Patents by Inventor James Ballard
James Ballard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20190266449Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training a reinforcement learning system. In one aspect, a method of training an action selection policy neural network for use in selecting actions to be performed by an agent navigating through an environment to accomplish one or more goals comprises: receiving an observation image characterizing a current state of the environment; processing, using the action selection policy neural network, an input comprising the observation image to generate an action selection output; processing, using a geometry-prediction neural network, an intermediate output generated by the action selection policy neural network to predict a value of a feature of a geometry of the environment when in the current state; and backpropagating a gradient of a geometry-based auxiliary loss into the action selection policy neural network to determine a geometry-based auxiliary update for current values of the network parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Fabio Viola, Piotr Wojciech Mirowski, Andrea Banino, Razvan Pascanu, Hubert Josef Soyer, Andrew James Ballard, Sudarshan Kumaran, Raia Thais Hadsell, Laurent Sifre, Rostislav Goroshin, Koray Kavukcuoglu, Misha Man Ray Denil
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Patent number: 10265758Abstract: A power tool including a moveable piston, a motor capable of driving the moveable piston to perform work on a work piece, and a distance sensor configured to sense a movement of the moveable piston. The distance sensor operable to provide sensor information indicative of the movement of the piston. A controller receives the sensor information from the distance sensor. The controller operates the motor to perform work on the work piece based in part on the sensor information that the controller receives from the distance sensor.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2017Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool CorporationInventors: Luke Skinner, Kris Kanack, James Ballard, David Bauer
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Patent number: 10185801Abstract: A method may include obtaining a design including cells and a power grid. The method may further include dividing the design into tiles, determining a voltage budget for a tile, calculating a voltage drop for each cell of the tile based on determining an activity factor for the cell and a peak current consumed by the cell, determining, for each cell of the tile and based on the power grid, an affected vicinity for the cell including one or more neighboring cells affected by a current drawn on the cell, determining an affected vicinity for the tile based on the affected vicinity for each cell of the subset, calculating a voltage drop for the tile based on the voltage drop for each cell of the affected vicinity for the tile, and detecting a voltage deviation when a difference between the voltage budget and the voltage drop exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2017Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Kiran Kishore Vedantam, Aparna Ramachandran, James Ballard, Mark Russell O'brien, Sampanna Prashant Pathak
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Publication number: 20180311805Abstract: A working head for a hydraulic power tool including a head frame and a first moveable die head configured to move along the working head frame. The first moveable die head configured to receive a first moveable die comprising a first body length. A second die head is adapted to receive a second die comprising a second body length. The first body length of the moveable die is different from the second body length of the stationary die.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2018Publication date: November 1, 2018Inventors: Jonathan Koski, Troy Marks, Eric Norquist, James Ballard, Kris Kanack
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Patent number: 10093012Abstract: A working head for a hydraulic power tool including a head frame and a first moveable die head configured to move along the working head frame. The first moveable die head configured to receive a first moveable die comprising a first body length. A second die head is adapted to receive a second die comprising a second body length. The first body length of the moveable die is different from the second body length of the stationary die.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool CorporationInventors: Jonathan Koski, Troy Marks, Eric Norquist, James Ballard, Kris Kanack
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Publication number: 20180203971Abstract: A method may include obtaining a design including cells and a power grid. The method may further include dividing the design into tiles, determining a voltage budget for a tile, calculating a voltage drop for each cell of the tile based on determining an activity factor for the cell and a peak current consumed by the cell, determining, for each cell of the tile and based on the power grid, an affected vicinity for the cell including one or more neighboring cells affected by a current drawn on the cell, determining an affected vicinity for the tile based on the affected vicinity for each cell of the subset, calculating a voltage drop for the tile based on the voltage drop for each cell of the affected vicinity for the tile, and detecting a voltage deviation when a difference between the voltage budget and the voltage drop exceeds a threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2017Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: Kiran Kishore Vedantam, Aparna Ramachandran, James Ballard, Mark Russell O'brien, Sampanna Prashant Pathak
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Publication number: 20180147618Abstract: A power tool including a moveable piston, a motor capable of driving the moveable piston to perform work on a work piece, and a distance sensor configured to sense a movement of the moveable piston. The distance sensor operable to provide sensor information indicative of the movement of the piston. A controller receives the sensor information from the distance sensor. The controller operates the motor to perform work on the work piece based in part on the sensor information that the controller receives from the distance sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2018Publication date: May 31, 2018Inventors: Luke Skinner, Kris Kanack, James Ballard, David Bauer
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Publication number: 20180099388Abstract: A working head for a hydraulic power tool. The working head includes a head frame and a first moveable die head configured to move along the working head frame. The first moveable die head is configured to receive a first moveable die comprising a first body length and a second die head is adapted to receive a second die comprising a second body length. At least one of the moveable die or the stationary die comprises an elongated die.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventors: Jonathan Koski, Troy Marks, Eric Norquist, James Ballard, Kris Kanack
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Publication number: 20180093319Abstract: A power tool including a moveable piston, a motor capable of driving the moveable piston to perform work on a work piece, and a distance sensor configured to sense a movement of the moveable piston. The distance sensor operable to provide sensor information indicative of the movement of the piston. A controller receives the sensor information from the distance sensor. The controller operates the motor to perform work on the work piece based in part on the sensor information that the controller receives from the distance sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Luke Skinner, Kris Kanack, James Ballard, David Bauer
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Publication number: 20180085909Abstract: A working head for a hydraulic power tool including a head frame and a first moveable die head configured to move along the working head frame. The first moveable die head configured to receive a first moveable die comprising a first body length. A second die head is adapted to receive a second die comprising a second body length. The first body length of the moveable die is different from the second body length of the stationary die.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2017Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Jonathan Koski, Troy Marks, Eric Norquist, James Ballard, Kris Kanack
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Publication number: 20170356472Abstract: An example tool includes a hydraulic actuator cylinder; a piston slidably accommodated within the hydraulic actuator cylinder, where the piston includes a piston head and a piston rod extending from the piston head along a central axis direction of the hydraulic actuator cylinder, the piston head divides an inside of the hydraulic actuator cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber, and the piston rod is disposed in the first chamber and configured to move one or more jaws of the tool; a pump configured to provide pressurized fluid; and a sequence valve configured to block the pressurized fluid from flowing into the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator cylinder until pressure of the pressurized fluid exceeds a threshold pressure value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2017Publication date: December 14, 2017Inventors: James Ballard, Ian Zimmermann, Luke Skinner, Eric Norquist
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Patent number: 9559199Abstract: An LDFET is disclosed. A source region is electrically coupled to a source contact. A lightly doped drain (LDD) region has a lower dopant concentration than the source region, and is separated from the source region by a channel. A highly doped drain region forms an electrically conductive path between a drain contact and the LDD region. A gate electrode is located above the channel and separated from the channel by a gate dielectric. A shield plate is located above the gate electrode and the LDD region, and is separated from the LDD region, the gate electrode, and the source contact by a dielectric layer. A control circuit applies a variable voltage to the shield plate that: (1) accumulates a top layer of the LDD region before the transistor is switched on; and (2) depletes the top layer of the LDD region before the transistor is switched off.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: Silanna Asia Pte LtdInventors: George Imthurn, James Ballard, Yashodhan Moghe
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Publication number: 20160181420Abstract: An LDFET is disclosed. A source region is electrically coupled to a source contact. A lightly doped drain (LDD) region has a lower dopant concentration than the source region, and is separated from the source region by a channel. A highly doped drain region forms an electrically conductive path between a drain contact and the LDD region. A gate electrode is located above the channel and separated from the channel by a gate dielectric. A shield plate is located above the gate electrode and the LDD region, and is separated from the LDD region, the gate electrode, and the source contact by a dielectric layer. A control circuit applies a variable voltage to the shield plate that: (1) accumulates a top layer of the LDD region before the transistor is switched on; and (2) depletes the top layer of the LDD region before the transistor is switched off.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2014Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventors: George Imthurn, James Ballard, Yashodhan Moghe
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Publication number: 20140202505Abstract: Disclosed is a vending apparatus for vehicle washing that is self contained and can be moved from one desired location to another. The apparatus has a washing housing, with a floor, at least two walls mounted to or from opposing sides of the floor. The two walls define an entrance aperture and an exit aperture to allow passage of a vehicle, onto the floor, and out. The washing apparatus is contained within the washing housing and is automated to wash a vehicle when a vehicle. The washing housing has a support surface to engage with and support it above the ground, and at least one engagement point for a prime mover to allow movement of the apparatus from said location to another. Also there is a customer interface to authorise and activate washing of a vehicle. The washing housing can be located in a first location via the prime mover to allow washing of vehicles, and then when required can be easily moved via the prime mover to another location.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2012Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: PCS HOLDINGS LIMITEDInventors: Philip Anthony Cotton, James Ballard Shelling
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Patent number: 8214790Abstract: A semiconductor die includes: a clock distribution network that distributes a clock signal within the die. The clock distribution network includes: a clock tree corresponding to one or more metal layers of the die, a plurality of clock spines corresponding to a metal layer of the die, a plurality of clock wings corresponding to a metal layer of the die, a plurality of clock grid drivers placed in one or more gaps of a floorplan corresponding to the semiconductor layer of the die, a clock grid placed in the one or more gaps of the floorplan, a plurality of buffers placed in a local gain buffer pair configuration wherein the local gain buffer pair connects the clock grid to a shorting bar, and a plurality of conductors that connect the shorting bar to a plurality of loads.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Oracle AmericaInventors: Robert P. Masleid, James Ballard
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Publication number: 20120110537Abstract: Methods and systems for flexible and repeatable pre-route generation are described. In one embodiment, a routing selection is received. The routing selection is for a path between at least a first cell and a second cell. The first and second cell are associated with a functional description of an integrated circuit. A floorplan associated with the functional description is modified to create a modified floorplan. The modified floorplan has a physical design change relative to the floorplan. A pre-route is automatically generated based on receipt of the routing selection and the modified floorplan. The pre-route is added to a physical design of the chip to create a pre-routed physical design. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Kiran Vedantam, James Ballard, Miao Rao, Guneet Singh, Wanyun Shih
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Publication number: 20100229142Abstract: A semiconductor die includes: a clock distribution network that distributes a clock signal within the die. The clock distribution network includes: a clock tree corresponding to one or more metal layers of the die, a plurality of clock spines corresponding to a metal layer of the die, a plurality of clock wings corresponding to a metal layer of the die, a plurality of clock grid drivers placed in one or more gaps of a floorplan corresponding to the semiconductor layer of the die, a clock grid placed in the one or more gaps of the floorplan, a plurality of buffers placed in a local gain buffer pair configuration wherein the local gain buffer pair connects the clock grid to a shorting bar, and a plurality of conductors that connect the shorting bar to a plurality of loads.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2009Publication date: September 9, 2010Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Robert P. Masleid, James Ballard
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Publication number: 20100181685Abstract: An integrated clock and power distribution network in a semiconductor device includes assigning a first tile to a location on a placement grid corresponding to a top metal layer. An orientation is assigned to the first tile relative to the top metal layer placement grid. The first tile is placed on a representation corresponding to the top metal layer in accordance with the assignments. A second tile is assigned to a location on a placement grid corresponding to a top-1 metal layer. The orientation is assigned to the second tile relative to the top-1 metal layer placement grid. The second tile is placed on a representation corresponding to the top-1 metal layer in accordance with the assignments. The first and second tile are arranged as a full-dense-mesh distribution structure. The first tile includes an integrated clock and power distribution structure. The second tile includes a low impedance underpass structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2009Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Robert P. Masleid, Duncan Collier, Umesh Gajanan Nawathe, James Ballard
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Publication number: 20060240057Abstract: Termicidal compositions comprising bifenthrin and acetamiprid are disclosed. The compositions provide a combination of properties not exhibited by either active ingredient when used alone.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2004Publication date: October 26, 2006Inventors: John Wright, James Ballard
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Publication number: 20060153649Abstract: A particle-loading system has a hopper for particles. The hopper is connected to a funnel that is further connected to a flow chamber for receiving particles from the hopper. The system has a venturi. The venturi has an outlet that is positioned to open into the flow chamber. The venturi further comprises an inlet, for connection to a source of pressurized gas, and an outlet. The outlet has a V-shaped cross-section that as a crotch between the arms of the V-shape. A secondary venturi is located in and opens into the crotch of the V-shape. The flow chamber is connected to an exit pipe, for directing the flow of air and particles away from the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2005Publication date: July 13, 2006Inventors: Robert Folstadt, James Ballard