Patents Examined by Jacques M. Saint-Surin
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Patent number: 11843711Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display module having a display panel configured to display an image; a sound generating device on a rear surface of the display panel and including a first side and a second side perpendicular to the first side and an adhesive member in a partial region of the sound generating device, the adhesive member having a size smaller than one of the first side and the second side of the sound generating device.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seon Man Kim, MinHo Sohn, JunSeok Oh, Sung-Jin Kang, Kyounghwan Kim, Jeonggoo Kang, JaiHyuk Lee
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Patent number: 11841346Abstract: Disclosed herein is a calibration panel that models acoustic properties of defects in vehicle components made of composite materials. The calibration panel includes a body formed by additive manufacturing from a first digital material having an acoustic property selected to approximate an acoustic property of a composite material and an insert embedded within the body. The insert is formed of at least a second digital material having an acoustic property selected to approximate an acoustic property of a defect within the composite material. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing vehicle components that are non-destructive evaluation (NDE)-compliant. The method includes receiving a proposed design of a component, manufacturing the calibration panel, and testing the calibration panel to determine if the insert is detectable using acoustic emission testing. The method also includes rejecting, in response to a not-detectable status of the insert, the proposed design of the component.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2022Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: Mahdi Ashrafi
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Patent number: 11837044Abstract: A nutrition tracking system comprises a nutrition tracking server, a plurality of weight-based food offering terminals, and one or more nutrition and meal information inquiry terminals. Multiple weight-based food offering terminals may be equipped on a food service cart. Each weight-based food offering terminal may be initialized to offer a type of food. The weight-based food offering terminal automatically measures the weight of food taken by a customer or for a customer, calculates the cost of food, and shows the weight and the cost on the display in real time. When the food is paid, the weight-based food offering terminal automatically reports the vending information to the nutrition tracking server. The nutrition tracking server maintains a database for customer meal information and a database for customer nutrition information. Customers may inquire their meal history and nutrition information using the nutrition and meal information inquiry terminals.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: SkoopinInventors: Jun Wang, Weijun Zhang
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Patent number: 11828645Abstract: A weighing scale is disclosed. The scale includes a base, a load cell assembly coupled to the base, and a platform coupled to the load cell assembly. Also disclosed are alternative embodiments of the load cell assembly and methods of making and using the scale.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Intercomp CompanyInventors: William P. Kroll, Randie Evenson, Ryan Peters
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Patent number: 11828267Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media configured to monitor wind turbines and detect damage to one or more components of the wind turbines, such as damage to the blades. The techniques disclosed herein may utilize sensors (e.g., acoustic sensors) disposed within air cavities of one or more blades of the wind turbines to detect acoustic signals or acoustic energy caused by corrosive impacts (e.g., wind, dust, rain, hail, lightning, etc.) to the wind turbine. Information associated with the acoustic signals may be provided to and received by a processor used to determine whether one or more of the blades of the wind turbines have been damaged. The techniques disclosed herein may facilitate real-time or near-real-time monitoring of wind turbines for damage, which may enable more efficient operation and maintenance of wind turbines.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Mistras Group, Inc.Inventors: Edward P. Lowenhar, Tim Bradshaw, Phillip Trevor Cole
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Patent number: 11821873Abstract: An ultrasound flaw detector includes: an ultrasound probe that is provided with a plurality of transducers and that is held so that a direction in which the transducers are arrayed is parallel to a surface of the test object in a state where the plurality of transducers is located in the liquid; a hardware processor that, using the plurality of transducers, transmits an ultrasound beam in a first direction with a predetermined angle with respect to a normal direction of the surface of the test object and receives a reflected ultrasound wave reflected by the test object; and an ultrasound signal processor that specifies a flaw of the test object on the basis of a reception signal that has been generated by the hardware processor on the basis of the reflected ultrasound wave.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventor: Yasuhito Watanabe
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Patent number: 11808735Abstract: An ultrasonic phased array transducer assembly having a single housing in which a plurality of phased array transducer subassemblies are mounted at a skewed angle relative to a leading face of the housing and to each other, with each transducer mounted on composite wedge(s) at different orientations within the housing.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2022Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLCInventors: Charles R. Barrett, Kevin J. Foley
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Patent number: 11788992Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a microtexture of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include methods of determining a service life limiting region of a component, determining a treatment method for a component, and/or selecting components from a batch of components for use in production. The characterization may include calculating a microtexture level indicator from ultrasonic C-scan images for various samples, regions, components, or the like. The microtexture level indicator may include at least one of an average peak factor, a standard deviation of peak amplitude, and/or a baseband bandwidth.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignees: RTX Corporation, Iowa State University Research Foundation, IncInventors: Yong Tian, Ronald Roberts
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Patent number: 11788877Abstract: Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for measuring waste material weight within two or more waste collection bins The bins can be measured using one or more waste measurement devices, and the measurements can be collected and transmitted to networked data storage. Waste measurement data can be collected over time from multiple bin locations, and the stored data can be analyzed and processed to generate reports and ratings of waste collection, disposal, and diversion trends over time. Also provided are waste audit methods and platforms that simplify and streamline data measurement, recording, and analyzing. The audit methods can transfer data electronically to a computer or cloud platform, automatically plot and compare results, and generate reports to be shared with a user or client.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Zabble, Inc.Inventors: Nikhil Balachandran, Orlando Talavera
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Patent number: 11786934Abstract: An ultrasound transducer with at least one piezoelectric oscillator, a damping compound and at least one electrically conductive conducting element that is in contact with the piezoelectric oscillator. The damping compound in an ultrasound transducer encloses at least the at least one conducting element, and the composite structure of the at least one conducting element and of the damping compound is designed such that the composite structure is in contact over an area with the piezoelectric oscillator, and forms a support on the side of the ultrasound transducer that faces away from the piezoelectric oscillator on which the ultrasound transducer can be supported.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2020Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbHInventors: Rolf Glitsch, Siegfried Reck
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Patent number: 11782029Abstract: A device and a system monitor wear of wearable components mounted in a mining equipment. An elongated bolt maintains a wearable component in place on a face of the equipment. A threaded section of the bolt terminates at a proximal end protruding externally through a hole of the equipment. A shank of the bolt terminates at a distal end opposite from the proximal end. The shank extends along a thickness of the wearable component and wears as the wearable component wears when the equipment is in operation. A transducer coupled to the proximal end of the bolt generates a sound wave within the bolt, detects an echo of the sound wave reflected by the distal end of the bolt, and reports to a controller a time delay between the sound wave and the echo. The controller evaluates a wear of the wearable component based on the time delay.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2020Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Inventor: Viwek Vaidya
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Patent number: 11776526Abstract: Method and system for ultrasonic characterization of a medium Method for ultrasonic characterization of a medium, comprising generating a series of incident ultrasonic waves, generating an experimental reflection matrix Rui(t) defined between the emission basis (i) as input and a reception basis (u) as output, determining a focused reflection matrix RFoc(rin, rout, at) of the medium between an input virtual transducer (Win) calculated based on a focusing as input to the experimental reflection matrix and an output virtual transducer (TVout) calculated based on a focusing as output from the experimental reflection matrix, the responses of the output virtual transducer (TVout) being obtained at a time instant that is shifted by an additional delay 6t relative to a time instant of the responses of the input virtual transducer (TVin).Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignees: SUPERSONIC IMAGINE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE—CNRS, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de ParisInventors: William Lambert, Thomas Frappart, Alexandre Aubry, Mathias Fink
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Patent number: 11774409Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting corrosion in pipes are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus for detecting corrosion in an object includes an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) having a ferromagnetic core and a plurality of permanent magnets arranged peripherally around the ferromagnetic core. The permanent magnets are arranged to produce a magnetic field through the ferromagnetic core. The apparatus also includes a coil between the ferromagnetic core and the object.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: QUEST INTEGRATED, LLCInventors: Phillip D. Bondurant, Anthony Mactutis, Richard Lyle Dougherty
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Patent number: 11774407Abstract: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are provided with hammers having contact surfaces to produce acoustic signals in structures to be inspected. By selecting a suitable flight path, the contact surface can be dragged across or tapped against the structure to produce acoustic signals indicative of structure condition. Acoustic detectors are coupled to the UAV to produce detected acoustic signals that can be stored, communicated, and/or processed to access to arbitrary structure surfaces, including bottom surfaces of bridge decks and to locate delaminations.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: UVic Industry Partnerships Inc.Inventors: Rishi Gupta, Harsh Rathod
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Patent number: 11774406Abstract: The present invention provides a highspeed advanced system to identify and classify the area of anomalies in a railroad rail. This is achieved by using a novel linear array solution that employs parallel transmission of an ultrasonic beam and the use of a virtual synthetic aperture to receive reflected echoes. This integrated system has the capability to locate and classify near surface horizontal defects at speeds more than 40 km/h and at the same time maintaining a constant pulse density of at least 4 mm or less per incremental longitudinal movement.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Plasser American CorporationInventor: Dominick A. Pagano
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Patent number: 11768181Abstract: Method for ultrasonic characterization of a medium, comprising generating a series of incident ultrasonic waves, generating an experimental reflection matrix Rui(t) defined between the emission basis (i) as input and a reception basis (u) as output, and determining a focused reflection matrix RFoc(rin, rout, ?t) of the medium between an input virtual transducer (TVin) calculated based on a focusing as input to the experimental reflection matrix and an output virtual transducer (TVout) calculated based on a focusing as output from the experimental reflection matrix, the responses of the output virtual transducer (TVout) being obtained at a time instant that is shifted by an additional delay ?t relative to a time instant of the responses of the input virtual transducer (TVin).Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignees: SUPERSONIC IMAGINE, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE—CNRS, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de ParisInventors: William Lambert, Alexandre Aubry, Mathias Fink, Thomas Frappart
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Patent number: 11768183Abstract: A method and device for the ultrasonic testing of a weld of an electric arc-welded sleeve (10) for plastic pipes (11), having the following steps: fastening a testing device (1) on the outer contour of the welded plastic pipe (11), comprising a circumferential fastening element (2) and a holder (3), the holder (3) preferably comprising a support (7), a carrier (8) and a gripper (9), and a coupling element with a recess, feeding a liquid, preferably water, into the recess (5) of the coupling element (4), wherein the recess (5) in the coupling element (4) is fully filled with the liquid, and a constant liquid column is maintained in the coupling element (4) during the ultrasonic testing in order to transmit the ultrasound.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2020Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Inventors: Joerg Wermelinger, Riccardo Barbone, Paul Kaftan
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Patent number: 11766723Abstract: A method of processing a workpiece includes supporting the workpiece on a tailstock extending along an axis, thermally processing the workpiece with a processing device, and displacing a portion of the tailstock assembly in response to thermal expansion of the workpiece as a result of processing with the thermal processing device.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLCInventors: David K. Luce, Crystal A. Parrott, Stephen L. Wiedmann
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Patent number: 11761929Abstract: A sensor apparatus comprising an acoustic assembly arranged to transmit an acoustic signal to a substrate and receive at least part of the acoustic signal after the acoustic signal has interacted with the substrate, a transducer arranged to convert the at least part of the acoustic signal to an electronic signal, and, a processor configured to receive the electronic signal and determine both a topography of at least part of the substrate and a position of a target of the substrate based on the electronic signal. The sensor apparatus may for part of a lithographic apparatus or a metrology apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Alessandro Polo
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Patent number: 11761928Abstract: Method for ultrasonic characterization of a medium, comprising generating a series of incident ultrasonic waves, generating an experimental reflection matrix Rui(t) defined between the emission basis (i) as input and a reception basis (u) as output, and determining a focused reflection matrix RFoc(rin, rout, ?t) of the medium between an input virtual transducer (TVin) calculated based on a focusing as input to the experimental reflection matrix and an output virtual transducer (TVout) calculated based on a focusing as output from the experimental reflection matrix, the responses of the output virtual transducer (TVout) being obtained at a time instant that is shifted by an additional delay ?t relative to a time instant of the responses of the input virtual transducer (TVin).Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignees: Supersonic Imagine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique—CNRS, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de ParisInventors: William Lambert, Alexandre Aubry, Thomas Frappart, Flavien Bureau, Mathias Fink