Patents by Inventor William C. Miller

William C. Miller 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: 12262067
    Abstract: A system and method for providing awareness in a hospitality environment are presented. In one embodiment, a vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes is provided and each set-top box includes an identification corresponding to the room in which the set-top box is placed. Each set-top box includes a wireless transceiver that periodically transmits an identification beacon that is received by a proximate wireless-enabled interactive device. The proximate wireless-enabled interactive device, in turn, broadcasts data packets including an indication of the strength of set-top box identification signals received. The broadcasts are received by a server via an array of wireless routers. The location of the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device is determined based on the signal strength information in the data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Enseo, LLC
    Inventors: Vanessa Ogle, Thomas R. Miller, William C. Fang
  • Patent number: 12252228
    Abstract: A boat comprises a hull, a primary steering mechanism carried by the hull, a control station located on the hull, a helm located at the control station, and a thruster system carried by the hull. The primary steering mechanism, such as a rudder, is operable via the helm with a helm input being derived from operation of the primary steering mechanism thereby. The thruster system includes at least one thruster mounted to the hull, distinct from the primary steering mechanism, and a controller. The controller receives the helm input and is configured with program instructions to operate the at least one thruster responsive to the helm input to supplement a corresponding movement of the hull. The controller can also automatically operate the thruster responsive to direction, speed and ballast inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: CORRECT CRAFT IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Eric J. Miller, William N. Snook, Adam C. Greer, Andrew O. Cochrum
  • Publication number: 20250076450
    Abstract: A geolocationing system and method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, such as a hospitality environment or educational environment, are presented. In one embodiment of the geolocationing system, a vertical and horizontal array of gateway devices is provided. Each gateway device includes a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location within the multi-space environment. Each gateway device includes a wireless transceiver that receives a beacon signal from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device. The gateway devices, in turn, send gateway signals to a server, which determines estimated location of the wireless-enabled personal locator device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Inventors: William C. Fang, Raymond S. Horton, Thomas R. Miller
  • Patent number: 12237941
    Abstract: A hospitality property management tool and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the system, thermostats are located in respective rooms at a hospitality establishment. The thermostats are joined in network communication with environmental amenities, such as lights and a thermostat that respectively controls lighting and temperature. The thermostats utilize an unoccupied room profile and an occupied room profile to set the environmental conditions, such as the lighting and the temperature, in the rooms. A guest preference profile may be activated within a room to provide guest-specific environmental conditions in the room associated with a guest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Enseo, LLC
    Inventors: William C. Fang, Thomas R. Miller, Vanessa Ogle
  • Publication number: 20250063213
    Abstract: A geolocationing system and method for providing awareness in a multi-space environment, such as a hospitality environment or educational environment, are presented. In one embodiment of the geolocationing system, a vertical and horizontal array of gateway devices is provided. Each gateway device includes a gateway device identification providing an accurately-known fixed location within the multi-space environment. Each gateway device includes a wireless transceiver that receives a beacon signal from a proximate wireless-enabled personal locator device. The gateway devices, in turn, send gateway signals to a server, which determines estimated location of the wireless-enabled personal location device with trilateration and received signal strength modeling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas R. Miller, William C. Fang, Vanessa Ogle
  • Patent number: 12212792
    Abstract: A set-top box with self-monitoring and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, a housing secures a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein, which are communicatively interconnected by a busing architecture. The memory is accessible to the processor, and the memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to detect when the television is not being utilized. Responsive thereto, the instructions cause the processor to scan channels received from the television input and generate a composite TV screen image data that may be resolved to a single TV screen image made from an assemblage of TV screen image captures corresponding to the scanned channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Enseo, LLC
    Inventors: William C. Fang, Thomas R. Miller, Vanessa Ogle
  • Patent number: 9463396
    Abstract: A system for transferring heat from an ethanol and water vapor stream is disclosed as having a first heat exchanger, a valve system coupled to first heat exchanger and a first tank, a second tank coupled to the valve system, a second heat exchanger coupled to first tank and second tank, and a pipe line connecting the second tank to the first heat exchanger. A method for transferring heat is provided and involves intermittently cooling a first media, transferring heat from the first media to a second media, and directing the second media to a valve system. The valve system directs a flow of the second media to the first tank when a temperature of second media is above a temperature set point and directs the flow of the second media to the second tank when the temperature of second media is below the temperature set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: POET Research, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Geraets, William C. Miller, Rodney Duane Pierson, Christopher Michael Bieber, James M. Schwarz, Rachel L. Kloos
  • Patent number: 8777731
    Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include obtaining a mathematical expression(s) from a configuration file associated with a wagering game. The mathematical expression(s) include elements that represent game-related parameters of the one or more wagering games. In some embodiments, the operations further comprise converting the mathematical expression(s) to a programming code expression(s) equivalent to the mathematical expression(s) in response to detection of user-input to configure the wagering game for use via a wagering game machine. In some embodiments, the operations further comprise evaluating the programming code expression(s) using values for the one or more game-related parameters, and configuring the one or more wagering games based on evaluation of the programming code expression(s) using the values for the one or more game-related parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Miller, Eucke W. Warren
  • Publication number: 20130203481
    Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include obtaining a mathematical expression(s) from a configuration file associated with a wagering game. The mathematical expression(s) include elements that represent game-related parameters of the one or more wagering games. In some embodiments, the operations further comprise converting the mathematical expression(s) to a programming code expression(s) equivalent to the mathematical expression(s) in response to detection of user-input to configure the wagering game for use via a wagering game machine. In some embodiments, the operations further comprise evaluating the programming code expression(s) using values for the one or more game-related parameters, and configuring the one or more wagering games based on evaluation of the programming code expression(s) using the values for the one or more game-related parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Miller, Eucke W. Warren
  • Patent number: 6796472
    Abstract: An automobile trunk compartmentalizer which provides for variable connection of shafts and shaft housings by use of lockable pins whereby great variety of compartment sizes and shapes is possible at the user's option. Creation of more than one row of compartments in the automobile trunk may provide shallow compartments which are desirable for an aging population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Inventor: William C. Miller
  • Patent number: 6642946
    Abstract: A livestock and material inventory system having a database storing inventory data, at least one data explorer operable to access predetermined portions of data in the database, and a graphical user interface operable to display data accessed by the at least one data explorer to a user is provided. The graphical user interface includes a first window operable to display a hierarchical tree structure representation of the inventory data, and a second window operable to display a data summary associated with a selected node in the hierarchical tree structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: The Cattleman's Resource, Inc.
    Inventors: Lori A. Janes, William C. Miller, III, Alan R. Davidson
  • Publication number: 20030111503
    Abstract: An automobile trunk compartmentalizer which provides for variable connection of shafts and shaft housings by use of lockable pins whereby great variety of compartment sizes and shapes is possible at the user's option. Creation of more than one row of compartments in the automobile trunk may provide shallow compartments which are desirable for an aging population.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventor: William C. Miller
  • Patent number: 6213123
    Abstract: A process for drawing, with plug assist, thin walled, closed-ended, tubular articles of thermoplastic elastomer is disclosed as well as a thermoplastic elastomer and apparatus therefor. According to the process, a plug, extensible into the mold cavity, is employed concurrently with a varying air pressure differential across the faces of the preform to bias the flow of the drawn article axially along the length of the tubular mold and away from the mold walls. At a point where the article is drawn substantially the length of the tubular mold, the mold is evacuated and the article finally formed against the mold walls. Such articles are usefully employed as condoms or finger cots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Janssen-Ortho, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Miller, William C. Miller, Oskar T. Tankovitz
  • Patent number: 6079662
    Abstract: An expansible core shaft assembly adapted to retain a set of web spool cores in axially fixed positions while permitting rotational slippage of the web spool cores. The assembly may comprise a shaft defining at least one channel. An expansible bladder is retained in the channel and a set of first lugs and a set of second lugs are retained in the channel radially outwardly of the expansible bladder with first and second lugs mutually interspersed. Each lug has a bladder facing surface defining an indentation. The first lugs define a first indentation in a first position and the second lugs define a second indentation that is sufficiently distinct from said first position to reduce the effect that the radial position of each core stop has on the radial positions of its neighbors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Tidland Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Miller, Semion Stolyar
  • Patent number: 5601092
    Abstract: A process for drawing, with plug assist, thin walled, closed-ended, tubular articles of thermoplastic elastomer is disclosed as well as a thermoplastic elastomer and apparatus therefor. According to the process, a plug, extensible into the mold cavity, is employed concurrently with a varying air pressure differential across the faces of the preform to bias the flow of the drawn article axially along the length of the tubular mold and away from the mold walls. At a point where the article is drawn substantially the length of the tubular mold, the mold is evacuated and the article finally formed against the mold walls. Such articles are usefully employed as condoms or finger cots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Ortho-McNeil, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Miller, William C. Miller, Oskar T. Tankovitz
  • Patent number: 5598850
    Abstract: A process for drawing, with plug assist, thin walled, closed-ended, tubular articles of thermoplastic elastomer is disclosed as well as a thermoplastic elastomer and apparatus therefor. According to the process, a plug, extensible into the mold cavity, is employed concurrently with a varying air pressure differential across the faces of the preform to bias the flow of the drawn article axially along the length of the tubular mold and away from the mold walls. At a point where the article is drawn substantially the length of the tubular mold, the mold is evacuated and the article finally formed against the mold walls. Such articles are usefully employed as condoms or finger cots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Ortho-McNeil, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Miller, William C. Miller, Oskar T. Tankovitz
  • Patent number: 5263537
    Abstract: A computer cooling system provides a more efficient means of cooling, resulting in lower average temperatures and better reliability for the system. It comprises of a rotating baffle or set of baffles, and a formed enclosure. The enclosure accepts cooling fluid in a direction that is parallel to one of its walls. The enclosure is such that a recirculating airflow pattern is set up in its cavity. As the baffle rotates the direction of fluid flow reverses itself in the cavity of the enclosure. The turbulence created by such a system greatly enhances the rate of heat transfer on the components within the enclosure. The exact dimensions of the baffle, and frequency with which it oscillates will depend on the specific system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Plucinski, William C. Miller
  • Patent number: 5251095
    Abstract: A hermetic electronic assembly incorporating cryogenically-cooled and air-cooled elements in an integrated assembly. A hermetic cryogenically-cooled enclosure is disposed in close physical proximity to one or more air-cooled circuit cards to minimize physical separation, thereby optimizing signal bandwidth and noise immunity. The air-cooled circuit cards, which generate substantial heat but do not require low operating temperatures, are thermally decoupled from the cryogenically-cooled elements to optimize cryo-cooler efficiency by reserving cooling capacity for the temperature-sensitive processor elements mounted within an evacuated hermetic enclosure. Thus, thermal isolation and physical/electrical proximity are preserved in the same package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William C. Miller, Russell N. Smith, Randall J. Stutzman
  • Patent number: 5176633
    Abstract: An injection site platform for use in adding a needle-injected medication to a parenteral fluid being provided to a patient includes a base which has an outlet port of a size and shape to receive a needle-piercible resealable diaphragm. The platform consists of the base member and a port member and when these two elements are assembled together they apply a compressive holding force on the needle-piercible resealable diaphragm. The platform includes one or more sockets which are of a size and shape to hold a hypodermic needle sheath. The sockets each include a plurality of arms which are flexible so that the socket may hold difference size and shape needle sheaths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Inventors: James K. Sit, William C. Miller
  • Patent number: D353484
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Inventor: William C. Miller