Patents Examined by Stephen J. Cherry
  • Patent number: 8014959
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for detection of agents such as pathogens or toxic substances and, in particular, to methods and systems for determining the most important background constituents to suppress in a sample, e.g., in a bulk aerosol sample, in order to reduce the probability of false alarms and improve the level of detection of potentially harmful airborne agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sparta, Inc.
    Inventors: Pierre C. Trepagnier, Philip D. Henshaw
  • Patent number: 8000907
    Abstract: A probe for a thermo-anemometer-type fluid flow rate sensor is disclosed. The probe comprises a tubular body member having a thermally conductive housing disposed within a fluid passageway and a detection module in the housing. The detection module includes a detection circuit and a heating circuit and is adapted to provide an output that varies in response to a change in temperature. The detection module is made from a ceramic substrate upon which the detection circuit and the heating circuit are deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Therm-O-Disc, Incorporated
    Inventors: Bernd D. Zimmermann, Tung-Sheng Yang
  • Patent number: 8000915
    Abstract: An apparatus for accurately estimating the SOC of a rechargeable battery installed in a hybrid electric vehicle. A voltage variation measurement unit measures terminal voltage variation amount of the rechargeable battery in a no-battery-current state in which a charge-discharge current does not flow in the rechargeable battery. A polarization voltage calculator calculates a polarization voltage from the measured variation amount. An electromotive force calculator subtracts the polarization voltage from a non-load voltage in a state in which a charge-discharge path is open to calculate the electromotive force of the rechargeable battery. An SOC estimator estimates the SOC of the rechargeable battery based on the electromotive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Furukawa, Naoto Sato
  • Patent number: 8000905
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, carrier media, and systems for determining sizes of defects detected on a wafer are provided. One computer-implemented method includes separating the defects into groups based on output acquired for the defects by multiple channels of an inspection system used to detect the defects on the wafer. The method also includes separating the defects in one or more of the groups into subgroups based on the output acquired for the defects by one or more of the multiple channels. In addition, the method includes determining the sizes of one or more of the defects in one or more of the subgroups separately based on the output acquired for the defects by only one of the multiple channels and a calibration parameter. The calibration parameter is different for each of the subgroups and is acquired by using another system to measure actual sizes of defects detected on other wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Stephanie Chen, Subramanian Balakrishnan, Richard Wallingford
  • Patent number: 7983872
    Abstract: A vertical component is extracted from an acceleration vector corresponding to body movement of a user from a three-axis acceleration sensor, and the vertical-component is separated by a high-band/low-band separating unit into a high-band component and a low-band component. Using these components, a peak detection/determination processing unit detects a peak-position candidate of action of the user in the vertical direction, identifies a peak-position candidate on the basis of an energy ratio between the high-band component and the low-band component, performs waveform matching regarding a predetermined range including each peak-position candidate, thereby determining a peak position, and detects body movement on the basis of the peak position, and a step-position analyzing unit detects a body-movement pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Makino, Akane Sano, Motoyuki Takai
  • Patent number: 7979234
    Abstract: A scheme to facilitate deterministic thermal management by having either device connected via a link to generate a thermal management request based on one device's thermal capability and the present conditions. The request is transmitted over the link to the other device with a specific sleep period. Consequently, the receiving device responds with an acknowledgement within a pre-configured or pre-agreed response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Seh W. Kwa, Animesh Mishra, Naveen Cherukuri
  • Patent number: 7974812
    Abstract: A method for determining the total temperature of the air stream surrounding an aircraft, including the following operations; measuring a parameter of static temperature, measuring a parameter of total temperature, determining a value of speed of the air stream, determining a total temperature computed from the parameters of measured static temperature and measured total temperature as a function of the speed of the air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventors: Valerie Brivet, Philippe Gaucheron, Stephane Saint-Aroman
  • Patent number: 7970551
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for providing information on the probability of DNA samples being contaminated over days, weeks and months in relation to collection, processing and analysis of DNA samples. Methods are also provided for analyzing the likelihood of a result arising due to contamination and/or determining the analysis protocol to be applied to a DNA sample and/or methods of operating databases, particularly containing DNA profiles. Improvements in accounting for sporadic and undetected contamination and improvements in the operation of DNA sampling of analysis are provided by the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Forensic Science Service Limited
    Inventors: Peter Gill, Amanda Kirkham
  • Patent number: 7957918
    Abstract: A computer performs press forming analysis based on a shape of a formed product or of a member, a blank holder force, a friction coefficient, a tensile strength of a material, a yield strength, a stress-strain relation, and a sheet thickness, as press forming conditions, to calculate sheet thickness distribution and post-formation strain distribution of the formed product. The computer also performs performance analysis based on the sheet thickness distribution, the post-formation strain distribution, and the shape of the formed product or of the member, as state amounts of the formed product. This calculate performance of the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignees: Nippon Steel Corporation, Arcelor France
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Niwa, Hiroshi Yoshida, Eiji Isogai, Yuichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7957920
    Abstract: The invention relates to dynamic/wet testing of a milking machine (i.e. during extraction of milk from at least one animal). A proposed testing arrangement includes a number of sensors(111, 112, 113, 114, 121, 122, 123, 124, 2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 3, 31, 32, 33, 34, 4, 41, 42, 43, 44, 5, 6), which are adapted to register a vacuum pressure at a respective test point in at least one fluid conduit of the milking machine. An analysis unit (A) of the testing arrangement determines at least one pressure difference between the vacuum pressures registered in at least two of the test points being positioned on a respective side of at least one component in the milking machine with respect to a fluid flow through the at least one component to establish a vacuum drop over this component. The unit (A) compares the vacuum drop with a threshold value to conclude whether or not a test condition is fulfilled. A notification is generated with respect to any component for which the condition not is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: DeLaval Holdings AB
    Inventors: Lars Innings, David Crook
  • Patent number: 7945424
    Abstract: A disk drive emulator for testing a test slot of a disk drive testing system includes an emulator housing, a testing circuit housed in the emulator housing, and an interface connector disposed on the emulator housing and in electrical communication with the testing circuit. The disk drive emulator includes at least one sensor in electrical communication with the testing circuit. The at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, and a humidity sensor. The testing circuit is configured to test power delivery of the test slot to the disk drive emulator, monitor the at least one sensor, and monitor connector resistance between the test slot and the disk drive emulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Garcia, Michael L. Ardai
  • Patent number: 7945397
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of sensors configured to measure one or more characteristics of a gearbox. The system also includes a gearbox condition indicator device, which includes a plurality of sensor interfaces configured to receive input signals associated with at least one stage of the gearbox from the sensors. The gearbox condition indicator device also includes a processor configured to identify a fault in the gearbox using the input signals and an output interface configured to provide an indicator identifying the fault. The processor is configured to identify the fault by determining a family of frequencies related to at least one failure mode of the gearbox, decomposing the input signals using the family of frequencies, reconstructing a gear signal using the deconstructed input signals, and comparing the reconstructed gear signal to a baseline signal. The family of frequencies includes a gear mesh frequency and its harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Chinmaya Kar
  • Patent number: 7937238
    Abstract: A method is provided for selecting a pillow and mattress based upon an empirical measurement of an individual's pillow selection criteria, mattress selection criteria and sleep characteristics. A system incorporating the principles of the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventor: Dennis M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 7937239
    Abstract: A method is provided for selecting a pillow and mattress based upon an empirical measurement of an individual's pillow selection criteria, mattress selection criteria and sleep characteristics. In accordance with the method, an individual's position on a diagnostic mattress and a controller associated with the diagnostic mattress is operated to measure a pressure of the air mattress via a pressure sensor. The measured pressure of the individual positioned on the diagnostic mattress is correlated to a recommended support level. The individual's recommended support level is correlated to a support characteristic thereby allowing the individual to select a fixed support structure. A system incorporating the principles of the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventor: Dennis M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 7937240
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for characterizing a material using active pyrometry. The material comprises at least one thin surface layer arranged on a thick substrate. The present invention heats the surface (ZTH) of the material by exposing the material to high-frequency laser pulses, so as to perform a series of temperature increase/decrease thermal cycles, accompanied by a heat build-up from one cycle to the next. The present invention collects the emitted radiation, acquires and processes the signals measured by comparing the measured values to the theoretical values obtained by modelling, so as to obtain thermo-physical properties for characterizing the material. The present invention also relates to a device for implementing the method comprising a high-frequency pulsed laser used as heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et Aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Thro, Francois Brygo, Sergey Fomichev, Alexandre Semerok
  • Patent number: 7933729
    Abstract: To provide an operating device control device for obtaining information about a rotational angle of an operating device, while reducing the influence due to an individual difference and/or variation of a reference sensor signal in accordance with a sensor signal output from the gyro sensor mounted in the operating device. A control device of an operating device having a gyro sensor for detecting an angular velocity and outputting a sensor signal in accordance with the detected angular velocity, the control device obtains an output signal from signal output means for outputting an output signal in accordance with a difference between the sensor signal output from the gyro sensor and a predetermined reference signal, then estimates a reference sensor signal to be output by the gyro sensor when no angular velocity is detected, based on the output signal, and changes the predetermined reference signal according to the estimated reference sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fukushima, Shinichi Hirata, Koji Kageyama
  • Patent number: 7933723
    Abstract: At each of measurement sites, changes in plural biological data (such as an oxy-Hb signal species and a deoxy-Hb signal species) in a predetermined period are statistically tested independently of each other. By combining results of the plural biological data, the measurement sites are each classified into one out of plural categories. The classified results are each displayed in a single chart. Effective is also a method of setting different activity periods correspondingly to plural Hb signal species, deciding whether or not each of the signal species shows activity or estimating the strength of the signal species, and displaying classification results based on combination of activities of the plural Hb signal species in a single chart. A living body light measuring device using the brain activity analyzing method and displaying method of the invention makes it possible to detect sites where brain activity is generated with a high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Atsushi Maki
  • Patent number: 7933743
    Abstract: A network health analyzer that analyzes health of a computer network may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A network profile having an issue profile and one or more benchmarks appropriate for the network is determined. A set of numeric measures that is common to all issues in the issue profile is established. The network health analyzer collects data points pertaining to the operation of the network. Based on the data points, numeric values corresponding to the numeric measures may be calculated. In turn, health indexes for all issues in the issue profile may be determined. Based on these health indexes for the issues, an overall health rating may be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jitendra Golani, Sandeep Dhingra, Sameer Padhye
  • Patent number: 7930122
    Abstract: A method for monitoring machine conditions provides additional information using a one-class classifier in which an evaluation function is learned. In the method, a distance is determined from an anomaly measurement x to a boundary of a region R1 containing all acceptable measurements. The distance is used as a measure of the extent of the anomaly. The distance is found by searching along a line from the anomaly to a closest acceptable measurement within the region R1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Corporation
    Inventors: Chao Yuan, Claus Neubauer
  • Patent number: 7925460
    Abstract: A computer implemented system for segmenting data collected from a document production environment is provided. The system includes determining, with a computer implemented data processing platform, that a set of document production related data should be represented as a non-normal distribution. A first test is performed and it is determined that the non-normal distribution should not be analyzed pursuant to a first analytic category. A second test is performed and when it is determined that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to a second analytic category, an output, indicating that the non-normal distribution should be analyzed pursuant to the second analytic category is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Sudhendu Rai, John C Handley