Patents Examined by Robert Fennema
  • Patent number: 9901210
    Abstract: Methods for automated handling for forming a device and automated handling systems for forming a device are presented. One of the methods includes providing a production area with a plurality of destinations and a transport system which includes transport and load/unload (U/L) units in the production area. The transport units include automated guided vehicles (AGVs) with a storage compartment for holding at least one carrier containing production material for forming the device and U/L units include AGVs with a robotic system for handling carriers. A transfer of a selected carrier from a first destination to a second destination is determined. A request to the transport system is issued to effect the transfer of the selected carrier, which includes using a selected U/L unit, a selected transport unit, or a combination of selected U/L and transport units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Chew Foo Chan
  • Patent number: 9886022
    Abstract: A numerical control device includes a phase-difference calculation unit that, when machining with vibrations is performed on a movement path, calculates a phase difference between a vibrational forward-moving position and a vibrational backward-moving position from a vibration amplitude-to-feed ratio between amplitude of the vibrations and a feed speed of a tool to a workpiece, a movement-path generation unit generating the vibrational forward-moving position and the vibrational backward-moving position as the movement path for each drive shaft by using the phase difference, a vibration-waveform generation unit generating a reference vibration waveform to be superimposed on the movement path for each drive shaft by using vibration conditions, a vibrational-movement-amount generation unit calculating a vibrational-movement amount on the movement path for each drive shaft by using the reference vibration waveform, and a movement-amount combining unit generating a combined movement amount for each drive shaft by
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD., CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Watanabe, Masakazu Sagasaki, Yuki Hirata, Hitoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9879874
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system control apparatus capable of, even for a room in which a humidity sensor is not installed, accurately estimating an indoor humidity and preventing an indoor temperature and humidity from deviating from comfortable ranges. The air-conditioning system control apparatus includes a thermal characteristic parameter setting unit configured to determine a thermal characteristic parameter of a building thermal model based on a heat equation, a humidity characteristic parameter setting unit configured to determine a humidity characteristic parameter of a building humidity model based on a moisture balance equation in an air-conditioned space, and a control data generation unit configured to generate control data of an air-conditioning apparatus so that a temperature and a humidity of the air-conditioned space are each within a preset range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mio Motodani, Takaya Yamamoto, Yoshitaka Uno, Kazuhiro Komatsu
  • Patent number: 9874366
    Abstract: A ventilation method and system is described for providing adequate ventilation to an indoor environment while avoiding certain periods of times where ventilation air conditions or other control variables tend to be less optimal or preferable for ventilation, but while still meeting established or future ventilation air standards. The described system and method utilize incremental target cycle times determined based on a regression analysis estimating expression of fractional on time as a function of effectiveness multiplied by fractional on time for a corresponding cycle periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Research Products Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Grefsheim
  • Patent number: 9874885
    Abstract: A controller for controlling energy consumption in a home includes a constraints engine to define variables for multiple appliances in the home corresponding to various home modes and persona of an occupant of the home. A modeling engine models multiple paths of energy utilization of the multiple appliances to place the home into a desired state from a current context. An optimal scheduler receives the multiple paths of energy utilization and generates a schedule as a function of the multiple paths and a selected persona to place the home in a desired state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Pradeep Shetty, Wendy Foslien Graber, Purnaprajna R. Mangsuli, Soumitri N. Kolavennu, Keith L. Curtner
  • Patent number: 9871376
    Abstract: The invention provides a global optimization and dispatching method based on time scales. The method uses a target value system and a dispatch model. The global optimization and dispatching method takes input from the results from a variety of subtopics. The methods provide adjustment and optimization in accordance with the time scales that are given in the sub goal of each sub topic: long-term, mid-long-term, short-term, ultra short term and real time optimization. Smart distribution grid can improve operational efficiency, integrated application of new elements in the distribution network of distribution energy network, micro grid, energy storage device and non-linear loads. This invention is fully adapted to the smart grid trends, with a good prospective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignees: NIANRI Technology Development Limited Company, State Grid Electric Power Research Institute, JIANGSU ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, State Grid Corporation of China
    Inventors: Haodong Shen, Peifeng Shen, Tingli Chen, Kai Chen, Yalin Liu, Hong Zhu, Junjing Zhang, Jing Xiao, Hongwei Du, Tao Han, Wenlu Ji, Xing Luo, Wen Lu, Lin Wu, Rina Saqi
  • Patent number: 9857808
    Abstract: A dynamic electrical load model for an HVAC chiller for use in demand response applications is described herein. A dynamic model for coupling a building's electrical and thermal characteristics is described. This allows for more accurate planning of the dispatching of load for demand side response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: Drexel University, Viridity Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Chikaodinaka Nwankpa, Karen Miu Miller, Jonathan Berardino, Alain Steven
  • Patent number: 9852483
    Abstract: A plurality of forecast weather groups in a period comprising a plurality of days including a forecast target day for forecasting the electric power demand, and a plurality of actual weather groups in a period in a plurality of days in the past are set as the target period, and the similarity between the forecast weather group and the plurality of actual weather groups is calculated, a trend of a subsequent electric power demand is predicted based on the comparison of the plurality of calculated similarities whereby the electric power demand of a forecast target day is known.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sawa, Shigeki Mori, Jun Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9841202
    Abstract: A sensor mounting device (100) of the present disclosure includes: a power supply unit (110) configured to generate power that is to be supplied to the device; a sensor (120) configured to acquire information of the environment around of the device; a first control unit (130) configured to give an instruction based on the information acquired by the sensor (120); and a second control unit (150) configured to control the device in accordance with the instruction of the first control unit (130). Power to the sensor (120) and the first control unit (130) is directly supplied from the power supply unit (110). Power to the second control unit (150) is supplied from the power supply unit (110) via a switching unit (140) whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the first control unit (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Shinichi Shikii, Koichi Kusukame, Nawatt Silawan, Tatsuo Itoh
  • Patent number: 9841747
    Abstract: In a numerical control device for performing a control axis switch, each of a plurality of control axis units includes an axis movement amount conversion unit configured to convert a movement amount of a servo motor into a movement amount corresponding to each of the control axis units of the plurality of control axis units, an axis position data storage unit, and a control object axis position data storage unit configured to store an axis position of a control object at a time when the control object is separated from a single drive unit, and an axis position stored in the axis position data storage unit is configured to be updated by using the movement amount of the servo motor, regardless of whether or not the control object is connected by a control axis switch unit to the control axis unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Kuroki
  • Patent number: 9827717
    Abstract: A non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage media may contain a program of instructions that causes a computer system having a processor running the program of instructions to: receive design information indicative of the design of a three-dimensional object to be printed by a three-dimensional printer; receive test product deformation information indicative of deformation in the profiles of no more than five, three-dimensional test products that have a circular or polygonal cross section that were made by the three-dimensional printer; generate polygon product deformation information indicative of a predicted deformation of a polygon shape that the three-dimensional printer will print and that has a number of sides and a number of sizes that are both different from each of the number of sides and number of sizes that the no more than five, three-dimensional test products have; and generate adjustment information indicative of an adjustment needed to print a desired profile of the polygon shape that
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: University of Southern California, President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Qiang Huang, Tirthankar Dasgupta, Sobambo Sosina
  • Patent number: 9817390
    Abstract: An electronic control system is programmed to control movement of a cutting tool relative to a rotating workpiece. After engagement of the stock, the tool is controlled to follow a curved path until the cutting surface of the tool reaches a predetermined depth of cut in the stock. The tool is then controlled to follow a straight/linear path, with the cutting surface of the tool engaged with the stock at said predetermined depth of cut. The control system varies the feed rate as the tool rolls into cut along a known path of curvature, to control the thickness of the material which is removed as the tool rolls into cut, e.g. to induce fracture as the material begins to coil. The feed rate as the tool rolls into cut is programmed to vary in relation to an arc of engagement between a cutting surface of the cutting tool and the stock into which the cutting tool is being moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sandvik Limited
    Inventor: Sean Holt
  • Patent number: 9817387
    Abstract: A method of identifying a multi-component cutting tool assembly to a user includes the steps of: receiving an indication from the user of a desired characteristic of at least one of the cutting tool assembly or of a workpiece to be machined, determining at least a portion of a first set of characteristics associated with a first component of the plurality of tool components corresponds to the desired characteristic, determining at least a portion of a second set of characteristics associated with a second component of the plurality of tool components corresponds to a portion of the first set of characteristics and responsive thereto grouping the first component and the second component together to form a combination and identifying the combination to the user as the cutting tool assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: KENNAMETAL INC
    Inventors: Mitchell D. Benko, Colin John Deem, Pradeep Hemmanur, Fred Patterson, Karen Gallentine
  • Patent number: 9817386
    Abstract: A joint guarantee system for vehicle assembly is applied to a vehicle assembly line that assembles an assembling object to a vehicle carried through on a conveyer line as an assembling element, and includes a vehicle detector that detects the vehicle entering the conveyer line, tool detectors disposed along the conveyer line that detect a position of an assembling tool on the conveyer line, an inertial sensor module installed in the assembling tool that detects an angle and a displacement of the assembling tool for an assembling point of the vehicle and the assembling object, a tool controller that applies control signals corresponding to a predetermined assembling point of the vehicle and the assembling object, a kind of assembling element, and assembling torque of the assembling tool, to the assembling tool, and a main controller that processes and stores the above information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jaehyun Lee, Sung Phil Ryu
  • Patent number: 9806031
    Abstract: A monitor method for process control in a semiconductor fabrication process is disclosed. A first alignment mark is formed in a layer on a substrate, and its position is measured and stored in a first measurement data. A fabrication process is then performed. Afterwards, another measurement is performed to measure the position of the first alignment mark and to generate a second measurement data. Finally, an offset value between the position of the first alignment mark in the first measurement data and those in the second measurement data is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: En-Chiuan Liou
  • Patent number: 9802360
    Abstract: A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising generating and printing a planarizing part having a substantially-planar top surface relative to a build plane, and a bottom surface that substantially mirrors a topography of a platen surface, and printing the three-dimensional part over the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Stratsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph E. LaBossiere, Michael D. Bosveld, Dominic F. Mannella, William J. Swanson
  • Patent number: 9798342
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for detecting and correcting a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event in an electric power transmission and distribution system. In some embodiments, a fault detection subsystem may receive an indication of a fault in the electric power transmission and distribution system. The system may also include a load analysis subsystem to analyze a plurality of loads supplied by the electric power system and to generate an estimated response of the loads. A fault analysis subsystem may analyze a plurality of factors relating to the fault and to determine a probability of the fault generating a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event. A control system may then implement a control strategy within a control window following the fault based on the probability of the fault generating a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event and the estimated response of the at least one load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar, Scott M. Manson
  • Patent number: 9801312
    Abstract: A data center that houses an electronic device, the data center includes a plurality of air-current-supply-sections that supply an air current to the electronic device, a plurality of shields that are provided for the air-current-supply-sections to shield corresponding air-current-supply-sections, and a control section that acquires status information indicative of a status of the electronic device from the electronic device, controls a flow rate of the air current supplied from each of the air-current-supply-sections in accordance with the acquired status information, checks the air-current-supply-sections to locate an air-current-supply-section whose air current flow rate is not higher than a predetermined value, checks the shields to locate a shield corresponding to the air-current-supply-section whose air current flow rate is not higher than the predetermined value, and causes the located shield to shield the located air-current-supply-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Reiko Kondo
  • Patent number: 9797376
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for operating a safety system in a floating wind turbine. The floating wind turbine comprises one or more sensors 202, 203, and receives a fore-aft inclination signal from the sensor 202, wherein the fore-aft inclination signal indicates an inclination of said floating wind turbine in a fore-aft direction. A side-to-side inclination signal is also received from the sensor 203, wherein the side-to-side inclination signal indicates an inclination of said floating wind turbine in a side-to-side direction. An operational parameter of the floating wind turbine is altered based on either or both of said fore-aft inclination signal and said side-to-side inclination signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: MHI VESTAS OFFSHORE WIND
    Inventors: Robert Bowyer, Ian Couchman
  • Patent number: 9798316
    Abstract: A motion controller is provided which allows a program to be executed in a specified time. The program is executed, and the execution time of each of the blocks of the program and the execution time of the entire program are measured. Then, a predicted time until an in-position state is established is loaded. The execution time of the entire specified program is loaded. The execution time of each bock and a moving speed for each block are calculated, then a speed for each block is substituted with the calculated moving speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryouta Yoshimura