Patents by Inventor Douglas S. Baer

Douglas S. Baer 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: 11962877
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide an apparatus for controlling the motion of a camera component. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an actuator module. The actuator module includes a plurality of magnets. Each magnet of the plurality of magnets is poled with magnetic domains substantially aligned in the same direction throughout each magnet. The apparatus further includes a coil rigidly disposed around a lens. Each magnet of the plurality of magnets contributes to the forces to adjust focus of the lens based on Lorentz forces generated from the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Douglas S. Brodie, Anthony J. Rossetti, Richard H. Tsai, Richard L. Baer
  • Patent number: 11867623
    Abstract: A cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) system is provided that utilizes collimators the incorporate gradient index (GRIN) lenses in lieu of conventional spherical or aspheric refractive lenses. The use of smaller diameter GRIN lenses facilitates a reduced initial beam size entering the sample cavity, which reduces self-interference noise and increases a signal to noise ratio of the measurements. Further, a reduced size and mass of the GRIN lens can reduce a size of the mounting hardware utilized to mount the optical components, which enables more laser beams to be coupled to a single gas cell compared to a similar gas cell integrated with conventional refractive collimators. A larger number of lasers enables more gas peaks to be measured substantially simultaneously using the CEAS system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: John B. Leen, Dylan R. Rittman, Kyle G Owen, Douglas S. Baer
  • Patent number: 11761590
    Abstract: Technologies for producing efficient investigation routes for identifying gas leak locations include a mobile compute device. The mobile compute device includes circuitry configured to obtain route data indicative of a route to be traveled along to identify a location of a gas leak. The circuitry is also configured to present the route data to a user to guide the user along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer, Jason Ghiraldini, Susan Kasper
  • Publication number: 20230280230
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for estimating a flux of fugitive gas emissions. The method is performed using a gas analyzer coupled to a sampling wand, where gas enters the inlet tip of the sampling wand prior to being sampled by the gas analyzer. The sampling wand is fixed to a mobile device that includes an inertial measurement unit. Location information from the inertial measurement unit is used to compile a high resolution geo-spatial map of gas concentration levels across a cross-sectional area of a gas plume. A near-field Gaussian plume inversion calculation is then performed to estimate the flux based on the gas concentration data and the location information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: John B. Leen, Joseph E. Thomaz, Douglas S. Baer
  • Publication number: 20230251191
    Abstract: A cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) system is provided that utilizes collimators the incorporate gradient index (GRIN) lenses in lieu of conventional spherical or aspheric refractive lenses. The use of smaller diameter GRIN lenses facilitates a reduced initial beam size entering the sample cavity, which reduces self-interference noise and increases a signal to noise ratio of the measurements. Further, a reduced size and mass of the GRIN lens can reduce a size of the mounting hardware utilized to mount the optical components, which enables more laser beams to be coupled to a single gas cell compared to a similar gas cell integrated with conventional refractive collimators. A larger number of lasers enables more gas peaks to be measured substantially simultaneously using the CEAS system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: John B. Leen, Dylan R. Rittman, Kyle G. Owen, Douglas S. Baer
  • Patent number: 11619562
    Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently identifying gas leak locations may include traversing, by an investigator and within a search area in which a gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm. The systems and methods may also include sampling, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of the gas leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer, Susan Kasper, Zachary Plante
  • Publication number: 20220107239
    Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently identifying gas leak locations may include traversing, by an investigator and within a search area in which a gas leak has been indicated, a route defined according to at least one of a surge-cast algorithm or a surge-spiral algorithm. The systems and methods may also include sampling, with a gas detection device carried by the investigator, an environment along the route to identify a location of the gas leak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer, Susan Kasper, Zachary Plante
  • Publication number: 20220107189
    Abstract: Technologies for producing efficient investigation routes for identifying gas leak locations include a mobile compute device. The mobile compute device includes circuitry configured to obtain route data indicative of a route to be traveled along to identify a location of a gas leak. The circuitry is also configured to present the route data to a user to guide the user along the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer, Jason Ghiraldini, Susan Kasper
  • Patent number: 10557792
    Abstract: A method for spectral interpretation in absorption spectroscopy uses a nonlinear spectral fitting algorithm for interpretation of spectral features in complex absorption spectra. The algorithm combines two spectral modeling techniques for generating spectral models to be used in the curve fitting process: a line-shape model and a basis-set model. The selected models for all gas components are additively combined using a least squares minimization, allowing for quantification of multiple species simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Inventors: Elena S. F. Berman, Andrew Fahrland, Manish Gupta, Douglas S. Baer, John Brian Leen
  • Publication number: 20170191929
    Abstract: A method for spectral interpretation in absorption spectroscopy uses a nonlinear spectral fitting algorithm for interpretation of spectral features in complex absorption spectra. The algorithm combines two spectral modeling techniques for generating spectral models to be used in the curve fitting process: a line-shape model and a basis-set model. The selected models for all gas components are additively combined using a least squares minimization, allowing for quantification of multiple species simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Elena S.F. Berman, Andrew Fahrland, Manish Gupta, Douglas S. Baer, John Brian Leen
  • Patent number: 9097583
    Abstract: A tunable mid-infrared laser operated in a pulsed mode is coupled off-axis into a high-finesse optical cavity to produce a long-path spectrometer. The cavity receives a gas sample. Laser pulses may be wavelength-scanned by stepping an external grating, allowing the grating to mechanically settle, then measuring the ring-down with a set of laser pulses, before moving on the next wavelength. A detector receiving infrared light exiting the cavity supplies a cavity ring-down trace representative of sample absorption of the infrared pulses. A processor determines an absolute absorption spectrum of the gas sample from the ring-down trace and analyzes sample gas composition and trace concentration from that spectrum. The absorption baseline is highly reproducible and stable, improving the accuracy of multivariate fits, and the spectral resolution can be better than 0.001 cm?1 (contingent upon the laser source), allowing for high-resolution measurements of sharp absorption features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Los Gatos Research
    Inventors: Manish Gupta, J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer
  • Publication number: 20140319352
    Abstract: A tunable mid-infrared laser operated in a pulsed mode is coupled off-axis into a high-finesse optical cavity to produce a long-path spectrometer. The cavity receives a gas sample. Laser pulses may be wavelength-scanned by stepping an external grating, allowing the grating to mechanically settle, then measuring the ring-down with a set of laser pulses, before moving on the next wavelength. A detector receiving infrared light exiting the cavity supplies a cavity ring-down trace representative of sample absorption of the infrared pulses. A processor determines an absolute absorption spectrum of the gas sample from the ring-down trace and analyzes sample gas composition and trace concentration from that spectrum. The absorption baseline is highly reproducible and stable, improving the accuracy of multivariate fits, and the spectral resolution can be better than 0.001 cm?1 (contingent upon the laser source), allowing for high-resolution measurements of sharp absorption features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Los Gatos Research
    Inventors: Manish Gupta, J. Brian Leen, Douglas S. Baer
  • Patent number: 8823923
    Abstract: A method of measuring energy expenditure in a living subject comprises: (a) administering a specified dose of doubly-labeled water (2H218O) to a living subject; (b) obtaining samples at three or more times of body water from the living subject; (c) measuring 2H/1H, 17O/16O and 18O/16O ratios in each of the obtained samples using optical spectroscopy; and (d) determining (1) a combined value of flux of body water and exhaled carbon dioxide from a change in measured 18O/16O over time, (2) a value of flux of body water alone from a change in measured 2H/1H over time, and (3) a reference value of isotopic background fluctuation from a change in measured 17O/16O over time. Using 17O measurements to estimate background fluctuations of the 2H and 18O decreases the required isotope dosing of subjects or decreases uncertainty at current dosing levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Elena S. F. Berman, John R. Speakman, Manish Gupta, Edward L. Melanson, Jr., Susan L. Fortson, Douglas S. Baer
  • Publication number: 20130027705
    Abstract: A method of measuring energy expenditure in a living subject comprises: (a) administering a specified dose of doubly-labeled water (2H218O) to a living subject; (b) obtaining samples at three or more times of body water from the living subject; (c) measuring 2H/1H, 17O/16O and 18O/16O ratios in each of the obtained samples using optical spectroscopy; and (d) determining (1) a combined value of flux of body water and exhaled carbon dioxide from a change in measured 18O/16O over time, (2) a value of flux of body water alone from a change in measured 2H/1H over time, and (3) a reference value of isotopic background fluctuation from a change in measured 17O/16O over time. Using 17O measurements to estimate background fluctuations of the 2H and 18O decreases the required isotope dosing of subjects or decreases uncertainty at current dosing levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: LOS GATOS RESEARCH
    Inventors: Elena S.F. Berman, John R. Speakman, Manish Gupta, Edward L. Melanson, JR., Susan L. Fortson, Douglas S. Baer
  • Patent number: 7468797
    Abstract: An absorption spectroscopy instrument is provided with a re-injection mirror to greatly increase the optical power coupled into an optical cavity, comprised of two or more mirrors, for the purpose of increasing the quality of absorption and extinction measurements made in the cavity. Light reflected from the first cavity mirror upon which a light beam is incident, can be efficiently collected and back reflected onto the same mirror, effectively producing a plurality of optical injections into the cavity. The instrument can be used for off-axis cavity ringdown spectroscopy, off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy, or other cavity-based spectroscopy applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Los Gatos Research
    Inventors: Anthony O'Keefe, Manish Gupta, Thomas G. Owano, Douglas S. Baer
  • Patent number: 7298490
    Abstract: The disclosure describes an absorption spectroscopy method for sensing hydrogen gas in a sample atmosphere and an associated hydrogen sensor. A light beam, having a wavelength corresponding to a vibrational transition of hydrogen molecules from a ground vibration state to any excited rotational vibration state via a quadrupole interaction, is introduced into an optical cavity adapted to receive a sample atmosphere to be tested for the presence of hydrogen gas. The light is introduced into the cavity in an off-axis alignment to systematically eliminate cavity resonances, while preserving the absorption signal amplifying properties of such cavities. Hydrogen absorption is measured is terms of cavity output, as in the ICOS technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Los Gatos Research
    Inventors: Douglas S. Baer, Manish Gupta, Thomas Owano, Anthony O'Keefe