Patents Examined by Paul M. West
  • Patent number: 11733081
    Abstract: Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system. In one aspect, a corrected flow curve is created for a range of target flow rates across a plurality of setpoints. In one implementation, a method of conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system includes prioritizing the plurality of MFCs for the calibration operation. The prioritizing includes determining an operation time for each MFC of the plurality of MFCs, and ranking the plurality of MFCs in a rank list according to the operation time for each MFC. The method includes conducting the calibration operation for the plurality of MFCs according to the rank list and during an idle time for the substrate processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bindusagar Marath Sankarathodi, Zhiyuan Ye, Jyothi Rajeevan, Ala Moradian, Zuoming Zhu, Errol Antonio C. Sanchez, Patricia M. Liu
  • Patent number: 11733228
    Abstract: A gas sample introduction device includes a sample container connection flow path, a sample loop and a first flow path switching valve, having a first state in which the pressurizing gas is supplied to the sample container connection flow path via the sample loop and a second state in which the pressurizing gas is supplied to the sample container connection flow path without via the sample loop. A leak check method includes a first determination step of determining whether or not there is a gas leak by setting the first flow path switching valve to a first state and a second determination step of identifying a location of a gas leak by performing a second determination of whether or not there is a gas leak by setting the first flow path switching valve to a second state, when there is a gas leak in the first determination step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Kota Kamei
  • Patent number: 11726011
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a system for sampling sub-slab soil gas having an adaptor body that includes a first barbed portion, a collar portion, a second barbed portion, an internal cavity that axially passes through the length of the adaptor body, and a coupling portion. The system further includes one or more extensions such as a fitting extension, a filter extension, a sieve extension and a length extension, each of which are threadably retainable with the coupling portion of the adaptor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: VAPOR PIN ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Craig A. Cox
  • Patent number: 11726023
    Abstract: A method includes calibrating a cytometric device for analysis of a target cell, by inserting, into the cytometric device, a hydrogel particle. The hydrogel particle has at least one of a background fluorescent property or a spectral property that is substantially similar to the at least one of a background fluorescent property or a spectral property of the target cell. The method also includes measuring at least one property of the hydrogel particle using the cytometric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Slingshot Biosciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kim, Anh Tuan Nguyen, Brandon Miller
  • Patent number: 11725970
    Abstract: A fluid monitoring system is provided, which includes at least one fluid vibration sensing unit to provide at least one fluid vibration signal from at least one location on a measuring chamber of a meter to be monitored. The system also includes one or more display units, and a control unit configured to be coupled to the at least one fluid vibration sensing unit and the one or more display units. The control unit is configured to detect a condition from the respective location using the at least one fluid vibration sensing unit and communicate to at least one or more display units to provide a display of the condition. A meter with a fluid monitoring system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ROMET LIMITED
    Inventors: Brent Collver, Frederick Joseph Maly, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11726006
    Abstract: An apparatus to test, at home, the firmness of a sleep surface to be used by an infant is disclosed. The apparatus is based on the home version of the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 8811.1:2013. The apparatus comprises two pieces, one piece is the support to hold a defined weight, and the other piece is used as a scale to visualize how much the piece with the weight sinks into the sleep surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventor: Nelson Fumo
  • Patent number: 11719586
    Abstract: An additively manufactured strain gauge resides on the surface of a component to monitor component fatigue. The strain gauge is additively manufactured, and applied to the curvature of the component surface through either a flexible substrate or through direct printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: James A. Mullen
  • Patent number: 11714078
    Abstract: Systems for determining GW/SW interaction are provided. The systems can include: a sensing assembly comprising sensors for pressure, fluid conductivity, temperature, and transfer resistance; processing circuitry operatively coupled to the sensing assembly and configured to receive data from the sensing assembly and process the data to provide a GW/SW interaction, wherein the data includes pressure, fluid conductivity, temperature, transfer resistance data. Methods for determining GW/SW interaction are provided. The methods can include: receiving real time data including pressure, fluid conductivity, temperature, and transfer resistance; from at least some of the data received simulating the SW/GW interaction; and fitting the real time data with the simulated data to provide actual SW/GW interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Timothy C. Johnson, Christopher E. Strickland, Yue Zhu, Jonathan N. Thomle, James C. Stegen
  • Patent number: 11714039
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a viscosity of a fluid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a Parylene coated quartz tuning fork for immersion in the fluid and an electronic circuit to excite a vibration of the Parylene coated quartz tuning fork and measure one or more vibrational parameters of the Parylene coated quartz tuning fork. A computer processor is configured to determine a non-Newtonian viscosity from the vibration of the Parylene coated quartz tuning fork based, at least in part, on a Stokes flow hydrodynamic model. The computer processor is coupled to a memory for storing a calibration curve to determine a Newtonian viscosity of the fluid from the non-Newtonian viscosity of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Miguel Gonzalez, Subhash Chandrabose Ayirala, Lyla Maskeen, Abdulkarim Sofi
  • Patent number: 11709119
    Abstract: Techniques for determining rheological properties of a fluid include actuating a resonator disposed in a volume that contains a fluid sample to operate the resonator in the fluid sample at a predetermined actuation scheme; measuring at least one characteristic of the resonator based on the operation of the resonator in the fluid sample; comparing the at least one measured characteristic to a rheological model that associates characteristics of the fluid sample to one or more rheological properties; and based on the comparison, determining one or more rheological properties of the fluid sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Miguel Gonzalez, Max Deffenbaugh, Hyongsu Baek
  • Patent number: 11703486
    Abstract: A column oven includes a substantially sealed space surrounded by wall surfaces made of a heat conductive material to accommodate an analytical column, a heater for heating the wall surfaces made of the heat conductive material, and a heat insulating material surrounding an outside of the wall surfaces made of the heat conductive material. That is, a space inside the column oven in which the analytical column is accommodated is formed as a substantially sealed structure surrounded by the heat conductive wall surfaces, and the wall surfaces surrounding the substantially sealed space are heated by the heater, thereby heating the substantially sealed space uniformly from circumferential directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Hikaru Ishihara
  • Patent number: 11703472
    Abstract: In an example, a method for accelerated conditioning of a composite core sandwich coupon is described. The method includes setting a first temperature and a first relative humidity level of the conditioning apparatus, wherein a combination of the first temperature and the first relative humidity level correspond to a desired relative humidity level of the plurality of cells of the core layer at room temperature. The method includes maintaining the first temperature and the first relative humidity for a first period, wherein during the first period a core humidity of the plurality of cells in the core layer approaches the first relative humidity level. The method includes determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level. The method includes, based on determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level, adjusting the first temperature to a second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Keith D. Humfeld, Joseph A. Bolton
  • Patent number: 11703371
    Abstract: A bin volume predictor can receive data characterizing measurements of a temperature at a plurality of temperature sensors of a temperature sensor cable that is positioned to extend along a height of the storage bin in an interior of the storage bin and data characterizing measurements of an ambient temperature of an exterior of the storage bin. The bin volume predictor identifies, based on the measured temperature for temperature sensors in the interior of the storage bin, a topmost covered temperature sensor of the temperature sensor cable. Moreover, the bin volume predictor determines, based on the identified topmost covered temperature sensor, an amount of material stored in the storage bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: DEVICESOLUTIONS
    Inventors: Keith William Anderson, Mark Adam Bednasz, Wilson Christopher Lamb, Anthony James Sammarco, Andrew Alden Spear, Robert Charles Witter
  • Patent number: 11703401
    Abstract: Provided are a device and a measuring method for measuring an unbalanced moment on a bottom surface of a circular valve core. The device includes a diverging shaped tube, a water tank, a transparent tube, spring dynamometers, laser sources, a circular valve core, and a high-speed camera with a camera stand. Inner shackles and the laser sources are evenly distributed on an outer side of the circular valve core of the device, the spring dynamometers are connected with the inner shackles and with the outer shackles evenly distributed on an inner wall of the transparent tube. The method records an unbalanced state of the circular valve core under an impact of water flow from different orientations with the high-speed camera on the camera stand, the location of the laser point on the outer wall and a tension force of the spring dynamometer are read to calculate a torque of the circular valve core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jinyuan Qian, Congwei Hou, Juan Mu, Zhijiang Jin
  • Patent number: 11703331
    Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) micro-scale shells are presented with openings of various sizes and geometries on the surface. The shell consist of a suspended ring-shaped resonator, multiple support beams, a support post, and a cap region that connects the support beams to the support post. Shells with openings of various sizes and geometries allow the creation of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and actuators with a wide range of engineered mechanical and electrical properties. The openings on the shell surface can, for example, control the mechanical quality factor (Q) and resonance frequencies of the shell when the shell is used as a suspended proof mass of a mechanical resonator of a vibratory gyroscope. The shells can also serve as mechanical supporting layers and/or an electrode connection layer for MEMS actuators and sensors that use 3D shells as proof masses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Khalil Najafi, Sajal Singh, Jae Yoong Cho
  • Patent number: 11696529
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) grain mass and constituent measurement system utilized onboard a combine harvester includes an RF sensor subsystem for capturing RF sensor readings of a harvested grain within an area of the combine harvester. A memory stores an RF characteristic database, which contains RF characteristic testing data collected for tested grain samples over one or more tested frequency ranges. A controller, operably coupled to the RF sensor subsystem and to the memory, is configured to: (i) receive the RF sensor readings from the RF sensor subsystem; (ii) determine grain mass and a first constituent content of the currently-harvested grain based, at least in part, on an analytical comparison between the RF sensor readings and the RF characteristic testing data; and (iii) perform at least one action in response to determining the grain mass and the first constituent content of the harvested grain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Wentao Yu, Volker Fuchs, Gurmukh Advani, Noel W. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11692824
    Abstract: A gyrometer including a first dual-mass gyrometer including a planar substrate, first left and right inertial masses including a first left and right frames, respectively, aligned along a first excitation axis X1 parallel to an excitation direction, and mounted with the ability to slide on the substrate along the first excitation axis X1, and first left and right central masses, respectively, mounted with the ability to slide in the first left and right frames, respectively, parallel to a first detection direction perpendicular to the excitation direction; a first coupling spring interposed between the first left and right frames; a first rocker mounted with the ability to rotate on the substrate about a first rocker pivot, first left and right ends of the first rocker being connected to the first left and right central masses, respectively; second left and right inertial masses aligned along a second axis X2 parallel to the excitation direction, and mounted with the ability to slide on the substrate along th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Pierre Janioud, Guillaume Jourdan, Alexandra Koumela, Christophe Poulain
  • Patent number: 11694914
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer, where a single chamber is utilized for decomposition and scanning of the wafer of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Elemental Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler Yost, Daniel R. Wiederin, Beau A. Marth, Jared Kaser, Jonathan Hein, Jae Seok Lee, Jae Min Kim, Stephen H. Sudyka
  • Patent number: 11692826
    Abstract: An anchor member supports a frame-shaped member. A first input electrode is located outside the frame-shaped member and separate from the frame-shaped member and fixed to a substrate. A second input electrode includes an electrode portion located outside the frame-shaped member and connected to the frame-shaped member. The second input electrode is displaceable in a prescribed direction. A first reference electrode is inside the frame-shaped member and fixed to the substrate. A second reference electrode includes an electrode portion located inside of the frame-shaped member and connected to the frame-shaped member. The second reference electrode is displaceable in the prescribed direction. In the structural component, the first input electrode and the electrode portion of the second input electrode are located between the frame-shaped member and a weight member in the prescribed direction in plan view in a thickness direction defined with respect to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoichi Taji, Hiroyuki Aizawa, Soichiro Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 11686168
    Abstract: A system and method for determining an efficiency of gas extraction. A chamber allows inflow and outflow of the drilling fluid. An amount of gas extracted from a drilling fluid flowing through the chamber at a constant rate during a dynamic process is measured. A dissolution curve is obtained indicative of a gas remaining in the chamber after the dynamic process. An amount drawn from the chamber during a static process subsequent to the dynamic process is measured. An amount of gas from the drilling fluid during the static process is determined from a difference between the amount of gas drawn from the chamber during the static process and an amount of gas indicated by the dissolution curve. The gas extraction efficiency is determined from a ratio of the amount of gas extracted during the static process and the amount of gas extracted during the dynamic process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Brian B. Ochoa, Nicklas Jeremias Ritzmann