Patents by Inventor Thomas Epting

Thomas Epting 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: 9788786
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for automatic detection of clinical relevance of images of an anatomical situation. The method includes comparing a first image and a second image and determining whether a difference between the first and second images is at least one of a local type difference and a global type difference. The local type difference is a local difference of the first image and the second image and the global type difference is a global difference between the first image and the second image. The second image is determined as having a clinical relevance if it is determined that the difference between the first image and the second image comprises a local type difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Stryker European Holdings I, LLC
    Inventors: Udo Pfrengle, Michael Kohnen, Arno Blau, Thomas Epting
  • Publication number: 20140079303
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for automatic detection of clinical relevance of images of an anatomical situation. The method includes comparing a first image and a second image and determining whether a difference between the first and second images is at least one of a local type difference and a global type difference. The local type difference is a local difference of the first image and the second image and the global type difference is a global difference between the first image and the second image. The second image is determined as having a clinical relevance if it is determined that the difference between the first image and the second image comprises a local type difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: STRYKER TRAUMA GMBH
    Inventors: Udo Pfrengle, Michael Kohnen, Arno Blau, Thomas Epting
  • Publication number: 20070061255
    Abstract: A method and system for providing credit at a point of sale are provided. The method includes both an open-ended model and a closed-ended model. In the open-ended model a card, such as a credit card, is provided to the customer. The customer first enters into an agreement for repayment with a credit provider. When the customer uses the card, a new installment transaction is added to a revolving line of credit. An open-ended loan agreement is delivered to the customer at the point of sale. The open-ended loan agreement may include available credit left, payment terms, and payment date. In the closed-ended model, the customer need not first sign an agreement with the credit provider. The customer simply obtains and uses a card to obtain a closed-ended, single installment, installment loan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Thomas Epting, Richard Greer
  • Publication number: 20050283436
    Abstract: Credit underwriting for a financial transaction is automatically commenced and concluded by the initiative of a customer. The customer initiates the financial transaction by interfacing to a merchant application. This interface may include a point of sale terminal, a card reader, a kiosk or the like. Customer-pertinent information and financial transaction pertinent information is obtained as a result of the customer initiating the process. The customer-pertinent and financial transaction pertinent information is then processed and the credit underwriting is approved if the customer associated with the customer-pertinent information is qualified for underwriting of a transaction described by the financial transaction pertinent information. A financial agreement that can be accepted by the customer interfacing to the merchant application is then generated and, if accepted by the customer, the funding for the financial transaction is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Greer, Thomas Epting
  • Publication number: 20050044039
    Abstract: A merchant can extend credit to a customer by establishing an account which allows the account to be paid off, or significantly paid down, on or after the customer's next payday. The payment can be directly extracted from the customer's bank account. The merchant is provided with a merchant system. The merchant system is used to read or recognize a unique customer identifier device, such as a magnetically encoded or bar-coded customer card, or an integrated chip, micro-computer, manually entered PIN etc., which uniquely identifies an account held by the customer. The merchant device communicates the information to a server system which approves the transaction and cooperatively the merchant system and server system generate a transaction instrument that can be signed by the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Richard Greer, Thomas Epting