Patents Assigned to A & A Company
  • Patent number: 9004184
    Abstract: The invention provides a wellbore system comprising an expandable tubular element arranged in a wellbore formed in an earth formation whereby an annular space is present between the tubular element and a wall surrounding the tubular element. The tubular element is provided with sealing means for sealing the annular space, wherein the sealing means includes a foldable wall section of the tubular element. The foldable wall section has a reduced bending stiffness relative to a remainder wall section of the tubular element and is deformable from an unfolded mode to a folded mode by application of a compressive folding force to the tubular element. The foldable wall section when in the folded mode comprises at least one annular fold extending radially outward into said annular space. The wellbore system further comprises a folding device for applying said folding force to the tubular element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Daniele Di Crescenzo, Djurre Hans Zijsling
  • Patent number: 9004602
    Abstract: In a latching device for a head restraint, a locking element is movably mounted in a carrier device. The locking element can be moved from a locked position into an unlocked position by actuation of an actuating device. The latching device is movably mounted with respect to a retaining rod. In the unlocked position, the locking element allows the latching device to be moved with respect to the retaining rod, while in the locked position the locking element engages in at least one cut-out of the retaining rod for latching the latching device with respect to the retaining rod. According to the invention, in the locked position the carrier device, together with the locking element arranged therein, is mirror-symmetrical to an xz plane extending substantially perpendicularly to the carrier device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Martin Gottwald, Jan Stransky, Mikulas Ptasinsky, Michael Martinka, Daniel Schmitt, Ralph Michalka
  • Patent number: 9006032
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device package includes removing a portion of a first connector and a molding compound surrounding the first connector to form an opening, wherein the first connector is part of a first package, and removing the portion of the first connector comprises forming a surface on the first connector which is at an angle with respect to a top surface of the molding compound. The method further includes placing a second connector in the opening, wherein the second connector is part of a second package having a semiconductor die. The method further includes bonding the second connector to a remaining portion of the first connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Wei Cheng, Tsung-Ding Wang, Chien-Hsun Lee, Chun-Chih Chuang
  • Patent number: 9004031
    Abstract: A variable valve lift apparatus that has a simplified configuration is provided. The apparatus includes a camshaft and first and second cam forming portions inserted with the cam shaft to rotate together with the camshaft and be movable in a shaft direction of the camshaft, and includes an upper cam and a lower cam. A valve opening/closing device is actuated by the upper cam or the lower cam. First and second moving units are inserted with the camshaft and are movable together with the cam forming portions. First and second actuating units selectively move the moving units in the shaft direction of the camshaft and are mounted on a mounting portion. A positioning unit is connected with the moving units, and has first and second grooves. A stopper unit is mounted on the mounting portion, and is selectively inserted into the grooves to align the cam forming portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Byong Young Choi
  • Patent number: 9003972
    Abstract: A method for determining optical density is disclosed. A first measurement is taken on a white area of a substrate (402). A second measurement is taken on an area of the substrate printed with ink (404). A relative optical density of the ink is determined using the first and second measurements (406).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Henryk Birecki, William D. Holland, Omer Gila
  • Patent number: 9006235
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to compounds of formula I, including compositions and methods for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The disclosure provides novel inhibitors of HIV, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and methods for using these compounds in the treatment of HIV infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
    Inventors: Zhizhen Barbara Zheng, Stanley D'Andrea, David R. Langley, B. Narasimhulu Naidu
  • Patent number: 9007207
    Abstract: A dynamic alarm system for operating a power plant is disclosed. The dynamic alarm system includes a sensor configured to generate a signal related to a measurement of an operation of the power plant. An interface displays a generated alarm to an operator and receives a dynamic rating value from the operator related to the generated alarm. A processor generates the alarm using the generated signal, compiles the rating value and alters an operation of the power plant from the compiled rating value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin Varkey John, Robert William Grubbs, Jonathan Carl Thatcher
  • Patent number: 9004754
    Abstract: A thermal sensor includes a comparator having a first and second input nodes. A reference voltage generator is electrically coupled with the first input node. The reference voltage generator is configured to provide a reference voltage that is substantially temperature-independent. A temperature sensing circuit is electrically coupled with the second input node. The temperature sensing circuit is configured to provide a temperature-dependent voltage. The temperature sensing circuit includes a current mirror. A first metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor is electrically coupled between the current mirror and ground. A first resistor is electrically coupled with the current mirror. A second MOS transistor is electrically coupled with the first resistor in series. The second MOS transistor and the first resistor are electrically coupled with the first MOS transistor in a parallel fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Steven Swei
  • Patent number: 9004813
    Abstract: A containment apparatus can be used to contain fluids leaking through a tubular wall of the pipe from an interior of the pipe to an environment surrounding the pipe. The containment apparatus can include a fluid container that can be positioned on an exterior surface of the pipe. The containment apparatus includes a seal for sealingly engaging the diameter of the pipe. In embodiments, the seal can be inflated with a pressure media to form a tighter seal between the containment apparatus and the pipe. For subsea pipeline applications, the containment apparatus can include a riser extending to the surface of the sea, from which the leaking fluid can be collected. In embodiments, the containment apparatus can include a valve that can selectively permit leaking fluid to flow toward a collection receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Khaled A. Al-Buraik
  • Patent number: 9007639
    Abstract: An information providing device, which is capable of communicating with an information processing terminal and one or more information processing apparatuses executing processing responding to a request from the information processing terminal, including a position data obtaining unit configured to obtain position data of the information processing terminal and the information processing apparatuses; a specifying unit configured to specify, based on the obtained position data of the information processing terminal, a region where the information processing terminal is, and specify, based on the obtained position data of the information processing apparatuses, one or more of the information processing apparatuses which are in the region; and an instruction unit configured to, responding to the request from the information processing terminal, instruct an information processing apparatus of the specified information processing apparatuses specified by the specifying unit and specified by the request to execute
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michitaka Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9003888
    Abstract: A method for obtaining seismic information about a subsurface formation using at least one fiber optic cable having its proximal end coupled to a light source and a photodetector comprises: transmitting into the cable at least one light pulse; receiving at the photodetector a first and second light signals indicative of the physical status of at least one first cable section and at least one second cable section, respectively, wherein the first and second sections are selected so as to provide first and second information items, respectively; optionally, further processing at least one of the first and second information items so as to produce derivative information; and outputting at least one of the first, second, and derivative information items to a display; wherein the second item differs from the first item in at least one aspect selected from the group consisting of: resolution, area, and location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jorge Louis Lopez, Peter Berkeley Wills, Jeffery Joseph Mestayer
  • Patent number: 9008933
    Abstract: A system includes a monitoring module, a congestion module, a modification module, and a communication module. The monitoring module monitors vehicles in a transportation network. The congestion module calculates a throughput parameter that is representative of a statistical measure of adherence to a movement plan by the vehicles. The modification module determines a confidence parameter representative of a probability that changing the original meet event does not reduce the throughput parameter. The modification module modifies the original meet event to an updated meet event when the confidence parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold. The communication module transmits the updated meet event to the yielding vehicle and/or the passing vehicle, for the yielding vehicle and/or the passing vehicle to receive the updated meet event from the communication module and change a speed of the yielding vehicle or the passing rail vehicle to arrive at the updated meet event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jared Cooper, Mitchell Scott Wills, Kevin Campbell, John McElroy, Jian Li, Bruce Hancock, Sherri Boyd, Mason Samuels, Paul Denton, David Eldredge, Scott Dulmage
  • Patent number: 9005382
    Abstract: A method for forming a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component for gas turbine engines. The method contemplates replacing a plurality of plies with insert material. The insert material can be partially cured or pre-cured and applied in place of a plurality of small plies or it may be inserted into cavities of a component in the form of a paste or a ply. The insert material is isotropic, being formed of a combination of matrix material and chopped fibers, tow, cut plies or combinations thereof. The use of the insert material allows for features such as thin edges (650) with thicknesses of less than about 0.030 inches and small radii such as found in corners (680, 710). The CMC components of the present invention replace small ply inserts cut to size to fit into areas of contour change or thickness change, and replace the small ply inserts with a fabricated single piece discontinuously reinforced composite insert, resulting in fewer defects, such as wrinkles, and better dimensional control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Dale Steibel, Douglas Melton Carper, Suresh Subramanian, Stephen Mark Whiteker
  • Patent number: 9006302
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a plurality of glass bubbles having an average true density of up to about 0.55 grams per cubic centimeter and a size distribution including a median size in a range from about 15 micrometers to 40 micrometers. A hydrostatic pressure at which ten percent by volume of the plurality of glass bubbles collapses is at least about 100 megapascals. In some embodiments, the plurality of glass bubbles is a graded fraction preparable by classifying a second plurality of glass bubbles, wherein the second plurality of glass bubbles has a higher percentage of glass bubbles with a size of up to ten micrometers than the first plurality of glass bubbles. Composites including the plurality of glass bubbles are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Stephen E. Amos, Robert W. Hunter, Ronald J. Israelson, Towako Takeishi, Mark J. Williams, Takujiro Yamabe
  • Patent number: 9008642
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to systems and methodologies for communicating between an appliance and a mobile device using audio signaling. An appliance is provided with an audio generating device controlled by a processor to cause the audio device to produce encoded sounds. The sounds may correspond to a series of tones. The tones are sampled using the microphone in a smartphone or other mobile computing device and decoded by an application running on the smartphone or device to provide information and/or instructions to the appliance user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Myles D. Caley, Robert Marten Bultman
  • Patent number: 9006163
    Abstract: A cleansing composition comprising a cleansing effective amount of surfactant and polyurethane-34. The polyurethane-34 can deposit on skin during cleansing and form a barrier that reduces bacterial attachment to skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Regina Hourigan, Jairajh Mattai, James Masters
  • Patent number: 9006933
    Abstract: A method of damping power system oscillations includes obtaining an AC measurement signal from a power system location and determining oscillation frequency values in the AC measurement signal. A plurality of single signal components are extracted from the AC measurement signal by subtracting a plurality of processed measurement signals from the AC measurement signal and a damping signal is generated based on the plurality of single signal components. Each of the plurality of processed measurement signals are generated by time delaying the AC measurement signal with a time delay associated with each of the oscillation frequency values other than the oscillation frequency value of the single signal component to be extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Swakshar Ray, Amol Rajaram Kolwalkar
  • Patent number: D726437
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Risdon, Timothy M. O'Hare
  • Patent number: D726598
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Ernesto Rupar, Dean Carbis
  • Patent number: D726608
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Kemal Curic, Darrell Behmer, Christopher Svensson, Moray Callum, Joel Piaskowski