Patents Examined by Bernard G Lindsay
  • Patent number: 11586192
    Abstract: An operation assistance method for presenting a recommended operational action in response to an alert issued in a facility includes: detecting issuance of the alert; extracting, from an alert history storage unit, an issuance history of a same type of alert as the alert of which the issuance or the sign of issuance has been detected; extracting, from an operation history storage unit storing an operation history of the facility, an operational action after issuance of the same type of alert; extracting, from an operational data storage unit storing information indicating an operational state of the facility, information indicating the operational state after the operational action, and verifying an influence of the operational action on the operational state; and presenting the recommended operational action in response to the alert of which the issuance has been detected, based on the extracted operational action and the verified influence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Aiki, Kazuhiko Saito, Ryo Nishida
  • Patent number: 11579584
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of repairing a component. The method includes scanning a damaged area of the component, and preparing a repair plan in response to the scanning. The method may also include providing the repair plan to a guided tool having a position correcting controller, and removing damaged material from the component in preparation for a repair operation. An apparatus is also disclosed that includes a computing device configured for performing actions. The computing device includes a processor and a local memory. The actions include detecting damage to the component, recording position information of the detected damage, and incorporating the position information in the repair plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Christopher Brooks, Jr., Phillip Crothers
  • Patent number: 11573537
    Abstract: A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium stores a program of reinforcement learning by a state-value function. The program causes a computer to execute a process including calculating a temporal difference (TD) error based on an estimated state-value function, the TD error being calculated by giving a perturbation to each component of a feedback coefficient matrix that provides a policy; calculating based on the TD error and the perturbation, an estimated gradient function matrix acquired by estimating a gradient function matrix of the state-value function with respect to the feedback coefficient matrix for a state of a controlled object, when state variation of the controlled object in the reinforcement learning is described by a linear difference equation and an immediate cost or an immediate reward of the controlled object is described in a quadratic form of the state and an input; and updating the feedback coefficient matrix using the estimated gradient function matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignees: FUJITSU LIMITED, OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotake Sasaki, Eiji Uchibe, Kenji Doya, Hirokazu Anai, Hitoshi Yanami, Hidenao Iwane
  • Patent number: 11530835
    Abstract: There is described a system and method of a building management system for preventive maintenance of an HVAC unit. Runtime data of the HVAC unit is received at a control system remote from the HVAC unit. A service message is initiated, by the control system, to a service device associated with the HVAC unit in response to determining that a preventive maintenance visit is warranted based on the runtime data. A hot-cold test for the HVAC unit is activated by the control system in response to receiving the registration message of the preventive maintenance visit from the service device. A validation message is reported in response to validating the preventive maintenance visit based on a result of the hot-cold test for the HVAC unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hafernik, Tyrell Craig Vaughn, Robert W. Martin
  • Patent number: 11507073
    Abstract: A state display device 100 includes a display device 30 for displaying a temporal change of a first parameter representing an operation state of a thermal power generation facility 10, and a correlation between the first parameter and a second parameter representing an operation state of the thermal power generation facility 10, an input device 70 for respectively selecting and inputting a first period t1 and a second period t2 different from the first period t2 in the temporal change of the first parameter, and a processing device 50. The processing device 50 is configured to display the temporal change of the first parameter on the display device 30, and to display, on the display device 30, the correlation between the first parameter and the second parameter in each of the first period t1 and the second period t2 input via the input device 70.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Imakita, Toshihiko Niinomi
  • Patent number: 11491754
    Abstract: A method for monitoring and assessing correct position Pi of a work slide of a wedge drive tool in a press, without a position sensor. The slide of the wedge drive tool is actuated from an end position (XE) back to the starting position (XA) of the slide by a spring. The spring is arranged in the wedge drive tool. The press is opened from a lower press position to an upper press position while a slide bed of the wedge drive tool is relieved. The position of the slide is indirectly detected in that at least the restoring force of the spring is detected and evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Fibro GmbH
    Inventor: Norbert Reinmuth
  • Patent number: 11487279
    Abstract: The invention is a method to optimize solar photovoltaic power plant repowering by making use of the smart predictive and preventive maintenance which detects failures in modules or in cells within modules, i.e., aerial inspections by infrared thermography and/or electroluminescence. In the method object of the invention, the detected failed modules are separated in different types of failures: A—irreversible; B—reversible and C—partly reusable. Repowering consists on substituting modules of type A for new, more powerful ones, and re-group them series-connected within the same strings (1). Modules with type B failures are repaired and installed back in their original place, and modules C are either re-grouped in series-strings, or substituted by new, more powerful modules, also series connected in strings (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Antonio Calo Lopez, Hugo Jose Rodriguez San Segundo, Cristina De Vicente Suso
  • Patent number: 11472122
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing an additive manufacturing process in which a reinforcement material is randomly introduced to a fabrication bed. An image of the fabrication bed is captured. The image is analyzed by code in a computer to identify the actual arrangement of the randomly deposited reinforcement material relative to the object being manufactured. Based on the image data showing the reinforcement material, a toolpath is dynamically determined that incorporates the random reinforcement material. Accordingly, the toolpath incorporates the reinforcement material into the structure of the object, which can result in a reduction of the total amount of raw material is fused to create the object being manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Thibault Villette
  • Patent number: 11472116
    Abstract: Complexity of a geometry of a desired (i.e., target) three-dimensional (3D) object being produced by an additive manufacturing system, as well as atypical behavior of the processes employed by such a system, pose challenges for producing a final version of the desired 3D object with fidelity relative to the desired object. An example embodiment enables such challenges to be overcome as a function of feedback to enable the final version to be produced with fidelity. The feedback may be at least one value that is associated with at least one characteristic of a printed object following processing of the printed object. Such feedback may be obtained as part of a calibration process of the 3D printing system or as part of an operational process of the 3D printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Desktop Metal, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Tobia, Nihan Tuncer, Aaron Preston, Ricardo Fulop, Michael A. Gibson, Richard Remo Fontana, Anastasios John Hart
  • Patent number: 11473802
    Abstract: According to certain embodiments, a system comprises a primary unit and a plurality of secondary units each having a unique unit number. The primary unit is configured to communicate a command to each secondary unit with instructions to reply during a time window. The primary unit is also configured to receive a reply communication indicating the secondary unit's unique unit number from at least one of the secondary units, and determine an address to assign to the replying secondary unit based at least in part on the received unique unit number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Hongbing Lian, Saravanakumar Selvarajan, Cheng Liang Xu
  • Patent number: 11467571
    Abstract: A sensor management system includes a historical data repository, a building management system (BMS) controller, and a sensor diagnostics system. The historical data repository may store historical data by a plurality of sensors. The BMS controller may control one or more components of a building subsystem based on data provided by one or more sensors. The sensor diagnostic system may receive, from a sensor, sensor data. The sensor diagnostic system may determine at least one fault in the sensor data. The sensor diagnostic system may select, from the historical data repository, substitute sensor data for the sensor based on a comparison of one or more attributes of the sensor data and one or more attributes of the historical data in the data repository. The sensor diagnostic system may provide, in replacement of the sensor data from the sensor, the supplemental sensor data to the BMS controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Abhigyan Chatterjee, Rohit Bhagwan Mansukhani, Rajesh C. Nayak, Moheet Vishwas
  • Patent number: 11455529
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence server for controlling a plurality of robots using artificial intelligence includes a communication unit configured to receive a captured image of each of a plurality of zones and a processor configured to acquire situation information of each zone based on the received image, acquire degrees of guidance urgency respectively corresponding to the plurality of zones based on the acquired situation information of each zone, determine whether there is a degree of guidance urgency greater than a predetermined value in the acquired degrees of guidance urgency, and, when there is a degree of guidance urgency greater than the predetermined value, transmit a first control command for moving one or more robots to a zone corresponding to the degree of guidance urgency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonghoon Chae, Jisoo Park
  • Patent number: 11449032
    Abstract: A setting method according to the present invention determines a desired time response in an optimum servo control structure corresponding to a servo control structure of a control target, calculates a predetermined gain corresponding to the desired time response, and calculates a first weighting coefficient Qf, a second weighting coefficient Q, and a third weighting coefficient R of a predetermined Riccati equation according to the Riccati equation on the basis of the predetermined gain. The first weighting coefficient Qf, the second weighting coefficient Q, and the third weighting coefficient R are set as a weighting coefficient corresponding to a terminal cost, a weighting coefficient corresponding to a state quantity cost, and a weighting coefficient corresponding to a control input cost, respectively, in a predetermined evaluation function for model prediction control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mamoru Egi
  • Patent number: 11449020
    Abstract: A ceiling fan comprising an image capture device. The image capture device operable to capture one or more images depicting at least a portion of a room or area in which the ceiling fan is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Warren Weeks, Jr., Pritam Yadav, Brittany F. Reese
  • Patent number: 11428429
    Abstract: An equipment management system includes an information processing apparatus obtains equipment information about equipment, and a management apparatus. The management apparatus communicates the equipment information with the information processing apparatus under a predetermined communication condition, and manages the equipment. Either or both of the management apparatus and the information processing apparatus include a candidate communication condition generating unit that generates one or more candidate communication conditions in accordance with one or both of a state of the equipment and a state of an installation space in which the equipment is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Oumi, Hidehiko Hashimoto, Yuuki Murakami
  • Patent number: 11428434
    Abstract: A climate control unit configured to control a heating unit and a cooling unit. The climate control unit includes a temperature sensor configured to measure a current dry bulb temperature, a humidity sensor configured to measure a current relative humidity, a processor, and a storage medium operably coupled to the processor. The storage medium has software instructions stored therein, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a current apparent temperature based on the current dry bulb temperature and the current relative humidity, receive a user-selected desired apparent temperature, activate a heating mode when the current apparent temperature is below a lower apparent temperature threshold, and activate a cooling mode when the current apparent temperature is above an upper apparent temperature threshold. The software instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to automatically switch between the heating mode and the cooling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Frontiertech International Inc.
    Inventors: Bechara Philippe Assouad, Dimitri S. Chamieh
  • Patent number: 11402114
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a smart air purifier, the method including: obtaining first air cleanliness of a first area in which a first air purifier is placed, and obtaining second air cleanliness of a second area in which a second air purifier is placed; when at least one of the first air cleanliness or the second air cleanliness is equal to or smaller than a preset threshold value, driving both the first air purifier and the second air purifier; monitoring a variation of the first air cleanliness and the second air cleanliness; calculating a weight that is proportional to the variation of the first air cleanliness and the second air cleanliness; and setting a driving mode for the first air purifier and the second air purifier based on the weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jaewoong Jeong, Sangjun Oh, Youngman Kim, Kyuho Lee, Seunghyun Hwang
  • Patent number: 11391481
    Abstract: An equipment management system includes an information processing apparatus obtains equipment information about equipment, and a management apparatus. The management apparatus communicates the equipment information with the information processing apparatus under a predetermined communication condition, and manages the equipment. Either or both of the management apparatus and the information processing apparatus include a candidate communication condition generating unit that generates one or more candidate communication conditions in accordance with one or both of a state of the equipment and a state of an installation space in which the equipment is installed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Oumi, Hidehiko Hashimoto, Yuuki Murakami
  • Patent number: 11378934
    Abstract: A diagnostic system is provided and includes a plurality of processors configured to receive data acquired by a sensor. A first processor can execute a safety function that determines a plurality of sensor measurement from the received data, compares selected sensor measurements to predetermined alarm set points, and determines a safety function output for the selected sensor measurements based upon the sensor measurement comparison. A second processor can determine a shadow function output corresponding to the safety function outputs during different respective portions a diagnostic interval. The shadow function output can be configured to replicate the safety function output under conditions where the safety function output is free from error. A third processor can be configured to validate the safety function output by comparing the safety function output to its corresponding shadow function output and outputting a condition based upon the validation comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Dustin Hess, Paul Richetta, Raymond Jensen
  • Patent number: 11366435
    Abstract: A control device to perform feedback control based on a current value, and output a first voltage value includes a feedforward controller using an inverse model of a plant; a feedforward voltage corrector to correct a voltage disturbance due to a modeling error between the plant and a model of the plant; a repetitive controller to learn periodic current disturbances; and a switch. The switch is ON when the current response is in a steady state, and the repetitive controller learns the disturbances and corrects a command current value. A feedback controller outputs the first voltage value by performing the feedback control based on a current value from the corrected command current value, and inputs the command current value to the inverse model to generate a second voltage value. The control device outputs a sum of the first and the second voltage value as a command voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignees: NIDEC CORPORATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujimoto, Linfeng Lan, Tomonari Mori, Masanori Watahiki