Patents Examined by Nathan Laughlin
  • Patent number: 9189037
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and article of manufacture for optimizing heat transfer in a 3-D chip-stack. The method includes the steps of: receiving a heat-removal effectiveness parameter for a plurality of channel-region areas in the chip-stack, receiving at least one of a flow value and temperature value for at least two of the channel-region areas, comparing the received values for different channel-region areas, and adjusting a flow rate of a liquid flowing to at least one of the two channel-region areas based on the heat-removal effectiveness parameter of the channel-region area receiving the adjustment and the results of the comparison step, where at least one step is carried out using a computer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
  • Patent number: 9177323
    Abstract: A system and method for creating and making use of customer profiles, including energy consumption patterns. Devices within a service point, using the active load director, may be subject to control events, often based on customer preferences. These control events cause the service point to use less power. Data associated with these control events, as well as related environment data, are used to create an energy consumption profile for each service point. This can be used by the utility to determine which service points are the best targets for energy consumption. In addition, an intelligent load rotation algorithm determines how to prevent the same service points from being picked first each time the utility wants to conserve power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Causam Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9141098
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel techniques for optimizing and controlling production plants using parametric multifaceted models. In particular, the parametric multifaceted models may be configured to convert a first set of parameters (e.g., control parameters) relating to a production plant into a second set of parameters (e.g., optimization parameters) relating to the production plant. In general, the first set of parameters will be different than the second set of parameters. For example, the first set of parameters may be indicative of low-level, real-time control parameters and the second set of parameters may be indicative of high-level, economic parameters. Utilizing appropriate parameterization may allow the parametric multifaceted models to deliver an appropriate level of detail of the production plant within a reasonable amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bijan Sayyar-Rodsari, Carl Anthony Schweiger
  • Patent number: 9133756
    Abstract: A method for determining when a cooling system for a work vehicle is restricted with debris. A first temperature difference between an inlet and an outlet of a heat exchanger is determined when the airflow though said heat exchanger is substantially unrestricted. When a subsequent temperature difference is less than the first temperature difference by a predetermined amount, the direction of the airflow is reversed to remove debris from the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Soldan, Brendon Nafziger
  • Patent number: 9092017
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to air handling systems for buildings, more particularly to energy recovery ventilation systems, and specifically to a calculation/estimation of effectiveness which may be used for informational and maintenance purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: AIR SYSTEM COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexis Rosa, Michael G. Longman, John Pinkston
  • Patent number: 9086189
    Abstract: A method for operating a pneumatic lumbar support between a deflated position and an inflated position. The method includes inflating a bladder of the pneumatic lumbar support; sensing a pressure within the bladder using a pressure sensor; producing an inflation output signal from the pressure sensor, wherein the inflation output signal is a function of time; and converting the inflation output signal using an inflation-deflation transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: LEGGETT & PLATT CANADA CO.
    Inventors: Xiao Ming Zhao, Renato Colja, Horia Blendea
  • Patent number: 9086696
    Abstract: An industrial control system is provided. The system includes two or more industrial control resources that are employed to operate a control process. This includes at least one arbitration component installed with each of the industrial control resources, where the arbitration component is employed to resolve priorities between the industrial control resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Plache, Robert Kline, Paul R. D'mura, Gretchen Lee Krehbiel
  • Patent number: 9081379
    Abstract: In a method of controlling operation of a processing system, a host computer, a process tool and a component of an evacuation system, for example an abatement tool, are connected to a system bus. The abatement tool monitors signals transmitted on the system bus between the host computer and the process tool, and signals received directly from the process tool. The abatement tool uses information contained within the monitored signals to generate a signal for the process tool regarding an operating characteristic of the abatement tool. This signal is transmitted either directly or over the system bus to the process tool, which uses the generated signal to control an operating state of the process tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Edwards Limited
    Inventors: James Robert Smith, Michael Roger Czerniak, Nigel James Gibbins
  • Patent number: 9066602
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns a wireless communication system adapted to produce a closed-loop feedback scheme between a handheld remote control and an adjustable bed controller. The adjustable bed controller is adapted to, in response to a receipt of a motion command from the handheld remote control via the closed-loop feedback scheme, adjust, with feedback, a portion of an adjustable bed. The feedback is based on a comparison of sensor feedback and a predetermined position stored in a memory of the adjustable bed controller. The handheld remote control can receive, through the closed-loop feedback scheme, a returned confirmation reflecting the state of the position of the bed segment in response to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Inventor: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
  • Patent number: 9069337
    Abstract: A utility employs a method for estimating available operating reserve. Electric power consumption by at least one device serviced by the utility is determined during at least one period of time to produce power consumption data. The power consumption data is stored in a repository. A determination is made that a control event is to occur during which power is to be reduced to one or more devices. Prior to the control event and under an assumption that it is not to occur, power consumption behavior expected of the device(s) is estimated for a time period during which the control event is expected to occur based on the stored power consumption data. Additionally, prior to the control event, projected energy savings resulting from the control event are determined based on the devices' estimated power consumption behavior. An amount of available operating reserve is determined based on the projected energy savings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Consert Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr., Joel L. Webb
  • Patent number: 9052229
    Abstract: Dispensing systems and methods contemplated herein are configured to adjust a first continuous product flow rate to a second continuous but variable flow rate in at least two control modes. Most preferably, a moving average is determined for the second flow rate to provide a first level of control, and a loss-in-weight feedback is determined for the first flow rate to provide a second, finer level of control, which will be abandoned when the feedback moves beyond a predetermined threshold relative to a calculated product flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jody Warren
  • Patent number: 9043964
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided to automatically determine plant water requirements and adjust irrigation. In one implementation, a method comprises: receiving, from a user via a user interface of an irrigation control unit and at a time after an initial commercial sale, a region identifier corresponding to a region of the irrigation controller; identifying a set of historical values from a plurality of sets of historical values pre-stored in a memory of the irrigation control unit; receiving a current value of at least one other environmental variable from at least one sensor; receiving at least one historical value from the identified set of historical values from the memory; determining the plant water requirements using the at least one historical value and the current value; outputting an adjustment control message to the irrigation controller; and adjusting execution of the irrigation schedule, the irrigation schedule defined for a peak irrigation period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
    Inventors: Harvey J. Nickerson, John R. German
  • Patent number: 9037310
    Abstract: A monitoring system for distributed utilities. A generation device is provided for converting an available resource to a desired utility; the resource may be water, in which case the generator is a purifier for providing potable water, or, alternatively, the generator may convert a fuel to electrical power. In either case, an input sensor is provided for measuring input to the generation device, while an output sensor is provided for measuring consumption of output from the generation device. The monitoring system has a controller for concatenating measured input and consumption of output on the basis of the input and output sensors. Measured parameters are telemetered to a remote site where utility generation and use are monitored and may also be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Dean Kamen, Jason A. Demers, Kingston Owens
  • Patent number: 9031673
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns a handheld control with a user interface adapted to facilitate a user in adjusting a parameter of an adjustable bed and a parameter of a home control system. A display on the user interface displays a graphical representation of the adjustable bed parameter and a graphical representation of the home control system parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Inventor: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
  • Patent number: 9020618
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for controlling a device to perform a function, for example, window washing. A controller device may be adapted to control a controlled device. In response to hand movement, an accelerometer in the controller may obtain acceleration and/or angle signals. The signals may be processed in order to identify a command that may be used to control the controlled device. The controlled device may be secured to, for example, a window. Upon identifying command(s) initiated from the controller device, the controlled device may respond to the commands. The controlled device may include, for example, a cleaning unit. The command(s) may be instructions for the controlled device to move about the window and activate the cleaning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventors: Xin Wu, Liang Gao, Kewan Chen
  • Patent number: 9020656
    Abstract: A thermal state within an information handling system enclosure is managed within predetermined constraints by estimating thermal energy introduced to the enclosure by power dissipation to electronic components and thermal energy removed from the enclosure by a cooling airflow generated by a fan. A desired bulk temperature of a cooling airflow is attained at a predetermined position in an enclosure by selecting a fan speed and power allocation to the components that conserves energy within the enclosure at a predetermined thermal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Austin Shelnutt, German Florez-Larrahondo, Sharadha Parthasarathy, Tyler Duncan
  • Patent number: 9008851
    Abstract: A control system and a method for initializing the control system are provided. The control system includes a control platform and a plurality of target modules SM1˜SMn. Data transmission ends of the target modules are connected to the control platform. A power input end of the target module SM1 receives an operation electrical energy. The target module SM1 delays the operation electrical energy by a first period, and outputs the operation electrical energy via a power output end of the target modules SM1. A power input end of the target module SMi receives the operation electrical energy from a power output end of the target module SM(i-1). The target module SMi delays the operation electrical energy by an nth period, and outputs the operation electrical energy via a power output end of the target modules SMi, wherein 1?i?n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yu-Wei Hung, Yung-Ching Huang
  • Patent number: 9008847
    Abstract: A method of controlling a cooling device for cooling a cutting tool in a machine tool. The method comprising the steps of: controlling the motor to drive the pump in such a manner that the pump feeds the nozzle with machining fluid at a constant flow rate D1 that is equal to a first flow rate setpoint; measuring a parameter P representative of a fluid outlet pressure from the nozzle; and comparing an estimated outlet pressure Pestim as estimated from the parameter P with a first predetermined pressure threshold Ps1, and controlling the motor so as to increase the fluid flow rate D1 as delivered by the pump if the estimated output pressure drops below the first pressure threshold Ps1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Messier-Bugatti-Dowty
    Inventors: Denis Clausmann, Laurent Augelmann, Claude Kehren, Christophe Joubert
  • Patent number: 9002483
    Abstract: A method of controlling a water heater is provided. The method comprises evaluating the fitness of solutions associated with a plurality of individuals in a population for a current operating environment of the water heater. Each of the plurality of individuals comprises a dominant genotype and a recessive genotype. Each genotype represents a solution for controlling the water heater. A fitness function is applied to the dominant genotype of each individual. The fitness function is based on at least one of water flow demand data and energy price data. The method further comprises storing previously encountered genotypes in the recessive genotypes of the individuals. The method further comprises selecting a solution for controlling operation of the water heater based on the fitness evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph J. Engler
  • Patent number: 8996183
    Abstract: A utility employs an active load management system (ALMS) to estimate available operating reserve for possible dispatch to the utility or another requesting entity (e.g., an independent system operator). According to one embodiment, the ALMS determines amounts of electric power stored in power storage devices, such as electric or hybrid electric vehicles, distributed throughout the utility's service area. The ALMS stores the stored power data in a repository. Responsive to receiving a request for operating reserve, the ALMS determines whether the stored power data alone or in combination with projected energy savings from a control event is sufficient to meet the operating reserve requirement. If so, the ALMS dispatches power from the power storage devices to the power grid to meet the operating reserve need. The need for operating reserve may also be communicated to mobile power storage devices to allow them to provide operating reserve as market conditions require.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Consert Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.