Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder
  • 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: 8346203
    Abstract: Various techniques that relate to prolonging the battery life on a portable electronic device during the buffering and playback of audio broadcast data are provided. In accordance with disclosed embodiments, upon detecting a low power state, the device may implement one or more low power actions, including starting, continuing, or stopping one or more audio broadcast functions, such as buffering or playing back audio broadcast data, to reduce overall power consumption, and thus prolong battery life. In one embodiment, a user may specify one or more low power actions that are to be implemented during a low power state by configuring user settings stored on the device. In another embodiment, the device, upon detecting a low power state, may prompt the user to make a selection from a listing of selectable low power action options and perform the selected low power action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aram Lindahl, Richard Michael Powell, Joseph M. Williams
  • 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: 8345334
    Abstract: A system and method for replicating optical data storage discs (e.g., holographic data storage discs) having multiple layers of data. Master discs providing for respective single layers of data are utilized, and each respective single layer of data from the master discs are replicate onto the optical data storage disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, John Erik Hershey, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Brian Lee Lawrence, Zhiyuan Ren, 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: 8347238
    Abstract: Alignment guides configured for adaptive snap-to behavior are disclosed. In one embodiment, during a user interface element resize or move gesture, match-priority values for potential alignment guides are determined based at least on gravity values associated with said alignment guides. After a displayed object is snapped to a first alignment guide having the highest match-priority value, and the user interface element is moved away from the first alignment guide during the resize or move gesture, the gravity value associated with the first alignment guide is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Akiva Dov Leffert, Peter William Rapp
  • 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: 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: 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: 8340373
    Abstract: A technique is provided for generating quantitative projection images from projection images. The pixels of the quantitative projection images correspond to quantitative composition estimates of two or more materials. The quantitative projection images are reconstructed to generate a quantitative volume in which each voxel value corresponds quantitatively to the two or more materials or a mixture of the two or more materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bernhard Erich Hermann Claus, John Patrick Kaufhold
  • 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: 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: 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
  • Patent number: 8333075
    Abstract: A system that includes a turbine fuel nozzle comprising an air-fuel premixer. The air-fuel premixed includes a swirl vane configured to swirl fuel and air in a downstream direction, wherein the swirl vane comprises an internal coolant path from a downstream end portion in an upstream direction through a substantial length of the swirl vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William David York, Thomas Edward Johnson, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Christian Xavier Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8332075
    Abstract: Controllers for controlling heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC) systems are provided. The controllers include graphical user interfaces for user adjustment of system settings. The graphical user interfaces also may be designed to present information that facilitates user understanding of system operations. In certain embodiments, the controllers may allow users to adjust balance point and/or LTCO temperature values. In these embodiments, the graphical user interfaces may include slide bars for adjusting the balance point and/or LTCO temperature values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gregory Ralph Harrod, Bradley A. Beers, Grant E. Carmichael, Brian D. Rigg
  • Patent number: 8330077
    Abstract: Embodiments of a pendant associated with a multi-process welding power supply that allows a user to switch processes and reverse an output polarity while located remotely from a power supply unit are provided. Certain embodiments include a pendant with a wire spool and wire feeder drive circuitry that is configured to activate spooling during MIG welding. Control circuitry that may include processing circuitry and memory is provided. The control system may disable redundant controls on the power supply unit user interface when the power supply unit is connected to the pendant via a supply cable. Additionally, the control system may set the process, set the polarity, enable or disable a wire feed, and enable or disable gas flow according to inputs received via a user interface on either the power supply unit or the pendant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: James Francis Rappl, Thomas D. Ihde, Jeffery R. Ihde, Joseph Edward Feldhausen
  • Patent number: 8327875
    Abstract: An apparatus that includes a chemical-injection management system. The chemical-injection management system may include a tree interface configured to couple the chemical-injection management system to a tree and a positive-displacement flow meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Grace, Gregory Greene, Edmund McHugh
  • Patent number: 8331530
    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 user-viewable screen configured to display patient data and to receive user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Mark Butzine, Jeremy Patrick Hannon