Patents Examined by Mary Catherine Baran
  • Patent number: 7373274
    Abstract: Methods and associated structure for flexible, easy-to-use, robust, statistical analysis of one or more factors associated with a continuous response outcome. A simple user interface provides a wide variety of statistical analysis derived from user provided data. The user provides data in a simple tabular format after which no further human intervention is required to manipulate the data. Data is automatically manipulated and transformed as required to perform the desired, selected statistical analysis. Reduction of human interaction in manipulating data to perform desired statistical analysis improves statistical analysis processes by reducing human errors introduced in data manipulation and encouraging users to perform more thorough analysis because time-saving shortcuts are no longer required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: ERC-IP, LLC
    Inventor: Jim D. Kunce
  • Patent number: 7366624
    Abstract: An electronic gas sensor signal conditioner which can automatically adapt to a wide variety of commercial off-the-shelf sensors and provide a digital output in a standard, easily used format. The signal conditioner has analog and digital sections. The analog section includes a sensor excitation sub-section and a signal amplification sub-section. The digital section comprises a microcontroller and controls the analog section. The digital section also converts the signal from the analog section into digital form, reads the sensor TEDS (Transducer Electronic Data Sheet), applies calibration constants and converts the signal into a standard, easily readable digital format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Esensors Inc.
    Inventor: Darold Wobschall
  • Patent number: 7340355
    Abstract: Disclosed is a compensated current differential relaying method and system for protecting a transformer more correctly by calculating and estimating an exciting current including a core-loss current and a magnetizing current, and, in particular, to a compensated current differential relaying method and system which can protect the transformer correctly irrespective of the level of remanent flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Yong-Gyun Kim
    Inventors: Yong-Cheol Kang, Sang-Hee Kang
  • Patent number: 7337079
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for high-resolution reflectometry that operates simultaneously in both the time and frequency domains, utilizing time-frequency signal analysis and a chirp signal multiplied by a Gaussian time envelope. The Gaussian envelope provides time localization, while the chirp allows one to excite the system under test with a swept sinewave covering a frequency band of interest. High resolution in detection of the reflected signal is provided by a time-frequency cross correlation function. The high-accuracy localization of faults in a wire/cable can be achieved by measurement of time delay offset obtained from the frequency offset of the reflected signal. The apparatus enables one to execute an automated diagnostic procedure of a wire/cable under test by control of peripheral devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Inventors: Jin-Bae Park, Yong-June Shin, Jong-Gwan Yook, Edward J. Powers, Eun-Seok Song, Joo-Won Kim, Tok-Son Choe, Seung-Hoon Sung
  • Patent number: 7333920
    Abstract: There is here disclosed a method and apparatus for detecting the occurrence of arcing of a conductor by monitoring the current on an AC power line. The signal detected is split and directed along four separate paths to generate four signals having separate characteristics which represent the current in the line. A first path is for a signal representative of the current flowing in the line. A second path is for a signal having a pulse for each occurrence of a positive step change in current that is significant and has a di/dt value above a predetermined value. A third path is for a signal having a pulse for each occurrence of a negative step change in current that is significant and has a di/dt value above a predetermined value. A fourth path is for a signal having a voltage level representative of the broadband noise signal on the line. Using at least one of five different methods in combination with one of three input signals, a reference signal designated as “SINE” is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: David Kolker, Roger M. Bradley, Ross Mernyk
  • Patent number: 7318000
    Abstract: Systems and methods configured to guide and manage laboratory analytical process control operations. A Biometric quality control (QC) process application is configured to monitor bias and imprecision for each test, characterize patient population data distributions and compare, contrast, and correlate changes in patient data distributions to any change in QC data populations. The Biometric QC process monitors the analytical process using data collected from repetitive testing of quality control materials and patient data (test results). The QC process identifies the optimal combination of, for example, frequency of QC testing, number of QCs tested, and QC rules applied in order to minimize the expected number of unacceptable patient results produced due to any out-of-control error condition that might occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Parvin, George Cembrowski, William G. Cooper
  • Patent number: 7299153
    Abstract: Systems and methods configured to guide and manage laboratory analytical process control operations. A Biometric quality control (QC) process application is configured to monitor bias and imprecision for each test, characterize patient population data distributions and compare, contrast, and correlate changes in patient data distributions to any change in QC data populations. The Biometric QC process monitors the analytical process using data collected from repetitive testing of quality control materials and patient data (test results). The QC process identifies the optimal combination of, for example, frequency of QC testing, number of QCs tested, and QC rules applied in order to minimize the expected number of unacceptable patient results produced due to any out-of-control error condition that might occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Parvin, George S. Cembrowski, William G. Cooper
  • Patent number: 7295954
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a data set defining a set of process runs, each process run having a set of data corresponding to a set of variables for a wafer processing operation is provided. A model derived from a data set is received. A new data set corresponding to one process run is received. The new data set is projected to the model. An outlier data point produced as a result of the projecting is identified. A variable corresponding to the one outlier data point is identified, the identified variable exhibiting a high contribution. A value for the variable from the new data set is identified. Whether the value for the variable is unimportant is determined. A normalized matrix of data is created, using random data and the variable that was determined to be unimportant from each of the new data set and the data set. The data set is updated with the normalized matrix of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Puneet Yadav, Andrew D. Bailey, III
  • Patent number: 7292946
    Abstract: A controller includes a plurality of readers for reading an associated plurality of expansion cards and for controlling operation of such expansion cards, wherein at least one of the plurality of readers is a flash media reader. A method for controlling the operation of at least one expansion card with an integrated controller having a plurality of readers includes detecting the presence of at least one expansion card, and enabling a selected reader of the integrated controller associated with at least one expansion card. Another method of writing data to read only memory in an integrated controller includes unlocking the read only memory, writing information into the read only memory, and locking the read only memory to prevent otherwise unintentional or unauthorized writing to the read only memory is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: O2Micro International Limited
    Inventors: Yishao Max Huang, Sterling D. Du
  • Patent number: 7289920
    Abstract: The techniques described herein allow a wind turbine generator system to automatically capture voltage waveform data corresponding to a voltage disturbance event. Data corresponding to a period preceding the voltage disturbance event, during the event and a period of time after the event are captured and stored for further analysis. The sampling rate is relatively high compared to the frequency of the power provided by the generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alaadin M. Suliman, Lawrence Donald Willey
  • Patent number: 7286964
    Abstract: Methods and recordable media for monitoring structural health conditions. The present invention provides a method for interrogating a damage of a host structure using a diagnostic network patch (DNP) system having patches. An interrogation module partitions the plurality of patched in subgroups and measures the sensor signals generated and received by actuator and sensor patches, respectively. Then, a process module loads sensor signal data to identify Lamb wave modes, determine the time of arrival of the modes and generate a tomographic image. It also determines distribution of other structural condition indices to generate tomographic images of the host structure. A set of tomographic images can be stacked to generate a hyperspectral tomography cube. A classification module generates codebook based on K-mean/Learning Vector Quantization algorithm and uses a neural-fuzzy-inference system to determine the type of damages of the host structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Structure Monitoring, Inc.
    Inventor: Hyeung-Yun Kim
  • Patent number: 7286960
    Abstract: A system for isolating effects of one or more process parameters on performance of a heat transfer device is provided. The system includes an efficiency correction unit that is adapted to receive data from the heat transfer device. The data is representative of one or more measurable process parameters or a change in the one or more measurable process parameters of the heat transfer device. The efficiency correction unit is also configured to compute a normalized efficiency of the heat transfer device. The normalized efficiency represents a corrected efficiency that isolates effects of one or more process parameters on performance of the heat transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vinay Bhaskar Jammu, Nishith Pramod Vora, Ravi Yoganatha Babu, Rama Venkata Mahajanam
  • Patent number: 7286957
    Abstract: Systems and methods configured to guide and manage laboratory analytical process control operations. A Biometric quality control (QC) process application is configured to monitor bias and imprecision for each test, characterize patient population data distributions and compare, contrast, and correlate changes in patient data distributions to any change in QC data populations. The Biometric QC process monitors the analytical process using data collected from repetitive testing of quality control materials and patient data (test results). The QC process identifies the optimal combination of, for example, frequency of QC testing, number of QCs tested, and QC rules applied in order to minimize the expected number of unacceptable patient results produced due to any out-of-control error condition that might occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Parvin, George Cembrowski, William G. Cooper
  • Patent number: 7280928
    Abstract: This invention is an expendable container capable of measuring a residual quantity of stored expendable. The expendable container comprising an expendable tank configured to store the expendable and has a piezoelectric element attached thereto; a detection signal generation circuit configured to charge and discharge the piezoelectric element, and generate a detection signal including cycle information, the cycle information representing a cycle of an output voltage wave of the piezoelectric element after the discharge; and a control module configured to control the charge and the discharge of the piezoelectric element by the detection signal generation circuit. The detection signal generation circuit comprises: a comparator configured to compare a voltage of the output voltage wave with a reference voltage for residual quantity detection, and generate a pulse according to a result of the comparison; and a signal generator configured to generate the detection signal in response to the generated pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventor: Yuichi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 7280924
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for monitoring a synthetic fuel process. The system and method entails presenting process information in a form readily understandable by a process monitor. The process information is presented relative to other process information. Presenting the information in such a manner allows the process operator to quickly and accurately monitor and control the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventor: Richard C. Holmes
  • Patent number: 7274994
    Abstract: A remote emissions sensing system and method for sensing exhaust emissions from motor vehicles is provided where the system determines the opacity of an exhaust plume. The system comprises a radiation source that emits radiation which is passed through the exhaust plume of a motor vehicle to one or more detectors arranged to receive the radiation. Multiple wavelength opacity measuring embodiments and monochromatic wavelength opacity measuring embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Environmental Systems Products Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Donald H. Stedman, Gary A. Bishop, Gary Full
  • Patent number: 7275014
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method, comprising: in a sensor node network comprising a plurality of sensor nodes, each sensor node from the plurality of sensor nodes having location coordinates that are initially unknown, each sensor node from the plurality of sensor nodes having neighbors, each sensor node from the plurality of sensor nodes capable of determining distances only to that sensor node's neighbors: for each sensor node from the plurality of sensor nodes, communicating with that sensor node's neighbors; and based only on communications between neighbors, in a fully distributed manner, generating a sensor node network layout that indicates the location coordinates of each sensor node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: AT&T Corporation
    Inventors: Yehuda Koren, Craig Gotsman
  • Patent number: 7272530
    Abstract: A system for controlling an industrial process. The system includes an input module for receiving a plurality of parameters from a process for manufacture of a substance or object. The system also includes a library module. The library module includes a plurality of computer aided processes. Any one of the computer aided processes is capable of using each of the plurality of parameters to compare at least two of the plurality of parameters against a training set of parameters. The training set of parameters is generally predetermined. The computer aided process is also capable of determining if the at least two of the plurality of parameters are within a predetermined range of the training set of parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Smiths Detection, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang-Meng B. Hsiung, Bethsabet Munoz, Ajoy Kumar Roy, Michael Gregory Steinthal, Steven A. Sunshine, Michael Allen Vicic, Shou-Hua Zhang
  • Patent number: 7260488
    Abstract: In a similarity vector detecting apparatus (2), vector transform units (20), (21) implement transform by sequential matrix, Discrete Cosine Transform, Discrete Fourier Transform, Walsh-Hadamard Transform, or Karhunen-Lueve Transform to registered vector g and input vector f. A hierarchical distance calculating unit (23) performs, in a hierarchical manner, distance calculation between two vectors in order from vector component having high significance, i.e., component having large dispersion or eigen value in the above-described transform operations, or from low frequency component. Further, in the case where it is judged at a threshold value judgment unit (24) that integrated value of distances calculated up to a certain hierarchy is above threshold value S of distance, only output indicating that the integrated value is above the threshold value S is provided to truncate distance calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mototsugu Abe, Masayuki Nishiguchi
  • Patent number: 7251570
    Abstract: Systems and methods for ensuring data integrity in a mesh network. A mesh network can include multiple RF devices. Transmitting quality data in or on the mesh network is improved using communication validation functions. The communication validation functions ensure a reliable communication network, preserve data during a network outage, and validate data. The communication validation functions can measure or control data quality within a communication and analysis network. The communication validation function operates to control data quality, for example, by measuring the quality of wireless links, ensuring the presence of redundant links, testing the ability of the mesh network to establish a backup communication path, generating alarms based on communication thresholds, tracking the communication path followed by communication packets, and identifying placement locations for additional RF devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin A. Hancock, Arthur B. Wynans, Bernard C. Mansey, Darrin G. Marr, Simon H. Lightbody, Michael E. Teachman, Scott M. Henneberry