Patents Examined by Michael W Choi
  • Patent number: 10965995
    Abstract: A system determines who is present within an area by reading radio waves emitted from a device carried by the user and then adjusts various devices within or near the area of the user based upon a profile(s) of the user(s) that are in the area. The devices (e.g. speaker systems, lighting systems, televisions, music systems) are controlled based upon profiles of the users, giving more control priority to the users that are closer to the devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Inventor: J. Whitaker McRae
  • Patent number: 10941725
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system that includes an adaptive control module for an engine. The adaptive control module is configured to receive a power input signal and receive, from an engine vibration sensor, a vibration signal indicative of an operating condition of the engine. The adaptive control module is further configured to determine, using a set of control laws, a power demand signal based on inputs including the power input signal and the vibration signal. The adaptive control module is further configured to output the power demand signal to at least one component of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Keith Calhoun
  • Patent number: 10937266
    Abstract: The invention provides a banknote processing machine having a power control electronics that comprises: —a low voltage monitor constructed to detect a lowering of a voltage of the power delivered by the power source below a minimum voltage; and —a power failure control circuit constructed to, in the case that a lowering of said voltage below said minimum voltage occurs, discontinue supply of power to a first group of said elements and to continue supply of power to a second group of said elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Amit Kumar Jain
  • Patent number: 10932344
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for emulating an environment created by the outputs of a plurality of devices. The system receives device control data for a device in a first venue. The control of the outputs of said devices according to the device control data creates an environment within the first venue. The system retrieves profile data for devices within a second venue. The system associates a device in the second venue with a device from the first venue, both devices having a similar output type. The system then generates control information adapted from the associated device of the first venue for the device in the second venue. The system controls the outputs of each device in the second plurality of devices according to the generated control information to emulate the environment within the first venue in the second venue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: David Shoop, Dylan M. Wondra
  • Patent number: 10914357
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed at a method and apparatus for controlling unwanted vibrations in a mechanical system. The apparatus includes a set of different eccentric and/or concentric masses mounted to the mechanical system for generating forces to counteract the sensed unwanted vibrations. The apparatus further includes a set of motors that control movement of the set of masses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Inventor: Amir Khajepour
  • Patent number: 10890346
    Abstract: An on/off system operates to affect a variable state or condition of a building by switching between an on state and an off state. An extremum-seeking controller operates the on/off system by providing a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal having a duty cycle to the on/off system. The extremum-seeking controller is configured to generate the PWM control signal by receiving a performance variable as feedback from the on/off system, extracting a gradient of the performance variable with respect to the duty cycle, modulating the duty cycle using an extremum-seeking control technique to determine an optimal value of the duty cycle that drives the gradient toward zero, and generating the PWM control signal such that each period of the PWM control signal has a pulse width proportional to the duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Timothy I. Salsbury
  • Patent number: 10877445
    Abstract: A predictive controller controls a vehicle subject to equality and inequality constraints on state and control variables of the vehicle and solves a matrix equation of necessary optimality conditions to produce control inputs to control the vehicle. The controller represents the state variables as a function of the control variables using discrete-time dynamics and determines the control inputs iteratively using two levels of iterations. The first level of iterations selects active inequality constraints, updates a constraint Jacobian matrix with a low-rank update for a change in the set of active inequality constraints to include the active inequality constraints, and updates a preconditioning matrix with a low-rank factorization update, in response to the low-rank update of the constraint Jacobian matrix. The second level of iterations, nested in the first level, solves the matrix equation with the updated constraint Jacobian matrix using the updated preconditioning matrix to produce the control inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Rien Quirynen, Andrei Kniazev, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 10837669
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a technology for a sensor network, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC) and internet of things (IoT). The present invention can be applied in intelligent services (smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, health care, digital education, retail business, security and safety-related services, and the like) utilizing said technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyungjae Kim, Kwanwoo Song, Gunhyuk Park, Jeongil Seo, Daeeun Yi, Hyejung Cho
  • Patent number: 10831178
    Abstract: A processing step data generating apparatus includes: a processing procedure data group storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of processing procedure data each including data defining a processing unit, which is a unit of a processing step, and processing order data of the processing unit defined by the data defining the processing unit; a processing procedure selection unit; and a processing step generation unit that determines a processing shape for the processing unit on the basis of the data defining the processing unit included in the processing procedure data selected by the processing procedure selection unit as well as product and material data to generate processing unit data, and generates processing step data from the processing unit data being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Iriguchi, Susumu Matsubara, Hiroki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10792795
    Abstract: An interactive software application on a mobile computing device is used to configure an electronic torque wrench via a wireless connection. The software application obtains torque specifications for a vehicle from a remote database. When the torque specification require that work pieces be torqued in an ordered sequence, the software application guides the technician through the sequence, but accommodates changes when the technician departs from the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Nathan J. Lee, Christopher Lawton
  • Patent number: 10767878
    Abstract: An indoor air quality (IAQ) system for a building includes a relative humidity (RH) sensor. The RH sensor is configured to measure a RH of the air within the building. At least one of a thermostat and an IAQ control module is configured to control humidification of the building based on the RH measured by the RH sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung M. Pham, Stuart K. Morgan, Brian R. Butler
  • Patent number: 10770901
    Abstract: A method for delivering an energy resource on a network includes receiving constraints, a first objective function, and a second objective function. The constraints represent electrical load capacities of elements of the network. The constraints and the first objective function are used to identify (i) a load matrix embodying a set of optimal electrical loads for each of the plurality of elements of the power grid and (ii) a corresponding first feature matrix. The load matrix and the first feature matrix optimize the first objective function and satisfy the constraints. If the load matrix and first feature matrix indicate a non-binding fully loaded (NBFL) constraint, the second objective function is used to identify a second feature matrix which optimizes both the first and second objective functions while satisfying the constraints. The second feature matrix assigns a non-zero value to at least one previously identified NBFL constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Nexant, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Bright, Mauro Prais
  • Patent number: 10768652
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a hedge mode plugin increases the ability of an energy storage system to reduce the demand charges associated with purchasing electricity from a utility. A utility measurement interval (UMI) is divided into a pre-discharge phase and a subsequent compensatory charge phase. During the pre-discharge phase, the hedge mode plugin causes an energy storage device to discharge. At the beginning of the compensatory charge phase, the hedge mode plugin computes time-indexed charge values based on the total amount of energy that the energy storage device discharged during the pre-discharge phase. The hedge mode plugin then causes the energy storage device to charge based on at least one of the charge values. By systematically pre-discharging and re-charging the energy device, the hedge mode plugin optimizes the demand reduction effectiveness of the energy storage system during each UMI while stabilizing the state-of-charge of the energy storage device across multiple UMIs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Stem, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Burlinson, Chris Benjamin, Ben Kearns, Garrison Venn
  • Patent number: 10754398
    Abstract: Cooling of a computing device is described herein. The computing device includes a plurality of fans, a plurality of sensors, and a processor in communication with the plurality of fans and the plurality of sensors. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is associated with at least one fan of the plurality of fans and is operable to determine a temperature. The processor is configured to determine, for each sensor of the plurality of sensors, a difference between the determined temperature and a predetermined temperature corresponding to the sensor. The processor is also configured to compared the determined differences. The processor is configured to increase a speed of at least a first fan of the plurality of fans based on the comparison, and determine which fan of the plurality of fans to decrease fan speed based on the increased speed of the first fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Chau Van Ho, Bo Dan, Spencer B. Eggert
  • Patent number: 10754311
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention control a forming unit of a 3D printer so as to additionally form a second object in a free space in the forming unit when receiving an instruction to form the second object and forming data in the middle of a forming process for a first object by the forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kotaro Matsuda, Takeshi Ishikura
  • Patent number: 10724752
    Abstract: The invention involves the automated testing of HVAC units using an energy management system. The automated HVAC test is performed to understand if one or more HVAC units are operational across one or more locations. If an HVAC unit is not operational, HVAC testing could be performed to understand which component or stage of the HVAC unit is not working as designed. The automated HVAC test is also used to calculate the efficiency of the HVAC unit(s) being tested. The various HVAC tests are performed on all HVAC units as a form of preventative maintenance and diagnostics. These tests can be scheduled on-demand, for a future date and time, or on a recurring schedule (monthly or quarterly). A report is generated for each HVAC test and can be viewed and exported from a cloud-based energy management platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: GridPoint, Inc.
    Inventors: Danny Dyess, Deepak Budhiraja, Gerald Zingraf
  • Patent number: 10696038
    Abstract: An interactive platform supports multi-user participation in a shared virtual workspace to prepare and schedule virtual print trays for printing on a three-dimensional (3D) printer or other fabrication resource. Computerized models may be automatically positioned within the print tray, manually positioned within the print tray, or some combination of these. After objects are placed in the virtual workspace users may be given identity-based control of the print tray including, e.g., identity-specific capabilities for viewing, modifying or removing objects within the print tray. This permits improved control over aspects of interest to particular users including, e.g., security, object orientation, priority, fabrication speed, fabrication cost, and so forth within a shared fabrication environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: Grant Thomas-Lepore, Blake Zachary Courter, Roger Rudolf S. Maranan
  • Patent number: 10689967
    Abstract: A method and autodriller for drilling a wellbore with a drill rig by rotating a drillstring and a drill bit with a drill rig drive system; applying an initial weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB; measuring drill rig properties to derive an anticipated drill bit rotation speed; and changing the weight of the drillstring on the drill rig WOB so that a corresponding change to the downhole weight on the drill bit occurs approximately simultaneously with a change in the anticipated drill bit rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Benjamin Peter Jeffryes, Nathaniel Wicks
  • Patent number: 10692782
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for controlling an operation of a substrate processing apparatus that forms a predetermined film on a substrate and operations of a plurality of measurement devices that measure a characteristic of the predetermined film. The control device includes: an individual difference information storing unit that stores individual difference information representing a relationship between information allocated to each of the plurality of measurement devices to specify each measurement device and an individual difference of the measurement device; and a controller that corrects a measurement value of the characteristic of the predetermined film measured by the measurement device based on information specifying the measurement device that has measured the characteristic of the predetermined film and the individual difference information stored in the individual difference information storing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichi Takenaga, Takahito Kasai, Yozo Nagata
  • Patent number: 10693318
    Abstract: An energy management system, provided with: a collector that collects information regarding energy efficiency of a production apparatus and a processor that performs at least one of monitoring, simulation, and optimization of energy efficiency in production activity performed by the production apparatus, on the basis of the information regarding energy efficiency collected by the collector, using a modeling unit in which information regarding energy efficiency of a constituent element of the production apparatus is modeled on the basis of a predefined rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Demachi