Patents by Inventor William George Gioia

William George Gioia 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).

  • Driven member positioner
    Patent number: 9010026
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of operating a movable barrier operator includes engaging a flexible driven member with a drive of the movable barrier operator. The method includes moving the flexible driven member in a first direction to move a movable barrier connected to the driven member and monitoring the position of the movable barrier. In response to the movable barrier reaching a given position, the driven member is moved in a second direction without moving the movable barrier to remove slack from the driven member. A movable barrier apparatus includes a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to the movable barrier operator. The movable barrier controller is configured to cause the movable barrier operator to reverse direction of the flexible driven member a distance after stopping movement of the movable barrier without moving the movable barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: James Scott Murray, William George Gioia
  • Driven Member Positioner
    Publication number: 20140223825
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of operating a movable barrier operator includes engaging a flexible driven member with a drive of the movable barrier operator. The method includes moving the flexible driven member in a first direction to move a movable barrier connected to the driven member and monitoring the position of the movable barrier. In response to the movable barrier reaching a given position, the driven member is moved in a second direction without moving the movable barrier to remove slack from the driven member. A movable barrier apparatus includes a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to a movable barrier operator. The movable barrier controller is configured to cause the movable barrier operator to reverse direction of a flexible driven member a distance after stopping movement of a movable barrier toward a limit position and without moving the movable barrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: James Scott Murray, William George Gioia
  • Method of removing slack from a flexible driven member
    Patent number: 8707627
    Abstract: A method of operating a movable barrier operator includes engaging a flexible driven member with a drive of the movable barrier operator. The method includes moving the flexible driven member in a first direction to move a movable barrier connected to the driven member and monitoring the position of the movable barrier. In response to the movable barrier reaching a given position, the driven member is moved in a second direction without moving the movable barrier to remove slack from the driven member. A movable barrier apparatus includes a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to the movable barrier operator. The movable barrier controller is configured to cause the movable barrier operator to reverse direction of the flexible driven member a distance after stopping movement of a movable barrier without moving the movable barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: James Scott Murray, William George Gioia
  • Driven Member Positioner
    Publication number: 20120066976
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of operating a movable barrier operator includes engaging a flexible driven member with a drive of the movable barrier operator. The method includes moving the flexible driven member in a first direction to move a movable barrier connected to the driven member and monitoring the position of the movable barrier. In response to the movable barrier reaching a given position, the driven member is moved in a second direction without moving the movable barrier to remove slack from the driven member. In another aspect, a movable barrier apparatus includes a movable barrier controller operatively coupled to a movable barrier operator. The movable barrier controller is configured to cause the movable barrier operator to reverse direction of a flexible driven member a distance after stopping movement of a movable barrier toward a limit position and without moving the movable barrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: THE CHAMBERLAIN GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: James Scott Murray, William George Gioia