Patents by Inventor Nathan R. Soderborg

Nathan R. Soderborg 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).

  • Patent number: 7219068
    Abstract: A method and computer-implemented system for optimizing a product. Based on the “voice of the customer”, aspects of the product that are critical to the customer satisfaction, and target values, therefore, are identified. Aspects are characterized in terms of their contributing factors. Each contributing factor is characterized in a transfer function in terms of control and noise factors impacting the contributing factors. Contributing factors are optimized during product design by shifting nominal design values for control factors with respect to the transfer function such that target contributing factors are attained with minimum variability due to existing noises and variability in control. Where target values cannot be obtained through design optimization, conventional methods of manufacturing optimization are implemented. The extent to which the target values are attained and maintained over the life of the product are assessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Carolyn Zelek, John King, Mahesh Himatlal Vora, Nathan R. Soderborg, Toni Brockers
  • Patent number: 6931366
    Abstract: A system 10, which receives a computer, aided model or design 18 and which probabilistically analyzes the model 18 by use of a modified Latin Hypercube sampling technique and combined MARS and Kriging simulation methodologies, thereby allowing a simulation to be conducted at a most probable point of operation and allowing products having desired characteristics and attributes to be created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Steve C. Wang, Agus Sudjianto, David John Buche, Dingjun Li, Mahesh Himatial Vora, Nathan R. Soderborg, Siyuan Jiang, Xiaoping Liu
  • Publication number: 20030040954
    Abstract: A method and computer-implemented system for optimizing a product. Based on the “voice of the customer”, aspects of the product that are critical to the customer satisfaction, and target values, therefore, are identified. Aspects are characterized in terms of their contributing factors. Each contributing factor is characterized in a transfer function in terms of control and noise factors impacting the contributing factors. Contributing factors are optimized during product design by shifting nominal design values for control factors with respect to the transfer function such that target contributing factors are attained with minimum variability due to existing noises and variability in control. Where target values cannot be obtained through design optimization, conventional methods of manufacturing optimization are implemented. The extent to which the target values are attained and maintained over the life of the product are assessed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Carolyn Zelek, John King, Mahesh Himatlal Vora, Nathan R. Soderborg, Toni Brockers
  • Publication number: 20020143503
    Abstract: A system 10, which receives a computer, aided model or design 18 and which probabilistically analyzes the model 18 by use of a modified Latin Hypercube sampling technique and combined MARS and Kriging simulation methodologies, thereby allowing a simulation to be conducted at a most probable point of operation and allowing products having desired characteristics and attributes to be created.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Steve C. Wang, Agus Sudjianto, David John Buche, Dingjun Li, Mahesh Himatlal Vora, Nathan R. Soderborg, Siyuan Jiang, Xiaoping Liu
  • Patent number: 5361628
    Abstract: A system and method for processing test measurements collected from an internal combustion engine that is cold-tested for diagnostic purposes. Test measurements are collected from an engine. The test measurements are "pre-processed" by filtering and subsampling techniques so that Principle Component Analysis can be applied to condense the quantity of test measurements while still retaining a statistically accurate indication of a majority of the original measurements. The pre-processed test measurements are then passed through one or more classifiers including: a Neural Network classifier, a Fuzzy Logic classifier, a cluster-based classifier (or "Spherical" classifier) and a Genetic Program classifier. Results from these classifiers can be used to obtain a verdict about an engine (i.e., whether the engine is "normal" or "faulty").
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Marko, Bruce D. Bryant, Nathan R. Soderborg
  • Patent number: 5305635
    Abstract: System and method for filtering a misfire data stream having numerical values that indicate whether a firing of a cylinder was a misfire or a proper firing, to yield an optimum measurement misfire-rate for accurate and rapid determination of whether an engine is misfiring beyond a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: John V. James, Nathan R. Soderborg, Timothy M. Feldkamp