Patents Examined by Eric S. McCall
  • Patent number: 11921006
    Abstract: An automated picking system robotic device testing station having rollers for engagement with the wheels of a robotic device; and a controller to vary the rotation of the rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: OCADO INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventor: Paul Clarke
  • Patent number: 11920732
    Abstract: A quality control method for the preparation of dry compressed gas cylinder including passivating and/or preparing the compressed gas cylinder with the technique to be validated, filling the passivated/prepared compressed gas cylinder with gaseous carbon dioxide to a normal working pressure, wherein the gaseous carbon dioxide has a known ?18O isotope ratio, maintaining the pressurized gas cylinder at ambient temperature for a first predetermined period of time, and gradually emptying the pressurized gas cylinder, while simultaneously measuring the ?18O isotopic ratio, wherein a predetermined variation in the measured isotopic ratio of ?18O indicates a properly prepared cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Airgas, Inc., America Air Liquide, Inc., L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Tracey Jacksier, Mani C. Matthew, Richard A. Socki, Jun Sonobe, Megumi Isaji, James McHale
  • Patent number: 11922637
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a testbed platform for characterizing materials and inks utilized in additive manufacturing of nanocomposites. The system may include a testbed base coupled to a group of electromagnets. The base may include an aperture for housing a microscope slide and an interchangeable channel including a microfluidic flow cell of various geometric angles. The system may further include a group of needle tips in fluidic communication with the microfluidic flow cell. The needle tips may be coupled, via lock connectors, to syringes that dispense magnetic inks utilized in additive manufacturing into the microfluidic flow cell. The system may also include an inverted microscope lens and a high-speed camera in optical communication with the base. The camera may be utilized to capture images of a flow behavior of the magnetic inks for performing an analysis that determines a nozzle design for microdispensing during an additive manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Florida A&M University
    Inventors: Tarik J. Dickens, Madhuparna Roy, Phong Tran Hoang
  • Patent number: 11921002
    Abstract: A power transmission device includes: a first pulley; a second pulley having a diameter equal to or larger than a diameter of the first pulley; a belt wound around the first pulley and the second pulley; and a detection unit configured to detect a displacement of the belt in a direction intersecting the surface of the belt. The detection unit is configured to detect the displacement of the belt at a predetermined measuring point. The distance from the border between a portion where the belt and the first pulley are in contact with each other and a portion where the belt and the first pulley are not in contact with each other, to the measuring point is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the first pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keisuke Sugahara
  • Patent number: 11921007
    Abstract: A ground attachment system (1) for a tire characteristics detection unit (15) comprises an attachment plate (2) comprising a plurality of recesses (3) distributed over the surface of the attachment plate, a plurality of frustoconical clamping rings (4), and a plurality of cylindrical guide tunnels (5) arranged in the detection unit (15), the clamping rings (4) and the guide tunnels (5) each comprising a complementary conical portion (6, 7) converging towards the attachment plate (2) when the ring (4) is in the clamping position in a tunnel (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Vianney Leroy
  • Patent number: 11919814
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for simulating intraplate volcanism. A technical solution is: mixing 47-60 wt % of calcium oxide powder, 35 wt % of alumina powder and 5-18 wt % of silica powder uniformly to obtain a mixed powder; putting the mixed powder in a corundum crucible, placing the crucible in a high-temperature furnace provided with an observation window outside which an industrial camera with a depression angle of 30-45° is provided, heating to 1,500-1,900° C. at a rate of 1-30° C./min under an air atmosphere at a normal pressure, holding for 0.5-5 h; recording intraplate volcanism formed by upwelling of a melt of the mixed powder along an inner wall of the crucible during the holding with the industrial camera to obtain a simulated process of the intraplate volcanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Wuhan University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Ao Huang, Yongshun Zou, Huazhi Gu
  • Patent number: 11912561
    Abstract: In one aspect, fuel inventory data characterizing a level of fuel stored at a fuel storage facility can be received from a sensor in operable communication with the fuel storage facility. Flow meter data characterizing an amount of fuel dispensed from the fuel storage facility by a fuel dispenser nozzle can be received from a flow meter in fluid communication with the fuel dispenser nozzle and the fuel storage facility. Fuel transaction data characterizing the dispensing of fuel by the fuel dispenser nozzle and the dispensing of the fuel by one or more additional fuel dispenser nozzles in fluid communication with the fuel storage facility can be received. An estimate of meter drift characterizing a change in calibration of the flow meter can be determined based on the fuel inventory data, the flow meter data, and the fuel transaction data. The estimate of meter drift can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC
    Inventors: Prem Swaroop, Atish Kamble, Bodhayan Dev
  • Patent number: 11906346
    Abstract: A liquid level detection device capable of accurately detecting an interface inside a container has an irradiation unit which irradiates a side surface of a sample container containing a sample having layers with light. A light receiving unit receives transmitted light from the sample container and an analysis unit acquires the interfaces between the layers from the received amount of the transmitted light. The sample container is moved vertically relative to the irradiation unit and the light receiving unit by a first drive and is moved in the circumferential direction relative to the irradiation unit and the light receiving unit by a second drive. The second drive is controlled so that the light receiving unit receives the transmitted light at first and second irradiation angles, and the interfaces between the layers are acquired on the basis of the received amounts of transmitted light at the first and second irradiation angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyasu Sato, Masahito Kakuno, Nobuyoshi Shimane
  • Patent number: 11898476
    Abstract: A method for predicting soot build-up in an engine system when operating according to an intended drive cycle. The engine system includes an internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas aftertreatment system provided with a particulate filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO PENTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nina Lönn, Arlena Amiri, Viktor Palmqvist Berntsson, Jakob Heide, Johan Assiks
  • Patent number: 11898933
    Abstract: A test kit is disclosed for testing an internal combustion engine with the engine kept at a fixed load condition. The test kit includes a test module programmed to execute a sequence of individual cylinder tests by measuring, in each cylinder test, a first engine performance value and providing an amount of fuel to one cylinder under test to differ from an amount of fuel provided to the rest of the plurality of cylinders. A further test module is programmed to measure, in an idle period between subsequent individual cylinder tests of the sequence of individual cylinder tests, a second engine performance value. This further test module is programmed to discard at least some of the individual cylinder tests if the second engine performance value measured by the further test module passes a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: DAF Trucks N.V.
    Inventors: Luc Henricus Maria Akkermans, Remco Streefkerk
  • Patent number: 11898453
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for extracting a natural frequency difference between blades by a single blade tip timing sensor or uniformly distributed blade tip timing sensors. The method includes the following steps: acquiring actual arrival time of a rotating blade by using a single blade tip timing sensor or uniformly distributed blade tip timing sensors, and converting a difference between theoretical arrival time and the actual arrival time into displacement data of a blade tip according to a rotational speed and a blade length of the rotating blade; selecting displacement data of blade tips of two rotating blades with the same blade length at the same rotational speed; intercepting the displacement data, performing discrete Fourier transform respectively, and making a sampling frequency approximate to an average rotational speed to obtain spectrum data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: XI'AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhibo Yang, Jiahui Cao, Xuefeng Chen, Zengkun Wang, Laihao Yang, Shaohua Tian, Haoqi Li, Wenbo Li
  • Patent number: 11898935
    Abstract: A test apparatus for simulating road conditions for a motor vehicle. The test apparatus includes a platform, a pair of roller assemblies, and a driveshaft. The pair of roller assemblies are coupled to the platform. Each pair of roller assemblies being configured to receive a pair of wheels of the motor vehicle. The driveshaft is secured between the pair of roller assemblies and is configured to transmit rotary power from one of the pair of roller assemblies to the other of the pair of roller assemblies. An orientation of the platform is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Pistole, Mark Thomas Weston
  • Patent number: 11898934
    Abstract: Producing and tuning an integrated vessel control model to meet decarbonization goals includes loading an base performance model for a vessel and corresponding observed carbon emissions from the vessel resulting from a set of control inputs for the vessel. A decarbonization model also is selected. A new integrated performance model is computed within a digital twin of the vessel modeling new performance metrics resulting from the deployment of accessories in the decarbonization model, and the new metrics are compared to minimum performance standards for the vessel. When a performance metric fails to meet the minimum standard, a corresponding accessory is identified as impacting the failing performance metric and an adjustment is incrementally applied to the accessory until the failing performance metric is determined to meet the minimum standard. Then, the new integrated performance model is simulated to predict resulting carbon emissions which is stored in the new integrated performance model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Inlecom Group BV
    Inventors: Panayotis Katsoulakos, Georgia Kokona Tsiochantari, Anargyros Mavrakos, Antonios Mygiakis, Antonios Antonopoulous
  • Patent number: 11892370
    Abstract: A process oxygen analyzer includes a process probe extendible into a flow of process combustion exhaust, the process probe having an oxygen sensor measurement cell. Measurement circuitry is coupled to the oxygen sensor measurement cell and configured to obtain a non-corrected indication of oxygen concentration relative to a combustion process based on an electrical characteristic of the oxygen sensor measurement cell. A controller is operably coupled to the measurement circuitry and is configured to obtain an indication of process pressure and selectively provide a corrected oxygen concentration output based on non-corrected indication of oxygen concentration and the indication of process pressure. A method of providing a process oxygen concentration using a process oxygen analyzer coupled to an industrial combustion process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Rosemount Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Shuk, Dirk W. Bauschke, David Loberg
  • Patent number: 11885709
    Abstract: A method including acquiring a first test pattern in which an operation variable for an engine test is changed in time series, inputting a first operation variable to a mathematical model representing a time series response obtained by inputting a test pattern as a simulation of the engine test, monitoring a first monitoring parameter obtained by inputting the first operation variable to the mathematical model, holding the first operation variable until the first monitoring parameter is less than a first threshold value, creating a history of the first operation variable in the simulation as a second test pattern, monitoring a second monitoring parameter obtained by inputting a second operation variable to a real engine based on the second test pattern, holding the second operation variable until the second monitoring parameter is less than a second threshold value, acquiring time series data of the second operation variable and a controlled variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TRANSTRON INC.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Ogawa, Takuma Degawa
  • Patent number: 11885711
    Abstract: Using tachometer-from-vibration processing of component signals and appropriate configuration allows for the analysis of both the compressor turbine and the power turbine of a turboshaft, turboprop, or twin spindle turbofan engine. One smart vibration sensor is positioned on or near the turbo engine and detects vibration data for components of both the gas compressor turbine and power turbine without the need for direct measurements of tachometer data from both the compressor and power turbine. From this, condition indicators are determined for monitored components on the sensor and returned to an onboard control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GPMS International, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric R Bechhoefer, John Taylor
  • Patent number: 11885715
    Abstract: A method for checking tyres, includes: arranging a tyre in a station for checking tyres; moving a sensor within the tyre; performing first checks on an inner surface of the tyre with the at least one sensor; engaging a radially outer portion of the tyre with grip elements of an overturning device; extracting the sensor from the tyre and spacing the sensor from the tyre; overturning the tyre by 180° by rotation of the grip elements; moving again the sensor within the tyre; performing second checks on the inner surface of the tyre with the sensor; extracting again the sensor from the tyre and spacing the sensor from the tyre; and transporting the tyre outside the station for checking tyres.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: PIRELLI TYRE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Held, Christian De Col, Albert Berenguer, Vincenzo Boffa, Cristian Di Felice
  • Patent number: 11885710
    Abstract: A flow measuring system for one or more oil nozzles of a lubrication system of an aircraft engine comprises an external supply of a testing liquid and a pump fluidly connecting the external supply of the testing liquid to an inlet of the lubrication system via a first conduit. The inlet to the lubrication system is disposed upstream of the one or more oil nozzles. A second conduit fluidly connects an outlet of the lubrication system to the external supply of the testing liquid. The outlet of the lubrication system is disposed downstream of the one or more oil nozzles. A flow measuring device is operable to measure a flow resistance through the one or more oil nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Steven Farber, Patrick E Paradis, Lukasz Jost, Piotr Grabski, Marcin Siedlarz, Piotr Mazur, Rafał Panek
  • Patent number: 11879404
    Abstract: A current source sensor delivers detection information in the form of an intermediate signal by selectively applying a low-level or high-level current to a communication bus depending on the passage of a mobile target, the sensor including a sensitive portion detecting the passage of a of the mobile target, an electronic module controlling and shape signals coming from the sensitive portion, an embedded intelligence module designed, inter alia, to receive information from another sensor through a first signal present on the communication bus, the first signal being the sum of the abovementioned intermediate signal generated by the sensor and of another intermediate signal generated by the other sensor, wherein the embedded intelligence module is adapted to modify a first low level and a first high level of the intermediate signal, respectively, into a second low level and into a second high level depending on a the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Jacques Rocher, Yannick Leroy, Benjamin Marconato
  • Patent number: 11879806
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method for carrying out a test run on a test stand. The method in some embodiments reduces a deviation between a comparison simulation value and a comparison reference value when carrying out a test run on a test stand with a test object by simulating via a simulation unit a number of simulation values using a number of specified reference values starting from a selected reference value, determining a corrected reference value which is specified to the simulation unit for simulating a corrected simulation value and determining at least one setpoint variable using the corrected simulation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventors: Emre Kural, Andreas Fleck