Patents Examined by John Breene
  • Patent number: 9896930
    Abstract: Well production rate, injection rate and pressure data are measured in an existing reservoir using in situ real time measurement gauges. Production and injection rates are entered as input to a history match model in a data processing system. Measures of projected reservoir pressure with time are generated by running the updated history match model using a reservoir simulator. Actual reservoir data values obtained at a given date or time slice from reservoir production are compared with projected data obtained from the reservoir simulator for that same date or time slice. At each time slice, the real-time pressure values measured at the wellbore are converted into reservoir pressures through a well model. The real time reservoir pressure values and the projected reservoir pressure are then used to interpolate the reservoir pressure array over the entire three dimensions using a geostatistical modeling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Omar A. Al-Nahdi, Sami A. Alnuaim, Alan L. Siu, Ahmad Tariq Al-Shammari
  • Patent number: 9897582
    Abstract: Methods and systems for failure prediction using analysis of oil or other lubricant. Raw data about feature(s) of each of a plurality of particles filtered from a fluid sample are used to categorize each particle into one of a plurality of categories, each category being defined by one or more of: chemical composition, size and morphology. Particle physical characteristics in each category are quantified to obtain a set of categorized data. The categorized data are compared with historical data. Results of the comparing are evaluated to generate a prediction of any failure or mechanism of failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Maurice Jean, Daniel Meilleur
  • Patent number: 9891260
    Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Satsuo Kiyono, Eiji Ohno, Masahiro Uemura
  • Patent number: 9891259
    Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Satsuo Kiyono, Eiji Ohno, Masahiro Uemura
  • Patent number: 9891538
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a process window for a process performed on a specimen are provided. In general, the embodiments preferentially sample locations in an instance of at least a portion of a device formed on a specimen at a value of a parameter of a process performed on the specimen that is closest to an edge of a determined process window for the process. If defects are detected at the sampled locations, then the sampling may be performed again but for a different instance of the device formed at a value of the parameter that is closer to nominal than the previously used value. When no defects are detected at the sampled locations, then the sampling may be ended, and the determined process window may be modified based on the value of the parameter corresponding to the instance of the device in which no defects were detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventor: Martin Plihal
  • Patent number: 9885674
    Abstract: A method for characterizing nature of a material, including: providing at least one sample of the material between an X-ray source and a detector; using the X-ray source to make N X-radiation spectra transmitted through the material, each for a time; calculating transmission function of the material as a function of energy or the detection channel; and in each of at least two energy zones, calculating the integral of the transmission function, thus forming at least a first transmission coefficient and a second transmission coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Patrice Ouvrier-Buffet, Guillaume Beldjoudi, Veronique Rebuffel, Jean Rinkel
  • Patent number: 9877667
    Abstract: Methods and systems may provide for estimating falls risk based on inertial sensor data collected during a Five Times Sit-to-Stand (FTSS) test. In an embodiment, a classifier model may be trained with inertial sensor data collected from a sample of people performing the FTSS test and their self-reported falls history. In an embodiment, one or more features related to steadiness or smoothness of the person's movement may be calculated. In an embodiment, one or more features related to timing of the FTSS test, such as a total time taken to complete the FTSS test or to complete individual sit-stand-sit (SSS) phases of the test, may be calculated. In an embodiment, supervised pattern recognition techniques may train the classifier model to classify a person as being likely to fall or not being likely to fall based on FTSS-related feature values collected from that person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CARE INNOVATIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Emer P. Doheny
  • Patent number: 9879530
    Abstract: Selecting hydrocarbon wells for well testing. The selecting may include identifying hydrocarbon wells whose last well test took place prior to a predetermined date; identifying hydrocarbon wells with a parameter that exceeds a predetermined threshold; and selecting a predetermined number of hydrocarbon wells from the wells identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carlos M. LopezGarcia, Alvin S. Cullick, Giuseppe Moricca, Gustavo A. Carvajal, Jose A. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9874628
    Abstract: A system is provided including a first elongated object proximate a first surface on a first side of a structure and a second elongated object proximate a second surface on a second side of the structure, the second surface and the second side opposite the structure relative to the first surface and the first side, the first object aligned with the second object at a first point on the first surface. The system also includes a first plurality of corner cubes affixed to the first object at first known distances from each other and from the first point, wherein the first object abuts the first surface at the first point. The system also includes a second plurality of corner cubes affixed to the second object at second known distances from each other and from the first point, wherein the second object abuts second surface at second point opposite first point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: John Willard Dorsey-Palmateer, Michael Richard Kennedy
  • Patent number: 9869063
    Abstract: A method for paving a surface includes identifying the location of a first paving machine in a stringless paving train relative to a reference point and sending instructions to the first paving machine according to a road profile. The method further includes identifying the location of a second paving machine in a stringless paving train relative to the reference point and sending instructions to the second paving machine according to the road profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GOMACO Corporation
    Inventors: Mark W. Brenner, Raymond J. Bumann, III
  • Patent number: 9869548
    Abstract: A method for determining the inclination of a tower, in particular of a wind turbine, in relation to the gravitational field, by evaluating the output signal from an acceleration sensor configured to pick up static acceleration in the direction of a sensor measurement axis, which method is simple to use and can be carried out on any wind turbines. It is proposed that the acceleration sensor is attached to a component, preferably to a main frame, which can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the tower in an azimuth angular range of at least 180°, such that the sensor measurement axis is oriented substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the component, the output signals, in the case of various azimuth angles, being successively measured and recorded by rotating the component between measurements, the inclination being determined by evaluation of the series of measurements obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GL Garrad Hassan Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Nils Heining
  • Patent number: 9869624
    Abstract: An apparatus (and method) for characterizing interfacial tension between a non-wetting phase fluid and a wetting phase fluid of a slug flow employs a capillary structure that is configured to contain a slug of the non-wetting phase fluid of the slug flow. The slug has a leading edge meniscus and a trailing edge meniscus, and the capillary structure has a venturi-like section. A pressure sensor is configured to measure differential pressure between first and second locations of the capillary structure. The first location is disposed upstream of the leading edge meniscus of the slug with the leading edge meniscus of the slug contained within the venturi-like section. The second location is disposed downstream of the trailing edge meniscus of the slug. Data processing means is configured to derive a measure of interfacial tension based upon the differential pressure measured by the pressure sensor and, optionally, geometry of the capillary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Geza Horvath Szabo, John Ratulowski, Dmitry Eskin
  • Patent number: 9869645
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that reduce the amount of data that is transferred among the components of the system. In one embodiment, the testing system comprises a scanner device such as a computed-tomography (CT) scanner that generates a volumetric representation of a part-under-inspection. The testing system is further configured to identify a region of interest in the volumetric representation, wherein the region of interest may correspond to an area of the part-under-inspection where a defect or flaw may form. The testing system may further format the data of the volumetric representation so the resulting formatted volumetric representation comprises less data than the original volumetric representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ingo Stuke, Til Florian Guenzler, Michael Wuestenbecker, Andreas Beyer
  • Patent number: 9865512
    Abstract: Methods and systems for dynamic design attributes for wafer inspection are provided. One method includes, at run time of a wafer inspection recipe, prompting a user of a wafer inspection tool on which the wafer inspection recipe is performed for information for a design based binning (DBB) process. The information includes one or more formulae for calculating design attributes from a design for a wafer. The design attributes are used to bin the defects in the DBB process. The method also includes performing inspection of a wafer according to an updated wafer inspection recipe. Performing the inspection includes binning defects detected on the wafer according to the DBB process in the updated wafer inspection recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Thirupurasundari Jayaraman, Raghav Babulnath
  • Patent number: 9860708
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a driver is provided. The method includes receiving and analyzing GPS data identifying locations of GPS enabled devices of a plurality of users. A group of users are determined to be located within a specified proximity to each other based on the analysis. The group of users are determined, based on an altitude, velocity, and a vector of the group of users, to be located within a vehicle. A position and role for each user with respect to the vehicle is determined. Selected functions of each GPS enabled device are controlled based on each role.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa M. Chavez, Rhonda L. Childress, David B. Kumhyr, Michael J. Spisak
  • Patent number: 9857273
    Abstract: A misfire detecting apparatus is provided wherein a misfire is detected based on a rotational speed parameter indicative of a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine. An average change amount of the rotational speed parameter in a first predetermined period and an inertia speed changing component which is generated with rotation of the engine are calculated, and a first corrected rotational speed parameter is calculated by correcting the rotational speed parameter according to the average change amount and the inertia speed changing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Hozumi, Masaaki Nagashima, Kiyonari Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9851698
    Abstract: A process variable transmitter provides an output representing a process variable. The process variable transmitter includes a process variable sensor that provides an analog sensor signal representing a process variable, an analog to digital converter that receives the analog sensor signal from the process variable sensor and converts it to digital sensor signal values, and a compensation processor. The compensation processor calculates, in a first mode, a compensated process variable value at a first slow rate. The compensation processor calculates a compensation factor relating the compensated process variable value to an initial digital sensor signal value. The compensation processor calculates, in a second mode, a process variable estimate as a function of an updated digital sensor signal value and the compensation factor. The process variable estimate is calculated at a second rate faster than the slow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter E. Allstrom, Jeff Stewart
  • Patent number: 9852956
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide systems, computer program products and computer implemented methods. In some embodiments, a system includes a computer-implemented method of determining a laterally diffuse dopant profile in semiconductor structures by providing first and second semiconductor structures having plurality of gate array structures in a silicided region separated from each other by a first distance and second distance. A potential difference is applied across the plurality of gate array structures and resistances are determined. A linear-regression fit is performed on measured resistance versus the first distance and the second distance with an extrapolated x equals 0 and a y-intercept to determine a laterally diffused dopant-profile under the plurality of gate array structures based on a semiconductor device model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Lyndon Ronald Logan, Edward J. Nowak, Robert R. Robison, Jonathan K. Winslow
  • Patent number: 9846197
    Abstract: A battery control IC includes a voltage measurement unit that measures, in a normal current mode, a voltage value of each of a plurality of unit battery cells forming a battery pack, and measures, in a short-time large-current mode, a voltage value of a unit battery cell that has exhibited a lowest voltage value in the normal current mode, and a calculation unit that calculates an available power value of the battery pack in the short-time large-current mode based on a voltage value, measured in the short-time large-current mode, of the unit battery cell that has exhibited the lowest voltage value in the normal current mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nagato, Hiromasa Takahashi, Masaki Komatsu, Kenta Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9843493
    Abstract: The measuring system comprises a measuring device and a device under test (9). This measuring device comprises a high-frequency processing unit (11), which is embodied to receive high-frequency signals from the device under test (9) and/or to transmit high-frequency signals to the device under test (9) via a first connection (5). The measuring system further comprises a test-software server unit (12), which is embodied to supply test-software to the device under test (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Uwe Baeder, Holger Jauch, Ingo Gruber