Patents by Inventor Wayne J. Wehrer

Wayne J. Wehrer 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: 10249153
    Abstract: Embodiments of waste containment apparatuses and methods are provided herein for receiving, analyzing, verifying and disposing of a controlled substance (CS) waste dose. One embodiment of a waste containment apparatus includes a plurality of single-dose containers, each having an inlet port for receiving a CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container, an analysis chamber for reserving a fixed amount of the received CS waste dose for analysis, and a storage chamber for storing a remaining portion of the received CS waste dose. The waste containment apparatus includes further components for measuring a volume and determining a composition and concentration of the CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container, and verifying the CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container if the volume, composition and concentration of the CS waste matches information about the CS waste dose received from a depositor of the CS waste dose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Vigilant Waste Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Nelson, Alfred Rafi Baddour, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Publication number: 20180300994
    Abstract: Embodiments of waste containment apparatuses and methods are provided herein for receiving, analyzing, verifying and disposing of a controlled substance (CS) waste dose. One embodiment of a waste containment apparatus includes a plurality of single-dose containers, each having an inlet port for receiving a CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container, an analysis chamber for reserving a fixed amount of the received CS waste dose for analysis, and a storage chamber for storing a remaining portion of the received CS waste dose. The waste containment apparatus includes further components for measuring a volume and determining a composition and concentration of the CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container, and verifying the CS waste dose deposited within the single-dose container if the volume, composition and concentration of the CS waste matches information about the CS waste dose received from a depositor of the CS waste dose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: David A. Nelson, Alfred Rafi Baddour, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 10032344
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for disposing and documenting the disposal of controlled substances. According to one embodiment, a waste containment apparatus is provided with a housing comprising a waste input port configured for receiving controlled substance waste doses deposited into the waste containment apparatus, and a collector securely disposed within the housing and coupled to the waste input port. The collector may generally include a plurality of single-dose containers, where each container is configured for receiving one of the controlled substance waste doses deposited into the waste containment apparatus via the waste input port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Vigilant Waste Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Nelson, Alfred Rafi Baddour, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Publication number: 20170287290
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for disposing and documenting the disposal of controlled substances. According to one embodiment, a waste containment apparatus is provided with a housing comprising a waste input port configured for receiving controlled substance waste doses deposited into the waste containment apparatus, and a collector securely disposed within the housing and coupled to the waste input port. The collector may generally include a plurality of single-dose containers, where each container is configured for receiving one of the controlled substance waste doses deposited into the waste containment apparatus via the waste input port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: David A. Nelson, Alfred Rafi Baddour, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 7812269
    Abstract: A circuit for an acoustic wave switch or sensor having a resonant acoustic wave cavity detects a touch or sensed event using a time domain approach. The circuit includes a controller that drives an acoustic wave transducer to generate a resonant acoustic wave in the acoustic wave cavity during a first portion of a sampling cycle. In a second portion of the sampling cycle, the controller monitors the time that it takes for the acoustic wave signal from the transducer to decay to a predetermined level. Based on the decay time, the controller detects a sensed event, such as a touch on the acoustic wave switch/sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Terence J. Knowles, Wayne J. Wehrer, Chris Kalmus, Charles F. Bremigan, III
  • Patent number: 7511704
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide an acoustic wave touch bar system and method of use. Certain embodiments include a bar having two portions of reduced cross-section forming an acoustic cavity in the portion of the bar between the reduced cross-sections. The system includes an acoustic wave transducer positioned on the acoustic wave cavity, wherein the transducer generates an acoustic standing wave that is substantially trapped in the acoustic cavity. The system also includes a circuit coupled to the transducer and responsive to a change in an output of the transducer to detect a touch on a touch surface of the bar. The circuit may be a programmable and/or adaptive circuit, for example. The circuit may detect a change in an exponentially decaying response of the transducer indicating that the touch surface of the bar has been touched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Terence J. Knowles, Wayne J. Wehrer, Charles F. Bremigan, III
  • Publication number: 20080198145
    Abstract: A touch pad assembly includes a substrate and a plurality of acoustic wave switches positioned with respect to the substrate. Each of the plurality of acoustic wave switches includes a touch surface connected to an acoustic wave cavity and a transducer secured to the acoustic wave cavity. The plurality of acoustic wave switches are positioned to provide detection of sliding motion direction and rate between the plurality of acoustic wave switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Terrence J. Knowles, Charles F. Bremigan, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 7265746
    Abstract: A circuit for an acoustic wave switch or sensor having a resonant acoustic wave cavity detects a touch or sensed event using a time domain approach. The circuit includes a controller that drives an acoustic wave transducer to generate a resonant acoustic wave in the acoustic wave cavity during a first portion of a sampling cycle. In a second portion of the sampling cycle, the controller monitors the time that it takes for the acoustic wave signal from the transducer to decay to a predetermined level. Based on the decay time, the controller detects a sensed event, such as a touch on the acoustic wave switch/sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Terence J. Knowles, Wayne J. Wehrer, Chris Kalmus, Charles F. Bremigan, III
  • Publication number: 20040246239
    Abstract: A circuit for an acoustic wave switch or sensor having a resonant acoustic wave cavity detects a touch or sensed event using a time domain approach. The circuit includes a controller that drives an acoustic wave transducer to generate a resonant acoustic wave in the acoustic wave cavity during a first portion of a sampling cycle. In a second portion of the sampling cycle, the controller monitors the time that it takes for the acoustic wave signal from the transducer to decay to a predetermined level. Based on the decay time, the controller detects a sensed event, such as a touch on the acoustic wave switch/sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Terence J. Knowles, Wayne J. Wehrer, Chris Kalmus, Charles F. Bremigan
  • Patent number: 5164714
    Abstract: A modulated touch entry system and corresponding method for detecting the presence and location of a member within an irradiated field. A touch entry system and corresponding method are disclosed which utilize modulated pulses of light from light emitters, such as light emitting diodes, which are detected by corresponding light detectors, such as phototransistors. The light emitters and the corresponding light detectors are arranged around a frame to provide an irradiated field. The system utilizes circuitry to precondition a signal from the light detectors prior to analyzing the presence of a "hit"; i.e., the presence of a member within the irradiated field. The circuitry includes a differential amplifier and a programmable amplifier, which consists of a digital to analog converter, a current to voltage converter, and a gain stage, to precondition the signal from the light detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 4988983
    Abstract: A touch input device having infrared light beams defined by a plurality of pairs of light emitters and phototransistors is disclosed. A feedback loop containing a programmable amplifier is employed to compensate for the effects of ambient light and for device irregularities. The phototransistor current is first converted to a signal voltage by an operational amplifier and then is input into a low pass filter. The output of the lowpass filter is input into a feedback loop containing a summing amplifier, a programmable amplifier and an integrator. As light emitters and phototransistors are sequentially activated, the feedback loop with the programmable amplifier compares outputs signals in the unactivated state with those input when the light emitters are activated to compensate for ambient conditions and errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: Carroll Touch, Incorporated
    Inventor: Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 4799044
    Abstract: A current injection compensation circuit for dynamically compensating for the effect of ambient conditions on phototransistor output is disclosed. An output voltage is maintained at a nominal reference voltage level independent of ambient light input to allow use of a large output for a detected signal. Phototransistor current is a function only of ambient conditions, especially incident ambient light and is unaffected by compensation current injection. The ambient compensation current injection network can be employed with interactive touch input devices, such as infrared touch entry systems used with video displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy E. Masters, Wayne J. Wehrer
  • Patent number: 4713534
    Abstract: A current injection compensation circuit for dynamically compensating for the effect of ambient conditions on phototransistor output is disclosed. An output voltage is maintained at a nominal reference voltage level independent of ambient light input to allow use of a large output for a detected signal. Phototransistor current is a function only of ambient conditions, especially incident ambient light and is unaffected by compensation current injection. The ambient compensation current injection network can be employed with interactive touch input devices, such as infrared touch entry systems used with video displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: Carroll Touch Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy E. Masters, Wayne J. Wehrer