Patents Examined by Craig Steven Miller
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Patent number: 6185514Abstract: A method and system for automatically collecting and for analyzing information about time and work performed on a computer includes a hardware abstraction layer for monitoring activity on various user input devices. The system also includes the following elements: a data collector for monitoring certain portions of a user's computer activity and for logging into a log file those certain portions of a user's computer activity; a data analyzer for determining by following user-defined rules showing which portions of those certain portions of a user's computer activity constitutes continuous work activities, and how this work should be categorized by project and task with project; and an external interface for building the rules defining work. The data collector includes a resident module, such as a TSR (terminate-and-stay-resident) module, which extends the file system of the computer so that detailed records are kept of file activities.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 1999Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: Ricos International, Inc.Inventors: Gary R. Skinner, Michael G. Lehman
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Patent number: 6185513Abstract: A data recorder has at least one sensor unit to compile at least one measurement value to be recorded during a monitoring interval, a control unit to control the compiling and recording of measurement data, a clock unit to provide a reference time on the basis of which the actual measurement times can be defined, a memory unit to store the measurement values compiled and the corresponding reference time provided for each measurement value, a battery unit for power supply, a fixation unit to fix the data recorder to an item to be monitored, and an interruption unit which interrupts the recording and/or compiling of measurement data upon any manipulation of the fixation unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1998Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: Fraunhofer-GesellschaftInventors: Andreas Plettner, Karl Haberger
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Patent number: 6182019Abstract: A transmitter provides an output signal indicative of mass flow rate of fluid through a conduit. The transmitter includes a temperature sensor providing a temperature signal indicative of fluid temperature. A static pressure sensor provides a static pressure signal indicative of static pressure in the conduit. A differential producer provides a differential pressure signal. The transmitter also includes a controller which provides the output signal indicative of mass flow of the fluid through the conduit.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1997Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Rosemount Inc.Inventor: David E. Wiklund
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Patent number: 6173236Abstract: Line voltage and line current signals are sensed on a power line having at least one conducting path. The sensed line voltages and line currents are converted into a digital signal. A phase-to-neutral voltage signal and phase current signal are computed from the digital signal to thereby define a phase of the power line. An interval of orthogonality is determined from the sensed voltage and current signals, coinciding with passage of an integral number of cycles of a fundamental frequency reference signal which is computed from the computed phase-to-neutral voltage signal. A vector metering quantity is computed for the determined interval of orthogonality from the computed phase-to-neutral voltage signal and the computed phase current signal. The vector metering quantities to be computed may be identified and computed based upon an associated detent. The vector metering quantity is also computed based on an identified circuit topology.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 1997Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David D. Elmore, Daniel A. Staver
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Patent number: 6169966Abstract: An object tracking device (1) tracks an object to find a position of the object. A first arithmetic circuit (2) calculates the variation of the position of the object with time, a second calculating circuit (3) determines a characteristic value representing the movement of the object. A third arithmetic circuit (4) determines a moving pattern of the object. A display unit (6) displays the characteristic value representing the movement of the object.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1997Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Ryosuke Miura, Tadashi Masukata, Taro Shimamura
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Patent number: 6151562Abstract: A device and method for measuring vehicle wheel alignment characteristics, and in particular measuring wheel camber and toe, uses a rotating vision sensor such as a laser sensor to map a portion of the vehicle tire and/or rim, allowing for the determination of wheel camber and toe without rotating the wheel. The sensor may be repositioned between the rear and front vehicle wheels. A separate sensor may be used for the left and the right vehicle wheels. The invention has particular utility for auditing of the alignment of vehicles in production lines. The devices and methods may also be used for more general imaging purposes.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Inventor: M. Stanley Merrill
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Patent number: 6134508Abstract: A programmable cycling computer including a display having at least a bit-mapped portion, the cycling computer having user-actuable means for permitting the user to specify the sequence, position and selection of displayed data for a plurality of user-selected functions.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1996Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Inventor: Jobst Brandt
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Patent number: 6122601Abstract: The present invention provides a two component system to obtain uniform density of compacted materials and track the compaction of the materials. The first component provides an automated, real-time compaction density meter and method of use to measure the density of the compacted material. The second component provides a Geographic Information System (GIS) for tracking compaction of a surface at specific locations. The two components of the present invention combined provide a system to measure the density of the compacted material and record the location of each density measurement. The components of the present invention can be utilized for many compaction operations, such as the roller compaction of concrete, pavement, soil, landfills, and asphalt pavements.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1998Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: The Penn State Research FoundationInventors: David C. Swanson, H. Randolph Thomas, Amr A. Oloufa
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Patent number: 6119072Abstract: The hydraulically operated clutch elements of a powershift transmission have hold pressures which are calibrated by determining a parasitic drag time value represent a speed change of a clutch component due to a friction characteristic of the transmission, by calculating a target speed change value from the parasitic drag time valueas, and by deriving the clutch calibration values from the target speed change value.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventor: Briton Todd Eastman
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Patent number: 6119070Abstract: A method for measuring a fluid flow rate between two points of a fluid flow according to which a measurement of the respective propagation times of two acoustic signals transmitted in opposite directions is combined with a measurement of acoustic phase shifts respectively induced in each signal. Each received signal is sampled and digitized and the corresponding acoustic phase shift is determined by synchronous detection. During successive iterations, a programmable phase shift dependent on the value of the acoustic phase shift obtained by synchronous detection in the previous iteration is determined for each iteration, so that the result of the synchronous detection step in the current iteration is as close as possible to zero, and the acoustic phase shift is therefore substantially the same as the last programmable phase shift.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Schlumberger Industries, S.A.Inventors: Lionel Beneteau, Benoit Froelich
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Patent number: 6115673Abstract: One or more basis sets are applied to a spectroscopic signal during analysis to produce an accurate spectral representation from which analyte concentration may be accurately determined. A basis set includes all interfering components found in a sample, such as serum. With regard to an analyte, such as glucose, it is necessary to define those components of a sample that have a larger interference than that of glucose. A basis set may be generated, for example, that produces a transform for the red blood cells that interfere or scatter the light; and also for skin effects. Once the spectra of all these components is known, it is then necessary to determine how each of these components interact, e.g. taking serum data, extracting each of the components, and then comparing the spectra for the individual components with that of the components in solution.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 1997Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Instrumentation Metrics, Inc.Inventors: Stephen F. Malin, Kevin H. Hazen
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Patent number: 6115678Abstract: A universal interface system for use with a data acquisition system including a data acquisition device such as a bar code scanner or scanner integrated terminal for providing digital data signals indicative of acquired data for transmission to a host device such as a computer, and a host device having host-specific input/output data format requirements. The universal interface system comprises universal data exchange means located in the data acquisition device for providing digital data signals in a universal data exchange format independent of the data format requirements of the host device; and a host interface cable coupled to the data acquisition device and to said host device, for transmitting acquired digital data from the data acquisition device to the host device, the interface cable comprising means for translating digital data from the universal data exchange format to the host-specific input/output data format requirements.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 1999Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Robert Lieb, Nicholas Buongervino, Patrick Mauro, Michael Rizzi, Ellen Oppenheim, Joseph Boriotti, Robert May, Sara Karcher, Anthony Biuso, Paul R. Poloniewicz, Daniel Brown, Anthony Fama, Robert Stein, Cary Chu, Michael Catalano, Altaf Mulla
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Patent number: 6115680Abstract: The subject system measures and reports the use of a personal computer by a user through a log file. The log file includes entries corresponding to predetermined events and can report on the applications used and communication functions engaged in by the user. The log files from one or more computers may be assembled and analyzed in order to ascertain computer use habits for computer software, computer hardware and computer communications. The system may also be used to predict computer use trends and to represent computer use history.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 1998Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: Media Metrix, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Coffee, David B. Pinsley, Karen A. Poloniewicz, Stephen J. Costello, Steven N. Stanziani
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Patent number: 6112163Abstract: A reconfigurable circuit is reconstructed to three or more operating circuit blocks. Upon testing, the same data is inputted to each of the reconstructed operating circuit blocks. A majority circuit formed in the reconfigurable circuit compares results of operations of the operating circuit blocks and outputs information indicating which of the operating circuit blocks is in trouble.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 1998Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yukihito Oowaki, Masatoshi Sekine, Hiroshige Fujii
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Patent number: 6112162Abstract: A weight measuring apparatus comprising a plurality of load sensors, together with an input network, a multiplexer, a reference, an analog to digital converter, and a processor, wherein the input network includes an analog summing network and direct sensor connections to the multiplexer. The multiplexer is arranged to permit measurement of the sum signal, a reference signal, and each direct load sensor signal in a prescribed sequence. The multiplexed signals are converted to digital and processed to derive a weight estimate based on the multiplexed measurements and a system error model. The prescribed measurement sequence permits measurement of the sum signal more frequently than each of the direct signals. A method is described for deriving correction factors for the error model comprising the placing of calibration weights primarily on each weight sensor and solving the system of simultaneous equations for the resulting correction factors.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 1998Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Inventor: James L. Richards
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Patent number: 6108607Abstract: A method of rate calculation in which, in connection with a reaction in which the substrate of an enzyme undergoes the action of the enzyme to be converted to a reaction product, a signal correlated to the concentration of the reaction product is measured at different points of time, those measured values obtained which exceed the upper limit preset in accordance with the detection limit of a detector to be used are excluded while selecting those measured values obtained at different points of time at least equal in number to the independent parameters of the approximating function and which are not greater than said upper limit and the measured values thus selected are weighted by a finite value to effect approximation by said function, provided that said finite value for weighting at least a portion of the measured values are changed continuously in accordance with the magnitudes of said specific measured values.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1997Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: Tosoh CorporationInventors: Toshiaki Kono, Hidechika Hayashi, Tetsufumi Matsumoto
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Patent number: 6101457Abstract: A test access port for an integrated circuit (or circuits) having a test register and a controller is provided. The controller enables the testability functions that have been selected by the test register. The test register performs the select function and the controller performs the enable function. An integrated circuit, having operation circuitry having nodes and external terminals for input and output of signals during normal operation, a test controller connected to at least a first one of said external terminals for receiving signals and for providing output signals during a test operation, and a test register for containing signals representative of selected tests to be performed connected to said test controller and at least a second one of said external terminals and responsive to said output signals of said test controller for enabling selected tests is provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1992Date of Patent: August 8, 2000Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Phillip Thomas Barch, Robert Bruce Wong, Stephen James Rice
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Patent number: 6094622Abstract: A system for determining the service type to which an energy meter having meter elements is connected. The system includes a memory for storing reference information relating to different service types. The system determines which meter elements of the energy meter are active, and then determines relative phase angles and phase voltages of the meter elements. The relative phase angles are determined in to be in an ABC or a CBA rotation. Power quality monitoring is used in determining the phase voltages. The relative phase angles and phase voltages are compared to the reference information to determine the service type. The reference information includes services and scaling information, a nominal service voltage, a programmable potential indicator threshold, and a maximum and a minimum tolerance with respect to the nominal service voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1998Date of Patent: July 25, 2000Assignee: ABB Power T&D Company Inc.Inventors: Vick A. Hubbard, Mark L. Munday, Rodney C. Hemminger, Scott T. Holdsclaw
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Patent number: 6088658Abstract: Statistical methods of partial discharge analysis utilizing histogram similarity measures are provided by quality assessment and condition monitoring methods of evaluating high voltage electrical insulation. The quality assessment method is utilized to evaluate the quality of insulation within the electrical equipment. The condition monitoring method is utilized during normal operation of the equipment to identify degradation in the insulation and to predict catastrophic insulation failures.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1997Date of Patent: July 11, 2000Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Birsen Yazici, John Raymond Krahn
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Patent number: 6088665Abstract: A schematic generator for use in a process control network, in which control functions are implemented by field devices interconnected at various and distributed locations on a bus, polls each of the field devices to retrieve information pertaining to the identity of the device, the identity of the control functions associated with the device, the manner in which the device communicates with other devices with respect to each of the control functions associated with that device, the timing associated with the execution of each of the control functions of that device and the timing of the communication activities associated with each of the control functions of that device. The schematic generator then analyses the retrieved data to identify the manner in which the devices are physically connected on the bus and the manner in which the different control functions are interconnected over the bus to perform process control loops within the process control network.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1997Date of Patent: July 11, 2000Assignee: Fisher Controls International, Inc.Inventors: Harry A. Burns, Brent H. Larson, Larry K. Brown