Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Ward

Thomas A. Ward 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: 12139236
    Abstract: A foil displacement system includes one or more foils that can be deployed and stowed. When deployed, each foil can exert downforce or uplift depending on its orientation. For example, each foil may be positioned to have an angle of attack that creates a downward force effectively transmitted to the hull to pull the hull deeper within the water to, for example, create a larger wake. Use of the foil displacement system can enhance or replace the use of a ballast tank system, can be integrated into a new boat or retrofitted to existing boats, can be electronically or manually positioned, can enhance activities such as wake surfing, wake boarding, water skiing or other similar or related water sports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Malibu Boats, LLC
    Inventors: Cory Wade Dugger, Rachael Marie Green, Jeffrey Lee Predmore, Scott Thomas Ward, Matthew Welton
  • Publication number: 20240362662
    Abstract: Techniques described herein include techniques for communicating information about the social behavior of users and transactions performed by users on a computer network. In one example, this disclosure describes a method that includes receiving information about identity disclosure activities performed by each of a plurality of users on the network; determining that the information about identity disclosure activities includes information consistent with a prior identity disclosure activity performed by a first user having a first user status on the network; increasing the first user status; determining that the information about identity disclosure activities includes information that is not consistent with a prior identity disclosure activity performed by a second user having a second user status on the network; and decreasing the second user status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Marc Ward, Thomas J. Gilheany, Parul Ghosh, Shahriar Zand-Biglari
  • Publication number: 20240363236
    Abstract: A system and method for providing updates to medical devices is disclosed. In one example, the medical devices are configured to pull update files in response to the reception of an update message from a server. Once the update files are downloaded by a medical device, the update files can be installed. While the medical device pulls the update files, the medical device can continue with its normal operation. If desired, a user can select which medical devices should be updated, based on any desired factors, such as the physical location of the device, the model of the device, the type of device, and the way the device is being used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: John Arrizza, James R. Shults, Thomas J. Vaccaro, Patrick A. Ward
  • Patent number: 12129427
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a gas hydrate inhibitor composition comprising from an amphiphile having a hydrophobic tail linked to a hydrophilic head group by a linking moiety, the amphiphile having the general formula (1) [R5-L-N(R1)(R2)(R3)]+X???(1) wherein each of R1 and R2 is independently an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms; or wherein the nitrogen atom and the R1 and R2 groups together form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; R3 is present or not as hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms which optionally bears a hydroxy group or a carboxy group in the 2-position; L is a linking moiety comprising an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group having at least 2 adjacent carbon atoms, at least one heteroatom selected from nitrogen and oxygen, and optionally one or more further heteroatoms; R5 is a hydrocarbyl group having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms; and X? is present as an anion when R3 is present; and from a cationic surfactant which is selected from
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Clariant International Ltd
    Inventors: Dirk Leinweber, Zachary Thomas Ward, Felix Hoevelmann, Jonathan James Wylde, Matthias Krull
  • Publication number: 20240318064
    Abstract: Provided herein is a composition for inhibiting gas hydrate formation in a system containing hydrocarbons and water. The composition includes (A) an amidoamine of a fatty acid, optionally in the form of a cationic ammonium compound, and (B) a nonionic surfactant selected from alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty alcohols, alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty amines, alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty acids and alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty acid amides, wherein (A) and (B) are present in a weight ratio (A):(B) of from 15:85 to 85:15.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Dirk LEINWEBER, Zachary Thomas WARD, Felix HÖVELMANN, Jonathan James WYLDE
  • Publication number: 20240286434
    Abstract: A castor might comprise a castor body for coupling the castor to an apparatus, at least one wheel coupled to the castor body, wherein said wheel is operable to rotate about a wheel axis. The castor body might be configured to swivel about a swivel axis which is substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis such as to rotate the orientation of the wheel with respect to the swivel axis. A locking means might be configured to adopt at least first state and a second state. In the first state, the locking means might be configured to allow swivelling motion of the castor body about the swivel axis and in the second state the locking means might be configured to inhibit the swivelling motion of the castor body about the swivel axis such that the orientation of the castor wheel is locked relative to the swivel axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventors: Colm Dobbs, Thomas Ward
  • Patent number: 12056731
    Abstract: Techniques described herein include techniques for communicating information about the social behavior of users and transactions performed by users on a computer network. In one example, this disclosure describes a method that includes receiving information about identity disclosure activities performed by each of a plurality of users on the network; determining that the information about identity disclosure activities includes information consistent with a prior identity disclosure activity performed by a first user having a first user status on the network; increasing the first user status; determining that the information about identity disclosure activities includes information that is not consistent with a prior identity disclosure activity performed by a second user having a second user status on the network; and decreasing the second user status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Marc Ward, Thomas J. Gilheany, Parul Ghosh, Shahriar Zand-Biglari
  • Patent number: 12037537
    Abstract: Provided herein is a method for inhibiting gas hydrate formation in a system containing hydrocarbons and water. The method includes contacting the system with a gas hydrate inhibitor composition including an amidoamine of a fatty acid, optionally in the form of a cationic ammonium compound, and a nonionic surfactant selected from alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty alcohols, alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty amines, alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty acids and alkoxylated C8-C18 fatty acid amides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Clariant International Ltd
    Inventors: Dirk Leinweber, Zachary Thomas Ward, Felix Hoevelmann, Jonathan James Wylde
  • Publication number: 20240188537
    Abstract: A device, Biothane Animal Grooming Safety Tether, is provided. The device comprises a first band, a second band, and a fastener which can be a snap hook. The first band includes a buckle and the first band and the second band may include box stitches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventor: Michael Thomas Ward
  • Publication number: 20240127060
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an action selection neural network used to select actions to be performed by an agent interacting with an environment. In one aspect, a system comprises a plurality of actor computing units and a plurality of learner computing units. The actor computing units generate experience tuple trajectories that are used by the learner computing units to update learner action selection neural network parameters using a reinforcement learning technique. The reinforcement learning technique may be an off-policy actor critic reinforcement learning technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Hubert Josef Soyer, Lasse Espeholt, Karen Simonyan, Yotam Doron, Vlad Firoiu, Volodymyr Mnih, Koray Kavukcuoglu, Remi Munos, Thomas Ward, Timothy James Alexander Harley, Iain Robert Dunning
  • Publication number: 20240125179
    Abstract: Provided herein are ladders having a flared beaded joint to couple a rung to a rail of the ladder. In some embodiments, a ladder comprises a rail having a web. The web has a first side and a second side. The ladder further includes a rung coupled to the rail via a flared beaded joint. In some configurations, flared beaded joints are disposed at each end of the rung. The flared beaded joint includes a first bead on the first side of the web and a second bead on the second side of the web. The first bead includes a first flange portion and a second flange portion. The first flange portion directly abuts the first side of the web. At least a portion of the second flange portion is disposed at an angle relative to the first flange portion to flare an end of the rung.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Patrick Michael McAuliffe, Thomas Ward Parker
  • Publication number: 20240112809
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating a statistical parameter representing a state of a surgical procedure from sensor data. Sensor data representing a time period. is received from a sensor. Numerical features representing the time period are generated from the sensor data. Each of a plurality of long short term memory units are updated according to the plurality of numerical features via a message passing process. The long short term memory units are connected to form a graph, with a first set of the long short term memory units representing a plurality of nodes of the graph and a second set of the long short term memory units representing a plurality of hyperedges of the graph. A statistical parameter representing a state of the surgical procedure for the time period is derived from an output of one of the long short term memory units and provided to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Ozanan R. Meireles, Yutong Ban, Daniel A. Hashimoto, Guy Rosman, Thomas Ward, Daniela Rus
  • Patent number: 11898091
    Abstract: Disclosed is a gas hydrate inhibitor composition comprising an amphiphile by a linking moiety, the amphiphile having of the general formula (1) [R5-L-N(R1)(R2)(R3)]+X???(1) wherein each of R1 and R2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms; or wherein the nitrogen atom and the R1 and R2 groups together form a heterocyclic group; R3 is present or not as hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms L is a linking moiety comprising a hydrocarbyl group having at least 2 adjacent carbon atoms, at least one heteroatom selected from nitrogen and oxygen, R5 is a hydrocarbyl group having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms; and X? is present as an anion when R3 is present; and a cationic surfactant which is selected from quaternary benzyl ammonium salts and a method of using the gas hydrate inhibitor composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: CLARIANT INTERNATIONAL LTD
    Inventors: Dirk Leinweber, Zachary Thomas Ward, Felix Hoevelmann, Jonathan James Wylde, Matthias Krull
  • Publication number: 20240035839
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventor: Ryan Thomas Ward
  • Patent number: 11868894
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an action selection neural network used to select actions to be performed by an agent interacting with an environment. In one aspect, a system comprises a plurality of actor computing units and a plurality of learner computing units. The actor computing units generate experience tuple trajectories that are used by the learner computing units to update learner action selection neural network parameters using a reinforcement learning technique. The reinforcement learning technique may be an off-policy actor critic reinforcement learning technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DeepMind Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Hubert Josef Soyer, Lasse Espeholt, Karen Simonyan, Yotam Doron, Vlad Firoiu, Volodymyr Mnih, Koray Kavukcuoglu, Remi Munos, Thomas Ward, Timothy James Alexander Harley, Iain Robert Dunning
  • Patent number: 11851136
    Abstract: A foil displacement system includes one or more foils that can be deployed and stowed. When deployed, each foil can exert downforce or uplift depending on its orientation. For example, each foil may be positioned to have an angle of attack that creates a downward force effectively transmitted to the hull to pull the hull deeper within the water to, for example, create a larger wake. Use of the foil displacement system can enhance or replace the use of a ballast tank system, can be integrated into a new boat or retrofitted to existing boats, can be electronically or manually positioned, can enhance activities such as wake surfing, wake boarding, water skiing or other similar or related water sports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Malibu Boats, LLC
    Inventors: Cory Wade Dugger, Rachael Marie Green, Jeffrey Lee Predmore, Scott Thomas Ward, Matthew Welton
  • Publication number: 20230362433
    Abstract: Methods and systems for transmitting an interruption-free version of a television program for recording on a user equipment device. In one aspect, a system transmits a first stream including a television program to a user equipment device. The system receives an indication that the television program is being recorded on the user equipment device. The system determines whether an interruption is imminent during transmission of the television program. In response to determining that the interruption is imminent, the system generates a second stream including the television program. The second stream does not include the interruption during the transmission of the television program. The system transmits the second stream to the user equipment device along with an instruction to switch recording of the television program from the first stream to the second stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel Thomas Ward, Arevik Chimayan, Walter R. Klappert
  • Patent number: 11808598
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Inventor: Ryan Thomas Ward
  • Publication number: 20230347808
    Abstract: A powered rail system is disclosed. The rail system is mountable on a truck bed, to which various accessories may be attached, and to which various electronic devices may be connected. The rail system includes first and second side rails, where the first and second side rails are substantially parallel and separated by a width, and where each side rail includes a front end, a back end, and a body extending between the front end and the back end. The rail system further includes a storage structure secured thereto, a first outside surface adjacent to the body of the first side rail, and a second outside surface adjacent to the body of the second side rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Mohammed Irfan, Milos V. Coric, Emily Kern, Jonathan David Monge, Michael Bykowski, Thomas Ward Parker
  • Patent number: RE50052
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Inventor: Ryan Thomas Ward