Wake Up (all Call) Patents (Class 340/10.33)
  • Patent number: 9971327
    Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling building equipment includes a near field communications (NFC) tag, a temperature sensor, a mobile device, and a controller. The NFC tag is located within a building space and stores a tag ID uniquely identifying the NFC tag. The temperature sensor is associated with the building space and configured to measure a temperature of the building space. The mobile device reads the NFC tag and obtains the tag ID from the NFC tag via NFC. The controller receives the tag ID from the mobile device and uses the tag ID to identify the temperature sensor associated with the building space. The controller receives the measured temperature from the temperature sensor and provides the measured temperature to the mobile device. The mobile device displays the measured temperature via a user interface of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Vivek Narain, Mohit Goel
  • Patent number: 9939512
    Abstract: System and method for real-time location, the system including: a base-station comprising: an interface to a secondary technology communication channel, wherein the base-station configured to emit: a first periodic signal on the secondary technology communication channel and having a first repetition rate, to communicate an identification of the base-station; and a second periodic signal on the secondary technology communication channel and having a second repetition rate, to provide a wake-up signal, wherein transmitted energy of the second periodic signal in one period of the second periodic signal is less than transmitted energy of the first periodic signal in one period of the first periodic signal; and a portable tag configured to receive the first and second periodic signals and control its receiver timing based upon the first and second periodic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: CENTRAK, INC.
    Inventors: Israel Amir, Robert Musliner
  • Patent number: 9921554
    Abstract: Aspects include an adaptor and a method for providing computer based energy management. Commands specifying a control device from energy management host software located on a host system are received at an adaptor via a server network. The commands include control instructions and requests for energy usage data. Energy usage data are received from the control device in response to a command including a request for energy usage data. The energy usage data includes energy usage for one or more energy devices. The energy usage data are transmitted to the energy management host software. Sensor data are received from one or more sensors and transmitted to the energy management host software. Control commands are received from the energy management host software. The control commands are transmitted to the control device to alter a function of at least one of the one or more energy devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Budderfly, Inc.
    Inventor: Albert Subbloie
  • Patent number: 9892291
    Abstract: An RFID reader, RFID tag, and method thereof for performing a write check of tag data. According to an exemplary embodiment, the RFID reader may include: a transmitter to transmit a write check command to an RFID tag; a receiver to receive a response including a check value of data, which needs a write check, from an RFID tag that has received the write check command; and a controller to perform information transmission and reception processes, and check data written on the RFID tag by using the received response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Kyu Won Han, Chan Won Park, Dong Beom Shin, Sang Hyun Mo
  • Patent number: 9891015
    Abstract: A magnetic shield for a locking device such as a gunlock having a first portion and a second portion configured for controlled movement with respect to the other portion and for being held in a fixed and locked position vis-à-vis each other. At least one of the first and second portions includes an electromechanical locking mechanism including a solenoid and solenoid activated spring loaded pin configured, in a first position, for preventing the first and second portions from moving with respect one another and in a second position for allowing the first and second portions to move vis-à-vis one another. A magnetically conducive shield is disposed on or in at least one of the first and second portion that includes the solenoid locking mechanism, for preventing an unauthorized magnetic field from causing the solenoid to retract the spring loaded pin thereby allowing the locking device to be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Santa Cruz Gunlocks, LLC.
    Inventors: John Plourde, Tibor Kalman Zalavari
  • Patent number: 9824203
    Abstract: Pursuant to at least some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method that includes configuring an RFID tag to store information related to a battery charge level of a battery of a peripheral device, reading the RFID tag, and disabling a subsequent reading of the RFID tag in response to determining that the RFID tag includes stored information indicative of the battery charge level being low or depleted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Murali Narasimha, Roger W Ady, Robert T Love
  • Patent number: 9801137
    Abstract: Device power consumption is reduced by operating using both one-way and two-way communication techniques. In an aspect a device operates in a first mode enabling one-way communication to an other device for a first portion of device operation time. The first mode includes transmitting a first set of messages to the other device while turning off a power supply used by a receiver of the device. The device switches between operating in the first mode and the second mode. The second mode enables two-way communication between the device and the other device for a second portion of device operation time less than the first portion of device operation. The second mode includes transmitting a second message to the other device, and in response to the transmitting the second message, turning on the power supply used by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Bradley Richard Ree
  • Patent number: 9791230
    Abstract: A magnetic shield for a locking device such as a gunlock having a first portion and a second portion configured for controlled movement with respect to the other portion and for being held in a fixed and locked position vis-à-vis each other. At least one of the first and second portions includes an electromechanical locking mechanism including a solenoid and solenoid activated spring loaded pin configured, in a first position, for preventing the first and second portions from moving with respect one another and in a second position for allowing the first and second portions to move vis-à-vis one another. A magnetically conducive shield is disposed on or in at least one of the first and second portion that includes the solenoid locking mechanism, for preventing an unauthorized magnetic field from causing the solenoid to retract the spring loaded pin thereby allowing the locking device to be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Santa Cruz Gunlocks, LLC.
    Inventors: John Plourde, Tibor Kalman Zalavari
  • Patent number: 9792743
    Abstract: A communications system configured to execute data transmission between a transponder having no radio wave generating source thereof and a reader/writer is provided. The communications system includes, a service permission level notifier configured to tell a service permission level for associated with a received signal level for permitting service acceptance from the reader/writer to the transponder, and an access controller configured to determine in the transponder whether the received signal level from the reader/writer is at the notified service permission level to determine accessibility to the transponder from the reader/writer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kunio Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9754142
    Abstract: A method for detecting that a contactless CPU card leaves a radio-frequency field relates to the field of smart cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Feitian Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhou Lu, Huazhang Yu
  • Patent number: 9710978
    Abstract: System for controlling access comprises a reader unit (108) which is disposed at a portal (102) to a controlled access area (118) and a wearable access device (WAD) (114) which is worn by a user (116). The reader and the WAD implement a bidirectional optical communication protocol (BOCP) to communicate digital data. The WAD receives an interrogation signal from the reader for initiating an access control interaction. At least one of the reader and the WAD uses a predetermined optical beam width (142, 308) and a boresight direction (140, 306) of an optical beam associated with the wireless optical communication link to facilitate a selective determination as to whether the WAD will respond to the interrogation signal with a reply signal to continue with the access control interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH
    Inventors: Melwyn F. Sequeira, Hubert A. Patterson, Mohammad Mohiuddin, Mark Antilla
  • Patent number: 9696791
    Abstract: This invention describes a method for expanding universal plug and play capabilities in a power constrained environment thus facilitating communication between two terminals with universal plug and play (UPnP) application capabilities, wherein one of the terminals is in a sleeping mode. The present invention can be applied (but not be limited) to mobile terminals, wireless devices, portable devices, mobile communication devices, mobile phones, etc. The invention describes a mechanism in which the UPnP application dynamically instructs the TCP/IP stack to tune-up its parameters so that it can tolerate longer delays and timeouts, due to the fact that it operates in a power constrained UPnP environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Vlad Stirbu, Mika Saaranen
  • Patent number: 9697391
    Abstract: An RFID transponder having an analog front end receiver having an attenuator coupled to receive an RF-signal from an antenna and to attenuate the RF-signal, an amplifier having a fixed amplifier gain and being coupled to receive and to amplify the attenuated RF-signal and a control unit coupled to control a gain of the attenuator, wherein the control unit is configured to control the attenuator gain in response to a level of the amplified RF-signal, the control unit is configured to have a plurality of predetermined states causing the attenuator to increase (step-up) or to decrease (step-down), its gain by a predefined step size, wherein the step size of a step-up is equal to or smaller than the step size of a step-down and wherein the control unit is further configured to switch, upon reaching or exceeding a predefined threshold value, from a first to a second state having a smaller step size and causing the attenuator to change the gain such that the slope of the RF signal inverts and to switch, upon reachi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Muellner, Carlo Peschke, Andreas Hagl
  • Patent number: 9679172
    Abstract: An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seung Hyup Ryoo, Jin Tae Kim, Sang Cheol Min, Hee Seung Kim, Jae Joon Park, Dong Hyun Lee, Yong Sam Kim
  • Patent number: 9672395
    Abstract: An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seung Hyup Ryoo, Jin Tae Kim, Sang Cheol Min, Hee Seung Kim, Jae Joon Park, Dong Hyun Lee, Yong Sam Kim
  • Patent number: 9648113
    Abstract: Applications in a broadcast environment distribute events in real-time to a large number of receivers within specified geographic locations while efficiently sharing bandwidth resources with other applications using the same broadcast network. Applications need not be aware of the other applications sharing the resources, nor of the methods, protocols, and other mechanisms used to actually broadcast the data over the broadcast medium. Server-side applications that serve data, send notifications, or distribute events to specific locations within the network use a broadcast location manager. Client applications that receive such data, notifications, or events use a client location filter to obtain events that are relevant based on the location of the device. The broadcast location manager and client location filter work together to reliably and efficiently transmit data, notifications, and events to specific locations over the broadcast network for all applications involved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ROUNDBOX, INC.
    Inventors: Amit Khivesara, Xiaofeng Liu, Peter Andrew Mataga, Igor Slepchin, Cary Torkelson, Vinod Valloppillil, Edgar Villanueva
  • Patent number: 9613333
    Abstract: Infrastructure-mounted RFID-readable tags or transponders are provided for various applications. Such infrastructure tags may be employed in combination with RFID-readable product tags and an RFID reader for an improved inventory-management system which requires both types of tags to be scanned to constitute a successful product count. Infrastructure tags may also be employed as “read” or “no-read” tags in an RFID read field. The infrastructure tags of the RFID read field are combined with an RFID reader which is dynamically adaptable during initial set-up and use to improve the performance of the read field. When a perturbing object is detected in the read field, one or more performance parameters of the reader are adjusted to overcome any perturbing influence caused by the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES, LLC
    Inventor: Ian James Forster
  • Patent number: 9581165
    Abstract: A wildlife detection system includes a tracking device, a receiver, and a wildlife deterrent system. The tracking device may be mounted to a wildlife. The receiver is configured to track movement of the tracking device relative to an object of danger to the wildlife. The wildlife deterrent system is configured to reduce risk of danger to the wildlife in response to movement of the wildlife within a predetermined distance from the object of danger as tracked by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: Victor Babbitt, Andrew G. Oliver, Jeffrey W. Fine, Daniel Ives, Alexander D. Brand
  • Patent number: 9568968
    Abstract: A power control system includes a first comparison unit, a second comparison unit, a switching unit, and a power supply unit. The first comparison unit receives a switch voltage and a first reference voltage, compares the switch voltage with the first reference voltage and outputs a first comparison voltage. The second comparison unit receives the first comparison voltage and a second reference voltage, compares the first comparison voltage with the second reference voltage and outputs a second comparison voltage. The switching unit receives the second comparison voltage and converts a power control voltage to the switch voltage. The power supply unit receives the switch voltage and outputs a working voltage to wake up a motherboard. The power supply unit only wakes up the motherboard when the power supply unit is completely discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (WuHan) CO., LTD., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhong-Gang Wu
  • Patent number: 9551780
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which an RFID reader receives a response signal from an RFID tag affixed to an object. The RFID reader determines a tag charging time of the RFID tag based upon a first point in time that the RFID reader sent a request signal to the RFID tag and a second point in time that the response signal was received by the RFID reader. In turn, the RFID reader identifies a location of the object based on the tag charging time and generates a notification that includes the location of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Si Bin Fan, Yu Gu, Su Liu, Cheng Xu
  • Patent number: 9532310
    Abstract: A method for receiver state estimation includes communicating, from a first communications device to a second communications device, a first plurality of wake-up frames: receiving, at the first communications device from the second communications device, an indication of a received wake-up frame of the communicated first plurality of wake-up frames; determining, by the first communications device, a time at which the second communications device is in a ready state based on the received indication; subsequently communicating, from the first communications device to the second communications device, a second plurality of wake-up frames. The first plurality is greater than the second plurality, the reduction in number from the first plurality to the second plurality being based on the determined time at which the second communications device is in a ready state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Farley, LaMonte Peter Koop
  • Patent number: 9514482
    Abstract: A system for managing vehicle information displayed on a plurality of vehicles, said system including a central computer system and plurality of electronic display devices (EDD), each being associated with one of said vehicles and each being in electronic communication with the central computer system (CCS). The CCS includes one or more computer processors; computer readable data storage; and a CCS computer program stored on said data storage, the CCS program being executable by the processors to perform the steps of selecting a vehicle from said plurality of vehicles; generating vehicle data representing information about said vehicle; and sending said vehicle data to an associated one of said EDDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: LFORMATION PTY LTD
    Inventor: Paul Wilson
  • Patent number: 9503106
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a frequency-locked voltage regulated loop that further includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a frequency divider that generates sequential timing signals based on a period of the VCO from a frequency divided VCO signal, a frequency-to-voltage converter (FVC) that converts the frequency divided VCO signal into an output voltage, FVCOUT, an internal reference voltage, and a voltage regulator that generates a control voltage, VCOIN, that is fed back to the VCO to lock a frequency of the VCO in the frequency-locked voltage regulated loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Hanyi Ding, Kai Di Feng
  • Patent number: 9491419
    Abstract: Described is a method for registering and executing instructions in a video capturing device and to a door station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: AXIS AB
    Inventors: Magnus Rolf, Johan Adolfsson, Niklas Hansson
  • Patent number: 9430890
    Abstract: An in-vehicle device stores a Wake Up pattern, which notifies a mobile device of a start of communication, in an area before a data storage area of a frame and transmits the frame, the mobile device includes a modulation/demodulation circuit and a microcomputer that perform a predetermined reception process on a reception signal, a pattern determination circuit that, when the reception signal includes a Wake Up pattern, determines to start communication and activates the modulation/demodulation circuit and the microcomputer, a power detection circuit that detects power of the reception signal, and, when power is detected for a certain period of time or longer, activates the pattern determination circuit, and a Wake-Up control unit that activates the power detection circuit for a predetermined time with a constant period during a time period other than during communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mari Ochiai, Akinori Taira
  • Patent number: 9402198
    Abstract: A network in which two or more communication schemes coexist, in which a wireless control device identifies a communication scheme of a frame transmitted by a wireless terminal device, making reception possible. The wireless control device, upon detecting a receive signal strength of receive data, determines a signal strength at a non-overlapping frequency band of each communication scheme and thereby judges the communication scheme of the receive data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Ukita, Hiroshi Hayashino
  • Patent number: 9389750
    Abstract: A process of pairing a wireless PAN (personal area network) device with a system can be facilitated first by assuming default PIN codes that are traditionally used with wireless PAN devices and then by attempting such presumed default codes before querying the user for input. Accordingly, a cumbersome task conventionally required of the user is most often removed. Also, the devices that are paired and connected are preferably graphically conveyed on a display or graphical user interface (GUI) in a manner that solidly implies that each PAN device is connected only to its system, and not (directly) to other PAN devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Harriss C. Ganey, David W. Hill, Aaron M. Stewart
  • Patent number: 9361773
    Abstract: A window or door position detector includes an RFID tag attachable to the window or door, and a transceiver. The transceiver emits an activating signal to the tag. The tag in turn responds with an identifying RF signal indicative of a predetermined position of the window or door. The detector includes a transceiver which can communicate with both the tag and a displaced monitoring system control panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Richard Alan Smith
  • Patent number: 9230227
    Abstract: A material handling apparatus including pallets developed to operate in radio frequency rich environments. Pallets are provided having at least one large compartment capable of enclosing at least one electronic device or a package populated with a plurality of devices. The devices include RFID pallet tags that communicate with RFID item tags and RFID beacon tags positioned within distributed RFID networks. The devices include sensors to monitor pallet conditions to which a pallet management system is responsive. The devices include wireless transceivers for communicating indicative information through LAN, WLAN and Cellular communications networks. An antenna array operating on different radio frequency signals is provided. The apparatus includes a power resource in order to facilitate long term autonomous operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Nextreme, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. W. Muirhead
  • Patent number: 9218729
    Abstract: A method and apparatus. The method includes the steps of an activity analysis processor monitoring the activities of a security system protecting a secured area and a human operator of the security system and evaluating the system's and operator's activities, the activity analysis processor detecting an event and saving a summary of the event to a cloud server, a user interface of the cloud server detecting a request from a user for a report of activities and the cloud server downloading the activity report to the user, the activity report displayed to the user including playback features controlling playback of the summary, the playback features further including provision to accept requests for additional data from the user and the playback features downloading and displaying the additional data in response to the requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Deepak Sundar Meganathan
  • Patent number: 9210537
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a wireless communication device, which complies with plural communication methods, includes a storing circuit and a received data selection determining circuit. The storing circuit sequentially stores a first received data until the first received data reaches a predetermined data size. When it is assumed that a radio signal complies to a second communication method, a first period is longer than a second period. The first period is a period from a first time when a reception of the radio signal is started to a second time when the first received data with the data size is stored. The second period is a period from the first time to a time when a second reception start signal is detected. The received data selection determining circuit determines a selection of the first received data, when the second reception start signal is not detected at the second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shuzo Mori
  • Patent number: 9204370
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a mobile radio communication device is provided. The mobile radio communication device may include a receiver configured to receive radio pilot formation according to a radio communication technology family, and a power supply switch controller to selectively energizing and de-energizing one or more components of the mobile radio communication device based on the received radio pilot information. The radio pilot information includes availability information about the availability of at least one radio communication technology of at least one other radio communication technology family.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Mueck, Martin Hans
  • Patent number: 9189668
    Abstract: New consumption and inventory recording, tracking, analysis and control techniques are provided. In some aspects of the invention, multiple master tags and signal control elements manage the communication of unique signals indicating and managing inventory status and consumption activity. A master tag may bridge communication from a computer hardware and software control system to smaller, more shielded inventory tags, to assess unique identifying information and control actuation of various functions. In other aspects, drugs and other agents may be variably released and/or applied by a new form of actuable, consumable tag with multiple signal elements. A computer display with specialized software may comprise part of the control system, and may reflect, provide, and/or receive modified data signals to and from such tags and signal elements. In other aspects of the invention, an administrative user may use a GUI to access information concerning, and control, consumption by a consumer user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mymee, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher V. Beckman
  • Patent number: 9170279
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a state monitoring or diagnostics system, and also a method for monitoring the state of devices or for diagnosing devices, in particular for overvoltage protection devices, as well as a method for transmitting measured values. Each of the devices comprises a functional component to be monitored and a monitoring and transmitting apparatus, wherein the monitoring and transmitting apparatus consists solely of a resonator circuit made of passive electrical components with no microchip, in particular with no RFID transponder. The information to be interrogated resides in the resonant frequency of the resonator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Roland Bent, Johannes Kalhoff
  • Patent number: 9140818
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining position in a pipe provides for the precise determination of location and associated characteristics of each pipe joint of a well, cross country pipeline or other fluid transmission line. The system includes a passive or active radio identification device at each joint in the pipe or casing string. The devices are preferably sealed within the resilient seal positioned between each pipe or casing joint. A pipeline tool includes a radio transmitter and receiver, with the transmitter transmitting on a frequency selected for resonating the identification devices. The resonant response of each device is detected by a receiver in the pipeline tool, with the response transmitted to the surface via the wireline to which the tool is connected. Alternatively, the tool may include storage information means until the tool can be recovered from the well or pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
    Inventor: Joseph A. Zierolf
  • Patent number: 9137970
    Abstract: A tracking apparatus (1) comprising: a first mobile transceiver unit (2), and a second mobile transceiver unit (3), the first mobile transceiver unit being in wireless communication with the second mobile transceiver unit for the transfer of data therebetween, the first mobile transceiver unit being arranged for location within an environment and being operable to determine data regarding the environment and to emit some or all of the determined data which is received by the second mobile transceiver unit for storage thereon when it is determined by the first mobile transceiver unit that the second mobile transceiver unit is located within a distance of the first mobile transceiver unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Christopher Douglas Holme, Reino Tauno Karvinen
  • Patent number: 9140487
    Abstract: A method of maintaining a thermal history (369; 699) of samples stored in a temperature-controlled sample storage system is provided. The system can include: one or more containers (218, 220; 522) each storing one of the samples; one or more storage objects (210-216, 208; 510, 516-518, 520; 654-660, 662) each housing one or more containers or other storage objects; one or more structures (200-206; 512; 650) defining a temperature-controlled storage environment and housing the one or more storage objects; machine readable tags (14) each of which is associated with a separate container and storage object, each tag encoding an identification code and having a temperature-dependant characteristic; and an interrogator (12) for reading the identification code and the temperature-dependant characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: BLUECHIP LIMITED
    Inventors: Jason Philip Chaffey, Miroslav Miljanic
  • Patent number: 9135790
    Abstract: The invention relates to a handheld device (1) for determining the location of a physical object (21) stored in a storage container (31). A reader system reads on the storage container (31) a visual code (31.1) which comprises a unique container identifier (31.2). A data entry system is configured to store object data (21.2) identifying the physical object (21) in a data store (1.4) linked to the container identifier (31.2). The data entry system is further configured to capture query data which defines the physical object (21). A query module is configured to determine the container identifier (31.2) by comparing the query data to the object data (21.2) in the data store (1.4), and to indicate the location of the physical object (21) by showing on a display the container identifier (31.2) of the storage container (31) containing the physical object (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Rotho Kunststoff AG
    Inventor: Moshe Cohen Wollin
  • Patent number: 9072049
    Abstract: A method for receiver state estimation includes communicating, from a first communications device to a second communications device, a first plurality of wake-up frames; receiving, at the first communications device from the second communications device, an indication of a received wake-up frame of the communicated first plurality of wake-up frames; determining, by the first communications device, a time at which the second communications device is in a ready state based on the received indication; subsequently communicating, from the first communications device to the second communications device, a second plurality of wake-up frames. The first plurality is greater than the second plurality, the reduction in number from the first plurality to the second plurality being based on the determined time at which the second communications device is in a ready state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew John Farley, LaMonte Peter Koop
  • Patent number: 9060000
    Abstract: A method for providing security and maintenance of a group of devices using a group of tags. Each of the tags is attached to a device and includes a radio frequency transceiver for intercommunicating using ultra-wide band signals. Using the intercommunication, distance between two of the tags is determined and an alarm is triggered when the distance is greater than a threshold distance. The distance is preferably determined by measuring a round trip delay time between the transmission of a transmitted unicast signal to the other tag and reception of a unicast response signal in response to the transmitted signal. A configuration mechanism is typically used for configuring the group and removed upon completing the configuration, and the tags maintain the group and provide security by the intercommunication between the tags. The tags are preferably synchronized to transmit and receive solely during a previously determined periodic sequence of time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Zebra Enterprise Solutions Corp.
    Inventors: Gideon Kaplan, Avraham Menkes, Dan Raphaeli
  • Patent number: 9060337
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preserving the life of a power source of a wireless end node of a wireless communication system for use in a mobile environment are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes wirelessly transmitting a wireless end node acknowledgment message to a network coordinator during a normal operation mode of the wireless end node. The method also includes the wireless end node monitoring for a network coordinator acknowledgment message from a network coordinator in response to the wireless end node acknowledgement message during the normal operation mode of the wireless end node. Also, the method includes incrementing a missed acknowledgment counter value stored in a memory storage of the wireless end node when the network coordinator acknowledgment message is not received. Further, the method includes increasing a time period of a sleep timer of the wireless end node when the missed acknowledgment counter value equals a missed acknowledgment threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignees: THERMO KING CORPORATION, INVENSYS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Lee Sanders, Mark Daniel Leasure, Kim Vitkus, Mark Johnson, Steve Pasek
  • Publication number: 20150145651
    Abstract: An RFID transponder having an analog front end receiver having an attenuator coupled to receive an RF-signal from an antenna and to attenuate the RF-signal, an amplifier having a fixed amplifier gain and being coupled to receive and to amplify the attenuated RF-signal and a control unit coupled to control a gain of the attenuator, wherein the control unit is configured to control the attenuator gain in response to a level of the amplified RF-signal, the control unit is configured to have a plurality of predetermined states causing the attenuator to increase (step-up) or to decrease (step-down), its gain by a predefined step size, wherein the step size of a step-up is equal to or smaller than the step size of a step-down and wherein the control unit is further configured to switch, upon reaching or exceeding a predefined threshold value, from a first to a second state having a smaller step size and causing the attenuator to change the gain such that the slope of the RF signal inverts and to switch, upon reachi
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Ernst Muellner, Carlo Peschke
  • Patent number: 9035773
    Abstract: A tag includes an integrated circuit thereon, including memory, antenna means for RF transmission of data acquired by the integrated circuit, a sensor sensing environmental conditions to which the sensor is subjected, the sensor providing signals based on the environmental conditions to the integrated circuit, a thermistor device of increasing the accuracy of the tag by confining on-board calculation data to a resistance domain and leaving conversion of the data to a temperature domain for an external device once the data is retrieved from the tag's memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: ADVANCED ELECTRONIC TRACKING
    Inventors: Michael Petersen, Alan Wilson, Dean Brotzel
  • Patent number: 9035776
    Abstract: The subject disclosure provides a system and method for remote monitoring of a subject wearing a sports helmet. In one aspect, the system includes a safety helmet and a sensor integrated with the helmet for continuously gathering head acceleration force data, the head acceleration force data associated with the head movements of a subject. The system also includes a wireless transceiver coupled to the sensor for transmitting the head acceleration force data and a mobile device for receiving the head acceleration force data from the wireless transceiver. The system further includes a database engine for displaying the head acceleration force data to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Robert R. Miller, II
  • Patent number: 9030299
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a RFID system comprising at least one reader (1) and a plurality of wireless data carriers (2), each of which comprise at least one data processing element with slow response (5), wherein the method controls the at least one reader (1) to continuously communicate with one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2), while at least another one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2) is processing data with its at least one slow response element (5). The invention further relates to a RFID system comprising at least one reader (1) and a plurality of wireless data carriers (2), each of which comprises at least one slow response element (5), wherein the system is capable to continuously communicate with at least one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2), while at least another one of the plurality of wireless data carriers (2) is processing data with its at least one slow response element (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Christian Scherabon, Bernhard Gruber
  • Patent number: 9016587
    Abstract: A method and system for attaching a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to an ordinance is provided. By tailoring the packaged tag and electronics to accommodate existing ordinance body cavities the integrity of the bomb casing is maintained. Likewise, fin assemblies also remain intact and are mounted in a conventional manner to the tagged ordinance. Numerous ordinance types, to include the mark (MK) 80 series general purpose bombs and equivalents are compatible with the tagging method and system described herein. Set screw mounted tail assemblies of various fin configurations are readily assembled onto the metal body casings of tagged ordinances. A curved dipole antenna provides access to external query signals and transmission of tag locating signals. As described herein, tag antennas can mount between ordinance assembly parts, adding to the ease of retrofitting existing ordinance inventory for a RFID tag localizing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: WilliamsRDM, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher M. Stimek, Roger Q. Paulsel
  • Patent number: 9007877
    Abstract: An illumination device with wake-up and/or fall-asleep functionality is disclosed. The illumination devices comprises at least one controllable light source; a control device for controlling the light source, wherein in a STEADY mode, color and intensity of the output light are maintained constant at a steady colour value and a steady intensity value and in and a WAKE-UP mode, the intensity of the output light is gradually increased from zero to the steady intensity value and in a FALL-ASLEEP mode, the intensity of the output light is gradually decreased from the steady intensity value to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Robert Godlieb
  • Patent number: 9007183
    Abstract: Provided are a terminal having a radio frequency identification (RFID) function and a method of processing information of the terminal for allowing intuitive interaction between a screen manipulation and an RFID manipulation with respect to using an RFID related service. The method of processing the information of the terminal including a screen and an RFID recognition unit, includes detecting a screen area corresponding to a position of the RFID recognition unit disposed at a predetermined position of the screen; displaying an RFID icon at a position of the detected screen area; recording information in an RFID tag based on the RFID tag contacting the RFID icon, and recognizing the information from the RFID tag the RFID tag contacting the RFID icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-jun Han, Dae-Hyun Kim, Bo-mi Kim, Bo-hyun Kyung, Myoung-soon Choi, Kuk-hyun Han, Pil-seung Yang, Hark-joon Kim
  • Patent number: 8981907
    Abstract: A system to multiplex antennas for radio-frequency communication uses one or more antenna shorting circuits to selectively enable RF communication via one of a plurality of antenna matching networks. The system is cost-efficient compared to alternatives. The RF communication includes read and/or read/write communication with, e.g., radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven David Lavache
  • Patent number: 8981909
    Abstract: The invention describes a selection and arbitration method for reading a population of RFID transponders (tags). The transponders are selected or de-selected individually, or in one or more groups, using one or more command signals from a reader. The command signals from the reader include selection or de-selection criteria for selecting or de-selecting transponders by moving them between different states by setting or resetting a command flag, such as a flip-flop, in the transponders. The different transitional states include a Ready state, an Active state, a Standby state, a Singulated state and a Quiet state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventors: Christopher Gordon Gervase Turner, John McMurray