Patents by Inventor Darren Schmidt
Darren Schmidt 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: 20240043755Abstract: A method of recycling gaseous hydrocarbons includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from a secondary separator into a compressor unit to form a compressed mixture. The secondary separator includes a crude liquid hydrocarbon input stream from a primary separator. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition comprising liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the liquid hydrocarbons from the cooled composition into the primary separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11884887Abstract: A method of recycling gaseous hydrocarbons includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from a secondary separator into a compressor unit to form a compressed mixture. The secondary separator includes a crude liquid hydrocarbon input stream from a primary separator. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition comprising liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the liquid hydrocarbons from the cooled composition into the primary separator.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20240010923Abstract: A method of recycling gaseous hydrocarbons includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from a secondary separator into a compressor unit to form a compressed mixture. The secondary separator includes a crude liquid hydrocarbon input stream from a primary separator. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition comprising liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the liquid hydrocarbons from the cooled composition into the primary separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2022Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20240010925Abstract: A method of recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace as fuel on-site includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a secondary separator into a compressor to form a compressed mixture. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition including liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the cooled composition to a buffer tank to form a buffered fuel composition. The method includes removing a fuel gas composition from headspace of the buffer tank. The method also includes combusting the fuel gas composition as an on-site fuel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20240010924Abstract: A method of recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a secondary separator into a compressor to form a compressed mixture. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition including liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes recovering the liquid hydrocarbons as a recovered liquid hydrocarbon stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11814591Abstract: A method of recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace as fuel on-site includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a secondary separator into a compressor to form a compressed mixture. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition including liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the cooled composition to a buffer tank to form a buffered fuel composition. The method includes removing a fuel gas composition from headspace of the buffer tank. The method also includes combusting the fuel gas composition as an on-site fuel.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2023Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20230313055Abstract: A method of recovery of rich gas where the rich gas is a hydrocarbon gas comprising less than 50 mole % methane is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of gathering the low pressure gas, compressing the gathered gas, cooling the compressed gas in a condenser so that a portion of the compressed gas condenses to form a liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour in the condenser, and discharging the liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour from the condenser, in which the cooling of the compressed gas is performed using at least one heat exchanger (40).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2023Publication date: October 5, 2023Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11725154Abstract: A method of recovery of rich gas where the rich gas is a hydrocarbon gas comprising less than 50 mole % methane is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of gathering the low pressure gas, compressing the gathered gas, cooling the compressed gas in a condenser so that a portion of the compressed gas condenses to form a liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour in the condenser, and discharging the liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour from the condenser, in which the cooling of the compressed gas is performed using at least one heat exchanger (40).Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2022Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11697773Abstract: A method of recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a secondary separator into a compressor to form a compressed mixture. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition including liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes recovering the liquid hydrocarbons as a recovered liquid hydrocarbon stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2022Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11542439Abstract: A method of recycling gaseous hydrocarbons includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from a secondary separator into a compressor unit to form a compressed mixture. The secondary separator includes a crude liquid hydrocarbon input stream from a primary separator. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition comprising liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes flowing the liquid hydrocarbons from the cooled composition into the primary separator.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2022Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 11505750Abstract: A method of recovering gaseous hydrocarbons from tank headspace includes flowing a hydrocarbon gas composition from headspace of a tank fed by a secondary separator into a compressor to form a compressed mixture. The method includes flowing the compressed mixture into a cooling unit to cool the compressed mixture, to form a cooled composition including liquid hydrocarbons. The method includes recovering the liquid hydrocarbons as a recovered liquid hydrocarbon stream.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2022Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center FoundationInventor: Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20220298438Abstract: A method of recovery of rich gas where the rich gas is a hydrocarbon gas comprising less than 50 mole % methane is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of gathering the low pressure gas, compressing the gathered gas, cooling the compressed gas in a condenser so that a portion of the compressed gas condenses to form a liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour in the condenser, and discharging the liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour from the condenser, in which the cooling of the compressed gas is performed using at least one heat exchanger (40).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventor: Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 7233700Abstract: A system and method for selecting a best match of a received input signal from a set of candidate signals, wherein two or more of the candidate signals are uncorrelated. In a preprocessing phase a signal transform (UST) is determined from the candidate signals. The UST converts each candidate signal to a generalized frequency domain. The UST is applied at a generalized frequency to each candidate signal to calculate corresponding generalized frequency component values (GFCVs) for each candidate signal. At runtime, the input signal of interest is received, and the UST is applied at the generalized frequency to the input signal of interest to calculate a corresponding GFCV. The best match is determined between the GFCV of the input signal of interest and the GFCVs of each of the set of candidate signals. Finally, information indicating the best match candidate signal from the set of candidate signals is output.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: National Instuments CorporationInventors: Ram Rajagopal, Lothar Wenzel, Dinesh Nair, Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 7046842Abstract: A system and method for measuring the similarity of multiple-color images and for locating regions of a target image having color information that matches, at least to a degree, the color information of a template image. A color characterization method operates to characterize the colors of an image and to measure the similarity between multiple-color images. For each image pixel, the method determines a color category or bin for the respective pixel based on HSI values of the respective pixel, wherein the color category is one of a plurality of possible color categories in HSI color space. In various embodiments, the weight of the pixel may be fractionally distributed across a plurality of color categories, e.g., as determined by applying fuzzy pixel classification with a fuzzy membership function. The percentage of pixels assigned to each category is then determined. The percentage of pixels in each color category is then used as a color feature vector to represent the color information of the color image.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2000Date of Patent: May 16, 2006Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Siming Lin, Dinesh Nair, Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 7013047Abstract: A system and method for performing a curve fit on a plurality of data points. In an initial phase, a subset Pmax of the plurality of points which represents an optimal curve is determined. This phase is based on a statistical model which dictates that after trying at most Nmin random curves, each connecting a randomly selected two or more points from the input set, one of the curves will pass within a specified radius of the subset Pmax of the input points. The subset Pmax may then be used in the second phase of the method, where a refined curve fit is made by iteratively culling outliers from the subset Pmax with respect to a succession of optimal curves fit to the modified subset Pmax at each iteration. The refined curve fit generates a refined curve, which may be output along with a final culled subset Kfinal of Pmax.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2001Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Darren Schmidt, Ram Rajagopal, Lothar Wenzel, Dinesh Nair
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Patent number: 6963425Abstract: A system and method for locating regions in a target image that match a template image with respect to color and pattern information. The method may comprise performing a first-pass search using color information obtained in a color characterization analysis of the template image in order to find a plurality of color match candidate locations. For each color match candidate location, a region proximal to the location may then be searched in detail, based on pattern information obtained in a pattern analysis of the template image.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2000Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Dinesh Nair, Siming Lin, Darren Schmidt, Nicolas Vazqúez
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Patent number: 6963667Abstract: A system and method for selecting a best match of a received input signal from a set of candidate signals, wherein two or more of the candidate signals are uncorrelated. In a preprocessing phase a unified signal transform (UST) is determined from the candidate signals. The UST converts each candidate signal to a generalized frequency domain. The UST is applied at a generalized frequency to each candidate signal to calculate corresponding generalized frequency component values (GFCVs) for each candidate signal. At runtime, the input signal of interest is received, and the UST is applied at the generalized frequency to the input signal of interest to calculate a corresponding GFCV. The best match is determined between the GFCV of the input signal of interest and the GFCVs of each of the set of candidate signals. Finally, information indicating the best match candidate signal from the set of candidate signals is output.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2001Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Ram Rajagopal, Lothar Wenzel, Dinesh Nair, Darren Schmidt
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Publication number: 20050177314Abstract: A system and method for selecting a best match of a received input signal from a set of candidate signals, wherein two or more of the candidate signals are uncorrelated. In a preprocessing phase a signal transform (UST) is determined from the candidate signals. The UST converts each candidate signal to a generalized frequency domain. The UST is applied at a generalized frequency to each candidate signal to calculate corresponding generalized frequency component values (GFCVs) for each candidate signal. At runtime, the input signal of interest is received, and the UST is applied at the generalized frequency to the input signal of interest to calculate a corresponding GFCV. The best match is determined between the GFCV of the input signal of interest and the GFCVs of each of the set of candidate signals. Finally, information indicating the best match candidate signal from the set of candidate signals is output.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2005Publication date: August 11, 2005Inventors: Ram Rajagopal, Lothar Wenzel, Dinesh Nair, Darren Schmidt
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Patent number: 6882958Abstract: A system and method for performing a curve fit on a plurality of data points. In an initial phase, a subset Pmax of the plurality of points which represents an optimal curve is determined. This phase is based on a statistical model which dictates that after trying at most Nmin random curves, each connecting a randomly selected two or more points from the input set, one of the curves will pass within a specified radius of the subset Pmax of the input points. The subset Pmax may then be used in the second phase of the method, where a refined curve fit is made by iteratively culling outliers from the subset Pmax with respect to a succession of optimal curves fit to the modified subset Pmax at each iteration. The refined curve fit generates a refined curve, which may be output along with a final culled subset Kfinal of Pmax.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2001Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: National Instruments CorporationInventors: Darren Schmidt, Ram Rajagopal, Lothar Wenzel, Dinesh Nair
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Publication number: 20040228526Abstract: A system and method for measuring the similarity of multiple-color images and for locating regions of a target image having color information that matches, at least to a degree, the color information of a template image. A color characterization method operates to characterize the colors of an image and to measure the similarity between multiple-color images. For each image pixel, the method determines a color category or bin for the respective pixel based on HSI values of the respective pixel, wherein the color category is one of a plurality of possible color categories in HSI color space. In various embodiments, the weight of the pixel may be fractionally distributed across a plurality of color categories, e.g., as determined by applying fuzzy pixel classification with a fuzzy membership function. The percentage of pixels assigned to each category is then determined. The percentage of pixels in each color category is then used as a color feature vector to represent the color information of the color image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2000Publication date: November 18, 2004Inventors: Siming Lin, Dinesh Nair, Darren Schmidt