PHILIP JAMES WITHAM
Pilots at Rice Ct, Portland, OR

6125972, Oct 3, 2000

Feb 20, 1998

9/026652

John R. French - San Diego CA
David M. Giuntoli - San Diego CA
Thomas K. Bailey - San Diego CA
Philip J. Witham - Portland OR

Carttronics LLC - San Diego CA

B60B 3300

188 112

A security apparatus for a shopping cart or other wheeled vehicle having a plurality of casters has a braking member rotatably mounted on a wheel axle of one of the wheels. The braking member is movable between a raised position spaced above the ground surface and an operative position contacting the ground surface, and has a portion projecting radially outwardly from the outer peripheral rim of the wheel at least in the operative position so as to separate the wheel from the ground and impede movement of the vehicle. A locking device releasably locks the braking member in the raised position, and is released by a trigger device in response to a signal from a signal system extending around an area in which carts are to be retained, at which point the braking member rotates into the operative position, stopping normal movement of the cart.

5973596, Oct 26, 1999

Mar 26, 1998

9/048763

John R. French - San Diego CA
Philip Witham - Portland OR

G08B 1314

3405686

One aspect of the invention is directed to a security system for a golf bag with a set of golf clubs. The invention may utilize a small, lightweight control subsystem which is easily mounted on a golfer's existing golf bag to protect both the golf clubs and the bag from theft. In another embodiment, the golf security system may be built into or integrated with a golf bag. The golf security system utilizes the electronic, programmable control subsystem which is designed to prohibit false alarms and senses minute unauthorized changes in the electromagnetic field defined by a detection loop. The control subsystem may include an input device such as a keypad, an electronic key, or other similar input means to arm and disarm the system. In one embodiment, a tag having high magnetic permeability is attached to golf clubs having non-metallic shafts.

6486768, Nov 26, 2002

Sep 16, 1998

09/153912

John R. French - San Diego CA
Philip Witham - Portland OR

CartTronics, LLC - San Diego CA

G06F 704

340 592, 194211, 194213, 194905, 705 14, 705 26, 235383, 235385

A system and method for providing an incentive to a cutomer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location. The cart return location, such as a cart corral, has a plurality of detection loops at an entrance to the corral. The system detects a change in inductance of the loops when a cart is returned to the cart corral and generates a cart return signal, which is indicative of a returned cart, in response to the change of inductance. The system determines wheather a cart is being removed from or returned to the cart corral by use of the multiple detection loops. Visual and/or audible feedback indicative of an action may be provided to the customer.

6975205, Dec 13, 2005

Mar 23, 2000

09/535076

John French - San Diego CA, US
Philip Witham - Portland OR, US

Carttronics, LLC - Carlsbad CA

H04Q019/00

340 592, 194211, 705 14, 235383, 3405185

A system and method for providing an incentive to a customer of a store to return a shopping cart to a cart return location. The system generates a cart return signal. The system determines whether a cart is being removed from or returned to the cart corral. Alternatively, a radio frequency identification system may be used to detect return of a cart. The shopper is credited with points or credits in a frequent shopper or reward program for returning the shopping cart to the cart return location. The cart return system may be readily configured to integrate with a wide range of existing, or new frequent shopper or loyalty programs.

8315509, Nov 20, 2012

Jan 27, 2005

11/883147

Philip James Witham - Portland OR, US

Thomson Licensing - Boulogne-Billancourt

H04N 5/783, H04N 9/80, H04N 5/93, H04N 5/917

386343, 386248, 386344, 386353, 386356

A system for playing digital video at varying playback speeds can include a fetcher module configured to retrieve encoded pictures from a data store and an allocator module configured to selectively delete encoded pictures from an input cache. The system further can include a decoder module and an output cache module. The decoder module can decode pictures received from the input cache. The output cache module can store a plurality of decoded pictures and provide selected ones of the pictures as output. Pictures are processed within each of the modules according to a priority corresponding to each picture.

2013000, Jan 3, 2013

Jun 27, 2012

13/535236

Philip James Witham - Portland OR, US

G01N 23/04, G01N 23/02

250251

The invention includes a source stream of neutral particles (neutral atoms and neutral molecules, but not neutrons) in free molecular flow, a beam forming element disposed within the source stream having at least one small aperture located proximal to the sample allowing part of the source stream to pass through the aperture as a beam of neutral particles directed at the sample for revealing the sample, a control positioner for scanning the beam of neutral particles over or through portions of said sample surface, optionally one or more detector nozzles having an inlet positioned to collect neutral particles proceeding from or through the sample surface in free molecular flow, at least one detector, the detector arranged to sense neutral particles proceeding from the sample, and a processor connected to the detector and control positioner for generating an image of said sample.