Patents Examined by Michael Nghiem
  • Patent number: 9664492
    Abstract: A method for defining a probe configuration using an interactive probe configuration tool is provided. The probe configuration tool comprises a shaft icon displayed on the probe configuration tool, and a probe position indicator configured to display an orientation of at least one first probe icon relative to the shaft icon. The probe position indicator is further configured to modify the orientation of the at least one first probe icon based on input from a user. The probe configuration tool further comprises a probe type indicator configured to display a type of the at least one first probe icon, wherein the probe position indicator and the probe type indicator are simultaneously displayed on a presentation interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Mark Alldredge, Daryl Ronald Frogget, Donald Evan Marshall, Brian Dean Abbott, Jacqueline Marie Tappan
  • Patent number: 9656012
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining an operating parameter of a device for extracorporeal blood treatment as a function of absolute pressure include setting the absolute ambient pressure in a closed container filled partially with air and having an essentially constant container volume by equalization of pressure with respect to the surroundings, and the pressure is maintained by isolating the container. With delivery means, a predetermined sequence of strokes of a liquid is delivered into or out of the container, and the change in the relative container pressure is measured after each delivery stroke. The total volume delivered and the relative pressure are assigned to a value pair, and the absolute pressure and the initial air volume is determined based on the Boyle-Mariotte law by using the value pairs for at least two delivery strokes. The operating parameter is calculated and adjusted as a function of the absolute pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Alfred Gagel
  • Patent number: 9653984
    Abstract: Power conversion systems and methods are presented for detecting input filter capacitor degradation or approach of end of operational life based on filter capacitor current measurements using single and/or dual threshold comparisons for computed instantaneous sum of squares of filter currents or power values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yogesh Popatlal Patel, Lixiang Wei, Russel J. Kerkman
  • Patent number: 9651411
    Abstract: An electromagnetic flowmeter using a square wave excitation method includes a differential amplifier which outputs a detection signal; an analog-digital converter which converts the detection signal into a digital detection signal; a timing control circuit which generates a sampling signal for sampling the digital detection signal; an calculation unit which executes a flow rate calculation process and a abnormality judging process at a same time. The flow rate calculation process acquires a flow velocity output signal by sampling the digital detection signal in a flat portion in a positive/negative excitation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Takashi Higuchi, Takaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9625529
    Abstract: A battery pack management system provides information such as remaining capacity and/or run time to empty for a battery. A time taken for a battery voltage to drop a threshold amount is measured and used to determine a remaining capacity of the battery. The time may be associated with a temperature and current of the battery. The remaining capacity of a battery is calculated by monitoring a discharge of the battery. For example, current drawn from the battery is monitored over a period of time and an initial amount by which the battery has been discharged is calculated. Compensation of this initial amount is carried out in order to take into account factors such as temperature, self-discharge rate and age of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics, Inc., STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: K. R. Hariharasudhan, Frank J. Sigmund
  • Patent number: 9625610
    Abstract: A system to create a surface log by using a processor connected to data storage on a network that creates and executive dashboard of surface log information using computer instructions to (a) form an editable surface log template, (b) import user information, well sensor information, well event based observation data; well fluid testing data, (c) scale the imported data, forming scaled values, (d) computing a microview and a macroview log plot using the scaled values; (e) creating an executive dashboard, (f) inserting the log plots onto the executive dashboard and other real time well logging information allowing viewing of the log plots simultaneously with the other information on a real time basis, enabling safety interpretations for drilling, geological interpretations for drilling, operational interpretations for drilling, and combinations of these interpretations, in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas H. Selman, Matthew J. Jennings
  • Patent number: 9628499
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for detecting an anomaly in a discrete signal, where samples in the signal correspond to amounts of data flow in a network within a time interval. The discrete signal is received, and a sequence of likelihoods corresponding to the sample values in the signal is generated. The likelihoods are based at least in part on a historical probability distribution of previously received sample values, and a likelihood is a probability of occurrence of a corresponding sample value in the signal. Likelihood change points are identified in the likelihood sequence, and the discrete signal is segmented into a plurality of segments at samples corresponding to the identified change points. A segment is identified as an anomaly based on a comparison between a statistic of the segment and a statistic of the historical probability distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Yu, Xinyi Zhang
  • Patent number: 9598949
    Abstract: A system to create a surface log by using a processor connected to data storage on a network that creates and executive dashboard of surface log information using computer instructions to (a) form an editable surface log template, (b) import user information, well sensor information, well event based observation data; well fluid testing data, (c) scale the imported data, forming scaled values, (d) computing a microview and a macroview log plot using the scaled values; (e) creating an executive dashboard, (f) inserting the log plots onto the executive dashboard and other real time well logging information allowing viewing of the log plots simultaneously with the other information on a real time basis, enabling safety interpretations for drilling, geological interpretations for drilling, operational interpretations for drilling, and combinations of these interpretations, in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SELMAN AND ASSOCIATES, LTD
    Inventors: Thomas H. Selman, Matthew J. Jennings
  • Patent number: 9601393
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Chris Lee, Lisheng Gao, Tao Luo, Kenong Wu, Tommaso Torelli, Michael J. Van Riet, Brian Duffy
  • Patent number: 9599742
    Abstract: A system to create a surface log by using a processor connected to data storage on a network that creates and executive dashboard of surface log information using computer instructions to (a) form an editable surface log template, (b) import user information, well sensor information, well event based observation data; well fluid testing data, (c) scale the imported data, forming scaled values, (d) computing a microview and a macroview log plot using the scaled values; (e) creating an executive dashboard, (f) inserting the log plots onto the executive dashboard and other real time well logging information allowing viewing of the log plots simultaneously with the other information on a real time basis, enabling safety interpretations for drilling, geological interpretations for drilling, operational interpretations for drilling, and combinations of these interpretations, in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SELMAN AND ASSOCIATES, LTD
    Inventors: Thomas H. Selman, Matthew J. Jennings
  • Patent number: 9588185
    Abstract: A testing device contains measuring circuitry adapted to apply time-varying electrical excitation to a cell or battery, to sense a time-varying electrical response, and to thus determine components of complex immittance at n+m discrete frequencies, where n is an integer equal to or greater than two and m is an integer equal to or greater than one. Computation circuitry utilizes measured complex immittance components at the n discrete frequencies to evaluate the elements of a 2n-element equivalent circuit model. It then calculates the complex immittance of this model at the m discrete frequencies and mathematically compares components of the calculated immittances with components of the measured immittances at the m discrete frequencies. The results of this comparison establish the degree of cell deterioration without regard to the battery's manufacturer, group size, or its electrical ratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Keith S. Champlin
  • Patent number: 9579788
    Abstract: Methods automatically and comprehensively self-test the operation, hardware, and programs of a robotic system to reveal problems in a robotic system. The system preferably evaluates repeatability of measurement by each distance sensor, an accuracy of measurement by each distance sensor, an accuracy of movement of any positioning joints used to position the robot arm, and an accuracy of at least one routine of the system control programs. The positioning joints may include one or more rotational joints or one or more translational joints. In some embodiments, the robotic system is a robotic pulse/echo layer thickness (PELT) system. When a robotic system has passed all of the tests, then the system performance has been verified. The inclusion of these self-tests allows a robotic PELT system owner to determine whether or not the robotic portion of a system is performing correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ascent Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: Samuel Rosenberg, Todd Jackson
  • Patent number: 9581570
    Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, a method of using acoustic emission data to predict the state of a structural element is described. The method includes capturing acoustic emission data for a structural element. The method further includes predicting the future stress intensity in the structural element using the captured acoustic emission data and calculating the probability of future failure of the structural element using the predicted future stress intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: University of South Carolina
    Inventors: Juan M. Caicedo, Boris A. Zarate, Paul H. Ziehl, Jianguo Peter Yu
  • Patent number: 9575554
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure includes a method, a system and a computer program product. The method includes measuring a first data with a sensor, the sensor and operatively coupled computing resources having at least two power states, an operating power state and a low power state, the low power state consuming less energy than the operating power state. A first time period is determined for measuring a second data, the first time period being based at least in part on the first data. The sensor is operated, and operatively coupled computing resources at the low power state during the first time period, wherein no data measurements are acquired during the first time period. The sensor is changed to the operating power state at an expiration of the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli M. Dow, Michael R. Kelly, Harry R. Kolar, Michael L. Passow
  • Patent number: 9557440
    Abstract: A Stoneley wave is generated in a borehole in a saturated porous earth formation. Measurements are made of the velocity of motion of the formation and the fluid in the formation. The difference in the velocities is indicative of formation permeability. An additional measurement of the electric field at the borehole wall enables determination of the electroacoustic constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Vitaly Nikolaevich Dorovsky, Alexander Igorevich Fedorov, Yury Vadimovich Perepechko
  • Patent number: 9557239
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for determining a strain component for a deformation mode of a member is disclosed. A plurality of measurements is obtained, wherein each of the plurality of measurements relates to a strain at a location of the member. A deformation mode is selected and an adjustable filter is applied to the plurality of strain measurements to determine the strain component for the selected deformation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jianfeng Chen, Xudong Yang, Brian L. Thigpen, Brooks A. Childers
  • Patent number: 9552446
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product are provided for mapping electrical circuits. A user provides an electronic record of one or more rooms with outlets to be mapped and installs a module in each outlet to be mapped. Using an interactive program, the user prepares a diagram of a circuit box. The user triggers a probe to propagate a signal detectable by said modules over a circuit and to provide circuit information. The user retrieves the circuit information from the modules. Then, the interactive program associates the circuit information from each module with a corresponding outlet on said electronic record of one or more rooms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Calcaterra, Steven Michael Miller, Humberto Gutierrez-Rivas
  • Patent number: 9552963
    Abstract: A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a reading unit to read an identifier from a substrate where an absorber film which absorbs extreme ultraviolet light is formed and the identifier which can be optically read is formed, a storage unit to store defect position information indicating a position of a defect on the substrate based on reference marks, defect size information indicating a size of the defect, which are corresponding to the identifier, and pattern data for writing, an examination unit to input partial pattern data corresponding to a region including at least the defect in the pattern data, the defect position information based on reference marks, and the defect size information, and to examine whether a pattern layout is formed such that the defect is located in a region where the absorber film remains after patterning, and a writing unit to write a pattern on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Shusuke Yoshitake
  • Patent number: 9541672
    Abstract: Characterizing a parameter of interest relating to a formation intersected by a borehole. Methods may include estimating the parameter using at least one gravity measurement adjusted to account for a gravity field gradient associated with a change in a frame of reference caused by removal of a reference feature from the borehole. Methods may also include taking at least one prior gravity measurement before removal of the reference feature from the borehole; taking at least one prior gravity measurement after removal of the reference feature from the borehole; estimating the change in the frame of reference based on the prior gravity measurements taken before and after removal of the reference feature; and adjusting the at least one gravity measurement using the estimated change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Carl M. Edwards, Daniel T. Georgi, Antonius M. Loermans
  • Patent number: 9534962
    Abstract: A temperature measurement device is provided to measure an environment temperature and includes a thermistor, a resistor, a determination circuit, and a measurement circuit. The thermistor is coupled to a first node. The thermistor has a specific impedance value at a specific environment temperature point. The resistor has a first terminal coupled to the first node. The determination circuit determines a real impedance value of the resistor. The measurement circuit is coupled to the first node for receiving a measurement value signal generated at the first node and obtains a value of the specific environment temperature point according to the measurement value signal and the real impedance value of the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Kuo-Jung Lan