McFarland