Patents Examined by Andrew Schechter
  • Patent number: 7991578
    Abstract: A method of finding a cluster in a data stream includes updating statistical distribution information of a grid-cell corresponding to a currently generated data element, statistical distribution information on previously generated data elements being managed using grid-cells, which are partitioned within the range of a data space and have statistical distribution information of data elements within the range; comparing the occurrence frequency of the data element in the grid-cell according to the update result with a predefined partitioning threshold, partitioning the grid-cell into a plurality of grid-cells according to the comparison result, and estimating statistical distribution information of the partitioned grid-cells; recursively performing the updating or comparing step until the grid-cell becomes a unit grid-cell; and comparing the occurrence frequency of a data element in the unit grid-cell with a predefined minimum support and defining a set of unit grid-cells as a cluster according to the comparis
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventor: Won-Suk Lee
  • Patent number: 7966149
    Abstract: Methods and systems to detect transient operations from abnormal operations, and to detect abnormal operations in a coker heater, include collecting on-line process data. The collected on-line process data is generated from a plurality of process variables of the process, or coker heater. A first representation of the operation of the process, or coker heater, is generated based on a first set of the collected on-line process data generated from a first set of the process variables. The first representation is adapted to be executed to generate a first result. A second representation of the operation of the process, or coker heater, is generated based on the first result and based on a second set of the collected on-line process data generated from a second set of the process variables. The second representation is adapted to be executed to generate a prediction of data generated from the second set of the process variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikola Samardzija, Ahmad A. Hamad
  • Patent number: 7962314
    Abstract: A processor having one or more processor cores includes execution logic that may execute instructions including one or more processes. Each process may include one or more execution threads. The processor also includes a profiling mechanism that includes monitor logic and a monitor process. The monitor logic may monitor the one or more processes and provide access to performance data associated with the one or more processes without interrupting a flow of control of the one or more processes being monitored. The monitor process may gather the performance data. In addition, the monitor process may include program instructions executable by the one more processor cores while operating in user mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: GLOBAL FOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventor: Anton Chernoff
  • Patent number: 7957904
    Abstract: A method for mapping sub-surface resistivity contrasts comprising making multi-channel transient electromagnetic (MTEM) measurements using at least one electric source with grounded input current electrodes or one magnetic source with current in a wire loop or multi loop and at least one electric field or magnetic field receiver, measuring the resultant earth response simultaneously at each receiver using a known recording system, measuring the system response by measuring directly the current in the wire at the source using effectively the same recording system, using the measured system response to recover the impulse response of the earth from each measured earth response, and creating from such impulse responses a sub-surface representation of resistivity contrasts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: MTEM Ltd.
    Inventors: Anton Ziolkowski, Bruce Hobbs, Graham Dawes, David Wright
  • Patent number: 7957905
    Abstract: A method for estimating interval travel time of an Earth formation using an acoustic well logging instrument having a plurality of spaced apart acoustic transmitters and acoustic receivers includes measuring travel time between a transmitter and a receiver for substantially all possible combinations of each of the plurality of transmitters and each of the plurality of receivers. Each of the possible combinations includes a common depth interval of the Earth formations. The method then include determining at least one statistical measure of center of the measured travel times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Apache Corporation
    Inventor: Werner M. Heigl
  • Patent number: 7953561
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for applying at least one load to a specimen (12) according to one embodiment of the invention may comprise a mass (18). An actuator (20) mounted to the specimen (12) and operatively associated with the mass (18) moves the mass (18) along a linear displacement path (22) that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the specimen (12). A control system (26) operatively associated with the actuator (20) operates the actuator (20) to reciprocate the mass (18) along the linear displacement path (22) at a reciprocating frequency, the reciprocating frequency being about equal to a resonance frequency of the specimen (12) in a test configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Walter Musial, Darris White
  • Patent number: 7953556
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing dual sensor (e.g., hydrophone and vertical geophone) data that includes intrinsic removal of noise as well as enhancing the wavefield separation are provided. The methods disclosed herein are based on a decomposition of data simultaneously into dip and frequency while retaining temporal locality. The noise removed may be mainly coherent geophone noise from the vertical geophone, also known as V(z) noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Craft, Josef Paffenholz
  • Patent number: 7945406
    Abstract: M periods of the test signal and of the reference signal are received. The periods of the test signal and of the reference signal are in each case Tsig long. The test signal is sampled with N sampled values at a sampling frequency fs=1/Ts. Also, N*Ts=M*Tsig, where N>M. The sampled values are numbered progressively by n, for which 0?n ?N?1. The sampled values have a defined relative phase shift with respect to the reference signal. The phase shift T? is calculated by ? i = 0 M - 1 ? ? Idx ? ( i ) + K , K being a constant and Idx(i) corresponding to the number n which is either the first sampled value after a test signal zero crossing during the reference signal's ith period or the last sampled value before a test signal zero crossing during the reference signal's ith period. Either only rising or only falling zero crossings are taken into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephane Kirmser, Heinz Mattes, Sebastian Sattler
  • Patent number: 7933736
    Abstract: A data logger is disclosed wherein a common housing includes different function blocks which are connected to one another. These function blocks include at least one analog/digital converter for conversion of measurement signals into digital input data, a memory unit for recording of digital data and of digitized event data, a timer, a processor unit for processing of data, a power supply source and input and output interfaces for measurement signals or digital data and event data. The processor unit is configured for conversion of digital input data and time data into a format which is compatible with standardized software (e.g., freely available) and which makes it possible to display the processed data using standardized software in tabular and/or graphic form on an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Elpro-Buchs AG
    Inventors: Alois Bischof, Beat Rudolf
  • Patent number: 7925458
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting the occurrence of arcing of a conductor by monitoring the current on an AC power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: David Kolker, Roger M. Bradley, Ross Mernyk
  • Patent number: 7920977
    Abstract: A noncontact method for measuring currents flowing through superconductive wires connected in parallel is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Korea Polytechnic University
    Inventors: Kyeong Dal Choi, Ji Kwang Lee, Seung Wook Lee, Chan Park, Woo Seok Kim
  • Patent number: 7917309
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detection of airborne contaminants and prevention of influx of the contaminants into an enclosed space, such as a vehicle cabin. A first sensor array samples exterior air prior to influx of the exterior air into the enclosed space. The first sensor array generates data uniquely corresponding to each contaminant. Data corresponding to predetermined contaminants is stored in computer memory. A user may also cause data corresponding to a contaminant selected by the user to be stored in the computer memory. Upon identification of a contaminant, an actuator is operative to control a position of a valve to prevent influx of the exterior air into the enclosed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Colin Brodsky
  • Patent number: 7917317
    Abstract: Configuration of an ultrasonic inspection system is facilitated using an ultrasound response predicted by a simulation tool. In one embodiment, estimated material properties of an object to be inspected are input to the simulation tool. Also input to the simulation tool is at least one estimated property of an ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic inspection. The simulation tool predicts the response of the object to ultrasound from the ultrasonic transducer. This response is dependent upon the estimated material properties of the object to be inspected and the at least one estimated property of the ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic inspection system is then configured dependent upon a feature of the predicted response. The system may be configured, for example, by setting the position of a time gate, selecting an appropriate ultrasonic transducer, selecting the position of the transducer to achieve good focus, or selecting parameters for signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sonix, Inc.
    Inventor: James C. P. McKeon
  • Patent number: 7917316
    Abstract: A test system and computer program for measuring threshold voltage variation using a device array provides accurate threshold voltage distribution values for process verification and improvement. The test system and computer program control a characterization array circuit that imposes a fixed drain-source voltage and a constant channel current at individual devices within the array. Another circuit senses the source voltage of the individual device within the array. The statistical distribution of the threshold voltage is determined directly from the source voltage distribution by offsetting each source voltage by a value determined by completely characterizing one or more devices within the array. The resulting methodology avoids the necessity of otherwise characterizing each device within the array, thus reducing measurement time dramatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kanak B. Agarwal, Sani R. Nassif
  • Patent number: 7908107
    Abstract: A method of compensating a calibration for a vector network analyzer includes performing calibrations on at least a pair of ports to determine error terms associated with each port wherein at least one of the error terms is based upon selecting the reactance of the load standard from a set of potential values in a manner such that the reference reactance errors are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Cascade Microtech, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Hayden
  • Patent number: 7904265
    Abstract: A controllable delay element is coupled in parallel with a calibration circuit. The calibration circuit receives a periodic reference signal and generates a series of sample voltages responsive to a time-varying analog voltage, the periodic reference signal, and the delayed periodic signal at the output of the controllable delay element. The calibration circuit distributes the series of sampled voltages for determining the components of a first vector. The first vector components are used to calculate the phase that results from a control signal applied to the controllable delay element. After the control signal is modified, a second vector is used to calculate the phase that results from the control signal. The delay can be determined by the product of the period of the reference signal and the difference in phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Alexander Tesler
  • Patent number: 7904264
    Abstract: A mechanism for measuring the absolute duty cycle of a signal is provided. A non-inverted path from a signal source is selected and various DCC circuit setting indices are cycled through until a divider, coupled to the output of the DCC circuit, fails. A first minimum pulse width at which the divider fails is then determined based on the index value of the DCC circuit at the time of the failure. An inverted path from the signal source is selected and the various DCC circuit setting indices are cycled through again until the divider fails. A second minimum pulse width at which the divider fails is then determined based on the index value of the DCC circuit at the time of this second failure. The duty cycle is then calculated based on a difference of the first and second minimum pulse width values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Boerstler, Eskinder Hailu, Masaaki Kaneko, Jieming Qi, Bin Wan
  • Patent number: 7899631
    Abstract: In the method for estimating battery residual capacity of the present invention, the voltage measurement values are obtained (step S2). And once it is finished, using the initial values of the coefficients set at the step S3 as starting, the optimization is progressed with renewing each value of the coefficients on the following iterating calculations (step S4). Once the optimum value of each coefficient in the approximation is determined at the step S4, the stable open circuit voltage is calculated by the optimized reciprocal function using thereof at the step S5. And then based thereon, the battery residual capacity is calculated by the predetermined conversion method (step S6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Noriyasu Iwane
  • Patent number: 7885790
    Abstract: A method and system of determining forthcoming failure of transducers. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising creating a first electrical signal representative of acoustic energy propagating between a first pair of transducers of a fluid meter, creating a second electrical signal representative of acoustic energy propagating between a second pair of transducers of the fluid meter (the creating the second electrical signal substantially concurrently with create the first electrical signal), calculating a value indicative of a relationship between a parameter of the first electrical signal a parameter of the second electrical signal, and determining whether performance of the first pair of transducers indicates upcoming failure of at least one transducer of the first pair of transducers, the determining using the value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Daniel Measurement and Control, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry Charles Straub, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7877218
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for outage detection. In one embodiment, an outage detection system includes a signal sampler configured to sample a signal on a communications link and to determine a noise level and a signal level of the sample. An outage detection system also includes a comparator configured to compare a critical value with a sum of signal and noise of the sample. An outage detection system further includes a binomial probability analyzer configured to calculate a binomial probability of false outage of the sample and the previous N samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hunt Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Damian Bonicatto, Chad Wolter, Verne Olson