Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120310759 | COLLECTING AND REDEEMING DYNAMICALLY PRICED DEPOSITS ON GOODS - Goods may be collected and dynamically priced deposits may be redeemed to consumers. A good may be sold to a consumer and the details of the sale may be stored in a memory. A price may be collected for the good and this may be stored in the memory. A deposit on the good may be collected where the good may contain a unique code and where the deposit is correlated to a current market value of the good. The unique code may be stored with the details about the good in a memory where the unique code includes information representing at least one of whether the good is refurbish-able and whether the good contains desired recyclable material, a manufacturer of the good and a date of manufacture of the good. If the consumer consents, an indication of the consumer may be stored with the unique code. The returned good may be refurbished or recycled and the consumer may be offered a return of a deposit based on the current market value of the good which may be based on the value of the materials in the good. | 12-06-2012 |
20130161380 | Apparatus and Method for Providing Product Information - A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, an analog to digital converter, a passive radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The analog to digital converter is adapted to convert an analog output of the sensor to a digital value. The analog to digital converter includes input and output terminals. The input terminals of the analog to digital converter are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The passive radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the analog to digital converter. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip. | 06-27-2013 |
20130162402 | Apparatus and Method for Providing Product Information - A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, a radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The output of the sensor alters the value of at least one bit in the memory of the chip. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip. | 06-27-2013 |
20130320924 | BATTERY-CHARGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF CHARGING BATTERIES - A battery-charging device and a method of charging batteries. The device comprises a housing, at least one hopper configured to receive a plurality of batteries, and at least one indexing barrel adjacent to the hopper and having a charging slot configured to receive and support one battery. The indexing barrel is structured to move the battery supported by the charging slot to and from a charging station comprising a set of charging terminals configured to contact terminals of the battery for charging the battery. The device further comprises at least one dispensing chute and at least one rejection chute. The chutes are configured to receive batteries that have been charged or rejected by the device, wherein each of the chutes is structured to contain several batteries. | 12-05-2013 |
20140014716 | Apparatus and Method for Providing Product Information - A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, an analog to digital converter, a passive radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The analog to digital converter is adapted to convert an analog output of the sensor to a digital value. The analog to digital converter includes input and output terminals. The input terminals of the analog to digital converter are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The passive radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the analog to digital converter. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip. | 01-16-2014 |
20140015644 | Apparatus and Method for Providing Product Information - A sensor system comprises a tag. The tag comprises at least one sensor, a radio-frequency chip, and a first antenna. The sensor is adapted to provide an output analogous to a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor produces an analog output and includes output terminals. The radio-frequency chip comprises a memory element, input terminals and output terminals. The input terminals are disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the sensor. The output of the sensor alters the value of at least one bit in the memory of the chip. The first antenna is disposed in electrical communication with the output terminals of the chip. | 01-16-2014 |
20140062663 | SMART POWER SOURCE - An article having a conductive body, a magnetic diverter, and a communication device is described. The magnetic diverter is positioned on an outer surface of the conductive body. The magnetic diverter covers a substantial portion of the outer surface of the conductive body. A communication device is positioned on the outer surface of the diverter or may be recessed therein. The communication device is capable of signal coupling with a reader. | 03-06-2014 |
20140079972 | ANODE BALANCED LITHIUM-IRON DISULFIDE PRIMARY CELL - A primary electrochemical cell having an anode comprising lithium and a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS | 03-20-2014 |
20140188413 | REMOTE SENSING OF REMAINING BATTERY CAPACITY USING ON-BATTERY CIRCUITRY - A method of remote sensing a charge includes charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source. A response signal is provided from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage. An amount of time taken for the handheld computing device to receive the response signal is determined using a processor. The processor determines charge information using the amount of time. | 07-03-2014 |
20140302347 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An electrochemical cell has a housing. The housing has at least one open end and a sidewall. The sidewall has a recess. An anode; a cathode; a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte are included within the housing. An end cap assembly is placed within the at least one open end of the housing. An integrated circuit is positioned within the recess in the sidewall. | 10-09-2014 |
20140302348 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An electrochemical cell has a housing. The housing has at least one open end and a sidewall. The sidewall has a recess. An anode; a cathode; a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte are included within the housing. An end cap assembly is placed within the at least one open end of the housing. An integrated circuit is positioned on a surface of the end cap. | 10-09-2014 |
20140302349 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An electrochemical cell has a housing. The housing has at least one closed end. An anode; a cathode; a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte are included within the housing. An integrated circuit is positioned on a surface of the closed end of the housing. | 10-09-2014 |
20140302350 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An electrochemical cell has a housing. The housing has at least one open end and a sidewall. An anode; a cathode; a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte are included within the housing. A label is affixed to an external surface of the sidewall of the housing. The label includes a recess and an integrated circuit positioned within the recess. | 10-09-2014 |
20140302351 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL INCLUDING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An electrochemical cell has a housing. The housing has at least one open end and a sidewall. An anode; a cathode; a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an electrolyte are included within the housing. A magnetic diverter is affixed to an external surface of the sidewall of the housing. The magnetic diverter includes a recess. An integrated circuit is positioned within the recess. | 10-09-2014 |
20140347249 | OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA FOR A CYLINDRICAL BODY - An antenna for a cylindrical body may include a flexible substrate with the antenna on it with a first terminal and a second terminal electrically connected to an integrated circuit, the flexible substrate coupled to the cylindrical body. | 11-27-2014 |
20140379285 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTELY DETERMINING A BATTERY CHARACTERISTIC - Included are embodiments for remotely determining a battery characteristic. Some embodiments include searching for a first wireless signal that identifies the energy storage device and, in response to receiving the first wireless signal, determining a current charge level of the energy storage device. Some embodiments include receiving a second wireless signal from the energy storage device, determining from the second wireless signal, whether the current charge level of the energy storage device reaches a predetermined threshold, and in response to determining that the current charge level of the energy storage device reaches the predetermined threshold, sending, by the computing device, an alert indicating the current charge level. | 12-25-2014 |
20150084429 | WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER USING SEPARATELY TUNABLE RESONATORS - A system for wireless energy transfer includes a circuit for wireless transmission of energy, including a first, tunable resonator circuit including a transmitter coil and a variable capacitance device connected in shunt across the transmitter coil. Also disclosed is a circuit for wireless reception of energy including a tunable second resonator circuit including a receiver coil inductively coupled to the transmitter coil and a variable capacitance device connected in shunt across the receiver coil. Also disclosed is an arrangement for wireless energy transmission and reception that foregoes the necessity for separate circuits for DC rectification at the reception end of the arrangement. Also disclosed a system for wireless energy transfer where the system includes a tunable resonator circuit embedded in a surface such as piece of furniture, counter, etc., e.g., a table. | 03-26-2015 |