Patents by Inventor Andrew Waters
Andrew Waters has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20250199090Abstract: A series arc detection system is configured to detect series arcs in an input current waveform includes a power input circuit configured to receive an input current waveform and a controller. The controller includes a power monitoring module and is configured detect series arc currents in the input current waveform by performing feature recognition on the input current waveform using a neural network to detect one or more features that may be indicative of arcing. The controller is also configured to produce a score for the input current waveform based on the detected features and report the score to a user based on a comparison of the score to a programmable threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2025Publication date: June 19, 2025Inventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Richard B. Martyn, JR., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20250116690Abstract: An electrical meter including a housing including a socket interface operable to connect to a facility. The meter further including a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the electrical meter. The meter further including a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic, determine, based on the signal, presence of a hot socket, and output an alert based on determining presence of the hot socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2024Publication date: April 10, 2025Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 12248034Abstract: A faulty meter socket detection system configured to detect faulty sockets as evidenced by series arcs in an input current waveform or an increased temperature of the meter is disclosed. The system includes a metering circuit configured to receive an input current waveform, and a controller including a power monitoring module. The meter may also include a temperature sensor. The power monitoring module is configured detect series arc currents input current waveform data by filtering the input current waveform data to produce filtered data, performing feature recognition on the filtered data, classifying the features of the filtered data, performing temporal processing on the filtered data, (optionally) scaling the temporal processing of the filtered data, and, scoring the input current waveform based on the temporal processing of the filtered data. The temperature sensor may detect an increased temperature of the meter, which may indicate a faulty socket.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2023Date of Patent: March 11, 2025Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLCInventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Richard B. Martyn, Jr., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 12181502Abstract: An electrical meter including a housing including a socket interface operable to connect to a facility. The meter further including a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the electrical meter. The meter further including a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic, determine, based on the signal, presence of a hot socket, and output an alert based on determining presence of the hot socket.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2023Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLCInventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 11972674Abstract: An electric utility meter including a Hall Effect sensor configured to sense a magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor, the controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the sensor, determine whether the magnitude of the magnetic field exceeds a first magnitude threshold and whether a threshold flag has been set, set the threshold flag when the threshold flag has not been set and the magnitude exceeds the first magnitude threshold, determine an amount of time for which the magnitude has exceeded the first magnitude threshold when the threshold flag has been set, and generate an alert indicative of a magnetic tamper event when the amount of time exceeds a time threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2023Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLCInventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20240061028Abstract: An electrical meter including a housing including a socket interface operable to connect to a facility. The meter further including a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the electrical meter. The meter further including a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic, determine, based on the signal, presence of a hot socket, and output an alert based on determining presence of the hot socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20230341477Abstract: A faulty meter socket detection system configured to detect faulty sockets as evidenced by series arcs in an input current waveform or an increased temperature of the meter is disclosed. The system includes a metering circuit configured to receive an input current waveform, and a controller including a power monitoring module. The meter may also include a temperature sensor. The power monitoring module is configured detect series arc currents input current waveform data by filtering the input current waveform data to produce filtered data, performing feature recognition on the filtered data, classifying the features of the filtered data, performing temporal processing on the filtered data, (optionally) scaling the temporal processing of the filtered data, and, scoring the input current waveform based on the temporal processing of the filtered data. The temperature sensor may detect an increased temperature of the meter, which may indicate a faulty socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2023Publication date: October 26, 2023Inventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Gregory Paul Lavoie, Richard B. Martyn, JR., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 11789050Abstract: An electrical meter including a housing including a socket interface operable to connect to a facility. The meter further including a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the electrical meter. The meter further including a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic, determine, based on the signal, presence of a hot socket, and output an alert based on determining presence of the hot socket.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLCInventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20230290241Abstract: An electric utility meter including a Hall Effect sensor configured to sense a magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor, the controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the sensor, determine whether the magnitude of the magnetic field exceeds a first magnitude threshold and whether a threshold flag has been set, set the threshold flag when the threshold flag has not been set and the magnitude exceeds the first magnitude threshold, determine an amount of time for which the magnitude has exceeded the first magnitude threshold when the threshold flag has been set, and generate an alert indicative of a magnetic tamper event when the amount of time exceeds a time threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 11631314Abstract: An electric utility meter including a Hall Effect sensor configured to sense a magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor, the controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the sensor, determine whether the magnitude of the magnetic field exceeds a first magnitude threshold and whether a threshold flag has been set, set the threshold flag when the threshold flag has not been set and the magnitude exceeds the first magnitude threshold, determine an amount of time for which the magnitude has exceeded the first magnitude threshold when the threshold flag has been set, and generate an alert indicative of a magnetic tamper event when the amount of time exceeds a time threshold.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2022Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLCInventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20220327907Abstract: An electric utility meter including a Hall Effect sensor configured to sense a magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor, the controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the sensor, determine whether the magnitude of the magnetic field exceeds a first magnitude threshold and whether a threshold flag has been set, set the threshold flag when the threshold flag has not been set and the magnitude exceeds the first magnitude threshold, determine an amount of time for which the magnitude has exceeded the first magnitude threshold when the threshold flag has been set, and generate an alert indicative of a magnetic tamper event when the amount of time exceeds a time threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2022Publication date: October 13, 2022Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 11393322Abstract: An electric utility meter including a three-axis Hall Effect sensor configured to detect the presence of a magnetic field in two or more directions surrounding the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of an abnormal magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the three-axis Hall Effect sensor, determine an amount of time for which the abnormal magnetic field has been detected, and log a magnetic field tamper event in an event log when the amount of time for which the abnormal magnetic field has been detected exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2021Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Aclara Technologies, LLCInventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20210278448Abstract: An electrical meter including a housing including a socket interface operable to connect to a facility. The meter further including a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the electrical meter. The meter further including a controller having an electronic processor and a memory. The electronic processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic, determine, based on the signal, presence of a hot socket, and output an alert based on determining presence of the hot socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2021Publication date: September 9, 2021Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20210248898Abstract: An electric utility meter including a three-axis Hall Effect sensor configured to detect the presence of a magnetic field in two or more directions surrounding the electric utility meter. The electric utility meter also includes a controller having an electronic processor. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of an abnormal magnetic field proximate the electric utility meter from the three-axis Hall Effect sensor, determine an amount of time for which the abnormal magnetic field has been detected, and log a magnetic field tamper event in an event log when the amount of time for which the abnormal magnetic field has been detected exceeds a threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2021Publication date: August 12, 2021Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 8547258Abstract: A calibration method to compensate for a sparsifying basis mismatch is provided. An analog signal is converted to a first digital signal at a sampling frequency that is less than a Nyquist frequency for the analog signal to generate a first digital signal. Each of a plurality of spectral terms is iteratively isolated from the first digital signal, and the offset for each of the plurality of spectral terms is iteratively determined. A dictionary is then constructed using the offset for each of the plurality of spectral terms, where the dictionary compensates for mismatch from a sparsifying basis.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2011Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
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Patent number: 8547260Abstract: Compressive sensing is an emerging field that attempts to prevent the losses associated with data compression and improve efficiency overall, and compressive sensing looks to perform the compression before or during capture, before energy is wasted. Here, a reconstruction algorithm is proposed for a compressive sensing successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Accordingly, an analog signal is converted to a first digital signal at a sampling frequency that is less than a Nyquist frequency for the analog signal, and a second digital signal is constructed from the first digital signal with a box constrained linear optimization process such that the second digital signal is approximately equal to an analog-to-digital conversion of the analog signal at the Nyquist frequency for the analog signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2011Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20130147646Abstract: A calibration method to compensate for a sparsifying basis mismatch is provided. An analog signal is converted to a first digital signal at a sampling frequency that is less than a Nyquist frequency for the analog signal to generate a first digital signal. Each of a plurality of spectral terms is iteratively isolated from the first digital signal, and the offset for each of the plurality of spectral terms is iteratively determined. A dictionary is then constructed using the offset for each of the plurality of spectral terms, where the dictionary compensates for mismatch from a sparsifying basis.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2011Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20130069807Abstract: Compressive sensing is an emerging field that attempts to prevent the losses associated with data compression and improve efficiency overall, and compressive sensing looks to perform the compression before or during capture, before energy is wasted. Here, a reconstruction algorithm is proposed for a compressive sensing successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Accordingly, an analog signal is converted to a first digital signal at a sampling frequency that is less than a Nyquist frequency for the analog signal, and a second digital signal is constructed from the first digital signal with a box constrained linear optimization process such that the second digital signal is approximately equal to an analog-to-digital conversion of the analog signal at the Nyquist frequency for the analog signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
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Publication number: 20070219649Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus and computer program for sampling a data feed of messages at regular time intervals. A current sample point is identified. A time interval is also identified which is defined by the current sample point and at least one of the previous sample point and the subsequent sample point. At least one message is selected to associate with the current sample point. The selection is made from the identified time interval.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2006Publication date: September 20, 2007Inventors: Mark Allman, John Davies, Gerald Reilly, Brian Venn, Andrew Waters, Ewan Withers
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Publication number: 20070034480Abstract: A conveyor belt cleaner scraper blade for cleaning the surface of a conveyor belt and a method of manufacture of the scraper blade. The scraper blade includes a body having a base member adapted to be attached to a cross shaft of a conveyor belt cleaner and a scraping member which extends outwardly from the base member to a scraping tip. The scraper blade includes one or more electrical sensors that are embedded in an insert member. The insert member and the sensors are molded and embedded within the body of the scraper blade. Each of the sensors is adapted to provide an electrical output signal representing a physical condition of the scraper blade sensed by the sensor. A variety of sensor embodiments are described, as well as two embodiments of control and monitoring systems for use in conjunction with the various blade and sensor combinations.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2006Publication date: February 15, 2007Applicant: MARTIN ENGINEERING COMPANYInventors: R. Swinderman, Andrew Waters, Pablo Perez, Phillip Dietsch