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).

  • Publication number: 20250199090
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2025
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Richard B. Martyn, JR., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20250116690
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 12248034
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Richard B. Martyn, Jr., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 12181502
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 11972674
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20240061028
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20230341477
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Scott David Brown, Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Gregory Paul Lavoie, Richard B. Martyn, JR., Thomas Lee McDougall, Lewis Fink, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 11789050
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20230290241
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 11631314
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20220327907
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 11393322
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Aclara Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, Jr., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20210278448
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Curtis Whitmore Crittenden, Charles Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20210248898
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Lee McDougall, JR., Charles Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 8547258
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
  • Patent number: 8547260
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20130147646
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20130069807
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles K. Sestok, Andrew Waters
  • Publication number: 20070219649
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Mark Allman, John Davies, Gerald Reilly, Brian Venn, Andrew Waters, Ewan Withers
  • Publication number: 20070034480
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: MARTIN ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: R. Swinderman, Andrew Waters, Pablo Perez, Phillip Dietsch