Patents by Inventor Stephen B. Austin

Stephen B. Austin 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: 7684901
    Abstract: An automatic method of which days/hours represent good candidates for reducing demand to achieve potential savings and the amount of demand reduction that can be achieved with a tolerable level of disruption to status quo operations. Demand interval data including utility usage rate (UUR) values is received from one or more utility monitoring devices, and are sorted in descending order. A percent difference is calculated for each UUR value relative to the previous one, and a cumulative percent difference accumulates the percent differences from the preceding rows. The average cumulative percent difference is divided by the total number of UUR values in the measured period to produce a ratio. The standard deviation of time is determined, and from those demand data associated with ratios greater than a ratio threshold and standard deviations less than a standard deviation threshold the demand reduction amount and the number of control hours are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventors: William L. Buettner, Stephen B. Austin
  • Publication number: 20090006279
    Abstract: An automatic method of which days/hours represent good candidates for reducing demand to achieve potential savings and the amount of demand reduction that can be achieved with a tolerable level of disruption to status quo operations. Demand interval data including utility usage rate (UUR) values is received from one or more utility monitoring devices, and are sorted in descending order. A percent difference is calculated for each UUR value relative to the previous one, and a cumulative percent difference accumulates the percent differences from the preceding rows. The average cumulative percent difference is divided by the total number of UUR values in the measured period to produce a ratio. The standard deviation of time is determined, and from those demand data associated with ratios greater than a ratio threshold and standard deviations less than a standard deviation threshold the demand reduction amount and the number of control hours are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: William L. Buettner, Stephen B. Austin
  • Patent number: 4614458
    Abstract: A permanently-installed system of intakes and conduits for removing accumulated sediment from the bottom of a watercourse includes a pattern of spaced slurry intakes of flared shape, connected by a conduit network to suction pumps. The intakes have sides sloping toward an opening at an angle at least as great as an angle at which the sediment will slide, whereby the sediment is caused to accumulate, between intermittent operations of the system, at a lowermost portion of the intake. A quantity of sediment is thereby concentrated in the flow path for removal. A cowling and anti-vortex fin structure supports a movable valve plug to permit sequential operation of individual intakes. The cowling and sloping sides, together with the anti-vortex fins cause a horizontal flow of water across the bottom to sweep sediment toward the intakes. A plurality of spaced rods protect the intakes from clogging due to entry of large pieces of debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1986
    Inventor: Stephen B. Austin
  • Patent number: 4311208
    Abstract: A warning light assembly for use on ladders having a plurality of rungs to indicate the presence of someone on the ladder. The warning light assembly has a switch activated by a person's foot placed on one of the lower rungs of the ladder. When first activated, the switch turns on a flashing light positioned about eye level. As the person disembarks from the ladder, his foot on the lower rung again activates the switch turning off the flashing light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1982
    Inventors: Patrick L. Macrorie, Ronald C. Rohrenbacher, Stephen B. Austin