Patents Examined by Chad G Erdman
  • Patent number: 11422523
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of determining, by a server, needed energy at a building of a plurality of buildings served by a microgrid and providing, by the server, a portion of the needed energy to the building using a priority. The portion and the priority are based on an availability of alternate sources of energy at the building as compared with alternate sources of energy at other buildings of the plurality of buildings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Norman Lu, Maximilian Parness
  • Patent number: 11422596
    Abstract: An information handling system may include an information handling resource, an air mover configured to drive air to cool the information handling resource, and a thermal control system for controlling the air mover and configured to determine an air speed requirement for the air mover and regulate an air speed of the air mover to optimize an airflow-versus-power efficiency of the air mover while satisfying the air speed requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Hasnain Shabbir, Dominick A. Lovicott
  • Patent number: 11422524
    Abstract: A system for automated plant condition notification, detection, and watering to improve plant growth and maintenance including a computing unit, an optical sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a water tank level sensor, a pump, and a computing unit. The computing unit includes a memory and a processor that receives a first input indicative of a user identifier and a communication type, a second input indicative of a plant type, a soil moisture input, a water level input, and an optical sensor input. The processor also determines a water pump initiation threshold and a water pump completion threshold based on one or more of the plant type, the optical sensor input, or the soil moisture input and determines a plant maturity optical value based on the plant type. Additionally, the processor transmits a water pump initiation, a water pump completion signal, and a notification via a selected communication method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Inventor: Katerina Lung
  • Patent number: 11415952
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method, an apparatus, and a storage medium for controlling a heating system in a combined heat and power system. The method includes: establishing a load flow model of the heating system, in which the heating system includes pipelines and nodes; the nodes include loads and heating sources; the load flow model includes an objective function and constraints; the objective function for maximizing and minimizing an inlet water temperature of each load or each source; solving the load flow model to obtain an upper limit and a lower limit of the inlet water temperature of each load or each source; and controlling the inlet water temperature of each load or each source based on the upper limit and the lower limit of the inlet water temperature of each load or each source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hongbin Sun, Qinglai Guo, Bin Wang, Guanxiong Yin, Tongtian Sheng, Zhaoguang Pan
  • Patent number: 11415334
    Abstract: A controller for maintaining occupant comfort in a space of a building. The controller includes processors and non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations. The operations include obtaining building data and obtaining occupant comfort data. The operations include generating an occupant comfort model relating the building data to a level of occupant comfort within the space based on the building data and the occupant comfort data. The operations include generating time-varying comfort constraint for an environmental condition of the space using the occupant comfort model and include performing a cost optimization of a cost function of operating building equipment over a time duration to determine a setpoint for the building equipment. The operations include operating the building equipment based on the setpoint to affect the variable state or condition of the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Robert D. Turney, Mohammad N. ElBsat, Matthew J. Ellis, Anas W. I. Alanqar, Michael J. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 11409251
    Abstract: A cloud-based modeler component that generates interactive models of an industrial automation system(s) (IAS(s)) is presented. An interactive model facilitates remote viewing of, interaction with, troubleshooting of problems with, or optimization of industrial assets of an IAS. The modeler component polls industrial assets via cloud gateways to obtain information relating to the industrial assets to identify industrial assets of the IAS and relationships with other industrial assets or can receive information from a communication device that obtains information relating to legacy industrial assets to identify those legacy assets and their relationships. The modeler component generates an interactive model of the industrial assets of the IAS based on the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Strohmenger, Jessica L. Korpela, Matthew W. Fordenwalt, Jan Pingel, Stephen L. Hickox, Douglas B. Weber
  • Patent number: 11402883
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a cooling fan operable in one of a plurality of fan speed levels, and a connector to which a headphone device can be connected. A mode controller sets the cooling fan to a first fan speed levels, receives an indication that the headphone device is connected to the connector, and sets the cooling fan in a second, higher fan speed level in response to receiving the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Salus Lin, Ping-Sheng Kao
  • Patent number: 11402829
    Abstract: A method for integrating data from assets of a technical installation into a platform, wherein general models are initially defined for the assets of domain-specific technical installations, where data from the identified general data sources are then assigned to previously defined general models, an asset is then selected for a specific installation and the corresponding general model is imported into the platform, the data sources of the specific installation are configured such that a general model can be iteratively filled at runtime with the specific data relating to this installation for the selected asset based on data sources of specific installations, entities for the selected asset are formed by filling the general model with the specific data and stored in the platform, and where the asset entities are configurable in the platform, such that applications can access asset entities and the data thereof without any problems via programming interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Eckhard Seibert, Rahul Sharma
  • Patent number: 11393663
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for focus ring thickness measurement and feedback control within process chambers. For disclosed embodiments, in-chamber sensors measure physical parameters associated with focus rings, and these measurements are used to determine thickness for the focus rings. The thickness determinations can be used to detect when a focus ring should be replaced and can also be used as feedback to adjust the position of the focus rings within the chamber. For one embodiment, measurements from ultrasonic sensors are used to make thickness determinations for focus rings. For further embodiments, these ultrasonic sensors are positioned at end portions of focus ring lift pins. Other sensors can also be used such as capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, and/or other desired sensors. Further variations and implementations can also be achieved using in-chambers sensors to facilitate focus ring thickness determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Merritt Funk, Alok Ranjan, Barton Lane, Peter Ventzek, Justin Moses, Chelsea DuBose
  • Patent number: 11378297
    Abstract: Included is an indoor device including inside a casing an electrical-component box having electrical components accommodated therein, an indoor-device heat exchanger, and an indoor-device fan to deliver air to the indoor-device heat exchanger. An air conditioner includes a temperature measurement unit to measure a temperature of the indoor-device heat exchanger, and a control unit to determine an upper limit of a rotational speed of the indoor-device fan on the basis of a temperature of the indoor-device heat exchanger measured by the temperature measurement unit, and to execute control to operate the indoor-device fan at a rotational speed equal to or slower than the determined upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Keisuke Ikemiya
  • Patent number: 11372382
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plant includes using a neural network modeling technique to calculate a neural network prediction based on plant input data, using a second modeling technique to calculate a second prediction based on the plant input data, and determining whether to use (1) the neural network prediction without the second prediction, (2) the second prediction without the neural network prediction, or (3) both the neural network prediction and the second prediction by comparing a location of the plant input data in a multi-dimensional modeling space to one or more thresholds. The method includes generating a combined prediction using one or both of the neural network prediction and the second prediction in accordance with a result of the determining and controlling the plant using the combined prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventor: Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 11357181
    Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to providing power and data to an irrigation device. In some embodiments, encoder for an irrigation control unit that provides power and data to an irrigation device over a multi-wire path comprises: an AC to DC converter to convert an input AC signal into a DC voltage; an AC signal generator to generate an output AC signal modulated with data; a control circuit to provide a modulation control signal to the AC signal generator to control generation and modulation of the output AC signal, the data modulated on the output AC signal comprising commands in accordance with irrigation programming; and a multi-wire interface coupled to the AC signal generator to electrically couple to a multi-wire path extending into a landscape and to which irrigation devices may be connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
    Inventors: Harvey J. Nickerson, Bradley H. Dolbin, Jonathan I. Marsters, Anderson Micu
  • Patent number: 11360449
    Abstract: A server-based system for allocating renewable energy from a power plant based on guided position matching includes at least one server with a memory that stores instructions and a processor that processes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the server-based system to provide a first template of selectable options to a first networked device and receive selections based on a subset of the selectable options from the first template, create, based on the selections based on the subset of the selectable options from the first template, a customized second template of selectable options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: NEWPARTNER ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Noam Yaffe, Henry Yaffe, Yaniv Yaffe
  • Patent number: 11353848
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for implementing video controlled adjustment of light conditions at a property. A monitoring system obtains video data from a video recording device at the property and uses the video data to determine a location of a person at the property as well as a location of an electronic window treatment at the property. Using the video data, the system identifies an attribute of light entering a window at the property. The system determines an adjustment setting for the electronic window treatment at the property based on the attribute of the light and the location of the person at the property. Based on the adjustment setting, a command is provided to perform a first adjustment action that adjusts the position of the electronic window treatment located at the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: ObjectVideo Labs, LLC
    Inventor: Donald Madden
  • Patent number: 11330771
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an intelligent gardening system, for monitoring and controlling gardening apparatuses in a gardening area, including: multiple sensors that collect environmental information of the gardening area; one or more gardening apparatuses that perform gardening work according to a control instruction; and a control center that generates the control instruction based on the environmental information; wherein the sensors, the gardening apparatuses and the control center communicate with each other to form an Internet of Things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: POSITEC POWER TOOLS (SUZHOU) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mingming He, Gen Sun, Yue Rao, Yong Shao, Fangshi Liu, Jun Wu, Chang Zhou
  • Patent number: 11327450
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes a first sensor tag to retrieve operational data, via a modem and a data bus, from a process control field device, wherein the first sensor tag includes a memory to store the operational data; a first antenna arranged to communicate with the first sensor tag when the first sensor tag receives operational data, the first antenna to communicate with the first sensor tag via a first frequency band; and a first identification device to retrieve the operational data from the first sensor tag, via the first antenna and the first frequency band, while the process control field device is unpowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Junk, Annette Lynn Latwesen
  • Patent number: 11320806
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for facilitating object-based industrial automation control. An automation control library comprised of a plurality of objects may be maintained in association with one or more industrial automation applications. Code defining the execution of an industrial automation process may be received. A plurality of objects in the object library for implementing the industrial automation control process may be identified. The plurality of identified objects may be matched to one or more hardware components based on one or more operational requirements included in the code, and available hardware resources for performing the automation control process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew R. Stump, Srdjan Josipovic, Matthew R. Ericsson, Michael D. Kalan, Anthony Carrara, Christopher W. Como, Sharon M. Billi-Duran
  • Patent number: 11317572
    Abstract: A monitoring system for an irrigation system is presented. The irrigation system includes a movable end gun operatively associated with a portion of the irrigation system. The monitoring system includes a sensor configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of movement and/or positioning of the movable end gun relative to the portion of the irrigation system over time, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor cause the system to: receive the generated electrical signal, determine whether the movable end gun, or one or more components thereof, requires maintenance based on the electrical signal, and determine when the moveable end gun is in an on and/or off trigger state based on the electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: HEARTLAND AG TECH, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Sanders, Jeremie Pavelski, Robert Buchburger
  • Patent number: 11310970
    Abstract: Crops for human and animal consumption of many types are well known by their respective growers. Years of experience in the field provide the grower knowledge about a range of conditions that lead to the full spectrum of crop yields and crop quality, and each grower creates a store of knowledge which they can combine with the available measures of those conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SENTEK PTY LTD
    Inventor: Peter Buss
  • Patent number: 11307555
    Abstract: To provide a numerical control method and a processing device capable of generating a plurality of machine-specific machining programs, from one machining program to a single workpiece. A numerical control method is to be executed by a computer. The numerical control method includes a generating step of dividing, into a plurality of paths, a machining path of an original NC program for a machine configured to machine a single workpiece, corresponding to contents of machining to the workpiece in the original NC program, and of generating, on the basis of the respective divided machining paths, individual NC programs for machines corresponding to the respective machining paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Imanishi