Patents Examined by Christopher E Everett
  • Patent number: 9958882
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a heating system for heating a building and/or for preparing hot water is provided. The heating system can comprise a heat distributing device; and a computer, which is coupled to the heat distributing device in such a way that the heat produced by the computer is distributed in the building by means of the heat distributing device; wherein the computer is designed in such a way that the computer produces a message for a computing load distribution computer, wherein the message contains a piece of information about the heat demand of the heating system and/or of the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Cloud & Heat Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Struckmeier, Christof Fetzer
  • Patent number: 9938119
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for retrofitting a pedestal crane, the method comprising removing an existing motor generator controller for a motor in the pedestal crane; and replacing the motor generator controller with a digital controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Electronic Power Design, Inc.
    Inventor: Berry Justin Rowden
  • Patent number: 9933167
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a retrofit for a system using a fluid to transfer thermal energy in a system that utilizes a thermostat to regulate a temperature associated with a terminal is provided. The retrofit includes a return line temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a fluid leaving a terminal; and a circuit. The circuit is configured to: receive a signal from a thermostat, the signal commanding a modulated valve to open or close; receive a temperature from the return line temperature sensor; determine whether the temperature is either greater than a maximum set point or less than a minimum set point; and modify the signal from the thermostat if the temperature is either greater than the set point or less than set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: IMI HYDRONIC ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: John M. Trantham
  • Patent number: 9927777
    Abstract: A method for operating a domestic appliance to reduce consumption of one or more operating resources includes receiving data about a temporal cost profile of the operating resources, having a first time interval with low costs and a second time interval with high costs, comparing a operating time period with the first time interval and determining a point in time for starting operation as a function of a result of the comparison, when the operating time period is longer than the first time interval, determining a temporal program segment with a higher consumption than other program segments based on a temporal consumption profile that describes consumption as a function of time during operation, and determining the point in time for starting the operation such that the program segment with the higher consumption falls within the first time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Böldt, Jörg Groβer
  • Patent number: 9921011
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards a method of controlling opening of a valve (10) in an HVAC system (100). The method includes controlling the opening of the valve (10) according to a default control mode in dependence of a default sensor signal. The method further includes determining, while controlling the opening of the valve (10) according to the default control mode, whether the default sensor signal is faulty and switching, in case of the default sensor signal being faulty, to controlling the opening of the valve (10) according to a fallback control mode, with the opening of the valve (10) being controlled independently of the faulty sensor signal in the fallback control mode. The present invention is further directed towards a corresponding control device opening of a valve (10) in an HVAC system as well as a corresponding computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BELIMO HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Ronald Aeberhard, Marc Thuillard, Philipp Mazenauer
  • Patent number: 9921591
    Abstract: An interlock function block system, method, and apparatus that reduces the necessity for a building automation programmer to program low-level instructions using a complex series of ANDs, ORs, and arithmetic functions to protect such devices is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Franz Renggli, Marcel Walti, William Thomas Pienta, Virgil Seribo, James J. Coogan
  • Patent number: 9921560
    Abstract: A control device is provided with a task execution unit, a collection unit which collects variables which have been referenced and updated in a user program and a management unit which manages the collected variables. The user program includes a collection instruction program which instructs the collection of the variables by the collection unit. The collection instruction program further includes distinguishing information for a user to distinguish the location of the collection instruction program in the user program. When the collection of the variables has been instructed by the collection instruction program, the management unit associates the variables collected by the collection unit with the distinguishing information of the collection instruction program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yaoita, Masanori Ota, Yasunori Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 9904266
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to real-time debugging systems and methods. In one embodiment, a system that includes a server module and a client module can be provided. The server module can be executable on a first computer and can be adapted to use a native communications format for interactive transfer of industrial automation data between the first computer and at least one industrial automation element. The client module, which can be executable on the same computer as the server module or on a different computer, can include a debugging application configured to use a universal communications format for communicatively interacting with the server module for accessing the industrial automation data and debugging one or more programming portions associated with the industrial automation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Ronald Burr, Richard William Shaw, Christina Ann Romanik, Muralidhar Venkata Subrahmanya Duvvuri
  • Patent number: 9898023
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a power management method for connecting a server to office machines to control electric power of the office machines. The office machines respectively store machine side power plans, which are operation states with respect to transition times. The server stores server side power plans of the office machines and subjects electric powers of the office machines to management control. The power management method includes comparing the server side power plan stored in the server and the machine side power plan stored in the office machines, comparing, when an operation state based on the server side power plan and an operation state based on the machine side power plan are different, power consumptions in the operation state based on the server side power plan and an operation state based on the machine side power plan, and changing an operation state of the office machine to be an operation state with small power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignees: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Inagi, Yoshikatsu Kamisuwa, Makoto Yasuhira, Shigenori Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9897085
    Abstract: An improved pump control device includes a control device that controls power supplied to a pump, a working device that is connected to the pump to control fluid to flow, and a detection device for detecting the working device. The detection device, when detecting the working device is making a specific operation, transmits operation information to the control device to change the operation condition of the pump so as to achieve advantages of easy use, power saving, and cost reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: DING HWA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kwang-Tsan Chen
  • Patent number: 9898014
    Abstract: Provided is a process, including: receiving, via the network interface, from a remote user device, a command to change a state of the fluid-handling device to a target state; translating the received command into a translated command operative to cause a local controller of the fluid-handling device to drive the fluid-handling equipment to the target state, the local controller being responsive to the command and feedback from the fluid-handling device indicative of whether the fluid-handling device is in the target state; and sending the translated command to the local controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: AmpliSine Labs, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Phillips
  • Patent number: 9886024
    Abstract: A method of fabrication for a component to be installed in a facility, the facility being represented by an electronic design model, the method including extracting, at a computing device and from the model, details of the component and controlling a plurality of stations with the computing device to fabricate and track the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Inventor: Kevin Bollendorf
  • Patent number: 9880537
    Abstract: An irrigation modeling framework in precision agriculture utilizes a combination of weather data, crop data, and other agricultural inputs to create customized agronomic models for diagnosing and predicting a moisture state in a field, and a corresponding need for, and timing of, irrigation activities. Specific combinations of various agricultural inputs can be applied, together with weather information to identify or adjust water-related characteristics of crops and soils, to model optimal irrigation activities and provide advisories, recommendations, and scheduling guidance for targeted application of artificial precipitation to address specific moisture conditions in a soil system of a field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CLEARAG, INC.
    Inventors: John J. Mewes, Robert C. Hale
  • Patent number: 9883618
    Abstract: The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for an enclosure system with optimized internal dynamically controllable airflow distribution. The systems include a computing system enclosure, comprising a plurality of baffles or airflow redirection modules, and a controller configured to control an orientation of one or more of the plurality of baffles or airflow redirection modules for redirection of airflow distribution within the computing system enclosure based on a determined computing system enclosure profile. In another implementation, a method includes monitoring airflow distribution within a computing system enclosure with a plurality of sensors, and controlling an orientation of one or more baffles or airflow redirection modules in the computing system based on results of the monitoring operation for redirection of airflow distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Richard Charles Alexander Pitwon, David Michael Davis
  • Patent number: 9880567
    Abstract: A valve control apparatus controls a valve for adjusting a pressure of a reaction gas supplied to a fuel cell. The valve control apparatus includes: an estimation portion that estimates a valve effective cross-sectional area of the valve; and an opening adjustment portion that adjusts opening degree of the valve with control amount corrected based on the valve effective cross-sectional area estimated by the estimation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Suzuki, Tomio Yamanaka, Yoshiaki Naganuma, Mitsuhiro Nada
  • Patent number: 9880539
    Abstract: A control module for an industrial device is provided. The control module includes a coupling feature configured to facilitate removable attachment of the control module with the industrial device and a communicative coupling feature configured to facilitate communication between the control module and the industrial device when coupled with a corresponding communicative coupling feature of the industrial device. The control module also includes a port configured to communicatively couple with a connector capable of supplying power and data communication, wherein the port is configured to receive power via the connector and exchange data with a computer via the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS CENTER PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Scott P. Miles, Teck Siang Tan, Daniel Joseph Middlestetter, Alfred David Bassett, See Yong Koh
  • Patent number: 9876650
    Abstract: A method for controlling functions of a Management Device (MD) included in a home network is provided. The method for controlling the functions of the MD by a Control Device (CD) in a home network system including the CD for controlling functions of an Electronic Device (ED) connected to a home network and the MD, the functions of which are managed by the CD, includes diagnosing at least one function performed by the MD; identifying information necessary to control the at least one function; and transmitting, to the MD, control information for controlling the at least one function, in consideration of the information necessary to control the at least one function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Hyo Lee, Je-Young Maeng, Ho-Yeon Park, Joo-Yeol Lee
  • Patent number: 9861534
    Abstract: System and method to use a virtual frame of reference to evaluate and control a manufacturing system. Electronic images from a vision system may be analyzed using the virtual frame of reference to control the phasing of devices in the manufacturing system and to generate alerts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Rajesh Kumar Singh, Jeremy Georges Bertin, Thomas Keith Olschner, Jon Richard Rossiter, Steven Arthur Marshall
  • Patent number: 9863400
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind turbine system may generally include controlling a wind turbine to operate at a speed and torque setting within a permissible operating region defined between maximum and minimum operating curves, receiving a speed de-rate request and/or a torque de-rate request to de-rate the wind turbine based on a limiting constraint of the wind turbine system, determining an adjusted speed setting and/or an adjusted torque setting for the wind turbine based on the speed de-rate request and/or the torque de-rate request, determining whether an adjustment of the wind turbine operation to the adjusted speed setting and/or the adjusted torque setting would place the turbine outside the permissible operating region and, if the adjustment would place the operation outside the permissible operating region, adjusting the speed setting and/or the torque setting to a new speed and/or torque setting defined along the maximum or minimum operating curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Edward Wayne Hardwicke, Jr., Anthony Michael Klodowski, Jignesh Govindlal Gandhi, Sidney Allen Barker, Thomas Ernst Dinjus, Reinhard Bruegger
  • Patent number: 9851703
    Abstract: A portable object includes an antenna and a processor coupled to the antenna. The processor is configured to communicate with an item of equipment according to a contactless communication protocol that contains an anticollision procedure. The processor is also configured to execute a plurality of software modules. The software modules include application modules and a triggering module, which is configured to cause a triggering of the anticollision procedure between the single portable object and the item of equipment. The processor is configured to cause a signal, which is generated by executing the triggering module, to be transmitted from the antenna to the time of equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Christophe Cataldo, Sophie Gabriele, Christophe Mani, Fabrice Romain