Patents Examined by Robert Fennema
  • Patent number: 9207655
    Abstract: In a method for stabilization of an object using an electronic stabilizer device, which includes an electric gyroscope, a driver device and a counterweight device. The method measures orientation data of the object using the electric gyroscope, analyzes the orientation data of the object to obtain a current obliquity of the object, and generates a first control signal to drive the driver device according to the current obliquity when the current obliquity is equal to a reference angle. The method controls the counterweight device to change a center of gravity of the object through the driver device, and measures an adjusted obliquity of the object using the electric gyroscope. The method generates a second control signal to drive the driver device when the adjusted obliquity changes, and controls the counterweight device to dynamically adjust the center of gravity of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignees: Patentcloud Corporation, Patentcloud Co. Limited
    Inventors: Hou-Hsien Lee, Chang-Jung Lee, Chih-Ping Lo
  • Patent number: 9207665
    Abstract: The heat treatment apparatus that increases a temperature of a processing object and performs a heat treatment in a constant temperature, the heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing chamber which accommodates the processing object; a heating unit which heats the processing object accommodated in the processing chamber; a memory unit which stores two or more temperature control models that are previously created, a temperature controller which controls a temperature of the heating unit; and an apparatus controller which controls the temperature controller and the memory unit, wherein the apparatus controller selects a temperature control model among the two or more temperature control models according to desired heat treatment conditions, and wherein the temperature controller reads out the selected temperature control model from the memory unit to control the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Goro Takahashi, Takahito Kasai, Takanori Saito, Wenling Wang, Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9207735
    Abstract: A smart power grid system and power management system including at least one intelligent user-side power management device (PMD) to eliminate power theft and efficiently provide clean energy to the users of the grid while helping the grid to do smart demand response management, particularly for renewable energy based grids that need to efficiently manage the slack due to the large variability in power generation through these energy sources, the PMD including a controller, a circuit protection device, a metering device, a local power storage device, a grid communication interface, and switches to prevent overloading and illegal consumption of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Gram Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Yashraj Khaitan, Jacob Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9207698
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing power supplied over an electric power grid by an electric utility and/or other market participants to multiple power consuming devices, each of which having a Power Supply Value (PSV) associated with its energy consumption and/or reduction in consumption. Power flow to the power consuming devices is selectively enabled and disabled, or power-reduced thereto, by one or more controllable devices controlled by the client device. Power control messages from a controlling server indicate amounts of electric power to be reduced and an identification of at least one controllable device to be instructed to disable or reduce a flow of electric power to one or more associated power consuming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Causam Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9207682
    Abstract: A water pump controlled by a microcontroller and operated to pump hot water for specific recirculation periods during a multi-day cycle. The recirculation periods are determined from hot water usage data logged by the microcontroller during a logging period occurring in the previous multi-day cycle. A preferred cycle is during a seven-day, or one-week, period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Taco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. McNamara, Robert Kellicker, Christian Gonzales
  • Patent number: 9201988
    Abstract: A process and system for generating a specification for customized devices, such as rehabilitation or assistive devices, including prostheses and orthoses, or sports padding or equipment. A digital model, which is fully parameterized at least for characterizing clinical shape characteristics and functional characteristics of the device, is populated with a plurality of design parameter values and 3-dimensional coordinates of captured and calculated virtual landmarks to construct a customized model corresponding to the specification. The customized device may be manufactured based upon the specification. A system connected to a computer aided manufacturing system may generate instructions for automatically fabricating the device. In embodiments with standardized design parameter values, the customized model may be constructed without involving a human operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
    Inventors: Steven J. Stanhope, Elisa S. Arch
  • Patent number: 9202388
    Abstract: Certain examples provide systems, methods, and apparatus for patient care and support. An example three-dimensional printed model of a portion of a patient anatomy is to be formed for the patient based on image data obtained of the patient. The three-dimensional printed model includes an output device to provide an output from the three-dimensional printed model that is perceptible to the patient. The three-dimensional printed model includes a communication device to facilitate exchange of information between the three-dimensional printed model and one or more external systems. The three-dimensional printed model includes a controller to facilitate exchange of information, via the communication device, between the three-dimensional printed model and the one or more external systems. The controller is also to provide feedback to the patient via the output device with respect to a condition affecting the portion of the patient anatomy represented by the three-dimensional printed model via the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Guy Robert Vesto
  • Patent number: 9201416
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to various assets utilized within manufacturing and process plants for monitoring and control purposes. The asset data modules of the present disclosure include an integral near field communications (NFC) interface configured to provide access to asset data stored within memory integral to the given asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Junk, Annette L. Latwesen, Duncan Schleiss, Peter Zornio
  • Patent number: 9202187
    Abstract: A plant operation support system of one embodiment includes a condition setting unit, a characteristic data storage unit, and a predicting unit. The condition setting unit sets a power supply amount to be supplied from the plant to an outside, and a target recovery rate of carbon dioxide to be generated by the thermal power generation facility. The characteristic data storage unit stores characteristic data representing a capability of recovering carbon dioxide by the carbon dioxide recovery facility, which varies according to operating output of the thermal power generation facility. The predicting unit predicts a fuel consumption amount in the thermal power generation facility and a recovery amount of carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide recovery facility based on contents set by the condition setting unit and contents stored in the characteristic data storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideki Noda, Reiko Obara, Takenori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9190873
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control system (10) provided with: a generation apparatus (220) for generating control information that is information based on demand and supply of power generated at a power plant (210), and that is to be used for controlling power at the location of consumers (301) of electric power to whom power generated at the power plant (210); and a correction apparatus (100a) for correcting the control information, taking into consideration either a distributed power supply or a storage battery that can supply power to a consumer group (300a) of electric power. Power control is executed at the location of the consumers who comprise the consumer group (300a) of electric power, using the corrected control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Kiuchi, Kaoru Kusafuka, Tadayuki Watanabe, Kazumasa Shichiri, Akinori Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 9180505
    Abstract: A water injection controller and method usable in rolling lines using stored cooling water to cool a material. A cooling water usage predictor predicts, for a respective prescribed prediction cycle, usage of cooling water in a prescribed prediction target period. A constrained running condition predictor takes the predicted cooling water usage to predict a required running condition of a pump system in the prediction target period meeting a prescribed constraint condition. An energy consumption calculator takes the predicted running condition of the pump system to calculate an energy quantity to be consumed. An optimizer determines an optimal energy quantity to be consumed among plural energy quantities to be consumed under changed running conditions of the pump system. A pump system running controller controls running of the pump system having as a target value therefor a running condition of the pump system requiring the optimal quantity of energy to be consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Imanari, Mirei Kihara
  • Patent number: 9182754
    Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for output current control in an Industrial Process Control System, The output module comprises two management units each of which calculates the current demand for the module independently from one another. One management unit controls an output current controller whilst the other unit monitors the current produced by the output current controller against an independently calculated demand. The output module has multiple output modules. However rather than one module providing a backup for the other modules, or alternating between use of each module, in normal operation, each module provides a portion of the required output current, the total output current being equal to the sum of the currents output by each module. In the event of failure on one of the modules, the other module or modules switch to providing the total current required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Limited
    Inventors: Thomas B. Meagher, Gerald R. Creech, Philip J. Agar, Shelby A. Murrell, Ian D. W. Jones
  • Patent number: 9183106
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed in which the buses and physical characteristics of a server computer are monitored through server management software. A data structure for a monitored characteristic or group of characteristics is created and stored in a repository of data structures for other monitored devices and attributes within the server computer. As events, such as failure and pre-failure events, occur on one or more of the monitored attributes, the event is recorded in an event log. Using the server management software, monitoring commands can be issued by the baseboard management controller to each monitored bus to check the status of the attribute or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Anil V. Rao, Chandrasekhar Mugunda
  • Patent number: 9176497
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for creating customized products using a product identification device. In some embodiments, the process involves receiving an aggregate order for yearbooks, creating a master list associated with the aggregate order and including single orders, associating at least one number with each single order, manufacturing a first portion of a yearbook for each single order with a first identifier associated with that portion and also being associated with the at least one number, manufacturing a second portion of the yearbook for the single order with a second identifier associated with that portion and also being associated with the at least one number, and combining the first portion with the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Jostens, Inc.
    Inventor: James (Bobby) Henry
  • Patent number: 9171250
    Abstract: The method of determining back-feed paths is capable of efficiently solving multi-layer restoration problems by minimizing a fitness function using an iterative genetic algorithm. The method optimizes back-feeding of out-of-service areas by minimizing power loss, switching, unserved loads and voltage/current violations. The efficiency of the algorithm is further increased through the use of a reactive Tabu search to prevent duplicate candidate systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhenyuan Wang, Vaibhav D. Donde, James Stoupis, Wenping Li, William Peterson
  • Patent number: 9164499
    Abstract: A static security constrained automatic voltage control method is provided, which includes: performing a single automatic voltage control calculation for a control snapshot of a power system in each control cycle. The single automatic voltage control calculation comprises: obtaining a single-time severe contingency sequencing table and a periodical severe contingency sequencing table from a historical severe contingency information database, and selecting severe contingencies; performing a contingency assessment for the active contingency set, and iterating between a result of the contingency assessment for the active contingency set and a solution of the optimal power flow model to obtain a single automatic voltage control instruction; and performing a contingency assessment for a contingency set, and updating the single-time severe contingency sequencing table and the periodical severe contingency sequencing table according to a comprehensive result of the contingency assessment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hongbin Sun, Qinglai Guo, Boming Zhang, Wenchuan Wu, Bin Wang, Mingye Zhang
  • Patent number: 9165091
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a recipe management apparatus for comparing recipes prescribing process conditions of processing apparatuses between a plurality of the processing apparatuses having the same type. The recipe management apparatus includes a recipe reading unit, a mask unit, and a determination unit. The recipe reading unit is configured to read binary-format recipes of the plurality of processing apparatuses. The mask unit is configured to apply masks to data of the recipes based on mask position information prescribing positions which are applied with the masks in binary-format data of the recipes. The determination unit is configured to compare the plurality of recipes applied with the masks, and configured to determine whether there is a difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Morinaga, Kenichi Tsujisawa
  • Patent number: 9164498
    Abstract: A system for monitoring, managing, and/or operating a plurality of farm houses on a plurality of farms is disclosed. The system includes a controller and/or a monitor box in the farm house and a computer in communication with the controller for controlling and adjusting various parameters of the farm house or with the monitor box for monitoring the farm house. The system also includes a computer at an integrator's office that is operable to monitor and/or control various parameters from the farm house remotely. These parameters enable the integrator to coordinate operations with processing plants, feed mills, field service and hatcheries. It also enables the integrator to prepare various data reports for use by the integrator or others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CTB, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad W. Lorton, Douglas J. Niemeyer
  • Patent number: 9158867
    Abstract: A method for analyzing abnormalities in a semiconductor processing system provides performing an analysis of variance on a production history associated with each of a plurality of tools at each of a plurality of process steps for each of a plurality of processed wafers, and key process steps are identified. A regression analysis on a plurality of measurements of the plurality of wafers at each process step is performed and key measurement parameters are identified. An analysis of covariance on the key measurement parameters and key process steps, and the key process steps are ranked based on an f-ratio, therein ranking an abnormality of the key process steps. Further, the plurality of tools associated with each of the key process steps are ranked based on an orthogonal t-ratio associated with an analysis of covariance, therein ranking an abnormality each tool associated with the key process steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsien Lin, Jui-Long Chen, Hui-Yun Chao, Jong-I Mou, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 9159109
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention disclose a method and apparatus for detecting the statuses of energy source consumption devices, relate to the field of energy source auditing and are intended to improve the efficiency and accuracy of detecting the statuses of the energy source consumption devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: NEC (CHINA) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Song, Changjian Hu, Lu Yu, Kai Zhao