Patents Examined by John Barlow
  • Patent number: 7369954
    Abstract: An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating trace data. In response to detecting a trace event, a determination is made as to whether identifiers for the trace event match recorded identifiers for a record in a set of previously recorded trace events. Location information for the record is placed in the trace data if a match between identifiers for the trace event and recorded identifiers for the record in the set of previously recorded trace events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Eliot Levine, Milena Milenkovic, Robert J. Urquhart
  • Patent number: 7366642
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a cable force feedforward approach that takes into account the cable force in the counter-mass trajectory computation to reduce or eliminate vibration of the lens body caused by the cable force disturbance and corrective force exerted by the trim motors. In one embodiment, a method provides cable force feedforward control for a counter-mass of a stage with a cable connected to the counter-mass and using the cable force feedforward control to control one or more trim motors to produce a trim motor output force to be applied to the counter-mass, the counter-mass moving in response to a reaction force from movement of the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yi-Ping Hsin, Gabor D. Szoboszlay, Kazuhiro Hirano, Kazuo Masaki, Christopher B. Smith, Ryoichi Kawaguchi, Bausan Yuan
  • Patent number: 7366628
    Abstract: A test and measurement Instrument samples an input digital logic signal to produce logic samples, compresses the logic samples into compression codes, and stores the compression codes into acquisition memory. Compression includes parsing the logic samples into groups and assigning compression codes to those groups, and is performed so as not to lose information about the input digital logic signal's activity. The instrument converts the stored compression codes into a waveform image in display memory and displays the stored waveform image on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Sullivan, Kenneth P. Dobyns
  • Patent number: 7366615
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for determining the content of a first element in a formation which cannot otherwise be determined via a capture spectrum measurement. The methods and apparatus utilize the inelastic spectrum measurement of the first element and the inelastic and capture spectrum measurements of at least a second element. The methods and apparatus have particular application to determining the carbon content of a formation although they are not limited thereto. The inelastic and capture spectrum measurements of silicon are useful in making such determinations, although other chemical elements may be used as the second element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumber Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Susan Herron, James Grau, Bradley Roscoe, Michael Herron, Kenneth Stephenson
  • Patent number: 7366626
    Abstract: A calibration method in which secular change in sensor output values obtained at calibration times is estimated and the next calibration date can be determined at an appropriate interval and a zirconia-type oxygen analyzer using the above calibration method is achieved. The present invention is characterized by the fact that, in a calibration method in which a standard sample having a known value is measured and the output value of a measuring instrument corresponding to a sensor output value at the time of measurement is calibrated, the sensor output value obtained in implemented calibrating operations is stored in succession as the data for calibration history and the state of secular change in said sensor output value is estimated based on the stored past data for calibration history to determine the next calibration date.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kentaro Hazama, Makoto Ishii, Yukihiro Seki
  • Patent number: 7366630
    Abstract: The installation of an electrical cable in a building and its subsequent testing are managed by first creating a computer database indicating the type of cable, the location where the cable is to be installed, the performance standard it should meet when installed in that location, and a test regimen to verify compliance with the performance standard. The database is then transferred into a hand held portable test instrument which is placed at the building site and connected to the cable to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald J. Vogel, Lee A. Watkins
  • Patent number: 7366634
    Abstract: A gantry to be used in the construction process of bridges, viaducts and other structures, which is equipped with a system that automatically adjusts the prestressing of the gantry's structure in accordance to the external actions being applied on it when loadings occur. The adjustment of the prestressing is achieved through the use of at least one sensor (2) that monitors the structure and which sends the measurements taken to a controller (6), . This controller is then capable of activating at least one actuator which alters the tension of the structure's prestressing cable or cables. Amongst the many advantages of the present invention, one is the possibility of applying a large amount of prestressing without this implying undesirable deformations in the main structure (1) when exterior loads are not applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Inventor: Pedro Álvares Ribeiro do Carmo Pacheco
  • Patent number: 7366619
    Abstract: A signal processing unit includes an integrating unit. The integrating unit is composed of a plurality of digital elements and is operative to integrate a detection signal over every quarter of one cycle of the detection signal to generate an integration value. The integration values to be generated are represented as S1, S2, S3, and S4. A calculating unit includes a plurality of digital elements and performs addition and subtraction on the generated integration values in accordance with the following equations used to calculate an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component of (Ip=S4p?3+S4p?2?S4p?1?S4p) and (Qp=S4.4?S4p??S4p?1+S4p). Where Ip represents the in-phase component and Qp represents the quadrature-phase component. An amplitude obtaining unit obtains an amplitude of the detection signal based on the in-phase component and the quadrature-phase component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Jeco Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamoto Watanabe, Sumio Masuda
  • Patent number: 7366640
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical waste identification system presents pharmaceutical waste information and, in response to a client entering a pharmaceutical name, the system provides a pharmaceutical waste disposal recommendation. This recommendation can include a labeling recommendation for a container for the pharmaceutical, a disposal recommendation for an empty container previously containing the pharmaceutical, and a disposal recommendation for the pharmaceutical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Pharmecology Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Charlotte A. Smith, James R. McCauley
  • Patent number: 7366621
    Abstract: Program product to measure fluid flow characteristics in a pipeline is provided. A vortex-shedding body is positioned within the pipeline to form vortices. A vortex meter can include a vortex frequency sensor to measure the frequency of the vortices to determine the volumetric flow rate. A differential pressure meter positioned adjacent the vortex-shedding body can produce a differential pressure meter flow rate signal indicative of the density of fluid when flowing through the pipeline. A thermal flow meter positioned adjacent the vortex-shedding body can produce a mass flow rate signal indicative of the mass flow rate of fluid when flowing through the pipeline. The program product can include instructions for a fluid characteristic determiner to perform the operations of processing measured and sensed signals to produce an output of a volumetric flow rate, a flowing fluid density, and a mass flow rate to be displayed on a fluid characteristic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: James L. Sprague
  • Patent number: 7366627
    Abstract: A method is disclosed wherein a plurality of sensors mounted on a structure, a baseline data set for each of the plurality of sensors and a calibration procedure verify the integrity of a structural health management system. Initially a baseline data set is established. Before performing the structural health assessment a calibration-in data set for each of the plurality of sensors is collected. The calibration-in data set is compared to the baseline data set for each sensor of the plurality of sensors. If the calibration-in data set and the baseline data set match then a structure characterization is performed. If the calibration-in data set and the baseline data set do not match, a calibration-out procedure is performed to generate a calibration-out data set. If the calibration-out data set and the calibration-in data sets match, then a determination is made that the structural health management system was working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Grant A. Gordon, Nicholas J. Wilt, Joseph J. Nutaro
  • Patent number: 7366620
    Abstract: Equipment extracts components of spatial frequency that need to be evaluated in manufacturing a device or in analyzing a material or process out of edge roughness on fine line patterns and displays them as indexes. The equipment acquires data of edge roughness over a sufficiently long area, integrates a components corresponding to a spatial frequency region being set on a power spectrum by the operator, and displays them on a length measuring SEM. Alternatively, the equipment divides the edge roughness data of the sufficiently long area, computes long-period roughness and short-period roughness that correspond to an arbitrary inspection area by performing statistical processing and fitting based on theoretical calculation, and displays them on the length measuring SEM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Fukuda, Hiroki Kawada, Tatsuya Maeda
  • Patent number: 7366631
    Abstract: System and method for measurement, DAQ, and control operations which uses small form-factor measurement modules or cartridges with a re-configurable carrier unit, sensors, and a computer system to provide modular, efficient, cost-effective measurement solutions. The measurement module includes measurement circuitry, e.g., signal conditioner and/or signal conversion circuitry, and interface circuitry for communicating with the carrier unit. The module communicates interface information to the carrier unit, which informs the computer system how to program or configure a functional unit on the carrier unit to implement the communicated interface, or sends the information directly to the computer system. The computer system programs the carrier unit with the interface, and the programmed carrier unit and measurement module together function as a DAQ, measurement, and/or control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Perry C. Steger, Garritt W. Foote, David L. Potter, James J. Truchard, Brian Keith Odom
  • Patent number: 7366625
    Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the accuracy of meter factors of a flow instrument in conjunction with a prover having upstream and downstream prover detection switches and a flow computer including a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for correcting errors in a meter factor of the flow instrument measured in a proving run and correcting effects of flow rate changes during proving. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium whose contents causes a processor to increase the accuracy of meter factors of a flow instrument in conjunction with a prover having upstream and downstream prover detection switches and a flow computer. A method for increasing the accuracy of the meter factors of a flow instrument in conjunction with a prover having upstream and downstream prover detection switches and a flow computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Donald R. Augenstein, Herbert Estrada, Matthew Mihalcin
  • Patent number: 7363194
    Abstract: A control/evaluation system for a set of sensors, in particular in motor vehicles, has a plurality of areas, each of which has at least one controller and a plurality of sensor devices connected thereto; the controllers may be connected to each other for a common application function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Schlick, Juergen Hoetzel, Uwe Zimmermann, Rainer Moritz, Bernhard Lucas, Tore Toennesen, Hermann Winner, Martin Hueppauff, Werner Uhler, Joachim Bulla, Dirk Schmid
  • Patent number: 7363174
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a flow velocity profile of fluid traveling in a pipe or conduit uses an ultrasonic wave transmitted from an ultrasonic wave transducer mounted at an angle on the outside of a pipe using a wedge, and made incident onto the fluid in the pipe to measure the fluid flow velocity profile, using the principle that a frequency of an ultrasonic wave, reflected by a reflector existing in the fluid, is changed depending on a flow velocity due to Doppler effect. The transmission frequency and the angle of incidence onto the pipe can be selected to suppress frequency dependence of a measured value due to Lamb wave and allow the flow velocity or flow rate of fluid to be measured with a greater accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Kishiro, Toshihiro Yamamoto, Hironobu Yao, Yoshinori Ohmuro, Noritomo Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7363189
    Abstract: A detection method of reducing the air pressure of tires based on the rotational speed of wheels mounted on a vehicle. The method includes steps of: determining the rotational speed of each wheel, memorizing the rotational speed of each wheel, determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radius of tires caused by movement of a load during turning, comparing said loading sensitivity with the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires at initialization which are preliminarily memorized, and judging decompression of tires based on the result of the comparison. Further, a loading sensitivity-calculating method of determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires includes steps of: determining a lateral acceleration during turning of a vehicle, determining the shift rate of a judgment value which is the relative comparison of rotational speed of wheels on a pair of diagonals of a vehicle, and determining the loading sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7363191
    Abstract: Robust methods are developed to provide bounds and probability distributions for the locations of objects as well as for associated variables that affect the accuracy of the location such as the positions of stations, the measurements, and errors in the speed of signal propagation. Realistic prior probability distributions of pertinent variables are permitted for the locations of stations, the speed of signal propagation, and errors in measurements. Bounds and probability distributions can be obtained without making any assumption of linearity. The sequential methods used for location are applicable in other applications in which a function of the probability distribution is desired for variables that are related to measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Inventor: John Louis Spiesberger
  • Patent number: 7363182
    Abstract: Systems and methods for correcting measurements of fluid flow using device-specific information to compensate for differences between individual devices of the same design. In one embodiment, a method includes providing device-specific calibration data; sensing a fluid flow; computing a measured fluid flow based on the sensed fluid flow, and correcting the measured fluid flow based on the device-specific calibration data. More particularly, the fluid flow measurement is corrected using correction factors that compensate for the use of a gas that is different from the calibration gas (CF0 (1+aF+bF2+cF3)), for device variations in sensor sensitivity (1+??R), and for variations in the split flow of fluid through the flow meter (1???ADC(Sp/100)2). The sensor and split flow correction factors may be used independently of each other in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Celerity, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart A. Tison, Shiliang Lu
  • Patent number: 7363185
    Abstract: A two-axis fluxgate sensor has a driving pulse generating circuit which generates pulse signal and outputs as a driving signal, and X-axis and Y-axis fluxgates which are in proportional relation with each other. The two-axis fluxgate sensor generates voltage values of X-axis and Y-axis fluxgates corresponding to the magnetism which is generated from the driving signal, and a memory stores therein a neural network weight matrix. When the voltage values of the X-axis and Y-axis fluxgates are measured, a control unit compensates for the voltage values by using the neural network weight matrix which is stored in the memory, and computes an azimuth angle by using the compensated voltage values. An accurate azimuth angle can be obtained even at slopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Woo-jong Lee