Patents Examined by Felix Suarez
  • Nonlinear variable lag smoother
    Patent number: 8433544
    Abstract: An extended Kalman filter (EKF) is combined with a fixed epoch smoother (FES) to produce a new variable lag smoother (VLS). The fixed epoch lags EKF measurement time-tags with variable time lag. The combination of EKF and FES is referred to herein as a variable lag smoother (VLS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Analytical Graphics Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wright, James William Woodburn
  • Network test conflict checking
    Patent number: 8417478
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method for network test conflict checking. The method may be performed by a network testing system and may be implemented as software. The method may include receiving user selected test features and user selected hardware for a network test. When receiving user selected features, incompatible features are made unselectable by reference to a feature database. A compatibility check is performed by referring to a hardware database and a feature database. Suggestive corrective changes may be provided to a user or automatically made to the selected features and/or selected hardware. The network test is written to hardware when the compatibility test is successful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ixia
    Inventors: Noah Gintis, Alok Srivastava, Victor Alston
  • Battery life estimation
    Patent number: 8407018
    Abstract: A method of estimating battery lifetime includes monitoring a charge characteristic of a battery during a first time period, monitoring an operating condition of the battery, determining a first battery life value for the first time period based on the operating condition of the battery, the charge characteristic, and a duration of the first time period, determining an overall battery life value using the first battery life value and a second battery life value for a second time period, and estimating a remaining battery lifetime for the battery based on the overall battery life value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin White, Daniel C. Cohen
  • Tester, method for testing a device under test and computer program
    Patent number: 8401812
    Abstract: A tester for testing a device under test has a first channel unit and a second channel unit. The first channel unit has a corresponding first pin connection for a signal from a device under test, a corresponding first test processor adapted to process, at least partially, data obtained from the first pin connection, and a corresponding first memory coupled with the first test processor and adapted to store data provided by the first test processor. The first channel unit is adapted to transfer at least a part of the data obtained from the first pin connection to the second channel unit as transfer data. The second channel unit has a corresponding second test processor adapted to process, at least partly, the transfer data from the first channel unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Advantest (Singapore) Pte Ltd
    Inventor: Martin Schmitz
  • Monitoring virtual worlds to detect events and determine their type
    Patent number: 8386211
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture are provided for detecting events based upon population density as a function of time and geographic location. Flow of population enables continuous movement to be distinguished from non-continuous movement. Accordingly, various types of events where people are gathering may be determined based upon the population flow and density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Megumi Nakamura, Mika Saito, Shoko Suzuki
  • Thermal powerline rating and clearance analysis using thermal imaging technology
    Patent number: 8374821
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to acquire direct thermal measurements, for example, from a LiDAR collecting vehicle or air vessel, of an overhead electrical conductor substantially simultaneous with collection of 3-dimensional location data of the conductor, and utilize temperature information derived from the direct thermal measurements in line modeling, line rating, thermal line analysis, clearance analysis, and/or vegetation management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Utility Risk Management Corporation, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Robert Rousselle, Vesa Johannes Lepppanen, Kevin Brzys, Hugh Andrew Clymer, Dawn Marie Smith
  • Low-power and low-cost adaptive self-linearization system with fast convergence
    Patent number: 8370113
    Abstract: A signal processing method includes inputting a digital signal, providing a plurality of coefficients; and determining an output. The output is approximately equal to an aggregate of a plurality of linear reference components, and each of the linear reference components is approximately equal to an aggregate of a corresponding set of digital signal samples that is scaled by the plurality of coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Netlogic Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy G. Batruni
  • Method for determining when to perform a test of an overspeed protection system of a powerplant machine
    Patent number: 8370100
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention have the technical effect of determining when to test an overspeed protection system of a powerplant machine. As described herein, embodiments of the present invention may be applied to a wide variety of powerplant machines, each comprising a shaft. After determining that test of the overspeed protection system should be performed, embodiments of the present invention may allow for a variety of methods to test the overspeed protection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frederick William Block, Richard Lee Nichols, Joseph Robert Law, Bret Stephen Dalton, George Allen Ellis
  • Junction-photovoltage method and apparatus for contactless determination of sheet resistance and leakage current of semiconductor
    Patent number: 8364428
    Abstract: A junction-photovoltage method and apparatus for contactless determination of an electrical/physical parameter of a semiconductor structure having at least one p-n junction located at a surface is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes illuminating the surface with the p-n junction with a light beam of a first wavelength to create excess carriers at the surface. The method also includes modulating the light intensity of the light beam at a single predefined frequency. The method also includes determining a first photo-voltage at a first position inside the illuminated area and a second photo-voltage at at least a second position outside the illuminated area. The method also includes calculating an electrical/physical parameter of the semiconductor structure based on the first and second photo-voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Frederic Schaus, Trudo Clarysse
  • 9-term calibration method for network analyzers
    Patent number: 8340935
    Abstract: A network analyzer contains a processing device, at least one signal generator and at least four measuring points. The processing device controls the signal generator and processes measured values picked up from the measuring points. The network analyzer implements several calibration measurements on calibration standards, before it implements measurements on a device under test. The network analyzer implements the calibration measurements using the measuring points. The processing device determines error matrices on the basis of the results of the calibration measurements. The network analyzer implements measurements on the device using simultaneously, exactly three measuring points. The processing device determines measured values in each case of a fourth measuring point on the basis of the calibration measurements and the measured values of the three measuring points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Leibfritz, Werner Held
  • Measurement apparatus
    Patent number: 8326567
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes an elastic detector configured to detect an elastic wave by utilizing photoacoustic tomography and to convert the elastic wave into a detection signal, and a signal processor configured to calculate an absorption characteristic of a heterogeneous part included in a homogeneous part of a scattering medium based on ?a=2P(z)/(??(z)) where ?a is the absorption coefficient at distance z from the light source, P(z) is the pressure of the elastic wave at distance z, ? is a Grüneisen coefficient, and ?(z) is the light intensity at the position of the heterogeneous part, the signal processor obtaining the light intensity by approximating a signal component derived from the homogeneous part separated from a signal component derived from the heterogeneous part in the scattering medium by utilizing the detection signal output from the elastic wave detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Masumura
  • Remotely reconfigurable system for mapping subsurface geological anomalies
    Patent number: 8321160
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting and transmitting geophysical data from a plurality of electrodes inserted into the soil utilizing a set of identical dynamically reconfigurable voltage control units located on each electrode and connected together by a communications and power cable. A test sequence is provided in each voltage control unit. Each voltage control unit records data measurements for transmission to a central data collector. Each voltage control unit incorporates and determines its positional relationship to other voltage control units by logging when the unit is attached to the electrode. Each voltage control unit I equipped with a magnetic switch for detecting when they are in contact with the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Bryant Consultants, Inc.
    Inventors: John Bryant, H. Michael Willey, Guenter H. Lehmann, Arash Tom Salamat, Michael Edgar, Jerry Leopold
  • System for monitoring and diagnosing remote devices
    Patent number: 8306782
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a monitoring/diagnostic apparatus is provided, which is designed for use in a system for monitoring and diagnosing a plurality of object devices. The monitoring/diagnostic apparatus has an agent management module and a diagnostic module. The agent management module is configured to manage agents for collecting operation data of an object device. The diagnostic module uses the operation data collected, thereby to diagnose a problem in the objective device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kimito Idemori, Yoshikazu Ooba, Katsuhiro Sumi
  • Platform specific test for computing hardware
    Patent number: 8296092
    Abstract: A platform specific test for computing hardware and method using same, wherein the method supplies a plurality of test procedures, and provides a computing device to be evaluated, where the computing device comprises (M) physical objects. The method identifies, for each value of (i), an (i)th physical object disposed in the computing device. The method then determines, for each value of (i), if the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object. If, for each value of (i), the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more (i)th test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object, then the method adds, as one or more (i)th test procedures, the one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object to a test algorithm, and saves that test algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Auburn Rose, Christopher James Scholl
  • System for testing performance of array ultrasound transducer
    Patent number: 8296082
    Abstract: A performance inspection system for an array ultrasound transducer includes: a driver for selectively applying an electric signal to all or some parts of constituent channels of the array ultrasound transducer; an acoustic power measurement unit for measuring an ultrasound acoustic power emitted from individual channels receiving the same voltage from the driver; a radiation conductance conversion unit for measuring a voltage signal applied to each channel although the driver applies different voltages to the individual channels, and converting the measured voltage into an ultrasound acoustic power acquired when the same voltage is applied to the channels; and a channel uniformity estimation unit for estimating uniformity of the acoustic power value acquired by the radiation conductance conversion unit or uniformity of acoustic power values of the individual channels measured under the same voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
    Inventors: Yong-tae Kim, Moon-jae Jho, Sung-soo Jung, Ho-chul Kim, Yong-hyeon Yun
  • System and method for well surveillance and management
    Patent number: 8296100
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for managing well assets. The method includes the steps of determining “first tier” statuses corresponding to pre-defined well attributes, mapping the first tier statuses to one or more well performance classifications, determining “second tier” statuses corresponding to the well classifications, and combining the second tier statuses to determine an overall well surveillance status. The method and corresponding system can be used to manage wells by exception, to readily identify “under-performing” wells, and to prioritize actions to be taken by well operators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Adriaan Schipperijn, Ana Olga Simonato
  • System and method for interpolative calibration
    Patent number: 8285492
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for calibrating emission data or other information signals collected during a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), amplification reaction, assay, process, or other reaction. Calibration of multiple detectable materials can be achieved during a single cycle or run, or during a plurality of runs of the reaction. A reading from every well, container, or other support region of a sample support does not have to be taken. Interpolation can be used to determine values for emission data or other information signals that were not taken, or are unknown, using detected emission data, or other detected information signals. By calibrating the detected emission data and the interpolated data, a more accurate reading of emission data or information signal can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Biosystems, LLC
    Inventor: Stephen J. Gunstream
  • System and method for filtering temperature profiles of a wheel
    Patent number: 8280675
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a rail vehicle includes receiving signals representative of temperatures of a wheel of the rail vehicle and generating a sensed wheel temperature profile of the wheel based on the signals. At least a portion of the sensed wheel temperature profile is representative of the temperatures of the wheel. The method also includes identifying waveform attributes in the sensed wheel temperature profile and designating the sensed wheel temperature profile as at least one of a typical wheel profile and an atypical wheel profile based on the waveform attributes in the sensed wheel temperature profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corp
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Church, Donald Arndt
  • Thermal powerline rating and clearance analysis using local thermal sensor
    Patent number: 8275570
    Abstract: A method for modeling of an overhead electrical conductor, includes: collecting 3-dimensional location data of the conductor; substantially simultaneous with said collecting, acquiring a thermal measurement of the conductor with a local thermal sensor; and generating a CAD model of the conductor using the collected 3-dimensional location data of the conductor and the thermal measurement of the conductor. The CAD model facilitates thermal line analysis of the conductor, thermal rating of a power line that includes the conductor, clearance analysis relative to the conductor, and vegetation management relative to the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Utility Risk Management Corporation, LLC
    Inventor: Adam Robert Rousselle
  • Testing state retention logic in low power systems
    Patent number: 8271226
    Abstract: A method of testing an Integrated Circuit (IC) includes: loading a sequence of data into a chain of circuit elements that hold data values, where outputs of at least some circuit elements are connected to inputs of adjacent circuit elements so values move sequentially through the chain between a chain input for loading values and a chain output for unloading values, and a first circuit element includes a retention element for saving values during power variations related to the IC. The method further includes: saving a value from the data sequence in the retention element; and accessing the retention element for verifying an accuracy of the saved value from the data sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishna Chakravadhanula, Patrick Gallagher, Vivek Chickermane, Steven L. Gregor, Puneet Arora