Patents Examined by Thomas C. Lee
  • Patent number: 11207838
    Abstract: According to an example, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which is stored instructions that are to cause the processor to identify features for a three-dimensional (3D) indicator object to be fabricated by a 3D fabricating device, in which the identified features define a shape and a pattern of colors for the 3D indicator object. The instructions may also cause the processor to instruct the 3D fabricating device to fabricate the 3D indicator object to have the identified features, in which the 3D indicator object has a shape having a plurality of surfaces on which a plurality of colors are arranged in a certain pattern as defined by the identified features, and in which each of the plurality of surfaces has the same certain pattern of the plurality of colors and determine properties of the fabricated 3D indicator object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wei Huang, Ingeborg Tastl, Melanie M. Gottwals
  • Patent number: 11207840
    Abstract: A system for additive manufacturing a three-dimensional object includes pre-fabricated supports arrangeable to support the three-dimensional object during additive manufacturing; and a computer configured to at least: access a computer geometric model of the three-dimensional object, and geometric parameters of the pre-fabricated supports; and generate an arrangement of the pre-fabricated supports with respective coordinates in a coordinate system, to support the three-dimensional object in the coordinate system during additive manufacturing, the computer being configured to generate the arrangement based on the computer geometric model of the three-dimensional object and the geometric parameters of the pre-fabricated supports, the computer being configured to generate different arrangements of the pre-fabricated supports for different three-dimensional objects having different computer geometric models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Andrew Leung, Howard Thomas Rolleston
  • Patent number: 11208986
    Abstract: A computing system is configured to detect irregular yawing at wind turbines. To this end, the computing system (i) for each respective turbine of an identified cluster of wind turbines: (a) obtains yaw-activity data indicative of the respective turbine's yaw activity during a window of time, and (b) based on obtained yaw-activity data, derives a yaw-activity-measure dataset having measures of the respective turbine's yaw activity during time intervals within the window of time, (ii) based on the respective yaw-activity-measure datasets for the turbines in the cluster, derives a cluster-level yaw-activity-measure dataset, (iii) evaluates the respective yaw-activity-measure dataset for one or more turbines in the cluster as compared to the cluster-level yaw-activity-measure dataset, (iv) based on the evaluation, identifies at least one turbine of the cluster that exhibited irregular yaw activity, and (v) transmits, to an output device, a notification of the irregular yaw activity at the at least one turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Uptake Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Zen, Benedict Augustine
  • Patent number: 11210749
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power management apparatus (10) including a request acquisition unit (12) that acquires a power consumption request specifying a power amount to be consumed, a time period during which power is consumed, and a power sales price P, a consumer information acquisition unit (11) that acquires consumer information including a power sales price for each time period of a power retailer selling power to each of a plurality of power consumers and specification information of a power storage system of each of the plurality of power consumers, and a determination unit (13) that determines a charging and discharging schedule of the power storage system of each power consumer on the basis of the consumer information and the power consumption request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11204594
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to augment process control with a virtual assistant. An example apparatus includes at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine a process control context based on a request for information associated with a field device of a process control system, the process control context based on a configuration of the process control system, identify a topic included in the request, the topic corresponding to the field device based on the process control context, map the topic to an action to be executed by the field device, generate a command to direct the field device to execute the action based on the mapping, and transmit the command to the field device to execute the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Tiong P. Ong, Mark J. Nixon
  • Patent number: 11206272
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining or monitoring a process variable having a higher-level unit and a plurality of field devices. The field devices generate data and are connected to one another for communication, and the higher-level unit and the field devices are nodes corresponding to a distributed ledger or blockchain technology comprising transaction creation units. Each field device is assigned a transaction creation unit for creating transactions. A created transaction contains data from the field devices assigned to the transaction creation units. A block creation unit processes a created transaction to form a data block. Validation units check the data block and/or transactions for validity. The data block is valid if at least one predefined number of validation units validates the data block, wherein each node is assigned one of the validation units. The valid data block is stored in a distributed database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
    Inventors: Michael Maneval, Michael Mayer, Ingomar Sotriffer
  • Patent number: 11201473
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a system and method for suppressing unbalanced voltage at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) of dispersed wind farm. According to the disclosure, the wind farm comprising a STATCOM and plurality of wind turbines, dispersed wind farm controller, STATCOM controller, wind turbine controller. The dispersed wind farm controller decides that whether the STATCOM or the wind turbines inject negative-sequence current or not. Adaptive virtual negative-sequence output admittance controller is incorporated into the STATCOM controller and wind turbine controller, which can provide the negative-sequence current reference according to their participation factor. The compensation efforts of STATCOM and wind turbines can be flexibly controlled by changing their participation factor, which is related to the voltage unbalance voltage reference and the remaining capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Hunan University
    Inventors: Yong Li, Yanjian Peng, Yijia Cao, Longfu Luo, Shaoyang Wang
  • Patent number: 11188102
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus and storage medium for controlling drainage of equipment. The method includes: determining that the equipment is in a drain state; detecting whether a floor drain connected to a drain pipe of the equipment is at risk of drainage overflow or a drainage overflow occurs; and when it is detected that the floor drain is at risk of drainage overflow or the drainage overflow occurs, reducing an amount of water discharging from the drain pipe per unit time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Han, Hualin Ye
  • Patent number: 11181888
    Abstract: A method, medium, and system to automatically determine parameter sets for an additive manufacturing (AM) of a part, the method including executing a load analysis on a model of a part to emulate a load on each of a plurality of regions of the part; determining a representation of the model of the part as a plurality of discrete three-dimensional (3D) volume elements; determining, based on an output of the load analysis, a life or material property value to assign to each of the plurality of 3D volume elements; automatically determining an assignment of one of a plurality of additive manufacturing (AM) print parameter sets to each of the plurality of 3D volume elements; and saving a record of the determined assignments of the AM print parameter sets to each of the plurality of 3D volume elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arvind Rangarajan, Christina Margaret Vasil, Joshua Mook, Anthony J. Vinciquerra, Brian McCarthy, Vipul Kumar Gupta
  • Patent number: 11181887
    Abstract: A method and system provide for reducing gaps between two mating parts. Either or both parts may be nondestructively inspected at a plurality of locations on a surface to gather a data set relating to the part thickness. The data set may be used to calculate a set of as-built thickness values for the part and a set of deviations from a design model. A mating area may be determined for mating surfaces of the parts. One or more layers of sacrificial material in the mating area may be prepared for any deviations greater than a design allowance. The system may include a ply cutting device and an additive manufacturing device coupled to a computer to receive the sacrificial material layer data and shim data and to cut the one or more layers of sacrificial material and to construct the shim. A shim may be constructed for any deviations equal to or greater than a minimum shim thickness. The one or more layers of sacrificial material may be applied to the part, cured, and machined to a desired thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Roger W. Engelbart, James L. Scherer, Christopher M. Vaccaro, Brian Stutzman, George E. Bible, Jeffrey J. Kilwin
  • Patent number: 11173665
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method of optimizing an additive fabrication process for an object is provided, the method comprising obtaining a representation of an intermediate form of the object, the intermediate form being an expected shape of the object when partially fabricated by the additive fabrication process, simulating one or more forces expected to be applied to the intermediate form of the object during the additive fabrication process, evaluating one or more results of the simulating step against one or more criteria, and adapting the additive fabrication process based at least in part on a result of the evaluating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Formlabs, Inc.
    Inventor: Shane Wighton
  • Patent number: 11163294
    Abstract: A management apparatus includes a data acquiring unit, a desired-time acquiring unit, an assigning unit, and a data output unit. The data acquiring unit acquires image data expressing at least one of a three-dimensional image and an image. The desired-time acquiring unit acquires desired time information associated with the image data. The desired time information indicates a desired time for completing an image forming process for forming the image. The desired time is expressed as at least one of a time point and a time frame. The assigning unit assigns image formation of the image data to an image forming apparatus that performs the image forming process such that the image forming process is completed at the desired time indicated by the desired time information. The data output unit outputs the image data toward the image forming apparatus assigned by the assigning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Hironori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11165280
    Abstract: A power management method includes step A of performing communication of a predetermined command using a predetermined protocol between a power conversion apparatus and a power management apparatus. The power conversion apparatus is connected to first and second distributed power sources. The method further includes step B of converting, by the power conversion apparatus, DC power from the first and second distributed power sources into AC power. The step A includes a step of performing, in a manner capable of identifying a connection rated output of the power conversion apparatus in a grid connection state and a self-sustained rated output of the power conversion apparatus in a self-sustained operation state, communication of a command including an information element designating at least one of the connection rated output of the power conversion apparatus and the self-sustained rated output of the power conversion apparatus, as the communication of the predetermined command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Nakamura, Kentaro Kamei
  • Patent number: 11156974
    Abstract: An appliance is provided. The appliance includes a transceiver, and a processor configured to, based on an external appliance being identified to be adjacent to the appliance, receive arrangement state information of the external appliance through the transceiver, identify whether the appliance is a slave device controlled by the external appliance or a master device to control the external appliance based on the arrangement state information of the external appliance and arrangement state information of the appliance, based on the appliance being identified as the slave device, transmit a control authority to the external appliance through the transceiver, and based on the appliance being identified as the master device, request the control authority from the external appliance identified as the slave device through the transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-hoon Cha, Seong-su Kim, Min-gyu Kim
  • Patent number: 11156977
    Abstract: Systems and methods for time use optimization are provided. One embodiment of a method includes determining time of use pricing data associated with purchase of energy from an energy provider, partitioning a predetermined amount of time into a plurality of segments, where the plurality of segments corresponds with the higher cost tier and the lower cost tier, and creating an energy set point schedule for setting a set point of a controllable device, where the energy set point schedule sets the set point of the controllable device to a predetermined value for each of the plurality of segments. Some embodiments include determining energy utilized by the controllable device during at least a portion of the energy set point schedule and iteratively altering the energy set point schedule, based on a comparison of the energy utilized and a current status of the energy set point schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Virtual Peaker, Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Burke
  • Patent number: 11156986
    Abstract: A machining program editing device calculates an editable time for a block of a machining program, makes editable only those of a plurality of blocks in the machining program which have the editable time left remaining, and locally writes only edited portions into a machining program used for control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomokazu Kato, Kazuo Sato, Yorikazu Fukui
  • Patent number: 11159020
    Abstract: A method includes performing by a local processor corresponding to a power consumer: detecting a power system frequency that is less than a low frequency threshold, receiving a ratio of a power demand reduction goal to a total responsive load from a power grid management processor, determining a portion of all of the appliances that are managed by the power consumer to be deactivated based on the ratio responsive to detecting the power system frequency being less than the low frequency threshold, and deactivating respective ones of the portion of appliances based on the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Fangxing Li, Qingxin Shi
  • Patent number: 11151292
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide a method of making an object from a three-dimensional geometry file and a light polymerizable resin on a light-transmissive window by projection of light through the window in a bottom-up stereolithography process. The method may comprise: slicing the file into a series of sequential images. Temperature fluctuations in the resin may be calculated for at least some of the sequential images upon light polymerization thereof based on sequential exposure of the resin to light, the light corresponding to the series of sequential images. During producing of the object, the production may be modified based on the calculated temperature fluctuations by: (i) reducing production speed during at least a portion of the production; (ii) activating a window cooler during at least a portion of the production; or (iii) increasing production speed during at least a portion of the production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Laaker, Bob E. Feller, Matthew Panzer
  • Patent number: 11149872
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for supplying back-up electric power to an electric actuator powered by a supply of main electric power, and to interrupt or to replace a control signal supplied to the actuator so that the actuator can be reverted to a fail-safe mode, condition or position when there is a failure or disruption of the main electric power or when the control signal is not within the accepted pre-determined standard or range for the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: 1593417 Alberta Ltd.
    Inventors: Garth Steven Hanson, Thomas Joseph MacArthur, Henri Richard Tessier
  • Patent number: 11152786
    Abstract: A dispatch method and device for a power system are provided. The method includes: establishing an optimal power flow model, the optimal power flow model includes an objective function and constraints, the objective function is configured to indicate a minimum total cost of active power production and reactive power production of generators; solving the optimal power flow model to obtain dispatch parameters for the power system; and dispatching the power system based on the dispatch parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhifang Yang, Haiwang Zhong, Qing Xia, Chunling Lu, Xiaowen Lai, Yang Wang