Patents by Inventor William N. Reining

William N. Reining 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: 20130125966
    Abstract: A solar cell is disclosed. The solar cell includes a p-type doped semiconductor material and an n-type doped semiconductor material laterally adjacent to the p-type material. The p-type material and n-type material form a stripped structure with finite depth, and form a vertically structured diode at the junction of the p-type material and n-type material. The vertically structured diode has its depth determined by a multiple of an electromagnetic skin depth of at least one of the p-type material or n-type material, and a width of a depletion layer is controlled by a doping concentration of the p-type and n-type material. A solar cell having a refractory material forming an optical element provided on a sun facing surface of the solar cell and adapted to direct photons to a depletion region of a vertically structured photodiode is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Publication number: 20100076368
    Abstract: An electrotransport device for delivering one or more therapeutic agents through the skin includes electrodes for contacting the skin, at least one electrode containing the agent, a power source for generating electrical current (IL) for delivering the agent, a current generating and controlling means and a disabling means for permanently and irreversibly disabling the current. The disabling means may include a timer means, a counter means, or a body parameter sensor and limit comparator to effect permanent disabling. The disabling means may be a permanent transition to a disabled logic state, a permanent discharge of a power supply source, or a permanent diversion of electrotransport current from the electrodes, or a combination of the above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: ALZA Corporation
    Inventors: Larry A. McNichols, John D. Badzinski, William N. Reining, Gary A. Lattin, Ronald P. Haak, Joseph B. Phipps
  • Patent number: 7068028
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting a position of a metallic object are disclosed. The method includes (a) exciting a coil with an electrical signal to produce an electromagnetic field enveloping the object, (b) allowing a frequency of the electrical signal to be at the resonant frequency of the coil as affected by the object, and (c) adjusting a control signal controlling a characteristic of the electrical signal so that the characteristic substantially equals a predetermined standard level. The method further includes (d) periodically coupling and decoupling a resistive element in parallel with the coil while performing (a)–(c), and (e) deriving a signal based upon the control signal. The derived signal is indicative of a difference between first and second values of an intermediate signal functionally related to the control signal, which are obtained when the resistive element is coupled in parallel with the coil and decoupled, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Patent number: 7027859
    Abstract: An electrotransport device (20) for delivering one or more therapeutic agents through the skin includes electrodes (30,32) for contacting the skin (34), at least one electrode containing the agent, a power source (22) for generating electrical current (IL) for delivering the agent, a current generating and controlling means (24), and a disabling means (26) for permanently and irreversibly disabling the current. The disabling means (26) may include a timer means (66), a counter means (82), or a body parameter sensor (134) and limit comparator (132) to effect permanent disabling. The disabling means may be a permanent transition to a disabled logic state, a permanent discharge of a power supply source (22), or a permanent diversion of electrotransport current from the electrodes (30,32), or a combination of the above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: ALZA Corporation
    Inventors: Larry A. McNichols, John D. Badzinski, William N. Reining, Gary A. Lattin, Ronald P Haak, Joseph B. Phipps
  • Patent number: 6975206
    Abstract: A method of communicating information from first and second transponders (or multiple transponders) to a central monitoring device, and a communications apparatus, are disclosed. The method includes receiving a starting indication at the transponders, determining start times for the transponders in response to that indication, and transmitting first and second sets of bursts from the first and second transponders, respectively. The bursts of the first set occur at at least some of a first set of potential transmission times within an interrogation period, and the bursts of the second set occur at at least some of a second set of potential transmission times during that period. Each of the potential transmission times of the burst sets are respectively determined in relation to the start times of the respective transponders. The potential transmission times of the respective burst sets are separated from one another by one of a bit-cell period and a multiple thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Intellectual Property, LLC
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Patent number: 6805605
    Abstract: An electrically conductive block component and method of producing such a block component are disclosed. The electrically conductive block component includes a main block section having first and second faces opposed to one another and a first channel extending through the main block section from the first face to the second face. The electrically conductive block component also includes a first conductive pin positioned within the first channel and having first and second end portions proximate the first and second faces, respectively. The first and second end portions of the first conductive pin are configured so that the electrically conductive block component can be both physically assembled with and electrically coupled to another electrically conductive block component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventors: Lynn E. Reining, William N. Reining
  • Publication number: 20040185745
    Abstract: An electrically conductive block component and method of producing such a block component are disclosed. The electrically conductive block component includes a main block section having first and second faces opposed to one another and a first channel extending through the main block section from the first face to the second face. The electrically conductive block component also includes a first conductive pin positioned within the first channel and having first and second end portions proximate the first and second faces, respectively. The first and second end portions of the first conductive pin are configured so that the electrically conductive block component can be both physically assembled with and electrically coupled to another electrically conductive block component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Lynn E. Reining, William N. Reining
  • Publication number: 20040041695
    Abstract: A method of communicating information from first and second transponders (or multiple transponders) to a central monitoring device, and a communications apparatus, are disclosed. The method includes receiving a starting indication at the transponders, determining start times for the transponders in response to that indication, and transmitting first and second sets of bursts from the first and second transponders, respectively. The bursts of the first set occur at at least some of a first set of potential transmission times within an interrogation period, and the bursts of the second set occur at at least some of a second set of potential transmission times during that period. Each of the potential transmission times of the burst sets are respectively determined in relation to the start times of the respective transponders. The potential transmission times of the respective burst sets are separated from one another by one of a bit-cell period and a multiple thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Patent number: 6471106
    Abstract: A device for discharging fastening elements, and a method of preventing a device from discharging fastening devices into human flesh, are disclosed. The device includes a coil proximate a location of discharge, a capacitive element coupled in parallel with the conductive coil to form a resonant tank circuit, an oscillator that drives the tank circuit, a frequency detector, an amplitude control circuit and a processor. The detector detects a frequency of oscillation of the tank circuit as affected by a material proximate the coil. In response to an electrical signal from the oscillator, the control circuit generates a control signal that is provided back to the oscillator. Based upon the frequency and an additional signal functionally related to the control signal, the processor provides an output signal that prevents the device from discharging when the material proximate the coil is human flesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Patent number: 6359449
    Abstract: A conductance sensor uses a high impedance feedback oscillator to drive a single coil at the natural resonant frequency of the coil coupled to a measured material. The amplitude of the driving signal is also feedback controlled. The error signal of the amplitude control yields a measurement of resistance of the measured material. The combination of frequency adjustment and amplitude control eliminates non-resistance impedance effects and amplitude-dependent effects allowing high precision, high sensitivity measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: William N. Reining, Marshall J. Bell
  • Patent number: 5505209
    Abstract: An impedance cardiograph which determines cardiac output from a measurement of variations of chest impedance, provides an improved method of calculating the effect of patient volume on the measurement from measurable patient height and chest circumference, and provides a correction process that identifies as a source of error variations in the first derivative of impedance. This latter source of error is minimized by preprocessing the impedance derivative value with a compression function which reduces the range of values of the impedance derivative when that value differs significantly from a norm of the population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Reining International, Ltd.
    Inventor: William N. Reining
  • Patent number: 5028918
    Abstract: A phase encoded transponder circuit is disclosed which may be a passive device capable of response to an interrogating signal and is capable of transmitting an individual unique identification code. The transponder is particularly useful for identifying an individual, such as an animal, associated with the transponder. The code is stored in a memory device which is also loaded with several flags to actuate optional states of the system. One set of flags enable a state in which up to three additional words of the message are transmitted by the transponder. These additional words may be fixed internal data or variable data sent to the circuit by an external data module. Another state permits the importation into the transponder of an unlimited stream of external data from a connected device, so that the transponder can be used to transmit a variety of data about the individual associated with the transponder to the interrogation station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1991
    Assignee: Dairy Equipment Company
    Inventors: Thomas E. Giles, William N. Reining