Patents Examined by Tyrone V. Walker
  • Patent number: 5617316
    Abstract: A model-following aircraft control system in which a roll rate command in Euler coordinates is integrated to provide a bank angle command, which has actual bank angle subtracted therefrom to provide a command error that is converted back to aircraft body coordinates for use, so long as the pitch attitude of the aircraft does not approach zenith or nadir. But, while the absolute value of the pitch attitude exceeds 85.degree. the last error generated before exceeding 85.degree. is converted to body coordinates for use by the aircraft, and the initial integrated value of attitude command, for use when the pitch angle reverts below 85.degree., is formed as the sum of said last error and the actual attitude angle of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Donald L. Fogler, Jr., James F. Keller
  • Patent number: 5617342
    Abstract: A maintenance management system is disclosed for staffing highway maintenance crews using discrete-event simulation and optimization techniques. Conveniently, the system is organized in four stages; making determinations, model building, simulation model, and experimentation and analysis. Determinations support setting agency's own standards regarding maintenance including identifying maintenance specialities, establishing standard crews, setting standard productivity rates, estimating optimum maintenance workloads, estimating costs of delaying maintenance, and deciding the planning period. Model building involves outlining the repair request system including highway system configuration, organization structure, crew assignments, input data, and maintenance model. The simulation model executes an initialization routine and events and runs the events through a time and event schema until the event queue in the simulator is emptied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Inventor: Ashraf M. Elazouni
  • Patent number: 5612892
    Abstract: A low power consumption component which operate at a high frequency is provided by separating out those critical signal paths which acquire a higher voltage to operate below a maximum propagation delay requirement and operating the remainder of the devices of the component at a lower power supply to minimize overall power consumption of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Waleed Almulla
  • Patent number: 5608631
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining acceleration of a motor vehicle includes an acceleration sensor for generating a signal representing acceleration of the motor vehicle, wheel speed sensor means for generating wheel speed signals indicating wheel speeds of individual wheels of the motor vehicle, and a first arithmetic unit for determining a mean value of the output signal of the acceleration sensor over a predetermined period in the running state of the motor vehicle in which the motor vehicle is making a substantially straight drive at a substantially constant speed on a substantially level ground surface during the aforementioned predetermined period, to thereby output a signal indicating the mean value, and a second arithmetic unit for determining acceleration of the motor vehicle by subtracting the mean value from the output of the acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumichi Tsutsumi, Takahiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 5608628
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing a crash, in a vehicle by measuring vehicle speed change continuously within a limited time periods and comparing the measured values with those determined in prior time periods. Acceleration can be differentiated out by means of the above-mentioned process/arrangement and can be evaluated if, in the case of a high-speed and low-speed crash, it should not be possible to differentiate sufficiently by means of the partial speed difference. Different partial speed differences (by means of observation periods of different durations) can be measured and compared in order to permit ignition in the case of slower (oblique) crashes only within a limited time window in the initial phase of the crash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Drexler, Alfons Wohrl, Heinz Bader, Andreas Bernitt, Hans Spies, Gunter Fendt, Peter Hora
  • Patent number: 5608633
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting and determining an engine knocking for an internal combustion engine are disclosed in which a whole frequency band of an engine vibration detection signal derived from piezoelectric element type knocking sensor is divided into a plurality of frequency regions or bands, the vibration levels indicated by the respective frequency signal components or the vibration detection signal and extracted according to the respective frequency bands are compared with threshold levels. According to a result of comparisons, the knocking detecting and determining system determines an occurrence of engine knocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okada, Shuhei Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5606500
    Abstract: An integrated aircraft survivability equipment state machine. Aircraft survivability sensors provide aircraft survivability states that are routed to a finite state machine. Data processing, data generation, data representation, queueing tactical information and initiation of aircraft survivability counter measures are controlled by the state oriented approach. Systems state can be altered based on mission defined variables. Counter measures can be initiated based on correlated threat data and other functions such as failure recording and threat database generation functions. All individual aircraft survivability subsystems are integrated and controlled by the state machine. The state machine manages the ASE subsystem power as far as built-in testing and controls for the integrated ASE system. Overall threat data presentation is controlled and driven by the system state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: My Tran
  • Patent number: 5606517
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for simulating a physical process. The method includes storing in a memory a state vector for each of a number of voxels. Each state vector includes a plurality of integers, each of which corresponds to a particular momentum state of a number of possible momentum states at a voxel and represents the number of elements having the particular momentum state. Each integer has more than two possible values. The method also includes performing interaction operations on the state vectors that model interactions between elements of different momentum states, performing viscosity modification operations on the state vectors to change the viscosity of the simulated physical process, and performing move operations on the state vectors that reflect movement of elements to new voxels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Exa Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Traub, Thomas F. Knight, Jr., Kim Molvig, Christopher M. Teixeira
  • Patent number: 5604894
    Abstract: A memory management system for use with a logic simulator 10 for storing data in each memory that is being simulated by the logic simulator 10. The system includes memory control logic 14 coupled to a physical memory 16 which is segmented into a permanent storage area P (26), a temporary storage area T1 (24) and a second temporary storage area T2 (22). Each write request from the simulator causes memory control logic 14 to store the latest request into the T2 area (22). Prior data stored in T2 (22) are first moved to the T1 (24) or P (26) storage area where other store requests for the same and other simulated locations were stored during the same simulator time interval. In this fashion, a history of simulator write activity is stored in physical memory 16 and available for rerunning or restarting the simulator 10 at or near a prior simulator cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel C. Pickens, Patrick W. Bosshart
  • Patent number: 5604889
    Abstract: A memory management system for use with a logic simulator 10 for storing data in each memory that is being simulated by the logic simulator 10. The system includes memory control logic 14 coupled to a physical memory 16 which is segmented into a permanent storage area P (26), a temporary storage area T1 (24) and a second temporary storage area T2 (22). Each write request from the simulator causes memory control logic 14 to store the latest request into the T2 area (22). Prior data stored in T2 (22) are first moved to the T1 (24) or P (26) storage area where other store requests for the same and other simulated locations were stored during the same simulator time interval. In this fashion, a history of simulator write activity is stored in physical memory 16 and available for rerunning or restarting the simulator 10 at or near a prior simulator cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel C. Pickens, Patrick W. Bosshart
  • Patent number: 5602734
    Abstract: A roof-mounted air bag system, having a passenger position sensor array of capacitive coupling passenger position sensors, to determine position and motion of a passenger by triangulation, from microprocessor analysis of distances of the passenger to the various sensors of the array and analysis of the changes of said distances with time; the combination of a three-axis vehicle rollover sensor and microprocessor analysis of the output of said sensor, to both block air bag deployment in the event that said sensor output indicates a vehicle rollover, and also confirm a crash event by sensing rapid angular vehicle acceleration; a microprocessor to analyze signals from the passenger position sensor array, and from the rollover sensor, and to order air bag deployment when it would be helpful but not otherwise; an air bag with an inflated configuration having two principal chambers, one inflating downward along the windshield and the other inflated to the rear of the first, with a reentrant slot-shaped space betwee
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Safety Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip W. Kithil
  • Patent number: 5590040
    Abstract: A self-diagnosis apparatus for vehicle capable of storing sufficient data useful for abnormality diagnosis includes a control unit having a CPU and RAM which can hold its stored contents even at the time of cut-off of an ignition key. The CPU receives diagnosis data necessary for analysis of the abnormality of an equipment at each predetermined period and judges whether or not the value of the diagnosis data exists in a predetermined region, in order to count up a counter of a predetermined storage region beforehand provided in the RAM corresponding to the judged region. The counting-up is stopped when the abnormality of an equipment is detected. In contrast with a method in which the value of diagnosis data is stored into the RAM as it is, the range of change of a lot of diagnosis data until the generation of abnormality can be stored with a small memory size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahide Abe, Katsumi Takaba
  • Patent number: 5590313
    Abstract: A subsystem and method permits multiple protocols, to run simultaneously over a single adapter with minimal overhead.First interface structures are defined having similar component properties of a buffer address, buffer length, and cross-memory descriptor. The first structures are chainable, whereby data may be gathered from or scattered to multiple discontiguous data buffers for a single operation. A common structure completed by protocol heads has a pointer to the chain of first interface structures. For each control element, multiple buffer descriptors are provided to describe the various user buffers. The chain of multiple buffer structures contains pointers to the first structures employed to map buffers and obtain DMA addresses for an adapter. A layered architecture is provided for while allowing flexibility of utilizing current interfaces. Multiple protocols running over a single adapter driver are effected wherein the same protocol head code may run over a different adapter supporting the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Reynolds, David W. Sheffield
  • Patent number: 5587907
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for vehicles capable of changing a characteristic of suspension by controlling supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders which are respectively provided between a vehicle body and each wheel. The apparatus detects vehicle height signals at a plurality of positions and extracts at least a bouncing component signal and a rolling component signal from vehicle-height signals detected by the plurality of vehicle-height sensors. Each of the bouncing component signal and rolling component signals are filtered and are used to control supply/release of fluid into/from hydraulic cylinders based on the filtered signals. A cut-off frequency for the rolling component signal set in said filtering unit is set higher than that for the bouncing component signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignees: Naldec Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mineharu Shibata, Shin Takehara
  • Patent number: 5587906
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing a vehicle crash condition includes an accelerometer (20) for sensing a vehicle crash condition and for providing a signal having a characteristic indicative of the vehicle crash condition. A crash velocity determining circuit (74) determines a crash velocity value (78) from the accelerometer. Crash metric determining circuits (80, 82, 94, 96, 104, 108) determine crash metric values functionally related to acceleration. Threshold determining circuits (88, 98, 112) determining associated threshold values functionally related to the determined crash velocity value (78). Comparators (90, 100, 116) compare the determined crash metric values against associated threshold values. A controller (34) provides a control signal to control actuation of a restraining device in response to the comparison. A shape monitoring circuit (120) determines if the shape of the acceleration signal matches a predetermined shape. If the shape matches, the controller provides the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: George W. McIver, Mark A. Carlin, James E. Bormann, Ronald A. Muckley, Roger A. McCurdy
  • Patent number: 5587923
    Abstract: A cell placement for a microelectronic integrated circuit includes a plurality of cells interconnected by nets of wiring. A method for estimating routing density in the placement includes superimposing a pattern of contiguous tiles over the placement, with each of the tiles having edges. Bounding boxes are constructed around the nets, and net probable densities are calculated within each bounding box for the wiring required by each net for each edge respectively. The net probable densities are summed to produce total probable densities of wiring required by all of the nets for each edge respectively. The net probable density for each edge is calculated as being equal to a wiring capacity of the edge divided by the sum of the wiring capacity of the edge and all other unobscured edges within the bounding box that are collinear with the edge respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Deborah C. Wang
  • Patent number: 5584002
    Abstract: A method for addressing data in a cache unit which has a plurality of congruence classes, following a failure which disables one or more of the congruence classes in the cache unit. A plurality of synonym classes are established. A subset of the congruence classes is assigned to each of the synonym classes. Any disabled congruence classes are identified. The synonym class to which the disabled congruence class belongs is identified. An alternate congruence class is selected which belongs to the same synonym class as the disabled congruence class. When a request is received by the cache to store a line of data into the disabled congruence class, the line is stored into the alternate congruence class in response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Philip G. Emma, Joshua W. Knight, Keith N. Langston, James H. Pomerene, Thomas R. Puzak
  • Patent number: 5579237
    Abstract: An integrated circuit placement method is executed according to a mini-cut method to design the cell placement of an integrated circuit by setting a cut line which divides the integrated circuit into a plurality of blocks and moving the cells such that the cut size, that is, the number of nets, connecting the cells and traversing the cut line can be minimum. It aims to determine the optimum placement by preventing cut size from keeping a local minimum state. A first process P1 detects stable nets which have caused a local minimum state if the cut size in a net has reached the local minimum state after executing the mini-cut method. A second process P2 selects all or a part of the detected stable nets and moves the cells connected to the selected stable nets and placed in different blocks to either of the blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Shibuya
  • Patent number: 5576969
    Abstract: For functional blocks of an IC, each functional block comprising a plurality of macroblocks, each macroblock comprising a plurality of basic cells, a mask pattern is patterned in accordance with a layout design by using its connection data of the macroblocks in each functional block and its placement data of the basic cells in each functional block. Use of the placement data in addition to the connection data makes it possible to regularly and systematically arrange the basic cells in each functional block to achieve shortest possible connections in each fundamental block and a narrowest possible area of each functional block. In order to put a CPU in operation of patterning the mask pattern, an operating system comprises for read by the CPU first and second memories loaded with the connection and the placement data, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Aoki, Minoru Kayano, Kousuke Uno
  • Patent number: 5563791
    Abstract: A system (10) and method for detecting an envelope of received vehicle acceleration information (a(t)) useful in controlling actuation of a vehicle passenger safety device, wherein consecutive values for received vehicle acceleration information (a(t)) are stored and rank-ordered in a pair of rank-order filters (14, 16) to provide a highest-ranked value (a.sub.H) from among the most-recent half of the stored values, and a highest-ranked value (a.sub.H ') from among the least-recent half of the stored values. The absolute value of the highest-ranked least-current value is taken and subtracted from the highest-ranked most-recent value to obtain a modified jerk measure (j.sub.H *). The absolute value of the thus-generated modified jerk value is taken to obtain a measure (m.sub.1) which tracks the envelope of the received acceleration information and, hence, is useful as an envelope detector when evaluating a crash waveform for purposes of controlling actuation of the safety device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Gioutsos, Daniel N. Tabar, Edward J. Gillis