Patents by Inventor Steven Shafer

Steven Shafer 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: 10343817
    Abstract: A food containing system may include one or more food container liners, such as a first food container liner and/or a second food container liner, and an optional food container. A food container liner may include a side wall bounding a liner cavity. The side wall may have an open top end, an open bottom end, an interior surface, and an exterior surface. A food container may include a container wall bounding a food receiving cavity. The container wall may have an open container top end, a container bottom end, a container interior surface, a container exterior surface, and a base coupled to the container bottom end. A first food container liner may be removably positioned or nested within the food receiving cavity of the food container. A second food container liner may be removably positioned or nested within the liner cavity of the first food container liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20180251264
    Abstract: A food containing system may include one or more food container liners, such as a first food container liner and/or a second food container liner, and an optional food container. A food container liner may include a side wall bounding a liner cavity. The side wall may have an open top end, an open bottom end, an interior surface, and an exterior surface. A food container may include a container wall bounding a food receiving cavity. The container wall may have an open container top end, a container bottom end, a container interior surface, a container exterior surface, and a base coupled to the container bottom end. A first food container liner may be removably positioned or nested within the food receiving cavity of the food container. A second food container liner may be removably positioned or nested within the liner cavity of the first food container liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20120331501
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to community access or cable television (CATV) signals and to in-home entertainment signals sharing a CATV distribution network. A low-pass filter is disclosed which can be used to restrict in-home entertainment signals that are using the CATV distribution network from leaving a subscriber premise network. The low-pass filter is placed at an entry port of a CATV subscriber premise network. The low-pass filter allows both upstream and downstream CATV signal frequency bands to enter and exit the subscriber premise network. The low-pass filter blocks signals in the in-home entertainment frequency band from exiting the subscriber premise network. The low-pass filter includes at least one LC resonant circuit element, and at least one mechanical resonant circuit element. The low-pass filter is sized small enough that it can fit in existing CATV equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: JOHN MEZZALINGUA ASSOCIATES, INC.
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Patent number: 8032429
    Abstract: A method, identification tag, data signal, and service for asset management are disclosed. Identification data may be retrieved from an identification tag. The identification data may include a first data element comprising a global routing prefix and a second data element comprising an asset identifier. Based on the global routing prefix, a uniform resource locator may be determined for a selected asset lookup service. Based on the determined uniform resource locator, the received asset identifier may be sent to the asset lookup service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Patent number: 7508284
    Abstract: A hybrid diplex bandstop filter includes a lowpass filter circuit which passes a first range of frequencies and a highpass filter circuit passes a third range of frequencies. The filter blocks a second range of frequencies. The third range of frequencies is higher than the second range and the first range. A tuning circuit tunes at least one re-resonance of a frequency inside the first range of frequencies to either within the second range of frequencies or outside an industry specified upper limit which is in the third range of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: John Mezzalingua Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Patent number: 7472053
    Abstract: A system and process for providing a geometric model database for use in an ubiquitous computing environment. In general, the geometric model database system and process is capable of accepting information about the geometric state of the environment, building a geometric model of this environment, maintaining and storing the geometric model, and handling queries about the environment's geometric state. The task of building a geometric model begins by establishing a set of entities that are of interest in the environment. An entity represents an object which exists in the physical world. In the geometric model database, an entity is represented by a coordinate frame and an extent. Extents refer to the physical size, or some service region such as a field of view, associated with an entity. The location of an entity in the physical world is defined using “measurements”. In general, a measurement is simply a mathematical description of the geometric relationship between two entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Barrett Brumitt, Steven Shafer, Brian Meyers
  • Publication number: 20080055017
    Abstract: A hybrid diplex bandstop filter includes a lowpass filter circuit which passes a first range of frequencies and a highpass filter circuit passes a third range of frequencies. The filter blocks a second range of frequencies. The third range of frequencies is higher than the second range and the first range. A tuning circuit tunes at least one re-resonance of a frequency inside the first range of frequencies to either within the second range of frequencies or outside an industry specified upper limit which is in the third range of frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Patent number: 7321849
    Abstract: A system and process for providing a geometric model database for use in an ubiquitous computing environment. In general, the geometric model database system and process is capable of accepting information about the geometric state of the environment, building a geometric model of this environment, maintaining and storing the geometric model, and handling queries about the environment's geometric state. The task of building a geometric model begins by establishing a set of entities that are of interest in the environment. An entity represents an object which exists in the physical world. In the geometric model database, an entity is represented by a coordinate frame and an extent. Extents refer to the physical size, or some service region such as a field of view, associated with an entity. The location of an entity in the physical world is defined using “measurements”. In general, a measurement is simply a mathematical description of the geometric relationship between two entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Barrett Brumitt, Steven Shafer, Brian Meyers
  • Patent number: 7307617
    Abstract: A system and process for selecting objects in an ubiquitous computing environment where various electronic devices are controlled by a computer via a network connection and the objects are selected by a user pointing to them with a wireless RF pointer. By a combination of electronic sensors onboard the pointer and external calibrated cameras, a host computer equipped with an RF transceiver decodes the orientation sensor values transmitted to it by the pointer and computes the orientation and 3D position of the pointer. This information, along with a model defining the locations of each object in the environment that is associated with a controllable electronic component, is used to determine what object a user is pointing at so as to select that object for further control actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Wilson, Steven Shafer, Daniel Wilson
  • Patent number: 7250936
    Abstract: A system and process for selecting objects in an ubiquitous computing environment where various electronic devices are controlled by a computer via a network connection and the objects are selected by a user pointing to them with a wireless RF pointer. By a combination of electronic sensors onboard the pointer and external calibrated cameras, a host computer equipped with an RF transceiver decodes the orientation sensor values transmitted to it by the pointer and computes the orientation and 3D position of the pointer. This information, along with a model defining the locations of each object in the environment that is associated with a controllable electronic component, is used to determine what object a user is pointing at so as to select that object for further control actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Wilson, Steven Shafer, Daniel Wilson
  • Patent number: 7165722
    Abstract: A method, identification tag reader and computer program product for communication with an identification tag are disclosed. To communicate with the tag, identification data may be retrieved from an identification tag. A guest identification, compliant with at least a portion of a standard network protocol address, may be assigned to the identification tag. A message addressed to a tag routing address of the tag may be received, and a response to the message may be sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Shafer, David Thaler
  • Publication number: 20060289647
    Abstract: A system and method allowing one application to implement diverse AutoID tags interchangeably, by unifying all AutoID technologies into a single object model. The single object model interacts with all AutoID technologies, with only a lowest level device tailored to the specific AutoID technology, the single object model thereby persisting through the middleware, up to an application, carrying all necessary information from any AutoID technology. The single object model can interact with a tag many times, as necessary to complete an operation. A reader interface allows an application to communicate with multiple readers of diverse AutoID tags, and to communicate with individual servers communicating with individual readers of diverse AutoID tags. The reader interface also provides a single interface for hardware communication with a radio, for an application interacting with an entire network of readers, sensors, interpretation steps, product lookup, and information storage providing a single virtual reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060289646
    Abstract: A system and method allowing one application to implement diverse AutoID tags interchangeably, by unifying all AutoID technologies into a single object model. The single object model interacts with all AutoID technologies, with only a lowest level device tailored to the specific AutoID technology, the single object model thereby persisting through the middleware, up to an application, carrying all necessary information from any AutoID technology. The single object model can interact with a tag many times, as necessary to complete an operation. A reader interface allows an application to communicate with multiple readers of diverse AutoID tags, and to communicate with individual servers communicating with individual readers of diverse AutoID tags. The reader interface also provides a single interface for hardware communication with a radio, for an application interacting with an entire network of readers, sensors, interpretation steps, product lookup, and information storage providing a single virtual reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060289639
    Abstract: A system and method allowing one application to implement diverse AutoID tags interchangeably, by unifying all AutoID technologies into a single object model. The single object model interacts with all AutoID technologies, with only a lowest level device tailored to the specific AutoID technology, the single object model thereby persisting through the middleware, up to an application, carrying all necessary information from any AutoID technology. The single object model can interact with a tag many times, as necessary to complete an operation. A reader interface allows an application to communicate with multiple readers of diverse AutoID tags, and to communicate with individual servers communicating with individual readers of diverse AutoID tags. The reader interface also provides a single interface for hardware communication with a radio, for an application interacting with an entire network of readers, sensors, interpretation steps, product lookup, and information storage providing a single virtual reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060289648
    Abstract: A system and method allowing one application to implement diverse AutoID tags interchangeably, by unifying all AutoID technologies into a single object model. The single object model interacts with all AutoID technologies, with only a lowest level device tailored to the specific AutoID technology, the single object model thereby persisting through the middleware, up to an application, carrying all necessary information from any AutoID technology. The single object model can interact with a tag many times, as necessary to complete an operation. A reader interface allows an application to communicate with multiple readers of diverse AutoID tags, and to communicate with individual servers communicating with individual readers of diverse AutoID tags. The reader interface also provides a single interface for hardware communication with a radio, for an application interacting with an entire network of readers, sensors, interpretation steps, product lookup, and information storage providing a single virtual reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060283930
    Abstract: A system and method allowing one application to implement diverse AutoID tags interchangeably, by unifying all AutoID technologies into a single object model. The single object model interacts with all AutoID technologies, with only a lowest level device tailored to the specific AutoID technology, the single object model thereby persisting through the middleware, up to an application, carrying all necessary information from any AutoID technology. The single object model can interact with a tag many times, as necessary to complete an operation. A reader interface allows an application to communicate with multiple readers of diverse AutoID tags, and to communicate with individual servers communicating with individual readers of diverse AutoID tags. The reader interface also provides a single interface for hardware communication with a radio, for an application interacting with an entire network of readers, sensors, interpretation steps, product lookup, and information storage providing a single virtual reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060252786
    Abstract: This invention provides two methods for reducing, or inhibiting the onset of, pain in a subject. The first method for reducing, or inhibiting the onset of, pain in a subject comprises administering to the subject (a) a nicotinic receptor agonist, and (b) an opioid receptor agonist; wherein the ratio of nicotinic receptor agonist to opioid receptor agonist administered to the subject is less than 3:4 and greater than 1:100. The second method for reducing, or inhibiting the onset of, pain in a subject comprises administering to the subject (a) a nicotinic receptor agonist at a rate of less than 3 mg per three hour period; and (b) an opioid receptor agonist at a rate of less than 4 mg per three hour period. This invention also provides two compositions, a transdermal patch, and an article of manufacture for practicing the instant methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Applicant: The Trustees of Columbia University
    Inventors: Pamela Flood, Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060167722
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for determining and maintaining a concentration level of medication in a patient sufficient to achieve and maintain a desired effect on that patient. Generally speaking, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a medication delivery controller uses a patient response profile to determine a concentration of medication in the patient that will achieve the desired effect on the patient. The patient response profile is a graphical, tabular or analytical expression of the relationship between the concentration of a medication and the effect of the medication at the specific concentration. Using this information, the medication delivery controller provides instructions to a medication delivery unit such as, for example, an infusion pump or inhalation device, to deliver the medication to the patient at a rate that will achieve the desired concentration level of the medication in the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: Aspect Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel MRF Struys, Tom Smet, Steven Shafer
  • Publication number: 20060128676
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions of nicotinic agonists, salts, hydrates, solvates or prodrugs thereof and therapeutic agents salts, hydrates, solvates or prodrugs thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of using these compositions and pharmaceutical compositions thereof to treat or prevent disease or pain in a subject. Also disclosed are methods of treating disease or pain or preventing disease or pain in a subject with nicotinic agonists, salts, hydrates, solvates or prodrugs thereof and therapeutic agents, salts, hydrates, solvates or prodrugs thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventors: Steven Shafer, Pamela Flood, Thomas Jenkins
  • Publication number: 20060111382
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are compositions and methods which treat or prevent pain in a subject. More specifically, disclosed herein are compositions of nicotinic agonists, salts, hydrates, solvates, prodrugs or metabolites thereof and opioid agonists salts, hydrates, solvates, prodrugs or metabolites thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof and methods of using these compositions and pharmaceutical compositions thereof to treat or prevent pain in a subject. Also disclosed are methods of treating or preventing pain in a subject with nicotinic agonists, salts, hydrates, solvates, prodrugs or metabolites thereof and opioid agonists, salts, hydrates, solvates, prodrugs or metabolites thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventors: Steven Shafer, Pamela Flood, Thomas Jenkins