Patents Examined by Nathan L Laughlin
  • Patent number: 11277277
    Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program product for environment personalization is provided. The present invention may include initializing a profile of a user. The present invention may include defining a baseline within the profile of the user. The present invention may include tracking a plurality of user data. The present invention may include storing the tracked plurality of user data in a tracked user database. The present invention may lastly include optimizing an environmental condition based on the tracked plurality of user data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig M. Trim, Shikhar Kwatra, Adam Lee Griffin, Jeremy R. Fox
  • Patent number: 11268724
    Abstract: A controlling method of an indoor air environment quality cooperation and control system includes: sensing whether there is an indoor person; if not, turning off an air conditioner system and a purification system, judging the values monitored by an outdoor pollutant sensor and an indoor pollutant sensor, if the value monitored by the outdoor pollutant sensor is greater than that monitored by the indoor pollutant sensor, turning off a fresh air system, otherwise starting the fresh air system; if an indoor person is sensed, calculating an IAQI according to values transmitted by a temperature and humidity sensor and the indoor pollutant sensor; calculating a ratio R of a ?IAQI and an energy consumption increase value ?P, and selecting a regulation mode with the maximum ratio R to coordinate a quality of the indoor environment; and returning and executing the sensing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Chongqing University
    Inventors: Hong Liu, Baizhan Li, Wei Yu, Runming Yao, Yuxin Wu, Lexiang Wang, Nan Li, Chenqiu Du, Shaoxing Zhang
  • Patent number: 11255561
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control device configured to generate the machine learning model using the first set of weights and the second set of weights. The machine learning model is configured to output a probability that a user is present at the space based on an input that identifies a day of the week and a time of a day. The device is further configured to determine a probability that a user is present at the space for a predicted occupancy schedule using the machine learning model, to determine an occupancy status based on a determined probability that a user is present at the space, and to set a predicted occupancy status in the predicted occupancy schedule based on a determined occupancy status for each time entry. The device is further configured to output the predicted occupancy schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Sridhar Venkatesh, Payam Delgoshaei, Janathkumar Manohararaj
  • Patent number: 11248819
    Abstract: An approach for measuring health of a system using benchmarks. The approach may incorporate defining benchmarks with sensors providing data of selected conditions of a system, collecting a predetermined amount of most recent data from the sensors for one or more modes of the system, training a model that represents the system, the model having a response variable that is a function of the predetermined amount of the most recent data from the sensors, applying the model trained, to the benchmarks to get a response of the model in a form of the response variable that is the function of the predetermined amount of the most recent data from the sensors, and comparing the response of the model of the most recent time window with a response of the model of a previous time windows to determine health of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Vaclav Slimacek, Jiri Rojicek
  • Patent number: 11244543
    Abstract: A self-checkout (SCO) station for a retail store has a reconfigurable bagging section that receives items scanned by a user. The SCO station determines whether the user does or does not require the SCO station to operate in a mode that complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If so, the SCO station automatically reconfigures the bagging section to ensure that the user is able to reach all items in the bagging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Hye Suk Makley, Craig Turner, Anna Maria Britain
  • Patent number: 11237537
    Abstract: A system and method for advanced digital economization for an HVAC system having an economizer. A digital processing unit is configured to open a damper of an economizer within a dead-band range that allows for preemptive cooling prior to a call for cooling. This economization strategy allows for free cooling (outside air) without having to pay energy costs for cooled (air-conditioned) air. The system and method can be used with or without demand control ventilation (DCV). The method also includes a “self-learning” strategy with outside air and return air sensor to regularly sense past economizer damper modifications and average out recent readings to help set the dead-band range. The method can include the ability to work in conjunction with a variable supply fan speed control, provide fault detection, self-correct, auto-configure, and report system status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Transformative Wave Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Justin James Sipe, Daniel E. Miller, Gerald B. Scott, Kenneth Hellewell
  • Patent number: 11231696
    Abstract: A method for generating a quote for fabrication of a part to be fabricated includes receiving, from a customer device associated with a customer, a design request for a part to be fabricated by a fabrication process, the design request including a two-dimensional drawing file representing the part to be fabricated and descriptive information including a descriptive datum. The method includes extracting a first feature from the 2D drawing file, wherein the first feature represents a geometry of the part to be fabricated. The method includes extracting a second feature from the descriptive information, wherein the second feature represents the descriptive datum. The method includes generating, as a function of the first and second features, a quote for fabrication for the part to be fabricated, the quote for fabrication including a cost and time to fabricate the part to be fabricated and sending the quote for fabrication to the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: DESPREZ LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Schwartz, Max Friefeld, Oliver Ortlieb
  • Patent number: 11221594
    Abstract: A practical method for short-term operations of large-scale hydropower plants divides all hydropower plants into three categories using operation characteristics such as system hierarchy, space attributes, task requirements, and schedule particularity. A strategy for adjusting spillage based on peak-shaving response and a strategy for equal load reduction in off-peak hours check and adjust power generation of hydropower plants with specified dispatching modes. For medium- and small-sized cascaded hydropower plants, the load distribution among plants is optimized with an objective of minimizing total power release subject to control condition of total generation profile. For large-size cascaded hydropower plants, an optimization model for peak-shaving operations and a method for balancing power plants with equal load rate are combined to respond to system peak demands and guarantee power balance in all periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jianjian Shen, Chuntian Cheng, Rui Cao, Qianqian Shen
  • Patent number: 11216048
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling cooling in a computing device are provided. A measurement of power consumption of at least one of the computer components is received. A theoretical setting for the cooling system is determined based on the received measurement of power consumption. A current setting of the cooling system is identified. Based on a difference between the theoretical setting and the current setting, a next setting for the cooling system is determined. An output of the cooling system is controlled based on the next setting for the cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ZT Group Int'l, Inc.
    Inventors: Ting Yu Lin, Daniel Ferrone
  • Patent number: 11215979
    Abstract: This document discloses a solution for a method of monitoring an electric power grid. According to an aspect, a method comprises: detecting one or more physical stimuli in the electric power grid; obtaining, while the one or more physical stimuli is effective, a first set of measurement data associated with a first location of the electric power grid; computing operational information such as a fault level of the first location of the electric power grid on the basis of the first set of measurement data; mapping the operational information to corresponding operational information of a second location of the electric power grid on the basis of the first set of measurement data and correlation between electrical characteristics of the first location and the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: REACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Brian Berry, Mika Ventola, Daniel Gheorghe, Timo Peltola, Jukka Alakontiola
  • Patent number: 11197739
    Abstract: A dental prosthesis is made by externally machining successive layers of wax, each of which is formed on a previous prosthesis layer and/or on a coping. Each wax layer is used to form a mold in situ over the previous prosthesis layer/coping, and the appropriate prosthesis material is cast or otherwise molded to conform to the wax layer by the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Eldad Taub
  • Patent number: 11181288
    Abstract: A comfort degree balance control system and method for multi-split air conditioner disclosed the present invention includes: obtaining a real-time ambient temperature and a target ambient temperature of each of rooms where an indoor unit provided is working; calculating a comfort degree deviation of each of the working indoor units; obtaining the maximum value offsetMAX and the minimum value offsetMIN among the comfort degree deviations of indoor units and calculating the difference ?=offsetMAX?offsetMIN between the two; calculating an average comfort degree deviation; adjusting the amount of refrigerant flowing into working indoor units according to the difference ? and the average comfort degree deviation, so as to reduce the difference ? and balance the performance of the multi-split system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER AIR-CONDITIONING ELECTRONIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Baitian Zhuo, Bin Shi, Shaojiang Cheng, Ruigang Zhang, Jun Wang
  • Patent number: 11162701
    Abstract: A control system for controlling an operation of a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. The control system comprises an input interface configured to accept data indicative of a target distribution of thermal state in an environment, and a memory configured to store an airflow dynamics model (ADM) and an HVAC model. The control system further comprises a processor configured to inverse the ADM to estimate values of boundary conditions for inlet locations defining target thermal state at the inlet locations that result in the target distribution of thermal state in the environment; determine, using the HVAC model, target control parameters of actuators of the HVAC system resulting in the target thermal state at the inlet locations; and submit control commands to the HVAC system to operate the actuators of the HVAC system according to the control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Saleh Nabi, Hongtao Qiao, Piyush Grover
  • Patent number: 11159019
    Abstract: The methods and systems are provided to adaptively change power threshold at a policy based power supply device (PBPSD). The PBPSD (101) retrieves a first power policy and determines a power threshold substantially based on the first power policy. A power port authority is also determined based on the first power policy. The PBPSD (101) then provides power to each of the plurality of power ports based on the power threshold and the power port priority. The PBPSD (101) comprises a first processor, a plurality of power connectors, and a plurality of AC-DC regulators. Each of the plurality of power connectors is capable of receiving electricity from a power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
    Inventors: Ming Pui Chong, Man Fai Tam, Kang Yin Su, Jinbiao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11138352
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a process distortion compensation computing system and an AM peripheral device. The process distortion compensation computing system determines a digital nominal model that represents a physical target object excluding a distortion, and a digital distortion model that represents the physical target object including at least one distortion. The AM peripheral device forms a three-dimensional (3D) physical object based on a digital compensation model. The process distortion compensation computing system also determines a digital skeletal model indicating a predicted change in at least one of the shape and volume of the nominal model, and generates the digital compensation model based on the skeletal model that compensates for the at least one distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yanzhi Chen, Qingqing Zhang, Tahany Ibrahim El-Wardany, Ranadip Acharya, Colette Opsahl Fennessy, William K. Tredway
  • Patent number: 11131972
    Abstract: Systems and methods of improving building automation system (BAS) performance includes collecting performance parameters associated with building automation devices, comparing the parameters to a benchmark, and adjusting the performance benchmark to match the corresponding performance parameter if the corresponding performance parameter exceeds the performance benchmark, or utilizing the performance parameter and the identity of the building automation device associated therewith to remediate the performance defect. The collected performance parameters may be used to prioritize system tasks based on current system performance. A performance monitoring agent included in a building automation system controller or a device controller determines a performance parameter thereof to assess and benchmark BAS performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Glaser, Udhaya Kumar Dayalan, Thomas Christopher Basterash
  • Patent number: 11098430
    Abstract: Techniques are described controlling and managing machines to provide laundry services. A request may be received from a mobile device of a user, the request indicating that the mobile device is in proximity to a laundry machine such as a washer or dryer. In some cases, the request is sent by the mobile device based on detecting, at the mobile device, a wireless signal transmitted from the laundry machine. In some cases the request may include a code that identifies the laundry machine, the code being displayed by the machine and/or encoded in a scannable code displayed by the machine. In response to the request, a signal may be sent to activate the laundry machine and enable the user to use the laundry machine for a predetermined period of time (e.g., a cycle). In some cases, the activation signal is sent if the user's payment is successfully processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Washlava, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Todd Belveal, Dexter S. Weiss, William Justin Barbino, Charles Walden
  • Patent number: 11084101
    Abstract: To provide a machine tool and a control device for the machine tool that allows a user to select the vibration condition according to an input number of rotations and an input number of vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Muramatsu, Daisuke Sakashita, Haruhiko Misono
  • Patent number: 11073133
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a wind turbine may generally include monitoring a current yaw position of a nacelle of the wind turbine, wherein the current yaw position is located within one of a plurality of yaw sectors defined for the nacelle. In addition, the method may include monitoring a wind-dependent parameter of the wind turbine and determining a variance of the wind-dependent parameter over time, wherein the variance is indicative of variations in a wind parameter associated with the wind turbine. Moreover, the method may include determining at least one curtailed operating setpoint for the wind turbine when the variance exceeds a predetermined variance threshold, wherein the curtailed operating setpoint(s) is determined based at least in part on historical wind data for the yaw sector associated with the current yaw position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Danian Zheng, Shuang Gu, Veronica Hernandez-Ortiz, Xiongzhe Huang, David Forrest Loy, Ramy Michael Souri
  • Patent number: 11061424
    Abstract: A central plant includes storage devices configured to store resources purchased from a utility or generated by the central plant and to discharge the one or more resources. The central plant includes a controller configured to obtain a cost function comprising a peak load contribution (PLC) term representing a cost based on an amount of the one or more resources purchased during coincidental peak (CP) subperiods. The controller is configured to modify the cost function by applying a peak subperiods mask to the PLC term, wherein, for each subperiod, the peak subperiods mask modifies a portion of the PLC term corresponding to the subperiod based on a probability that the subperiod will be one of the CP subperiods. The controller is also configured to perform an optimization of the modified cost function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Mohammad N. Elbsat, Michael J. Wenzel