Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Smith

Thomas M. Smith 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: 10675615
    Abstract: The disclosure relate generally to structures, forms, and monoliths, and methods of preparing the same. This disclosure can produce uniform structured passageways or channels of active material, including adsorbent or catalyst, by imprinting or molding features into a paste on a support that can be subsequently assembled into a gas or liquid treating structure, i.e. a monolith. The paste, which can include an active material, binder, and other potential additives, can be applied to the support or pushed through a support (as in a mesh) as a thin film. The paste can be imprinted, stamped, shaped or otherwise handled to give features of desired height, shape, width, and positioning. When stacked or rolled, the features of one layer contact a subsequent layer, which seal to form passageways. The resulting structure can have high cell-density (>1000 cells per square inch) and a large volume fraction of active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Tracy A. Fowler, Thomas M. Smith, Joshua I. Cutler, Jenna L. Walp
  • Publication number: 20200176783
    Abstract: Cathode collector structures and/or corresponding cathode structures are provided that can allow for improved operation for a molten carbonate fuel cell when operated under conditions for elevated CO2 utilization. A cathode collector structure that provides an increased open area at the cathode surface can reduce or minimize the amount of alternative ion transport that occurs within the fuel cell. Additionally or alternately, grooves in the cathode surface can be used to increase the open area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan Rosen, Timothy A. Barckholtz, Heather A. Elsen, Gabor Kiss, Lu Han, Thomas M. Smith, Sandipan K. Das, Chao-Yi Yuh, Carl A. Willman, Timothy C. Geary, Keith E. Davis, Abdelkader Hilmi, Lawrence J. Novacco
  • Publication number: 20200060475
    Abstract: A fryer includes a cooking chamber for holding a cooking medium and at least one heating element positioned within the cooking chamber. The fryer further includes a conveyor belt for selectively advancing food product through the cooking chamber. The conveyor belt includes first and second chains coupled together by a plurality of elongate members extending therebetween. The conveyor belt further includes a plurality of paddles coupled to the first and second chains and extending therebetween to define a plurality of compartments. Each of the plurality of paddles includes a screen, and each compartment is sized to receive at least a portion of the food product. The conveyor belt defines a continuous loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Melissa M. Hohler, Thomas M. Smith, Steven V. Ricca
  • Patent number: 10517432
    Abstract: A fryer apparatus includes a cooking chamber to hold cooking medium and cook food products within, a filter pan removably attached to the cooking chamber, a tube connecting the filter pan to the cooking chamber, and a pump configured to circulate cooking medium. The filter pan has a bottom wall surrounded by four side walls and an inlet passage configured to receive cooking medium into the filter pan. A filter element is removably attached to the bottom wall of filter pan and extends in a lateral direction along a length of the fryer apparatus and may have two bends spaced laterally from each other. A plug may be attached to the filter element and an outlet passage attached to the plug and configured to discharge the cooking medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Henny Penny Corporation
    Inventors: Melissa M. Hohler, Thomas M. Smith, Kendall Lynn Olinger
  • Publication number: 20190255521
    Abstract: The disclosure relate generally to structures, forms, and monoliths, and methods of preparing the same. This disclosure can produce uniform structured passageways or channels of active material, including adsorbent or catalyst, by imprinting or molding features into a paste on a support that can be subsequently assembled into a gas or liquid treating structure, i.e. a monolith. The paste, which can include an active material, binder, and other potential additives, can be applied to the support or pushed through a support (as in a mesh) as a thin film. The paste can be imprinted, stamped, shaped or otherwise handled to give features of desired height, shape, width, and positioning. When stacked or rolled, the features of one layer contact a subsequent layer, which seal to form passageways. The resulting structure can have high cell-density (>1000 cells per square inch) and a large volume fraction of active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Tracy A. FOWLER, Thomas M. Smith, Joshua I. Cutler, Jenna L. Walp
  • Patent number: 10344583
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic housing including a cover including a first perimeter defining an open cover portion, the cover having a cover length, and a cover height, and a body including a second perimeter defining an open body portion, wherein either the first or second or both perimeters are chamfered, configured to receive one or more electrical components and to sealingly engage with the first chamfered perimeter, the body having a body length, a body height, and an under-surface, and the body including an engagement portion projecting from the under-surface and having an engagement length, an engagement height, and an engagement surface configured to engage an outer surface of a tubular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Katie M. Walker, Thomas M. Smith, Henry Alan Wolf, James S. Burns, Timothy R. Bragg, Mark M. Disko, Yibing Zhang
  • Patent number: 10307749
    Abstract: The disclosure relate generally to structures, forms, and monoliths, and methods of preparing the same. This disclosure can produce uniform structured passageways or channels of active material, including adsorbent or catalyst, by imprinting or molding features into a paste on a support that can be subsequently assembled into a gas or liquid treating structure, i.e. a monolith. The paste, which can include an active material, binder, and other potential additives, can be applied to the support or pushed through a support (as in a mesh) as a thin film. The paste can be imprinted, stamped, shaped or otherwise handled to give features of desired height, shape, width, and positioning. When stacked or rolled, the features of one layer contact a subsequent layer, which seal to form passageways. The resulting structure can have high cell-density (>1000 cells per square inch) and a large volume fraction of active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Tracy A. Fowler, Thomas M. Smith, Joshua I. Cutler, Jenna L. Walp
  • Publication number: 20190112913
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for securing a piezoelectric element in an electroacoustic communications node used in a downhole wireless telemetry system. An end mass is secured to the piezoelectric element. At least one fastener attaches a pre-tensioning support plate to a housing of the node. The pre-tensioning support plate and the at least one fastener impart a tensioning force to the end mass and/or the piezoelectric element when the pre-tensioning support plate and the end mass and/or the piezoelectric element are secured to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Limin Song, H. Alan Wolf, Thomas M. Smith, Katie M. Walker
  • Publication number: 20180084949
    Abstract: A fryer apparatus includes a cooking chamber to hold cooking medium and cook food products within, a filter pan removably attached to the cooking chamber, a tube connecting the filter pan to the cooking chamber, and a pump configured to circulate cooking medium. The filter pan has a bottom wall surrounded by four side walls and an inlet passage configured to receive cooking medium into the filter pan. A filter element is removably attached to the bottom wall of filter pan and extends in a lateral direction along a length of the fryer apparatus and may have two bends spaced laterally from each other. A plug may be attached to the filter element and an outlet passage attached to the plug and configured to discharge the cooking medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: Henny Penny Corporation
    Inventors: Melissa M. HOHLER, Thomas M. SMITH, Kendall Lynn OLINGER
  • Publication number: 20180066510
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic housing including a cover including a first perimeter defining an open cover portion, the cover having a cover length, and a cover height, and a body including a second perimeter defining an open body portion, wherein either the first or second or both perimeters are chamfered, configured to receive one or more electrical components and to sealingly engage with the first chamfered perimeter, the body having a body length, a body height, and an under-surface, and the body including an engagement portion projecting from the under-surface and having an engagement length, an engagement height, and an engagement surface configured to engage an outer surface of a tubular.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Katie M. Walker, Thomas M. Smith, Henry Alan Wolf, James S. Burns, Timothy R. Bragg, Mark M. Disko, Yibing Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160129433
    Abstract: The disclosure relate generally to structures, forms, and monoliths, and methods of preparing the same. This disclosure can produce uniform structured passageways or channels of active material, including adsorbent or catalyst, by imprinting or molding features into a paste on a support that can be subsequently assembled into a gas or liquid treating structure, i.e. a monolith. The paste, which can include an active material, binder, and other potential additives, can be applied to the support or pushed through a support (as in a mesh) as a thin film. The paste can be imprinted, stamped, shaped or otherwise handled to give features of desired height, shape, width, and positioning. When stacked or rolled, the features of one layer contact a subsequent layer, which seal to form passageways. The resulting structure can have high cell-density (>1000 cells per square inch) and a large volume fraction of active material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Tracy A. Fowler, Thomas M. Smith, Joshua I. Cutler, Jenna L. Walp
  • Publication number: 20150170310
    Abstract: A method and computer-readable storage device and apparatus for controlling a roadway resource are disclosed. For example, the method receives from a device associated with a vehicle a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time and a maximum payment amount to reach the target destination by the target arrival time. The method next determining a route to the target destination and determines a roadway resource along the route that is controllable. The method then sends an instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, where the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route and controls the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian S. Amento, Matti A. Hiltunen, Kaustubh Joshi, David P. Kormann, Rajesh Krishna Panta, Kermit Hal Purdy, Thomas M. Smith, Alex Varshavsky, Svetlana Yarosh
  • Patent number: 8903068
    Abstract: Personal mobility, multiparty control, and device augmentation features are provided within a voice-over-Internet protocol environment, such as a distributed feature composition (DFC) telecommunications architecture. The personal mobility features allow a caller to be identified to a callee using a desired identifier in place of an identifier of the device from which a call is made. Such personal mobility features are made available in multiparty calling environments and after mid-call moves. Device augmentation features provide enhanced calling options to a device that may otherwise be unequipped to provide such options, thus enabling personal mobility and multiparty control features across a wide variety of telecommunications devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Healfdene Goguen, Thomas M. Smith, Pamela Zave
  • Patent number: 8874759
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for programming session initiation protocol back-to-back user agents. In one embodiment, a method for programming a telecommunication feature as a session initiation protocol back-to-back user agent includes receiving source code defining the feature, the source code using at least one abstraction that hides session initiation protocol signaling details required by the feature and generating executable code that causes a session initiation protocol server to execute the feature, in accordance with the abstractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Pamela Zave, Gregory W. Bond, Eric Cheung, Thomas M. Smith
  • Patent number: 8725901
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transforming message events between applications running on a computing device into a form that appears as network events between multiple virtual network access devices. These “network events” may then be processed by known network software protocol analyzers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Smith, Gregory W. Bond, Eric Cheung
  • Patent number: 8600021
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for enabling communication between a first party and a second party. The method and apparatus determine that the second party is calling the first party while the first party is leaving a message on the voicemail of the second party. The message is then aborted and the first party is connected to the second party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Karrie Jo Hanson, Donnie Henderson, Thomas M. Smith
  • Publication number: 20130260724
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for enabling communication between a first party and a second party. The method and apparatus determine that the second party is calling the first party while the first party is leaving a message on the voicemail of the second party. The message is then aborted and the first party is connected to the second party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Karrie Jo Hanson, Donnie Henderson, Thomas M. Smith
  • Patent number: 8447017
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for enabling communication between a first party and a second party. The method and apparatus determine that the second party is calling the first party while the first party is leaving a message on the voicemail of the second party. The message is then aborted and the first party is connected to the second party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Karrie Jo Hanson, Donnie Henderson, Thomas M. Smith
  • Patent number: 8396199
    Abstract: Personal mobility, multiparty control, and device augmentation features are provided within a voice-over-Internet protocol environment, such as a distributed feature composition (DFC) telecommunications architecture. The personal mobility features allow a caller to be identified to a callee using a desired identifier in place of an identifier of the device from which a call is made. Such personal mobility features are made available in multiparty calling environments and after mid-call moves. Device augmentation features provide enhanced calling options to a device that may otherwise be unequipped to provide such options, thus enabling personal mobility and multiparty control features across a wide variety of telecommunications devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Healfdene Goguen, Thomas M. Smith, Pamela Zave
  • Publication number: 20120314702
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for programming session initiation protocol back-to-back user agents. In one embodiment, a method for programming a telecommunication feature as a session initiation protocol back-to-back user agent includes receiving source code defining the feature, the source code using at least one abstraction that hides session initiation protocol signaling details required by the feature and generating executable code that causes a session initiation protocol server to execute the feature, in accordance with the abstractions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP.
    Inventors: Pamela Zave, Gregory W. Bond, Eric Cheung, Thomas M. Smith