Patents Examined by Charles Kasenge
  • Patent number: 9785900
    Abstract: A system including a computer solves supply chain campaign planning problems involving major and minor setups. The computer is configured to execute a major campaign for two or more of a plurality of major product families and fix an optimal major product family to a major time period on a planning horizon, based at least on aggregated major productivity fractions and calculated second moments of a plurality of two or more major product families. The computer is further configured to execute a minor campaign for two or more minor product families associated with the optimal major product family, obtain a minor productivity fraction of a campaignable resource for the minor product family over at least a portion of a major time period and fix an optimal minor product family from the two or more minor product families to a minor time period based at least on the minor productivity fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: JDA Software Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Narasimha B Kamath, Devender Chauhan, Deba Kalyan Mohanty, Dinesh Damodaran
  • Patent number: 9765986
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) and/or Economizer system that is capable of drawing outside air into an HVAC air stream. In some instances, the DCV and/or Economizer system may be configured to help perform one or more system checks to help verify that the system is functioning properly. In some instances, the DCV and/or Economizer system may provide some level of manual control over certain hardware (e.g. dampers) to help commission the system. The DCV and/or Economizer system may store one or more settings and or parameters used during the commissioning process (either in the factory or in the field), so that these settings and/or parameters may be later accessed to verify that the DCV and/or Economizer system was commissioned and commissioned properly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Adrienne Thomle, Todd Kreft, Mark Bokusky
  • Patent number: 9753442
    Abstract: This disclosure is related to systems and methods for temperature monitoring of electronics, such as a controller or processor within a data storage device. In one example, a controller may be configured to determine an operation to perform and determine a temperature of electronics associated with executing the operation. The controller may then delay execution of the operation when the temperature is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Kang Hai Lim, Lucas Kong Yaw Lee, Scott Vincent Vitale, Choon Wei Ng, Jun Gu
  • Patent number: 9746198
    Abstract: The current application is directed to intelligent controllers that continuously, periodically, or intermittently monitor progress towards one or more control goals under one or more constraints in order to achieve control that satisfies potentially conflicting goals. An intelligent controller may alter aspects of control, dynamically, while the control is being carried out, in order to ensure that goals are obtained and a balance is achieved between potentially conflicting goals. The intelligent controller uses various types of information to determine an initial control strategy as well as to dynamically adjust the control strategy as the control is being carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Yoky Matsuoka, Joseph Adam Ruff, Mark Malhotra
  • Patent number: 9740214
    Abstract: A control system for optimizing a chemical looping (“CL”) plant includes a reduced order mathematical model (“ROM”) that is designed by eliminating mathematical terms that have minimal effect on the outcome. A non-linear optimizer provides various inputs to the ROM and monitors the outputs to determine the optimum inputs that are then provided to the CL plant. An estimator estimates the values of various internal state variables of the CL plant. The system has one structure adapted to control a CL plant that only provides pressure measurements in the CL loops A and B, a second structure adapted to a CL plant that provides pressure measurements and solid levels in both loops A, and B, and a third structure adapted to control a CL plant that provides full information on internal state variables. A final structure provides a neural network NMPC controller to control operation of loops A and B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Abhinaya Joshi, Hao Lei, Xinsheng Lou
  • Patent number: 9732975
    Abstract: There is provided an air-conditioning system in which at least one or some of a plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses are each controllable such that the indoor temperature is maintained between two set temperatures. All the plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses are switched to either one of heating operation and cooling operation on the basis of a temperature difference between the indoor temperature related to an air-conditioning apparatus that is in the first operation mode and a set target temperature and a temperature difference between the indoor temperature related to an air-conditioning apparatuses that is in the second operation mode and an upper temperature limit or a lower temperature limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Maeda, Toshihiro Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9733639
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dynamic facility management system that is able to start quickly and monitor a state when various measuring instruments are attached to or removed from the facility to be securely monitored and maintained. The system includes a sensor as a measuring instrument. A measuring instrument reading device, which is a lower level device, transmits a type of the measuring instrument and a purpose of connecting the measuring instrument to a directory server. The directory server generates an instance by referring to class information and generates and registers a relation instance by referring to an inter-class relationship. The directory server transmits the generated instance to related devices on the basis of an inter-instance relationship, and the directory server exchanges facility management data between instances on the basis of the inter-instance relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tetsuo Otani, Yuji Kimura, Shigeki Katayama
  • Patent number: 9735570
    Abstract: A power management circuit comprises an energy pump, a control circuit and a power consuming circuit. The power management circuit is connected in serial with a current loop in a serial connection with a field device to cause a regulated voltage drop across the serial connection at an insertion voltage and to output an electrical power derived from the insertion voltage. The energy pump inputs at least a portion of the insertion voltage, and a feedback sense, and output a charging voltage based on the feedback sense. The charging voltage sources the electrical power output by the power management circuit. The control circuit regulates the insertion voltage by modulating the feedback sense to the energy pump, and modulates the feedback sense in response to an electrical change in the current loop. The power consuming circuit receives the electrical power from the power management circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: PEPPERL + FUCHS GMBH
    Inventor: Mark Sinreich
  • Patent number: 9728964
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to monitoring or control of power production. A power production monitoring system may include a power production monitoring panel that is also configured to operate a premises control system. The power production monitoring system may include a gateway unit that receives signals from a power production source and sends signals to a power production monitoring panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Vivint, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex J. Dunn, Brendon A. Merkley, Tanguy Serra, James E. Nye, Jeremy B. Warren
  • Patent number: 9716022
    Abstract: A method of determining thermal stability of an upper surface of a substrate support assembly comprises recording time resolved pre-process temperature data of the substrate before performing a plasma processing process while powering an array of thermal control elements to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface. A substrate is processed while powering the array of thermal control elements to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface of the assembly, and time resolved post-process temperature data of the assembly is recorded after processing the substrate. The post-process temperature data is recorded while powering the thermal control elements to achieve a desired spatial and temporal temperature of the upper surface. The post-process temperature data is compared to the pre-process temperature data to determine whether the data is within a desired tolerance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ole Waldmann, Eric A. Pape, Carlos Leal-Verdugo, Keith William Gaff
  • Patent number: 9710342
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling mastership among multiple devices in a fault tolerant manner. The devices may be configured to transmit and receive redundant heartbeat signals to indicate the mastership state of the device. The signals may operate in a plurality of configurations including active-master, ready and not-ready. By detecting the signal configuration sent from the other devices, each device is capable of managing its own transitions into and out of mastership in order to ensure that there is one and only one device functioning as master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Marvin Weinstein, Nathan Folkner, Roy Michael Bannon
  • Patent number: 9698665
    Abstract: Provided are methods and circuits for a controller for a control system, comprising first and second control loops that operate substantially independently, wherein the first control loop is an amplitude control loop and the second loop is a phase or frequency control loop. In some embodiments the amplitude control loop operates at an amplitude that is proportional to an amplitude of an input signal at a fundamental system frequency and at a selected harmonic of a fundamental system frequency; and the frequency control loop operates at a fundamental system frequency and at a selected harmonic of the fundamental system frequency. The frequency control loop may adaptable to a fundamental control system frequency or to a selected harmonic of the fundamental control system frequency. The controller may be implemented as a resonant controller and used in various ac systems, and offers high structural robustness in digital implementations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SPARQ SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Sayed Ali Khajehoddin, Masoud Karimi Ghartemani, Praveen K. Jain, Alireza Bakhshai
  • Patent number: 9696694
    Abstract: A technique that allows determination of appropriate control parameter values automatically. A constraint evaluation indicator setting unit sets, to each of a plurality of additional constraints, a third evaluation indicator obtained by combining a first evaluation indicator that indicates a level of influence on other control parameters when a control parameter is changed, and a second evaluation indicator that indicates weight according to a property including importance and the like. A constraint satisfaction solution retrieve unit retrieves a combination of control parameter values that satisfies constraints. When the constraint satisfaction solution retrieve unit fails to retrieve the combination of control parameter values, a constraint relaxing unit relaxes the additional constraints in accordance with the third evaluation indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tokito, Kazuhiro Abe, Tsutomu Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9690684
    Abstract: A component for a network system is provided. The component includes an information notification part capable of notifying of one or more pieces of certain information among energy information, additional information except the energy information, and new information based on one or more the energy information and the additional information and a control unit controlling the information notification part. The information notification part notifies of the certain information when satisfying conditions for notifying of the certain information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junho Ahn, Yanghwan Kim, Hoonbong Lee, Koonseok Lee, Minchel Kim, Yonghun Kim, Seungje Park, Eunkyung Seo, Younghyo Son, Sangmin Yeo
  • Patent number: 9684301
    Abstract: An assembly sequence generating apparatus includes a computer that has a display control unit (301) that causes a display unit to display a 3-D model; a setting unit (302) that, when parts included in the 3-D model displayed on the display unit are sequentially selected, sets the selected parts to not be displayed; and a storing unit (304) that stores to a memory unit, a reverse sequence of a sequence of the selection of the parts as an assembly sequence of the 3-D model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Terutoshi Taguchi, Tsukasa Kanoko, Tsutomu Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9678502
    Abstract: A system 10 for controlling an industrial plant 12 comprises automatic control equipment 14 comprising a plurality of measurement sensors 16 for sensing predetermined variables associated with components of the industrial plant 12. The sensors 16 generate measured data relating to operation of the components of the industrial plant 12. A database 20 contains operational data, including observational data, regarding the industrial plant 12. A processor 18 is in communication with the automatic control equipment 14 and the database 20 for receiving the measured data from the sensors 16 of the automatic control equipment 14 and the operational data from the database 20. The processor 18 manipulates the measured and operational data to provide an evolving description of a process condition of each component over time, along with output information relating to operational control of the industrial plant 12 and for updating the database 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Auckland Uniservices Limited
    Inventors: Mark P. Taylor, John J. J. Chen
  • Patent number: 9671122
    Abstract: A controller for an HVAC system, a compute-usable medium and an ERV are disclosed. In one embodiment, the controller includes: (1) an input terminal configured to receive feedback data from a first operating unit of the HVAC system, (2) an operation monitor configured to determine if the feedback data corresponds to a predetermined condition for the first operating unit and (3) a system director configured to operate a second operating unit of the HVAC system at a predetermined operating value corresponding to the predetermined condition and a number of occurrences of predetermined conditions associated with the first operating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Justin McKie, Eric Perez, Greg Thomas
  • Patent number: 9652014
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for managing electrical power consumption by individual electrical circuits in a building. The system includes a power control device in electrical communication with a multi-circuit power infeed and a multi-circuit power output, each of which includes at least two electrical conductors on separate circuits. The power control device includes respective electrical switches associated with the conductors of the power infeed and power output, an electronic communications module, and a computer processor in communication with the switches and the communications module. The processor is operable to open and close the electrical switches independently, in response to an occupancy signal and/or a trigger or scheduled event stored by the power control device. When a period of non-use is detected or anticipated, the power control device de-energizes one or more circuits, to limit unnecessary energy consumption within the system. A receptacle-level power control is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Inventor: Norman R. Byrne
  • Patent number: 9643273
    Abstract: A system is provided for configuring a delivery device of a cutting or welding apparatus. The system includes a determination module and a mobile computing device. The determination module is configured to determine at least one desired component of the delivery device or a value for at least one operating parameter of the cutting or welding apparatus. The mobile computing device includes a receiver, a reader and a processor. The receiver is configured to receive information from the determination module including at least one of i) identification of the desired component or ii) the value of the operating parameter. The reader is configured to read an element associated with a selected component, where the element provides indicia of at least one characteristic of the selected component. The processor is configure to approve the selected component for assembly into the delivery device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Hypertherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Adams, Steve Bertken
  • Patent number: 9645555
    Abstract: A safety system includes a safety unit and at least one safety related participant which comprises a protective device and a first and a second interruptible signal transmission path which can be interrupted together on the occurrence of a non-secure state of the protective device. The safety system includes at least one test signal path which runs through the safety related participant to a safety input of the safety unit starting from an output of the safety unit and comprises at least one of the first and the second interruptible signal transmission paths. The safety related participant comprises an interruption switch arranged in the test signal path and an evaluation unit which is connected to the first signal transmission path and/or to a first switching signal output of the protective device and to the second signal transmission path and/or to a second switching signal output of the protective device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Franz Josef Dold