Patents Examined by Ronald Hartman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9430597
    Abstract: This method for estimating patterns (M?PF,D?PF) to be printed by means of electron-beam lithography, comprises the following steps: printing (100), in a resin, a set of calibration patterns (MCF, DCF); measuring (120) characteristic dimensions (CD) of this set; supplying an estimation (140) of the point spread function (PSF) based on the characteristic dimensions (CD) measured; estimating (160) the patterns (M?PF,D?PF) to be printed by convoluting the point spread function (PSF) supplied with an initial value of the patterns (MPF,DPF). Furthermore, each calibration pattern printed includes a central zone exposed to the electron beam and a plurality of surrounding concentric zones with rotational symmetry. The characteristic dimensions measured are characteristic dimensions (CD) of the central zones of the patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, ASELTA NANOGRAPHICS
    Inventor: Jerome Belledent
  • Patent number: 9423779
    Abstract: A facility employing systems, methods, and/or techniques for dynamically and adaptively configuring configurable energy consuming and producing devices (e.g., smart energy devices) based on user profiles and user presence information is disclosed. In some embodiments, the facility periodically detects the presence of users, and retrieves preference information for those users. For each of one or more configurable energy devices in the area, the facility generates a combined setting based on the preferences of each user present and adjusts the devices based on the combined settings. For example, if User A, User B, and User C are present in a room and User A's preferred temperature setting is 75° F., User B's preferred temperature setting is 68° F., and User C's preferred temperature setting is 70° F., the facility may generate a combined setting for a thermostat by taking the average value of the users in the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Tendril Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: Ashish Agarwal
  • Patent number: 9423791
    Abstract: A non-contact sensor system and method are disclosed for determining paper sheet quality parameters such as caliper, basis weight and sheet moisture based on THz radiation. The method can include emitting, by an emitter system, a THz radiation signal towards paper sheet material such that the THz radiation interacts with the paper sheet material; detecting, by a detector system, a time and/or frequency dependent response of the THz radiation signal having interacted with the paper sheet material; determining model parameters of a physical model by optimizing the model parameters such that a predicted response of the physical model is fitted to the detected response, the model parameters being indicative of transmission and/or reflection coefficients at interfaces of the paper sheet material with surrounding media; and determining, from the determined model parameters, at least some of the paper sheet quality parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Jacobus Lodevicus Martinus Van Mechelen, Hannes Merbold
  • Patent number: 9404743
    Abstract: A method is provided for validating measurement data, such as data obtained from a scanning electron microscope using in a semiconductor fabrication facility. The method includes applying a signal on a material feature by using a source in a measurement tool having a tool setting parameter, collecting a response signal from the material feature by using a detector in the measurement tool to obtain the measurement data, calculating a simulated response signal by a smart, and validating the measurement data by comparing the collected response signal with the simulated response signal. The system also includes a design database having a design feature, a measurement tool collecting a response signal, and a smart review engine configured to connect the measurement tool and the design database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chui-Jung Chiu, Jen-Chieh Lo, Ying-Chou Cheng, Ru-Gun Liu
  • Patent number: 9380750
    Abstract: An automatic water sprinkler regulator is provided to control sprinkler coverage and times for water cycles. The regulator comprises control interface, series of control buttons, water inlet part, water outlet part, control processor. An improvement made in the present invention focuses on rendering a control interface with multiple approaches to control times for water cycles to make for a controller interface that can be set for irrigating by way of a series of control buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: YUAN-MEI CORP.
    Inventor: King Yuan Wang
  • Patent number: 9379553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a controllable energy store (2) with n parallel energy supply branches (3-1, 3-2, 3-3), wherein n?1, each said branch having a first energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-21; 3-31) and a second energy supply sub-branch (3-12; 3-22; 3-32) that is connected in parallel to said first energy supply sub-branch. Each energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) has at least one energy storing module (4), each of which comprises at least one electric energy storing cell (5) with a corresponding controllable coupling unit (6). The coupling units (6) disconnect the energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) or bridge the respective corresponding energy storing cells (5) or connect the respective corresponding energy storing cells (5) into the respective energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) dependent on control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Feuerstack, Erik Weissenborn, Martin Kessler
  • Patent number: 9353617
    Abstract: There is provided a method and system to determine the position of a sucker rod pumping system without a position sensing device during production pumping. A pump control system of the sucker rod pumping system includes a controller coupled to a database, with the controller configured to access an rxless torque value in the database. With the stored rxless torque value representative of toggle points of the crank arm during an initial calibration pumping cycle, the controller further is configured to continuously sample the rxless torque value of the system and determine the crank arm position in relation to the sample rxless torque value. The controller adjusts the pumping system for optimal operations, without a crank arm position sensor during production pumping by identifying a toggle point and setting the crank arm position estimate equal to the value corresponding to the crank position at the identified toggle point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Unico, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald G. Peterson
  • Patent number: 9343905
    Abstract: A power control device forms energy storage equipment together with a storage battery. The power control device includes: a communication portion that communicates with a power management device, which manages charge and discharge of the storage battery; a power conditioner that supplies electricity to a predetermined destination for supply; a control portion that controls operation of the power conditioner based on instructions from the power management device that are received by the communication portion; and an authentication processing portion that performs authentication processing with the power management device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanobu Katagi, Masakazu Ukita, Shiho Moriai, Asami Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9335749
    Abstract: The reliability in detection of toothless part is improved. A first counter counts a clock signal from an initial value for each of pulse intervals of a predetermined event pulse train and the count value of the first counter is held in a register for each of pulse intervals. Further, the second counter counts the clock signal from an initial value so that the count value thereof is equal to plural times of the count value of the first counter for each of the pulse intervals. A timer function which can detect any of a first state in which the count value of the first counter is equal to or larger than a first reference value and a second state in which the count value of the second counter is equal to or smaller than the value held in the register for each of the pulse intervals is adopted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Akashi, Naohiko Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 9334739
    Abstract: A method for optimizing a rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The rotor assembly includes rotating parts including a first journal and one or more rotor disks. The method includes determining vector components for a total parallelism vector for each rotating part, determining a total parallelism sum including determining a magnitude of each total parallelism vector and adding the magnitudes into a single sum, and determining a minimum value for the total parallelism sum including selecting the rotor disk build angles and the second journal build angle that result in the smallest value for the total parallelism sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Jason David Kepler, Genaro Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9329591
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include methods, systems, and computer-readable media for managing feature geometry-aspect machining using a PLM data processing system. According to one embodiment, a method includes identifying a feature geometry in a graphical design. The method also includes identifying an aspect of the feature geometry. The aspect includes a subset of the feature geometry. The method further includes defining the feature geometry aspect based on a user-defined name. The method also includes associating one or more machining operations with the feature geometry aspect. Additionally, the method includes storing the one or more machining operations and the user-defined name in association with the feature geometry aspect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
    Inventors: Theo Balkenende, Hans Scheerder, Alex Stienstra, Tom van 't Erve
  • Patent number: 9329651
    Abstract: An electric power management system 1 is comprised of an electric power management device 10, measuring devices 4 and 5, and a database 6. The database 6 has stored system information which specifies, for every electric device, a user entity, a location to supply electric power and an associated measuring device, and has stored a needlessness condition which is configured for every user entity or for every location, and specifies a case where an electric device 2 consumes electric power needlessly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9322127
    Abstract: A method of operating a home appliance having a treating chamber for receiving an article for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation stored in memory of a programmable controller operably controlling one or more actuators to implement the cycle of operation, the method includes implementing the cycle of operation, receiving sensor feedback, calculating gradients from the sensor feedback, and controlling an actuator based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Farhad Ashrafzadeh, James P. Carow, Moeed Mukhtar
  • Patent number: 9324116
    Abstract: An energy services bridge interposed between one or more energy service providers and an energy distribution network operator manages a plurality of diversified energy consumer service plans so as to be compliant with the physical and technical constraints of the transmission/distribution gird. The energy services bridge further conveys real-time information regarding the state of the transmission/distribution grid to the plurality of energy service providers enabling active management of the service plans and correspondingly active management of the transmission/distribution grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Spirae, Inc.
    Inventor: Sunil Cherian
  • Patent number: 9320205
    Abstract: Several embodiments provide wireless irrigation control and related methods. In one implementation, an irrigation control system includes a transmitter unit including a controller and a connector to be coupled to an irrigation controller having station actuation output connectors. The controller is can receive an indication that the irrigation controller has activated an irrigation station, and can cause the transmitter unit to transmit a wireless activation signal responsive to the indication. A receiver unit is coupled to an actuator coupled to an actuatable device, such as an irrigation valve, the actuator configured to actuate the irrigation valve to control the flow of water therethrough. The receiver unit receives the wireless activation signal and in response, causes the actuator to actuate the actuatable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
    Inventors: Mark M. Ensworth, Barbara E. Booth, Dean C. Thornton, Randall A. Hern, Malcolm N. Napier
  • Patent number: 9318917
    Abstract: An electric power apparatus includes an energy device, a device manager, and a storage system manager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichiro Kubota, Shiho Moriai
  • Patent number: 9307907
    Abstract: A system and method of managing therapy provided to patients in an institution. The system monitors all aspects of the medication delivery to a patient, as well as other information related to the patient, such as values of vital signs, laboratory results and patient factors such as history, diagnosis, allergies and the like. The system includes one or more databases of information, including institutionally developed rules, guidelines and protocol representing the best medical practices of the institution. The system provides alerts and/or recommendations based on the application of the rules to the information being monitored, and alerts care givers accordingly, providing for dynamic adjustment of the patient's therapy. The system also monitors the status of the alerts, and if no action is taken in a selected period of time, may escalate the priority of the alert and/or halt the delivery of medication to the patient until the alert is resolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: CareFusion 303,Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Condurso, Cynthia Yamaga, Robert Butterfield, Simon Morling, Clifton Pait, Patricia West, Timothy W. Vanderveen, Richard Crass
  • Patent number: 9295922
    Abstract: An automation and motion control system for theatrical objects, such as theatrical props, cameras, stunt persons, lighting, scenery, drapery or other similar types of devices or items, is provided to coordinate the movement of the objects on a large scale and/or to control the operation of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Tait Towers Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Fisher
  • Patent number: 9288881
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control arrangement for controlling an atmosphere generating device, comprising a control device (102) having a control surface (110), and a control object (104, 106) adapted to be freely-positioned onto the control surface, the control object comprising identification means (116), wherein the control device comprises a control unit (114) adapted to identify the control object, to receive relative positioning information from the control surface relating to the positioning of the control object, and to output control data corresponding to the placement information for controlling the atmosphere generating device. By means of the invention it is provided an intuitive user interface in which the user is provided with a flexible solution in which not only repositioning of the control object onto the surface of the control device influence the atmosphere, but also the identity of the control object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Jonathan David Mason
  • Patent number: 9273878
    Abstract: A smart phone or a tablet may execute an application program code to identify a diagnostic status associated with a time-coded signal emitted by a low-cost user interface of a building appliance such as a furnace or water heater and suggest a recommended action to the user. The signal emitted by the low-cost user interface may be audio or a visual signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: David Kucera