Patents Examined by Stephanie Bloss
  • Patent number: 9207353
    Abstract: Resin evaluation using pulsed neutron tool. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: interrogating an area behind a casing material within a borehole with a plurality of neutrons; obtaining a count rate of inelastic gammas of a first gamma detector for a particular borehole depth, wherein the inelastic gammas comprise gammas emitted in inelastic collisions of the plurality of neutrons with matter behind the casing material; determining an inelastic carbon-oxygen ratio from the inelastic count rate of the first gamma detector; and determining an indication of the composition of the matter behind the casing material from the inelastic carbon-oxygen ratio from the inelastic count rate of the first gamma detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: KwokShan Kwong
  • Patent number: 9200510
    Abstract: A system for measuring directional characteristics of a downhole tool includes: at least one bending moment (BM) measurement device disposed at a downhole component, the at least one BM measurement device configured to generate bending moment data at at least one depth in the borehole, the bending moment data including a bending vector of the downhole tool, a bending moment representing an amplitude of the bending vector, and a bending tool face (BTF) angle representing an orientation of the bending vector; and a processor in operable communication with the BM measurement device and configured to receive bending moment data from the BM measurement device, calculate a dogleg severity (DLS) from the bending moment and a well tool face (WTF) angle from the BTF angle, and calculate at least one of a change in inclination and a change in azimuth based on the DLS and the WTF angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Gerald Heisig, John D. Macpherson
  • Patent number: 9194376
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating a remaining life period for a device. The system includes a sensor coupled to the device, wherein the sensor is configured to facilitate measuring an operating parameter of the device and generate a measurement signal that is representative of the operating parameter. The system includes a database comprising an upper limit value, a lower limit value and a reference parameter. A processor of system includes circuitry coupled to the sensor and coupled to the database The processor is configured to correlate measurements of the operating parameter with the reference parameter to facilitate estimating a remaining life period of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allen Michael Ritter, Robert Gregory Wagoner, Robert Allen Seymour
  • Patent number: 9182459
    Abstract: In one example, a position sensor is provided. The position sensor comprises an integrated circuit, and a magnetic field sensor that provides a detected signal indicative of a position of a magnetic field source to the integrated circuit. The magnetic field sensor comprises a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor. The position sensor further comprises a wireless circuit coupled to the integrated circuit, wherein the wireless circuit comprises an antenna configured to radiate a position signal based on the detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Sankaranarayanan Kalathil, Kumaran Sena Narasimhan
  • Patent number: 9181768
    Abstract: The disclosed device provides a high-accuracy plunger arrival detection system comprising a low-power magnetometer with high sensitivity and which is capable of sampling low or high intensity magnetic fields. The device processes gathered data from sensors, stores at least some processed data in memory, executes a trending algorithm which compares the magnetic field of the plunger to the ambient magnetic field or a predetermined set of initialization values, and generates an output which is relayed to a well controller. An output signal may be via hard wire, RF, wireless or other known means. In addition, the implementation of two sensing devices mounted in series and in spaced relation to each other, can provide for an actual plunger average velocity. An actual plunger average velocity, as opposed to approximate average velocity, can be used to better optimize well control and improve safety of the overall well production system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: PCS FERGUSON, INC.
    Inventors: Terry R. Wright, Burke E. Lowrey, Paul T. Roberts
  • Patent number: 9178350
    Abstract: A system for distributing electrical current to a plurality of loads includes a first sensor coupled to an input of a protection zone for measuring a first current entering the protection zone, wherein the protection zone includes at least a portion of an electrical distribution feeder. The system also includes a second sensor coupled to an output of the protection zone for measuring a second current exiting the protection zone, and a processor coupled to the first sensor and to the second sensor. The processor is programmed to receive measurements representative of the first current and the second current, and calculate a reactive current differential of the protection zone based on the first current and the second current. The processor is also programmed to compare the reactive current differential with a fault threshold, and generate an error notification if the reactive current differential is greater than the fault threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pan Yan, Reigh Allen Walling, Amol Rajaram Kolwalkar, Michael Lewis Reichard, Wei Ren, Swakshar Ray
  • Patent number: 9157736
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of determining an attitude matrix on a portable electronic device. The method includes determining a first attitude matrix gradient using data from at least one of an accelerometer and a magnetometer, determining a second attitude matrix gradient using data from a gyroscope, fusing the first attitude matrix gradient and the second attitude matrix gradient based on a mixing coefficient to generate a fused gradient, and based on the fused gradient, updating a fine attitude matrix for the portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Anand Ravindra Oka, Nazih Almalki, Christopher Harris Snow
  • Patent number: 9151777
    Abstract: The device for detecting percussion events (DISP) comprises at least one axial accelerometer sensor (ACC1, ACC2, ACC3), characterized in that it also comprises at least one additional axial sensor insensitive to the translational vibrations (MAGN1, MAGN2), for measuring an information item representative of the orientation of the device (DISP) relative to a vector field of known direction within a fixed coordinate system not linked to the device (DISP), and low cut-off filtering means (FILTCB) provided with at least one input receiving measurements transmitted by the axial sensor or sensors (ACC1, ACC2, ACC3, MAGN1, MAGN2), means (AN) of analyzing the measurements filtered by said low cut-off filtering means (FILTCB), comprising comparison means (COMP) for comparing data from the analysis means (AN) with one or two thresholds (SP, SN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: MOVEA
    Inventor: Yanis Caritu
  • Patent number: 9146837
    Abstract: Systems and methods for automating the building, deployment, and testing of firmware are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a build-deploy-testing environment. The build-deploy-testing environment can access a hardware testing profile that includes hardware specifications for a test server, an operating system for a test server, an application for the test server to communicate with a test device, and a plurality of inputs for installing the operating system and the application on the test server. The build-deploy-testing environment can generate a firmware module compatible with a test device and a testing environment module for a test server based on the hardware testing profile. The build-deploy-testing environment can deploy the testing environment module to a test server and deploy the firmware module to a test device. The build-deploy-testing environment can execute a testing application to determine the compatibility of the firmware with the test device in communication with the test server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn Jamison
  • Patent number: 9146214
    Abstract: A magnetic flux leakage inspection method generates a magnetic flux parallel to a surface of an inspected object, and detects a magnetic flux that leaks from the surface of the inspected object with a magnetic sensor. The method includes exciting coils that generate an alternating magnetic field having a variable frequency, an exciting coil power source, a magnetic sensor, a lock-in detector, and a signal analyzer that analyzes changes of a signal intensity and a phase of the output of the magnetic sensor with output signals of the lock-in detector. The method obtains cosine or sine as a trigonometric function of a phase obtained by adding to the phase at each measurement point of multipoint measurement, an adjustment phase common to all the measurement points, and displays an analytical value obtained by multiplying the signal intensity and the sine or cosine at each measurement point with any adjustment phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: National University Corporation Okayama University
    Inventor: Keiji Tsukada
  • Patent number: 9132219
    Abstract: A method of predicting serum potassium concentrations in a patient during hemodialysis includes measuring serum potassium concentrations of the patient over a hemodialysis treatment session time and an ultrafiltration rate calculated by a difference between pre- and post-dialytic body weight of the patient during an initial hemodialysis treatment session divided by a total treatment time of the treatment session and estimating a potassium mobilization clearance and a pre-dialysis distribution volume of potassium for the patient. Serum potassium concentrations of the patient can then be predicted at any time during any hemodialysis treatment session with the estimated potassium mobilization clearance and pre-dialysis distribution volume of potassium of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare SA
    Inventors: Alp Akonur, John Kenneth Leypoldt, Yin-Cheng Lo, Baris Ugar Agar
  • Patent number: 9115711
    Abstract: A method of determining displacement of a radial piston machine (1) having adjustable eccentricity (e). The radial piston machine (1) includes cylinders (2) arranged in a pivoting manner and a drive shaft that drives an eccentric (5). The rotation angle of the drive shaft is labeled as ? and the pivoting angle of the cylinders (2) is labeled ?. The pivoting angle ? is measured and from the measured values for the pivoting angle ?, the eccentricity (e) and hence the displacement (v) are calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen, AG
    Inventors: Manfred Sieger, Joerg Geis
  • Patent number: 9114217
    Abstract: An infusion system includes a pump, a fluid delivery line, a sensor, a processor, and a memory. The fluid delivery line is connected to the pump for delivering fluid. The sensor is connected to the fluid delivery line for emitting and receiving signals to detect whether there is air in the fluid delivery line. The processor is in electronic communication with the pump and the sensor. The memory is in electronic communication with the processor. The memory includes programming code for execution by the processor. The programming code is configured to analyze the signals to determine if a stuck fluid droplet is stuck within the fluid delivery line at a location of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Hospira, Inc.
    Inventors: Kunal Sur, Paul T. Kotnik, Anatoly S. Belkin, John Hicks Dumas, III, Timothy L. Ruchti
  • Patent number: 9104041
    Abstract: A method implemented by computer means for calculating by optimization an optical system for example an ophthalmic lens according to at least one criterion among the following list consisting of: ocular deviation, object visual angular field in central vision, image visual angular field in central vision, pupil field ray deviation, object visual angular field in peripheral vision, image visual angular field in peripheral vision, prismatic deviation in peripheral vision, magnification in peripheral vision, lens volume, magnification of the eyes, temple shift, or a variation of preceding criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)
    Inventors: Hélène De Rossi, Fabien Muradore
  • Patent number: 9070119
    Abstract: Time tracking technology, in which a time tracking tool tracks time spent in completing one or more tasks. The time tracking tool may perform operations related to tracking time based on activity of a computer operating the time tracking tool relative to status of the time tracking tool. In addition, the time tracking tool may track a continuous time an issue has been in need of resolution, track a working time that indicates an amount of time spent working on resolving the issue, and provide alerts based on application of one or more alert trigger rules to the tracked continuous time and the tracked working time. Further, the time tracking tool may provide reports that include category and sub-category information for tracked timing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Jose B. Catipon, Jr., Eli June T. Infante
  • Patent number: 9068828
    Abstract: A cutting distance calculating device for a multi-axis working machine acquires axis positions at calculation times for at least three linear axes and two rotation axes of a multi-axis working machine and calculates the position of a tool tip point on the basis of the acquired axis positions. This device accumulates moving distances (cutting distances) of the tool tip points from the calculated position of the tool tip point to thereby calculate a cutting distance and predicts tool wear and tool life on the basis of the calculated cutting distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Otsuki, Hiroyuki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 9061322
    Abstract: A product discriminating device that includes a measuring section, a discriminating unit, a deemed standard deviation calculation unit, a re-discriminating unit, a rank estimated number calculation unit, and a standard deviation calculation unit. The standard deviation calculation unit changes variables of a probability distribution of a deemed standard deviation such that the number of products belonging to at least one of a predetermined plurality of ranks re-discriminated at least once and an estimated number of the products belonging to the rank in a rank estimated number calculation unit substantially match each other, and calculates the changed variables as a standard deviation of characteristic value variation of the products and a standard deviation of measurement value variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Teruhisa Tsuru
  • Patent number: 9037436
    Abstract: A product inspection device that includes a measuring section, a deemed standard deviation calculation unit, a measurement value standard deviation calculation unit, a determination unit, and a risk calculation unit. The measuring section measures characteristic values of products, the deemed standard deviation calculation unit calculates a deemed standard deviation, and the risk calculation unit calculates a consumer risk and a producer risk based on at least one of an average value of the measured characteristic values of some of the products contained in a measured product lot, the deemed standard deviation, or the measurement value standard deviation. The determination unit changes a inspection standard based on at least one of the calculated consumer risk or the calculated producer risk, and determines whether or not all the products contained in the product lot are non-defective articles with the changed inspection standard as a reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Teruhisa Tsuru
  • Patent number: 9026393
    Abstract: A High Voltage Interlock Strategy (HVIS) uses feedback current to detect cable connectivity status for a high-voltage cable configured to connect a power conversion circuit with a remote permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). One or more feedback factors are calculated based on detected feedback current. Various algorithms for calculating a feedback factor, and for determining connectivity status based on calculated feedback factors, can be practiced, according to the PMSM operational mode. Fault detection action can be performed in response to detecting a cable disconnect. The HVIS can be implemented by software, making it a safe, economical solution for cable connectivity detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joe Youqing Xiang, Venkateswa Anand Sankaran, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 9026399
    Abstract: Temperatures of intake-air temperature, intercooler outlet temperature and intake manifold temperature sensors are compared in cold time of an engine to determine any characteristic abnormality of the sensors. A first temperature difference is obtained from temperatures of the intercooler outlet temperature sensor before and after increase in boost pressure to determine any characteristic abnormality of the intercooler outlet temperature sensor. A second temperature difference is obtained from temperatures of the intake manifold temperature and intercooler outlet temperature sensors after opening an EGR valve to determine any characteristic abnormality of the intake manifold temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Nagoshi