Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Michael M. Rickin
  • Patent number: 7505861
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a measurement device, in particular a flow measurement device, and to a measurement device itself. In order in this case to reliably preclude measurement errors resulting from incorrect installation, the invention proposes that a characteristic variable is calculated from a time series s(t) of the measurement signal of a measurement device and is compared with previously recorded reference values, with this being used as the basis to automatically generate a message as to whether the measurement device has been installed correctly or incorrectly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Buhl, Jorg Herwig, Axel Papenbrock, Peter Riegler, Axel Rossberg, Jens Timmer
  • Patent number: 7480055
    Abstract: A two-beam interferometer for Fourier Transform spectroscopy has a double pivot scanning mechanism. The interferometer has two rigid pendulums that are each rotatable to swing around an associated one of distinct axes of rotation. A linkage links the two rigid pendulums to each other and constrains their rotation relative to each other. The interferometer has bearings, which may be flexure bearings, for rotatably mounting the two pendulums to swing around an associated one of the distinct axes of rotation and a first and a second bearing linking the linkage to an associated one of the pendulums. The two rigid pendulums, the linkage and the bearings can be a monolithic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: ABB Bomem Inc.
    Inventors: Henry L. Buijs, Jacques McKinnon
  • Patent number: 7446491
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for intelligent power management of actuators such as those used in papermaking. Multiple power supply units are connected to a common power bus. The power bus is connected at predetermined locations to a communications bus. The communications bus is connected in series with all of the actuators. The actuators are arranged in predetermined groups. A computing device determines if electrical power can be supplied to some or all of the actuators that are requesting simultaneous movement and if there is insufficient power for all such actuators the computing device issues permission for actuators to move based on a preselected criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Ltd.
    Inventors: John O'Higgins, John Collins, Cathal Gallagher
  • Patent number: 7447552
    Abstract: An automation device is disclosed, in which a multiplicity of physically distributed functional units communicate with each other by means of a common transmission protocol. The device has a microcontroller (110), which has a group of associated input/output connections which are connected to a resistor network. The resistances of the resistors follow a sequence, the resistance respectively being doubled from the less significant to the next most significant bit. Each input/output connection is actively switched to the associated logic level in order to output a first logic state and is connected as a high-impedance input in order to output the inverse, second logic state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Kresse, Andreas Stelter, Ralf Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 7358781
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automation device, in which a multiplicity of physically distributed functional units communicate with each other by means of a common transmission protocol. The device has a microcontroller (110), which is assigned at least one clock generator (120) and one memory unit (150), and which is connected at least to one data source (140), which is designed to output a data bit-stream to be transmitted. A sequential sequence of equidistant samples of a sinusoidal time profile is stored in the memory unit (150), such that it can be called up, in such a manner that the samples can be output using either the clock of the first clock generator or the clock of the second clock generator, depending on the data bit-stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Kresse, Andreas Stelter, Ralf Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 7349819
    Abstract: The cubic equations of state (CEOS) relate pressure, temperature and molar volume of a mixture. The deviation of the physical properties of a mixture from ideality is expressed by the compressibility factor. The compressibility factor is calculated from the CEOS. There is described a solution to the CEOS which provides a continuous solution for compressibility factors over the entire range of operating conditions. This solution avoids the non-unique roots, trivial roots and singularities that are present in the prior art solutions of the CEOS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Hess, Yang Su, Prasad V. Shertukde
  • Patent number: 7336338
    Abstract: The subject of the invention is a liquid crystal indicator of voltage presence in electric conductors and equipment. The device is used to indicate the presence of an AC voltage, especially in medium and high voltage systems. The indicator according to the invention comprises two substrate layers on which conducting layers are deposited, and a terminal being an external electric output of the indicator is connected to the conducting layer. A structure containing liquid crystal is located between these layers. A fragment of each segment deposited on one substrate layer overlaps with at least one fragment of a segment deposited on the other substrate layer, and the overlapping fragments of the conducting segments from both substrate layers, together with a part of the intermediate liquid crystal layer, form liquid crystal elements of the indicator, which are electrically connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventor: Jan Czyzewski
  • Patent number: 7298055
    Abstract: A wind turbine having a nacelle, a generator and a high voltage transformer which are connected to each other and are located inside the nacelle. The wind turbine is provided with a low voltage power supply source which is located remotely from the high voltage transformer and includes a low voltage transformer connected between the high voltage transformer and a power grid. The low voltage transformer is connected to the nacelle and provides it with low voltage power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Dudley L. Galloway, William J. Cimperman, Jr., James A. Grace, John P. Stowe, Stanley W. Guerrant
  • Patent number: 7299143
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for improving operational reliability during a loss of a phase voltage (LOV) in a multi-phase power system, wherein a voltage representative of the LOV phase is calculated. The representative voltage is used for computing a reference polarizing voltage suitable for a protection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Elmo Price
  • Patent number: 7294235
    Abstract: There is described a method and apparatus for applying steam from a steam source to a moving web to thereby improve the smoothness and gloss of the web. A housing has at least one cooling chamber upstream and at least one steam chamber downstream. The cooling air in the cooling chamber is used to cool the web before steam is applied to the web from the steam chamber. This allows a sufficient volume of steam to be delivered to the web to thereby raise its moisture content to a desired level to thus achieve optimized calendering of the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert G. Hamel
  • Patent number: 7280891
    Abstract: A signal processing technique that allows the flame signal from a first source of flame and the flame signal from a second source of flame to be discriminated from each other when only both the first and second flame signals are viewed by the same flame scanner. The signal from the flame scanner is processed to enhance one or more of the attributes associated with the first flame and is simultaneously processed to enhance one or more attributes associated with the second flame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventors: Paul H. Chase, James M. Niziolek, Terry M. Grayson, Gregory F. Rossano
  • Patent number: 7272978
    Abstract: A magnetic-inductive flow meter with a measuring tube, which can be fitted into a pipeline system by using flange portions at the ends, with at least two measuring electrodes that are fitted into the wall of the measuring tube opposite each other in an electrically isolated manner and are intended for sensing a measuring voltage, a magnet unit, which is likewise arranged on the outside of the measuring tube, generating a magnetic field that is aligned substantially perpendicularly in relation to the direction of flow of the conductive flow medium to be measured, and the measuring tube being provided on the inside with means for the electric isolation of the measuring electrodes from the measuring tube, the means for the electric isolation taking the form of a thin inner coating of the measuring tube, the layer thickness of which lies in the range of 0.1-500 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Keese, Klaus Schaefer, Rainer Strutzberg
  • Patent number: 7265544
    Abstract: A method and device for obtaining an interference free measurement from a flowmeter. The flowmeter includes a measuring tube through which a flowable medium flows through a magnetic field generated by a magnetic arrangement and at least two measuring electrodes for detecting the measurement voltage induced by the flowable medium. The medium gives rise to interference voltages. The electrodes are connected to an interference-voltage eliminating unit by which common-mode interference is first eliminated by differentiation and unequal interference voltages are subsequently eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: ABB patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Keese, Thomas-Fritz Blume, Dirk Steckel
  • Patent number: 7226010
    Abstract: A system for use with a roll bowl type mill for the pulverizing of solid fuels such as coal. The system includes hardware in the form of sensors and other components and software to among other things monitor the operating condition of the mill's moving parts and predict their failure. The system can determine the diameter of the mill's rollers, or the reduction and/or depth of cup wear of each of the rollers, the thickness of the solid fuel in the mill, can by analysis determine the wear of each of the one or more roller bearings in the mill and predict their failure and can estimate the mill availability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventors: George Zhang, Paul C. Thulen, Zhongxue Gan
  • Patent number: 7225109
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting mechanical problems in machinery used in a process. A model of the process is developed using a modeling technique such as advanced pattern recognition and the model is used to generate predicted values for a predetermined number of the operating parameters of the process and vibration parameters of the machinery. Statistical process control methods are used to determine if the difference between the predicted and actual measured values for one or more of the parameters exceeds a configured statistical limit. A rule set is used to indicate an actual or probable fault in the machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Karl Frerichs, Frank Marvin Toth, Steven James Johnson
  • Patent number: 7194529
    Abstract: An asset management server for a network of an enterprise. The enterprise has one or more assets and two or more data sources and each source has a unique name for each asset. The server determines from an incoming message from the data sources about the assets which of the other data sources needs to receive the message and the unique name for the asset used by those sources. The server prepares the outgoing message to the sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald A. Kupiec, Paolo Argentieri, Jeff J. Rochow, Anne F. Poorman
  • Patent number: 7181314
    Abstract: An industrial robot that has uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location and orientation in which the other work piece is held the robot provides a velocity command to minimize the force of the contact and also provides a search pattern in all directions and orientations to cause the end effector to bring the work piece it is holding in contact with the other work piece. The search pattern and the velocity command are continued until the two work pieces mate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: ABB Research Ltd., ABB Automation Technologies AB Robotics
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Zhongxue Gan, Torgny Brogardh, Jianjun Wang
  • Patent number: D556696
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Till Ruemenapp
  • Patent number: D558147
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Till Ruemenapp
  • Patent number: D583334
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Roy Ball, Timothy F. Masters, Patrick Hugh, Richard Lindo, Todd Gentile