Patents Examined by Leo Picard
  • Patent number: 7343215
    Abstract: Disclosed is method for estimating statistical distribution characteristics of product parameters. The method comprises determining n number of product parameters, which characterize a product, and m number of characteristic parameters dependent on the product parameters, determining m number of correlation functions that represent the characteristic parameters in terms of the product parameters, and obtaining inverse functions of the correlation functions that represent the product parameters in terms of the characteristic parameters. After fabricating test products to empirically determine quantitative relations between the product and characteristic parameters, the method includes measuring k number of test products and preparing measured data of the characteristic parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Hee Yun, Seung-Ho Jung, Dae-Wook Kim, Moon-Hyun Yoo, Jong-Bae Lee
  • Patent number: 7343226
    Abstract: A system and method manage delivery of energy from a distribution network to one or more sites. Each site has at least one device coupled to the distribution network. The at least one device controllably consumes energy. The system includes a node and a control system. The node is coupled to the at least one device for sensing and controlling energy delivered to the device. A control system is coupled to the node and distribution network for delivery to the node at least one characteristic of the distribution network. The node controls the supply of energy to the device as a function of the at least one characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company
    Inventors: Gregory A. Ehlers, Joseph Beaudet
  • Patent number: 7343214
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method, system and computer program product for tracing die units during material transfer from, for example, one factory or lot to another (and efficiently maintaining correspondence between die data and an individual die during, e.g., a lot transfer process). One or more embodiments of the present invention are intended to improve the mechanism of die-level traceability by assigning individual die IDs to each die unit in, e.g., each lot, and associating a range of die IDs with a corresponding index string. When, for example, some dies are transferred from, e.g., a first lot to a second lot, the entire die information associated with the first lot is copied to the second lot, and a different index string is assigned to the second lot to indicate the actual dies or range of dies that have been transferred. The first lot's index string is then adjusted to indicate the dies remaining after the transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Horne Loong Koh
  • Patent number: 7343209
    Abstract: Managing attribute information to provide output for other applications (e.g., applications for generating manufacturing instructions) may involve identifying attribute information associated with instances of a selected item type (e.g., parts fasteners). For example, in the case of fasteners, each of the instances of the selected item type is associated with a common part or product. The instances of the selected item type may then be sorted into initial groups based on grouping criteria such as part ID number, etc. Proximity rules may then be applied to the sorted instances. Applying proximity rules to the sorted instances may include grouping the instances into groups depending on whether or not have common relationships with other items. For example, in the case of fasteners, the proximity rules may involve determining whether each fastener passes through the same set of solids and/or shares common attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Joseph Anelle
  • Patent number: 7340320
    Abstract: An operation method of a recipe control process in which multiple processing targets are processed continuously in a processing apparatus using recipes that specify a set of control parameters specifying the processing conditions of processing targets. The method comprises the steps of: (I) specifying correction coefficients to correct at least one of the parameters' values for each processing target, separately from the recipes, and (II) performing the recipe control process for multiple processing targets and applying the correction coefficients to each processing target to adjust the parameters' values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Takashi Wada, Satoru Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7340318
    Abstract: A method includes providing a process controller for controlling a process tool. The process tool is controlled in accordance with a process parameter. Measurements associated with the processing parameter for a plurality of runs of the process tool are accessed. A performance measure for the process controller is generated based on the process parameter and the measurements. A system includes a process tool, a process controller, and a performance monitor. The process controller is configured to control the process tool in accordance with a process parameter. The performance monitor is configured to retrieve measurements associated with the processing parameter for a plurality of runs of the process tool and generate a performance measure for the process controller based on the measured processing parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Cherry, Ernest D. Adams, III
  • Patent number: 7340325
    Abstract: A power controller for power sourcing equipment in a distributed power network provides power down policies and priority in the event of a power supply failure. The power down priority and policy permits implementation of a rapid decrease in the power demand of the distributed power network to avoid overload of a backup power supply. The priority may be derived based on the relative position of port information in a linked list. Devices associated with a high priority can remain powered in response to a main power supply failure, while lower priority devices can be rapidly powered down to reduce the overall load demand on the backup power supply. The ability to configure ports on the basis of priority and available policies provides a flexible and simple implementation of a response in the event of a main power supply failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Marc D. Sousa, Michael Sean McCormack
  • Patent number: 7337029
    Abstract: A design data management program directs a computer to perform a procedure of converting design data generated at a designing side to a data format applicable to a production side and transmitting the data to the production side, and a procedure of converting the data to data described in a predetermined language and storing the data in the storage device when a notification of a change of the design data is received from the production side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Oyamada, Takashi Matsuura, Yoshitaka Miki, Hideko Nagamatsu, Kazunori Tomita, Hiroyuki Kishimoto, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Patent number: 7333876
    Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and methods for providing electronic quality control in a process for applying a polyurethane to a substrate. One aspect of the present invention includes a computer-implemented method for providing electronic quality control during manufacturing of a polyurethane coated article. The method can include providing a user interface for a user to input at least one operating characteristic associated with a process for manufacturing a polyurethane coated article. Furthermore, the method can include receiving a selection of at least one operating characteristic from the user, and receiving at least one condition associated with the operating characteristic. Moreover, the method can include monitoring a process for manufacturing a polyurethane coated article, wherein a change to the operating characteristic can be detected. The method can also include generating a notification if the at least one condition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Isotec International, Inc,
    Inventors: Charles E. Knight, Jr., Augusto C. Ibay
  • Patent number: 7333866
    Abstract: A computer implemented management domain for controlling the production of low volume advanced technology articles of manufacture is provided. The management domain includes an information library, an integrated manufacturing intelligence, and an interrogation network which includes a plurality of analyzers. The information library includes a plurality of databases, each of which include objects of an object schema. Objects of the object schema of any one database are linked or linkable to dependent objects of objects of an object schema of another of the databases. The integrated manufacturing intelligence includes a plurality of processors for processing data of the databases. Each analyzer of the plurality of analyzers executable with regard to an advanced technology article of manufacture and/or any object of the objects of said object schema of the databases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Inventor: Gregory John Knight
  • Patent number: 7333880
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling distributed energy resources is provided. Notification of an upcoming regional power distribution event is received and a distributed energy resource affected by the upcoming event is determined or identified. A first notification message is sent to an affected distributed energy resource asset owner or other administrator to notify the distributed energy resource asset of the event. An event data process is initiated to monitor and collect data associated with the event and an event control process is initiated to control one or more affected distributed energy resource asset during the event. The event control process and the event data process are terminated at the end of the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: EnerNOC, Inc.
    Inventors: David B. Brewster, Timothy G. Healy
  • Patent number: 7328082
    Abstract: A numerical control apparatus having tool cutting edge detecting unit for detecting a cutting edge position of a tool mounted on a tool rest, comprises detection signal determining unit for determining, as effective, only a detection signal that is first inputted from among a plurality of detection signals which are continuously inputted from the tool cutting edge detecting unit. A signal which is detected until a preset time is elapsed after a first signal is received when the tool comes into contact with the touch sensor, and/or until the tool moves a predetermined distance, is determined as erroneous detection by the detection signal determining unit, and the signal is disenabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiko Endo, Katsunori Nagano
  • Patent number: 7328089
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides a satellite irrigation controller that allows a user to insert a input/output card into any position in any sequence and be recognized as an input card or an output card. When the correct card type is determined, the card is service according to its specified functionality. In another embodiment, the satellite irrigation controller includes firmware which allows a user to program a range of stations at one time. In yet another embodiment, the satellite irrigation controller provides three user input programs that reduce the amount of input data needed to program the irrigation cycle of an irrigation station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Scott Curren
  • Patent number: 7328081
    Abstract: In a monitoring system for the process-accompanying monitoring of machine tool components, it is provided that the same monitoring system, apart from the detection of at least one of the above mentioned conditions in tools, workpieces or processes, is used in other monitoring stages—which at times when no treatment process occurs (i.e. when no tool, workpiece or process monitoring has to occur) are predetermined by the machine control—to perform a detection, monitoring or well-aimed examination of faulty conditions on components of machine tools, such as e.g. damage or wear on the feed slides, on the tool or workpiece spindles or the imbalance on tool or workpiece spindles or on drilling or milling tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Inventor: Werner Kluft
  • Patent number: 7328083
    Abstract: A controller of an injection molding machine and a controller of a molded-product removing robot are connected to each other via communication means. When a molding condition save command is entered from the controller of the injection molding machine, a folder with a management number is created on a memory card, and molding conditions stored in the controller of the injection molding machine are saved in the folder. A teaching program and/or setting data stored in the robot controller is read via the communication means and saved in the same folder. When a molding condition read command is entered, data is read from a specified folder, molding conditions are set in the controller of the injection molding machine, and a teaching program etc. are set in the robot controller via the communication means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Ikeda, Tetsuya Kosaka
  • Patent number: 7324862
    Abstract: Various items of data collected at different process steps are associated on production sites where traceability is hard to conduct. A quality control apparatus controls a manufacturing process in order to manufacture products of predetermined quality, including a data storing part which collects measurement data measured by multiple devices disposed in a manufacturing process and stores the collected measurement data along with measured time or collected time; and a scheduler which associates the measurement data of the devices with each other in consideration of dead time generated between the devices at measured time or collected time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shiro Sugihara, Toru Fujii, Mineo Sono
  • Patent number: 7324866
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided in which it is possible to perform process control taking account of wafer information and to deal with the process control in which a recipe is change from one wafer to another. The method comprises steps of inserting a process control system into the path of a network where a manufacturing execution system (MES) and a manufacturing apparatus are connected with each other by using a LAN, obtaining a process result on the lot of the wafers at a previous step through the use of the process control system to rewrite the process recipe, and transmitting the rewritten process recipe from the process control system to the manufacturing apparatus. Since the method includes the step of obtaining the process result on the lot effected at the previous step as wafer information, it is possible to calculate a control parameter taking account of the state of the wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Shinichi Imai
  • Patent number: 7324102
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method for creating a complete 3D model of complex infrastructure configurations, such as divided highways, roadway intersections, etc. Current CAD applications have been limited to creating 3D models based on the geometry of a single alignment. In one embodiment, each baseline for a 3D model using four data inputs: a topographical terrain model, an alignment specifying the longitudinal 2D geometry for the structure being modeled, a profile specifying the elevations of the baseline along the horizontal alignment, and the geometry for cross-sectional assemblies along the horizontal and vertical alignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: AUTODESK, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Inzinga, Lisa E. Fox, Kumud D. Vaidya, Bradford V. Ek, Jr., Nagesh Narayanaswamy, Chakravarthy Gavini
  • Patent number: 7324877
    Abstract: In a method of controlling the temperature of a target object by measuring to obtain detected temperatures at a plurality of measurement positions and controlling a processing device such as a heater such that each detected temperature will match the corresponding one of target temperatures set for the processing device, a preliminary step is taken to determine the degrees of interference at the measurement positions by varying the target temperatures and the degrees of interference thus determined are used to correct the set target temperatures or the detected temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Masahito Tanaka, Yosuke Iwai, Ikuo Nanno, Takaaki Yamada, Toshiro Miyachi
  • Patent number: 7324867
    Abstract: Predictive models of physical parts of the laser processing system part determined. These predictive models are used to determine how the physical system will actually react. The predicted reaction from the models is used as feedback in order to produce the control signals. These physical models therefore adjust to the operation of the system, much in the way that actual feedback would adjust the operation of the system. However, the system may be used at faster speeds, where the actual feedback could not be produced fast enough. Different kinds of modeling are described, including in-position feedback which models sharp movements of the laser system, trajectory models which superimpose the commanded curve over the predicted actual curve to determine errors in trajectory, and constant/variable energy density controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Lasx Industries
    Inventors: William R. Dinauer, Thomas V. Weigman