Patents by Inventor Bret Dalton

Bret Dalton 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).

  • Method for assessing reliability requirements of a safety instrumented control function
    Patent number: 7480536
    Abstract: A method for analyzing a system for safety to personnel is disclosed comprising: identifying at least one operating parameter of a first subcomponent of said product; identifying an inherent hazard of said first subcomponents based on an analysis of the at least one operating parameter; identifying features of the structure or operation of the subcomponent corresponding to the inherent hazard; identifying design modifications for the identified features that would mitigate the inherent hazard; identifying safety instrumented control functions and their probability of failure requirements that would mitigate the inherent hazard; prioritizing the identified features with respect to the effect that each of said features has on safety of the product; and determining whether an unsafe condition could result from the inherent hazard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eric S. Kaufman, Robert Brooks, Bret Dalton, Kenneth L. Leary
  • Method for assessing reliability requirements of a safety instrumented control function
    Publication number: 20080126150
    Abstract: A method for analyzing a system for safety to personnel is disclosed comprising: identifying at least one operating parameter of a first subcomponent of said product; identifying an inherent hazard of said first subcomponents based on an analysis of the at least one operating parameter; identifying features of the structure or operation of the subcomponent corresponding to the inherent hazard; identifying design modifications for the identified features that would mitigate the inherent hazard; identifying safety instrumented control functions and their probability of failure requirements that would mitigate the inherent hazard; prioritizing the identified features with respect to the effect that each of said features has on safety of the product; and determining whether an unsafe condition could result from the inherent hazard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Eric S. Kaufman, Robert Brooks, Bret Dalton, Kenneth L. Leary