Patents Examined by Philip Cotey
  • Patent number: 9650890
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the output of a plurality of oil wells. The apparatus comprises: i) a plurality of test headers coupled to the plurality of wells via a field testing infrastructure; and ii) a test separator configured to select a first well for testing and to receive a multiphase fluid flow from a first one of the plurality of test headers, the first test header associated with the first well. The test separator is further configured to: iii) separate the multiphase fluid flow into a gas phase stream and a liquid phase stream; iv) measure a plurality of parameters of the gas phase stream and the liquid phase stream over a current period; v) for each of the plurality of parameters, determine a mean value, a standard deviation, a maximum value, and a minimum value in the current period; and vi) determine if a standard deviation associated with a first parameter exceeds a first threshold of a mean value associated with the first parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Phase Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Bentley N. Scott
  • Patent number: 9645102
    Abstract: Material test structures having cantilever portions and methods of forming the same are described herein. As an example, a method of forming a material test structure includes forming a number of electrode portions in a first dielectric material, forming a second dielectric material on the first dielectric material, wherein the second dielectric material includes a first cantilever portion and a second cantilever portion, and forming a test material on the number of electrode portions, the first dielectric material, and the second dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Fabio Pellizzer, Innocenzo Tortorelli, Christina Papagianni, Gianpaolo Spadini, Jong Won Lee
  • Patent number: 9638592
    Abstract: A differential motion sensor includes a base and a cradle. The base includes a first surface that extends along a first axis to define a length and a second axis to define a width. The base further includes at least one hinge that pivots about a rotational axis extending along the first axis. The cradle is pivotably coupled to the at least one hinge and is configured to move in the direction of the second axis when pivoting about the hinge. The differential motion sensor is configured to operate in a first mode when the cradle is aligned with the base and a second mode when the cradle is pivotably displaced with respect to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen Davies, Michael Carbone
  • Patent number: 9631980
    Abstract: A temperature sensing system can include first and second temperature sensing circuits and a digitizing encoder. The first and second temperature sensing circuits can include respective devices with semiconductor junction areas. Temperature information can be determined from one or more characteristic signals measured from the temperature sensing circuits. A feedback circuit can be configured to provide one or more offset signals to the digitizing encoder. The one or more offset signals can correspond to components or characteristics of the first and second temperature sensing circuits. In an example, at least one of the first and second temperature sensing circuits can include an adjustable load circuit for use with the other of the first and second temperature sensing circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Gabriele Bernardinis
  • Patent number: 9630830
    Abstract: A MEMS resonator active temperature compensation method is provided. The MEMS resonator active temperature compensation method includes: a MEMS resonator is provided, wherein a structural resistance of the MEMS resonator is varied with an environmental temperature; a structural resistance shift value is formed by a variation of the environmental temperature; an electrical circuit is provided, wherein the electrical circuit is electrically connected with the MEMS resonator for providing an adjustment mechanism to the MEMS resonator; and a compensation value is provided from the adjustment mechanism for controlling the structural resistance shift value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Sheng-Shian Li, Cheng-Chi Chen
  • Patent number: 9632046
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a test apparatus and method for assessing thermo-mechanical fatigue related phenomena within a test material wherein a heat source, such as a laser beam is applied to a specimen consisting of a body of the test material, thereby introducing heat to a primary heat introduction zone on the surface of the body to cause local cyclic heating. As part of the cycle, heat is removed through a portion of the specimen surface sufficiently remote from the heat introduction zone to create a substantially spherical temperature gradient within the specimen resembling that of a point source on a semi-infinite body. A stress gradient results from local thermal expansion, thus thermo-mechanically cycling the material. As a result of the thermo-mechanical cycling, phenomena including thermo-mechanically induced creep, residual stress, changes in physical properties, crack initiation and crack growth may be observed within the material, and evaluated for scientific or engineering purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: FractureLab LLC
    Inventor: Richard G. Pettit
  • Patent number: 9625333
    Abstract: A tactile sensor includes a pressure transducer encapsulated in an elastic material that defines a contact surface and provides a transmission path that transmits contact forces or pressure distributions applied to the contact surface to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer can be enclosed in a protective housing that defines a chamber around the transducer. The housing can include one or more openings that expose the chamber to the exterior pressure. The tactile sensor can be made by applying the elastic material in liquid form and exposing the housing to a vacuum that removes air inside the chamber allowing the liquid elastic material to flow into the chamber. Once cured, the elastic material defines a contact surface of the tactile sensor and serves to transfer contact forces applied to the contact surface to the transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
    Inventors: Leif Jentoft, Yaroslav Tenzer, Robert Howe
  • Patent number: 9618435
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods related to umbilical bend-testing are described. For example, some embodiments may contain a three-level support structure, umbilical terminal locker, bending machine, compression testing device, and stress-strain collection system, and may be used for the bending fatigue endurance test for umbilical samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: DMAR Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Yongtian Kang, Dagang Zhang, Zhiming Huang, Quan Yuan
  • Patent number: 9618399
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for monitoring temperature of a mechanical resonator. Two or more temperature sensors may be positioned at respective locations to detect a temperature difference between the locations. The temperatures measured by the two or more temperature sensors may be used to determine a temperature of the mechanical resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Darren V. Weninger, Bruce M. Newman
  • Patent number: 9581501
    Abstract: A sensitive and practicable temperature control material which precisely or determinably detects whether the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature by electrical change from a conductive state to an insulated or lower-conductive state has excellent time stability, chemical stability, durability, and weather resistance. The temperature control material includes a heat-melt substance which melts by heat at a melting point according to temperature being detected, and a conductive paste which includes conductive powder. The temperature control material is in a conductive state by the conductive paste. The heat-melt substance is kept away from the conductive paste through a porous material and the temperature control material changes to be in an insulated or lower-conductive states. The heat-melt substance penetrates the porous material to irreversibly permeate and/or disperse into the conductive paste on a heat-melt state thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: NiGK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kozono, Katsumi Nakasato
  • Patent number: 9558453
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for forecasting leaks in a pipeline network. An example method includes identifying a subsystem in the pipeline network that includes a first station. The method also includes accessing historical temporal sensor measurements of the stations. The method also includes generating a prediction model for the first station that predicts a pressure measurement at the first station based on the historical temporal sensor measurements at each station in the subsystem. The method also includes predicting a series of pressure measurements at the first station based on the historical temporal sensor measurements. The method also includes determining a series of deviations between the series of pressure measurements and historical pressure measurements of the first station and identifying a threshold value from the series of deviations, where a pressure measurement at the first station above or below the threshold value is indicative of a leak in the subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harsh Chaudhary, Younghun Kim, Tarun Kumar, Abhishek Raman, Rui Zhang
  • Patent number: 9557226
    Abstract: Described is a current-mode thermal sensor apparatus which comprises: a first transistor with a gate terminal coupled to a first node; a second transistor with a gate terminal coupled to a second node; a first resistor coupled to the first and second nodes; a second resistor coupled to the first node and a supply node; and a diode coupled to the second node and the supply node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Matthias Eberlein
  • Patent number: 9557222
    Abstract: A hand-held device having a housing and a processor disposed within the housing, includes a camera and a temperature sensing element having an adjustable field of view. The camera is configured to generate an image of an object and to permit the user to frame the image at a portion of the object to determine the temperature of the framed portion. The temperature sensing element includes a plurality of temperature sensors and the processor is configured to select ones of the plurality of sensors to produce a field of view (FOV) of the temperature sensing element that is less than or equal to the frame in the image. The selected sensors are activated to generate signals corresponding to the temperature of the object in the FOV and the processor is configured to determine a sensed temperature based on the sensor signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ando Feyh, Gary O'Brien, Gary Yama
  • Patent number: 9552747
    Abstract: A head impact test apparatus is configured to enable viewing a head model including a brain component that may be at least partially surrounded by a fluid component and within a skull component. A head model may be a cross-sectional model of a person's head and have a translucent cover extending over the cross-sectional plane to enable viewing and image capture of the components of the head model. A camera may be configured to take a plurality of images during an impact test. These images may be analyzed to determine the acceleration and deformation of the brain component. An impact element is configured to impact the head model and the head model may have any type of helmet thereon. A helmet component may comprise a helmet cover. The test may be used to determine the effectiveness of helmets and helmet covers in reducing brain trauma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: Frank Lytle
  • Patent number: 9551599
    Abstract: A sensing system includes a filter construction module that constructs a high pass filter for filtering sensor values indicative of a process variable, the filter construction module setting values for parameters of the filter based on a temperature value indicative of a temperature of the sensor that produced the sensor values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Rosemount Inc.
    Inventors: John Philip Miller, Robert Carl Hedtke
  • Patent number: 9546971
    Abstract: A diagnosis device for a temperature sensor provided to a power transmission device transmits driving force generated by a driving power source of a vehicle. The diagnosis device includes: an output voltage estimating unit to calculate an output voltage estimation value of the temperature sensor, based on the operating state of the vehicle; and an output voltage stuck malfunction determining unit to determine an output voltage stuck malfunction of the temperature sensor, in a case where the amount of change of the output voltage estimation value is equal to or above a first threshold value, and the amount of change of output voltage of the temperature sensor is equal to or below a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9541459
    Abstract: An optical fiber temperature distribution measurement device configured to receive Raman back scattering lights obtained by inputting a pulsed light into an optical fiber and to measure a temperature distribution along a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is provided. The device includes a first filter device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideo Shida
  • Patent number: 9541540
    Abstract: A non-destructive method for determining an amount of temperature exposure to a Bismaleimide Resin (BMI) matrix substrate, the method includes determining component data of a Bismaleimide Resin (BMI) matrix component via fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy; correlating the component data to model data to determine a structural debit from temperature exposure; and bounding a structurally damaged area in response to the correlating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Denton, James H. Stewart, William Bogue
  • Patent number: 9534925
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a vibratory structure gyroscope is provided herein. An annular cavity is formed in a first surface of a substrate, the annular cavity defining an anchor post located in a central portion of the annular cavity. A bubble layer is formed over the first surface of the substrate and over the annular cavity. The substrate and the bubble layer are heated to form a hemitoroidal bubble in the bubble layer over the annular cavity. A sacrificial layer is deposited over the hemitoroidal bubble of the bubble layer and an aperture is formed in the sacrificial layer, the aperture disposed over the anchor post in the annular cavity. A resonator layer is deposited over the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial layer between the bubble layer and the resonator layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Horning, Burgess R. Johnson, Robert Compton, Eugen Cabuz
  • Patent number: 9528886
    Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and an electric system for diagnosing a device (104) for determining the temperature of a component (101) of an electric unit (107) are provided. In a first step (203), a first temperature gradient (TG1) of the component (101) is ascertained. A second temperature gradient (TG2) is determined using the device (104) for determining the temperature of a component (101). In a second step (204), a difference between the first and the second temperature gradient (TG1, TG2) is ascertained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Miguel Casares