Patents Examined by Sujoy Kundu
  • Patent number: 9097774
    Abstract: Internal shorts and other failures in lithium-ion battery cells may be detected during balancing of the battery cells. A counter may be used to detect when a battery cell is behaving differently than other battery cells by balancing more or less frequently. The counter may increment each time a battery cell is balanced to the other battery cells. A misbehaving battery cell may be flagged, when the counter exceeds a threshold value, for safety checks before an overheating event occurs. This misbehaving battery cell may be faulty due to an internal short. If the faulty battery cell is not corrected by replacement with a different battery cell or corrected by a user resetting the counter, the misbehaving battery cell may be disconnected to prevent the overheating event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST ELECTRONIC ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David A. White, Claude L. Benckenstein, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9091540
    Abstract: A geodetic surveying system, comprising: a first measurement unit and a second measurement unit. Each of the first and the second measurement unit is configured to perform a measurement for acquiring positioning data of the respective measurement unit. The system further comprises a first inclinometer for acquiring inclination data of the first inclinometer which represent a vertical inclination measured at the first measurement unit; and a second inclinometer for acquiring inclination data of the second inclinometer, which represent a vertical inclination measured at the second measuring unit. The geodetic surveying system is configured to determine a relative orientation angle between the first inclinometer and the second inclinometer in a horizontal plane relative to a vertical adjustment of the geodetic surveying system, depending on the inclination data of the first inclinometer and the second inclinometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Trimble Jena GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Laabs, Michael Vogel
  • Patent number: 9092371
    Abstract: A signal parameter estimator includes curve fitting of multiple ideal spectral shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander C. Utter, Eugene Grayver
  • Patent number: 9081004
    Abstract: A circuit for detecting antigens on biosample tracks comprising a processor, an electromagnetic write head for magnetizing nanoparticles attached to the antigens via antibodies in response to a write signal from the processor, and a first amplifier for supplying power to the write head. The circuit further comprises a magneto-resistive read sensor for detecting the magnetized nanoparticles upon receiving a read signal from the processor, and a second amplifier for supplying power to the read sensor. The write head and read sensor may be part of a head module in a magnetic tape drive. Nanoparticles of differing magnetic properties may be selectively paired with antibodies associated with different antigens to allow different antigens to be detected upon a single scan by the read-sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dylan Joseph Boday, Louie Arthur Dickens, Steven Mark Groff, Icko Eric Timothy Iben, Wayne Alan McKinley, Lee Curtis Randall, Stephen Leonard Schwartz, Anna W. Topol, Daniel James Winarski
  • Patent number: 9075908
    Abstract: In particular embodiments, a method includes accessing a first binary decision diagram (BDD) representing data streams from sensors, selecting portions from the first BDD, constructing a second BDD representing the selected portions and a third BDD representing the non-selected portions, determining sizes of the first, second, and third BDDs, and if the size of the first BDD is less than a sum of the sizes of the second and third BDDs, then storing the first BDD, else storing the second and third BDDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Stergios Stergiou, Jawahar Jain
  • Patent number: 9061881
    Abstract: A method and system that detects if a carbonator has cycled in a beverage system and deactivates a circulator pump that circulates carbonated water in the beverage system based on if the carbonator has cycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Manitowoc Foodservice Companies, LLC
    Inventors: James Wallace Brown, Aaron Charles Sprinkle, James R. Morrow, Sr.
  • Patent number: 9063016
    Abstract: A system and method is presented for a multi-sensor component for an HVAC system. The multi-sensor component comprises a sensor assembly, having a temperature detector for measuring a temperature of an object or medium, a presence detector to detect the presence of the object or medium against the sensor, and a pressure detector for measuring a pressure of the medium. The temperature, presence and pressure detectors may also be affixed within a single sensor housing. In a heating mode the multi-sensor component is heated by a heater, and in a cooling mode the multi-sensor component cools toward a temperature of the object or medium, and the temperature detector provides temperature data indicative of a temperature response comprising one of a temperature change, a rate of change and a time constant of a thermal decay rate of the multi-sensor component and the presence of the object or medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: R.W. Beckett Corporation
    Inventors: John Bohan, John Butkowski, Timothy Beight, Christopher Fildes
  • Patent number: 9058633
    Abstract: A system for agricultural monitoring and prediction comprises a first reporting agent a second reporting agent a database, and a processor. The first reporting agent is configured for reporting aerial data representing relative measurements of an agricultural metric in a geographic area, the relative measurements having an unknown bias. The second reporting is configured for reporting ground-based data representing absolute measurements of the agricultural metric for a portion of the geographic area. The database is configured for storing the absolute measurement data and the relative measurement data along with other farming data for a wide geographic area. The processor is configured for accessing the database and using the ground-based data for the portion of the geographic area to calibrate the aerial data, thereby synthesizing absolute measurements of the agricultural metric for the geographic area from the aerial data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Robert J. Lindores, Ted Mayfield, Morrison Ulman
  • Patent number: 9045313
    Abstract: A method and a system determine a position of at least one sway sensor in an elevator system for sensing a lateral motion of an elevator rope between a first boundary location and a second boundary location. An operation of the elevator system is simulated with a model of the elevator system to produce an actual shape of the elevator rope caused by the operation. At least one sway location is determined, such that an error between the actual shape of the elevator rope and an estimated shape of the elevator rope is minimized. The estimated shape of the elevator rope is determined by interpolation of the first boundary location, the second boundary location, and the sway location. The position of the sway sensor is determined, such that the sway sensor senses the lateral motion of the elevator rope at the sway location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Mouhacine Benosman, Scott A. Bortoff
  • Patent number: 9046577
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a fault in an electrical component using a diagnostic system having a plurality of sensors. The method includes positioning the electrical component in a predetermined position adjacent the diagnostic system and at a predetermined orientation with respect to the diagnostic system. The method also includes causing a predetermined level of electrical current to flow to the electrical component, the stationary sensors sensing electrical discharge emitted by the electrical component at an area of the fault, and the tangible computerized controller receiving sensor data from the sensors. The method further includes the tangible computerized controller executing the computer-readable instructions to process the sensor data to generate test information including a location of the electrical component at which the fault is occurring in at least two dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: John S. Agapiou, Daniel L. Simon, John Patrick Spicer, Edward Panozzo
  • Patent number: 9046222
    Abstract: Detecting a leak, or the like, with high accuracy on the basis of pressure and a flow volume acquired during use of fluid is made possible. A volume of gas flowing through a flow path 102 is measured by a flow volume measurement unit 106, and pressure is measured by a pressure measurement unit 108. Measured flow data and measured pressure data are input to an analysis unit 112, to thus analyze following of a pressure change by a flow volume change. An amount of flow volume change responsive to an amount of pressure change of a predetermined level or more is classified into a plurality of ranges by means of a predetermined threshold value, and a following flow value change is determined on the basis of determination conditions of the respective ranges of amounts of flow volume changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Miyata, Kenichi Kamon, Youichi Itou, Daisuke Bessyo, Ryuji Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 9043152
    Abstract: A method for estimating an inclination and azimuth at a bottom of a borehole includes forming a last survey point including a last inclination and a last azimuth; receiving at a computing device bending moment and at least one of a bending toolface measurement and a near bit inclination measurement from one or more sensors in the borehole; and forming the estimate by comparing possible dogleg severity (DLS) values with the bending moment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Frank Schuberth, Hanno Reckmann, John D. Macpherson, James Albert Hood
  • Patent number: 9043184
    Abstract: Described herein is a system and method for detecting underutilized capacity within a storage system environment. The technique comprises collecting performance data of various storage objects within a storage system environment for various performance measures at designated time intervals. The collected performance data may be formatted and stored to a database. One or more parameters may be received specifying at least one performance measure, at least one threshold value, and/or at least one time period. The performance data for target storage objects may be analyzed according to the received parameters to determine any underutilized storage objects. A report may be generated according to the parameters listing the storage objects and address locations of any underutilized storage objects. The report may comprise various information corresponding to the underutilized storage object, such as the business units, tiers, data centers, and levels of service they are associated with.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Yarom Gabay, Francisco Jose Assis Rosa, Ran Gilboa
  • Patent number: 9037426
    Abstract: Systems and methods to determine cell capacities of a vehicle battery pack. Cell capacities may be determined using state of charge (SOC) estimates for the cells and a charge count for the battery pack. The SOC estimates may be determined when the SOC of the battery pack is below a lower threshold and above an upper threshold. Error values may also be generated for the cell capacity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Sascha Schaefer
  • Patent number: 9037420
    Abstract: An internal residual stress calculating device includes a prediction unit that predicts a temporal variation in deformation which is received by a medium having an image formed thereon from a correcting device correcting a deformation, and a calculation unit that calculates an internal residual stress of the medium having passed through the correcting device on the basis of a relational expression including an elasticity term and a term related to a plastic deformation and the temporal variation in deformation predicted by the prediction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Takahashi, Tomoyuki Ito, Kiyoshi Hosoi, Takashi Ogino
  • Patent number: 9031801
    Abstract: A portable device driven by a secondary battery which is chargeable and dischargeable, the portable device including a full charge detecting unit configured to detect full charge of the secondary battery in receipt of a report of the full charge and acquires capacity data indicative of a capacity of the secondary battery, a memory controlling unit configured to store the capacity data acquired by the full charge detecting unit in a memory unit, and a display control unit configured to cause a display unit of the portable device to display the capacity data stored by the memory controlling unit in chronological order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Sugaya, Takanori Asai
  • Patent number: 9002677
    Abstract: A method for characterizing a semiconductor sample, said method comprising: shining light on one or more points in said semiconductor sample; measuring one or more voltage decay curves corresponding to said shining of light on said one or more points in said semiconductor sample; extracting one or more intermediate voltage decay curves corresponding to one or more measured voltage decay curves; obtaining one or more normalized decay curves corresponding to one or more intermediate voltage decay curves, each of the said one or more normalized decay curves corresponding to one or more discrete estimates of survival functions; and analyzing said obtained one or more normalized decay curves, said analyzing comprising obtaining one or more discrete estimates of the probability of recombination corresponding to the one or more normalized decay curves, and computing one or more summary statistics corresponding to each of said obtained one or more discrete estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Raja Technologies
    Inventor: Ramesh Rajaduray
  • Patent number: 9002648
    Abstract: A system and method for use in a downhole tool having distance measurement, feature detection, and primary measurement devices positioned therein are provided. In one example, the method includes recording a first plurality of features and corresponding positions in a first log using the feature detection device and the distance measurement device, respectively. A first feature of the first plurality of features is selected and the position corresponding to the first feature is identified. The feature detection device is aligned relative to the first feature based on the identified position. A first primary measurement is taken using the primary measurement device while the feature detection device is aligned relative to the first feature. The steps of recording, selecting, moving, and taking are repeated to obtain a second primary measurement while the feature detection device is aligned relative to a second feature of a second plurality of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Harold G. Pfutzner
  • Patent number: 8990020
    Abstract: A system and method for use in a downhole tool having a fluid density measurement device positioned therein are provided. In one example, the method includes deploying the downhole tool at a first station in a borehole. The downhole tool is moved from the first station to a second station in the borehole. A plurality of fluid density values of fluid within the borehole between the first and second stations are measured using the fluid density measurement device in the downhole tool. The plurality of fluid density values may represent a continuous log of fluid densities between the first and second stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Harold Pfutzner, Peter D. Wraight
  • Patent number: 8983781
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to detecting road weather conditions. Vehicle sensors including a laser, precipitation sensors, and/or camera may be used to detect information such as the brightness of the road, variations in the brightness of the road, brightness of the world, current precipitation, as well as the detected height of the road. Information received from other sources such as networked based weather information (forecasts, radar, precipitation reports, etc.) may also be considered. The combination of the received and detected information may be used to estimate the probability of precipitation such as water, snow or ice in the roadway. This information may then be used to maneuver an autonomous vehicle (for steering, accelerating, or braking) or identify dangerous situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Google, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Urmson, Michael Steven Montemerlo, Jiajun Zhu