Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder
  • Patent number: 8177476
    Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes a magnetic actuator configured to adjust a radial clearance between a housing and rotary blades via translational movement along a rotational axis. The system includes a controller configured to engage the magnetic actuator to adjust the radial clearance in response to feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Andrew, James M. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 8174358
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an X-ray system includes a handheld X-ray interface device. The handheld X-ray interface device includes a wireless interface for communicating with an imaging system and a tracking device configured to provide a location and/or to track movement of the handheld X-ray interface device relative to the imaging system, wherein the location or tracked movement of the handheld X-ray interface device is communicated to the imaging system as an input for at least one control function of the imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Mark Butzine, Jeremy Patrick Hannon
  • Patent number: 8175665
    Abstract: Methods and systems for calculating body fluid metrics are provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present technique, there is provided a method for calculating body fluid metrics by acquiring an absorbance spectrum of a subject's tissue over a range of near-infrared light, performing a multi-linear regression of the absorbance spectrum of the subject's tissue in relation to absorbance spectra of tissue constituents, and calculating body fluid metrics based on the results of the multi-linear regression. A system is provided having a sensor for emitting the light into the subject's tissue and detecting reflected, scattered, or transmitted light, a spectrometer for processing the detected light and generating the absorbance spectrum of the subject's tissue, memory for storing absorbance spectra of the tissue constituents and a multi-linear regression model, and a processor for performing the multi-linear regression and calculating the body fluid metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: Clark R. Baker, Jr., Nicholas J. Durr, Murtaza Mogri, Carine Hoarau, Rafael Ostrowski, Martin P. Debreczeny
  • Patent number: 8175667
    Abstract: A sensor for pulse oximeter systems is provided which comprises a first source of electromagnetic radiation configured to operate at a first wavelength, a second source of electromagnetic radiation configured to operate at a second wavelength and a third source of electromagnetic radiation configured to operate at a third wavelength. The first and third sources of electromagnetic radiation are symmetrically oriented about an axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventor: Martin P. Debreczeny
  • Patent number: 8172519
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an abradable seal includes a soft material that may be worn away and a hard material that may provide mechanical strength for the abradable seal. The soft material and the hard material may include different compositions of a base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Paul Jarrabet, Joshua Lee Margolies, Warren Arthur Nelson
  • Patent number: 8175684
    Abstract: A system and method of processing images of a region of interest of a patient is provided. The method comprises acquiring a reference image of the region of interest of the patient; during a pullback of an intravascular sensor in the region of interest, triggering simultaneously the steps of: acquiring a data collected by the sensor characteristic of the region of interest; and acquiring a succession of images of the region of interest associated with the location of the intravascular sensor when acquiring the data, respectively. The method further includes registering the succession of images; associating the location of the intravascular sensor relative to the step of acquiring the data collected by the intravascular sensor; and displaying and positioning the data collected by the intravascular sensor on the reference image in correspondence to the location of the intravascular sensor at the respective step of acquiring the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Regis Vaillant, Vincent Bismuth, Shri R. Rajesh Prabhu, Laurence Gavit-Houdant, Sekar Anantharaman
  • Patent number: 8175671
    Abstract: A sensor may be adapted to reduce motion artifacts by mitigating the effects of the tissue moving within the sensor. A sensor is provided with an elastomeric sensor body adapted to accommodate patient motion. Further, a sensor is provided in which the sensor cable is arranged to mitigate its pressure on a patient's tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventor: Carine Hoarau
  • Patent number: 8169766
    Abstract: A shaft current control brush ring assembly includes a cup and a brush ring assembly secured within the cup. The cup is secured to a motor faceplate, within a recess formed in the faceplate by interference fit, or by means of a clamp attached to the faceplate. A slinger can be associated with the brush ring assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Hieyoung W. Oh, Adam H. Willwerth
  • Patent number: 8167588
    Abstract: A reciprocating compressor is provided with a reciprocating compressor frame which includes a central body and at least two crosshead guides extending from opposite sides of the central body. Additionally, the compressor frame has angled crosshead guide support structures extending outwardly from the central body along a respective crosshead guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Omar M. Kabir, Zahroof Mohamed, Aaron R. Merritt, Kent Pearl
  • Patent number: 8165321
    Abstract: Various techniques for controlling the playback of secondary audio data on an electronic device are provided. In one embodiment, a secondary audio clip mixing profile is selected based upon the type of audio output device, such as a speaker or a headset, coupled to the electronic device. The selected mixing profile may define respective digital gain values to be applied to a secondary audio stream at each digital audio level of the electronic device, and may be customized based upon one or more characteristics of the audio output device to substantially optimize audibility and user-perceived comfort. In this manner, the overall user listening experience may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Baptiste Pierre Paquier, Benjamin Andrew Rottler, Aram Lindahl
  • Patent number: 8165266
    Abstract: A scanning bone densitometer includes an x-ray source to produce x-rays and an x-ray detector receiving x-rays emitted from the x-ray source. The x-ray detector includes a cadmium tellurium (CdTe) semiconductor. The scanning bone densitometer also includes a controller moving the x-ray source and the x-ray detector along a transverse scanning path to acquire a plurality of scan images of an object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Wear, David Ergun, Robert Washenko, Michael Bucholz, Darrell Gorsuch, Randall Payne
  • Patent number: 8165849
    Abstract: A system and method to facilitate device monitoring and servicing is provided. In one embodiment, a system may include a medical device having at least one component, and monitoring circuitry configured to measure operational data of the component. The system can also include a data processing system configured to analyze the operational data and to output a report based on such analysis. The analysis, in turn, may include applying a transform to the operational data and comparing one or more actual coefficient and threshold coefficient characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kamal Mannar, Douglas E. Starasinich
  • Patent number: 8160206
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the generation of dual-energy X-ray data using a data sampling rate comparable to the rate utilized for single-energy imaging. In accordance with the present technique a reduced kVp switching rate is employed compared to conventional dual-energy imaging. Full angular resolution is achieved in the generated images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaoye Wu, David Allen Langan, Jiang Hsieh, Robert Franklin Senzig, Hao Lai, Dan Xu, Thomas Matthew Benson
  • Patent number: 8159168
    Abstract: A method for estimating a rotor position in an electrical machine is provided. The method is applicable to electrical machines that have magnetic saliency. The method includes extracting the rotor position from a demodulated output signal generated in response to an injected high frequency carrier signal and determining a position error compensation based upon a demodulation delay and a velocity or rotational frequency of the electrical machine. The method also includes estimating the rotor position by applying the position error compensation to the extracted rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingbo Liu, Thomas Nondahl, Peter B. Schmidt, Semyon Royak, Mark H. Harbaugh
  • Patent number: 8153502
    Abstract: Methods of filling cavities or trenches. More specifically, methods of filling a cavity or trench in a semiconductor layer are provided. The methods include depositing a first dielectric layer into the trench by employing a conformal deposition process. Next, the first dielectric layer is etched to create a recess in the trench within the first dielectric layer. The recesses are then filled with a second dielectric layer by employing a high density plasma deposition process. The techniques may be particularly useful in filling cavities and trenches having narrow widths and/or high aspect ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Li, Ronald Weimer, Richard Stocks, Chris Hill
  • Patent number: 8151566
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, the present techniques relate to a ground power unit that supplies electricity to an aircraft. The ground power unit may include a generator coupled to a diesel piston engine. A turbocharger may pre-compress the air consumed by the diesel engine, and a charge air cooler may cool this air before it is introduced to the diesel engine. The charge air cooler may be placed upstream from the diesel engine in a primary air flow. Advantageously, drawing air through the charge air cooler that has not first passed over the engine may lower the operating temperature of the ground power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Don Leistner, Jason Wackler, Nat Phillips
  • Patent number: 8154975
    Abstract: The present techniques provide methods and systems for controlling the recording of micro-holograms using multiple counter-propagating light beams over multiple data tracks of a holographic disk. Imperfections in a holographic disk or movement of the disk during a recording process may cause signal beams to deviate from target data tracks. In some embodiments, a tracking beam is directed to a reference layer in the disk. Deviation of the reference beam from a target groove in the reference layer may be indicative of tracking errors. A detector may detect reflections of the tracking beam and generate an error signal in response to detected tracking errors. Servo-mechanical devices may actuate (e.g., radially, tangentially, or axially translate, rotate, and/or tilt) one or more optical components through which the counter-propagating light beams are emitted to compensate for tracking errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xuefeng Wang, Pierino Gianni Bonanni, Xiaolei Shi, Zhiyuan Ren, Hua Xia, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, Xinghua Wang
  • Patent number: 8152231
    Abstract: Collapsible seats may be installed on a track or rail system to allow the collapsible seats to move laterally within a vehicle's interior. The track system also may permit removal of the collapsible seats from the vehicle. The collapsible seats may include a seat back with multiple sections joined by flexible hinges that permit folding of the seat pan and seat back in a lateral direction. In certain embodiments, the seat pan or the headrest also may include multiple sections joined by flexible hinges. The flexible hinges may allow the seats to collapse laterally to reduce the width of the seats. The available space for seating or cargo storage may be adjusted by selectively collapsing, expanding, and removing the collapsible seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Lance Larsen, David McCarthy, Sheldon Watjer
  • Patent number: 8153924
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a torch power unit. The torch power unit includes a monitor and/or control configured to determine a temperature of a component of the torch power unit based on the one or more inputs without a direct temperature measurement of the component. A method of operation is provided that includes receiving one or more inputs associated with a device, and estimating a temperature of the device based on the one or inputs without directly measuring temperature of the device. A tangible machine-readable medium is provided that includes code for determining a thermal capacity of the device, code for determining a thermal resistance of the device, and code for determining a temperature of the device based on thermal capacity and the thermal resistance method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Van Bergen Salsich, Edward Gerard Beistle
  • Patent number: 8153925
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a torch power unit. The torch power unit includes a compressor and a moisture remover coupled to the compressor. A method is provided that includes compressing a gas via compressor and removing moisture from the gas via a moisture remover coupled to the compressor. A method of manufacturing a torch system is also provided. Additionally, a system for a torch power unit is provided that includes a moisture remover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Troy A. Sommerfeld