Patents Examined by Errol A. Krass
  • Patent number: 4918616
    Abstract: A tool monitoring system for detecting a tool failure of a tool employed in a tool machine, comprising artificial signal generating unit for generating a predetermined artificial tool failure signal simulating the acoustic emission signal obtained in an actual failure of the tool, acoustic emission transducing unit adapted to be mounted on the tool machine near the tool and driven by the artificial signal generating unit for applying the artificial tool failure signal to the tool machine, acoustic emission sensing unit mounted on the tool machine near the tool so as to receive, in a setting mode of the system where the transducing unit is mounted on the machine, the applied artificial tool failure signal from the acoustic emission transducing unit through the tool machine and, in a monitoring mode of the system where the tool is operated, an acoustic emission from the tool, and signal processing unit for analyzing an output signal generated from the acoustic emission sensing unit to detect the tool failure of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Yoshimura, Norio Miyawaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Hideaki Nakamura, Koichi Tshujino, Takaharu Takinami, Tatemitsu Hirayama, Tatsuhiko Naito, Ryoichi Miyake, Takeshi Yamada, Tetsuro Iwakiri, Kazuaki Otsuka
  • Patent number: 4796192
    Abstract: A system for reducing wing root bending moment load during aircraft maneuvers. The system operates to reduce the lift on the outboard section of the wing by moving an outboard flap upward in response to commands calculated from aircraft parameters and a predetermined wing root bending moment load limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: George E. Lewis
  • Patent number: 4791585
    Abstract: A cryogenic thermometer using molecular luminescence determines temperature. A sensor material is used which is capable of emitting radiant energy from a spin multiplet when excited, the excited state being characterized by a large zero field splitting (ZFS), and in which two of the sublevels split by the ZFS are radiative in the visible or near infrared region and are optically resolvable from each other. Spin-lattice relaxation rates between the sublevels are much larger than the sublevel decay rates to other states in order that their populations remain close to thermal equilibrium during optical pumping. The relative intensity of the two bands of radiation is determined and the temperature calculated therefrom. Xanthione (XS) dissolved in n-hexane may be used as a sensor material in the optimum range of 3 to 10K, with estimated precision varying between 0.4 mK and 3.0 mK within this range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: August H. Maki, Mohammad-Reza Taherian
  • Patent number: 4780837
    Abstract: A Doppler signal frequency converter for use in an apparatus used to detect and measure the velocity of movement of an object by picking up the reflections of ultrasonic waves beamed at the subject of examination. The converter is provided with one or a plurality of complex signal converters, and a complex multiplier which computes the conjugate and complex products of the complex signals. The complex signal converter converts the Doppler signals to a plurality--for example two--complex signals which differ in frequency. By carrying out computations based on the real and imaginary parts of the complex signals, the conjugate and complex products of the two complex signals are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Aloka Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouroku Namekawa
  • Patent number: 4764882
    Abstract: A method of monitoring fatigue of a stressed component part such as in nuclear power plants or aircraft, with sensors attached to the outside of the component part to be monitored, includes feeding values measured by the sensors at the component parts to be monitored at a given timing cycle to a process computer. The process computer contains a first arithmetic unit (LCID) which determines weighting factors for addressing mechanical unit load cases and/or directly comparing stresses specific to a load case, from the measured values with the aid of a stress file (LCL) of specified unit load cases, and storing them in a working memory. They are assigned in a second arithmetic unit (HSP VSP), in accordance with the comparison stresses determined by the first arithmetic unit (LCID) and/or on the basis of measured data stored in the working memory (FIFO II), after they are resolved in accordingly weighted unit values, utilizing a first memory including two unit load case libraries (TLL, MLL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Reinhold Braschel, Manfred Miksch, Rolf Schiffer
  • Patent number: 4758957
    Abstract: A method and system is described for simultaneously precessing and nutation damping a spinning spacecraft that includes a computer, thrusters for precession and nutation damping and gyros aligned with or parallel to each of three orthogonal axes with the x-axis being the spin axis. The gyro information from three orthogonal axes is used to compute the momentum vector and target vector. The error vector is computed from the computed momentum vector and target vector. When the error vector's component along a given axis orthogonal to the x-axis changes sign, the thrusters are fired to apply corrective torques according to a computed control error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carl H. Hubert, Paul A. Miller
  • Patent number: 4758970
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the spatial position of a reference point relative to a predetermined origin, the reference point being located on an articulated marine loading arm having a plurality of pivotally interconnected fluid conduits forming pivot angles at the interconnections of the conduits, includes segments subtended by the pivot angles and means are provided for sensing lengths of the segments as the loading arm articulates. The sensing means generate electrical signals proportional to the segment lengths and a computer receives the electrical signals and calculates the position of the reference point therefrom based on the known geometry of the loading arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1988
    Assignee: Emco Wheaton, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Keary, Michael J. Mondloch, Renaldo F. Schritt
  • Patent number: 4750129
    Abstract: A method of and an arrangement for controlling a traffic control system comprising at least two measuring points located at a mutual distance along a traffic lane. It is determined whether the speed of a vehicle detected at one of the measuring points is less than a predetermined part of a running weighted average speed of vehicles detected in at least both measuring points. This has, inter alia, the disadvantage that a number of alarm signals are unnecessarily generated, which does not promote safety on the road. To obviate this it is determined at a measuring point, located downstream in the traffic direction, of the two above-mentioned measuring points, whether or not the speed of a vehicle detected there is less than a predetermined part of a running weighted average speed, which is exclusively determined from the vehicle speed detected at the upstream measuring point of these two measuring points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes Hengstmengel, Johannes Vis
  • Patent number: 4750133
    Abstract: A method of validating measurement of a kinetic chemical reaction comprises a first tier of validation to validate the ability of a measurement and detection system to provide accurate data, a second tier of validation to validate the initiation and control of the kinetic chemical reaction and a third tier of validation which verifies first that the expected kinetic chemical reaction has proceeded in a characteristic manner and direction, and second, that parameters of the chemical reaction are within limitations characteristic of the measurement and detection system of a measuring instrument investigating the reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Beckman Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Eiskamp, William M. Blough, Robert T. Bell
  • Patent number: 4748572
    Abstract: The specification describes a way of using distance sorting in order not to require a prioritization of those polygons that are to be rendered prior to a pixel-by-pixel construction of an image. The video processor recalls the input data into the pixel processor at least a number of times equal to the number of objects to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Roy W. Latham
  • Patent number: 4747057
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing enhanced security to the non-volatile memory of an electronic postage meter during power up and power down of the meter is disclosed. The apparatus comprises means for detecting a regulated voltage level of the meter, means for detecting an unregulated voltage level of the meter, means for detecting a predetermined frequency from a system clock associated with the meter and a reset delay circuit responsive to the detected unregulated voltage, detected regulated voltage and the predetermined clock frequency for allowing access to the non-volatile memories if the unregulated voltage level, the regulated level and the clock frequency have reached their appropriate levels and preventing access to the memories otherwise. Through the use of this circuitry the critical accounting information within the memories is protected during the powering up and powering down of the postage meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Peter C. DiGiulio, Warren G. Hafner, Henry Stalzer
  • Patent number: 4742472
    Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for controlling a polymerization reaction. The temperature difference between a target temperature, calculated from the degradation rate of a polymerization initiator, which varies as a function of temperature, and a polymerization reactor temperature is calculated. The difference in polymerization rate between a target polymerization rate previously set and a polymerization rate calculated from a measured heat release value at a certain time in the polymerization process is calculated. The temperature inside the reactor is finely adjusted on the basis of the temperature difference and the difference in polymerization rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruhiko Sugimori, Fumio Suzuki, Naoyuki Fukahori
  • Patent number: 4739492
    Abstract: A dialysis machine has control circuit which detects changes in input water temperature and compensates the water heater. The control circuit detects changes in the conductivity of the dialysate concentrate and compensates the concentrate pump. Changes in supply voltage are detected and the outputs of the several sensors and the inputs to the pumps and heater comensated. The control circuit periodically calibrates the blood leak detector. In each of the feedback loops which service the heater and each of the pumps, the control circuit varies both the loop response time and the loop gain to compensate for changes in the dialysate flow rate. The resolution of the D/A converters which drive the pumps are enhanced by the control circuit by time modulating the LSB of the respective digital drive value. If any of the several sensed operating conditions varies significantly from the expected value, the control circuit terminates dialysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Inventor: Michael J. Cochran
  • Patent number: 4737913
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control system comprises a memory which stores a signal Vr representing desired road speed which is compared in a comparator with a signal Vs representing actual speed. An actuator responds to any error by adjusting the engine to bring the vehicle to the correct speed. Units are provided to enable the driver to increment or decrement the stored desired speed by small amounts (e.g. 0.5 miles per hour). By means of switches, he can switch into the memory either one of two preset desired speed values. He can also modify these present values, by feeding in, instead, the actual road speed of the vehicle, such modified preset values remaining until the engine is next switched off. The system incorporates a "SOFT OFF" feature, by which, under certain switch off modes of the system, the engine power is not shut off abruptly but at a controlled rate. The system is advantageously implemented by means of a microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: AE PLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Blee, Michael D. Cox, Norman P. Deane, Michael Hansford
  • Patent number: 4736330
    Abstract: A low cost vector graphics display processor is capable of being operated by a relatively small processor. Indicia of a predetermined sequence of endpoints defining a figure, and move/draw indicia indicative of connections in the figure between successive endpoints are stored in a coordinate memory. Drive signals for display are generated in accordance with the contents of respective position counters. The contents of current position counters are selectively varied from values corresponding to a second successive endpoint in accordance with the move/draw indicia in a gradual manner to generate drive signals to draw a line between the first and second endpoints or to effect a move on the display without generating a line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Inventor: Joseph J. Capowski
  • Patent number: 4736307
    Abstract: A system for the on-line analysis and topographic display of human brain electrical activity which includes amplifying filtering and converter circuits for generating a plurality of signals, representing electrical activity at a plurality of predetermined data point locations on a patient's head in digital form, a first microprocessor and associated circuits to preprocess the digital signals into a predetermined format, and a second microprocessor and associated topographic map generator forming an image computation and display unit receiving the preprocessed digital signals as inputs from the image computation and display unit the topographic map generator defining a map of a plan or elevation view of the brain containing a plurality of pixel points far in excess of the number of data points and interpolating the digital signals, so as to provide a value for each pixel on the map and providing the pixel information as outputs in synchronism with a horizontal and vertical scan, and a video monitor receiving t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1988
    Assignee: Neuroscience, Inc.
    Inventor: Jesse Salb
  • Patent number: 4734870
    Abstract: An automatic position coordinate determining device comprises a data tablet which has a single magnetostrictive element in which strain waves are induced for determining the position coordinates of a pointer relative to a pair of mutually orthogonal coordinate axes obliquely disposed with respect to the magnetostrictive element. Two mutually orthogonal pluralities of parallel equidistantly spaced electrical conductors form a grid network on the top surface of the tablet. These pluralities of conductors are wrapped around the edge of the tablet and spatially compressed to form respective X and Y conductor grids over opposing quadrants of the tablet bottom surface. A movable pointer travels along the top surface of the tablet while the magnetostrictive element is arranged along the diagonal of the tablet bottom surface. The conductors of the X and Y grids are inductively coupled to the diagonal magnetostrictive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Inventors: Edward J. Snyder, Jamie L. Barbetti
  • Patent number: 4734871
    Abstract: A temperature control apparatus for a heating or cooling apparatus with a temperature sensor, a computer producing a control signal in response to temperature during an operation period and thereafter entering a halt period, a transmitter for sending the control signal to the heating or cooling apparatus and a timer for controlling the computer. The timer is activated by commencement of the operation period to reactivate the computer after a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Tsunoda, Harunobu Nukushina
  • Patent number: 4734873
    Abstract: A method of digital process variable transmitter calibration includes the steps of sensing the process variable (PV) to produce an analog output which is converted to a digital signal representation. The digital signal is corrected by a microprocessor using a characterization equation previously individually developed during a manufacturing testing of the process variable transmitter over a predetermined range of environmental stimuli to ascrtain the coefficients for a polynomial in the form of PV=A.sub.o =A.sub.1 P+A.sub.2 +. . . A.sub.i P.sup.i. Thus, the digital computer produces a process variable representation as a modified digital output. Subsequently, the digital output from the computer is converted to a conventional 4-20 mA analog signal for use as a process control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Malloy, deceased, Arthur M. Olsen
  • Patent number: RE32861
    Abstract: An automatic volatility computer is described as well as a method for automatically determining weight changes in substances containing volatile material. In particular, there is described an apparatus which automatically determines the percentage of volatiles in a substance which contains unknown quantities of polar volatiles such as water or moisture, solvents, plasticizers and the like. The apparatus provides rapid automatic analysis without operator assistance other than the placing of a sample on the automatic balance. In the preferred embodiment, a digital panel meter provides rapid readout coupled with the ability to recall the original weight and the weight obtained after removal of the volatiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignee: CEM Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Collins, Bernard W. Cruse, Jr., Ronald J. Goetchius