Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Fuller

Thomas A. Fuller 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: 20210338280
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a medical implant introducer (100) and methods of its use. The introducer (100) may include a handle (120), an implant-holding cavity disposed distally from the handle (120), a fluid supply conduit (122) fluidly coupled to an interior portion of the implant-holding cavity, and a distal nozzle (110) having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a middle portion in between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the middle portion having a tapered profile such that the proximal portion is larger than the distal portion, and a distal opening (112), wherein an implant in the implant-holding cavity may be expelled from the introducer (100) through the distal opening (112).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Establishment Labs S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Pablo VIQUEZ, Eckart HOLST, Solange VINDAS, Ariel SEIDNER H., Matthew SOLAR, Roberto DE MEZERVILLE, Juan José CHACÓN QUIRÓS, Thomas FULLER, Nathalia ARAUJO
  • Patent number: 11163096
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11092614
    Abstract: A method for measuring airflow for a plurality of computing devices may include characterizing the fan performance of a selected computing device of the plurality of computing devices to provide characterized RPM information. Each of the computing devices may include a cooling fan configured to exhaust heat into a hot aisle. Each cooling fan may include a rotor and a tachometer. The method may also include connecting the computing devices via a network, distributing computing workloads to the plurality of computing devices, and/or performing work on the computing workloads on the plurality of computing devices. Additionally, the method may include reading RPM information from the selected computing device's fan's tachometer and/or comparing the read RPM information with the characterized RPM information to determine a backpressure value for the selected computing device. The power to the selected computing device's fan may be reduced prior to reading the RPM information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Core Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Kom, Thomas Fuller
  • Publication number: 20210076695
    Abstract: A cream composition comprising lipid, optionally protein, one or more emulsifiers, and one or more thickeners or stabilisers, and having acceptable properties after temperature cycling, including acceptable composition: serum phase viscosity, overrun, change in apparent viscosity, and change in fat globule volume weighted mean diameter (D[4,3]).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Alexandra Kay LEGG, Aurelie Suzanne Bernadette CUCHEVAL, George Thomas FULLER, Hemang BHATT, Mitaben Dhirajlal LAD, Seyed Hashem HOSSEINIPARVAR, Skelte Gerald ANEMA, Therese CONSIDINE
  • Patent number: 10942195
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling computing devices in a data center and measuring airflow are disclosed. The computing devices have cooling fans that can have their fan speed set by management instructions. The devices are mounted in racks between cold aisles and hot aisles and are connected via network switches. The computing devices are oriented so that their cooling fans operate to exhaust waste heat to one side of the rack. Measurement instructions are sent to selected computing devices to cause them to go into a lower power state that reduces or stops computational work and reduces electrical power to the cooling fan so that the fan does not spin based on the electromotive force and can instead spin in an opposite direction based on ambient airflow caused by the difference in air pressure from the hot aisle to the cold aisle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Core Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Kom, Thomas Fuller
  • Publication number: 20210028999
    Abstract: A system and method for managing large numbers of computing devices such as cryptocurrency miners in a data center are disclosed. A three-dimensional (3D) model of the data center is created using machine-readable codes. The 3D model includes device and bin location information. Status data is captured from the computing devices, associated with location, stored in a database, and used to populate the 3D model, which is rendered in various two-dimensional and 3D views to provide the user with information helpful in managing the data center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Ganesh Balakrishnan, Thomas Fuller, Chandra Ponneganti
  • Publication number: 20200350074
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electronic system for the assessment of emotional state. The system allows individual employees to specify their emotions using a set of emojis. The system provides a graphical user interface that displays a list of different emotions and associated emojis that the user can select. The system allows the user to write an entry about his thoughts and emotions in conjunction with the selected emojis and send the message with the emojis to individuals with whom he chooses to share. The system provides a list of company-wide employees from which the user can select. The system receives the messages and implements data structures to process the received messages and produce individual and company-wide emotional state information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Yong-Chul Charles Kim, Meghan Messenger, Greg Kunkel, Thomas Fuller
  • Publication number: 20200265365
    Abstract: The systems and methods involve a feedback application, a feedback processing application, an analytics application, and an event moderating application. The feedback application allows users to submit feedback and displays received feedback anonymously to feedback recipients. The feedback processing application anonymizes the submitted feedback and the data to be retrieved from the feedback processing application and provide the anonymized feedback and data to the feedback application. The feedback processing application includes technology to protect feedback giver's identity and increase the speed of anonymizing the feedback and data and providing the anonymized feedback and data to the feedback application. The analytics application examines user's feedback giving and receiving behavior and evaluate their feedback empathy and authenticity and their learning behavior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Yong-Chul Charles Kim, Meghan Messenger, Greg Kunkel, Thomas Fuller
  • Patent number: 10682431
    Abstract: A method and device for destroying and inhibiting exposure to microbes and infection includes a first element and a second element, and a power source. At least one of the elements includes antimicrobial metal, which, when energized by the power source, produces ions that are lethal to microbes. The device can be incorporated into virtually any useful object. During normal use of the object, electrical communication is established between the two elements, causing current supplied from the power source to flow through the antimicrobial metal. The two elements are configured and arranged to ensure that ions flowing from the antimicrobial metal flow through the region in which it is desired to kill microbes. The antimicrobial metal can be on the surface of the element, incorporated into the material making up the element, or provided in any other way that allows the antimicrobial effect to be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Aionx Antimicrobial Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Fuller, Richard Wysk, Wayne J. Sebastianelli, Paul H. Cohen, Robert C. Voigt
  • Publication number: 20190358087
    Abstract: Disclosed is an eye mask adapted to cover the eyes and the eyelids of a user. The mask includes a main body including an electrical heater and a battery configured to supply the electrical heater and a removable member removably linked to the main body. The removable member includes a wall forming a reservoir provided with retaining orifices adapted to retain a liquid, in particular water, under the effect of the surface tension between the liquid and walls of the orifices. Also disclosed is a method of using such a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventor: Edmund Thomas FULLER
  • Patent number: 10467647
    Abstract: A system includes an offer datastores including one or more offers from one or more merchants, a registered card module to register one or more payment cards to be used for a purchase transaction, a transaction matching module to identify the one or more merchants from a collection of purchase transaction data and to match the purchase transaction of the identified one or more merchants with one or more offers in the offer datastore from the identified one or more merchants, and a rewards module to determine an incentive to be applied to the one or more payment cards based on any offer associated with the matched merchant and generate a qualified transaction data to be transmitted to an issuer of the one or more payment cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Next Jump, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong-chul C. Kim, Isabella Chung, Thomas Fuller, Nettana Samroengraja, John Duncan
  • Patent number: 10467646
    Abstract: A communication system with client devices in communication with at least one communication network. User data stores are also in communication with the communications network and store user data of users using respective ones of the client devices. Offer data stores also in communication with the communications network store offers from merchants. A narrowcasting engine includes an active data gathering module to collect the user data, and an active learning module to generate a user profile based on the user data. The communication engine selects dynamically offers from the offer data store based on the profile, and communicates the selected offers in the offer data store to the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Next Jump, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong-Chul C. Kim, Thomas Fuller, Isabella Chung, Nettana Samroengraja
  • Patent number: 10338739
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to determine a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions having a detected change in sensor value that meets or exceeds a threshold value, fit a three dimensional shape to the plurality of regions, and determine a position of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan R Peterson, Cole D. Wilson, Thomas Fuller, Derek James Valleroy
  • Publication number: 20190170914
    Abstract: Compact lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include a master lens with two or more lens elements arranged along an optical axis and having refractive power, and an optical actuator located on the object side of the master lens that may provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) functionality for the camera. An aperture stop for the camera may be included in the optical actuator, for example between a substrate and a flexible optical element of the optical actuator. Including the aperture stop in the optical actuator rather than in the lens stack may allow the optical actuator to be smaller in the X-Y dimensions (perpendicular to the optical (Z) axis) than it would be in a similar camera with the aperture stop located in the lens stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Christian Thomas Fuller, Iain A. McAllister, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20180243556
    Abstract: A medical implant system is described for inhibiting infection associated with a joint prosthesis implant. An inventive system includes an implant body made of a biocompatible material which has a metal component disposed on an external surface of the implant body. A current is allowed to flow to the metal component, stimulating release of metal ions toxic to microbes, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. One detailed system is completely surgically implantable in the patient such that no part of the system is external to the patient while the system is in use. In addition, externally controlled devices are provided which allow for modulation of implanted components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas A. Fuller, Richard A. Wysk, Wayne J. Sebastianelli
  • Publication number: 20180207331
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a device for collection and purification of adipose tissue and methods of making and using the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Bradford A. Conlan, Lucas Fornace, Thomas Fuller
  • Patent number: 9949872
    Abstract: An eye and eyelid cover includes a pair of spaced viewing windows between which, in use, a reservoir of hot water is contained, and a compartment within which a phase change material is contained, the phase change material being molten at the initial temperature of the hot water and solidifying during cooling of the hot water while a treatment procedure is being carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: LABORATORIES THEA
    Inventor: Edmund Thomas Fuller
  • Patent number: 9849282
    Abstract: A medical implant system is described for inhibiting infection associated with a joint prosthesis implant. An inventive system includes an implant body made of a biocompatible material which has a metal component disposed on an external surface of the implant body. A current is allowed to flow to the metal component, stimulating release of metal ions toxic to microbes, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses. One detailed system is completely surgically implantable in the patient such that no part of the system is external to the patient while the system is in use. In addition, externally controlled devices are provided which allow for modulation of implanted components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Aionx Antimicrobial Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Fuller, Richard A. Wysk, Wayne J. Sebastianelli
  • Publication number: 20170293929
    Abstract: A system includes an offer datastores including one or more offers from one or more merchants, a registered card module to register one or more payment cards to be used for a purchase transaction, a transaction matching module to identify the one or more merchants from a collection of purchase transaction data and to match the purchase transaction of the identified one or more merchants with one or more offers in the offer datastore from the identified one or more merchants, and a rewards module to determine an incentive to be applied to the one or more payment cards based on any offer associated with the matched merchant and generate a qualified transaction data to be transmitted to an issuer of the one or more payment cards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Yong-chul C. Kim, Isabella Chung, Thomas Fuller, Nettana Samroengraja, John Duncan
  • Patent number: 9753577
    Abstract: A method and apparatus determine a difference value, the determined difference value reflecting a difference between a plurality of presence values. In an embodiment, the method and apparatus perform an operation associated with the plurality of presence values, based on the determined difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: PARADE TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Peterson, Cole Wilson, Thomas Fuller