Patents Examined by Liam R Casey
  • Patent number: 9702922
    Abstract: A method and a device for locating internal arcing that occurs in a compartment (CPi) of a gas-insulated line (L), each compartment being provided with at least one pressure sensor (Pi). The method comprises: triggering pressure measurements in a compartment as soon as the difference between the currents that flow through two current toroids (TCi) around two adjacent compartments exceeds a threshold value indicating the occurrence of internal arcing in the compartment; calculating a period ?t that separates the time at which the pressure detector began to detect a pressure variation and the time at which the internal arcing occurred; and calculating a distance d that separates the place at which the internal arc is formed from the position of the pressure sensor using the equation d=V/?t in which V is the speed of sound in the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Patrice Juge, Guillaume Granelli
  • Patent number: 9689657
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of detecting an object using a detection signal supplied by a proximity sensor. The method comprises the steps of generating a reference signal by filtering the value of the detection signal, defining a first detection threshold, and going from an object non-detecting state to an object detecting state when the value of the detection signal becomes greater than the first detection threshold. When the value of the detection signal becomes greater than the first detection threshold, the value of the reference signal is readjusted in a manner such that the value of the detection signal again becomes less than or respectively greater than, the first detection threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Maxime Teissier, Cyril Troise
  • Patent number: 9618374
    Abstract: Flowmeters are described in which a sensor signal received from a sensor that is attached to vibratable flowtube, so as to determine properties of a fluid within the flowtube, contains a drive signal component and a Coriolis mode component. The flowmeters are operable to determine drive parameters of the drive signal component, as well as Coriolis parameters of the Coriolis mode component. By analyzing the sensor signal based on the drive signal parameters, and not on the Coriolis signal parameters, the flowmeters are able to provide stable and accurate determinations of the properties of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Invensys Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Manus P. Henry
  • Patent number: 9611024
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring a volume of a ballonet are provided. In some aspects, the system may include a plurality of sensors configured to transmit a plurality of signals toward an interior surface of the ballonet and to receive the plurality of signals reflected off of the interior surface of the ballonet, a distance calculating module configured to calculate a plurality of distances from the plurality of sensors to the interior surface of the ballonet using the received plurality of signals, and a mapping module configured to create a three-dimensional surface using the calculated plurality of distances. The system may further include a measurement module configured to calculate the volume of the ballonet using the three-dimensional surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas H. Greiner, Brian T. Holm-Hansen, John P. Morehead
  • Patent number: 9506821
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for determining an internal temperature of a computing device, a power consumption factor for the computing device, and an airflow factor for the computing device. An approximated ambient air temperature is generated based upon the internal temperature, power consumption factor, and the airflow factor. A workload factor is determined for the computing device and a fan speed for the computing device is controlled based at least in part upon the approximated ambient air temperature and the workload factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael N. Robillard, Robert M. Beauchamp, Bassem Bishay, David Boudreau, John K. Bowman, John V. Burroughs, Steven R. Cieluch, James W. Espy, Gordon A. Frye, Joseph P. King, Samuel Zeman
  • Patent number: 9423392
    Abstract: Methods and systems for use in indicating and/or determining fuel properties. One or more physical properties of a fuel are determined and indicated using taggants that are added to the fuel, such as by encoding the properties in the taggants or by encoding an identifier in the taggants and associating the properties with the identifier. The taggants are detected by a taggant sensor, and the physical properties are determined based on the detected taggants. A concentration of the taggants in the fuel may also be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Roger Bernhardt
  • Patent number: 9372248
    Abstract: A method is provided for evaluating the reliability of an electrical power measuring device for measuring high-frequency electrical power. To build an evaluation system, the measuring device, together with a reference electrical power measuring device, is arranged between a high-frequency power supply device and an artificial reproduction load, which includes an impedance conversion device and a reference load. Using this system, an uncertainty range of an electrical power measured value measured by the measuring device is calculated, according to a prescribed calculation formula, from the electrical power measured value, and a judgment is made as to whether or not the electrical power measured value measured by the measuring device is within the uncertainty range. If it is within the uncertainty range, the measuring device is evaluated as being reliable, while if it is not within the uncertainty range, the measuring device is evaluated as being unreliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventor: Ryohei Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9285892
    Abstract: A non-contact position sensing device includes a plurality of infrared LEDs provided in different positions and each being configured to transmit an infrared light ray, a photosensor configured to receive multiple ones of infrared light rays reflected by an object, and a control section configured to calculate a position of the object based on reflected light rays received by the photosensor. The control section switches between intensity position calculation to calculate the position of the object based on intensities of the reflected light rays and phase position calculation to cause intensities of the infrared light rays transmitted from the infrared LEDs to periodically change and calculate the position of the object based on phases of intensity changes of the reflected light rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 9279819
    Abstract: A sample processing system is disclosed which includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores programs executable collectively by the at least one processor. According to the stored programs, the at least one processor transports sample containers through a conveying path along which there are arranged at least one first module for testing of samples and at least one second module for processing of samples which have been tested by the at least one first module. The at least one second module is switchable between an active state and an inactive state. The at least one processor further obtains a determination result as to whether a sample which has been tested by the at least one first module is necessary to be processed by the at least one second module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Mizumoto, Akio Toyoda
  • Patent number: 9261568
    Abstract: System and method to detect battery cell malfunctions through redundant offset battery cell monitoring. Redundant battery monitoring may be implemented in a battery monitoring system to process battery cell voltages at offset times. A processor may compare offset voltage samples for a particular battery cell. If the samples vary outside a predetermined range, the processor may indicate a battery cell malfunction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Parle, James Stegen, Katherine O'Riordan
  • Patent number: 9244111
    Abstract: A testing device determines values of various electrical variables associated with a device within a process system. The testing device provides bi-directional electrical communication with a device to be monitored and automatically provides a connection configuration between a processing unit and a set of input/output ports. The processing unit outputs a test signal and a configuration control signal to the input/output port control circuitry. The input/output port control circuitry provides a connection configuration to direct the test signal to the device to be monitored and directs a return signal from the monitored device to the processing unit. The processing unit measures an electrical characteristic of the return signal and determines at least two electrical variables associated with the monitored device based upon the measured electrical characteristic of the return signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald P. Clarridge, Gerald T. Allen, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9217662
    Abstract: A system comprises a vibration sensor for generating a vibration signal on a turbomachine, a signal conditioner for conditioning the vibration signal, and a test signal generator for calibrating the signal conditioner. The test signal generator calibrates the signal conditioner with a test signal having a base frequency and a modulation frequency. The signal conditioner introduces a phase error into the vibration signal, and the signal conditioner introduces a phase shift into the test signal. A processor compensates for the phase error in the vibration signal by correcting the vibration signal based on the phase shift in the test signal, where the processor determines the phase shift in the test signal based on harmonic analysis of the modulation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: James Saloio, Jr., Robert E. Cox
  • Patent number: 9213008
    Abstract: Certain embodiments herein are directed to a differential scanning calorimeter comprising a sample holder thermally coupled to a first furnace, a reference holder thermally coupled to a second furnace, and a processor electrically coupled to the first furnace and the second furnace, the processor configured to receive data during a scan of a sample to provide a heat flow trace and further configured to subtract a calculated baseline from the heat flow trace, the calculated baseline comprising the sum of an isothermal baseline function, a scanning baseline function and a transient baseline function. Calibration methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: PERKINELMER SINGAPORE PTE LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert Alan Hoult, Richard Bruce Cassel
  • Patent number: 9194842
    Abstract: Thermal Acoustic Imaging (TAI) methods and systems are provided for detecting defects in an object. The TAI system may include a plurality of acoustic wave transceivers (AWTs), which are positioned around the object at different locations, and a broadband frequency signal generator, which is coupled to each of the AWTs. The system may further include an acoustic processor configured to utilize the AWTs to gather acoustic data pertaining to the object, process the acoustic data to generate spectral response data, and then process the spectral response data to determine an optimized setup. The optimized setup may include optimized excitation frequencies and optimized inspection positions for positioning a plurality of infrared imaging devices at different locations around the object. A plurality of infrared imaging devices may then be selectively positioned with respect to the object at the optimized inspection positions and utilized to further inspect the object for defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Surendra Singh, Robert Hogan, Frederick William Vensel
  • Patent number: 9170664
    Abstract: An information processing system, including: a portable communication device including a sensor that measures predetermined information and outputs a measurement result, the sensor having output characteristics varying depending on a place of use; and a information processing device for indoor use, which is communicatively connectable to the portable communication device, the information processing device being configured to: acquire the measurement result of the sensor from the communicatively-connected portable communication device; execute calibration of the sensor by using the acquired measurement result; execute an application program that uses the measurement result of the sensor; and performs determination as to whether or not the calibration has been executed for the communicatively-connected portable communication device when the application program is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainent Inc.
    Inventor: Masaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9151602
    Abstract: A corrected ball diameter calculating method includes: preparing a reference gauge that has at least one reference peripheral surface of an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface; valuing of diameter values of the reference peripheral surface at a plurality of different height positions from a bottom surface of the reference gauge; calculating calibrated diameter values per each of the height positions; placing the reference gauge on the rotary table and causing the stylus tip to touch a plurality of measurement sites on the reference peripheral surface at each of the height positions to calculate measured diameter values that are diameter values of a circle passing through the neighborhood of center points of the stylus tip; and calculating the corrected ball diameters per each of the height positions from the calibrated diameter values and the measured diameter values that are calculated per each of the height positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Noda, Hiromi Deguchi
  • Patent number: 9110142
    Abstract: Embodiments include systems that include at least one integrated circuit (IC) and methods for their testing. Each IC includes an input interconnect to receive an input signal, a test enable interconnect to receive a test enable signal, and a controller (e.g., a TAP controller) for performing testing of the integrated circuit based on values in at least one register (values corresponding to the input signal). Each IC also includes an input port and a multiplexer coupled to the first input interconnect, the at least one register, and the input port. The multiplexer is controllable to pass the input signal to the input port in response to non-assertion of the test enable signal, and to pass the input signal to the at least one register in response to assertion of the test enable signal. When the system includes multiple controllers, each controller may implement a different opcode-to-instruction mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Stanley, Joseph S. Vaccaro
  • Patent number: 9097774
    Abstract: Internal shorts and other failures in lithium-ion battery cells may be detected during balancing of the battery cells. A counter may be used to detect when a battery cell is behaving differently than other battery cells by balancing more or less frequently. The counter may increment each time a battery cell is balanced to the other battery cells. A misbehaving battery cell may be flagged, when the counter exceeds a threshold value, for safety checks before an overheating event occurs. This misbehaving battery cell may be faulty due to an internal short. If the faulty battery cell is not corrected by replacement with a different battery cell or corrected by a user resetting the counter, the misbehaving battery cell may be disconnected to prevent the overheating event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST ELECTRONIC ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David A. White, Claude L. Benckenstein, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9096411
    Abstract: A method determines a sway of an elevator rope during an operation of an elevator system. The method includes acquiring at least one measurement of a motion of the elevator rope during the operation of the elevator system; and determining the sway of the elevator rope connecting an elevator car and a pulley based on an interpolation between boundaries of the elevator rope based on the measurement of the motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Mouhacine Benosman, Scott A. Bortoff
  • Patent number: 9031797
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described that provide for measuring flow properties of multiphase mixtures within a pipe carry gas-liquid hydrocarbons and water produced from oil-gas wells. The methods and systems may provide for a combination of a clamp-on ultrasonic gas flow meter to measure flow characteristics of a gas phase in a pipeline and a pulsed ultrasonic Doppler sensor(s) and/or an RF/microwave electromagnetic sensor(s) to measure flow characteristics of a liquid phase. The combination of sensors may provide for multiphase flow measurements under certain flow conditions, such as when the gas-liquid is flowing in a substantially horizontal pipeline, when the flow is stratified or is caused to be stratified and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Songming Huang, Cheng-Gang Xie, Ian Atkinson