Patents by Inventor Thomas Mills

Thomas Mills 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: 20170323531
    Abstract: A card game system/method pitting players against a live or virtual dealer. Players make two mandatory wagers and optionally place bonus and jackpot wagers followed by each player and the dealer receiving six cards. Each player and the dealer must set the six cards into three, two-card hands based on pre-established rules. The main and play wagers are resolved based on a comparison of the player's three hands to the dealer's three hands respectively. The bonus wager relates to the strongest five-card poker hand formed using the six cards and the jackpot is paid if the player wins all three hands and the two cards of the first hand meet a minimum threshold (e.g., Ace high or better). An automatic winning hand may be utilized as well. For example, any player receiving the King of Spades and King of Clubs would win their main and play wagers automatically. A player v. player (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: David Hauser, Thomas Mills
  • Publication number: 20150012394
    Abstract: A system and method of virtual shopping is provided. The system and method includes a plurality of data services. The system and method includes a content delivery network receives at least one request from at least one of a plurality of data services. The system and method includes at least two devices operate in a communication protocol that receive data from the content delivery network, each of the at least two devices include a virtual reality interface. The virtual reality interface creates a user a virtual replica of a physical store. The virtual reality interface locates one or more objects of interest from the virtual reality interface. The virtual reality interface interacts with at least two devices located in the physical store through a virtual snapshot by the virtual reality interface of a user's current view of the virtual replica to facilitate purchase of one or more objects of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: Avenue Imperial UK Limited
    Inventors: Nicolas Rossi, Julian Ball, Thomas Mills
  • Patent number: 8745920
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plant protection device that combines the functionality of a solid walled style plant protector that is good for the establishment of a new plant/seedling and perforated style plant protector that is good for an established plant. The wall of a tree/plant protector and growth device has thin areas inherent in the wall that degrade faster than other parts of the same device wall. This occurs based on the weather conditions (wind/rain/cold), UV degradation, biodegradation, and other factors. Over time these areas open up, allowing air, sun light and other environmental elements to reach the plant/tree within the protector. Strategically placing the thinner areas allows for designs for different plant/tree species and applications. Applications for climatic regions—northern, aired, wetlands, etc. Other applications examples are reforestation, vineyards, windbreaks, etc. The degradation of the thin areas can be controlled by using different materials, UV stabilizer levels and other methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Mills
  • Patent number: 7439854
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for time-based setting and removal of alarm inhibits are disclosed. In one method, a command is provided that allows a user to specify a time period with which an alarm generated within a telecommunications signaling platform will be inhibited. Once the command is received, alarms associated with the specified device are suppressed. When the time period expires, the alarm inhibit is automatically removed and alarms associated with the specified device can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Tekelec
    Inventors: Duane Orton, David Whitlock, Thomas Mills, Robert J. Delaney
  • Publication number: 20070020110
    Abstract: The present invention provides highly accurate methods for directly calculating pump fillage which avoid the need and expense of a pump dynamometer card and subsequent calculations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas Mills
  • Publication number: 20060073822
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for time-based setting and removal of alarm inhibits are disclosed. In one method, a command is provided that allows a user to specify a time period with which an alarm generated within a telecommunications signaling platform will be inhibited. Once the command is received, alarms associated with the specified device are suppressed. When the time period expires, the alarm inhibit is automatically removed and alarms associated with the specified device can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Duane Orton, David Whitlock, Thomas Mills, Robert Delaney
  • Publication number: 20060034254
    Abstract: A network system is provided and includes an enterprise information system. A web application server communicates with the enterprise information system and an application component communicates with the web application server. A connection manager resides in the web application server and manages a plurality of connection handles. Each one of the plurality of connection handles corresponds to one or more physical connections to the enterprise information system via hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Additionally, a Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) HTTP connector resides within the web application server in the form of a resource adapter and is responsive to the connection manager.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: William Trost, Scott Beckwith, Thomas Mills, James Chadek
  • Patent number: 6246290
    Abstract: A high gain, current driven amplifier uses an emitter follower circuit with another emitter follower circuit connected in a feedback configuration to drive a common base amplifier circuit in place of a conventional cascode amplifier configuration to achieve a high frequency response with adequate signal gain. A differential input signal can be used, thereby minimizing input DC offsets, drift and noise, by using a differential amplifier to convert a differential input signal voltage to the input signal current for driving the emitter follower circuits. The current gain is determined by a ratio of the resistances in the emitter circuits of the emitter follower circuits. In one embodiment, the currents formed in the emitter follower circuits are summed at the input to the common base amplifier circuit, while in another embodiment, such currents are summed at the output of the common base amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Morrish, Thomas Mills
  • Patent number: 5347750
    Abstract: A reusable plant protector apparatus which can be anchored to the earth include A U5RU ,V:a flexible sheet having a top edge, a bottom edge, and two opposite side edges. The sheet defines a plurality of matching pairs of apertures which are offset from each of the side edges, so that the matching apertures in the opposite edges are aligned when the sheet is formed into a cylinder with a side edge overlap. The plant protector apparatus also includes a stake and a plurality of flexible ties extending through the apertures and around the stake for securing the overlapping side edges and the stake to each other. The ties are tightenable to tighten the stake against the overlapping edges thereby sealing the edges of the formed cylinder around the plant to be protected, thereby creating a sheltered climate of higher temperature and humidity around the plant. The plant protector apparatus may also be vented to adjust the temperature and humidity surrounding the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Inventor: Thomas Mills
  • Patent number: 4338593
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing ultrasonic sound waves used to disperse rodents including negative feedback damping of a tuned band-pass filter output circuit. An electrical signal is frequency modulated, amplitude modulated asynchronously with the frequency modulation, pulsed on and off and applied to a speaker to produce ultrasonic sound waves corresponding thereto. The output signal is passed through a tuned band-pass filter circuit which includes negative feedback damping to reduce the power consumption of the amplification of the output signal and in part to produce the band-pass characteristics of the band-pass filter output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: Sound Control, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Mills