Patents Assigned to VITO NV
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Publication number: 20170363473Abstract: A method for estimating an input spectrum from sensor data acquired by an optical sensor assembly, having an aperture, a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and an optical sensor element, the method including: obtaining first calibration data representative of a spectral response function of the optical sensor assembly for a first setting of the aperture; computing second calibration data from the first calibration data, the second calibration data being representative of a spectral response function of the optical sensor assembly for a second setting of the aperture, where the second setting corresponds to a setting applied during the acquiring of the sensor data; and estimating the input spectrum as a function of the second calibration data and the sensor data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2016Publication date: December 21, 2017Applicant: VITO NVInventor: Stefan LIVENS
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Publication number: 20170320019Abstract: Assembly for treating fluids, comprising a support (12) having a first and second oppositely arranged surfaces (121) for backing support of a semi permeable membrane (11), a first fluid conveying compartments (124) interposed between the first and second surfaces, a plurality of first fluid passages (126) extending from the first surface (121) and being in fluid communication with the first compartments (124), and a first duct attached to the support (12) and in fluid communication with the first compartments. The assembly comprises a second compartment (125) arranged for conveying fluid and different from the first compartment, and a second duct attached to the support (12) and configured to be in fluid communication with the second compartment (125).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2015Publication date: November 9, 2017Applicant: VITO NV (VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK NV)Inventors: Willy DOYEN, Bart MOLENBERGHS
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Patent number: 9768978Abstract: A method and system for providing pulsed power and data from a main control unit to slave units via a first bus. The main control unit has an AC signal generator for providing a plurality of first pulses (P1) on the bus for providing the power to the slave units. Each slave unit is AC-coupled to the bus via a first series capacitor arranged for converting the first pulses (P1) into second pulses (P2). Data communication from the main control unit to the slave units is established by modulating the first pulses (P1), and by demodulating the second pulses (P2). The modulation may be based on Pulse Position Modulation, Pulse Width Modulation, Pulse Count Modulation, Pulse Amplitude modulation. Zero, one or more bits may be communicated per first pulse. Optionally the slave units may communicate to the main control unit via a second bus.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2014Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK (VITO) NVInventors: Peter Coenen, Dominique Weyen
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Patent number: 9726487Abstract: A sensing device for obtaining geometric referenced multi-spectral image data of a region of interest in relative movement with respect to the sensing device, includes a first two dimensional sensor element and a spectral filter. The sensing device obtains subsequent multi-spectral images during the relative motion of the region of interest with respect to the sensing device, thus providing spectrally distinct information for different parts of a region of interest using different parts of the first sensor. A second two dimensional sensor element, using the second sensor element, provides an image of the region of interest for generating geometric referencing information to be coupled to the distinct spectral information.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2010Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: VITO NVInventors: Jan Biesemans, Bavo DeLaure, Bart Michiels
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Publication number: 20170154440Abstract: A method for performing photogrammetric 3D reconstruction of objects imaged in a sequence of images, the images containing distinct regions representing imaged radiation in respective distinct wavelengths, the method having the steps: selecting a plurality of subsets from the sequence of images, each one of the plurality of subset containing a plurality of images, each image of which represents a field of view that overlaps with a field of view of at least one other image in the same subset; generating a set of intermediate 3D models by performing photogrammetric 3D reconstruction on the images in respective ones of the subsets; and recombining the intermediate 3D models from the set of 3D models into a combined 3D model.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2015Publication date: June 1, 2017Applicant: VITO NVInventor: Aleksandra SIMA
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Patent number: 9665776Abstract: A 2D occupancy system for determining a position of a user (e.g. a human, an object or an animal) in an environment includes a host device and a plurality of motion detection devices. The host device and the plurality of motion detection devices are connected through a network. Each motion detection device has a viewing angle and the viewing angle of any motion detection device overlaps with the viewing angle of at least one other motion detection device. The host device comprises an input port for receiving motion information from the plurality of motion detection devices, and a processing unit for determining the position of the user in the environment from the motion information from particular motion detection devices at a same time-stamp.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2010Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: VITO NVInventors: Richard Kleihorst, Bart Michiels
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Publication number: 20170138733Abstract: A sensing device for obtaining geometric referenced multi-spectral image data of a Rol in relative movement with respect to the device, the sensing device having: a first and second 2D sensor element, the device obtaining subsequent multi-spectral images during the relative motion of the Rol thus providing distinct spectral information for parts of a Rol using the first element; and providing, using the second element, an image of the Rol for generating geometric referencing information to be coupled to the distinct spectral information; each element capturing a sequence of frames at a respective frame rate. The first frame rate is higher than the second frame rate. The device generates intermediate geometric referencing information to be coupled to frames of the first sequence of frames for which no synchronous frame from the second sequence of frames is available, derived from temporally similar frames from the second sequence of frames.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2015Publication date: May 18, 2017Applicant: VITO NVInventors: Bart MICHIELS, Bavo DELAURÉ, Stefan LIVENS
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Publication number: 20170125221Abstract: Apparatus for plasma processing of a continuous fiber, comprising a first and a second plasma torch. Each plasma torch comprises oppositely arranged electrodes to define a plasma discharge chamber between the electrodes. The plasma discharge chamber comprises an inlet and an outlet for passing a plasma forming gas between the electrodes. The apparatus further comprises an afterglow chamber in fluid communication with the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers, which comprises a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet arranged at opposite sides of the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers. A transport system is configured to continuously transport the fiber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet through the afterglow chamber. The substrate inlet comprises an aperture having a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than a cross-sectional size of the afterglow chamber. The outlets of the plasma torches face each other and exhaust plasma activated species into the afterglow chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicant: VITO NVInventors: Annick VANHULSEL, Erwin VAN HOOF, Jan COOLS
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Patent number: 9638759Abstract: A power cell system, e.g. a fuel cell system, having a plurality of power cells, e.g. fuel cells and plurality of first resistances, the plurality of power cells and first resistances being connected in the form of a ladder circuit, and electronic filters each having a first connection to a first node between two of the first resistances, each electronic filter comprising a second resistance and a charge storage device connected to the second resistance.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2014Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: VITO NVInventor: Peter Coenen
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Patent number: 9618215Abstract: The present invention relates to energy supply systems which comprise an energy storage unit and an energy production unit. Control methods according to the invention advantageously allow to calculate an operational cost of the energy supply system based on the energy flux that can be supplied by the system and the energy flux that is demanded externally from the system. The operational cost can be calculated for all possible values of the above parameters in advance. The calculated parameters can be stored in an array in a device implementing methods of the invention. Methods of the invention allow to operate an energy supply system so as to guarantee that at any instant a predetermined (nonzero) amount of energy flux can be supplied by the energy storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2009Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: VITO NVInventors: Johan Van Bael, Hans Hoes, Fjo De Ridder
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Publication number: 20160318294Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite sheet wherein the composite sheet includes at least two outer metal layers and at least one intermediate polymer layer wherein the polymer layer comprises a thermoplastic polymer. The method steps include providing at least a first and a second metal substrate and at least one intermediate polymer layer; coating at least one of the metal substrates with an adhesion promoter layer by plasma coating, wherein plasma coating includes: providing a process gas, generating a plasma, injecting a precursor for providing the adhesion promoter layer into the generated plasma or plasma afterglow, moving or placing the at least one metal strip into the generated plasma or plasma afterglow and depositing a plasma polymerized adhesion promoter layer on the surface of inner side of the metal substrate; and laminating the intermediate polymer layer and the two outer metal layers to build a composite material.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Applicants: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG, VITO NVInventors: Ingo Klüppel, Michael Strack, Ingo Rogner, Nicole Scherf, Gabriella Da Ponte, Danny Havermans, Sabine Paulussen, Bert Verheyde
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Patent number: 9455576Abstract: A smart grid management system and method where aggregators do not need to have knowledge about the topology of the electricity grid, the physical location of the end-points they control, or the congestion level of the grid. Instead, the smart grid system and method provides maximum freedom of operation to the aggregators to balance electricity supply and demand in such a way that the danger is reduced or it is even impossible for the aggregators to endanger voltage levels at the distribution system operator (DSO) level or the capacity levels at the transmission system operator (TSO) level. The distribution system operator is allowed to block, interrupt, or change the communication between aggregator and device based on a dual stage-gate control.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2014Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: VITO NV (VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK NV)Inventor: Hans De Neve
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Publication number: 20160269195Abstract: A method and system for providing pulsed power and data from a main control unit to slave units via a first bus. The main control unit has an AC signal generator for providing a plurality of first pulses (P1) on the bus for providing the power to the slave units. Each slave unit is AC-coupled to the bus via a first series capacitor arranged for converting the first pulses (P1) into second pulses (P2). Data communication from the main control unit to the slave units is established by modulating the first pulses (P1), and by demodulating the second pulses (P2). The modulation may be based on Pulse Position Modulation, Pulse Width Modulation, Pulse Count Modulation, Pulse Amplitude modulation. Zero, one or more bits may be communicated per first pulse. Optionally the slave units may communicate to the main control unit via a second bus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2014Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicant: VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK (VITO) NVInventors: Peter COENEN, Dominique WEYEN
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Patent number: 9411941Abstract: The current invention concerns a method for identifying the elemental composition of and/or quantifying the presence of mono-isotopic elements in a molecule in a sample by computing a solution of a system of linear equations ??Ei?n?=Fi, whereby the set of numbers Fi comprises said set of relative peak heights from the aggregated isotopic distribution and the coefficients Ei? of said linear system comprise powers and/or power sums of roots r?,i?. The present invention also provides a method for analyzing at least part of an isotopic distribution of a sample, comprising obtaining data comprising at least one probability qj with which a j'th aggregated isotopic variant of said molecule with mass number Aj occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution; and computing a probability qi with which an i'th aggregated isotopic variant occurs within said aggregated isotopic distribution, by taking a linear combination of said at least one probability qj.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2012Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK (VITO) NVInventors: Dirk Valkenborg, Piotr Dittwald
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Publication number: 20160139210Abstract: A method and corresponding device, for monitoring a charge of a battery. The method obtains a battery current measurement value and a battery voltage measurement value, and applies a current integration method to update a primary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery by taking into account the battery current measurement value. The method further determines an ancillary charge estimate value representative of the charge stored in the battery using a battery model taking into account the battery voltage measurement value, and determines an error value for the ancillary charge estimate value, in which the error value expresses the reliability of the battery model. The method also applies a correction to the primary charge estimate value as function of the ancillary charge estimate value and the error value. Interpretation of the correction applied in this manner allows determination of current sensor offset and battery capacity change.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2014Publication date: May 19, 2016Applicant: VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK NV (VITO NV)Inventor: Peter COENEN
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Publication number: 20160134122Abstract: A smart grid management system and method where aggregators do not need to have knowledge about the topology of the electricity grid, the physical location of the end-points they control, or the congestion level of the grid. Instead, the smart grid system and method provides maximum freedom of operation to the aggregators to balance electricity supply and demand in such a way that the danger is reduced or it is even impossible for the aggregators to endanger voltage levels at the distribution system operator (DSO) level or the capacity levels at the transmission system operator (TSO) level. The distribution system operator is allowed to block, interrupt, or change the communication between aggregator and device based on a dual stage-gate control.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: May 12, 2016Applicant: VITO NV (VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK NV)Inventor: Hans DE NEVE
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Publication number: 20160105023Abstract: A method or system for controlling an energy or power supply network having a coordination centre, a plurality of local end-user units and a communications network linking the local units and the coordination centre and a supply network connecting the local units and the coordination centre for energy or power supply. The supply network has constraints that limits power or energy consumption at at least one of the local end-user units. The method or system is adapted so that the coordination centre transmits a control signal indicating a degree of imbalance of the system to the at least one of the local end-user units, and the at least one local end-user unit is adapted to transmit a reaction signal to the coordination centre indicative of a power schedule for the local unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: April 14, 2016Applicant: VITO NVInventors: Fedor DE RIDDER, Bert CLAESSENS, Sven DE BREUCKER
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Patent number: 9255330Abstract: A continuous plasma treatment process is disclosed. The process may include providing at least one plasma treatment zone having a pair of electrodes with endless dielectric belts, each belt having a first and a second side that covers one of the electrodes. The process may include producing a non-thermal plasma in a space between the belts, and transporting a web material via the belts such that there is a width of exposed belt on either side of the web material. The process may include transporting the web material such that a side of the web material not in contact with the belts is treated in two passes through the at least one plasma treatment zone, while exposed parts of the belts transporting the web material are also treated. The process may include cleaning treated parts of the belts prior to the belts re-entering the at least one plasma treatment zone.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2011Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: VITO NVInventors: Dirk Vangeneugden, Erwin Van Hoof, Robby Rego
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Patent number: 9162637Abstract: An ultracapacitor energy storage system and in particular a system for packaging and connecting ultracapacitors (15) for energy storage purposes is described which is applicable in automotive and stationary applications. The ultracapacitors (15) in the system can be in series or parallel or a combination of both. A controller, relays, voltage monitoring and isolation fault detection are used to regulate the system. The mechanical construction of frame and different pluggable modules (2 and 7) lead to an easy in- and de-installation of the different parts. The different constructions are designed with a safe handling by the operator in mind.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: VITO NVInventors: Filip Leemans, Johan De Smet, Dominique Weyen
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Publication number: 20150280436Abstract: Method and system for distributing and/or controlling an energy flow to a cluster of a plurality of nodes in an electricity network, wherein each node has an associated status, taking into account constraints relating to the energy delivered to the nodes and constraints relating to the electricity network, comprised of: allocating a local agent to each node of the cluster of a plurality of nodes, wherein the local agent receives a priority for energy to be delivered; allocating a regional concentrator agent to the regional network, comprising at least a part of the cluster, wherein a total of the at least one regional network forms the electricity network; receiving by the at least one regional concentrator agent, the priority for energy to be delivered among the nodes and determining an aggregate priority for energy to be delivered to the at least one regional network, depending on voltage limitations.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2013Publication date: October 1, 2015Applicants: VITO NV, KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVENInventors: Sam Weckx, Johan Driesen, Reinhilde D'Hulst, Bert Claessens