Patents Represented by Attorney Fletcher Yoder

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  • Compliant diaphragm medical sensor and technique for using the same
    Patent number: 8311602
    Abstract: A sensor assembly is provided that includes a frame having a loop structure. An emitter and detector are disposed on opposite sides of the loop structure. A coating is provided over the frame. The coating includes at least one diaphragm structure disposed such that at least one of the emitter and detector can move along an axis running between the emitter and detector. The sensor may thereby be placed on a patient's finger, toe, and so forth to obtain pulse oximetry or other physiological measurements. A sensor frame and method of manufacturing the frame are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC
    Inventors: Darius Eghbal, Joseph Coakley, George L. Matlock, William Raridan
  • System for cooling turbine combustor transition piece
    Patent number: 8307655
    Abstract: An air cooling hood offset from an exterior of the transition piece to define an air cooling passage between the air cooling hood and the exterior of the transition piece, wherein the air cooling hood comprises a plurality of air outlets disposed along the exterior of the transition piece, and the plurality of air outlets is configured to expel an airflow from the air cooling passage away from the exterior of the transition piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald James Chila, David William Cihlar
  • Ball valve stem retaining system
    Patent number: 8308131
    Abstract: A system, in certain embodiments, includes a ball valve including a body and a ball disposed within the body. The ball valve also includes a stem disposed within an opening in the ball. The stem is removable by passage through the opening into a bore of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Gutmann, John M. Saldivar
  • Ultra-low capacitance high voltage cable assemblies for CT systems
    Patent number: 8308506
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a cable assembly with ultra-low capacitance. In one embodiment, a cable assembly is provided. The cable assembly includes an insulation layer. The insulation layer includes a low-permittivity insulation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Liang Tang, Yang Cao, Denis Perrillat-Amede, Weijun Yin
  • Method for reducing graphics rendering failures
    Patent number: 8310494
    Abstract: A method and electronic device employing the method of processing a frame of graphics for display is provided that includes developing a frame in a first software frame processing stage following a first vertical blanking (VBL) heartbeat, issuing a command indicating the first stage is complete, and performing a final software frame processing stage without waiting for a subsequent VBL heartbeat. The method may alternatively include performing the final software frame processing stage regardless as to whether a target framebuffer is available, performing all but final hardware frame processing stages regardless as to whether the target framebuffer is in use, and performing the final hardware processing stage if the target framebuffer is not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Hendry, Jeffry Gonion, Jeremy Sandmel
  • Airless spray gun having a removable valve cartridge
    Patent number: 8308086
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a spray gun having a body, a receptacle disposed in the body, and a valve cartridge. The valve cartridge includes a biasing member, a valve seat, a seal, and a valve member disposed through the seal and biased toward the valve seat via the biasing member. The valve member is movable between an open position and a closed position in a direction generally crosswise to a spray exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Inventors: Paul R. Micheli, Nekheel Gajjar
  • Method and system for image integrity determination
    Patent number: 8306268
    Abstract: A method and system for determining integrity of images is disclosed herein. The method includes determining the integrity of a non-image data of an image file. The method of protecting images comprises: obtaining an image file having both image data and non-image data and generating at least one code based on the non-image data at the time of creation of the image file. The code is incorporated into the image data of the image file in a visually non-detectable format. In an example, a digital watermarking technique is used to incorporate the code into the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kadri Nizar Jabri
  • Systems for compressing a gas
    Patent number: 8303695
    Abstract: Systems are provided for gasification operations. The systems may use carbonous gas as part of plant operations. The systems may include a first compressor configured to compress a carbonous gas and a controller. The controller is configured to control the first compressor to transition from compressing a first carbonous gas to compressing a second carbonous gas during startup of a gasification system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anindra Mazumdar, Sunil Ramabhilakh Mishra, Rupinder Singh Benipal
  • System and method for converting welding power to plasma-cutting power
    Patent number: 8304685
    Abstract: The present invention includes a plasma cutter having an input configured to receive welding power and a converter arranged according to a ?uk topology and configured to automatically convert the welding power to plasma-cutting power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Bunker, Joseph C. Schneider, James F. Ulrich
  • Time-sliced multiplexed image display
    Patent number: 8305488
    Abstract: A device for displaying multiple image streams each comprising multiple image frames that entertains multiple viewers includes at least three image generators for generating at least three separate image streams that each include multiple image frames. At least one of the image generators is configured for at least one viewer input. An image multiplexer is provided for interleaving image frames of each image stream to produce an interleaved image stream and a display is provided for showing the interleaved image stream. A method of displaying multiple image streams is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Scott R. Trowbridge, Steven C. Blum, Justin Michael Schwartz, Brian McQuillian
  • Energy efficient polyolefin process
    Patent number: 8303899
    Abstract: A manufacturing system for producing polyolefin includes a polymerization reactor, a flash chamber, and a purge column. In certain embodiments, the purge column may receive a solids stream directly from the flash chamber. Further, the purge column may function as a feed tank for an extruder within an extrusion/loadout system. According to certain embodiments, the manufacturing system may be configured to consume less than 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
    Inventors: Robert R. McElvain, John D. Hottovy, Ralph W. Romig, Donald W. Verser, David H. Burns, John H. Tait, Richard Peacock, James E. Hein, Scott E. Kufeld, Carl W. Fenderson, Anurag Gupta, Dale A. Zellers, Penny A. Zellers, legal representative
  • Vertically stacked fin transistors and methods of fabricating and operating the same
    Patent number: 8294511
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed having vertically stacked (also referred to as vertically offset) transistors in a semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin may include lower transistors separated by a first trench and having a source and drain in a first doped region of the fin. The semiconductor fin also includes upper transistors vertically offset from the first transistors and separated by a second trench and having a source and drain in a second doped region of the fin. Upper and lower stacked gates may be disposed on the sidewalls of the fin, such that the lower transistors are activated by biasing the lower gates and upper transistors are activated by biasing the upper gates. Methods of manufacturing and operating the device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Werner Juengling
  • Pressure-compensated accumulator bottle
    Patent number: 8291938
    Abstract: A pressure-compensated accumulator bottle is provided. In one embodiment, the accumulator bottle includes a housing and an interior wall that generally define first, second, and third chambers within the housing. In this embodiment, a spring is disposed in the second chamber and configured to apply a biasing force on a first piston disposed within the first chamber. Further, in this embodiment, an additional piston is disposed within the third chamber and is configured to facilitate balancing of the pressure of a fluid disposed in the second chamber with the pressure of the external environment such that the magnitude of a second biasing force applied on the first piston by the pressure of the fluid depends at least in part on the pressure of the external environment. Hydraulic circuits and systems including a pressure-compensated accumulator bottle are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Mac M. Kennedy, Scott D. Ward, Thomas M. Bell
  • LCD panel having improved response
    Patent number: 8294850
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a liquid crystal layer is provided. In one embodiment, the liquid crystal layer includes a nematic liquid crystal material having liquid crystal molecules in an untwisted state. A chiral dopant is dispersed within the liquid crystal layer and configured to bias the liquid crystal molecules toward a twisted state. Furthermore, a polymer network is disposed among the liquid crystal molecules and configured to bias the liquid crystal molecules toward the untwisted state. Various additional devices and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng Chen, John Z. Zhong, Ming Xu, Mingxia Gu
  • Secondary backlight indicator for portable media devices
    Patent number: 8294659
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for displaying icons directly on a display, such as an LCD, regardless of whether the display is ON. When the display is ON, a primary backlight may be used to illuminate the display. When the display is OFF, a secondary backlight may project light through the primary backlight to display one or more icons on the display. The displayed icons may be of various shapes, colors, and sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Rosenblatt
  • Reteachable non-contact switching circuit
    Patent number: 8294575
    Abstract: A method for reteaching a switching circuit is provided. The method includes presenting a target within a sensing range of a sensor of the switching circuit for a pre-determined duration and acquiring an identification code of the target via the sensor. The method also includes comparing the acquired identification code with all stored identification codes of other targets previously used by the switching circuit as a basis for switching and reteaching the switching circuit for switching based on the acquired identification code if the acquired identification code is different from all stored identification codes previously used by the switching circuit as a basis for switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Tockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne R. Foster, Joshua D. Vavra, Steven R. Tambeau
  • LCD pixel design varying by color
    Patent number: 8294647
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a plurality of pixels is provided. In one embodiment, the pixels of the LCD each include common and pixel electrodes formed on an insulating layer, and a liquid crystal layer responsive to electric fields generated by the electrodes. The plurality of pixels may include two or more sets of pixels each configured to transmit light of a different color, and the pixel electrodes of one set of pixels may be configured differently from those of another set. In other embodiments, the sizes of the pixels may differ. Various additional devices and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng Chen, Ming Xu, Mingxia Gu, Shih Chang Chang, Shawn Robert Gettemy, John Z. Zhong
  • Contact ring having electrically conductive brush
    Patent number: 8293080
    Abstract: A conductive contact ring for an electroplating or electrodeposition process on a cylindrical surface includes a frame defining an opening through which the object can be passed and an array of electrically conductive fibers spanning the opening. The frame is electrically conductive and is connected to a DC power source in the process. Two or more contact rings can be used in a process to provide consistent electrical contact with the surface sliding therethrough. A single contact ring can have first and second groups of filaments spaced from each other along the axial length of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael P. Barnard, Hieyoung W. Oh, Jeffrey W. Richardson
  • Method of fabricating a finFET having cross-hair cells
    Patent number: 8293602
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for manufacturing grounded gate cross-hair cells and standard cross-hair cells of fin field-effect transistors (finFETs). In one embodiment, a process may include forming gate trenches and gates on and parallel to row trenches in a substrate, wherein the gate trenches and gates are pitch-doubled such that four gate trenches are formed for every two row trenches. In another embodiment, a process may include forming gate trenches, gates, and grounded gates in a substrate, wherein the gate trenches and gates are formed such that three gate trenches are formed for every two row trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Werner Juengling
  • Methods and apparatus for measuring body circumference
    Patent number: 8295570
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for measuring body circumference are provided. One method includes acquiring dual-energy two-dimensional (2D) scan information from a dual-energy x-ray scan of a body and generating a dual-energy image of the body using the 2D scan information. The method further includes determining a circumference of at least one portion of the body based on the dual-energy scan information and the generated dual-energy image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Markwardt, Randall Payne, Robert Washenko