Patents Examined by John E. Barlow, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7406388
    Abstract: A method for calibration process management of a calibration testing unit and a plurality of units under test, comprising configuring a user interface in communication with a calibration process management software system, configuring a communications link in communication with the software system, the software system capable of communicating with the calibration testing unit and the plurality of units under test, wherein the software system manages the user interface and the communications link in a manner permitting an operator to calibrate the plurality of units under test. Tracking of the calibrated units under test uses a permanent unique identifier and a dynamic unique identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Southern California Edison
    Inventors: Curtis V. Casto, Kevin C. Sullivan, Laurence E. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7406391
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of determining a drift value is described that includes performing one or more X-axis translations of an excitation beam over a probe array; measuring light responsive to the excitation beam from at least two positional reference elements associated with the probe array for the X-axis translations; calculating a distance value for the X-axis translation using a positional relationship of a known location associated with each of the positional reference elements and positions of the positional reference elements from the measured light; and determining a drift value using a difference between the calculated distance value and an expected distance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Miles
  • Patent number: 7403863
    Abstract: A correlation method for measuring total and fractional flow rates of multiphase immiscible media comprises identifying two control sections along the multiphase flow, and scanning each control section so as to measure fluctuations in the dielectric flow characteristics in each section, the scanning signals for each section comprising rotating high-frequency electric and magnetic fields with one common carrier frequency. The received scanning signals are independently processed so as to identify the peak amplitude-frequency and gain-phase characteristics of the signals, and the results of all measurements are used for calculating the correlation functions. The scanning signals generated by the rotating high-frequency electric field are amplified by means of a normalizing scale factor, and all four scanning signals are additionally processed by a microprocessor. Total and factional flow rates are determined by comparing the measured characteristics with reference characteristics stored in a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sinergia Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrey Drobyshev, Felix Kashin, Inna Kashina, Irina Kashina, Sergey Saraev, Sergey Lastochkin
  • Patent number: 7403875
    Abstract: A signal processing system allows reconstruction of a non-uniformly sampled analog signal including sampling an analog signal at a sampling period of resulting in a quantized non-uniformly sampled signal. The non-uniformly sampled signal includes a sampled signal and an amplitude error between a signal sampled with the equidistant sample period and the non-uniformly sampled signal. A reconstructed amplitude error is determined through the time offset and the non-uniformly sampled signal, and is subtracted from the non-uniformly sampled signal. The signal processing system may be implemented in an electrocardiogram monitoring device or a mobile phone device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christian Vogel, Dieter Draxelmayr
  • Patent number: 7403859
    Abstract: A chromatographic analyzer is provided for facilitating curve fitting by means of the linear least-square method for a chromatogram that contains a plurality of overlapping peaks. The present invention is characterized by a chromatographic data processor for executing data processing of a chromatogram obtained by separating a sample to be measured using a column and detecting the separated sample, wherein fitting processing is executed to each peak in an arbitrary time region having the plurality of peaks of the chromatogram starting from the front side of the time region or from the back side of the time region, and the processed peaks are subtracted from the chromatogram in the time region so that the plurality of peaks in the chromatogram can be separated from one another. Thus, the plurality of overlapping peaks, particularly three or more overlapping peaks in the chromatogram can be easily separated from one another only by defining some setting conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Ito, Kisaburo Deguchi
  • Patent number: 7403869
    Abstract: Reference data observations for given system are used to develop a reference set of such observations. Subsequent observations (comprising, in one embodiment, current observations) are then used to facilitate selection of portions of this reference set to yield a resultant set of observations that serves as a model. This model can then be used in comparison to actual system performance to detect, for example, a trend towards a faulty condition. Pursuant to a preferred approach, the model is recomputed from time to time and, pursuant to a particular embodiment, is recomputed with each new set of current observations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Smartsignal Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan W. Wegerich, Xiao Xu
  • Patent number: 7403854
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing wind farm electricity production values is described. Such an arrangement is useful in providing an indication of potential electricity production values from a test site where there is limited meteorological data available. By associating the test site with a reference site for which there is extended data available, it is possible to utilize the data from the reference site to provide an estimate of future wind conditions and hence the potential wind resource that can be utilized in the production of electricity from that site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Airtricity Holdings Limited
    Inventors: Brian Hurley, Ciaran King
  • Patent number: 7403862
    Abstract: The process measuring device comprises a flow sensor having a measuring tube, a sensor arrangement for producing a measurement signal, and an evaluation and operating circuit. The method serves to compensate for the effects of interfering potentials which are caused especially by foreign particles or air bubbles in the liquid to be measured. For this purpose, an anomaly in the waveform of the measurement signal caused at least in part by an electrical, especially pulse-shaped, interfering potential is detected by determining within a stored first data set a data group which digitally represents the anomaly. To generate an interference-free data set, the data belonging to the data group are removed from the stored first data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thomas Budmiger, Saso Jezernik
  • Patent number: 7403864
    Abstract: A centrally-controlled correlation system for testing a correlation wafer and comparing the testing results with the wafer's reference data that has been determined previously. The testing instructions and the correlation criteria are stored and transmitted from a central database. Such centrally-controlled correlation system improves the reliability of the correlation results and reduces the time to correlate a correlation wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsing Ya Huo, Chung-Lin Hsieh, Tsung-Yu Lee, Yang Yen-Ni
  • Patent number: 7400985
    Abstract: A apparatus 10,110,170 is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a single phase fluid flow and/or multiphase mixture to determine parameters, such as mixture quality, particle size, vapor/mass ratio, liquid/vapor ratio, mass flow rate, enthalpy and volumetric flow rate of the flow in a pipe, by measuring acoustic and/or dynamic pressures. The apparatus includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors 15-18 placed at predetermined axial locations x1-xN disposed axially along the pipe 14. The pressure sensors 15-18 provide acoustic pressure signals P1(t)-PN(t) to a signal processing unit 30 which determines the speed of sound amix propagating through of the process flow 12 flowing in the pipe 14. The pressure sensors are piezoelectric film sensors that are clamped onto the outer surface of the pipe at the respective axial location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Fernald, Michael A. Davis, Alan D. Kersey, Timothy J. Bailey
  • Patent number: 7400976
    Abstract: A system and method of mapping underground utilities and other subsurface objects involves one or more of acquiring utility location data using a number of different detectors and sensors, processing the multiple detector/sensor output data to produce mapping data, storing the mapping data in a database, and providing access to and use of the stored mapping data by subscribing users on a usage fee basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Gary Neal Young, Kevin L. Alft
  • Patent number: 7400999
    Abstract: The invention relates to the determination of the gas pressure in an evacuated thermal insulating board (9) having an insulating core (1) covered by a film (2). The inventive device comprises an assembly, which is integrated between the insulating core and the covering film of the thermal insulating board and which has a body that acts as a heat sink (3) (Al, Co, Fe, ceramic), and the body's thermal conductivity and thermal capacity relative to volume are greater than those of the insulating core. Said assembly also comprises a test layer (4) (0.3 mm nonwoven fabric made of plastic and glass fibers), which is arranged between the heat sink and the covering film and has a defined thermal conductivity that changes according to the gas pressure inside the evacuated thermal insulating board. From the exterior, a sensor device is applied to or pressed against the test device, which is placed inside the evacuated thermal insulating board and which is covered by the covering film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: VA-Q-TEC AG
    Inventor: Roland Caps
  • Patent number: 7400988
    Abstract: Methodologies are disclosed for analyzing periodic jitter is a signal pattern using a continuous time interval analyzer. Sampled signal patterns may be correlated using time interval error calculations to determine start and stop sequences within sampled blocks of signal data while sampling synchronization may be achieved based on time interval calculations or pattern interval error calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Guide Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sassan Tabatabaei
  • Patent number: 7400996
    Abstract: The present invention provides a voltage margin testing system incorporated in an electronic system, such as, a computer system (e.g., a server), having a plurality of components for at least some of which voltage margin testing is required. A voltage margin testing of the invention can include a controller, such as a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), internal to the computer system and a digital voltage adjuster, e.g., a digital potentiometer, that is in communication with the controller. The voltage adjuster can effect generation of one or more test voltages, for example, by varying resistance in a feedback circuitry of a regulator whose output voltage is applied to system components, for application to the components in response to commands from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Inventors: Benjamin Thomas Percer, Naysen Jesse Robertson, Akbar Monfared
  • Patent number: 7398164
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to facilitate the entry of a sensor node and the adoption of a protocol in the existing sensor network system effectively utilizing limited resources of radiocommunication. To achieve the object, the following are provided. A sensor node has a radiocommunication unit that transmits a measured value sensed by a sensor and an identifier of a sensor node as binary measured data. A base station has a radiocommunication controller that receives the measured data from the sensor node, a wire communication controller that transmits the received measured data to a server, a conversion definition information selector that selects conversion definition information corresponding to the identifier included in the measured data out of preset plural conversion definition information and a conversion engine that converts the binary measured data to measured data in a text format based upon the selected conversion definition information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Munoru Ogushi, Keiro Muro, Hiroyuki Ota
  • Patent number: 7398177
    Abstract: A method of calculating an angle of an alignment beam of an alignment system in, for example, a lithographic projection apparatus includes measuring the position of at least two alignment marks. These two alignment marks are manufactured on a measurement substrate or they can be arranged on a reference on a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus itself. The second mark is covered by a transparent plate. Then, the position of the two marks is measured using the alignment system. Due to refraction of the alignment beam in the transparent plate, the alignment beam is shifted when returning to the alignment system. The shift of the alignment beam results in a deviated measured position of the second mark. This shift can be calculated because the distance between the two marks is known. The shift is used to calculate the angle of the alignment beam. The angle can be used to improve a FTBA error verification method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Erik Marie Jose Smeets, Fransiscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen, Geoffrey Norman Phillipps
  • Patent number: 7398187
    Abstract: System that automatically captures, processes, archives, reports on and distributes data for any computerized equipment at a facility. A single data repository is provided so any authorized user connected to the company/facility network can query secure data. Once data is collected it is batched or grouped according to user-defined rules. A batch is given a distinct number to identify the data. Data is automatically analyzed in near real-time utilizing user-defined modeling code. This code can be simple or complex as needed to compare the batch data against an ideal model. Users can view or trend data and access reports including adding electronic signatures. Additional process information such as standard operating procedures and cycle descriptions may be uploaded and attached to a batch. Any action a user performs that creates, modifies or deletes data in the data repository is audited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Inventor: Lance David Tinseth
  • Patent number: 7398183
    Abstract: A medication management system (MMS) includes a medication management unit (MMU) associated with a medical device. The MMU downloads a medication order to the medical device only if information from a first input matches information from a second input. The medical device receives delivery information only from the MMU. The medication order is performed only after delivery data validation. The MMU also determines drug-drug incompatibility. The MMU can modulate (start, stop, and dynamically adjust) medication order performance. The medical device wirelessly receives a patient ID to automatically associate with the patient. During delivery, the medical device caches an updated drug library to replace an existing one. The medical device displays a patient picture for validation. The MMU evaluates the performance of medical devices and caregivers based medical device feedback. The MMU adjusts the output of medical device information conveyed to a caregiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Hospira, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey N. Holland, Patrick B. Keely, Jeff Pelletier, Charles P. Moran, John W. Huang, Marwan Fathallah, Martin A. McNeela
  • Patent number: 7395181
    Abstract: Tracking a motion of a body by obtaining two types of measurements associated with the motion of the body, one of the types including acoustic measurement. An estimate of either an orientation or a position of the body is updated based on one of the two types of measurement, for example based on inertial measurement. The estimate is then updated based on the other of the two types of measurements, for example based on acoustic ranging. The invention also features determining range measurement to selected reference devices that are fixed in the environment of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Eric M. Foxlin
  • Patent number: 7395187
    Abstract: Disclosed is an autonomic abnormality detection device having a plurality of agents, a server with a one or more processors, a data storage device and a corrective actions engine. The device is adapted to detect and diagnose abnormalities in system components. Particularly, the device uses agents to track performance/workload measurements of system components and dynamically compiles a history of those performance/workload measurements for each component. In order to detect abnormalities a processor compares current performance/workload measurements for a component to the compiled histories for that component and for other components. The processor can further be adapted to determine possible causes of a detected abnormality and to report the abnormality, including the possible causes, to a corrective actions engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Linda M. Duyanovich, Juan C. Gomez, Kristal T. Pollack, Sandeep M. Uttamchandani