Patents Examined by Anthony Whittington
  • Patent number: 8880197
    Abstract: A field device for connection to a fieldbus, wherein the field device is designed to exchange via the fieldbus a data transmission object with a host computer or with an additional field device, wherein the data transmission object has a plurality of freely loadable, transmission berths, and wherein the field device includes a data mapping structure, which establishes an association between variables to be transmitted and transmission berths of the data transmission object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Marco Colucci, Dion Bouwer, Jochen Stinus
  • Patent number: 8855800
    Abstract: A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. The method takes an impression of a mouth including a first installation site having a dental implant installed in the first installation site and a gingival healing abutment having at least one informational marker attached to the dental implant. A stone model is prepared based on the impression. The model is scanned. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information for manufacturing the rapid prototype. Rapid prototype dimensional information is developed. The rapid prototype dimensional information is transferred to a rapid prototyping machine which fabricate a rapid prototype of the patient's dentition as well as a dental implant analog position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Biomet 3i, LLC
    Inventors: Theodore M. Powell, John T. Amber, Bruce Berckmans, III, Zachary B. Suttin
  • Patent number: 8855803
    Abstract: The invention comprises a method of forming a concrete structure or object. The method comprises detecting the temperature of a quantity of curing concrete and selectively adding heat to the curing concrete, so that the temperature of the curing concrete follows a predetermined temperature profile during at least a portion of the concrete curing process. Apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Inventor: Romeo Ilarian Ciuperca
  • Patent number: 8843219
    Abstract: An RTC, having a crystal oscillator of different characteristics from those of a crystal oscillator, is provided, and the pulse period of the pulse signal from the RTC and the pulse signal based on the crystal oscillator are compared to detect a fault in the crystal oscillator. As a result, even if, for example, located in a high temperature environment, the degrees to the decrease in frequency will be different, thus making it possible to detect reliably a fault in the crystal oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Azbil Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Yamada, Yuuichi Kumazawa, Tomoya Nakata, Katsumi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 8805596
    Abstract: The present invention includes a Computer Assisted Reset (CAR) system that allows a central operations team to remotely reset turbine faults across multiple wind turbine platforms and SCADA systems with a single interface. The system also allows automatic resets to occur. One aspect of the invention includes a Modbus to OPC Translator. The translator permits the implementation of a system where a PLC located at wind turbine control sites can accept control messages or commands organized or formatted in accordance with the Modbus protocol and sent over an Internet Protocol connection, with the translator receiving the requests through the PLC and generating an appropriate OPC (“OLE Process Control”) request. The OPC request may then be passed onto a corresponding OPC server residing in the SCADA system for each wind turbine control site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Inventus Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory F. Ellena, George Quiroga, Jacques LaFleur
  • Patent number: 8805588
    Abstract: An embodiment is a method, and related system, to implement the square root extraction operation, which grants a 32 bits precision, which has high execution speed and is able to process a decimal radicand. An embodiment relates to a method for controlling an electric machine, comprising the detection of the value of at least one electrical quantity characterizing the machine operation and processing the detected value of said electrical quantity. The control method controls the machine operation on the basis of this processing. In particular the processing of the detected value of the electrical quantity comprises calculating a square root of a radicand value related to the detected value of electrical quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppe D'Angelo, Fabio Marchio′, Giovanni Moselli, Andre Roger
  • Patent number: 8793007
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vacuum pumping system (10) which comprises: a vacuum pumping mechanism (12) and a motor (14) for driving the vacuum pumping mechanism. Means (16) are provided for determining a cumulative load on the vacuum pumping system over time by monitoring a characteristic of the motor over that time. Means (18) are also provided for activating a maintenance activity on the system when the cumulative load exceeds a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Edwards Limited
    Inventors: Laurent Marc Philippe, Nigel James Gibbins, Michael Roger Czerniak, Michael Mooney
  • Patent number: 8768502
    Abstract: To provide a substrate processing system which can cause different display portions to output different displays, and cause different operations to be carried out from different operation screens. A substrate processing system, on login information of a user being input from a main display device, refers to the login information, a user group parameter, with which is set a group to which the user belongs, and an authority parameter, which sets an authority of the group, and causes the main display device to display a main operation screen corresponding to the user, while it, on login information of a user being input from an external operating apparatus, causes an external display device to display an external parameter setting screen for setting an authority parameter of a group to which the user belongs, or to display an external operation screen corresponding to the group to which the user belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8768532
    Abstract: Indirect thermal fan control is described. In one or more implementations, a speed of a fan may be adjusted based on indirect measurements of temperature. For example, a temperature of air entering an enclosure and a current draw of an electrical component within the enclosure may be determined. A speed of a fan may then be adjusted based on the temperature of the air and the current draw of the component to change a flow of the air over the electrical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon A. Rubenstein
  • Patent number: 8761944
    Abstract: A controller in communication with one or more energy consuming appliances for a premises includes a transmitter device for transmitting wireless signals to a utility meter to request an energy consumption reading, and a receiver device to receive wireless signals including energy consumption information. The controller is configured to receive a signal from an energy consuming appliance indicating the appliance was actuated, and to responsively transmit a signal to the utility meter to request an energy consumption reading and thereafter receive a signal including an energy consumption value. Following deactivation of the appliance, the controller is configured to transmit a signal to the utility meter to request an energy consumption reading, and thereafter receive a signal from the meter including another energy consumption value. The controller is configured to determine from a difference between the energy consumption values an estimate of the energy consumption level associated with the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: David Scott Drew, Xingwen Luo
  • Patent number: 8755945
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus control the temperature of an electronic component of a computer. A temperature sensor is read that measures a temperature of an electronic component of a computer. The speed of a compressor is adjusted based on the read temperature to maintain a pre-defined temperature range for the electronic component. The compressor compresses a refrigerant. The refrigerant is sent to a condenser that condenses the refrigerant. The refrigerant is sent to a heat exchanger that is thermally coupled to the electronic component and that transfers thermal energy from the electronic component to the refrigerant. Finally, the refrigerant is sent back to the compressor. Solenoid valves can be used to control the flow of refrigerant to heat exchangers for one or more additional electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Powerquest LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Zuili, Todd Stabinski, Daren Stabinski, Joe Arnold
  • Patent number: 8751051
    Abstract: A switch control system for controlling an electrically conductive fluid supply to a tank, includes a detection circuit, a gate circuit, a control circuit and a switch circuit. The detection circuit detects a fluid level in the tank and outputs a voltage level signal. The gate circuit receives the voltage level signal and outputs control signals accordingly. The control circuit receives the control signals and outputs a first voltage and a second voltage accordingly. The switch circuit receives the first voltage and the second voltage and turns on and turns off the electrically conductive fluid supply to the tank in accordance with the first voltage and the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiang Yu, Xiao-Yong Ma, Qi Chen
  • Patent number: 8744639
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power control apparatus includes a receiving unit, an environment-data acquiring unit, and a calculation unit. The receiving unit receives, from a power supplying side, a power-consumption reduction request for reducing power consumption at a power demanding side. The environmental data acquiring unit acquires, from the power demanding side, environmental data representing environmental state of the power demanding side. The calculating unit calculates a power-reduction value based on the environmental data, in response to the power-consumption reduction request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenji Baba, Takaaki Enohara, Nobutaka Nishimura, Kazumi Nagata, Shuhei Noda
  • Patent number: 8744636
    Abstract: A Kalina Cycle control system monitors one or more operating parameters of the Kalina Cycle. The system calculates one or more optimal operating parameters that allow the Kalina Cycle to operate at an increased efficiency. The system automatically adjusts the one or more actual operating parameters to the optimal parameters to increase the efficiency of the Kalina Cycle. Methods of increasing the efficiency of a Kalina Cycle include automatically adjusting one or more operating parameters to an optimal configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Recurrent Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Henry A Mlcak, Mark D Mirolli
  • Patent number: 8738184
    Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling the electrical infrastructure of a building includes at least one sensor for sensing an operating characteristic in the building, and a processor for receiving information from the at least one sensor and predicting a future operating characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: BSafe Electrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Imin Kao, Brenda Pomerance, Robert P. Wong
  • Patent number: 8738166
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object. The method of the present invention comprises the repeated steps of: (i) forming a solidified layer by irradiating a predetermined portion of a powder layer on a base plate with a light beam, thereby allowing a sintering of the powder in the predetermined portion or a melting and subsequent solidification thereof; and (ii) forming another solidified layer by newly forming a powder layer on the resulting solidified layer, followed by the irradiation of a predetermined portion of the powder layer with the light beam; wherein the solidified layers are formed such that they have a high-density portion whose solidified density is 95 to 100% and a low-density portion whose solidified density is 0 to 95% (excluding 95%); and wherein the high-density portion is a portion of the three-dimensional shaped object, to which the force is applied when the three-dimensional shaped object is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Abe, Masataka Takenami, Isao Fuwa, Yoshikazu Higashi, Norio Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8738183
    Abstract: An apparatus which provides various functions for physical and/or mental relaxation, as well as for health care of a user, and a method of implementing the apparatus, include downloading personal data of the user from a user terminal to a personally customized bed and controlling one or more functions of the personally customized bed based on the personal data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo-young Jang, Hyung-kyu Lim, Dong-wook Kim
  • Patent number: 8738157
    Abstract: A method of controlling a controller network is provided, the controller network comprising a plurality of devices, a controller for outputting control data to the devices, and a plurality of interface modules, each interface module being arranged to connect a respective device to the controller via the network. The method comprises: outputting, from the controller, a control message addressed to a first device, the control message corresponding to an action to be performed by the first device; receiving, at a first interface module connecting the first device to the network, the control message; storing the control message in a memory of the first interface module; broadcasting, from the controller, a trigger message addressed to at least the first device; receiving, at the first interface module, the trigger message; and passing, in response to the trigger message, the control message to the first device such that the action corresponding to the control message is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Limited
    Inventor: Brian Halsall
  • Patent number: 8731731
    Abstract: There is provided a power management device including a load current control unit configured to set an upper limit on a load current supplied from a connected feeding device and to control the load current on the basis of the upper limit, and a determination unit configured to, when the load current control unit has reset the upper limit to a higher value, determine if the upper limit has exceeded a current capacity of the feeding device on the basis of a voltage drop level of an input voltage. The load current control unit may reset the upper limit in increments or decrements of a predetermined value, and the load current control unit may, when the determination unit has determined that the upper limit had exceeded the current capacity of the feeding device, control the load current by resetting the upper limit to a value not exceeding the current capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hidekazu Nakai
  • Patent number: 8731732
    Abstract: Methods and systems to control loads coupled to an electric energy or power grid within corresponding ranges of load values in response to one or more factors, such as to manage variability in production of renewable energy. Loads may be controlled in response to an indication of balance between available power and loads and/or in response to new loads and/or grid disconnections, and may be controlled repeatedly over time to adjust a sum load in response to changes in one or more of balance between available power and loads, new loads, and grid disconnections. A load may be repeatedly adjusted over time to provide an electrical power requirement within a time frame while accommodating at least a portion of variations in the balance between available electric power and load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Inventor: Stanley Klein