Patents Examined by Darrin D Dunn
  • Patent number: 11973343
    Abstract: Safety power disconnection for remote power distribution in power distribution systems is disclosed. The power distribution system includes one or more power distribution circuits each configured to remotely distribute power from a power source over current carrying power conductors to remote units to provide power for remote unit operations. A remote unit is configured to decouple power from the power conductors thereby disconnecting the load of the remote unit from the power distribution system. A current measurement circuit in the power distribution system measures current flowing on the power conductors and provides a current measurement to the controller circuit. The controller circuit is configured to disconnect the power source from the power conductors for safety reasons in response to detecting a current from the power source in excess of a threshold current level indicating a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ami Hazani
  • Patent number: 11966238
    Abstract: A pump unit has an electrical drive motor and a control device for controlling the drive motor, wherein said control device includes at least one microprocessor and storage means which is able to store at least one control program executable by said microprocessor, wherein said control device includes or communicates with a programming module by which at least one user application can be created and/or modified and stored in said storage means, wherein said programming module is designed such that at least one input parameter, at least one operator and at least one action can be chosen as program elements and combined to generate at least one user function of said user application which can be executed by said microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: John Bomholt, Niels Jørgen Strøm
  • Patent number: 11964370
    Abstract: A control device is provided with a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit makes communication with a tool that is used for the work of fastening a fastener (for example, a screw) and with an image pickup unit for capturing an image of the work site where the work is being performed. The processing unit executes a determination process of determining whether or not the work is being performed normally on the basis of the fastening torque applied to the fastener by the tool and the image captured by the image pickup unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11957604
    Abstract: A system and method for method including receiving data representing coordinates of a shape of a body part, forming a model of a flexible inner liner based upon the received data, the flexible inner liner configured to be placed over the body part, receiving, as input, a thickness and an offset of the model of the flexible inner liner, assigning a default density to an internal structure of the model; and varying the default density of the model without changing an outer geometry of the model to create a modified model of the flexible inner liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: PRECISION VALVE & AUTOMATION, INC.
    Inventors: Karin Cecilia Backlin Schaffer, Jeffrey L. Erenstone
  • Patent number: 11963331
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a liquid cooling apparatus includes a first cooling loop to provide cooling liquid to a heat load, wherein the first cooling loop comprises a first condenser unit, a first liquid supply line, and a first vapor return line and a second cooling loop to provide cooling liquid to the heat load, wherein the second cooling loop comprises a second condenser unit, a second liquid supply line, and a second vapor return line, wherein the first vapor return line and the second vapor return line are coupled by an interconnection loop. The liquid cooling apparatus further includes a first pressure sensor coupled to the first vapor return line, a second pressure sensor coupled to the second vapor return line, and at least one main cooling source controlled based on the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventor: Tianyi Gao
  • Patent number: 11953923
    Abstract: A control arrangement for an operating system has a plurality of control devices, arranged in a sequential order. Each control device shares information, including operational condition and a real-time measurement of at least one control parameter, with at least one control device in an upstream direction and at least one control device in a downstream direction. The control arrangement also has first and second terminal control devices. The first terminal control device is positioned at a beginning of the sequential order and the second terminal control device positioned at an end of the sequential order. The first terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the downstream direction and the second terminal control device shares information only with control devices in the upstream direction. In some applications, each control device that is not a terminal control device shares information with more than one control device in each direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Barksdale, Inc.
    Inventor: Pascal Choquet
  • Patent number: 11955801
    Abstract: An electric grid comprising a first section comprising transmission equipment, power generation equipment, and electric transmission lines designed to serve an electric load within the first section independently of a second section, wherein the second section comprises the remaining electric grid excluding the first section. The system includes at least two electric connections between the first and second sections of the electric grid and a control system controlling operation of the first section independently of the second section. The first section comprises at least two of power generation, electricity storage, demand response, transmission equipment and electric loads within the first section and controls capable of balancing loads within the first section and controlling disconnection and reconnection with the second section via the electric connections. The first section synchronized in frequency and phase with the electric grid when power is restored to the electric grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ongrid Options, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey P. Price
  • Patent number: 11945118
    Abstract: A method of planning works for robots includes creating a work plan for a plurality of robots, each having a work tool, sharing at at least one station a work to a plurality of work parts of the workpiece. The method includes the steps of calculating a distribution of the work parts to the robots, calculating, as a robot operation, a work order of the work parts and a moving path of the work tool for each of the robots based on the calculated work distribution, and calculating a disposed location of each of the robots with respect to the workpiece and a station where the robot is disposed so that an inter-robot interference does not occur during execution of the calculated robot operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Masaoka, Shota Asazu, Hiroyuki Moriishi, Tomoya Sakuma, Yuji Hashiba, Jun Fujimori, Hitoshi Nariai, Kazumi Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 11934159
    Abstract: A controller has improved closed-loop step testing of a dynamic process of an industrial processing plant. The controller performs economic optimization relaxation on process variables, such that operating range of the variables (MVs and CVs) during the testing are not skewed by variations in optimization cost factors. The controller employs computer-implemented methods and systems that receive a user-defined giveaway tolerance representing an allowable range between a current process variable value and a target process variable value. In response to the variables not meeting the giveaway tolerance, embodiments adjust the MPC controller configuration to drive the variables inside the tolerance, while relaxing optimization of the variables already meeting the giveaway tolerance. Using the adjusted configuration, embodiments calculate a new set of targets and generate a dynamic move plan from the new target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: AspenTech Corporation
    Inventor: Qingsheng Quinn Zheng
  • Patent number: 11931922
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for computationally designing a number of re-usable two-pieced molds for the reproduction of an object, wherein each mold is fillable with filling material, in particular resin, to form the object or a part of the object to be reproduced, wherein each mold consists of rigid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
    Inventors: Bernd Bickel, Thomas Auzinger, Kazutaka Nakashima, Takeo Igarashi
  • Patent number: 11916387
    Abstract: A method for controlling a process that draws power from an electrical power source operates by obtaining time-related electrical demand data from the electrical power source and adaptively adjusting at least one control parameter in a control algorithm for the process to reduce the cost of the electrical energy consumed. The time-related electrical demand data indicates at least diurnal variation, and optionally seasonal variation, in electrical power demand. The time-related electrical power demand data may also include real-time electrical power demand data from the electrical power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Barksdale, Inc.
    Inventor: Pascal Choquet
  • Patent number: 11913657
    Abstract: For monitoring and controlling an HVAC system which comprises one or more fluid transportation systems with a plurality of parallel zones, a plurality of operating variables of the fluid transportation systems are received (S1) from devices of the HVAC system. Temporal courses are determined (S3) for the operating variables. Interdependencies are determined (S4) between the temporal courses of the operating variables. Depending on the interdependencies, the operating variables and their associated devices are grouped (S5) into different sets which each relates to a different section of the HVAC system and includes the related operating variables and associated devices. The sets are used (S6) to control the devices of a particular section of the HVAC system and/or to generate a fault detection message regarding one or more of the devices of the particular section of the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Forest Reider, Stefan Mischler
  • Patent number: 11906182
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to calculating a single composite score that indicates an atmospheric environment quality level of a building. Such a composite score is calculated using sensors from three distinct types of atmospheric environmental categories: i) thermal comfort; ii) ventilation; and iii) air quality. Because the sensors used to detect these distinct types of atmospheric environmental categories are indicative of dissimilar metrics of quality of the atmospheric environment, the dissimilar metrics are normalized so as to be combinable. The dissimilar metrics are normalized based on measures of acceptability of the metrics. Each of the dissimilar metrics is given the same normalized score when the dissimilar metrics correspond to the same level of acceptability for that metric. The levels of acceptability may be determined based on one or more building industry standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Hui, Mary Rockwell, Anya Palkowski, Madeline Winer
  • Patent number: 11907032
    Abstract: A computing device is provided, including one or more processing devices, one or more temperature sensors, a fan, and a fan tachometer. The one or more processing devices may be configured to execute an application program. While executing the application program, the one or more processing devices may be further configured to collect performance data including temperature data received from the one or more temperature sensors and fan speed data received from the fan tachometer. The one or more processing devices may be further configured to generate a fan control signal at least in part by applying a machine learning model to the performance data. The one or more processing devices may be further configured to control the fan according to the fan control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikita Ramesh Wanjale, David Michael Sutherland, Jonathan Robert Pease
  • Patent number: 11899418
    Abstract: A method implemented by a computer system, the computer-implemented method comprising receiving dimensions of a building surface, including a surface length and a surface height; receiving dimensions of a surface material unit, including a material length and a material height; receiving design parameters defining a three-dimensional design over the building surface; partitioning the three-dimensional design into a plurality of three-dimensional segments based on both the three-dimensional design and the dimensions of the surface material; and generating a set of milling instructions for cutting a plurality of surface material units into the plurality of three-dimensional segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: 3 Palms Group, LLC
    Inventor: Mario Romano
  • Patent number: 11903174
    Abstract: A system (20) for controlling an air conditioner (12) includes a plurality of pressure sensors (19) and a controller (13). Each of the pressure sensors (19) is positioned at an air inlet (15) of each of the racks (11). The controller (13) is configured to receive pressure values from the pressure sensors (19) and control an airflow rate of the cooling air supplied from the air conditioner (12) based on the pressure values. The controller (13) is configured to set a target pressure value for each pressure sensor (19) (S300), acquire a current pressure value for each pressure sensor (S401), calculate a pressure drop value for each pressure sensor (19) between the current pressure value and the target pressure value (S402), and adjust the airflow rate based on a maximum value among the plurality of the pressure drop values (S403 to S410).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nirmal Singh Rajput, Yoshinori Miyamoto, Hisato Sakuma, Minoru Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11898768
    Abstract: Methods and related systems are disclosed for retrieving personality data for a first unit a climate control system. In an embodiment, the method includes querying a second unit controller that has replaced the first unit controller. In addition, the method includes determining that the second unit controller lacks personality data that is unique to the first unit. Further, the method includes transferring the personality data to the second unit controller from a memory of the climate control system that is separate from the second unit controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Stewart, Drew Whitehurst
  • Patent number: 11895809
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling a datacenter are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, a sensor string is associated with a first fluid line having a first flow controller and with a second fluid line having a second flow controller, so that sections of such a sensor string are enabled to maintain electrical connectivity there through by a mechanical coupling of a first flow controller and a second flow controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventor: Ali Heydari
  • Patent number: 11892184
    Abstract: A facility apparatus control device includes: first and second image capturing units capturing images of first and second spaces; a data-for-learning generator generating location information on a person in the first space by analyzing a first image captured and extracting therefrom, an image of a range including the person in the first space; a learning unit learning, using the location information and a first extracted image extracted by the data-for-learning generator, a feature of the person in the first space and a staying location of the person in the first space; a person detector detecting a person in the second space by analyzing a second image captured and extracting therefrom, an image of a range including the detected person; and an apparatus controller controlling a facility apparatus installed in the first space using a second extracted image extracted by the person detector and a learned result of the learning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakano
  • Patent number: 11892185
    Abstract: A networked HVAC system is implemented as part of a multi-unit dwelling. At least one HVAC unit is installed within each unit of the multi-unit dwelling. Each individual HVAC unit includes a localized HVAC unit controller, which is connected to an external network. The HVAC unit controller also can be connected to any other controllable HVAC devices in the unit, such as an exhaust fan. The HVAC system addresses the open-loop issue by monitoring temperature, air flow, humidity, air pressure, occupancy, window open/close state, and HVAC units of all units in a multi-unit dwelling, as well as common areas, and optimizing operating parameters to minimize wide swings in operational states and managing the overall system of multiple units/common areas so that energy usage and temperature/ventilation control is optimized. The HVAC system also enables learning and predictive modeling for adapting to real-time and anticipated condition requirements within each zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: RENU, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Zane DeLoach, Paul Edward Reeves, Sean Burke, Sanjiv Sirpal, Mohammad Aliakbari Miyanmahaleh, Ehsan Taghavi, Brian Reeves, Taylor Michael Keep