Patents Examined by John M Royston
  • Patent number: 11867658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oxygen probe for a furnace. The oxygen probe includes an elongate outer conductor and an inner conductor within the outer conductor. An oxygen sensor is in electrical connection with the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The oxygen probe further includes a seal arrangement for receiving the inner conductor and maintaining a seal to a reference chamber during movement of the conductors owing to heat from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ceramic Oxide Fabricators Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Peter Crowhurst
  • Patent number: 11867546
    Abstract: A system includes upstream process equipment and downstream process equipment. The upstream process equipment is configured to transmit a predetermined fluid to the downstream process equipment. A manually operated valve fluidly couples the upstream process equipment to the downstream process equipment. A removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter is coupled to piping downstream from the manually operated valve. A control system is coupled to the manually operated valve and the removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter. The control system determines an optimum time and speed to actuate the manually operated valve using a predictive model based on a valve size of the manually operated valve, a valve age of the manually operated valve, fluid type, a criticality index of the manually operated valve, a measured flow rate from the removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter, and corresponding coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Mishal Alsaiari, Abdulaziz Moshaweh, Mohammed A. Batouq
  • Patent number: 11857775
    Abstract: A fluid flow system and a method for detecting air bubble and liquid are provided. The fluid flow system comprises a force sensor configured to monitor at least one of an air bubble or an occlusion in a flow tube. The fluid flow system comprises a controller to execute the method. The controller is configured to monitor an output signal of a force sensor of the fluid flow system, and the output signal comprises an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component, and detect a change in the output signal to a new output signal based on a number of transitions to the new output signal, and a time duration of the new output signal. The controller compares the change in the output signal with one of a predefined number of transitions or a predefined time and determines a new threshold when the change in the output signal exceeds one of the predefined number of transitions or the predefined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Kuna V S R Kishore, Abhishek Joshi, Kumaran S Narasimhan, Kaligaselvi Lenin, Manjunatha Hm, Varun Thakurta, Sudheer Beligere Sreeramu
  • Patent number: 11860011
    Abstract: A magnetic insertion meter is disclosed herein. Disclosed insertion meters include in some examples, a sensor head tube cylinder having a textured front surface and at least two electrodes. Disclosed insertion meters include a textured front surface adapted to move the separation point of a fluid flowing over the sensor head tube towards the upstream surface as compared to the same sensor head tube without the textured front surface. Methods of measuring flow are also disclosed herein using example magnetic insertion meters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ONICON INC.
    Inventors: William S. Valentine, Michael Upham, Kevin Holler, Adam Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11860137
    Abstract: Described is a method for detecting the presence of natural hydrocarbon compounds in drilling cuttings. The method includes introducing a chemical standard to an oil-based drilling fluid, producing a tagged drilling fluid. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) is used to determine a concentration of hydrocarbon compounds in the tagged drilling fluid, which corresponds to a first hydrocarbon signal. The tagged drilling fluid is circulated in a borehole during drilling, and the drilling cuttings mixed with the tagged drilling fluid are recovered. Hydrocarbon compounds are then extracted from the drilling cuttings. GC-MS is used to determine a concentration of hydrocarbon compounds present in the drilling cuttings that were mixed with the tagged drilling fluid, which corresponds to a second hydrocarbon signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Ibrahim Atwah
  • Patent number: 11860065
    Abstract: A method for leak testing includes a leak testing step and a reference leak step. In the leak testing step, a hollow work 20 as a test object is encapsulated in a work capsule 11. A test pressure is supplied to the work capsule 11 through a path 2a connected to the work capsule. A variation of pressure inside the work capsule 11 is detected in a condition in which the path 2a is shut-off, and a judgment is made whether a leakage through the work is generated based on the detected output. In the reference leak step, a reference leak device 30 having a known pinhole 31a is mounted on a work 20? for reference leakage that is same as the work 20 as the test object. The work 20? for reference leakage is encapsulated in the work capsule 11. The test pressure is supplied to the work capsule 11 via the path 2a, and a reference leakage is generated in the work 20? for reference leakage via the reference leak device 30 in a condition in which the path 2a is shut-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUKUDA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mao Hirata, Tsutomu Hara, Naoto Izumo, Masaharu Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11852521
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vibration sensor including a piezoelectric substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode that are arranged on the piezoelectric substrate, an amplifier electrically connected between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a solid medium having a first surface part in contact with the piezoelectric substrate, and a second surface part disposed opposite to the first surface part and used for contact with a target substance, the solid medium having a sound speed lower than the phase speed of a plate wave in the piezoelectric substrate, in which an oscillation loop includes the piezoelectric substrate, the first electrode, the second electrode, the amplifier, and the solid medium, and a vibration of the target substance is detected as a result of variation in the loop length of the oscillation loop in response to the vibration of the target substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonori Kimura, Rokuzo Hara
  • Patent number: 11841262
    Abstract: By implementing a monitoring system to a fluid meter set, the meter set can be monitored for abnormalities including fluid leaks or other system failures as well as gas blend or gas density. A monitoring system that uses sensors such as vibration sensors can detect fluid leaks or other system failures based on abnormal conditions such as vibrations of the meter set. Sensors may be positioned at various locations along the meter set where leakage of fluids or other system failures may be possible. Sensory information detected by sensors are communicated to processing or control unit which can trigger an alarm signaling unit alerting of a potential fluid leak. Such a system of monitoring the integrity of a fluid meter set can help to quickly identify and respond to a fluid leak without necessarily relying on visual or olfactory cues associated with the fluid being leaked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROMET LIMITED
    Inventors: Frederick Joseph Maly, Jr., Mohammadreza Soudmand-Asli
  • Patent number: 11841252
    Abstract: A method for determining conductivity of a medium includes: generating a signal with first and second frequencies; feeding the signal to first and second electrodes; determining a first voltage between the first and second electrodes, a first current through the medium for the first frequency, and a first impedance from the first voltage and first current; determining a second voltage between the first and second electrodes, a second current through the medium for the second frequency, and a second impedance from the second voltage and second current; determining and comparing phases of the first and second impedances; determining a medium resistance with a first formula when the first impedance phase is smaller than the second impedance phase; determining a medium resistance with a second formula when the first impedance phase is equal to or greater than the second impedance phase; and determining conductivity of the medium using the medium resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventors: Helmut Brockhaus, Markus Dabrowski
  • Patent number: 11841257
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring wet gas using a Coriolis flow meter is provided. An apparatus embodiment includes a Coriolis meter, a DP meter, and a processing unit. The processing unit is in communication with the Coriolis and DP meters, and a memory storing instructions. The executed instructions cause the processing unit to: a) measure a density of the fluid flow using the Coriolis meter; b) determine a measure of gas wetness of the fluid flow using the measured density, an expected gas density value, and an equation of state model; c) determine a differential pressure measurement across the Coriolis meter; d) determine an over-reading of the differential pressure measurement; e) determine a mass flow rate of gas using the determined over-reading; and f) determine a mass flow rate of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: EXPRO METERS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel L Gysling, Gabriel Dragnea
  • Patent number: 11841344
    Abstract: An ultrasonic dry coupled wheel probe with radial transducers emit ultrasound in substantially all radial directions relative to a longitudinal axis. The probe does not require normalization and is efficient in directing ultrasound to a surface being inspected. The probe has a wheel composed of rubber or other materials for acoustically dry coupling the transducer to the surface. A first transducer is composed of a piezoelectric material so that the transducer receives an electrical signal, vibrates, and generates and transmits sound, such as ultrasound. Similarly, a second transducer receives sound such as ultrasound, vibrates, and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The transducer arrangement both transmits ultrasound to the surface and receives the reflection of the ultrasound from the surface. An acoustic barrier separates the transmitting component from the receiving component. The transducer has annular electroplates adjacent to the piezoelectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Fadl Abdellatif, Sahejad Patel
  • Patent number: 11835374
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a sensor that includes a first axial sensor housing portion having a first cross-sectional area, a second axial sensor housing portion arranged adjacent to the first axial sensor housing portion along the sensor axis and having a second cross-sectional area larger than the first cross-sectional area, and a face extending from the interior surface of the first axial sensor housing portion to the interior surface of the second axial sensor housing portion, a first buffer rod within the first axial sensor housing portion and having a first axial end and a second axial end, a second buffer rod within the second axial sensor housing portion and abutting the face, and having a third axial end and a fourth axial end, and an acoustic transceiver element acoustically mated to the second axial end and the third axial end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan Loren Loos, Gregory Warren Pulley, Brian Lynn Swope
  • Patent number: 11828633
    Abstract: The present invention provides a measurement apparatus 1 including: a detection unit 2 configured to detect a pressure according to a shape change of a tubular structure whose shape changes according to a supplied amount of a liquid that flows therein; a time specification unit 3 configured to specify, based on the pressure detected by the detection unit 2, a supply time during which the liquid was supplied; and a supplied amount calculation unit 4 configured to calculate a supplied amount of the liquid based on the supply time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kousuke Ishida
  • Patent number: 11815048
    Abstract: A turbofan gas turbine engine having a bypass duct, and a bypass airflow measurement system. The bypass airflow measurement system comprises: at least one acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic waveform across the bypass duct of the gas turbine engine though which a bypass airflow passes to at least one acoustic receiver; where the at least one acoustic transmitter and the at least one acoustic receiver are located on an axial plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bypass flow. A method of measuring bypass airflow properties of a turbofan gas turbine engine is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Vasileios Kyritsis, Maurice Bristow, Peter Loftus
  • Patent number: 11813199
    Abstract: In some examples, a distributed acoustic detector system may include a frame structure and multiple acoustic detectors. The frame structure may be configured to be retained in a laser-based ophthalmo-logical surgical system aligned to an eye of a patient during therapeutic treatment of the eye of the patient with the laser-based ophthalmological surgical system. The acoustic detectors may be coupled to the frame structure and may be spaced apart from each other and electrically separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventors: Dayan Ban, Mordehai Margalit, Taeho Ha
  • Patent number: 11815492
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to built-in self-testing (BIST) of circuitry (e.g., a pulser or receive circuitry) and/or transducers in an ultrasound device. A BIST circuit may include a transconductance amplifier coupled between a pulser and receive circuitry, a capacitor network coupled between a pulser and receive circuitry, and/or a current source couplable to the input terminal of receive circuitry to which a transducer is also couplable. The collapse voltages of transducers may be characterized using BIST circuitry, and a bias voltage may be applied to the membranes of the transducers based at least in part on their collapse voltages. The capacitances of transducers may also be measured using BIST circuitry and a notification may be generated based on the sets of measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Chao Chen, Youn-Jae Kook, Jihee Lee, Kailiang Chen, Leung Kin Chiu, Joseph Lutsky, Nevada J. Sanchez, Sebastian Schaetz, Hamid Soleimani
  • Patent number: 11788881
    Abstract: A detection sensor according to an aspect of the invention includes a vibratable film constituted by a piezoelectric film, a case accommodating the vibratable film, and a circuit board. The vibratable film is configured to be irradiated with infrared rays and thereby generate first electric signals through a pyroelectric effect, and configured to be vibrated by sound waves and thereby generate second electric signals through a piezoelectric effect. The case includes a transmissive part. The transmissive part is configured to transmit at least infrared rays and disposed on one side in a first direction relative to the vibratable film to face the vibratable film. The first direction is a thickness direction of the vibratable film. The circuit board is fixed to the case and disposed on the other side in the first direction relative to the vibratable film. The circuit board has a sound hole to input therethrough sound waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Matsushita, Hiroyuki Harano, Ryuji Awamura, Hidenori Motonaga, Kensuke Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11779730
    Abstract: In some examples, a device includes a body configured to receive an elongated medical device, and a conductive element configured to contact a touchscreen of a computing device. An amount of contact between the conductive element and the touchscreen varies based on the compressive force applied to the elongated medical device when the elongated medical device is received within the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Medtronic Vascular Galway
    Inventors: Francis Denis McEvoy, Arthur Linnane
  • Patent number: 11754385
    Abstract: A strain monitor (1) for attachment to part of a submerged structure (100), the strain monitor comprises: a main body (5), the main body comprising an attachment assembly which is arranged to secure the strain monitor to the submerged structure, a plurality of strain gauge assemblies (3), carried by the main body, arranged in a spaced apart relationship, each strain gauge assembly comprising a strain gauge and a carrier (6), and the strain gauge attached to the carrier, and the strain gauge assembly arranged to selectively adopt a stowed condition and a deployed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: AQUATEC GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew Willis, Nicolas Lefebvre, Andrew Smerdon, Tony Mekky
  • Patent number: 11733075
    Abstract: Techniques determine if a gas service (e.g., piping and/or meter) is undersized for the customer's needs. In one example, flowrate information corresponding to gas usage at a service site over a first period of time is obtained. The flowrate information is disaggregated to determine an expected flowrate associated with each of two or more appliances having generally fixed-rates of gas consumption. Flowrate information is again obtained, corresponding to a second period of time. The second flowrate information is compared to one or more combinations (i.e., summations) of the expected flowrates associated with each of the two or more appliances. Based on the comparison, it may be determined that the service site is not appropriately sized. In an example, failure to detect two fixed-rate of gas-consumption appliances operating at their respective fixed-rates at the same time may indicate that the service cannot provide gas at a sufficient flowrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Itron, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Cornwall, James Lee Kann, Peter Clevenger