Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder P.C.
  • Patent number: 8352203
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking an electronic signal corresponding to an operating frequency of an electronic component are provided. A method may include sampling the signal to determine previous and current time samples of the signal. A frequency of interest in the signal may also be pre-warped to decrease adverse warping effects resulting from processing signals having relatively higher operating frequencies. The previous and current time samples of the signals, along with the pre-warped frequency of interest, may be input into a digital tracking filter. The digital tracking filter may be configured to execute one or more algorithms on the previous and current time samples and the pre-warped frequency of interest to estimate a current operating frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Seibel, Russel J. Kerkman, Carlos Daniel Rodriguez-Valdez
  • Patent number: 8347631
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system includes an end cover and a liquid cartridge. The liquid cartridge is configured to mount in a fuel nozzle of a turbine engine, wherein the liquid cartridge comprises a one piece flange configured to couple to the end cover, wherein the flange comprises a water inlet, an air inlet, and a fuel inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Scott R Simmons, Gregory Allen Boardman, Xiomara Irizarry-Rosado
  • Patent number: 8352394
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel techniques for validating laboratory data values for properties of interest of products produced by a process system. In particular, samples of the product may be sent to a laboratory testing facility, where laboratory testing procedures may be used to obtain the laboratory data values for the property of interest. The laboratory data values may be sent to a control system which includes a laboratory data validation module. The laboratory data validation module may be capable of validating the laboratory data values of the property of interest by comparing the laboratory data values of the property of interest with predicted values generated by a model. The model may be created using inputs such as laboratory and measured data values of the property of interest as well as laboratory and measured data values of other properties of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Kent Stephenson, David G. Hoch, L. Paul Collete, III
  • Patent number: 8347970
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that may include employing a lockscrew to provide radial and axial force in connecting tubular members in a mineral extraction system. The lockscrew may be angled relative to the tubular members, at an angle that is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. Further, the lockscrew may have an end portion which mates with a slot in a locking segment, and the lockscrew and locking segment may be moved from an unlocked to a locked position. In a locked position, the lockscrew exerts force axially downward and radially inward to push the locking segment against a tubular member, locking the member in place. The interconnection between the lockscrew and the locking segment may enable easier installation and may utilize parts which may be easier to manufacture. Furthermore, the angle of the lockscrew may provide improved support for tubular members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Delbert Edwin Vanderford, Kenneth Melvin Reed
  • Patent number: 8347916
    Abstract: A chemical injection line connector includes first and second couplings configured to automatically seal shut when the members are disengaged. A method for blocking contamination or pressure transfer of chemical injection lines includes securing first and second couplings to corresponding ends of a chemical injection line and automatically sealing the couplings shut when the couplings are disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventor: David R. June
  • Patent number: 8347966
    Abstract: A system in some embodiments includes a system, having a seal assembly, including an inner energizing ring, an outer energizing ring, a load ring disposed between the inner energizing ring and the outer energizing ring, a sealing element, and a lock ring. Further other embodiments provide a method of sealing, including rotating an inner energizing ring in a direction to move the inner energizing ring in a first axial direction to seat a seal, rotating an outer energizing ring in the direction to wedgingly engage and set a lock ring in a radial direction, and rotating a load ring in the direction to move the load ring in a second axial direction to set the lock ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis P. Nguyen, Thomas E. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8342150
    Abstract: A load control system, in certain aspects, may be configured to decrease the amount of noise pollution of a prime mover (e.g., engine) of a service pack in that it may not require the prime mover to operate at higher discrete operating speeds to deliver small amounts of air from the air compressor. The load control system may also only increase the speed of the prime mover to a minimum discrete speed required, keeping noise at a minimum. The load control system may also maximize fuel efficiency by not operating the prime mover at the highest discrete speed at all times. More specifically, the lower operating speeds may lead to less fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
    Inventor: Ross Renner
  • Patent number: 8343608
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical media and the formation and use of such media. In certain embodiments the optical media or a composition suitable for such media includes a polymeric matrix or substrate. A dye, such as an energy transfer dye is chemically appended to the polymeric matrix or substrate, such as by one or more covalent bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arunkumar Natarajan, Evgenia Mikhailovna Kim, Vicki Herzl Watkins, Julia Lam Lee, Patrick Joseph McCloskey, Kwok Pong Chan, Matthew Jeremiah Misner, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov
  • Patent number: 8343243
    Abstract: A method may include preparing a coke slurry, preparing a lignite slurry separate from the coke slurry, and combining the coke slurry with the lignite slurry to form a coke/lignite slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jaleh Khorami Ghani
  • Patent number: 8345991
    Abstract: A technique for selecting portions of a multi-resolution medical image data set to be stored and the portions of the multi-resolution medical image data set to be discarded in order to reduce the overall amount of image data that is stored for each image data set. The selection is based on the clinical purpose for obtaining the medical image data. The clinical purpose for obtaining the medical image is used to select a segmentation algorithm to segment the image data into several regions based on their relevance to the purpose for obtaining the image data. A mask is created from the segmented data. The mask is used to assign data compression quality factors to corresponding regions in the image data. The image data in each region is compressed based on their assigned quality factor. The image data that is highly relevant is compressed with lossless data compression. The image data in regions of lesser relevance are compressed with lossy data compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Thomas Gering, John David Hoford, David Matthew Deaven, Gopal Biligeri Avinash
  • Patent number: 8346063
    Abstract: An exemplary method of operating a recording device comprises acquiring a title of a recorded program when a recording operation begins. The exemplary method further comprises determining, at a first specific time period after a next-occurring hour of the clock or after a next-occurring half hour of the clock during the recording operation, whichever occurs first, whether the recording operation started within a second specific time period, the second specific time period being between the first specific time period and thirty minutes, storing as the title of the recorded program the title acquired when the recording operation began if the recording operation was not started within the second specific time period, and reacquiring the title of the recorded program if the recording operation was started within the second specific time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Mark Gilmore Mears, Mark Alan Logan
  • Patent number: 8342798
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine casing including a first hook configured to mate with a second hook to support a turbine shroud about a plurality of turbine blades. The turbine casing includes a coolant circuit configured to adjust clearance between the turbine shroud and the turbine blades based on coolant flow through the coolant circuit. The coolant circuit includes a first plurality of radial coolant passages extending into the first hook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald E. Floyd, II, Henry G. Ballard, Jr., Brad Miller
  • Patent number: 8342794
    Abstract: A system includes a compressor and a control system. The control system includes a processor and associated memory. The control system is configured to receive feedback comprising a thermodynamic characteristic or a mechanical characteristic of the compressor. Also, the control system is configured to generate an indication of a surge event or a stall event in the compressor based on the feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Serge Staroselsky, William Charles Jost, Mel Gabriel Maalouf, Andriy Andreyev, Michael Tolmatsky
  • Patent number: 8340886
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine fuel controller. The turbine fuel controller includes a purge control logic configured to control a purge sequence of mixing a purge gas with a first fuel during a first fuel shutdown, wherein the purge sequence is configured to open a purge valve for the purge gas before fully closing a fuel valve for the first fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vijay Raghavendran Nenmeni, Michael John Rozdolski, Rahul Jaikaran Chillar
  • Patent number: 8339820
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide novel techniques for using multiple 18-pulse rectifier circuits in parallel. In particular, each rectifier circuit may include an autotransformer having 15 inductors coupled in series, joined by 15 nodes interposed between pairs of the inductors. The inductors may be represented as a hexagon in which alternating sides of the hexagon have two and three inductors, respectively. Each rectifier circuit may also include three inputs for three-phase AC power coupled to alternating vertices of the hexagonal representation and nine outputs for AC power coupled between each node that is not a vertex of the hexagonal representation and a respective diode bridge. Outputs of the diode bridges for the rectifier circuits may be coupled to a DC bus. In addition, a means for reducing circulating current between the parallel rectifier circuits and for promoting load sharing between the parallel rectifier circuits is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lixiang Wei, Gary L. Skibinski
  • Patent number: 8337151
    Abstract: Embodiments include a system having a turbine support key having a set of key segments selectively stackable together in a plurality of combinations to adjust a thickness between turbine supports based solely on a selection of the key segments from the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Cooper, Timothy Andrew Melsert, James W. Clark, Craig D. Ivancic, Sean O'Meara, Jean-francois Lavie
  • Patent number: 8338986
    Abstract: A method for providing power to devices in a network and coordinating actions of multiple power supplies on the network is described. The method may include maintaining connectivity of communication signals and ground between upstream and downstream portions of the network relative to a power supply, while terminating power from an upstream power supply and taking over power supply functions for downstream devices. This may be achieved by including a logic feature within one or more of the multiple power supplies that monitors a power status of an upstream power supply and/or the power status of the associated power supply. When the logic feature detects a power cycle, it initiates a coordinated power cycle of the associated power supply and/or other networked power supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Furukawa, Nicholas R. Goebel, Amy L. Stachowiak, Robert D. Law
  • Patent number: 8339810
    Abstract: A ground power unit having a power supply unit capable of accepting a wide range of AC input voltages and producing one or more DC power signals for powering components of the GPU is disclosed. In one embodiment, the power supply unit includes a rectifier that converts an AC input power to a DC link power. The power supply unit includes a gate driving circuit that has a power MOSFET transistor which, under the control of a PWM controller, produces a switched DC signal. The DC link power and the output of the gate drive circuitry are provided to a transformer, which modulates the signals and produces a first DC output power signal that is load independent and a second DC output power signal that is load dependent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Milind Ratnaparkhi, Keith Welker
  • Patent number: 8338971
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling an internal combustion engine driving a generator/welder or a stand-alone generator. Controlling the engine may include altering the engine speed based upon a detected demand on the generator and/or operating parameters of a welder. For example, the engine speed may be increased based on a detected draw on the generator and/or the operating parameters of the welder. In addition, the engine speed may be automatically decreased to a non-standard idle speed or the engine may be automatically turned off if no demand is detected for a period of time. Additionally, the engine speed may be increased if only frequency-insensitive demands are detected on the generator. Combinations of these and further methods may be executed. Various devices are provided for implementing the above methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: David Edwin Radtke, Daniel C. Fosbinder, Joseph Carl Gitter
  • Patent number: 8335081
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to tuning the flow of cooling air across converter and inverter heat sinks in a motor drive system. More specifically, present techniques relate to motor drive duct systems including heat sinks with separate, sequential heat sink fin sections disposed in a common cooling air path and having different geometries to optimize the flow of cooling air across and between fins of the separate heat sink fin sections. For example, the heat sink fin sections may have different fin lengths, fin heights, fin counts, fin pitch (e.g., distance between adjacent fins), and so forth. Each of these different geometric characteristics may be tuned to ensure that temperatures and temperature gradients across the heat sinks are maintained within acceptable ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce W. Weiss