Patents by Inventor Daniel Schrag

Daniel Schrag 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: 10302702
    Abstract: For monitoring diagnostic rules of a power system, an exemplary method is disclosed and includes collecting operational diagnostic data from a first primary device; identifying a change of a diagnostic indicator based on the operational diagnostic data; adapting a diagnostic rule to the identified change, wherein the diagnostic rule is applicable to the diagnostic data for determining a diagnostic warning which indicates a diagnostic state of a primary device; and providing a diagnostic warning of a second primary device by applying the adapted diagnostic rule to operational diagnostic data collected for the second primary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Kai Hencken, Daniel Schrag, Peter Krippner, Carlo Gemme, Marco Egman, Jarkko Makela
  • Patent number: 10132672
    Abstract: A force exerted by a load is determined in a force-measuring device (1) operating under electromagnetic force compensation. The device includes a measurement transducer (18, 118) with a coil (20, 120) movably immersed in a magnet system (19, 119) and a force-transmitting mechanical connection between a load-receiving part (12, 112) and the coil or magnet system. A position sensor (21, 28), also part of the device, determines a displacement of the coil from its settling position relative to the magnet system (19, 119) which occurs when the load is placed on the load-receiving part. An electrical current (24) flowing through the coil generates an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet system whereby the coil and the load-receiving part are returned to, and/or held at, the settling position. The magnitude of current and the amount of displacement are used to determine the weight force exerted by the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Daniel Rupp, Christoph Trautweiler, Hans-Rudolf Burkhard
  • Patent number: 9964429
    Abstract: A force-measuring device (1) with a parallelogram linkage has a measurement transducer coupled to it. A coil (25) of the transducer has guided mobility in a magnet system (27) and can carry an electric current (24). A position sensor (21) detects the deflection of the coil (25) from a balanced position relative to the magnet system when a load is placed on the force-measuring device. The electric current (24) flowing through the coil (25), by way of the interaction between the coil and the magnet system, returns the coil and the movable parallel leg to the balanced position. A system-characterizing means (29) is established in a processor unit (26). The system-characterizing means and an unchangeable system reference means (30) are compared to determine the functionality of the device. The functionality is verified by the magnitudes of the electric current and the deflection of the coil from its balanced position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Daniel Rupp, Christoph Trautweiler, Hans-Rudolf Burkhard
  • Publication number: 20160370221
    Abstract: A force exerted by a load is determined in a force-measuring device (1) operating under electromagnetic force compensation. The device includes a measurement transducer (18, 118) with a coil (20, 120) movably immersed in a magnet system (19, 119) and a force-transmitting mechanical connection between a load-receiving part (12, 112) and the coil or magnet system. A position sensor (21, 28), also part of the device, determines a displacement of the coil from its settling position relative to the magnet system (19, 119) which occurs when the load is placed on the load-receiving part. An electrical current (24) flowing through the coil generates an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet system whereby the coil and the load-receiving part are returned to, and/or held at, the settling position. The magnitude of current and the amount of displacement are used to determine the weight force exerted by the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Daniel Rupp, Christoph Trautweiler, Hans-Rudolf Burkhard
  • Patent number: 9406451
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear on a contact element of an electrical switch, for example, of a switching installation for high or medium voltage, includes recording electrical values which represent an electrical variable, which is relevant to an arc occurring at the switch during a switching operation, as a function of time, and calculating a wear value, which represents the wear on the contact element, from a plurality of wear contribution values. The wear contribution values are calculated from a plurality of subsets of the recorded electrical values using a plurality of wear contribution calculation rules, with the result that each of the wear contribution values is calculated from a respective one of the subsets of values according to a respective one of the wear contribution calculation rules. At least two of the wear contribution calculation rules differ from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Kai Hencken, Eldin Smajic
  • Publication number: 20160011038
    Abstract: A force-measuring device (1) with a parallelogram linkage has a measurement transducer coupled to it. A coil (25) of the transducer has guided mobility in a magnet system (27) and can carry an electric current (24). A position sensor (21) detects the deflection of the coil (25) from a balanced position relative to the magnet system when a load is placed on the force-measuring device. The electric current (24) flowing through the coil (25), by way of the interaction between the coil and the magnet system, returns the coil and the movable parallel leg to the balanced position. A system-characterizing means (29) is established in a processor unit (26). The system-characterizing means and an unchangeable system reference means (30) are compared to determine the functionality of the device. The functionality is verified by the magnitudes of the electric current and the deflection of the coil from its balanced position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Daniel Rupp, Christoph Trautweiler, Hans-Rudolf Burkhard
  • Publication number: 20140343895
    Abstract: For monitoring diagnostic rules of a power system, an exemplary method is disclosed and includes collecting operational diagnostic data from a first primary device; identifying a change of a diagnostic indicator based on the operational diagnostic data; adapting a diagnostic rule to the identified change, wherein the diagnostic rule is applicable to the diagnostic data for determining a diagnostic warning which indicates a diagnostic state of a primary device; and providing a diagnostic warning of a second primary device by applying the adapted diagnostic rule to operational diagnostic data collected for the second primary device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: ABB Research LTD
    Inventors: Kai HENCKEN, Daniel Schrag, Peter Krippner, Carlo Gemme, Marco Egman, Jarkko Makela
  • Publication number: 20140291040
    Abstract: A force exerted by a load is determined in a force-measuring device (1) operating under electromagnetic force compensation. The device includes a measurement transducer (18, 118) with a coil (20, 120) movably immersed in a magnet system (19, 119) and a force-transmitting mechanical connection between a load-receiving part (12, 112) and the coil or magnet system. A position sensor (21, 28), also part of the device, determines a displacement of the coil from its settling position relative to the magnet system (19, 119) which occurs when the load is placed on the load-receiving part. An electrical current (24) flowing through the coil generates an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet system whereby the coil and the load-receiving part are returned to, and/or held at, the settling position. The magnitude of current and the amount of displacement are used to determine the weight force exerted by the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Daniel Rupp, Christoph Trautweiler, Hans-Rudolf Burkhard
  • Patent number: 8590360
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for diagnosis of a flowmeter are disclosed. The method includes thermally coupling a first sensor unit of the flowmeter to a fluid and thermally coupling a second sensor unit of the flowmeter to the fluid. The method also includes actively heating or cooling the first sensor unit by applying power to the first sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and simultaneously actively heating or cooling the second sensor unit by applying power to the second sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and typically from the temperature of the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Axel Kramer, Daniel Schrag, Detlef Pape, Kai Hencken, Julio Danin Lobo
  • Patent number: 8340920
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for measuring a flow rate, in particular in an inductive flowmeter, in which an electrical signal is applied to a measuring medium flowing in a measuring tube at electrodes, and the response function at measuring electrodes is determined as a measure of the flow rate, and to a corresponding flowmeter device. So that the flow effects of gas bubbles and/or particles in the measuring medium can be distinguished from other faults and the determination of the flow rate is thus more reliable, the disclosure proposes that, in order to detect gas bubbles and/or particles in the measuring medium, a magnetic and/or electric field is applied to the latter and the potential and/or current is/are read out at one or more electrodes, the signal profile A(t), together with its signal-to-noise component, is measured electronically as a function of the time, and a statistical evaluation is used to infer the existence of gas bubbles and/or particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: ABB AG
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Harald Grothey, Kai Hencken, Jakob Fritsche
  • Publication number: 20120253695
    Abstract: A method for determining the wear on a contact element of an electrical switch, for example, of a switching installation for high or medium voltage, includes recording electrical values which represent an electrical variable, which is relevant to an arc occurring at the switch during a switching operation, as a function of time, and calculating a wear value, which represents the wear on the contact element, from a plurality of wear contribution values. The wear contribution values are calculated from a plurality of subsets of the recorded electrical values using a plurality of wear contribution calculation rules, with the result that each of the wear contribution values is calculated from a respective one of the subsets of values according to a respective one of the wear contribution calculation rules. At least two of the wear contribution calculation rules differ from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Daniel SCHRAG, Kai HENCKEN, Eldin SMAJIC
  • Patent number: 8266970
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a flowmeter, such as an inductive flowmeter, in which a medium flows through a measuring tube, and an arrangement of electrodes are conductively connected to the medium. To determine a filling level in a simple and reliable manner, at least four electrodes are arranged in the measuring tube essentially in a half-circumferential region based on a cross section through the measuring tube. When at least one signal is fed in at one of the electrodes or at one of the electrode pairs, an electrical current is measured at an electrode or between an electrode pair. An electrical voltage is measured between at least one other electrode pair or with respect to a common connection to ground. When comparing measurements with two different electrode combinations, different voltage and current values are related to infer a diagnosis, such as a filling level in the tube, and/or an electrode coating, and/or an oblique installation, and/or a sedimentation at a bottom of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Kai Hencken, Hans-Werner Schwiderski, Harald Grothey, Daniel Schrag
  • Patent number: 8134810
    Abstract: A protective circuit arrangement is disclosed for electrical equipment supplied, for example, from a conductor loop in surroundings subject to explosion hazards in process engineering installations. To suppress current flow from an energy store of the electrical equipment into the conductor loop, an exemplary cascadeable switchgear cell is disclosed, having a first transistor, which allows the loop current to pass, and a second transistor, which short-circuits a parasitic base-emitter diode of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Yannick Maret, Daniel Schrag, Richard Bloch, Harald U. Mueller
  • Patent number: 7971493
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operation of a flow measurement device, and to a flow measurement device itself. In order in this case to record the conductivity of the medium or faults resulting from deposits by means of a measurement tube configuration in a technically simple manner, a total of at least 4 electrodes are arranged distributed on the circumference of the measurement tube, in the measurement tube. When a signal is fed in at one of the electrodes or at an electrode pair, an electric current is measured between one electrode pair, while an electrical voltage is measured between another electrode pair. An impedance value is determined from the two measured values, from which impedance value a conductivity of the medium is determined and/or in comparison of different conductivities or in comparison with historical values, it is deduced that there is a covering layer on the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: ABB AG
    Inventors: Kai Hencken, Daniel Schrag, Troy Wray
  • Publication number: 20110132064
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for diagnosis of a flowmeter are disclosed. The method includes thermally coupling a first sensor unit of the flowmeter to a fluid and thermally coupling a second sensor unit of the flowmeter to the fluid. The method also includes actively heating or cooling the first sensor unit by applying power to the first sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and simultaneously actively heating or cooling the second sensor unit by applying power to the second sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and typically from the temperature of the first sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Axel KRAMER, Daniel Schrag, Detlef Pape, Kai Hencken, Julio Danin Lobo
  • Publication number: 20110136451
    Abstract: A telecommunication device has a power-supplying receiving device, and a transmitter device supplied by the receiving device via a current loop for the output of at least one variable measurement value. The measurement value is imprinted on the loop current. The telecommunication device also includes an additional appliance supplied from the current loop. The additional appliance includes a control device for adaptively adjusting its operating voltage relative to the loop current as a function of the current power requirement. The control device reduces the operating voltage up to a minimum operating voltage value upon increasing loop current in a reversed proportional manner to the loop current, and keeps the operating voltage constant in case of a further increase of the loop current in a loop current independent manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Daniel SCHRAG, Yannick MARET
  • Publication number: 20100134930
    Abstract: A protective circuit arrangement is disclosed for electrical equipment supplied, for example, from a conductor loop in surroundings subject to explosion hazards in process engineering installations. To suppress current flow from an energy store of the electrical equipment into the conductor loop, an exemplary cascadeable switchgear cell is disclosed, having a first transistor, which allows the loop current to pass, and a second transistor, which short-circuits a parasitic base-emitter diode of the first transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Yannick MARET, Daniel Schrag, Richard Bloch, Harald U. Mueller
  • Publication number: 20100122582
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a flowmeter, such as an inductive flowmeter, in which a medium flows through a measuring tube, and an arrangement of electrodes are conductively connected to the medium. To determine a filling level in a simple and reliable manner, at least four electrodes are arranged in the measuring tube essentially in a half-circumferential region based on a cross section through the measuring tube. When at least one signal is fed in at one of the electrodes or at one of the electrode pairs, an electrical current is measured at an electrode or between an electrode pair. An electrical voltage is measured between at least one other electrode pair or with respect to a common connection to ground. When comparing measurements with two different electrode combinations, different voltage and current values are related to infer a diagnosis, such as a filling level in the tube, and/or an electrode coating, and/or an oblique installation, and/or a sedimentation at a bottom of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Kai Hencken, Hans-Werner Schwiderski, Harald Grothey, Daniel Schrag
  • Patent number: 7644612
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a thermal mass flow meter for determining a material flow through a vessel. The mass flow meter has at least two measuring elements immersed into a vessel with a flowing medium, with one of the measuring elements being heated. It is proposed that the heated measuring element is arranged in front of the unheated measuring element in the flow direction of the medium for at least part of the time, and for part of the time the unheated measuring element is arranged in front of the heated measuring element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: ABB AG
    Inventors: Daniel Schrag, Detlef Pape
  • Publication number: 20090205439
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operation of a flow measurement device, and to a flow measurement device itself. In order in this case to record the conductivity of the medium or faults resulting from deposits by means of a measurement tube configuration in a technically simple manner, a total of at least 4 electrodes are arranged distributed on the circumference of the measurement tube, in the measurement tube. When a signal is fed in at one of the electrodes or at an electrode pair, an electric current is measured between one electrode pair, while an electrical voltage is measured between another electrode pair. An impedance value is determined from the two measured values, from which impedance value a conductivity of the medium is determined and/or in comparison of different conductivities or in comparison with historical values, it is deduced that there is a covering layer on the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: ABB AG
    Inventors: Kai Hencken, Daniel Schrag, Troy Wray