Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder
  • Patent number: 7554846
    Abstract: Memory arrays, methods and cells are disclosed, such as those involving a floating gate memory array having a plurality of transistors arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, wherein each column comprises a string of the plurality of transistors coupled in series. Each such transistor includes a floating gate, a control gate, and a dielectric disposed between the floating gate and the control gate. Such a memory array also includes a plurality of select gates, wherein each select gate is coupled to each of the plurality of columns and each select gate includes a floating gate, a control gate, and an inter-gate dielectric layer. Each select gate of such a memory array also includes a switch electrically coupled between the floating gate and the control gate of the select gate and configured to switchably couple the floating gate and control gate of the select gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Helm
  • Patent number: 7548771
    Abstract: A sensor may be placed on a distal portion of a patient's finger or toe to obtain pulse oximetry measurements. The distal portion of a digit contains few if any large vascular structures that could adversely affect pulse oximetry measurements, but the distal portion does contain microvasculature that carries arterial blood that facilitates pulse oximetry measurements. The sensor may include an emitter and a detector that are spaced apart by an appropriate distance so that they may be located on the distal portion of a patient's digit during pulse oximetry measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventor: Paul D. Mannheimer
  • Patent number: 7548667
    Abstract: The present technique relates to a device including an optical integrated circuit amplifier and another type of optical integrated circuit. The optical integrated circuit amplifiers and other optical integrated circuits are coupled together through optical paths. The optical integrated circuit amplifiers and other optical integrated circuits of the optical components are fabricated on the same substrate. The optical integrated circuit amplifiers and other optical integrated circuit amplifiers maybe fabricated on different levels of the same substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Vishnu K. Agarwal
  • Patent number: 7545012
    Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (cMUT) cell is presented. The cMUT cell includes a lower electrode. Furthermore, the cMUT cell includes a diaphragm disposed adjacent to the lower electrode such that a gap having a first gap width is formed between the diaphragm and the lower electrode, wherein the diaphragm comprises one of a first epitaxial layer or a first polysilicon layer. In addition, a stress reducing material is disposed in the first epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lowell Scott Smith, David Martin Mills, Jeffrey Bernard Fortin, Wei-Cheng Tian, John Robert Logan
  • Patent number: 7545669
    Abstract: A system having a memory cell. In certain embodiments, the memory cell includes a resistive memory element, an access transistor having a gate, a first terminal, and a second terminal, and a control transistor having a gate, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The first terminal of the access transistor may be coupled to the resistive memory element, and the gate of the access transistor may be coupled to the gate of the control transistor. Additionally, the first terminal of the control transistor may be coupled to the resistive memory element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Glen Hush, Mike Violette, Mark Ingram
  • Patent number: 7540159
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the present technique provides a method of transporting a cryogenic device between first and second facilities. The exemplary method includes actively maintaining cryogen in the device within desired parameters. According to another embodiment, the present technique provides a portable resource supply, which provides resources to a cryogenic imaging device during transportation. Advantageously, the portable supply unit may actively maintain cryogen in the imaging device within desired parameters. Moreover, the portable supply unit may reduce the likelihood of a loss of cryogen and a loss of superconductivity in the imaging device. Furthermore, the present technique provides a maintenance system for cryogenic imaging devices. As one example, the maintenance system may include an intermediate facility having resources for maintaining a cryogenic imaging device during transportation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems, Inc
    Inventor: Peter Chan
  • Patent number: 7538702
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices, such as a device including a floating-gate transistor, a quantizing circuit coupled to the floating-gate transistor, and a controller configured to vary a voltage of a gate of the floating-gate transistor when reading data from the floating-gate transistor. The floating-gate transistor, the quantizing circuit, and the controller device may form a memory device that may utilize the quantizing circuit to retrieve data stored via variable reference signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Jacob Baker
  • Patent number: 7538590
    Abstract: There is provided a true single phase logic clock divider that is configured to divide a clock signal by increments of two, three, four, or six. Because the true single phase logic clock divider is based on true single phase logic instead of static logic, the true single phase logic clock divider is able to reliably divide clock signals that could not reliably be divided by clock dividers based on static logic gates. There is also provided a method comprising receiving an input signal with a frequency between 2.5 gigahertz and 4 gigahertz and producing an output signal with a frequency approximately one-third of the frequency of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 7533692
    Abstract: A fluid-handling system that, in some embodiments, includes a poppet having a body, a magnet, and a mounting member configured to secure the magnet to the body is disclosed. Additionally, a method of forming a valve is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Walpole, Zahroof Mohamed
  • Patent number: 7528612
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a power distribution center having an enclosure with an access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position. The power distribution center includes a non-contact sensor disposed inside the enclosure, wherein the non-contact sensor includes a non-contact voltage sensor, or a non-contact temperature sensor, or a combination thereof. The power distribution center also includes an indicator viewable outside of the enclosure while the door is in the closed position, wherein the indicator is coupled to the non-contact sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Gollhardt, David L. Jensen, Fahed Awad, Jie Shen, David D. Brandt, David T. Rollay
  • Patent number: 7530113
    Abstract: An industrial automation system comprises a security access device, an industrial automation device, a user interface, and a security interface. The user interface is configured to provide a user with access to data stored inside the industrial automation device. The security interface is configured to receive information from the access device and, based on the information received from the access device, to provide authorization for the user to access the data stored inside the industrial automation device using the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott D. Braun
  • Patent number: 7526463
    Abstract: System and method for controlling a process with spatially dependent conditions for producing a product with spatially dependent properties, e.g., a web/sheet-based process for producing a web/sheet-based product. Input data comprising a plurality of input data sets are provided to a neural network (analog or computer-based), each data set comprising values for one or more input parameters, each comprising a respective process condition or product property. The input data preserve spatial relationships of the input data. The neural network generates output data in accordance with the input data, the output data comprising a plurality of output data sets, each comprising values for one or more output parameters, each comprising a predicted process condition or product property. The output data preserve spatial relationships of the output data, which correspond to the spatial relationships of the input data. The output data are useable by a controller or operator to control the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Paul Collette, III, W. Douglas Johnson
  • Patent number: 7525809
    Abstract: A packaged electrical system includes an enclosure and a main interior volume for component supports. The component supports may support electrical, electronic, power electronic and similar components, as well as switchgear and the like. A main power wireway is provided adjacent to the main interior volume of the enclosure for accommodating three phase power conductors. A network and control power wireway is formed separately from the main power wireway. The network and control power wireway may be formed toward the rear of the main interior volume, and may accommodate plug-in connections between component supports and network conductors and control power conductors. The network and control power wireway is thus accessible through a separate door from the main power wireway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Herberto Bergmann, Arnaldo Hiroyuki Omoto, Luis Ricardo Luzardo Pereira, José Batista Ferreira Neto, David L. Jensen, Chester Malkowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7525458
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to convert parallel data to serial data is provided. More specifically, there is provided a parallel-to-serial converter comprising a data pipeline configured to receive parallel data, and binary sort logic comprising a plurality of switches arranged to receive the parallel data from the data pipeline, and configured to output the parallel data serially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher K. Morzano, Wen Li
  • Patent number: 7524904
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for separating polymer solids, hydrocarbon fluids, and purge gas in an intermediate pressure zone and a purge zone. The purge gas in the purge zone is used to remove hydrocarbon fluids from the polymer solids, and a stream containing the purge gas and hydrocarbons is passed to a hydrocarbon/purge gas recovery zone. High-purity purge gas from the recovery zone is efficiently used by passing a portion back to the purge zone and another portion to an extruder feed zone. Hydrocarbon fluids separated from polymer solids in the intermediate pressure zone and in the hydrocarbon/purge gas recovery zone are liquefied and passed to a recycle zone, and the hydrocarbons (typically liquid diluent and/or unreacted monomer) are recycled to the reactor without fractionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
    Inventors: Donald W. Verser, David H. Burns, John D. Hottovy
  • Patent number: 7526392
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for determining the incident energy of a system. Specifically, there is provided a technique comprising measuring a voltage of an ac waveform, causing a resonant ring in the ac waveform, measuring a frequency of the resonant ring, computing a line impedance based upon the measured voltage and the frequency of the resonant ring, and computing a bolted fault current based on the line impedance and the measured voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Gasperi, David L. Jensen, David T. Rollay
  • Patent number: 7525352
    Abstract: A memory device having a differential buffer is disclosed. In some embodiments, the memory device includes a differential buffer having a differential pair that is configured to receive input signals and generate output signals. In one embodiment, the differential buffer of the memory device includes adjustment circuitry coupled to the differential pair to enable adjustment of the amount of current dissipated by the differential buffer. Other memory devices, differential buffers, and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory King
  • Patent number: 7526095
    Abstract: A computer system includes an audio chip to generate audio signals at a target volume level to be emitted as audio output by speakers. Also included in the computer system may be a volume control routine to limit the overall volume level of the system. A maximum volume level may be set by a user through interacting with a software routine. The software routine may include password protection, requiring a user to enter a correct password in order to modify the maximum volume level. If the target volume level is above the maximum volume level, then the volume control routine may set the overall volume level of the system at the maximum volume level. Otherwise the volume control routine may set the overall volume level at the target volume level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford S. Bowden, Coe F. Miles
  • Patent number: 7525379
    Abstract: There is provided a device including a PMOS differential amplifier and an NMOS differential amplifier. The NMOS differential amplifier is coupled to the PMOS differential amplifier. The device is configured to operate as an inverter when a supply voltage is below a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sugato Mukherjee, Yangsung Joo
  • Patent number: 7520297
    Abstract: A pressure regulator is provided. In one embodiment, the pressure regulator includes a housing having a supply port for receiving a pressurized medium within the housing and an outlet port for outputting the pressurized medium to a downstream device. The housing of this embodiment also includes a vent port for venting the pressurized medium from the housing. The pressure regulator of this embodiment further includes two pistons disposed within the housing, wherein one piston controls flow of the pressurized medium through the supply port, and the other piston controls flow of the pressurized medium through the vent port, based on the level of pressure within the housing. Other embodiments of pressure regulator devices and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Bell, Scott D. Ward