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Constable, US

Ben Constable, Redmond, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100164983LEVERAGING GRAPHICS PROCESSORS TO OPTIMIZE RENDERING 2-D OBJECTS - Methods and computer-readable media for displaying two-dimensional objects on a display device are disclosed. Rendering requests are received from an application to render two-dimensionally modeled graphics to a display device. Primitive geometries of drawing calls of the rendering requests are tessellated into sequences of triangles. The vertices of the triangles are mapped to a vertex buffer along with an index to identify associated constant data. Batching operations store and communicate calls and mapped data to a graphics processing unit by way of a three-dimensional rendering application program interface. Constant data associated with the mapped data are indexed and appended together in a constant buffer, thereby allowing drawing calls to be coalesced. A staging buffer and a staging texture are provided for batching text anti-aliasing operations. Shader fragments are precompiled and organized by way of a predetermined lookup table.07-01-2010
20130106853LEVERAGING GRAPHICS PROCESSORS TO OPTIMIZE RENDERING 2-D OBJECTS05-02-2013

Patent applications by Ben Constable, Redmond, WA US

Benjamin Constable, Redmond, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110099537EVENT HANDLING FOR UNMANAGED CODE - Many computer applications involve event driven programming. Unfortunately, it may be burdensome on application developers to develop event handlers in unmanaged code for all relevant events within their computer application. For example, when using COM objects in connection with event handling, the burden of lifetime management may be placed on the application developer. Accordingly, one or more systems and/or techniques for event handling in unmanaged code are disclosed herein. A delegate comprising a first interface and a second interface is provided. The delegate may receive event data from a software platform connected to the first interface and may notify a function of a process connected to the second interface. The delegate self destructs when both the computing platform and the process have released their connections to the respective interfaces, thus mitigating manual coding of lifetime management functionality within the process.04-28-2011

Benjamin C. Constable, Redmond, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100141670Color Packing Glyph Textures with a Processor - A system, a method and computer-readable media for rendering text with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The system, method, and media includes a GPU that may be configured to receive a plurality of compressed glyph bitmap and create a plurality of glyph textures from the bitmap. The GPU may be further configured to pack a plurality of rows of data from a glyph bitmap into a single row of a glyph texture. The GPU may be also be configured to merge the plurality of glyph textures into a merged texture to identify overlapping rows of color. Additionally, the GPU maybe configured to filter the merged texture to create a grayscale texture containing a plurality of merged glyphs and rendering the grayscale texture to display the plurality of merged glyphs.06-10-2010
20120216217INTERFACE FOR DISPLAYING CONTENT SUPPORTING HARDWARE ACCELERATION - One or more application programming interfaces (APIs) are exposed by a host program running on a device to facilitate a control program displaying content in a window in which the host program displays content. As part of an API, a method is exposed that the control program can invoke to pass to the host program a definition of a surface presenter to be created by the host program. Additionally, the control program can store content that the control program desires to have presented in a buffer of the surface presenter, and invoke another method exposed as part of an API to pass to the host program an indication of the content that the control program desires to have displayed in the window in which the host program displays content.08-23-2012
20120268473DRAWING OPERATIONS USING MULTIPLE GRAPHICS INTERFACES - Various embodiments provide techniques for enabling multiple graphics interfaces to be accessed to perform graphics-related operations. In at least some embodiments, techniques determine if the multiple graphics interfaces can share a memory resource for performing graphics operations. If the multiple graphics interfaces can share the memory resource, a coalescing graphics element is provided that can be used by applications to perform multiple graphics operations.10-25-2012
20120274645ALIGNING ANIMATION STATE UPDATE AND FRAME COMPOSITION - An event, such as a vertical blank interrupt or signal, received from a display adapter in a system is identified. Activation of a timer-driven animation routine that updates a state of an animation and activation of a paint controller module that identifies updates to the state of the animation and composes a frame that includes the updates to the state of the animation are aligned, both being activated based on the identified event in the system.11-01-2012
20120287151PARTITIONING HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES INTO SUB-IMAGES FOR DISPLAY - Various embodiments provide techniques for partitioning high resolution images into sub-images for display. In at least some embodiments, the techniques can enable a device to display an image in its native resolution (e.g., the image capture resolution) even when the image exceeds a threshold image size for the device. In example implementations, techniques determine that a size of an image exceeds a threshold image size for a system. Further to some embodiments, the techniques can determine that the image is to be partitioned into multiple sub-images that can each be processed and reassembled to display the image. The sub-images can each be rendered by a graphics processing functionality (e.g., a graphics processing unit) and displayed on a display device to present a version of the image in its native resolution.11-15-2012
20120297160Surface Caching - Techniques for surface caching are described in which a cache for surfaces is provided to enable existing surfaces to be reused. Surfaces in the cache can be assigned to one of multiple surface lists used to service requests for surfaces. The multiple lists can include at least a main list and an auxiliary list configured to group existing surfaces according to corresponding surface constraints. When a surface is requested, the multiple lists can be searched to find an existing surface based on constraints including, for example, the type of surface and size requirements for the requested surface. If an existing surface is discovered, the existing surface can be returned to service the request. If a suitable surface is not found in the multiple lists, a new surface is created for the request and the new surface can be added to a corresponding one of the multiple surface lists.11-22-2012
20120306900Hardware Accelerated Caret Rendering - Techniques for hardware accelerated caret rendering are described in which a system based caret is emulated using hardware acceleration technology. The hardware accelerated caret can be rendered using dedicated graphics processing hardware to look and feel like a system caret. This can involve using pixel shaders to produce the hardware accelerated caret and a employing a back-up texture to remove the caret after it is drawn and cause the caret to blink. In addition, rendering of the caret can be coordinated with other animations and/or other presentations of a frame buffer to piggy back drawing of the caret onto other drawing operations. This can reduce the number of times the frame buffer is presented and therefore improve performance.12-06-2012
20130067502Atlasing and Virtual Surfaces - Atlasing and virtual surface techniques are described. In one or more implementations, virtual surface functionality is exposed by an operating system for access by one or more applications of the computing device. A virtual surface is created in response to a request from the one or more applications to be used to render visuals for display by a display device. The virtual surface is allocated in memory of the computing device by the exposed virtual surface functionality to have an area that is larger than an area to be used to display the visuals from the one or more applications.03-14-2013
20130205308Interface for Displaying Content Supporting Hardware Acceleration - One or more application programming interfaces (APIs) are exposed by a host program running on a device to facilitate a control program displaying content in a window in which the host program displays content. As part of an API, a method is exposed that the control program can invoke to pass to the host program a definition of a surface presenter to be created by the host program. Additionally, the control program can store content that the control program desires to have presented in a buffer of the surface presenter, and invoke another method exposed as part of an API to pass to the host program an indication of the content that the control program desires to have displayed in the window in which the host program displays content.08-08-2013

Patent applications by Benjamin C. Constable, Redmond, WA US

Colin Constable, San Jose, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20140177471VIRTUAL NETWORK PROTOTYPING ENVIRONMENT - A system includes a storage device to store information associated with virtual nodes that correspond to network nodes. The system also includes a server to install a virtual node that corresponds to one of the network nodes, based on the information associated with the virtual node, where installing the virtual node includes creating a logical interface via which traffic is to be sent to, or received from, other virtual nodes; start the virtual node to create an operating virtual node based on a copy of an operating system that is run on the network node, where starting the virtual node causes the operational virtual node to execute the copy of the operating system; and cause the operating virtual node to communicate with a virtual network that includes the virtual nodes, where causing the operating virtual node to communicate with the virtual network enables the operating virtual node to receive or forward traffic associated with the virtual network.06-26-2014

Dale Constable, Fenton, MI US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20140083888Extension Ladder Tool Caddie - An extension ladder tool caddie is provided that comprises an elongated bridge portion having a first and second end receptacle portion adapted to receive the upper rail ends of an extension ladder fly therein. The caddie is supported by the upper rail ends and is positioned therebetween to form an upper ladder rung that supports tools for a worker along the ladder. The bridge portion of the device includes an open upper having a plurality of defined cavities for supporting different hand tools, appliances, and fasteners therein for stable containment thereof and ready access thereto. A first and second tab is further provided along the exterior sidewall of the bridge portion for supporting suspended tools such as paint brushes and screw driver tools. The assembly is specifically suited for extension ladders and provides a tool caddie at the upper, open portion of the extension ladder fly.03-27-2014

Doug Constable, Lake Forest, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20150361946SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IGNITION COIL TESTING - An ignition coil tester for testing an ignition coil having primary and secondary circuits. The tester includes a cable connector including a primary circuit connector and a secondary circuit connector electrically connectable to the ignition coil. The tester further includes an electronic ignition control module electrically coupled to the primary and secondary circuit connectors and configured to generate ignition coil testing signals for communication to the ignition coil via the primary and secondary circuit connectors The electronic ignition control module is further configured to monitor the connection between the primary circuit connector and the primary circuit of the ignition coil and the connection between the secondary circuit connector and the secondary circuit of the ignition coil, and cease communication of the ignition coil testing signals when the primary circuit connector or secondary circuit connector are not connected to the respective ones of the primary and secondary circuits.12-17-2015

Gregory S. Constable, Chandler, AZ US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090076220UNDERFILL FORMULATION AND METHOD OF INCREASING AN ADHESION PROPERTY OF SAME - An underfill formulation includes a solvent (03-19-2009
20090170247MAGNETIC PARTICLES FOR LOW TEMPERATURE CURE OF UNDERFILL - Electronic devices and methods for fabricating electronic devices are described. One embodiment includes a method comprising providing a first body and a second body, and electrically coupling the first body to the second body using a plurality of solder bumps, wherein a gap remains between the first body and the second body. The method also includes placing an underfill material into the gap between the first body and the second body, the underfill material comprising magnetic particles in a polymer composition. The method also includes curing the underfill material in the gap by applying a magnetic field powered by alternating current, to induce heat in the magnetic particles, wherein the heat in the magnetic particles heats the polymer composition, and the magnetic field is applied for a sufficient time to cure the polymer composition. Other embodiments are described and claimed.07-02-2009
20100078806MICROELECTRONIC PACKAGE WITH WEAR RESISTANT COATING - A microelectronic package is provided. The microelectronic package includes a semiconductor substrate and a die having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface of the die is coupled to the semiconductor substrate. The microelectronic package also includes a nanomaterial layer disposed on the top surface of the die.04-01-2010
20110136941UNDERFILL FORMULATION AND METHOD OF INCREASING AN ADHESION PROPERTY OF SAME - An underfill formulation includes a solvent (06-09-2011
20110159310Methods of fabricating low melting point solder reinforced sealant and structures formed thereby - Methods and associated structures of forming a package structure including forming a low melting point solder material on a solder resist opening location of an IHS keep out zone, forming a sealant in a non SRO keep out zone region; attaching the IHS to the sealant, and curing the sealant, wherein a solder joint is formed between the IHS and the low melting point solder material.06-30-2011
20120074597FLEXIBLE UNDERFILL COMPOSITIONS FOR ENHANCED RELIABILITY - Underfill materials for fabricating electronic devices are described. One embodiment includes an underfill composition including an epoxy mixture, an amine hardener component, and a filler. The epoxy mixture may include a first epoxy comprising a bisphenol epoxy, a second epoxy comprising a multifunctional epoxy, and a third epoxy comprising an aliphatic epoxy, the aliphatic epoxy comprising a silicone epoxy. The first, second, and third epoxies each have a different chemical structure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.03-29-2012
20150284503FLEXIBLE UNDERFILL COMPOSITIONS FOR ENHANCED RELIABILITY - Underfill materials for fabricating electronic devices are described. One embodiment includes an underfill composition including an epoxy mixture, an amine hardener component, and a filler. The epoxy mixture may include a first epoxy comprising a bisphenol epoxy, a second epoxy comprising a multifunctional epoxy, and a third epoxy comprising an aliphatic epoxy, the aliphatic epoxy comprising a silicone epoxy. The first, second, and third epoxies each have a different chemical structure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.10-08-2015

Patent applications by Gregory S. Constable, Chandler, AZ US

John Frederic Constable, San Francisco, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20130324233VIRAL PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT - Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for setting an initial value to the jackpot of a first player. The jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet by the first player in the computer game. Additionally, the jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet made by friends of the first player in the computer game. The friends of the first player have a social connection with the first player, and the jackpot of the first player is independent from bets in the computer game of players that are not friends of the first player. The method further includes an operation for resetting the jackpot of the first player to the initial value when the first player or when any friend of the first player wins the jackpot.12-05-2013
20140106858Winning In A Game An Asset For Another Game - Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for detecting that a player playing in a first game also has played a second game, where the first game is different from the second game. Further, the method includes another operation for determining an asset for the second game that may be awarded for a required amount of progress made by the player in the first game. The player is notified in the first game that the player is eligible to obtain the asset while playing the first game. The asset is awarded to the player for use in the second game when the required amount of progress is made in the first game.04-17-2014

Peter Constable, Poulsbo, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20140040743SELECTING COLOR SPACES FOR CINEMA OR VIDEO DATA - A computer-implemented method includes presenting one or more user interface controls configured to receive selection of a first color space, from a plurality of first color spaces corresponding to media encodings for recording cinema or video data, and a second color space, from a plurality of second color spaces corresponding to output devices, receiving the selection, combining a first transform corresponding to the first color space and a second transform corresponding to the second color space, in accordance with the selection, to form a combined transform, and providing the combined transform for use in previewing the cinema or video data in accordance with the output devices corresponding to the selection.02-06-2014

Peter G. Constable, Redmond, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090183069Font/Script Association - Font/script association techniques are described. In an implementation, a client includes one or more modules to determine which of a plurality of scripts are to be used to display characters and one or more fonts are located that correspond to the determined script. Representations are output of the located one or more fonts in a user interface that are selectable to cause the characters to be displayed using a selected one of the fonts.07-16-2009
20120159260RESOURCE INDEX IDENTIFYING MULTIPLE RESOURCE INSTANCES - A resource index on a computing device identifies multiple resource instances (e.g., multiple user interface (UI) resource instances) of multiple resource items (e.g., of multiple UI resource items), each resource instance having one or more resource instance conditions. In response to a request for a resource item received from an application, a determination is made based on the resource index of one of the multiple resource instances that satisfy conditions associated with the request, and the one of the multiple resource instances is returned to the application. Additionally, the resource index can be used to identify potential errors in running an application in various potential contexts.06-21-2012
20120166513UNIFIED ACCESS TO RESOURCES - Architecture that provides a unified interface to access resources in different formats and in disparate resource locations for a process (e.g., consuming application). The unified interface is extensible such that users can add additional components to the unified interface to provide access to new resources and new resource references. The interface provides the capability to create a single comprehensive index of all available resources regardless of the resource format. Format-specific indexers are provided for the resources to find, enumerate, and process the resources into a structure suitable for processing by an indexing component into the index. A user can introduce new format-specific indexers for new resources and new resource references for processing by the indexing component into the index. The unified interface now provides access to the new resources and new resources references as well.06-28-2012
20120167111RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT BASED ON CONDITIONS - Architecture that facilitates the package partitioning of application resources based on conditions, and the package applicability based on the conditions. An index is created for a unified lookup of the available resources. At build time of an application, the resources are indexed and determined to be applicable based on the conditions. The condition under which the resource is applicable is then used to automatically partition the resource into an appropriate package. Each resource package then becomes applicable under the conditions in which the resources within it are applicable, and is deployed to the user if the user merits the conditions (e.g., an English user will receive an English package of English strings, but not a French package). Before the application is run, the references to the resources are merged and can be used to do appropriate lookup of what resources are available.06-28-2012
20130290930RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT BASED ON CONDITIONS - Architecture that facilitates the package partitioning of application resources based on conditions, and the package applicability based on the conditions. An index is created for a unified lookup of the available resources. At build time of an application, the resources are indexed and determined to be applicable based on the conditions. The condition under which the resource is applicable is then used to automatically partition the resource into an appropriate package. Each resource package then becomes applicable under the conditions in which the resources within it are applicable, and is deployed to the user if the user merits the conditions (e.g., an English user will receive an English package of English strings, but not a French package). Before the application is run, the references to the resources are merged and can be used to do appropriate lookup of what resources are available.10-31-2013
20140359601RESOURCE PACKAGE INDEXING - One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for generating a bundle package, digitally signing the bundle package, selectively disturbing the bundle package, and/or indexing one or more resource packages retrieved from the bundle package. That is, a bundle package (e.g., an application or game bundle package) comprises one or more app packages comprising application code configured to execute on various computing environments (e.g., operating systems, processors, etc.). The bundle package may comprise one or more resource packages comprising supplemental data used to provide optional user experience functionality for the application (e.g., French language support, high resolution textures, a gaming pad support, etc.). In this way, a client device may selectively download portions of the bundle package that may be relevant, which may mitigate download bandwidth, storage space, or resources otherwise used to obtain unnecessary portions of the bundle package (e.g., a tablet device may merely download low resolution textures).12-04-2014
20150234653RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT BASED ON CONDITIONS - Architecture that facilitates the package partitioning of application resources based on conditions, and the package applicability based on the conditions. An index is created for a unified lookup of the available resources. At build time of an application, the resources are indexed and determined to be applicable based on the conditions. The condition under which the resource is applicable is then used to automatically partition the resource into an appropriate package. Each resource package then becomes applicable under the conditions in which the resources within it are applicable, and is deployed to the user if the user merits the conditions (e.g., an English user will receive an English package of English strings, but not a French package). Before the application is run, the references to the resources are merged and can be used to do appropriate lookup of what resources are available.08-20-2015

Patent applications by Peter G. Constable, Redmond, WA US

Peter Geoffrey Constable, Redmond, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20130325435LANGUAGE LISTS FOR RESOURCE SELECTION - A device may be configured to enable a user to select a language, and may fulfill resource requests from applications by selecting, from among resources respectively associated with a language, a resource associated with the selected language of the user. However, this resource selection process may be inadequate if the user selects multiple languages; if a resource associated with the selected language of the user is unavailable, but resources associated with related languages are available; or if the user and/or the application specifies an ordering for the selection among the languages. Presented herein are techniques for performing the resource selection by, for respective languages selected by the user, calculating a weight representing a suitability of the language for the resource request; generating a selection order of the selected languages according to the weights; and selecting a resource based on the position of the associated language in the selection order.12-05-2013
20130326347APPLICATION LANGUAGE LIBRARIES FOR MANAGING COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT LANGUAGES - Language selection and application within a computing environment are often distributed over and differently applied by the operating system and various applications, leading to additional administration, inconsistencies in the user experience based on different language feature implementations among different applications; and increased cost and redundancy in developing language features for different applications. Presented herein are techniques for configuring a device with an application language library that centralizes the selection of languages by the user, and that provides a wide variety of language features (e.g., text translation, user interface adaptation, and data formats) to the applications and operating system. The application language library may also enable a multilingual user to select multiple languages; may apply a selection logic to choose a suitable language for each invocation of the application language library; and may enable the user to configure the selection among the languages for various types and instances of invocations.12-05-2013

Randi E. Constable, Cupertino, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080270159Dynamically determining products for a customer based on the customer's requirements - Embodiments of the present invention pertain to dynamically determining products for a customer based on the customer's requirements. According to one embodiment, information describing customers' requirements is received. A data structure is dynamically created based on the information. The data structure includes a plurality of decision trees for types of products. Automatic determination of a particular solution is enabled based on the data structure and requirements for a particular customer. The automatic determination uses a first decision tree for a first type of product and a second decision tree for a second type of product to determine what products to associate with the particular solution.10-30-2008

Robert K. Constable, Kokomo, IN US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090295199Seat Assembly Having Seat Heating and Occupant Detection - A seat assembly including a seat cushion, a heating element, a heating circuit, a occupant sensing circuit, and an isolation circuit. The seat cushion has a seating surface, the heating element is adjacent the seating surface and is formed of electrically conductive material. The heating circuit is coupled to the heating element for supplying electrical current to the heating element for generating heat. The occupant sensing circuit is also coupled to the heating element for sensing the presence of an occupant near the heating element. The isolation circuit is interposed between the heating circuit and the heating element for isolating the heating circuit from the occupant sensing circuit.12-03-2009
20110140891Electrode for an Occupant Sensing System Having Fault Detection and Method of Operating the Same - An electrode formed of electrically conductive material and configured for use in an occupant sensing system. The electrode includes an antenna portion and a diagnostic portion. The antenna portion is configured to provide an electrical impedance indicative of an occupant presence. The diagnostic loop portion is configured to provide an electrical conductivity indicative of a condition of the electrode.06-16-2011
20110163765CAPACITIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM HAVING WET SEAT COMPENSATION AND METHOD - An occupant detection system and method are provided. The system includes a capacitive sensor having an electrode arranged in a seat proximate to an expected location of an occupant for sensing an occupant presence approximate thereto. The capacitive sensor is configured to provide an output indicative of the sensed occupant presence. Occupant detection circuitry is included for processing the capacitive sensor output and determining a wet seat condition and generating a wet seat fault based on a determined wet seat condition. The occupant detection circuitry further detects a state of occupancy of the seat based on the capacitive sensor output and the wet seat fault.07-07-2011
20110190987OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - An occupant detection system, a controller for an occupant detection system and a method of detecting an occupant. The presence or absence of the occupant varies the dielectric properties of an area proximate to influence the electrical impedance of the electrode. The electrode impedance is determined based on based on the excitation signal frequency, the excitation signal magnitude, and the electrode signal magnitude, and thereby determine an occupant presence based on the electrode impedance. The excitation signal magnitude is adjusted to optimize the electrode signal magnitude. The electrode signal magnitude is optimized to be large enough to be accurately measured, but not so large as to cause excessive radiated emissions. The excitation signal magnitude may be adjusted for each excitation signal frequency so the electrode signal magnitude is optimized regardless of frequency.08-04-2011
20110270491Noise Reduction for Occupant Detection System and Method - An occupant detection system with noise reduction, a controller having noise reduction for an occupant detection system and a method for reducing noise in an occupant detection system. A high order digital filter is used to filter harmonics of a noise signal from an electrode signal used to determine an occupant presence or absence of the occupant. A way of sampling the electrode signal and the implementation of the high order digital filter cooperate such that the signal processing can be performed by a lower cost general purpose microprocessor as opposed to using a higher cost digital signal processor.11-03-2011
20130300555SEAT BELT REMINDER SYSTEM - A seat belt reminder system includes an occupant sensor to detect an occupant in a seat of a vehicle and a buckle sensor to detect when a seat belt is latched to a seat belt buckle. A controller detects whether the seat belt buckle is latched and a wireless transmitter sends the buckle status to a remote receiver in the vehicle. The controller and transmitter are powered by a battery that is separate from the vehicle electrical system. The controller, transmitter, and battery may be incorporated into the occupant sensor. A separate power supply for the controller and transmitter and a wireless connection to the receiver in the vehicle eliminates the need for a wiring harness from the seat to the vehicle. The seat belt reminder system may provide long battery life by connecting the controller and transmitter to the battery only when the seat is occupied.11-14-2013
20140049272DUAL ELECTRODE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A dual-electrode occupant detection system configured to determine an occupant presence on a seat assembly. The system includes two electrodes that each generates an electric field in response to an applied excitation signal. The two electrode signals arising therefrom can be measured individually and/or combined to detect more reliably an occupant. Such a configuration advantageously avoids the added expense and complication of an electrode arrangement that relies on an underlying shield layer to reduce electrode signal degradation caused by a seat heater element.02-20-2014
20140097651VEHICLE SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR AND HEATER DEVICE - A seat occupant sensor and heater device configured for use in a vehicle seat including an occupant detection electrode and a seat heating element. The occupant detection electrode may be configured to capacitively detect and classify a seat occupant in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS-208. The device includes a compressible spacer disposed intermediate to the occupant detection electrode and the seat heating element. The compressible spacer is configured to reduce capacitive coupling between the occupant detection electrode and the seat heating element when uncompressed and increase capacitive coupling between the occupant detection electrode and the seat heating element when compressed. The seat occupant sensor and heater device may exclude a fabric covering on the occupant detection electrode in order to improve sensitivity of the occupant detection electrode in high humidity conditions, i.e. relative humidity near or above 85 percent.04-10-2014
20150054317VEHICLE SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR AND HEATER ELEMENT - An occupant sensor mat configured to be located proximate to a seating surface of a vehicle seat assembly. The mat includes a sensor electrode formed of conductive material and configured to radiate an electric field in response to an excitation signal for determining an occupant presence proximate to the seating surface. A heater element is configured to underlie the sensor electrode. The heater element is formed of conductive material and configured to radiate heat in response to electrical current for warming an occupant residing on the seating surface. An incompressible spacer is interposed between the sensor electrode and the heater element. The incompressible spacer formed of a material sufficiently flexible for locating proximate to a seating surface, and sufficiently incompressible to prevent a substantial change in capacitive coupling between the sensor electrode and the heater element from before to while an occupant resides on the seating surface.02-26-2015
20150219489OCCUPANT DETECTION DEVICE - A vehicle seat occupant detection device configured to indicate if a seat of a vehicle is occupied based on a weight of an occupant occupying the seat is provided. The device includes a spring and a sensor. The spring is configured to urge the device toward an unoccupied state. The sensor is configured to cooperate with the spring in order to determine an amount of deflection of the spring. In this way, the spring operates both as a return spring and an object that the sensor can detect and thereby determine the relative proximity of the spring.08-06-2015

Patent applications by Robert K. Constable, Kokomo, IN US

Robert T. Constable, Madison, CT US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120286783Accelerated MRI with Nonlinear Spatial Encoding Gradients - In a method of magnetic resonance imaging, a set of nonlinear, mutually orthogonal magnetic gradient encoding fields are sequentially and separately generated in an imaging region [11-15-2012

Robert Todd Constable, Madison, CT US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110241675O-SPACE IMAGING - In MRI by excitation of nuclear spins and measurement of RF signals induced by these spins in the presence of spatially-varying encoding magnetic fields, signal localization is performed through recombination of measurements obtained in parallel by each coil in an encircling array of RF receiver coils. Through the use of magnetic gradient fields that vary both as first-order and second-order Z2 spherical harmonics with position, radially-symmetric magnetic encoding fields are created that are complementary to the spatial variation of the encircling receiver coils. The resultant hybrid encoding functions comprised of spatially-varying coil profiles and gradient fields permits unambiguous localization of signal contributed by spins. Using hybrid encoding functions in which the gradient shapes are thusly tailored to the encircling array of coil profiles, images are acquired in less time than is achievable from a conventional acquisition employing only first-order gradient fields with an encircling coil array.10-06-2011

Steven C. Constable, San Diego, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100250140Method and System for Detecting and Mapping Hydrocarbon Reservoirs Using Electromagnetic Fields - The system and method provided modify a conventional seafloor long-wire electromagnetic (LEM) receiver by increasing the number of discrete antennae placed on the long wire. Two dipoles of electric field data are positioned exactly adjacent to each other, providing input to the same data logger system located within a seafloor survey unit to which the long wire is connected. Highly precise electric field gradients can be obtained by taking the difference of the measurements of the two electrodes, both for amplitude and phase. Any common-mode source of noise, such as magnetotelluric signals and receiver instrument noise will be rejected when the signals from the two electrodes are differenced. An acoustic navigation system utilizes a plurality of transponders to permit triangulation for accurate source-receiver ranging.09-30-2010
20120291556Long Baseline Navigation System - An acoustic navigation system includes a vessel and an interrogation unit towed behind the vessel below the surface of the water, a tail acoustic transponder trailing behind the interrogation unit, and a pair of surface acoustic transponders towed behind the vessel on the surface of the body of water. The interrogation unit generates an acoustic interrogation signal and receives responses from each of the tail acoustic transponder and the surface acoustic transponders from which it triangulates its position. The surface acoustic transponders may further include GPS receivers for receiving positioning information from GPS satellites. Additional acoustic transponders on instruments located on the floor of the body of water respond to the interrogation signal to allow triangulation of the location of the instruments.11-22-2012

Patent applications by Steven C. Constable, San Diego, CA US

William Howard Constable, San Diego, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20150278683PLASTIC SYNAPSE MANAGEMENT - A method for managing synapse plasticity in a neural network includes converting a first set of synapses from a plastic synapse type to a fixed synapse type. The method may also include converting a second set of synapses from the fixed synapse type to the plastic synapse type.10-01-2015
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