Patents Examined by Christopher W Carter
  • Patent number: 11662696
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic control artificial intelligence device including a collection unit configured to acquire an output value according to control of a control system; and an artificial intelligence unit operably coupled to the collection unit and configured to: communicate with the collection unit; set at least one of one or more base lines and a reward based on a gap between the one or more base lines and the output value, according to a plurality of operation goals of the control system; and update a control function for providing a control value to the control system by performing reinforcement learning based on the gap between the one or more base lines and the output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Bongsang Kim
  • Patent number: 11656594
    Abstract: Techniques for enabling the configuration of a voting block for use in a process control system of a process plant are described. According to certain aspects, the voting block may have a voting scheme that dictates an output based on a set of inputs, where the voting block may be configured parametrically using various control selections that direct the behavior of the voting scheme. In particular, a bypass degrade selection may be specified for one or more inputs that controls whether a “bypass” input degrades the voting scheme, a status degrade selection may be specified for one or more inputs that controls whether a “bad” input degrades the voting scheme, and a trip enable selection may be specified that controls whether a trip occurs automatically under certain conditions. The control selections enable the voting blocks to be configured to conform with various specifications and other requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Gary K. Law, Godfrey R. Sherriff
  • Patent number: 11629695
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine wherein a parameter for a wind hitting the wind turbine is determined from present values for the generator speed and/or the wind speed at each point in time (t). A temporal change variable is formed for the parameter at each point in time (t). For the temporal change variables, which occurred in a past time interval, the third and/or fourth statistical moment is calculated for a distribution of the temporal change values in the time interval. If at least one of the statistical moments exceeds a predetermined value, then a detection signal is set for an extreme gust, which triggers one or both of the steps: increasing a setpoint value for the blade pitch angle starting from an actual value thereof, and reducing a setpoint value for the generator speed starting from an actual value thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Niss
  • Patent number: 11614726
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for identifying a type of device connected to I/O (Input/Output) channels of an I/O module, can involve applying a current for a predefined time duration to one or more I/O channels of an I/O module, initiating a current readback at a regular interval of time within the predefined time duration, determining values of the current readback for each of a time interval during the predefined time duration, storing the values of the current readback in a memory associated with the I/O module, determining a pattern as a function of the values of the current readback and a sample of time interval for a device connected to the one or more I/O channels, and identifying a type of the device connected to the one or more I/O channels based on a determined pattern of a current sink of the device connected to the one or more I/O channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Shivakumar Siddaraju, Adrianus C. M. Hamers, Harsha Sukeerthi C N, Debapriya Banerjee
  • Patent number: 11609004
    Abstract: An indoor air quality (IAQ) system for a building includes an IAQ sensor that is located within the building and that is configured to measure an IAQ parameter. The IAQ parameter is one of: an amount of particulate of at least a predetermined size present in air; an amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in air; and an amount of carbon dioxide present in air. A mitigation module is configured to: selectively turn on a mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with a first ON threshold and a second ON threshold; and selectively turn off the mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with an OFF threshold. A clean module is configured to determine a clean value for the IAQ parameter. A thresholds module is configured to, based on the clean value, determine the first ON threshold and the OFF threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart K. Morgan, Hung Pham, Brian R. Butler
  • Patent number: 11608812
    Abstract: Methods (200) for reducing vibrations in one or more rotor blades (120) of a wind turbine (160), when the wind turbine is in standstill conditions are provided. The method comprises measuring (201) one or more deformation parameters indicative of deformation of one or more blades (120), determining (202), at a dedicated controller (190) for an auxiliary drive system (20, 107), a vibration of one or more of the blades (120) based on the deformation parameters, wherein the dedicated controller (190) for the auxiliary drive system is separate from the wind turbine controller (180), and generating (203), at the dedicated controller (190), an output signal to operate the auxiliary drive system to reduce the vibration. Also disclosed are wind turbines (160) which comprise a dedicated controller (190) configured to determine a vibration and generating an output signal to reduce the vibration, when the wind turbine is in standstill conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables España, S. L.
    Inventors: Pedro Arroyo Beltri, Thomas Picard, Marc Canal Vila, Ricardo Lázaro Bosch, Pedro Palomares Rentero
  • Patent number: 11598545
    Abstract: A device is configured to operate a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The device is further configured to determine that the amount of time to close a pressure switch exceeds a time threshold value. The device is further configured to receive an audio signal from a microphone while operating the HVAC system, to identify an audio signature for the combustion air inducer, and to determine the audio signature for the combustion air inducer is present within the audio signal. The device is further configured to determine a fault type based on the determination that the audio signature for the combustion air inducer is present within the audio signal, to identify a component identifier for a component of the HVAC system that is associated with fault type, and to output a recommendation identifying the component identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Payam Delgoshaei, Glenn William Kowald
  • Patent number: 11599081
    Abstract: An industrial controller that integrates execution of a control program on the industrial controller with execution of additional functions on an external processing device is disclosed. Integrating the external processing device provides an improved system for third party development of control functions which may be unique to specific applications. The system manages communication between the industrial controller and the external processing device, manages access to data stored in the industrial controller, and makes the details of the integration transparent to the programmer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Johnston, Michael J. Viste, Ryan L. Schnell
  • Patent number: 11599071
    Abstract: A building system including one or more memory devices configured to store instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine an average of a minimum half of sorted energy consumption values for a first time period and determine an average of a maximum half of sorted energy consumption values for a second time period. The instructions also cause the processor to determine a ratio of the average of the minimum half of sorted energy consumption values for the first time period to the average of the maximum half of sorted energy consumption values for the second time period, compare the calculated ratio to an adaptively tunable threshold value and activate a system responsive to the calculated ratio exceeding the adaptively tunable threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventor: Steven R. Vitullo
  • Patent number: 11579636
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operations of a fluid distribution may include a first manifold receiving a next mode of operation for the fluid distribution system. The first manifold may calculate first and second flow requirements for the first and second manifolds that may respectively include a first and second total flowrates from the first and second manifolds. The first manifold may determine required operation states for valves of the first manifold and the second manifold for the next mode based on the first and second flow requirements. The first manifold may be controllably operated to cause the second manifold and a supply device of the fluid distribution system to operate in the required operation states and provide first and second flow requirements. The first manifold may direct the second manifold to independently balance individual outlet flowrates of the second manifold while continuing to provide the second flow requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Doyle, William Weiss
  • Patent number: 11569683
    Abstract: An apparatus for a system power device utilized in an interconnected power system. The interconnected power system may include multiple system power devices connected to various inter connections of groups of direct currents (DC) from power sources which also may be connected in various series, parallel, series parallel and parallel series combinations for example. The apparatus may include a processor connected to a memory and a communication interface operatively attached to the processor. The communication interface may be adapted to connect to a mobile computing system of a user in close proximity to the system power devices. A graphical user interface (GUI) of the mobile computing system may allow various operational and re-configuration options for the interconnected power system which may include installation, maintenance and monitoring schedules in the interconnected power system when the user of the GUI is in close proximity to the system power devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaron Binder, Lior Handelsman, Ilan Yoscovich, Guy Sella, Menashe Walsh
  • Patent number: 11561524
    Abstract: A programmable controller allocates times obtained by dividing executable time in one operation cycle to a plurality of paths, executes sequence programs of the paths within the respective allocated times, and measures extra time that is a remainder of each of the allocation times when execution of each of the sequence programs ends. Then, the programmable controller determines whether a predetermined sequence program is to be executed in the measured extra time, and instructs the sequence execution unit to execute the predetermined sequence program in the extra time in accordance with a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nao Onose, Mitsuru Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11554448
    Abstract: Disclosed is a machine learning device of a cutting condition adjustment apparatus including: a state observation section that observes, as state variables indicating a current state of an environment, cutting condition data indicating a laser cutting condition for a laser cutting and oblique rearward temperature rise data indicating a temperature rise value at an oblique rearward part of a cutting front of a workpiece, a determination data acquisition unit that acquires temperature rise value determination data for determining propriety of the temperature rise value during cutting based on the laser cutting condition for the laser cutting as determination data indicating a propriety determination result of the cutting of the workpiece, and a learning unit that learns the temperature rise value and adjustment of the laser cutting condition for the laser cutting in association with each other using the state variables and the determination data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Izumi
  • Patent number: 11537115
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products and/or systems are provided that perform the following operations: obtaining digital replica models for equipment at an industrial location; receiving data feeds associated with the equipment; simulating operations of the equipment based on the digital replica models and the data feeds; predicting one or more events associated with areas within the industrial location based, at least in part, on the simulating of operations of the equipment; and determining one or more mitigation procedures based on the one or more predicted events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Venkata Vara Prasad Karri, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 11536247
    Abstract: A method for reducing extreme loads acting on a component of a wind turbine includes measuring, via one or more sensors, a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes predicting at least one blade moment of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine based on the plurality of operating parameters. The method also includes predicting a load and an associated load angle of the at least one rotor blade as a function of the at least one blade moment. Moreover, the method includes predicting a pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine. In addition, the method includes generating a load envelope for the component that comprises at least one load value for the pitch angle and the load angle. Thus, the method includes implementing a control action when the load is outside of the load envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Prashanth Kumar Reddy Vaddi, Dhanesh Chandrashekar Pathuvoth, Venkata Krishna Vadlamudi
  • Patent number: 11500399
    Abstract: An example system includes a processor to receive parameters of a fluid network control system. The processor can formulate an optimal control problem as proportions of server effort. The processor can also solve the optimal control problem using a robust counterpart of a separated continuous linear programming (SCLP). The processor can further adjust a parameter of the fluid network control system based on the optimal solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Evgeny Shindin, Odellia Boni, Harold Jeffrey Ship
  • Patent number: 11486593
    Abstract: An indoor air quality (IAQ) system for a building includes an IAQ sensor that is located within the building and that is configured to measure an IAQ parameter. The IAQ parameter is one of: an amount of particulate of at least a predetermined size present in air; an amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in air; and an amount of carbon dioxide present in air. A mitigation module is configured to: selectively turn on a mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with a first ON threshold and a second ON threshold; and selectively turn off the mitigation device based on a comparison of the IAQ parameter with an OFF threshold. A clean module is configured to determine a clean value for the IAQ parameter. A thresholds module is configured to, based on the clean value, determine the first ON threshold and the OFF threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart K. Morgan, Hung Pham, Brian R. Butler
  • Patent number: 11416951
    Abstract: An equipment management system 100 comprises a manager 210 configured to manage information on a plurality of power generation facilities 300 having a power generation equipment 310 connected to a power grid configured by a power transmission network; and a controller 230 configured to, when defect information on defect of a power generation equipment 310 provided in a first power generation facility, which is one of the plurality of power generation facilities, is acquired, predict defect of a power generation equipment 310 provided in a second power generation facility, which is different from the first power generation facility. The controller 230 is configured to predict the defect of the power generation equipment 310 provided in the second power generation facility based on the cause of the defect of the power generation equipment 310 provided in the first power generation facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku Nakayama, Kei Iwata, Takashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11366444
    Abstract: To enable acquisition of operation information of CNC corresponding to periodic operation of PLC, even when the CNC is unable to respond due to the timing of machining, the loading status, etc. The PLC device includes: a special instruction control unit that sets, to a special instruction for acquiring operation information indicating an operation state of a control device from the control device controlling an industrial machine, a cyclic time for causing the control device to periodically acquire and retain the operation information in a case in which the control device is unable to respond, and transmits to the control device the special instruction in which the cyclic time is set; and an acquisition unit that acquires the operation information acquired on the basis of the cyclic time from the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nao Onose, Mitsuru Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11340582
    Abstract: In an example implementation, a method of processing a 3D object model includes receiving render data of a 2D slice of a 3D object model and generating distance values indicating how far away voxels in the 2D slice are from a nearest edge of the 3D object model. The method also includes detecting a feature of the 3D object model from the distance values, and generating modified render data to be subsequently used in a 3D printing system to produce the feature in a 3D part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jake Wright, Matthew A Shepherd