Patents by Inventor Tom Chi

Tom Chi 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: 20260069730
    Abstract: An ultraviolet C self-sterilizing germicidal light airborne pathogen killing system for ultraviolet C self-sterilization of door access devices, such as door handles, door levers, door push plates for hand sanitation, which includes a door access device associated with a door jamb, a module affixed to the door access device, a source of electricity associated with the door access device, a device for electrically powering the module, a device for the module to sanitize air for hand sanitization, and a device for activating the module for hand sterilization. The system may be of varying sizes depending on room measurements/needs and the module may contain its own batteries, may run on direct electrical wiring using a concealed power transfer system or may use any related battery or power source. The module may also be functional when utilized as a stand-alone device without being associated with door access devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: March 12, 2026
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20240058497
    Abstract: A rotating successive firing emitting translucent ultraviolet C self-sterilizing germicidal light tube for a door handle or door lever access device for hand sanitation, includes a tube handle attached to a door latch assembly, a rotating UVC LED light source contained within the tube handle; electrical energy for energizing the UVC LED light source, electrical energy for rotating the UVC LED light source contained within the tube handle, and a device for rotating the UVC LED light source contained within the tube handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20230364282
    Abstract: An electrically energized door latch box for transferring electric power through a door lock-set to a door containing an electric device includes a door for entering and exiting a location, a device for transmitting electrical power to the door, and at least one door-powered electrical device associated with the door. A switch for switching on and off the electrically energized door and a movable lock barrel for activating the switch are also included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20230258021
    Abstract: An apparatus for efficiently transferring electric power to doors from a door jamb in order to energize door-associated electrical devices, which includes a door for entering and exiting a room, a stationary door electric power transfer bar affixed to the door and a door jamb associated with the door. A striker plate is provided for the door jamb and there is a retractable energized electric power transfer member in the striker plate, along with a power supply for electrical devices associated with the door which would require electrical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20230238199
    Abstract: An apparatus for sanitizing electric rocker switches includes an electric rocker switch with sanitizing ultraviolet C sterilizing germicidal light which provides a germ-free surface. Sanitizing ultraviolet C sterilizing germicidal light electric emitters are incorporated within the electrical rocker switch and/or around the perimeter of the electrical rocker switch and/or electrical switch plate that surrounds the electrical rocker switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20230228117
    Abstract: A snap-together electric power track apparatus for efficiently transferring electric power to doors in order to energize door-associated electrical devices includes a door access device associated with a door wherein a user comes into contact with the door access device utilizing electrical energy, a power hinge for transmitting electrical power the door, and a device for transmitting electrical energy to electrically energize one or more door-associated electrical devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20230100407
    Abstract: A self-contained ultraviolet C light emitting system for door access includes a door for entering and exiting a premise, a door access device associated with the door, in which a user is able to come into physical contact with the door access device, a source of sanitizing ultraviolet C emitting light associated with the door access device positioned so that the door access device is sanitized and germ free; and, and a switch to electrically energize the source of the sanitizing ultraviolet light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventor: Tom CHI
  • Patent number: 9355185
    Abstract: An online article is enhanced by displaying, in association with the article, supplemental content that includes entities that are extracted from the article and/or entities that are related to entities that are extracted from the article. The supplemental content further includes information about each of the entities. The information about an entity may be obtained by searching for the entity in one or more searchable repositories of data. For example, the supplemental content may include, for each entity, video, image, web, and/or news search results. The supplemental content may further include information such as stock quotes, abstracts, maps, scores, and so on. The entities are selected using a variety of analysis and ranking techniques based on contextual factors such as user-specific information, time-sensitive popularity trends, grammatical features, search result quality, and so on. The entities may further be selected for purposes such as generating ad-based revenue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Yookyung Kim, Hongjian Zhao, Xin Li, Alexandra Levich, Tom Chi, Ming Sui, Yihong Zhao, Marc Davis
  • Publication number: 20140143243
    Abstract: An online article is enhanced by displaying, in association with the article, supplemental content that includes entities that are extracted from the article and/or entities that are related to entities that are extracted from the article. The supplemental content further includes information about each of the entities. The information about an entity may be obtained by searching for the entity in one or more searchable repositories of data. For example, the supplemental content may include, for each entity, video, image, web, and/or news search results. The supplemental content may further include information such as stock quotes, abstracts, maps, scores, and so on. The entities are selected using a variety of analyses and ranking techniques based on contextual factors such as user-specific information, time-sensitive popularity trends, grammatical features, search result quality, and so on. The entities may further be selected for purposes such as generating ad-based revenue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Yookyung Kim, Hongjian Zhao, Xin Li, Alexandra Levich, Tom Chi, Ming Sui, Yihong Zhao, Marc Davis
  • Patent number: 8612891
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for receiving a user privacy preference that indicates an amount of activity information that the user is willing to share in response to a reward, a value of the reward related to a degree of the user privacy preference. The method and system includes setting a privacy setting for the user based on the received user privacy preference. The method and system further includes tracking web browsing activity of the user during one or more web-browsing sessions based on the privacy setting to generate user activity information. The method and system further includes sending the user activity information and providing a reward to the user based on the user activity information sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Vik Singh, Su-Lin Wu, Tom Chi
  • Patent number: 8600979
    Abstract: An online article is enhanced by displaying, in association with the article, supplemental content that includes entities that are extracted from the article and/or entities that are related to entities that are extracted from the article. The supplemental content further includes information about each of the entities. The information about an entity may be obtained by searching for the entity in one or more searchable repositories of data. For example, the supplemental content may include, for each entity, video, image, web, and/or news search results. The supplemental content may further include information such as stock quotes, abstracts, maps, scores, and so on. The entities are selected using a variety of analyses and ranking techniques based on contextual factors such as user-specific information, time-sensitive popularity trends, grammatical features, search result quality, and so on. The entities may further be selected for purposes such as generating ad-based revenue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Yookyung Kim, Hongjian Zhao, Xin Li, Alexandra Levich, Tom Chi, Ming Sui, Yihong Zhao, Marc Davis
  • Patent number: 8484184
    Abstract: Search assistance is provided to users that submit search queries to search engines. In one implementation, a partial search query input by a user to a search engine is received. The partial search query is predicted to be a navigational query. A web address is selected based on the predicted navigational query. A search assistance list that includes the selected web address is generated. The search assistance list is displayed to the user in response to the received partial search query. In another implementation, a plurality of suggested search queries is determined for the received partial search query. A suggested search query of the plurality of suggested search queries having a highest relevance to the user is determined. A search assistance list is generated and displayed to the user. The suggested search query having the highest relevance to the user is prominently displayed in the search assistance list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Teran, Tom Chi, Don Chennavasin, Ashley Hall
  • Patent number: 8380298
    Abstract: A magnetic acupuncture needle combining the treatments of magnetic therapy and acupuncture by affecting the natural magnetic bio-field of energy of the patient's body and attracting it to the target point of treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Patent number: 8226540
    Abstract: An acupuncture needle having a low magnetized or non magnetized needle shaft or shank portion and a magnetic or magnetized handle portion to deliver both penetration and magnetic treatment to an acupuncture point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20110320437
    Abstract: An online article is enhanced by displaying, in association with the article, supplemental content that includes entities that are extracted from the article and/or entities that are related to entities that are extracted from the article. The supplemental content further includes information about each of the entities. The information about an entity may be obtained by searching for the entity in one or more searchable repositories of data. For example, the supplemental content may include, for each entity, video, image, web, and/or news search results. The supplemental content may further include information such as stock quotes, abstracts, maps, scores, and so on. The entities are selected using a variety of analyses and ranking techniques based on contextual factors such as user-specific information, time-sensitive popularity trends, grammatical features, search result quality, and so on. The entities may further be selected for purposes such as generating ad-based revenue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Yookyung Kim, Hongjian Zhao, Xin Li, Alexandra Levich, Tom Chi, Ming Sui, Yihong Zhao, Marc Davis
  • Patent number: 8010537
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for assisting search request by presenting suggestion of one or more vertical segments to produce a more focused result. A vertical segment may be selected by the user, the selected vertical segment being associated with one or more query terms and a search is performed on an index associated with the vertical segment. A search engine generates a search result and returns a list of search result pages for presentation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Raj Gopal Prasad Kantamneni, Ashley Hall, Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20110202881
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for receiving a user privacy preference that indicates an amount of activity information that the user is willing to share in response to a reward, a value of the reward related to a degree of the user privacy preference. The method and system includes setting a privacy setting for the user based on the received user privacy preference. The method and system further includes tracking web browsing activity of the user during one or more web-browsing sessions based on the privacy setting to generate user activity information. The method and system further includes sending the user activity information and providing a reward to the user based on the user activity information sent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Vik Singh, Su-Lin Wu, Tom Chi
  • Publication number: 20110202520
    Abstract: Search assistance is provided to users that submit search queries to search engines. In one implementation, a partial search query input by a user to a search engine is received. The partial search query is predicted to be a navigational query. A web address is selected based on the predicted navigational query. A search assistance list that includes the selected web address is generated. The search assistance list is displayed to the user in response to the received partial search query. In another implementation, a plurality of suggested search queries is determined for the received partial search query. A suggested search query of the plurality of suggested search queries having a highest relevance to the user is determined. A search assistance list is generated and displayed to the user. The suggested search query having the highest relevance to the user is prominently displayed in the search assistance list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Teran, Tom Chi, Don Chennavasin, Ashley Hall
  • Patent number: D921897
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventor: Tom Chi
  • Patent number: D980980
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Inventor: Tom Chi