Patents Examined by Kevin J. Teska
  • Patent number: 6799154
    Abstract: A system and method for predicting timing of future service events of a product. A database contains a plurality of service information and performance information for the product. A statistical analyzer analyzes the plurality of processed service information to determine a plurality of compartment failure information. A performance deterioration rate analyzer analyzes the performance deterioration rate of the product from the plurality of service information and performance information. A simulator, simulates a distribution of future service events of the product according to the plurality of compartment failure information and the performance deterioration rate analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Comapny
    Inventors: James Kenneth Aragones, Jeffrey William Stein
  • Patent number: 6792398
    Abstract: A user of a modeling application modifies an initial virtual object using a sketch drawn on one or more construction planes. Typically, construction planes are connected by an axis that intersects the virtual object. The user can draw a sketch on each construction plane, and the modeling application interpolates a shape along the axis between the sketches to determine what material in the virtual object is to be removed from it. In this manner, material may be removed to create a recess or hole in the virtual object or otherwise to slice away material from the object. A user can use two or more axes and construction planes to produce complex shapes from the initial virtual object. A user can also select a portion of a virtual object and mirror the selected portion. Modifications that the user makes in the selected portion are made correspondingly in the mirrored portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: SensAble Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Handley, Marc Midura, Bradley Payne, Walter A. Aviles, Thomas H. Massie, Walter C. Shannon, III
  • Patent number: 6778947
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a method of designing and/or visualizing at least one roll/felt combination in the wet press of a paper or cardboard making machine, wherein initially a press configuration is selected from a set offered by a computer system. Thereafter, one of the presses of the respective press configuration is selected. Thereupon the current dewatering performance of the selected press is calculated and the result if displayed. Thereafter, the machine parameters and/or roll parameters of the respective selected press are altered while the dewatering performance of the respective roll/felt combination of the press is continuously calculated anew and is displayed at least in part as a trend indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Stowe Woodward AG
    Inventor: Franz Danzler
  • Patent number: 6772103
    Abstract: A method for selecting a parts kit detail for the installation of a pressure transducer on a container such as a pipeline or a vessel, the container for containing a fluid material, the method including two steps. The first step is to establish at least two different installation categories, each such different installation category being defined by the properties of the fluid material. The second step is to establish at least two different parts kit details, at least two of such different parts kit details being applicable to the different installation categories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: David W. King
  • Patent number: 6772104
    Abstract: Within a method for predicting customer satisfaction for a transportation vehicle there is measured for the transportation vehicle a Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) level within the transportation vehicle when an engine which powers the transportation vehicle is operating at wide open throttle. The method further provides for determining a customer satisfaction value for a specific transportation vehicle by means of interpolation or extrapolation from an existing correlation for a group of transportation vehicles within the same class. Such a correlation is obtained employing a Transformed Gamma Distribution (TGD) model or an aggregate combination of Transformed Gamma Distribution (TGD) models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: James Bruce White, Michael Choi
  • Patent number: 6772108
    Abstract: A RAID storage device controller provides a host interface for interfacing the controller to a host system bus. The host interface is isolated from the attached storage devices, for example IDE disk drives, so that the actual attached drives are not limited in number or interface protocol. Various device ports can be implemented, and various RAID strategies, e.g. level 3 and level 5, can be used. In all the cases, the host interface provides a standard, uniform interface to the host, namely an ATA interface, and preferably a dual channel ATA interface. The host interface emulates the ATA single or dual channel interface and emulates one or two attached IDE devices per channel, regardless of the actual number of devices physically connected to the controller. Thus, for example, five or seven IDE drives can be deployed in RAID level 5 protocol without changing the standard BIOS in a PCI host machine. Thus the RAID controller is transparent relative to a standard dual channel ATA controller board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: NetCell Corp.
    Inventor: Michael C. Stolowitz
  • Patent number: 6772106
    Abstract: An automatic and retargetable computer design system is using a combination of simulation and performance prediction to investigate a plurality of target computer systems. A high-level specification and a predetermined application are used by the computer design system to provide inputs into a computer evaluator. The computer evaluator has reference computer system dependent and independent systems for producing a reference representation and dynamic behavior information, respectively, of the application. The reference representation and information are mated to produce further information to drive a simulator. The simulator provides performance information of a reference computer system. The performance information is provided to another computer evaluator, which has a target computer system dependent system for producing a target representation of the application for the plurality of target computer systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott A. Mahlke, Santosh G. Abraham, Vinod K. Kathail
  • Patent number: 6768977
    Abstract: A circuit model (50) for use in analyzing a VCM circuit has a first resistor (62), a first inductor (64), a second inductor (58), and a voltage source (60), in series modeling, respectively, a VCM inductor, a winding leakage inductance of the VCM inductor, a VCM inductor resistance, and a BEMF voltage generated across the VCM inductor when the input nodes are open circuited. An input capacitor (56) interconnects the input terminals (52,54) to model an equivalent capacitance of the VCM inductor. Third and fourth inductors (32,34) and a second resistor (36) are connected in a first series loop (28) inductively coupled to the second inductor (58) to model, respectively, an inductance of the top VCM magnet plate, the leakage inductance of the top VCM magnet plate, and a resistance of the top VCM magnet plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Tan Du
  • Patent number: 6768975
    Abstract: A method of testing operation of an automated banking machine system is provided. The method may comprise storing in a data store data representative of a simulated automated banking machine, at least one condition which occurs at the machine and at least one action to be carried out responsive to the condition. The method may further comprise inputting an input representing the condition at the machine and indicating through a display, responsive to the stored data, the at least one action being carried out responsive to simulating the condition at the machine. The method may also include carrying out the at least one action responsive to operation of the computer. The method may include simulating responsive to the input, that the machine has generated a message indicative of the condition. The method may include providing a further input which prevents performance of the carrying out step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Bradley Gill, Gaby Baghdadi, Robert D. Symonds, Irek Singer, Peter St. George, Roy Shirah, Timothy M. Stock
  • Patent number: 6763324
    Abstract: An integrated engineering analysis system that determines at least one final output value in response to at least one initial input value. A first subprocesses provides at least one output value in response to the initial input value. A plurality of subprocesses provide a plurality of output values in response to the output values of the first subprocess. The plurality of output values and the output value of the first subprocess are inputted into at least one of the plurality of subprocesses. A command code executes each of the plurality of subprocesses in response to the output values and determines which one of the plurality of subprocesses to run and a final subprocess provides a final output. The final output is the result of a plurality of calculations executed by the plurality of subprocesses and the command code compares the final output with the initial input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert N. Pittman, Scott J. Dennison, Kenneth E. Seitzer, John D. Bibler, Stephen P. Schrantz, John C. Blanton, Mir M. Ali, Robert J. Maffeo, James C. Dudley, David M. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6760691
    Abstract: A strength distribution diagram 33 of selected building structural components, which are selected from a virtual three-dimensional model of building structural components of a building structure created by a CAD program, is constructed on a plane. Stress values of the building structural components arranged in the strength distribution diagram 33 are computed based on stress computational data of the building structural components consistent with attributes of the building structural components. A plurality of strength level display modes is provided for each building structural component, and strength of each building structural component is indicated with a predetermined color based on the computed stress value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Enu Shi Enu
    Inventor: Hiromichi Ito
  • Patent number: 6760693
    Abstract: A method of integrating computer visualization for the design of a vehicle includes the steps of determining a low-level geometric model of the vehicle and determining a modifiable parameter to modify the model of the vehicle. The method also includes the steps of morphing the model of the vehicle into a morphed model of the vehicle including the modifiable parameter using a computer visualization, and analyzing the morphed model of the vehicle using a computer aided engineering (CAE) analysis. The method further includes the steps of determining if the CAE analysis of the morphed model of the vehicle meets a predetermined criteria and using the morphed vehicle model in the design of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hatesh K. Singh, Devang Desai, Mehran Chirehdast
  • Patent number: 6754614
    Abstract: An improved conical panoramic mirror element design is disclosed such that the panoramic vertical field of view is not fixed and the image covers at least 90% of the toroidal image pixels of an imaging device. The data required to prescribe the panoramic conical element includes the position of the detector device, the most negative vertical scene angle, the most positive vertical scene angle, the panoramic cone's base diameter, the cone's apex to base ratio. These are utilized according to a mathematical prescription that optimizes the mirror element's design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: InterScience, Inc.
    Inventors: George G. Barton, Jeffrey A. Beckstead
  • Patent number: 6751581
    Abstract: A method for simulating the formation of an adhesive joint and/or for determining the attributes of the adhesive joint is disclosed. The method allows an individual or business enterprise to consistently and reliably determine a proper amount and placement of adhesive used to form the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Daniel Joseph Ondrus, Keith David Thompson
  • Patent number: 6751582
    Abstract: A formal verification method and apparatus allowing a user, via a waveform-based graphical user interface, to modify the waveform displayed by a verification algorithm by highlighting specific values at specific cycles. The user may begin either from scratch or from an existing trace produced by the tool. After running the tool, the resultant waveform represents a trace that the user wishes to extract from the model using the verification tool. The annotations input by the user are translated to “cycle-specific invariants” to force the tool to produce a trace that satisfies the desired annotated waveform and to insure a much faster and more efficient query. The invariants are then passed to a verification algorithm, which outputs a trace satisfying these invariants. The user determines whether the trace is satisfactory and may add additional constraints to the waveform to derive a subsequent trace until the user is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Flemming Andersen, Jason Raymond Baumgartner, Steven Leonard Roberts
  • Patent number: 6748348
    Abstract: In the design method for nuclear reactor fuel management, nuclear reactor operation for sets of independent control variable values is simulated to produce associated sets of dependent performance variable values. Transfer functions are generated based on the sets of independent control variable values and the sets of dependent performance variable values. The transfer functions represent relationships between the independent control variables and the dependent performance variables. Additional sets of dependent performance variable values are then generated for additional sets of independent control variable values using the generated transfer functions. A set of independent control variable values for possible use in operating a nuclear reactor is then determined based on the sets of dependent performance variable values and the additional sets of dependent performance variable values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William E. Russell, II
  • Patent number: 6735555
    Abstract: A processing device generates a model of a tree in a given arbitrary space, reshapes the tree based on the nodes included in the tree, and outputs a reshape result. By repeating the reshape of the tree while examining the cost value of a reshaped tree, a local Steiner tree with a good cost value is obtained. A network shape is optimized by using the obtained local Steiner tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Ichiro Suzuki, Shoichi Masuda, Shigeru Kameda, Ikuo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6735558
    Abstract: As to at least two transistors different only in channel lengths from each other, Ids−Vgs characteristics in a linear region are measured under two drain-to-source voltages Vds. Consequently, a graph of Rtot=Vds/Ids vs. channel lengths is obtained for two Vds, whereby an effective channel length Leff for each Vds is extracted. A velocity saturation coefficient U1 is obtained by expressing the relation between two effective channel lengths Le1 and Le2 corresponding to the two Vds on the graph and dividing the value of Le2 at Le1=0 by the difference &Dgr;Vds between the two Vds. Thus, parameters related to mobility and a velocity saturation effect are extracted with consistency in a form matching with remaining E-T data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Kenji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6735557
    Abstract: A set of specially-configured LUT's are used in a rasterizing portion of a graphics system for simulating Sensor-assisted Perception of Terrain (SaPOT) so that simulation of the image produced by a given sensor can proceed rapidly and with good accuracy at a per-texel level of resolution. More specifically, terrain texels-defining memory is provided with a plurality of addressable texel records where each record contains: (a) one or more material identification fields (MID's); (b) one or more mixture fields (MIX's) for defining mixture proportions for the materials; and (c) slope-defining data for defining a surface slope or normal of the corresponding texel. A sky-map LUT is provided for simulating the act of looking up to the sky along the normal surface vector of a given texel to thereby obtain a reading of the sky's contribution of illumination to that terrain texel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Aechelon Technology
    Inventors: Javier Castellar, Luis A. Barcena, Ignacio Sanz-Pastor, William P. McGovern
  • Patent number: 6728664
    Abstract: A SoundNet is a process for synthesizing sonic environments for use in Virtual Environment applications, computer games, Internet web pages, film and television productions. A sonic environment is a collection of spatially located sounds describing some scenario such as a city street for example. SoundNet provides a process for generating such an environment that has the following properties: a compact representation, stochastically correct behavior, dynamically varying behavior along application defined parameters, temporally unbounded and non-repeating, and facilitates automatic generation of the representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Inventor: Hesham Fouad