Patents by Inventor Walter Thomas

Walter Thomas 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: 20210354858
    Abstract: An atmospheric suit includes a torso portion with one or more layers, and fibers of a first material arranged in each of the one or more layers. Optical fibers are interspersed with the fibers of the first material in each of the one or more layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph C. Rampone, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20210349368
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying power to a set of drivers that charge and discharge a set of electrochromic devices is described. One apparatus includes a multi-source power supply with at least a set of batteries, a driver interface to supply the power to the set of drivers and controller circuitry. The controller circuit determines a power state of the multi-source power supply. The controller circuit limits the set of drivers to a first total amount of power or a second total amount of power, supplied by the multi-source power supply in a switching state of at least one of the set of electrochromic devices, while the multi-source power supply is in a first power state or a second power state, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Luis Fernando Gomez, Douglas Frederick Brainard
  • Patent number: 11169681
    Abstract: A method includes receiving data from components of a smart window system and, responsive to determining that a first portion of the data corresponds to a first identifier, storing the first portion of the data in association with the first identifier. The method further includes receiving, via a graphical user interface (GUI) presented on a user device, a view request and, responsive to determining that the view request corresponds to the first identifier, retrieving the first portion of the data. The method further includes causing the GUI to be modified to display the first portion of the data and, responsive to user interaction with the GUI that was modified based on the view request, receiving, via the GUI presented on the user device, a change request to implement a change associated with electrochromic windows. The method includes causing a first component to implement the change associated with the electrochromic windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KINESTRAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger, William S. O'Dell
  • Publication number: 20210327390
    Abstract: A method includes identifying, by a processing device based on an electronic model of at least a portion of a building, a plurality of components of a smart window system. Responsive to a first component of the plurality of components being replaced by a new component, the method includes causing the new component to be configured based on one or more of a first physical linking, a first network linking, or an application linking of the first component. The method further includes updating a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the new component that has been configured based on the one or more of the first physical linking, the first network linking, or the application linking of the first component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger, William S. O'Dell
  • Patent number: 11148908
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for an elevator door of an elevator car, wherein a controller controls the elevator door to travel in a proximate direction when closing and travel in a distal direction when opening, the system including: a panel that forms an exterior surface of an elevator door, the panel including a front surface extending in a widthwise direction between a proximate end and an opposing distal end to form a front surface of the elevator door, the panel including a proximate end surface extending in a depthwise direction to form a proximate end surface of the elevator door, the proximate end surface of the panel comprising a resilient portion that is capable of engaging a sensor in the panel when the elevator door is closing, and thereafter the controller instructs the elevator door to reopen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph C. Rampone, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11148907
    Abstract: Disclosed is an elevator system having: a door panel configured for moving along a first axis for opening and closing of the door panel at an entryway, the door panel having a door magnet, the entryway including a sill, the sill having a sill magnet, wherein the door magnet and the sill magnet are configured for forming a first magnetic pairing, and wherein the first magnetic pairing guides the door panel to move along the first axis and prevents the door panel from moving in a lateral direction with respect to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, James Chmiel
  • Patent number: 11124390
    Abstract: A pressure sensitive mat is provided. The pressure sensitive mat includes a nanocomposite film, a first conductive foil, an oxide layer interposed between a first side of the nanocomposite film and the first conductive foil, a second conductive foil and a nanotube film interposed between a second side of the nanocomposite film, which is opposite the first side, and the second conductive foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Fanping Sun, Joseph V. Mantese, Walter Thomas Schmidt, Enrico Manes, Goran Djuknic, Paul R. Braunwart, Wayde R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11117786
    Abstract: An illustrative example elevator assembly includes a header beam and a first elevator cab supported by the header beam. A plurality of vertically oriented rods extend beneath the first elevator cab. A horizontally oriented mid-beam is coupled to a first one of the rods near a first end of the mid-beam and coupled to a second one of the rods near a second end of the mid-beam. A second elevator cab is situated beneath the first elevator cab and beneath the mid-beam. At least one linear actuator is supported at least partially on the mid-beam. The linear actuator selectively causes vertical movement of the second elevator cab relative to the rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Zaffir A. Chaudhry, Enrico Manes, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11111105
    Abstract: A termination device for a suspension member of an elevator system includes a housing and a wedge assembly located in the housing. The wedge assembly includes a wedge interactive with the housing to apply a clamping force to the suspension member in response to an axial load acting on the suspension member and a compliant shear element secured to the wedge or the suspension member and configured to reduce shear loads on the suspension member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, Joseph C. Rampone, Daniel A. Mosher
  • Patent number: 11106104
    Abstract: A distributed energy management system (EMS) for supplying power to a set of drivers that charge and discharge a set of electrochromic devices is described. One distributed EMS includes an external power supply interface to couple to an external power supply, a multi-device boost power supply comprising a set of batteries, and a driver interface to supply power to a set of drivers that charge and discharge a set of electrochromic devices. The distributed EMS also includes a communication subsystem to communicate with the set of drivers and EMS circuitry to supply power to the set of drivers, via the driver interface, based on a power state of the multi-device boost power supply and a state of the set of electrochromic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Luis Fernando Gomez, Douglas Frederick Brainard
  • Publication number: 20210250667
    Abstract: Provided are embodiments of a system for performing health monitoring. The system includes one or more wake-up modules configured to detect a condition, and one or more sensors operably coupled to the one or more wake-up modules, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to operate in a sleep mode and an active mode. The system also includes a spacesuit comprising one or more sensors, and a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the controller is configured to process measurement data from the one or more sensors. Also provided are embodiments of a method for performing health monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph C. Rampone, Walter Thomas Schmidt, Joseph V. Mantese, Zaffir A. Chaudhry
  • Publication number: 20210245476
    Abstract: A composite structure includes a first fiber sheet, one or more second fiber sheet overlaying the first fiber sheet, a sensor, and two or more z-pins. The sensor is arranged between the first fiber sheet and the one or more second fiber sheet. The two or more z-pins extend through the first fiber sheet and the one or more second fiber sheet and are distributed about a periphery of the sensor to fix the one or more second fiber sheet to the first fiber sheet about the periphery of the sensor. Sensor arrangements and methods of making composite structures are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph C. Rampone, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11078046
    Abstract: A termination device for a suspension member of an elevator system includes a housing and a wedge located in the housing. The wedge extends across a width of the suspension member and at least partially across a thickness of the suspension member. The wedge is interactive with the suspension member to apply a clamping force to the suspension member in response to an axial load acting on the suspension member. The wedge includes a wedge lip configured to contain the suspension member within a lateral extent of the wedge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, Daniel A. Mosher, Joseph C. Rampone
  • Patent number: 11066276
    Abstract: A door control system is provided. Aspects includes a sensor having a field of view in proximity to a door threshold of an entrance to an occupancy area, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect objects in the door threshold and a landing area proximate to the door threshold, wherein the sensor is operated based on a movement of a door in the door threshold. And based at least upon detecting an object within a portion of the door threshold or the landing area, the sensor operable to signal a door operation controller to perform an action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, Goran Djuknic, Norbert Antony Murray Hootsmans
  • Patent number: 11056074
    Abstract: A method includes identifying components of a smart window system. The components include electrochromic devices, drivers, and one or more gateways. Each of the drivers is to control a corresponding electrochromic device and each of the drivers is to receive instructions from a server device via a corresponding gateway. The method further includes determining physical linking, network linking, and application linking of the smart window system. The method further includes displaying, via a graphical user interface (GUI), the components of the smart window system, the physical linking, the network linking, and the application linking. The method further includes determining a first component of the plurality of components is to be replaced by a new component, causing the new component to be configured based on configurations of the first component, and updating the GUI based on the new component that has been configured based on the configurations of the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: KINESTRAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger, William S. O'Dell
  • Publication number: 20210165297
    Abstract: A system includes a gateway having a memory, and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device is to identify a first subset of a data stream associated with a smart window system. The first subset of the data stream includes sensor data that has changed more than a threshold amount. Responsive to identifying the first subset of the data stream, the processing device is to transmit the first subset of the data stream to a server device. The server device is to generate one or more instructions based on the first subset of the data stream. Responsive to receiving the one or more instructions from the server device, the processing device is to cause one or more electrochromic devices to be controlled based on the one or more instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger
  • Patent number: 10988348
    Abstract: Disclosed is an escalator system that has: an escalator step; and load sensors secured to the escalator step, wherein the load sensors are configured to: sense an escalator loading; and transfer, to an escalator controller, sensor data indicative of the escalator loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, Charles C. Coffin, Shihemn Chen, Enrico Manes, Paul R. Braunwart, Anais Espinal, Kishore K. Reddy, Soumalya Sarkar
  • Patent number: 10981459
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a charging system for electric vehicles while in motion. A retractable power charger coupled to an electric vehicle has a blade extendable between a retracted and extended position. The tapered sides of the blade contact rails in a trench when the blade is in the extended position and provide power for charging the electric vehicle while in motion. The blade can be automatically extended by a sensing system (e.g., magnetic) or by user actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventor: Walter Thomas Davey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10941021
    Abstract: A belt and sheave assembly for an elevator system includes a sheave having a plurality of tracking grooves laterally spaced across a sheave width, and a debris channel located in a tracking groove of the plurality of tracking grooves defining a radially inwardmost extent of the tracking groove. The assembly further includes a belt having a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, a jacket at least partially enclosing the tension members, the jacket defining a side of the belt configured to interface with the sheave, and a plurality of tracking features extending from the side of the belt. The tracking features are laterally spaced across the belt width. Each tracking feature is configured to be received in a tracking groove, and each tension member is laterally offset from each of the tracking features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Wenping Zhao, Daniel A. Mosher, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10921675
    Abstract: A system for causing electrochromic devices to be controlled is described. The system may include a memory and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device may receive a data stream from a driver controlling a set of electrochromic devices, transmit a first subset of the data stream to a server device, and store at least a second subset of the data stream in a data file in the memory. The processing device may receive one or more instructions from the server device and transmit the one or more instructions to the driver to cause the set of electrochromic devices to be controlled based on the one or more instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Kinestral Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Barnum, Jason Aaron Litzinger