Patents by Inventor Steven N. Brown
Steven N. Brown 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: 10821859Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2018Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLCInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian Alexander Selden
-
Publication number: 20190283634Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2018Publication date: September 19, 2019Applicant: ClearMotion Acquistion I LLCInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian Alexander Selden
-
Patent number: 10245984Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. One or more sensors can each measure an aspect of motion. A processor can (i) receive input from each of the one or more sensors, (ii) determine from this input a measure of rotation of the vehicle away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation, and (iii) utilize the input to determine a desired rotation of the seat. An angle that the seat has been rotated away from a nominal, level orientation is more than insubstantially larger than an angle that the vehicle has rotated away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2018Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition LLCInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian Alexander Selden
-
Patent number: 10046677Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. One or more sensors can each measure an aspect of motion. A processor can (i) receive input from each of the one or more sensors, (ii) determine from this input a measure of rotation of the vehicle away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation, and (iii) utilize the input to determine a desired rotation of the seat. An angle that the seat has been rotated away from a nominal, level orientation is more than insubstantially larger than an angle that the vehicle has rotated away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2013Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLCInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian Alexander Selden
-
Publication number: 20180222359Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. One or more sensors can each measure an aspect of motion. A processor can (i) receive input from each of the one or more sensors, (ii) determine from this input a measure of rotation of the vehicle away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation, and (iii) utilize the input to determine a desired rotation of the seat. An angle that the seat has been rotated away from a nominal, level orientation is more than insubstantially larger than an angle that the vehicle has rotated away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2018Publication date: August 9, 2018Applicant: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLCInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian Alexander Selden
-
Patent number: 9783086Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian A. Selden
-
Patent number: 9718382Abstract: A seat support mechanism that is adapted to constrain motion of a bottom of a seat relative to a floor as the seat bottom moves up and down relative to the floor, where the seat has a seat back, and where the seat is constructed and arranged to support an occupant thereof above the floor, wherein the seat bottom has a front edge, and wherein the seat bottom supports the occupant's thighs with the knees in front of the front edge of the seat bottom. The seat support mechanism is constructed and arranged such that as the seat bottom is moved up and down, the seat support mechanism causes the seat bottom to pivot about a virtual lateral horizontal pivot axis located farther from the front edge of the seat bottom than the occupant's knees. The seat support mechanism is further constructed and arranged such that the back of the seat remains at a relatively constant angle to the floor as the seat bottom moves up and down and pivots.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2014Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: Robert Preston Parker, Steven N. Brown
-
Publication number: 20170203673Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2017Publication date: July 20, 2017Inventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian A. Selden
-
Publication number: 20160096458Abstract: A seat support mechanism that is adapted to constrain motion of a bottom of a seat relative to a floor as the seat bottom moves up and down relative to the floor, where the seat has a seat back, and where the seat is constructed and arranged to support an occupant thereof above the floor, wherein the seat bottom has a front edge, and wherein the seat bottom supports the occupant's thighs with the knees in front of the front edge of the seat bottom. The seat support mechanism is constructed and arranged such that as the seat bottom is moved up and down, the seat support mechanism causes the seat bottom to pivot about a virtual lateral horizontal pivot axis located farther from the front edge of the seat bottom than the occupant's knees. The seat support mechanism is further constructed and arranged such that the back of the seat remains at a relatively constant angle to the floor as the seat bottom moves up and down and pivots.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2014Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Robert Preston Parker, Steven N. Brown
-
Publication number: 20140316661Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. One or more sensors can each measure an aspect of motion. A processor can (i) receive input from each of the one or more sensors, (ii) determine from this input a measure of rotation of the vehicle away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation, and (iii) utilize the input to determine a desired rotation of the seat. An angle that the seat has been rotated away from a nominal, level orientation is more than insubstantially larger than an angle that the vehicle has rotated away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2013Publication date: October 23, 2014Inventors: Robert Preston Parker, Lawrence D. Knox, Travis Lee Hein, Steven N. Brown, Brian A. Selden
-
Patent number: 8783430Abstract: An apparatus for use in an active suspension system includes a mass damper for damping a first vertical resonance of a wheel having vertical and horizontal diameters. The wheel defines a wheel plane that passes through a center of the wheel and the wheel's vertical and horizontal diameters. The wheel also defines a transverse wheel plane that is perpendicular to the wheel plane and that intersects the wheel-plane along the vertical diameter. The mass damper includes a damping mass coupled to the wheel. The damping mass is constrained from motion relative to the wheel in all but a vertical direction and has a mass distribution that is asymmetric relative to the transverse wheel plane.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2012Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Bose CorporationInventor: Steven N. Brown
-
Publication number: 20130341143Abstract: An apparatus for use in an active suspension system includes a mass damper for damping a first vertical resonance of a wheel having vertical and horizontal diameters. The wheel defines a wheel plane that passes through a center of the wheel and the wheel's vertical and horizontal diameters. The wheel also defines a transverse wheel plane that is perpendicular to the wheel plane and that intersects the wheel-plane along the vertical diameter. The mass damper includes a damping mass coupled to the wheel. The damping mass is constrained from motion relative to the wheel in all but a vertical direction and has a mass distribution that is asymmetric relative to the transverse wheel plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2012Publication date: December 26, 2013Applicant: Bose CorporationInventor: Steven N. Brown
-
Publication number: 20120181757Abstract: An active suspension for a vehicle includes an actuator which incorporates a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors to convert rotary motion to linear motion. A compensation force is determined to compensate for the rotary inertia of the system. A force feedback loop can be employed to reduce the error between the output force of the actuator and a force command supplied by an active suspension system controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Inventors: David G. Oteman, Steven N. Brown, Dariusz Antoni Bushko, Wade P. Torres
-
Patent number: 8113522Abstract: An actuator includes a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors. The transmission converts rotation of the first rotary motor in a first direction and simultaneous rotation of the second rotary motor in a second direction to linear motion of an output shaft in a single direction. The actuator is usable in an active automobile suspension.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2011Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: David G. Oteman, Steven N. Brown, Dariusz Antoni Bushko, Wade P. Torress
-
Publication number: 20110193300Abstract: An actuator includes a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors. The transmission converts rotation of the first rotary motor in a first direction and simultaneous rotation of the second rotary motor in a second direction to linear motion of an output shaft in a single direction. The actuator is usable in an active automobile suspension.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2011Publication date: August 11, 2011Inventors: David G. Oteman, Steven N. Brown, Dariusz A. Bushko
-
Patent number: 7963529Abstract: An actuator includes a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors. The transmission converts rotation of the first rotary motor in a first direction and simultaneous rotation of the second rotary motor in a second direction to linear motion of an output shaft in a single direction. The actuator is usable in an active automobile suspension.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2008Date of Patent: June 21, 2011Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: David G. Oteman, Steven N. Brown, Dariusz A. Bushko
-
Patent number: 7962261Abstract: There is provided a vehicle suspension. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, there is provided an apparatus including an actuator system having a combination of actuators including a linear electromagnetic actuator and a rotary electromagnetic actuator, wherein the actuator system provides force between the sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2007Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: Dariusz Antoni Bushko, Upendra V. Ummethala, Steven N. Brown
-
Publication number: 20100059944Abstract: An actuator includes a first rotary motor, a second rotary motor, and a transmission coupled to the first and second rotary motors. The transmission converts rotation of the first rotary motor in a first direction and simultaneous rotation of the second rotary motor in a second direction to linear motion of an output shaft in a single direction. The actuator is usable in an active automobile suspension.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2008Publication date: March 11, 2010Inventors: David G. Oteman, Steven N. Brown, Dariusz A. Bushko
-
Publication number: 20090121444Abstract: There is provided a vehicle suspension. More specifically, in one or more embodiments, there is provided an apparatus including an actuator system having a combination of actuators including a linear electromagnetic actuator and a rotary electromagnetic actuator, wherein the actuator system provides force between the sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2007Publication date: May 14, 2009Inventors: Dariusz Antoni Bushko, Upendra V. Ummethala, Steven N. Brown
-
Patent number: 7427072Abstract: An active wheel suspension for suspending a wheel assembly from a sprung body of a wheeled vehicle, and adapted to permit a center of the wheel assembly to move relative to the sprung body through a jounce and rebound travel and defining a wheel center locus path relative to the body, the suspension including an actuator connected to both the wheel assembly and the sprung body and adapted to apply an active control force between the body and wheel assembly to move the wheel assembly. The wheel suspension is configured such that a tangent to the wheel center locus path is inclined rearward with respect to vertical with the wheel center at nominal ride height.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2004Date of Patent: September 23, 2008Assignee: Bose CorporationInventor: Steven N. Brown