Patents Examined by Sheela S. Rao
  • Patent number: 11050377
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a motor according to parameters provided by an autotuning component if available are described. A controller can be coupled to a drive which operates a motor for executing a task that can be related to a drilling operation for oil and gas. The controller stores initial parameters and checks for new parameters provided by the autotuning component which are stored on the drive after the autotuning component autotunes the motor. If there are new parameters, they are given priority over the initial parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shyam Janakiraman, Ramakrishna Madhireddy, Franz Carstens, Seetharam Kothuru
  • Patent number: 10243359
    Abstract: In a direct load control system supporting frequency control of an electrical grid, loads are grouped into a plurality of load aggregations based on electrical power draw characteristics of the loads, e.g. power draw magnitude characteristic and transient slew rate. A best-fit dispatch signal is generated for each load aggregation to match a desired load response with a sum of predicted load responses of the aggregations each operating in accord with its best-fit dispatch signal. For each load aggregation, its best-fit dispatch signal is communicated to the loads of the load aggregation, and the loads of the load aggregation are operated in accord with the best-fit dispatch signal communicated to the loads. The desired load response may be generated based on historical Automatic Generation Control (AGC) signal data and at least one of (1) a weather forecast and (2) daily, weekly, and seasonal cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jason W. Black, Jason J. McCullough, Eric Rehberg, James E. Dvorsky, Seyed A. Mansouri
  • Patent number: 10126771
    Abstract: Described herein are various technologies pertaining to predicting an amount of electrical power that is to be generated by a power system at a future point in time, wherein the power system utilizes a renewable energy resource to generate electrical power. A camera is positioned to capture an image of sky over a geographic region of interest. The image is analyzed to predict an amount of solar radiation that is to be received by the power source at a future point in time. The predicted solar radiation is used to predict an amount of electrical power that will be output by the power system at the future point in time. A computational resource of a data center that is powered by way of the power source is managed as a function of the predicted amount of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Joseph Williams, Gabriel Kliot, Chia-Chi Lin, Shaun L. Harris, Christian L. Belady, Eric C. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10121179
    Abstract: A method of making an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes the steps of designing an article of footwear via a website, converting a footwear representation into a set of two-dimensional portions, printing the two dimensional portions onto a sheet material, cutting and assembling the two dimensional portions into a finalized article of footwear. The method further includes a step of shipping the article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address. Systems for receiving an order for a customized article of footwear are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Jones, Bruce J. Kilgore, Elizabeth Langvin, James C. Meschter
  • Patent number: 10116142
    Abstract: A load control apparatus receives information regarding the consumed electric power in load devices and the generated electric power by a power generator. The apparatus includes a control unit, which controls a device based on the received information. A determination unit determines whether the device can execute a predetermined process with surplus electric power in target period from the present until a predetermined period of time elapses. An execution unit controls the device such that when it is determined that the abovementioned process can be executed, a control signal is provided to cause the process to start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinpei Hibiya, Kiyotaka Takehara, Hitoshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 10108168
    Abstract: According to some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a computerized method for automatic monitoring of control systems. The method may comprise receiving electronic measurement values, measured on one or more conductors of computerized control devices, where the conductors may be a system bus conductor and/or and input-output line of a programmable logic controller. The method may comprise automatically calculating normal data patterns based on an analysis of the electronic measurement values. The method may comprise matching between new electronic measurement values measured on the computerized control devices and the normal data patterns to automatically detect abnormal data patterns. The method may comprise sending automatically an abnormal operation alert in response to the abnormal data patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Si-Ga Data Security (2014) Ltd.
    Inventor: Ilan Gendelman
  • Patent number: 10103044
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a cassette rest unit from which a wafer is fed by an unloading unit and a feed unit to a plurality of processing units, in which the layout of the units can be changed. The processing unit also has a control unit including a display panel for displaying an input screen for entering operating conditions for the units and a memory unit configured to store at least the operating conditions for the units. The memory unit includes an image memory for storing respective plan-view images of the units, and the display panel displays an overall apparatus map representing a combination of the plan-view images of the units as a layout of the processing apparatus in its entirety. The layout of the plan-view images of the units in the overall apparatus map can be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Odaira
  • Patent number: 10082313
    Abstract: The instruction device according to the present invention is used in an air conditioning system. In a case where evaluation information concerning comfort of an air environment of an indoor space for person(s) in the indoor space corresponds to discomfort and a difference between first data on the air environment of the indoor space and second data on an air environment of an outdoor space is not less than a prescribed value, the instruction device creates setting information to use only a first air conditioning device for causing movement of air between the indoor and outdoor spaces when determining that the comfort can be improved by the first air conditioning device, and creates setting information to use a second air conditioning device for controlling the air environment of the indoor space by consuming energy resource when determining that the comfort cannot be improved by the first air conditioning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Yabunouchi, Hayato Takahashi, Naoki Muro
  • Patent number: 10039241
    Abstract: An irrigation controller, includes a housing, a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule, a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller, and a user interface. The user interface includes a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user's engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule. The microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to display at least one of a next irrigation start day, a next irrigation start time, and a next zone to irrigate associated with the irrigation schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
    Inventor: Steven W. Weiler
  • Patent number: 10018980
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to control processes, such as industrial processes or computer programs to increase process security and avoid injury to persons. An apparatus, may include a receiver that may be configured to receive sensor information from a sensor. The apparatus may also include at least one processing core that may determine, based on the sensor information, at least one characteristic of a user, and to modify execution of a process based at least in part on the characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT LTD
    Inventors: Mika Pesonen, Teemu Stenhammar
  • Patent number: 10012970
    Abstract: A board production state monitoring system including a camera unit that is disposed in a board work machine which carries out predetermined work for a board, that images a progress of the work by using a moving image, and that outputs moving image data; a data operation unit that receives, stores, and displays the moving image data; a trigger factor detection unit that detects at least one of a change factor in which working conditions of the work are changed inside the board work machine and a sign of error occurrence which shows that a working error may occur in the work, as a trigger factor; and an imaging start device for causing the camera unit to start moving image capturing if the trigger factor detection unit detects the trigger factor, and for causing the data operation unit to temporarily store the moving image data, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi Amano, Hirotake Esaki, Mitsutaka Inagaki, Ken Morikami
  • Patent number: 9989034
    Abstract: A wind turbine controller for controlling power production of a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine is arranged within a wind farm coupled to a public power network via a point of common coupling. The wind turbine controller has a receiving unit for receiving a measured value of a property of the wind farm taken at the point of common coupling and for receiving a reference value for the property, and a control unit for controlling the power production of the wind turbine by regulating a local property of the wind turbine based on the received measured value and the received reference value such that the measured value of the wind farm taken at the point of common coupling corresponds to the reference value. Further, a wind turbine having such a controller, a wind farm and a method for controlling a power production of a wind turbine are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bjorn Andresen, Dragan Obradovic, Andrei Szabo
  • Patent number: 9904279
    Abstract: A numerical control device including a programmed machining restart function includes a first display unit for displaying, as a list, specific codes indicating limit points of machining steps of a machining program, a specification unit for specifying, among the specific codes displayed as a list by the first display unit, a specific code that is selected, and a program restart unit for executing, by using a location in a memory of the specific code that is specified by the specification unit, a restart operation of the machining program from a machining step including the specific code that is specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Haga, Yousuke Koyanaka
  • Patent number: 9904295
    Abstract: A method for defining an automated process which is to be carried out in a liquid handling system, wherein the liquid handling system comprises an outlet element (e.g. a pipette) for aspirating and/or dispensing a liquid volume, a numerically controlled movement apparatus for carrying out movements in connection with the aspiration/and or dispensing, and a controller for controlling the process, having the following steps: using a graphic user interface in order to enable the user to predetermine parameters which are to be used by the liquid handling system when carrying out one or several substeps of the process, wherein at least a first parameter is dependent on a second parameter in such a way that the first parameter is adjusted automatically by the system if the second parameter changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TECAN TRADING AG
    Inventors: Rainer Kerkmann, Pascal Staeheli, Ho The Vinh
  • Patent number: 9904265
    Abstract: A system for providing an individually configured small control system. A list of possible individual configuration settings for configurable small control systems is kept ready in a configuration device and, from the list, by means of the individual selection and combination of individual configuration settings, an individual overall configuration setting of a small control system to be configured is predefined. An optical code is generated based on the predefinition of the individual overall configuration setting, within which code all the necessary data for provisioning the small control system to be configured individually on the basis of the individual overall configuration setting is stored. The optical code is provided to a process control apparatus, which reads and decodes said code and, on the basis of the data stored therein, controls the logistical process as far as the provision of the individually configured small control system based on the individual overall configuration setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Steffen Schlette, Thomas Huettemeier
  • Patent number: 9890967
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system has an irrigation subsystem and an HVAC system controller configured to selectively implement a drought related irrigation subsystem control scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventor: Arun Kumar Buduri
  • Patent number: 9866031
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power control apparatus includes a receiving unit, an environment-data acquiring unit, and a calculation unit. The receiving unit receives, from a power supplying side, a power-consumption reduction request for reducing power consumption at a power demanding side. The environmental data acquiring unit acquires, from the power demanding side, environmental data representing environmental state of the power demanding side. The calculating unit calculates a power-reduction value based on the environmental data, in response to the power-consumption reduction request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenji Baba, Takaaki Enohara, Nobutaka Nishimura, Kazumi Nagata, Shuhei Noda
  • Patent number: 9857790
    Abstract: An NC program creating device is provided that can automatically insert in an NC program a code that can be executed simultaneously with feeding in a non-cutting state. If it is determined by a determination unit that there is a standard code M03, M06, M10 before or after a non-cutting feed code G00 or G30 in an NC program, a new code placement unit places, instead of the standard code M03, M06, M10, a simultaneous execution code M103, M805, M110 corresponding to the standard code M03, M06, M10 before the non-cutting feed code G00 or G30, and places after the non-cutting feed code G00 or G30 a code that performs at least a prescribed operation of the standard code M03, M06, M10 other than an operation of the simultaneous execution code M103, M805, M110.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Maseki, Tatsuhiko Inagaki, Hiroyuki Tsusaka, Kazuhiro Tsujimura
  • Patent number: 9837817
    Abstract: A system for managing house appliances supplied through a power grid is provided. Each house appliance operates according to at least one corresponding operative mode. Each operative mode comprises a sequence of operative phases. The system comprises at least one control unit interfaced with the house appliances for exchanging data. The at least one control unit collects power profile data comprising timing and electric power consumption data of each operative phase of each operative mode of the house appliances; generates a time schedule of the house appliances operations by distributing in time the execution of the operative phases thereof such that total power consumption of house appliances is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid; and controls the operation of the appliances based on the time schedule. The at least one control unit is configured to generate the time schedule by exploiting a Particle Swarm Optimization approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Borean, Ennio Grasso
  • Patent number: 9791846
    Abstract: To include an analysis processing unit that obtains a movement command for moving on a movement path in a machining program, and vibration conditions for vibrating along the movement path, a command-movement-amount calculation unit that calculates a command-movement amount per unit time, a vibrational-movement-amount calculation unit that uses the vibration conditions to calculate a vibrational-movement amount per unit time at a time corresponding to the movement command, and a movement-amount combining unit that combines the command-movement amount with the vibrational-movement amount to calculate a combined movement amount, and that acquires a movement amount within the unit time such that a position, which has moved from a reference position for calculating the combined movement amount by the combined movement amount, is located on the movement path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Watanabe, Masakazu Sagasaki, Junichi Kamata, Hiroshi Shinohara, Hajime Matsumaru, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takanori Shinohara, Akihiko Shinohara, Shigeo Yanagidaira