Patents Represented by Attorney Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 8348732
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and a method for controlling an environment in a location. In one aspect, an apparatus for controlling an environmental condition in a location is provided. The apparatus includes a flow control device, wherein the flow control device is connectable to an environmental control unit via a conduit. The flow control device comprising a flow restriction member configured to selectively control an airflow into the location and a controller member configured to autonomously actuate the flow restriction member based upon the environmental condition in the location. In another aspect, a method for controlling an environmental condition in a first location and a second location is provided. In a further aspect, a system for controlling an environmental condition in a first location and a second location is provided. In yet a further aspect, a method for controlling an environmental condition in a location is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Adaptive-AC, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter S. Aronstam, Roger W. Fincher
  • Patent number: 8347964
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for selectively releasing a first wellbore component to a second wellbore component using a disconnect device. The method includes coupling a disconnect device to a workstring and a downhole tool; performing a downhole operation using the downhole tool, and selectively releasing an upper portion of the disconnect device from a lower portion of the disconnect device, thereby releasing the downhole tool from the workstring. The method may also include reconnecting the upper portion of the disconnect device to the lower portion of the disconnect device. The disconnect device is capable of transferring torque to the wellbore component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry W. Fisher, Thomas M. Redlinger, Carl J. Wilson, Mary L. Laird
  • Patent number: 8342488
    Abstract: An improvement to damping cylinders in which the damping fluid needs to be separated from a gas is disclosed. In particular, an annular bladder is used. An annular bladder allows for a control shaft to extend at least a portion of the length of the damping cylinder. This configuration effectively and simply reduces most issues that result from when an IFP is used for the same purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Becker
  • Patent number: 8346084
    Abstract: An optical device for a wavelength division multiplexing system has a telecentric lens system and a signal-processing optical element, where the signal-processing optical element performs switching, attenuation, or other optical signal processing for the optical device. The telecentric lens system acts as a self-compensating optical system to minimize sensitivity of the optical device to unwanted displacement of an input image from the optical axis of the optical device. The optical device may include multiple telecentric lens systems, in which case the optical device is also less sensitive to precise alignment between the telecentric lens systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Oclaro (North America), Inc.
    Inventors: Haijun Yuan, Xuehua Wu, Christopher Lin, Giovanni Barbarossa
  • Patent number: 8336618
    Abstract: An apparatus for isolating at least a portion of a tubular for use in a wellbore comprising a first, inner tubular in the form of carrier tube and a second, outer tubular in the form of protective shroud, coupled to the carrier tube. One or more aperture is provided in a wall of the carrier tube for permitting fluid transfer through the tube and one or more aperture is provided to permit fluid transfer through the shroud. A sealing layer is disposed on a surface of the shroud, the sealing layer defining a first configuration permitting fluid flow through the apertures and, on exposure to a selected reactant, adopting a second configuration to restrict fluid flow through the apertures, the sealing layer adapted to return from the second configuration to the first configuration where concentration of the selected reactant falls below a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Jones, John Alasdair MacDonald Cameron, Gary John Smart, David S. Grant
  • Patent number: 8336674
    Abstract: A device for a guide rail (1) for a scaffold (2), in which the guide rail (1) is connected to a building (4), and wherein the guide rail (1) is movable between an inactive, stowed away position and an active position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventors: Jan Martin Kleppe, Havard Aurdal
  • Patent number: 8328467
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for deploying a plurality of seismic sensor units into a water column is provided. In one embodiment, a marine vessel is provided. The marine vessel includes a node storage and handling system disposed on a deck of the vessel. The node storage and handling system comprises a cable handler positioned adjacent a workstation proximate to a stern of the vessel, a node storage rack positioned between a bow and the stern of the vessel, the workstation being substantially parallel to a length of the node storage rack, and at least a first conveyor and a second conveyor positioned between the node storage rack and the workstation, wherein one of the first conveyor or the second conveyor is vertically movable relative to the node storage rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: James N. Thompson, Jerry L. Laws, Larry E. Berges
  • Patent number: 8325193
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for controlling the initialization order of an iGPU and a dGPU in a hybrid graphics processing environment to ensure that the iGPU is recognized by the operating system as the primary GPU. When the device initialization request associated with the dGPU is received, the interface module determines whether the iGPU has already been initialized. If the iGPU has already been initialized, then the interface module transmits the device initialization request to the dGPU driver for dGPU initialization. However, if the iGPU flag indicates that the iGPU has not yet been initialized, then the interface module terminates the device initialization request and transmits an initialization failure notification to the operating system. In such a manner, the dGPU is initialized only after the iGPU has previously been initialized, thereby ensuring that the iGPU is recognized by the operating system as the primary GPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: David Wyatt, Praveen Prakash
  • Patent number: 8326153
    Abstract: A tunable dispersion compensator (TDC) is tuned from a first dispersion setpoint to a second dispersion setpoint while maintaining continuity of the dispersion. The dispersion tuning follows a pre-determined trajectory in the time domain, so that continuity of the optical dispersion across the channel optical bandwidth is maintained while minimizing all other TDC-induced optical impairments during a tuning period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro (North America), Inc.
    Inventors: Lan Sheng, Aaron Zilkie, Mark Summa, Timothy Kent Zahnley, Peter G. Wigley
  • Patent number: 8320419
    Abstract: A high power laser source comprises a bar of laser diodes having a first coefficient of thermal expansion CTEbar on a submount having a second coefficient CTEsub and a cooler having a third coefficient CTEcool. The submount/cooler assembly shows an effective fourth coefficient CTEeff differing from CTEbar. This difference leads to a deformation of the crystal lattice of the lasers' active regions by mechanical stress. CTEeff is selected to be either lower than both CTEbar and CTEcool or is selected to be between CTEbar and CTEcool. The submount may either comprise layers of materials having different CTEs, e.g., a Cu layer of 10-40 ?m thickness and a Mo layer of 100-400 ?m thickness, or a single material with a varying CTEsub. Both result in a CTEsub varying across the submount's thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro Technology Limited
    Inventors: Martin Krejci, Norbert Lichtenstein, Stefan Weiss, Julien Boucart, René Todt
  • Patent number: 8316925
    Abstract: A heat exchanger arrangement comprising a charge cooler and a housing. The charge cooler comprises a charge cooler core, a header plate, a coolant entry duct and a coolant exit duct. Specifically, the charge cooler core comprises hallow heat-transfer elements through which a coolant can flow. The housing is in the form of a chamber with a single aperture for receiving the cooler core and comprises an air entry duct, an air exit duct and a flange. The cooler core is fixed inside the housing by fixing the header plate of the charge cooler to the flange of the housing. Additionally, the header plate of the charge cooler closes the single aperture for receiving the cooler core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Joāo de Deus & Filhos, S.A.
    Inventors: Eduardo Alberto Nunes Mendes Pimentel, Helder José Trindade Cavaca
  • Patent number: 8318519
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fabricating a light emitting diode include forming a multilayer epitaxial structure above a carrier substrate; depositing at least one metal layer above the multilayer epitaxial structure; removing the carrier substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Trung Tri Doan, Chen-Fu Chu
  • Patent number: 8319236
    Abstract: A metallization on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed in the form of a laminate comprising a plurality of layers of a “conducting” metallization for providing electrical conductivity, interspersed with a plurality of layers of another metallization. By providing many layers the thickness of each individual layer can be reduced. Reduction in thickness of each layer leads to a reduction in grain size and a consequent reduction in creep over the lifetime of a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro Technology Limited
    Inventors: Richard Beanland, Stephen Jones, Ian Juland
  • Patent number: 8310899
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method of transferring seismic equipment to and from a marine vessel and subsurface location. In one embodiment, the method includes deploying at least one remotely operated vehicle from a vessel operating in a first direction, and operating the at least one remotely operated vehicle in a pattern relative to the direction of the vessel to form at least two receiver lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: Reagan Neil Woodard, Jr., James N. Thompson
  • Patent number: 8307903
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for subsea well intervention operations, including retrieval of a wellhead from a subsea well. In one aspect, a method of performing an operation in a subsea well is provided. The method comprising the step of positioning a tool proximate a subsea wellhead. The tool has at least one grip member and the tool is attached to a downhole assembly. The method also comprising the step of clamping the tool to the subsea wellhead by moving the at least one grip member into engagement with a profile on the subsea wellhead. The method further comprising the step of applying an upward force to the tool thereby enhancing the grip between the grip member and the profile on the subsea wellhead. Additionally, the method comprising the step of performing the operation in the subsea well by utilizing the downhole assembly. In another aspect, an apparatus for use in a subsea well is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford / Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Redlinger, Andrew Antoine, My Le, Richard J. Segura
  • Patent number: 8297347
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method for controlling the torque applied to a tubular connection. In one embodiment, a method of connecting a first threaded tubular to a second threaded tubular supported by a spider on a drilling rig includes engaging the first threaded tubular with the second threaded tubular; making up the connection by rotating the first tubular using a top drive; and controlling unwinding of the first tubular after the connection is made up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Ruark, Merlin Perry, Aaron Dauphine
  • Patent number: 8295315
    Abstract: The present invention concerns tunable distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) semiconductor lasers, in particular a DBR laser with a branched optical waveguide 5 within which a plurality of differently shaped lasing cavities may be formed, and a method of operation of such a laser. The laser may comprise a phase control section (418), gain section (420, 422), a sampled grating DBR (412) giving a comb-line spectrum and two tunable, chirped DBRs (414, 416) for broadband frequency training and a coupling section (410).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro Technology Limited
    Inventors: Andrew John Ward, Robert Walker, David James Robbins, Douglas Charles John Reid, Guy Towlson
  • Patent number: 8292089
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for supporting a screen. The apparatus comprising a cylindrical screen for submerging in a fluid, the screen having an inlet pipe for connecting to a piping system, filter members, a first end, a second and a support structure. The support structure is one or more helical members which traverse the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay R. Osborne, Michael Ekholm, Dan Ganfield
  • Patent number: 8294980
    Abstract: A delay line interferometer is configured with a liquid-crystal (LC) tuning element as a phase modulator for demodulating a phase-modulated input signal. The LC tuning element allows for quickly tuning the phase difference between two optical signals separated from the phase-modulated input signal, so that the two optical signals can be coherently recombined to interfere with each other and produce one or more intensity-modulated optical signals. In some embodiments, the LC tuning element is configured to reduce polarization-dependent frequency shift without the use of additional high-precision optical elements and/or coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Oclaro Technology Limited
    Inventors: Ruibo Wang, Ruipeng Sun
  • Patent number: D670255
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Gainsborough Hardward Industries Limited
    Inventors: Stuart Clark, Harris Lambrou, Troy Nyssen, Lisa Edlund-Tjernberg, Fred Blochlinger