Patents by Inventor Christophe Nicolas

Christophe Nicolas 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).

  • Patent number: 12385440
    Abstract: An assembly for a turbomachine includes at least one turbine having a turbine disc with an internal bore and an annular cavity which is arranged upstream of the disc. The assembly further includes a fire safety system with a cooling device that supplies the cavity with cooling air via injection means. The fire safety system includes means that divide the annular cavity into first and second cavities. A cooling air speed is maintained at the outlet of the injection means and the cooling air in the first cavity is guided to the internal bore of the turbine disc. A diffuser co-operates with the injection means and an annular cover co-operates with the diffuser and covers first attachment members arranged in the cavity. A radially outer surface of the cover at least partially guides the cooling air at the outlet of the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Stéphane Raphaël Yves Richard, Jean-Luc Breining, Mathieu Pierre Cladiere, Olivier Pierre Descubes, Jerome Dinquel, Gabriel Gorka Exilard, Bertrand Guillaume Robin Pellaton, Nicolas Christophe Perra, Christophe Nicolas Henri Viguier
  • Patent number: 12168955
    Abstract: A constant volume combustion system for a turbomachine comprises a plurality of combustion chambers distributed annularly about an axis, each combustion chamber comprising an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, a selective shut-off element movable in rotation relative to the combustion chambers, the selective shut-off element comprising a shroud facing the inlet and outlet orifices of the combustion chambers. The shroud including on a first annular portion at least one intake aperture intended to cooperate with the inlet orifice of each combustion chamber during the rotation of the selective shut-off element and on a second annular portion at least one exhaust aperture intended to cooperate with the outlet orifice of each combustion chamber during the rotation of the selective shut-off element. Each combustion chamber comprises a fuel injection device whose opening and closing are synchronized by the shut-off element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignees: SAFRAN, SAFRAN.HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Quentin Bouyssou, Guillaume Alain Taliercio, Christophe Nicolas Henri Viguier, Daniel Mejia
  • Publication number: 20240328617
    Abstract: A longitudinal-axis (X) dihydrogen injection device is configured to be mounted on an annular bottom of an annular combustion chamber of a turbomachine. The injection device includes an inner channel for dihydrogen circulation and an outer annular channel for circulation of a mixture of at least air. The inner channel and the outer annular channel are coaxial. An inner swirler is housed in the inner channel and an outer swirler is housed in the outer annular channel. A downstream end of the inner channel is arranged upstream, at a distance r, from a downstream end of the outer annular channel. With this dihydrogen combustion, polluting carbon emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons or even fine and smoke particles can be eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Applicants: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES, UNIVERSITE TOULOUSE III - PAUL SABATIER
    Inventors: Stéphane Raphaël Yves RICHARD, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER, Sylvain MARRAGOU, Thierry SCHULLER
  • Publication number: 20240318602
    Abstract: An assembly for a turbomachine includes at least one turbine having a turbine disc with an internal bore and an annular cavity which is arranged upstream of the disc. The assembly further includes a fire safety system with a cooling device that supplies the cavity with cooling air via injection means. The fire safety system includes means that divide the annular cavity into first and second cavities. A cooling air speed is maintained at the outlet of the injection means and the cooling air in the first cavity is guided to the internal bore of the turbine disc. A diffuser co-operates with the injection means and an annular cover co-operates with the diffuser and covers first attachment members arranged in the cavity. A radially outer surface of the cover at least partially guides the cooling air at the outlet of the diffuser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Stéphane Raphaël Yves RICHARD, Jean-Luc BREINING, Mathieu Pierre CLADIERE, Olivier Pierre DESCUBES, Jerome DINQUEL, Gabriel Gorka EXILARD, Bertrand Guillaume Robin PELLATON, Nicolas Christophe PERRA, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER
  • Publication number: 20240236609
    Abstract: An audio sampler is provided, comprising a sample library having stored therein a plurality of main audio samples and a plurality of infinite impulse response (IIR) coefficients divided into subset, each subset corresponding to one of the main audio samples; a sample playback engine comprising an input receiving the main audio samples and outputting a playback signal; and, an IIR filter receiving the corresponding subset of IIR coefficients and applying the IIR filter to the main audio samples or to the playback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Christopher L. Stone, Spencer Stone, Christopher Nicolas Vlavianos
  • Publication number: 20220316393
    Abstract: A constant volume combustion system for a turbomachine comprises a plurality of combustion chambers distributed annularly about an axis, each combustion chamber comprising an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, a selective shut-off element movable in rotation relative to the combustion chambers, the selective shut-off element comprising a shroud facing the inlet and outlet orifices of the combustion chambers. The shroud including on a first annular portion at least one intake aperture intended to cooperate with the inlet orifice of each combustion chamber during the rotation of the selective shut-off element and on a second annular portion at least one exhaust aperture intended to cooperate with the outlet orifice of each combustion chamber during the rotation of the selective shut-off element. Each combustion chamber comprises a fuel injection device whose opening and closing are synchronized by the shut-off element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicants: SAFRAN, SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Quentin BOUYSSOU, Guillaume Alain TALIERCIO, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER, Daniel MEJIA
  • Patent number: 10375040
    Abstract: A utility meter and method for metering consumption of at least one utility including: a metering unit, a communication unit for sending/receiving messages to/from a management center, a memory to store a unique identifier pertaining to the utility meter and a first key, an encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption as a first cryptogram, a message generator for generating a utility message containing the first cryptogram, a key generator for generating a payload key to be used by the encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption, a second cryptogram generated by the encryption unit by encrypting the payload key with the first key, the second cryptogram being intended to be included, by the message generator, at least once into the utility message to be sent to the remote management center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus
  • Publication number: 20190173857
    Abstract: A utility meter and method for metering consumption of at least one utility including: a metering unit, a communication unit for sending/receiving messages to/from a management center, a memory to store a unique identifier pertaining to the utility meter and a first key, an encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption as a first cryptogram, a message generator for generating a utility message containing the first cryptogram, a key generator for generating a payload key to be used by the encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption, a second cryptogram generated by the encryption unit by encrypting the payload key with the first key, the second cryptogram being intended to be included, by the message generator, at least once into the utility message to be sent to the remote management center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus
  • Patent number: 10250575
    Abstract: A utility meter and method for metering consumption of at least one utility including: a metering unit, a communication unit for sending/receiving messages to/from a management center, a memory to store a unique identifier pertaining to the utility meter and a first key, an encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption as a first cryptogram, a message generator for generating a utility message containing the first cryptogram, a key generator for generating a payload key to be used by the encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption, a second cryptogram generated by the encryption unit by encrypting the payload key with the first key, the second cryptogram being intended to be included, by the message generator, at least once into the utility message to be sent to the remote management center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus
  • Publication number: 20180149365
    Abstract: A turbine engine combustion chamber module including at least one constant-volume combustion chamber. The module includes, upstream of the at least one constant-volume combustion chamber, a precombustion chamber capable of producing hot combustion gases that supply the at least one constant-volume combustion chamber so as to allow the ignition thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Guillaume TALIERCIO, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER
  • Publication number: 20180038278
    Abstract: A constant-volume combustion system is for a turbine engine. The system includes a plurality of combustion chambers regularly distributed around a longitudinal axis; a toroidal manifold including a radially oriented outlet for supplying compressed air, from a compressor, to each combustion chamber; a toroidal exhaust pipe including a radially oriented inlet for collecting the combustion gases from the combustion chambers, the combustion chambers being radially positioned between the outlet of the manifold and the inlet of the exhaust pipe; and a timing device for each chamber for drawing in compressed air from the outlet of the manifold and ejecting combustion gas towards the exhaust pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Guillaume TALIERCIO, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER
  • Patent number: 9805367
    Abstract: A secure detachable utility monitoring device is disclosed, to be appended to a utility metering apparatus for controlling at least one utility usage consumption. A detachable metering monitoring device of at least one embodiment includes: a usage reading interface to acquire a utility consumption value metered by the utility meter; a first memory to store at least a unique identifier ID and a personal key, both pertaining to the device; a crypto processor to generate a cryptogram from information data comprising at least the utility consumption value, the cryptogram being encrypted with the personal key; a message generator to generate an information message including at least the cryptogram and the unique identifier ID; and a communication network interface including a sending unit to send the information message to a remote management center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus, Joel Wenger
  • Publication number: 20170295146
    Abstract: A utility meter and method for metering consumption of at least one utility including: a metering unit, a communication unit for sending/receiving messages to/from a management center, a memory to store a unique identifier pertaining to the utility meter and a first key, an encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption as a first cryptogram, a message generator for generating a utility message containing the first cryptogram, a key generator for generating a payload key to be used by the encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption, a second cryptogram generated by the encryption unit by encrypting the payload key with the first key, the second cryptogram being intended to be included, by the message generator, at least once into the utility message to be sent to the remote management center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus
  • Patent number: 9742736
    Abstract: The present invention aims to address the issue of deploying costly hardware by proposing a content protection layer with an easy distribution capability to clients. The aim is achieved by an network device for descrambling an access controlled audio/video content stream, said network device being configured to be connected to a network router comprises a memory to store a unique address UA specific to the network device, an network input/output interface, a descrambler to descramble the audio/video content stream, and a watermark engine configured to watermark the descrambled audio/video content stream by applying the unique address. A further object of the invention is a method to access scrambled audio/video content stream in a local or roaming mode by a multimedia reception device connected via an IP network to a network router having an IP port connected to the network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Joel Conus, Christophe Nicolas
  • Patent number: 9677505
    Abstract: An air/fuel mixer system of a combustion chamber of a gas turbine includes at least one compressed air intake swirler, the swirler having a central axis of symmetry, and a fuel injector including an injection head having an axis of symmetry. Each injector is mounted in the corresponding swirler with aid of a guide mechanism, so that the axis of symmetry of the injection head is off-center with respect to the central axis of symmetry of the swirler. The system can reduce, or even eliminate, combustion instabilities, by injecting the fuel along a particular axis which is off-center relative to the axis of the air/fuel mixer system, inducing a flow of fuel which is no longer perfectly axially symmetrical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: TURBOMECA
    Inventors: Nicolas Savary, Claude Berat, Hubert Hippolyte Vignau, Christophe Nicolas Henri Viguier
  • Patent number: 9664531
    Abstract: A utility meter and method for metering consumption of at least one utility including: a metering unit, a communication unit for sending/receiving messages to/from a management center, a memory to store a unique identifier pertaining to the utility meter and a first key, an encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption as a first cryptogram, a message generator for generating a utility message containing the first cryptogram, a key generator for generating a payload key to be used by the encryption unit for encrypting the utility consumption, a second cryptogram generated by the encryption unit by encrypting the payload key with the first key, the second cryptogram being intended to be included, by the message generator, at least once into the utility message to be sent to the remote management center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus
  • Publication number: 20170038075
    Abstract: The fixed vanes of a diffuser are set to an azimuth angle setting (?) with respect to the injectors of a combustion chamber so that the paths leading from the trailing edges pass through the gaps between injectors and more preferably mid-way between same, so that these portions of the flow, which may contain condensed water, do not affect the initiation of the combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: TURBOMECA
    Inventors: Patrick DUCHAINE, Claude BERAT, Christophe Nicolas Henri VIGUIER
  • Patent number: 9432709
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a system to prevent manipulation of transmitted video data including an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) receiving audio/video data and a display device. The IRD may include a device to transmit an HDMI compliant audio/video stream toward the display device. The system may further include a device to add an over-encryption layer to the HDMI/HDCP stream before reaching the display device and a device to remove the added encryption layer so as to recover the HDMI/HDCP stream, before processing the HDMI/HDCP stream by the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Nagravision S.A.
    Inventors: André Kudelski, Christophe Nicolas
  • Patent number: 9395207
    Abstract: A secure detachable utility monitoring device is disclosed, to be appended to a utility metering apparatus for controlling at least one utility usage consumption. A detachable metering monitoring device of at least one embodiment includes: a usage reading interface to acquire a utility consumption value metered by the utility meter; a first memory to store at least a unique identifier ID and a personal key, both pertaining to the device; a crypto processor to generate a cryptogram from information data comprising at least the utility consumption value, the cryptogram being encrypted with the personal key; a message generator to generate an information message including at least the cryptogram and the unique identifier ID; and a communication network interface including a sending unit to send the information message to a remote management center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: NAGRAVISION S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joel Conus, Joel Wenger
  • Patent number: 9384658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, and method for enforcing utility usage and metering functions by a utility meter associated with a utility consumer end user, connected to a remote utility management center by a communication network. The present invention proposes a utility meter for controlling and metering a least one utility consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Nagravision S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Le Buhan, Christophe Nicolas, Joël Conus