Patents by Inventor Michael D. Williams
Michael D. Williams 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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Patent number: 11554634Abstract: An air handling system for distributing airflow in a vehicle is disclosed and includes a passenger compartment configured to contain one or more occupants, a cargo compartment, and a flow regulating valve configured to actuate into a commanded position to apportion airflow between the passenger and cargo compartments. The air handling system also includes one or more processors in electronic communication with the flow regulating valve and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the air handling system to receive one or more signals indicating a total available airflow rate available to the vehicle and a system configuration. The one or more processors instruct the flow regulating valve to actuate into a commanded position. The commanded position is calculated based on at least a target cargo airflow rate.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2019Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bryce A. Tillack, Myles E. Brown, Timothy T. Hanusa, Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20220196289Abstract: A fuel-fired heating appliance comprises a fuel source, an air source, a chamber in which fuel and air mix, a burner downstream from the mixing chamber, an igniter proximate the burner, a heat exchanger, a blower and a flue pipe. An ambient air inlet may be defined by at least one of the outlet end of the blower and the flue pipe extending between the interior of the flue pipe and an area ambient to the flue pipe. A flow rate of combustion gas may be controlled to a level below a steady-state flow rate during appliance warm-up.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Shawn A. Reed, Mickey E. Batson, Michael D. Williams, Christopher R. Taylor, Tyson J. Cogburn
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Patent number: 11209188Abstract: A fuel-fired heating appliance comprises a fuel source, an air source, a chamber in which fuel and air mix, a burner downstream from the mixing chamber, an igniter proximate the burner, a heat exchanger, a blower and a flue pipe. An ambient air inlet may be defined by at least one of the outlet end of the blower and the flue pipe extending between the interior of the flue pipe and an area ambient to the flue pipe. A flow rate of combustion gas may be controlled to a level below a steady-state flow rate during appliance warm-up.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2017Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Shawn A. Reed, Mickey E. Batson, Michael D. Williams, Christopher R. Taylor, Tyson J. Cogburn
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Publication number: 20210094387Abstract: An air handling system for distributing airflow in a vehicle is disclosed and includes a passenger compartment configured to contain one or more occupants, a cargo compartment, and a flow regulating valve configured to actuate into a commanded position to apportion airflow between the passenger and cargo compartments. The air handling system also includes one or more processors in electronic communication with the flow regulating valve and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the air handling system to receive one or more signals indicating a total available airflow rate available to the vehicle and a system configuration. The one or more processors instruct the flow regulating valve to actuate into a commanded position. The commanded position is calculated based on at least a target cargo airflow rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Bryce A. Tillack, Myles E. Brown, Timothy T. Hanusa, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 10800541Abstract: The use of flexible foam material to provide ignition mitigation in fuel tanks is described. In one example, a system for ignition mitigation includes a number of foam blocks, wherein each foam block is pre-cut from a flexible foam material. Each foam block can have a unique profile corresponding to inner surfaces of a fuel tank at a particular sector within a compartment of the fuel tank. In other aspects, one or more of the foam blocks can include one or more upper cutouts to provide clearance for upper stiffeners in the fuel tank, one or more lower cutouts to provide clearance for lower stiffeners in the fuel tank, and one or more arcuate cutouts to provide clearance for a tank fuel pump. The foam blocks can be arranged in a stack corresponding to a sequential installation at respective sectors within the compartment of the fuel tank.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2018Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: JETAIRE AEROSPACE, LLCInventor: Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20200256112Abstract: A computer program product, system, and computer-implemented method for adjusting a window of a non-moving vehicle, the method including receiving input data from at least one sensor associated with the non-moving vehicle, determining the input data satisfies activation conditions, and adjusting a window of the non-moving vehicle in response to the determination that the input data satisfies the activation conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2019Publication date: August 13, 2020Inventor: Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 10633109Abstract: A method utilizing quantities of flexible foam material inserted into a fuel tank, thereby providing ignition mitigation and minimizing the risk of explosion in the tank. The foam material is sculpted into a few, or a substantial quantity of foam blocks. In large-scale installations, the blocks are labeled according to exact placement within a stacking pattern that replicates the tank interior. The blocks are inserted by technicians through existing access ports until the tank is filled, excepting minimal planned void spaces. The foam material establishes ignition mitigation by acting as an ignition blocker, mechanically interfering with the compression wave created by a flame front in an explosion, and changing the vaporous mixture-above the fuel level in the tank. Upon completion of foam insertion, the fuel tank is filled with purging fluid, drained through a filter until no debris is found, and a new maximum fuel quantity recalibrated.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2017Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: JETAIRE AEROSPACE, LLCInventor: Michael D Williams
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Patent number: 10546121Abstract: There is a computer program product and computer system that includes program instructions programmed to establish a security container describing a workload and a set of resources in a software-defined environment, the security container including a set of sub-containers that are self-describing sub-containers having associated metadata describing content of a respectively corresponding sub-container, each sub-container of the set of sub-containers respectively corresponds to a resource-divisible portion of the workload, the set of resources being required by the workload, wherein a sub-container of the set of sub-containers is an operating system sub-container; monitor the workload and the set of resources for security events; and responsive to identifying a security event, adjust isolation mechanisms provided by the plurality of sub-containers at various layers of a stack. The set of sub-containers represents an end-to-end run time environment for processing the workload using the set of resources.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Josyula R. Rao, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 10534911Abstract: There is a computer program product and computer system that includes program instructions programmed to identify, in a software-defined environment, a security container describing a workload and a set of resources required by the workload, the security container including self-describing sub-containers having associated metadata describing content of a respectively corresponding sub-container; determine, for the workload, a set of resource-divisible portions of the workload including a compute-resource portion; generate a plurality of sub-containers within the security container, a sub-container within the plurality of sub-containers being a self-describing sub-container having associated metadata describing the content of the sub-container representing only one resource-divisible portion, the sub-container being an operating system sub-container; and responsive to identifying a security event while processing the workload, adjust a security mechanism associated with the security container.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2018Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Josyula R. Rao, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 10423457Abstract: Outcome-based adjustment of a software-defined environment (SDE) includes determining a business operation and a corresponding set of tasks to be performed in a software defined environment (SDE), establishing a first resource configuration to perform the corresponding set of tasks to achieve a business outcome target, determining a first resource cost for performing the corresponding set of tasks, assigning a priority level to tasks within the corresponding set of tasks, determining a set of performance indicators corresponding to a task having a first priority level, monitoring the SDE to identify a triggering event, responsive to identifying the triggering event, establishing a second resource configuration based, at least in part, on a performance level of a performance indicator in the set of performance indicators, the second resource configuration addressing the triggering event, and determining a second resource cost for performing the corresponding set of tasks according to the second resource configType: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Jeffrey A. Frey, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, David B. Lindquist, Stefan Pappe, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Balachandar Rajaraman, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Rodney A. Smith, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 10216544Abstract: A method and system for outcome-based adjustment of a software-defined environment (SDE) that includes establishing a link between a business outcome and a first resource configuration from software defined environment, establishing a monitoring mechanism for continuously measuring a current state of the SDE, using a behavior model of the SDE to anticipate, or forecast, a triggering event, and responsive to the forecast of a triggering event, using the behavior model to determine a second resource configuration to achieve the business outcome. The link includes at least one of a utility of services for the business outcome, a cost of a set of resources consumed by the first resource configuration, and a risk of the set of resources becoming unavailable.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Jeffrey A. Frey, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, David B. Lindquist, Stefan Pappe, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Balachandar Rajaraman, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Rodney A. Smith, Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20190055031Abstract: The use of flexible foam material to provide ignition mitigation in fuel tanks is described. In one example, a system for ignition mitigation includes a number of foam blocks, wherein each foam block is pre-cut from a flexible foam material. Each foam block can have a unique profile corresponding to inner surfaces of a fuel tank at a particular sector within a compartment of the fuel tank. In other aspects, one or more of the foam blocks can include one or more upper cutouts to provide clearance for upper stiffeners in the fuel tank, one or more lower cutouts to provide clearance for lower stiffeners in the fuel tank, and one or more arcuate cutouts to provide clearance for a tank fuel pump. The foam blocks can be arranged in a stack corresponding to a sequential installation at respective sectors within the compartment of the fuel tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2018Publication date: February 21, 2019Inventor: Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20180339789Abstract: A method utilizing quantities of flexible foam material inserted into a fuel tank, thereby providing ignition mitigation and minimizing the risk of explosion in the tank. The foam material is sculpted into a few, or a substantial quantity of foam blocks. In large-scale installations, the blocks are labeled according to exact placement within a stacking pattern that replicates the tank interior. The blocks are inserted by technicians through existing access ports until the tank is filled, excepting minimal planned void spaces. The foam material establishes ignition mitigation by acting as an ignition blocker, mechanically interfering with the compression wave created by a flame front in an explosion, and changing the vaporous mixture-above the fuel level in the tank. Upon completion of foam insertion, the fuel tank is filled with purging fluid, drained through a filter until no debris is found, and a new maximum fuel quantity recalibrated.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2017Publication date: November 29, 2018Inventor: Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20180300479Abstract: There is a computer program product and computer system that includes program instructions programmed to establish a security container describing a workload and a set of resources in a software-defined environment, the security container including a set of sub-containers that are self-describing sub-containers having associated metadata describing content of a respectively corresponding sub-container, each sub-container of the set of sub-containers respectively corresponds to a resource-divisible portion of the workload, the set of resources being required by the workload, wherein a sub-container of the set of sub-containers is an operating system sub-container; monitor the workload and the set of resources for security events; and responsive to identifying a security event, adjust isolation mechanisms provided by the plurality of sub-containers at various layers of a stack. The set of sub-containers represents an end-to-end run time environment for processing the workload using the set of resources.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Josyula R. Rao, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20180300478Abstract: There is a computer program product and computer system that includes program instructions programmed to identify, in a software-defined environment, a security container describing a workload and a set of resources required by the workload, the security container including self-describing sub-containers having associated metadata describing content of a respectively corresponding sub-container; determine, for the workload, a set of resource-divisible portions of the workload including a compute-resource portion; generate a plurality of sub-containers within the security container, a sub-container within the plurality of sub-containers being a self-describing sub-container having associated metadata describing the content of the sub-container representing only one resource-divisible portion, the sub-container being an operating system sub-container; and responsive to identifying a security event while processing the workload, adjust a security mechanism associated with the security container.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Josyula R. Rao, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20180297714Abstract: The use of flexible foam material to provide ignition mitigation in fuel tanks is described. In one example, a system for ignition mitigation includes a number of foam blocks, wherein each foam block is pre-cut from a flexible foam material. Each foam block can have a unique profile corresponding to inner surfaces of a fuel tank at a particular sector within a compartment of the fuel tank. In other aspects, one or more of the foam blocks can include one or more upper cutouts to provide clearance for upper stiffeners in the fuel tank, one or more lower cutouts to provide clearance for lower stiffeners in the fuel tank, and one or more arcuate cutouts to provide clearance for a tank fuel pump. The foam blocks can be arranged in a stack corresponding to a sequential installation at respective sectors within the compartment of the fuel tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventor: Michael D. Williams
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Publication number: 20180259223Abstract: A fuel-fired heating appliance comprises a fuel source, an air source, a chamber in which fuel and air mix, a burner downstream from the mixing chamber, an igniter proximate the burner, a heat exchanger, a blower and a flue pipe. An ambient air inlet may be defined by at least one of the outlet end of the blower and the flue pipe extending between the interior of the flue pipe and an area ambient to the flue pipe. A flow rate of combustion gas may be controlled to a level below a steady-state flow rate during appliance warm-up.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2017Publication date: September 13, 2018Inventors: Shawn A. Reed, Mickey E. Batson, Michael D. Williams, Christopher R. Taylor, Tyson J. Cogburn
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Patent number: 10043007Abstract: There is a method and system that includes establishing a security container that describes a workload and a set of resources that corresponds to the workload in a software-defined environment, determining a set of security criteria for the security container, monitoring the workload and the set of resources for security events based, at least in part, upon the set of security criteria, and responsive to identifying a security event, adjusting one or more security mechanisms. The steps of monitoring and adjusting are operated within the software-defined environment.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Brad L. Brech, Scott W. Crowder, Hubertus Franke, Nagui Halim, Matt R. Hogstrom, Chung-Sheng Li, Pratap C. Pattnaik, Dimitrios Pendarakis, Josyula R. Rao, Radha P. Ratnaparkhi, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 9969623Abstract: Described are methods of preparing silver azide comprising reacting a silver salt, an azide salt, ammonium hydroxide, and a hydrolysable ester at an elevated temperature.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2015Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials CompanyInventors: John W. Fronabarger, Jon G. Bragg, Michael D. Williams
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Patent number: 9849998Abstract: A process method utilizing customized, specifically-shaped pieces of reticulated polyurethane foam (RPF) to fill an aircraft fuel tank or tank compartment to provide ignition mitigation and prevent explosion in the tank. The process involves inserting the shaped pieces of RPF through existing access ports into a fuel tank in order to fill the tank, excepting minimal planned void spaces. This process effects ignition mitigation by acting as an ignition blocker, mechanically interfering with the compression wave that precedes the flame front in an explosion, and changing the vaporous mixture above the fuel level (ullage) in the tank. The foam pieces are assembled and fitted together throughout the tank in a pattern that replicates the shape of the tank. After the foam insertion is complete, the fuel tank is filled with purging fluid, drained through a filter until no debris is found, and the new maximum fuel quantity is recalibrated.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Inventor: Michael D Williams