Patents Examined by Christopher W Carter
  • Patent number: 11561524
    Abstract: A programmable controller allocates times obtained by dividing executable time in one operation cycle to a plurality of paths, executes sequence programs of the paths within the respective allocated times, and measures extra time that is a remainder of each of the allocation times when execution of each of the sequence programs ends. Then, the programmable controller determines whether a predetermined sequence program is to be executed in the measured extra time, and instructs the sequence execution unit to execute the predetermined sequence program in the extra time in accordance with a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nao Onose, Mitsuru Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11554448
    Abstract: Disclosed is a machine learning device of a cutting condition adjustment apparatus including: a state observation section that observes, as state variables indicating a current state of an environment, cutting condition data indicating a laser cutting condition for a laser cutting and oblique rearward temperature rise data indicating a temperature rise value at an oblique rearward part of a cutting front of a workpiece, a determination data acquisition unit that acquires temperature rise value determination data for determining propriety of the temperature rise value during cutting based on the laser cutting condition for the laser cutting as determination data indicating a propriety determination result of the cutting of the workpiece, and a learning unit that learns the temperature rise value and adjustment of the laser cutting condition for the laser cutting in association with each other using the state variables and the determination data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Izumi
  • Patent number: 11537115
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products and/or systems are provided that perform the following operations: obtaining digital replica models for equipment at an industrial location; receiving data feeds associated with the equipment; simulating operations of the equipment based on the digital replica models and the data feeds; predicting one or more events associated with areas within the industrial location based, at least in part, on the simulating of operations of the equipment; and determining one or more mitigation procedures based on the one or more predicted events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Venkata Vara Prasad Karri, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 11536247
    Abstract: A method for reducing extreme loads acting on a component of a wind turbine includes measuring, via one or more sensors, a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes predicting at least one blade moment of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine based on the plurality of operating parameters. The method also includes predicting a load and an associated load angle of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the at least one blade moment. Moreover, the method includes predicting a pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine. In addition, the method includes generating a load envelope for the component that comprises at least one load value for the pitch angle and the load angle. Thus, the method includes implementing a control action when the load is outside of the load envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Prashanth Kumar Reddy Vaddi, Dhanesh Chandrashekar Pathuvoth, Venkata Krishna Vadlamudi
  • Patent number: 11500399
    Abstract: An example system includes a processor to receive parameters of a fluid network control system. The processor can formulate an optimal control problem as proportions of server effort. The processor can also solve the optimal control problem using a robust counterpart of a separated continuous linear programming (SCLP). The processor can further adjust a parameter of the fluid network control system based on the optimal solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Evgeny Shindin, Odellia Boni, Harold Jeffrey Ship
  • Patent number: 11486593
    Abstract: An indoor air quality (IAQ) system for a building includes an IAQ sensor that is located within the building and that is configured to measure an IAQ parameter. The IAQ parameter is one of: an amount of particulate of at least a predetermined size present in air; an amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in air; and an amount of carbon dioxide present in air. A mitigation module is configured to: selectively turn on a mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with a first ON threshold and a second ON threshold; and selectively turn off the mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with an OFF threshold. A clean module is configured to determine a clean value for the IAQ parameter. A thresholds module is configured to, based on the clean value, determine the first ON threshold and the OFF threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart K. Morgan, Hung Pham, Brian R. Butler
  • Patent number: 11416951
    Abstract: An equipment management system 100 comprises a manager 210 configured to manage information on a plurality of power generation facilities 300 having a power generation equipment 310 connected to a power grid configured by a power transmission network; and a controller 230 configured to, when defect information on defect of a power generation equipment 310 provided in a first power generation facility, which is one of the plurality of power generation facilities, is acquired, predict defect of a power generation equipment 310 provided in a second power generation facility, which is different from the first power generation facility. The controller 230 is configured to predict the defect of the power generation equipment 310 provided in the second power generation facility based on the cause of the defect of the power generation equipment 310 provided in the first power generation facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku Nakayama, Kei Iwata, Takashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11366444
    Abstract: To enable acquisition of operation information of CNC corresponding to periodic operation of PLC, even when the CNC is unable to respond due to the timing of machining, the loading status, etc. The PLC device includes: a special instruction control unit that sets, to a special instruction for acquiring operation information indicating an operation state of a control device from the control device controlling an industrial machine, a cyclic time for causing the control device to periodically acquire and retain the operation information in a case in which the control device is unable to respond, and transmits to the control device the special instruction in which the cyclic time is set; and an acquisition unit that acquires the operation information acquired on the basis of the cyclic time from the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nao Onose, Mitsuru Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11340582
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a method of processing a 3D object model includes receiving render data of a 2D slice of a 3D object model and generating distance values indicating how far away voxels in the 2D slice are from a nearest edge of the 3D object model. The method also includes detecting a feature of the 3D object model from the distance values, and generating modified render data to be subsequently used in a 3D printing system to produce the feature in a 3D part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jake Wright, Matthew A Shepherd
  • Patent number: 11340637
    Abstract: The present invention is a fluid distribution system comprising connected conduits (e.g., lines) wherein fluid flows, such as pipes within a building. The lines may be configured to: (i) include multiple lines that connect at intersections (some of the intersections will be identified as nodes); and (ii) incorporate node units associated with line pressure loss simulation assemblies (“LLSAs”). Activities of a node unit incorporating a LLSA can result in alterations in fluid pressure, such as by a loop control process to reposition balancing valves or other valves of one or more LLSAs, and/or by alteration of the speed of the system pump. These activities adjust fluid pressure to cause the system to produce a balanced and high efficiency energy transfer (e.g., heating or cooling), and do not involve or require any identification or use of any specific, fixed or absolute pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventor: John Faiczak
  • Patent number: 11326796
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating power from airflow powered smart vents associated with security and automation systems. One method includes monitoring a rate of airflow through an air vent in a centralized heating and cooling system, generating, at a sensor at the air vent, power based at least in part on the rate of airflow through the air vent, storing the generated power in the sensor at the air vent, providing the stored power to one or more motors associated with the sensor at the air vent, and utilizing the stored power to perform communication between the sensor at the air vent and a control panel of the home automation system, wherein the control panel is located at a location different from a location of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: VIVINT, INC.
    Inventors: Rongbin Lanny Lin, Brandon Bunker, Shiwei Liu
  • Patent number: 11307549
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of control devices that respectively control the states of a plurality of apparatuses and are connected to each other via communication lines. When each of the control devices determines a state target value of its own apparatus using the current state indicator value of the own apparatus, and the distributed controller input which is a function of the state indicator value of an apparatus adjacent to the own apparatus and the state indicator value of the own apparatus, the control gain which adjusts contribution of the distributed controller input to the state target value is determined based on a communication delay time between the control devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kikuchi, Michihiro Kawanishi, Tatsuo Narikiyo, Ngoc Huynh Tran
  • Patent number: 11300407
    Abstract: A method of evaluating flatness of a two-dimensional area of a surface of an unfinished workpiece prior to performance of a process step in which a prescribed operation is performed on the surface by a tool. A flatness value for the surface is calculated and used either to allow or to disallow the prescribed operation to proceed, and when allowed, uses the flatness value for parameter adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Boris Novakovic, Christian Peter Holtkamp
  • Patent number: 11287793
    Abstract: To read respective values as updated of a plurality of variables synchronization of which respective values is ensured while tasks are being carried out in a multi-tasking manner, a PLC 10 reads respective values as updated of variables A to C in such a manner as to complete reading the respective values as updated of the variables A to C during a time period from (i) a time point of a start of a single instance of a cycle of a task which cycle is shortest to (ii) a time point of an end of the single instance of the cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kojima, Takahiro Toku
  • Patent number: 11286175
    Abstract: Fluid stream management systems and methods relating thereto are described. The fluid management system includes a neural network, which comprises: (i) an input layer that is communicatively coupled to one or more fluid facility sensors and/or one or more pre-processing flow sensors such that one or more of the flow condition attribute values are received the neural network; (ii) one or more intermediate layers, which are configured to constrain one or more of the flow condition attribute values to arrive at modified flow condition attribute values; (iii) an output layer, which transmits, one or more modified flow condition attribute values to a downstream control device. This control device and other computation devices perform certain calculations that ultimately inform a flow controller, which in turn, instructs a flow-directing device regarding management of fluid streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: EMNET, LLC
    Inventors: Luis Montestruque, Timothy P. Ruggaber, Ruben Kertesz, Alireza Partovi, Timothy P. Braun, Bryant McDonnell
  • Patent number: 11240951
    Abstract: Provided is a method for allocating assemblies to placement lines for placing components on the assemblies, wherein an expected production time is determined for each assembly type of the assemblies to be provided with components and for each placement line, taking into consideration each cycle time for the assembly type on the placement line and the expected number of pieces to be produced for each assembly type. The actual number of pieces to be produced arises according to a predeterminable probability distribution, wherein the possible allocations of assemblies to the placement lines are restricted by the existing infrastructure and/or by user defined specifications, and the allocation of the assemblies to the placement lines is calculated by means of an optimization method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Alexander Pfaffinger, Christian Royer
  • Patent number: 11208920
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method for controlling a power generation system, the method including: calculating, during operation of the power generation system, a target water level within a pressure vessel of the power generation system, the pressure vessel receiving a feedwater input and generating a steam output; calculating a flow rate change of the steam output from the pressure vessel; calibrating the target water level within the pressure vessel based on the output from mass flux through the pressure vessel, the mass flux through the pressure vessel being derived from the at least the feedwater input and the steam output; and adjusting an operating parameter of the power generation system based on the calibrated target water level within the pressure vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Lawrence Meyer, Cody Joe Bushey
  • Patent number: 11179854
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for disassembling products. In one example, a system may comprise a cutting room having a positioning device configured to position products at a cutting system, where cut products may fall to a transport system to be conveyed to a storage system. In some examples, the cutting room is fully automated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SSI Shredding Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lee Sage
  • Patent number: 11160201
    Abstract: A component mounting system includes a component mounting apparatus, a data creating apparatus and a component arranging operation supporting apparatus. The component mounting apparatus mounts components on a substrate. The data creating apparatus creates component data for each component. The component arranging operation supporting apparatus includes an identification information acquiring unit that acquires component identification information given to the component supplying member, and a control unit which checks a component to be disposed in a position based on the component identification information. The control unit of the component arranging operation supporting apparatus performs a request for a creation of component data regarding an alternative component, and the data creating apparatus receives the request and creates the component data regarding the alternative component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideo Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 11136962
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wind turbine and a method of operating a wind turbine for reducing edgewise vibrations, wherein the wind turbine comprises a wind turbine control system having at least one vibration sensor for measuring the edgewise vibrations and a controller for receiving the vibration signal from the vibration sensor. The sensor unit is preferably an accelerometer arranged in a stationary frame of reference. The controller determines at least one whirling mode frequency and the vibration level thereof. The controller initiates a corrective action if the measured vibration level exceeds a threshold value. The corrective action is preferably an adjustment of the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades which in turn dampens the edgewise vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Envision Energy (Denmark) ApS
    Inventor: Keld Stefan Pedersen