James Theodore Mcbride

US Patent:

20220410410, Dec 29, 2022

Filed:

Aug 22, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/893145

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Leila Madrone - San Francisco CA, US
Peter S. Lynn - San Francisco CA, US
Kevin Simon - San Francisco CA, US
James McBride - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

B25J 18/06
B25J 9/14
F24S 50/20
F24S 50/00
F24S 30/425
F24S 23/74
F24S 30/48
F24S 30/428
F24S 30/452
F16J 3/04
H02S 20/32
F03G 6/02
H02S 40/00

Abstract:

A fluidic solar actuation system comprising a plurality of fluidic solar actuators that each include a first fluidic inflatable actuator, and a second fluidic inflatable actuator. The system also includes a fluidic routing system configured to covey a fluid originating from a fluid source to: the respective first fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the first fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the first fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the second fluidic inflatable actuators, and the respective second fluidic inflatable actuators of the plurality of fluidic solar actuators, the second fluidic inflatable actuators ganged so as to be fluidically connected such that the second fluidic inflatable actuators are configured to be inflated together and separate from the first fluidic inflatable actuators.

US Patent:

20210331332, Oct 28, 2021

Filed:

Jul 9, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/371624

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Leila Madrone - San Francisco CA, US
Peter S. Lynn - San Francisco CA, US
Kevin Simon - San Francisco CA, US
James McBride - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

B25J 18/06
H02S 20/32
F16J 3/04
F24S 30/425
B25J 9/14
F24S 50/20
F03G 6/02
F24S 50/00
F24S 23/74
F24S 30/48
F24S 30/428
F24S 30/452
H02S 40/00
B25J 9/00
F24S 30/00

Abstract:

A solar actuator system comprising at least one actuator assembly. The actuator assembly includes: a top coupler; an angled bottom coupler having a top-end and respective first and second faces on opposing first and second sides of the top-end, the angled bottom coupler coupled to the top coupler via a one-degree-of-freedom joint between the top coupler and the angled bottom coupler; and at least a first and second actuator, with the first actuator disposed on the first side of the angled bottom coupler and the second actuator disposed on the second side of the angled bottom coupler.

US Patent:

20210215445, Jul 15, 2021

Filed:

Mar 10, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/197910

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Saul Griffith - San Francisco CA, US
Sam Sarcia - San Francisco CA, US
Brent Ridley - Huntington Beach CA, US
Shara Maikranz - San Francisco CA, US
James McBride - San Francisco CA, US
Vincent Domenic Romanin - San Francisco CA, US
Keith Pasko - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

F28F 21/06
F28D 1/02
F28D 1/047
C02F 1/04
C02F 1/06
B01D 1/26
B01D 1/28
F28B 1/06
B01D 1/02
F04B 35/01
F28F 3/14
F28F 3/06
F04B 25/00
F04B 39/00
F04B 39/12
F04B 45/02
F04B 53/14
F04D 25/08
F15B 15/10

Abstract:

An air thermal conditioning system, for at least one of heating air and cooling air, which includes a cross-flow heat exchanger array. The cross-flow heat exchanger array includes a plurality of planar membrane heat exchangers disposed in parallel with a space separating adjacent planar membrane heat exchangers. Each of the planar membrane heat exchangers include a first sheet; a second sheet coupled to the first sheet; and at least one fluid chamber defined by the first and second sheets, with the at least one fluid chamber extending between first and second ends of the planar membrane heat exchangers and opening to a first and second port at the first and second ends respectively.

US Patent:

20200220492, Jul 9, 2020

Filed:

Mar 13, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/818346

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Kyle Douglas BETTS - San Francisco CA, US
Peter Sturt LYNN - Oakland CA, US
Louis Hong BASEL - Berkeley CA, US
Brent RIDLEY - Huntington Beach CA, US
Saul Thomas GRIFFITH - San Francisco CA, US
James Dylan MCBRIDE - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey LAMB - San Francisco CA, US
Eric Preston Lien SUAN - Baltimore MD, US
Erica LIN - Millbrae CA, US
Joshua ERICKSON - Oakland CA, US
Vincent Domenic ROMANIN - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

H02S 20/32
F15B 15/10
H02S 20/30

Abstract:

An actuator assembly that includes an angled bottom plate having an opposing first side face and second side face; a first set of one or more inflatable actuators engaging the first side face of the angled bottom plate; and a second set of one or more inflatable actuators engaging the second side face of the angled bottom plate. The first and second sets of inflatable actuators are configured to be separately fluidically inflated.

US Patent:

20190329427, Oct 31, 2019

Filed:

Jul 9, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/506833

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Leila Madrone - San Francisco CA, US
Peter S. Lynn - Oakland CA, US
Kevin Simon - San Francisco CA, US
James McBride - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

B25J 18/06
B25J 9/14
F24S 50/00
F24S 50/20
H02S 40/00
H02S 20/32
F03G 6/02
F24S 30/425
F24S 23/74
F24S 30/428
F24S 30/48
F24S 30/452

Abstract:

A solar actuator comprises a top coupler, a bottom coupler, and a plurality of fluidic bellows actuators, wherein a fluidic bellows actuator of the plurality of fluidic bellows actuators moves the top coupler relative to the bottom coupler.

US Patent:

20190059249, Feb 28, 2019

Filed:

Oct 30, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/174785

Inventors:

- Oakland CA, US
James McBride - Berkeley CA, US
Daniel Urban - Palo Alto CA, US
Robert Heilmayr - Piedmont CA, US

International Classification:

A01G 25/16

Abstract:

Systems and methods for assessing a field of plants for irrigation having program code to acquire at least one thermal image of a field having a plurality of plants thereon; generate a thermal map of the field from the thermal image providing a thermal value for a plurality of geographically referenced locations in the field; measure at least one weather parameter for the field; calculate a water stress value for each of the plurality of locations using the weather parameter and the thermal value; and estimate a water property value for each of the plurality of locations using the water stress value and a predetermined correlation of the water stress value and the water property value. Thus, the system leverages high-resolution aerial thermal imagery to estimate plant stress with the advantage of obtaining estimates of the water property value, such as the stem water potential (SWP), potentially for every plant in a field, thereby providing a more powerful tool for irrigation scheduling.

US Patent:

20190020303, Jan 17, 2019

Filed:

Sep 18, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/134844

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Kyle Douglas BETTS - San Francisco CA, US
Peter Sturt LYNN - Oakland CA, US
Louis Hong BASEL - Berkeley CA, US
Brent RIDLEY - Huntington Beach CA, US
Saul Thomas GRIFFITH - San Francisco CA, US
James Dylan MCBRIDE - San Francisco CA, US
Jeffrey LAMB - San Francisco CA, US
Eric Preston Lien SUAN - Baltimore MD, US
Erica LIN - Millbrae CA, US
Joshua ERICKSON - Oakland CA, US
Vincent Domenic ROMANIN - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

H02S 20/32
H02S 20/30
F15B 15/10

Abstract:

A pneumatically actuated solar panel array system that includes a plurality of separate actuator assemblies that each have a top plate and bottom plate and a first and second bellows that each extend between and are coupled to the top and bottom plates at a respective top head and bottom head, the first and second bellows being configured to be separately pneumatically inflated, where the pneumatic inflation expands the bellows along a length. The pneumatically actuated solar panel array system can also include a plurality of solar panels coupled to the actuator assemblies with the solar panels being configured to be actuated based on inflation of one or more bellows associated with the plurality of actuator assembles.

US Patent:

20170325418, Nov 16, 2017

Filed:

May 13, 2016

Appl. No.:

15/154926

Inventors:

- Oakland CA, US
James McBride - Berkeley CA, US
Dan Urban - Palo Alto CA, US
Robert Heilmayr - Piedmont CA, US

International Classification:

A01G 25/16
G05D 7/06

Abstract:

A method of estimating a water property value for plants using aerial thermal images is provided. The thermal image values and at least one weather parameter are used to calculate a water stress value. The water property value is estimated using the water stress value and a predetermined correlation between the water stress value and the water property value.