Patents Represented by Attorney Dennis A. DeBoo
  • Patent number: 6907692
    Abstract: Spinning vase comprising a hollow member and an inner member inserted within the hollow member, the inner member comprising an ornament receiving top end for receiving a ornament such as a floral upwardly emanating beyond the open upper end of the hollow member, and a tapered bottom end terminating to a point gravity biased against a bottom interior surface of the hollow member for providing limited frictional engagement therewith such that the inner member rotates and/or spins about the point for rotating and/or spinning the floral as a function of an applied torque provided by vibration to the device or by a differential air pressure acting on the floral. A pliant bumper circumscribes the inner member for deflecting the inner member away from a sidewall of the hollow member to help sustain the rotation and/or spin of the ornament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Inventor: Karan Mari Hintze
  • Patent number: 6906532
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6898469
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring an apparatus or process asset including creating a process model comprised of a plurality of process submodels each correlative to at least one training data subset partitioned from an unpartitioned training data set and each having an operating mode associated thereto; acquiring a set of observed signal data values from the asset; determining an operating mode of the asset for the set of observed signal data values; selecting a process submodel from the process model as a function of the determined operating mode of the asset; calculating a set of estimated signal data values from the selected process submodel for the determined operating mode; and determining asset status as a function of the calculated set of estimated signal data values for providing asset surveillance and/or control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Intellectual Assets LLC
    Inventor: Randall L. Bickford
  • Patent number: 6892163
    Abstract: System and method providing surveillance of an asset such as a process and/or apparatus by providing training and surveillance procedures that numerically fit a probability density function to an observed residual error signal distribution that is correlative to normal asset operation and then utilizes the fitted probability density function in a dynamic statistical hypothesis test for providing improved asset surveillance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Intellectual Assets LLC
    Inventors: James P. Herzog, Randall L. Bickford
  • Patent number: 6889096
    Abstract: An industrial plant asset management system comprising of a synchronized multiple view graphical user interface combining simultaneous real time and database display capability, a database including a knowledge manager and having input and output interfaces, a normalizing data acquisition module with real time and database interfaces, and a variety of device dependent data collector modules with associated signal conditioning and processing devices for providing an environment for development and deployment of visual models for monitoring plant assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventors: Robert L. Spriggs, Robert D. Hayashida, Kenneth P. Ceglia, Diana L. Seymour, Michael D. Peden, Paul F. Richetta, Matthew D. Anderson, Daryl R. Frogget, Scott A. Roby, Denmark A. Jensen
  • Patent number: 6868656
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a comfort management system for equine and, in particular, to a multi-purpose, multi-functional hoof-ware device, boot or shoe and multiple, interchangeable inserts for all equine hooves that uses, attaches, wraps, and fits the hoof while the equine is stalled, walking, trotting, loping for the purposes of protection, healing, alignment, cushioning and/or any other medicinal purposes for any given period of time fitting all sizes of equine hooves in multiple hoof environments, such as, diagnostics, normal use, during and after performance, corrective, medicinal purposes, emergencies situations, for preventative purposes, and rehabilitation of the hoof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Inventors: Tommy Lee Osha, Martin L. Rand, Gary A. Berg
  • Patent number: 6862838
    Abstract: Non-trolling fishing leader apparatus comprised of a single braided steel cable having a first end portion coupled to a fishing line supplied from a rod and real and having a second end portion coupled to a baited hook or lure such that leader apparatus is devoid of external weights attached thereon and proximate the baited hook or lure and is comprised of a designated length, weight, and rigidity for keeping it elongated along a bottom of a body of water when cast and set for providing a substantially impulse free response to a big game fish taking the baited hook or lure without having the unnatural feel or counter force of external weights and further including a weighted element slideably coupled to the fishing line for sliding on the fishing line in response to the fish for continuing the natural impulse response for securely catching big game fish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: William F. Gibbs
  • Patent number: 6861852
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6850077
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6850078
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6847217
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6842020
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Rich Slates
  • Patent number: 6825676
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6826490
    Abstract: A transducer calibration apparatus and method for transforming both previously established transducer parameters for a transducer calibrated to a first target object material and measured transducer parameters for the transducer monitoring a second different target object material into a calibration parameter and transforming the output of the transducer and thus, the use of the transducer, from the first target object material used to calibrate the transducer to the second different target object material being subsequently monitored by the transducer by linearizing the output of the transducer into gap values as a function of the calculated calibration parameter and then, generating alarms based on the linearized output of the transducer exceeding established limits and using the alarms to automatically shut down a machine being monitored by the transducer and/or automatically annunciate machine problems to personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Bentley Nevada, LLC
    Inventors: Roger A. Hala, Ingrid M. Foster
  • Patent number: 6819122
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibrations method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6816816
    Abstract: A transducer fault detection system that transforms transducer measurements into slew rate measurement, and determines which, if any, of the slew rate measurement are anomalous or correlative to faults. The system can generate alarms based on these determinations. The system may also transform transducer measurements into digitized voltage measurements, determine how long a succession of the digitized voltage measurements remain within at least one defined voltage window, and determine if there is a correlation between the determined time duration of digitized voltage measurements and an anomalous condition. Each determined anomalous condition may then be associated to a defined fault for gaining fault specificity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventors: Richard D. Slates, Ingrid M. Foster, Roger G. Harker
  • Patent number: 6803757
    Abstract: A proximity probe system comprising a multi-coil proximity probe including a drive coil, a sense coil and a reference coil. The system includes a signal generator driving the drive coil with an alternating current for creating a magnetic field that induces eddy currents in a proximate conductive object resulting in an eddy current induced magnetic field emanating therefrom. The sense coil is interposed between the object and the drive coil for outputting an object induced alternating current that is detected by the system and correlated to a position of the object relative to the probe. The reference coil is positioned to be inductively coupled to the drive coil for carrying a drive coil induced alternating current that is detected, conditioned and feedback to the signal generator for controlling the magnetic field radiating from the drive coil while sensing the the object induced alternating current in the sense coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Bentley Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard Dale Slates
  • Patent number: 6798194
    Abstract: A digital eddy current proximity system including a digital impedance measuring device for digitally measuring the proximity probes impedance correlative to displacement motion and position of a metallic target object being monitored. The system further including a cable-length calibration method, an automatic material identification and calibration method, a material insensitive method, an inductive ratio method and advanced sensing characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6799139
    Abstract: A System for determining machine running speed by sampling and digitizing a complex signal sensed by a transducer monitoring a machine into a digitized signal; mixing the digitized signal with a digitized signal having a predetermined frequency for obtaining a stream of inphase and quadrature components; filtering intervals of the stream of components for obtaining a plurality of vectors each having a phase; determining a unknown signal frequency of a vibration component contained in the complex vibration signal as a function of at least the one phase per second value, and calculating the machine running speed as a function of the plurality of vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventor: Richard D. Slates
  • Patent number: 6789030
    Abstract: A portable data collector and analyzer apparatus and method provides predictive and preventative maintenance of a multiplicity of assets through the use of a unique architecture that allows a variety of different application programs to be downloaded to the apparatus for providing a single multi-purpose portable data collector and analyzer apparatus that can employ the variety of different application programs for configuring, inter alia, different measurements types, different transducers types and different signal processing types for collecting and analyzing sensed physical data from a variety of different assets found in industrial plants. A unique frequency shifting and decimation method is employed for spectrum calculation that, inter alia, retains DSP addressing efficiency and increases signal processing speed. Additionally, a unique synchronous sampling method is employed that generates synchronous sample waveforms from asynchronous sample waveforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Bently Nevada, LLC
    Inventors: Sean Coyle, Christopher Dagnall, Andrew Barnes, Anthony Doggett, Dean Wood