Patents Examined by Thomas E. Brown
  • Patent number: 5768299
    Abstract: A network in which an incoming word of 4 bytes and 4 parity bits is split into an address pointer and Tag address data into a Tag RAM storing two bytes which do not align with the incoming bytes and which leave a 2-bit (x,y,) crossed field. A programmable array logic Control PAL places correct parity values into a Parity RAM for the 2 stored bytes and later recreates the original word of 4 bytes and parity bits by using a flip-bit value (SPX) which simplifies the regeneration of correct parity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce Ernest Whittaker
  • Patent number: 5768121
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adaptive airflow control system for positioning damper systems or controlling air units utilized in an environment control system. The system is based on a conservative, fixed-gain, proportional-only feedback design to guarantee stable operation given the nonlinear behavior of flow through a valve or damper. A time-dependent deadzone of nonlinearity is used to reject measurement noise. Such a system allows a person to adjust the performance of the system by selecting a parameter that affects the tradeoff between tracking capability and noise rejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Service Company
    Inventor: Clifford C. Federspiel
  • Patent number: 5764579
    Abstract: A system for controlling laboratories having fume hoods comprising a network along which information is carried. The system is also comprised of a controller in contact with the network for receiving information from and providing information to the network. Additionally, the system is comprised of means for sensing a laboratory's state. The sensing means is disposed in each laboratory. There is additionally a microprocessor disposed in each laboratory for receiving information concerning the laboratory from the respective sensing means and the controller in order to maintain the laboratory in a predetermined state, and to provide information about the laboratory to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: American Auto-Matrix, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. McMasters, David M. Fisher, Bruce D. Arnold
  • Patent number: 5754423
    Abstract: The invention relates to the preparation of a material mixture consisting of a plurality of mineral raw material components which are delivered individually proportioned, are ground and homogenised, wherein samples are periodically analysed and determined ACTUAL values are compared with predetermined DESIRED values in order if appropriate to carry out corrective control interventions on the proportioning of raw material components by way of a laboratory computer. In relatively short time periods evaluations of the material samples and re-homogenisation of the ground mixture can be carried out very reliably with relatively low expenditure on construction if the material samples are analysed on the spot by means of a rapid analysis arrangement and the determined ACTUAL values from this analysis are passed to the laboratory computer, the homogenisation being carried out in a mixing zone with relatively small receiving capacity which is separated from the storage zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Krupp Polysius AG
    Inventors: Josef Teutenberg, Werner Brosowski
  • Patent number: 5751583
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing embroidery data to control a sewing machine to form an embroidery on a work sheet, the apparatus including an image reader which reads, from an original having an original image including one or more outline-bounded regions each having one or more outlines and an inside area bounded by the outline(s), the original image so as to produce image data defining one or both of the outline(s) and the inside area of the outline-bounded region; a first device which produces, based on the image data, outline sewing data to form stitches along the outline of the outline-bounded region; and a second device which produces, based on the image data, area sewing data to form stitches filling the inside area of the outline-bounded region, the embroidery data including the outline sewing data and the area sewing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Kyuno, Masahiro Mizuno, Masao Futamura, Yukiyoshi Muto
  • Patent number: 5748650
    Abstract: A signal processor with an embedded Viterbi co-processor which works in parallel with the signal processor is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Mark Blaker, Gregory Stephen Ellard, Muhammad Shafiul Mobin
  • Patent number: 5740055
    Abstract: Data on the outline of an applique to be cut out and embroidered are inputted by a digitizer, etc. to a microcomputer only once. Data for cutting out the applique and data for embroidering it are both prepared from the inputted outline data for delivery to a cutting device and an embroidering machine, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Barudan
    Inventor: Susumu Iwata
  • Patent number: 5740031
    Abstract: An irrigation system for controlling a plurality of watering stations whereby each station is irrigated in accordance with the specific soil needs at that station; the system includes a plurality of irrigation controllers, one at each watering station, each controller including a power line transceiver, a micro-processor, an erasable non-volatile memory, and an actuating circuitry for activating a valve actuator in response to data received from a computer; a power line network powers the controllers and serves as a medium through which the controllers communicate between one another and the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Smart Rain Corp. Inc.
    Inventor: Romain Gagnon
  • Patent number: 5734567
    Abstract: A diagnosis system for a plant, in particular for a power station plant, such as for a turbo-generator of a steam turbine plant, having a number of interacting plant parts, includes a module being associated with the plant parts for on-line acquisition of measured values and for controlling and processing the measured values. A data bus is connected to the module through interfaces for the transmission of plant-relevant measured values. A coupling module is connected to the data bus for requesting and passing on measured values. An administration module is connected to the coupling module for distribution of the measured values. A number of analysis modules are connected to the administration module for content-dependent processing of the measured values and for outputting characteristics derived therefrom. A memory module is connected to the analysis modules for storing the characteristics from at least one of the analysis modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Antony Griffiths, Helmut Muller
  • Patent number: 5729558
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of compensating for Doppler error in a wireless communications system employing Viterbi decoding comprises the steps of: for each signal sample in a first predetermined-sized grouping of received signal samples, performing a parallel Viterbi update and short symbol decode; and for a second predetermined-sized grouping, forming by pipeline processing an estimate of the Doppler error in accordance with the parallel short traceback decoding performed for the first grouping, and adjusting each signal sample in the second grouping in accordance with the estimated Doppler error.Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a Viterbi traceback reconstructed signal sample index comprises: a state counter, a traceback shift register (TBSR); a signal reconstruction table; and a comparator coupled in a configuration so as to provide the sign bit to the TBSR from a comparison of binary digital signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammad Shafiul Mobin
  • Patent number: 5726922
    Abstract: An assembly for removably connecting data storage devices is provided for coupling a plurality of such devices within a computer or file server. The assembly comprises a plurality of trays each having a data storage device and a first electrical connector mounted thereto. Each tray contains an adapter assembly, having a second electrical connector, for consolidating the plurality of signals between the computer and the device. The trays are removably inserted within a housing having a plurality of printed circuit boards for connecting to the first electrical connectors of the inserted trays. A plurality of locking and actuating assemblies mounted within the housing govern insertion and removal of the trays into and out of the housing and passage of signals between the electrical connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: J. Scott Womble, Francis A. Kuchar, Jr., John R. Dewitt, Jay H. Neer
  • Patent number: 5721687
    Abstract: An ultrahigh vacuum focused ion beam micromilling apparatus and process are isclosed. Additionally, a durable data storage medium using the micromilling process is disclosed, the durable data storage medium capable of storing, e.g., digital or alphanumeric characters as well as graphical shapes or characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California Office of Technology Transfer
    Inventors: Bruce C. Lamartine, Roger A. Stutz
  • Patent number: 5717599
    Abstract: A three-dimensional article making apparatus includes a build material dispenser positioned adjacent a platform for ejecting a plurality of droplets of build material; and dispenser positioners for relatively positioning the dispenser in five degrees of freedom with respect to the platform. Accordingly, the dispenser may be rotated and flipped to permit construction of a cantilevered portion of an article without requiring support material. The dispenser positioners include a Z-direction positioner for positioning the dispenser vertically relative to the platform, an X-Y positioner for positioning the dispenser in an X-Y planar direction relative to the platform, a flip angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally horizontal axis, and a phi angle positioner for rotatably positioning the dispenser relative to a generally vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: BPM Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert E. Menhennett, Jon N. Leonard, John R. Larsen, Robert B. Brown, Manual M. Ferreira, William B. Barlage, III, Charles F. Kirschman
  • Patent number: 5717587
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for processing instructions within a data processing system including a processor having a plurality of execution units. According to the method of the present invention, a number of instructions stored within a memory within the data processing system are retrieved from memory. A selected instruction among the number of instructions is decoded to determine if the selected instruction would be noneffective if executed by the processor. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, noneffective instructions include instructions with invalid opcodes and instructions that would not change the value of any data register within the processor. In response to determining that the selected instruction would be noneffective if executed by the processor, the selected instruction is recoded into a specified instruction format prior to dispatching the selected instruction to one of the number of execution units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Black, Marvin A. Denman, Lee E. Eisen, Robert T. Golla, Albert J. Loper, Jr., Soummya Mallick, Russell Adley Reininger
  • Patent number: 5717706
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting signal points transmitted over a transmission line. A data transmitter encodes input data and maps this data in accordance with a Trellis Code Modulation technique. The mapped data is then modulated onto a particular carrier wave, and transmitted to a data receiver. The data receiver compensates for any detected phase shift in the carrier wave, and decodes the phase-corrected data to quickly detect parallel path information of the received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tamotsu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 5715160
    Abstract: An evaluation system is disclosed herein for analyzing, displaying and feedback of digital signals derived from a source of analog motion and analog force. The system includes sensors for detecting physical movement following a point-by-point measurement procedure and a digital signal generator for introducing the sensed motion and force signals to a Fourier measuring unit for analysis. Separate analysis circuits for motion characteristics and force or load characteristics from the derived signals are employed for discrete measurement. The resultant measurements and/or values are introduced to a comparator network where the measurements and/or values are compared with stored individual data and to stored universal standards. A display device such as a video monitor, visual or auditory device receives the result's of the compared motion and force measurements and values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Inventor: Robert Jay Plotke
  • Patent number: 5712781
    Abstract: In the programmable controller and the exclusive control communicating method therefor according to the present invention, a program devices is connected to each of the bus-extended and distributed sections by an extension cable and an extension I/F units, and a plurality of connected program devices communicate with one CPU unit exclusively controlling each other in accordance with an exclusive control signal outputted from an exclusive control signal generating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shun Ohta
  • Patent number: 5712789
    Abstract: A container monitoring system and method tracks location and load status of shipping containers within a defined premises and generates container status reports for customers receiving containers, suppliers or shippers of goods, and container carriers. Carrier and container identifiers are used to track and monitor movements and status of each container from a point of departure to a final destination and return. A combined computer and telecommunications system is also disclosed for executing the tasks of the container monitoring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: K&T Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph E. Radican
  • Patent number: 5710784
    Abstract: A Viterbi decoder for recovering the original bit data stream that was convolutionally encoded as a code symbol stream in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile communication system. The decoder simultaneously decodes at the several data rates associated with certain multirate vocoders. The decoder can decode at an unknown data rate in either continuous or framed packet modes. It accomplishes this by simultaneously decoding at multiple rates and by creating one or more data quality metrics for each decoded data packet. Special input and output buffering is provided to isolate the decoder from system timing constraints. The input buffer includes selection and accumulation logic to organize code symbol data into the packet order for repeat mode or random burst mode at lower frame data rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel Ray Kindred, Brian K. Butler, Ephraim Zehavi, Jack Keil Wolf
  • Patent number: 5710708
    Abstract: A process and control system are provided for controlling a combination of spinning mill machines. The system includes the process of exchanging operational data and measured values between the machines on a plurality of different communication levels which are arranged in a hierarchy. The same communication protocol is used on all of the communication levels to improve the speed and ease of control of the combination of spinning mill machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Rieter Ingolstadt Spinnereimaschinenbau AG
    Inventor: Jens Wiegand