Patents Examined by Crystal J Barnes Bullock
  • Patent number: 11164130
    Abstract: A method may include receiving, via at least one processor of a cloud-computing system, an indication that a portion of a workflow is complete. Here, the workflow is associated with commissioning one or more well devices at a hydrocarbon site. The method may then include identifying one or more subsequent portions of the workflow to be performed and sending the one or more subsequent portions to one or more computing devices associated with one or more users assigned to the one or more well devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sensia Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Andrew Weatherhead, Edward Anthony Gray
  • Patent number: 11163273
    Abstract: A control system for controlling an operation of a machine subject to constraints including equality and inequality constraints on state and control variables of the system iteratively solves an optimal control structured optimization problem (OCP), such that each iteration outputs primal variables and dual variables with respect to the equality constraints and dual variables and slack variables with respect to the inequality constraints. For a current iteration, the system classifies each of the inequality constraints as an active, an inactive or an undecided constraint based on a ratio of a slack variable to a dual variable of the corresponding inequality constraint determined by a previous iteration, finds an approximate solution to the set of relaxed optimality conditions subject to the equality constraints and the active and undecided inequality constraints, and update the primal, dual, and slack variables for each of the equality and inequality constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Rien Quirynen, Jonathan Frey, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 11156996
    Abstract: A vibration analysis system for predicting performance of a building system includes one or more memory devices configured to store instructions that, when executed on one or more processor, cause the one or more processors to receive vibration data from the building equipment, generate a performance prediction for the building equipment, generate a performance explanation for the performance prediction, and cause a user interface to display the performance prediction and the performance explanation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Kelsey Carle Schuster, Christopher J. Verink
  • Patent number: 11104169
    Abstract: Methods of printing a three-dimensional object, layer by layer are provided. Layers are formed by a bulk inner region which may be formed by depositing a transparent material, a white material, a colored material or a combination thereof, and a color outline which includes voxels formed by depositing a colored building material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: STRATASYS LTD.
    Inventor: Eliahu M. Kritchman
  • Patent number: 11099526
    Abstract: A cascaded control system is configured to control power consumption of a building during a demand limiting period. The cascaded control system includes an energy use setpoint generator and a feedback controller. The energy use setpoint generator is configured to use energy pricing data and measurements of a variable condition within the building to generate an energy use setpoint during the demand limiting period. The feedback controller is configured to use a difference between the energy use setpoint and a measured energy use to generate a control signal for building equipment that operate to affect the variable condition within the building during the demand limiting period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technologoy Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Wenzel, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 11099528
    Abstract: Real-time dynamic optimization of a process model in an online model-based process control computing environment. A mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) solver utilizes grouping of first-principle model units to implement constraints of the underlying process. A group identifier parameter and a group complement parameter enable the grouping behavior through association with the first-principles model units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: AVEVA SOFTWARE, LLC
    Inventors: Rajkumar Vedam, James Jude Kattapuram, Kishore Kumar Hemachandran, Sankararao Boddupalli, Pranav Bhaswanth Madabhushi, Gareth Hillier, Mallikarjun Avanna Lavate, Detong Zhang, Purt Tanartkit
  • Patent number: 11073851
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a raw material tank monitors the temperature of the raw material tank when the temperature of the raw material tank storing a solid or liquid raw material is raised to a set temperature by a heating unit. The monitoring apparatus includes: a temperature determination unit configured to determine whether the temperature has reached a stable range including the set temperature, and determine whether the temperature has deviated from the stable range; and a setting unit configured to set the set temperature of the heating unit to 0° C. when a predetermined timeout time has elapsed from a time point at which the temperature determination unit determined that the temperature deviated from the stable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenta Horigome, Shinobu Kawamorita, Yosuke Matsumoto, Kosuke Takahashi, Naohide Ito
  • Patent number: 11070081
    Abstract: A smart circuit breaker is configured for installation within a panel assembly. The smart circuit breaker includes a breaker device positioned between a power source and a subcircuit, the breaker device having a moveable contactor configured to change from an open state to a closed state, wherein in the closed state power flows from the power source to the subcircuit via a power line, and wherein in the open state power does not flow from the power source to the subcircuit. The smart circuit breaker further includes a power meter configured to measure a power characteristic of the subcircuit. The smart circuit breaker further includes a processing circuit configured to receive a power characteristic measurement from the power meter, the processing circuit having a communications interface configured to communicate power consumption data to an external device, the power consumption data based on the power characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gerald A. Asp, Justin J. Ploegert, Paul K. Schemenauer, Robert A. Fox, Daniel A. Mellenthin
  • Patent number: 11069548
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is provided. The substrate processing method includes placing a substrate storage container storing a substrate on a load port; automatically determining a type of the substrate stored in the placed substrate storage container; by referring to a storage unit that stores a parameter data set related to a transport condition for each substrate type, controlling transport of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container based on the parameter data set corresponding to the automatically determined type of the substrate to process the substrate, and, after automatically determining the type of the substrate, and before transporting the substrate stored in the substrate storage container, performing mapping based on conditions set in the parameter data set to detect an abnormality of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toru Nishino, Kiyohito Iijima, Shigeru Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 11063630
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting from power sourcing equipment, low voltage pulse power to a powered device in a communications network, performing a safety test, enabling high voltage pulse power operation at the power sourcing equipment upon passing the safety test, and transmitting high voltage pulse power from the power sourcing equipment to the powered device. The powered device synchronizes with a waveform of the low voltage pulse power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Paul Arduini, Sung Kee Baek, Richard Anthony O'Brien, Joel Richard Goergen, Chad M. Jones, Jason DeWayne Potterf, Ruqi Li
  • Patent number: 11056882
    Abstract: A power management device has power consumption information in a building of a power customer, and stores history information in which the acquired power consumption information and time information indicating a time frame in which power has been consumed in the building are associated with each other. When having received a request based on power supply and demand, the power management device determines ease or difficulty in management of power consumption according to the request, on the basis of the stored history information, and power-management-required time frame information indicating a time frame for which power management according to the request is required, and notifies the power customer of a determination result. Then the power management device receives acceptance or rejection of the request, and transmits response information corresponding to a received content, to a request source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11036196
    Abstract: It is disclosed a weather-predictive apparatus for controlling a climatization plant, comprising a weather-climate data sensor associated with a building, a processing unit and a signal transceiver. The signal transceiver is configured to transmit a current measured value of the weather-climate data associated with the building to a weather forecast device and it is configured to receive from the weather forecast device a plurality of weather forecast data associated with the building in a forecast time interval. The processing unit is configured to: calculate a change in a nominal activation instant of the climatization plant of the building, calculate a modified activation instant; check whether the current instant is equal to the modified activation instant. In case wherein the current instant is equal to the modified activation instant, the processing unit is configured to generate a command signal having a value representative of the activation of the climatization plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventors: Raffaele Salerno, Roberto Salimbeni, Sergio Sandro Andrea Alabiso, Alberto Lodi
  • Patent number: 11009263
    Abstract: A solar rotational manufacturing system having a monitoring device, a controller, a heliostat having a heliostat controller, a rotational apparatus having a rotational controller, and a mold, wherein the monitoring device is configured to collect actual data regarding a characteristic of the solar rotational heating system and transmit actual data to the controller, the controller is configured to receive a reference parameter, an affecting parameter, and linking instructions, receive actual data from the monitoring device, compare actual data with a reference parameter, determine an affecting parameter to alter, and transmit alteration instructions to the heliostat controller and/or the rotational controller, the heliostat controller is configured to receive the alteration instructions from the controller and execute the alteration instructions, and the rotational controller is configured to receive the alteration instructions from the controller and execute the alteration instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventors: Karl von Kries, Nicholas Peter Deick
  • Patent number: 11005942
    Abstract: A method and system are provided that synchronize one or more appliances to one or more users' schedules. Sensor data may be obtained from a sensor. The sensor data may indicate a state of a first appliance. A user location may be determined. A first characteristic of the first appliance may be obtained. Based upon the user location and the sensor data, a schedule indicating when the user will desire a state change of the first appliance may be determined. A feature of the first appliance may be dynamically modified to cause the first appliance to operate according to the schedule. A notice may be sent to the user that contains information about the first appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: John Henry Grossman, IV, Scott Bartlett
  • Patent number: 10983493
    Abstract: A dynamic environment (e.g., an automated industrial process) has multiple conditions in response to which corresponding actions are required, and comprises various equipment, control device(s) to control the equipment, and one or more sensors to generate input signal(s) representing a monitored condition of the environment. A control system for the environment comprises a master processor and one or more co-processors, wherein the master processor configures a given co-processor to evaluate only a first subset of conditions expected to occur in the environment within a specified time period (e.g., less than a response time of the master processor), and to provide first control information representing an action to be taken if a particular condition of the first subset is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Opteon Corporation
    Inventors: Mark J. Frazer, T. Eric Hopkins, Timothy N. Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 10983542
    Abstract: Disclosed is a load-predicting and control system for a subway heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. In one aspect, a load-predicting and control system for a subway heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is provided. The system includes a basic database, a sensing system, a load predicting unit, and a controller; the basic database stores historical data; the sensing system provides measured data; the load predicting unit calculates a predicted load value of the subway heating, ventilation and air conditioning based on the historical data and the measured data, and transmits the predicted load value to the controller; the controller issues a control command based on the predicted load value. Also provided is a load-predicting and control method for the subway heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The present disclosure solves problems such as poor accuracy of conventional load prediction and inadequate control of the air conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai
    Inventors: Dongjun Sun, Sheng Wang, Juan Wang, Guolin Liu, Yusong Liu
  • Patent number: 10970128
    Abstract: A server is provided. The server includes a communication device configured to receive operation information from an air conditioner, a memory configured to store information of a plurality of groups and a cooling capacity prediction model for predicting a cooling capacity that corresponds to each of the plurality of groups, and a processor to map the air conditioner to one group among the plurality of groups based on the received operation information, and control the communication device to enable the air conditioner to use the cooling capacity prediction model corresponding to the mapped group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyungseon Song, Soonhyung Gwon, Minkyong Kim, Tan Kim, Chandra Ashok Maloo, Dongjun Shin, Hyunwoo Ock, Hyeongjoon Seo, Youngju Joo
  • Patent number: 10948211
    Abstract: A water circulation system for air conditioning system and a control method thereof, wherein the water circulation loop comprises: a main loop provided with air-conditioning indoor units, air-conditioning outdoor units and an actuator, and a bypass branch connected between upstream and downstream of the air-conditioning outdoor units and provided with a bypass valve; the control method comprises: S100, starting the water circulation system after receiving a start command; S200, executing a PID control step after initialization and a first preset time period of the water circulation system; S300, executing a feed forward control step when the operating states of the air-conditioning indoor units and/or the air-conditioning outdoor units are changed, and going back to execute the PID control step after a second preset time period; and S400, executing a shutdown step of the water circulation system after receiving a shutdown command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Liang Chang, Jingwei Sun, Pei Sun, Lishan Wang, Jian Ni, Qing Lu
  • Patent number: 10935967
    Abstract: Provided is a machining equipment system including machining equipment that performs machining of a workpiece; a control device that controls the machining equipment on the basis of a machining condition; a state obtaining device that obtains a state of the machining equipment during the machining; an inspection device that inspects the workpiece after the machining; and a machine learning device that performs machine learning on the basis of a result of inspection by the inspection device and the state of the machining equipment, obtained by the state obtaining device, wherein the machine learning device modifies the machining condition on the basis of a result of the machine learning so as to improve the machining accuracy of the workpiece or so as to minimize the defect rate of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akiyuki Kuwabara, Norio Takei
  • Patent number: 10931107
    Abstract: Systems and methods of managing an electricity distribution grid, including receiving a layout of at least one electricity distribution grid coupled to at least one power distributor facility, each grid having at least two electrical power nodes, collecting data for at least one consumer of the electricity distribution grid, assigning a dynamic consumer value to each of the at least one consumer according to predefined attributes, determining aggregated power consumption values for each electrical power node, wherein for each electrical power node the aggregated power consumption values are received for all consumers assigned thereto, and allocating resources of the at least one power distributor facility, from the first electrical power node to the second electrical power node, if the difference between the compared consumer values exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: FORESIGHT ENERGY LTD.
    Inventors: Evgeny Finkel, Emek Sadot, Sergei Edelstein, Nir Badt