Patents by Inventor Eric Herrera

Eric Herrera 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).

  • Publication number: 20240372023
    Abstract: A transparent solar panel includes a transparent substrate and a transparent photoactive material. An average photosynthetic transmittance (APT) of the entire transparent solar panel is greater than or equal to about 45%. The transparent solar panel is configured to transmit light to a region containing a plant at a daily light integral (DLI) of greater than or equal to about 10 mol·m?2·d?1. The transparent solar panel may be a transparent photovoltaic (TPV) or a transparent luminescent solar concentrator (TLSC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Applicant: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Richard Royal LUNT, III, Christopher HERRERA, Eric J. STALLKNECHT, Thomas D. SHARKEY, Erik S. RUNKLE, Matthew BATES
  • Patent number: 12008387
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and method for robotic-process-automation technology that trains botflows to successfully interact with application software, determine relevant sections of the application, and derive pertinent data from those sections. Such technology creates botflows that navigate various aspects of the application's environment to display or obtain additional data, as needed by the user. The botflows, after being trained to perform such actions, will effectively carry out such actions even after a minor change or update to the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Nintex UK Ltd.
    Inventors: Sasan Ehdaie, Kyle Claudy Dierking, Eric Herrera
  • Patent number: 11980972
    Abstract: A forming system includes a femtosecond laser and a control unit that includes one or more processors operatively connected to the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is configured to emit laser pulses onto an inner surface of a face sheet of an acoustic inner barrel. The acoustic inner barrel includes an acoustic core comprising an array of hexagonal cells attached to an outer surface of the face sheet that is opposite the inner surface. The control unit is configured to control the femtosecond laser to laser drill a plurality of perforations in the face sheet via emitting laser pulses at pulse durations between about 100 femtoseconds and about 10,000 femtoseconds and at frequencies over 100,000 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Inventors: Jake Adam Reeves, Mark Alan Negley, Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Perry T. Horst
  • Patent number: 11891162
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for septa for acoustic cells. One embodiment is a method that includes fabricating a septum of a cell of an acoustic panel, by heating a material into a molten material, depositing the molten material to form a lower chamber of the septum that extends vertically upwards and includes an entry, iteratively depositing layers of the molten material, each layer comprising a filament at the entry that includes overhangs with respect to vertically adjacent layers, and forming openings at locations of the overhangs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Zachary B. Renwick, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Eric Herrera, Michael William Hayes, John C. Waldrop, III, Matthew Scott Thompson
  • Publication number: 20220237004
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and method for robotic-process-automation technology that trains botflows to successfully interact with application software, determine relevant sections of the application, and derive pertinent data from those sections. Such technology creates botflows that navigate various aspects of the application's environment to display or obtain additional data, as needed by the user. The botflows, after being trained to perform such actions, will effectively carry out such actions even after a minor change or update to the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Nintex UK Ltd.
    Inventors: Sasan Ehdaie, Kyle Claudy Dierking, Eric Herrera
  • Publication number: 20220063828
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for septa for acoustic cells. One embodiment is a method that includes fabricating a septum of a cell of an acoustic panel, by heating a material into a molten material, depositing the molten material to form a lower chamber of the septum that extends vertically upwards and includes an entry, iteratively depositing layers of the molten material, each layer comprising a filament at the entry that includes overhangs with respect to vertically adjacent layers, and forming openings at locations of the overhangs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Zachary B. Renwick, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Eric Herrera, Michael William Hayes, John C. Waldrop, III, Matthew Scott Thompson
  • Publication number: 20210291302
    Abstract: A forming system includes a femtosecond laser and a control unit that includes one or more processors operatively connected to the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is configured to emit laser pulses onto an inner surface of a face sheet of an acoustic inner barrel. The acoustic inner barrel includes an acoustic core comprising an array of hexagonal cells attached to an outer surface of the face sheet that is opposite the inner surface. The control unit is configured to control the femtosecond laser to laser drill a plurality of perforations in the face sheet via emitting laser pulses at pulse durations between about 100 femtoseconds and about 10,000 femtoseconds and at frequencies over 100,000 Hz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jake Adam Reeves, Mark Alan Negley, Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Perry T. Horst
  • Patent number: 11052490
    Abstract: A forming system includes a femtosecond laser and a control unit that includes one or more processors operatively connected to the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is configured to emit laser pulses onto an inner surface of a face sheet of an acoustic inner barrel. The acoustic inner barrel includes an acoustic core comprising an array of hexagonal cells attached to an outer surface of the face sheet that is opposite the inner surface. The control unit is configured to control the femtosecond laser to laser drill a plurality of perforations in the face sheet via emitting laser pulses at pulse durations between about 100 femtoseconds and about 10,000 femtoseconds and at frequencies over 100,000 Hz such that the perforations are formed without burning portions of the face sheet or the acoustic core surrounding the perforations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jake Adam Reeves, Mark Alan Negley, Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Perry T. Horst
  • Patent number: 11034460
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for septa for acoustic cells. One embodiment is a method that includes fabricating a septum of a cell of an acoustic panel, by heating a material into a molten material, depositing the molten material to form a lower chamber of the septum that extends vertically upwards and includes an entry, iteratively depositing layers of the molten material, each layer comprising a filament at the entry that includes overhangs with respect to vertically adjacent layers, and forming openings at locations of the overhangs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Zachary B. Renwick, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Eric Herrera, Michael William Hayes, John C. Waldrop, III, Matthew Scott Thompson
  • Patent number: 10994824
    Abstract: An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Erin E. Stache, Eric Herrera, Larken E. Cumberland, Shahriar Alam, Christopher S. Roper, Geoffrey McKnight
  • Patent number: 10828882
    Abstract: A composite acoustic liner has a septumized cellular core. Septa are installed in the core as the individual core cells are being formed. Individual tools are used to both form the cells of the core and index the septa within the cells. The septa and the cellular core are cocured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Noel Timothy Gerken, Eric Herrera, Nicholas John Patz
  • Patent number: 10821695
    Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a conical shaped acoustic structure. A sheet of acoustical material is cut to form individual pieces using a cutter system. Each individual piece in the individual pieces has a flat pattern for the conical shaped acoustic structure. An individual piece is positioned around a mandrel with a conical shape using an actuator system. Two edges of the individual piece are positioned for joining. The two edges of the individual piece positioned around the mandrel are joined to form the conical shaped acoustic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Peter James Oberst
  • Publication number: 20200247524
    Abstract: An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Erin E. Stache, Eric Herrera, Larken E. Cumberland, Shahriar Alam, Christopher S. Roper, Geoffrey McKnight
  • Patent number: 10720135
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating acoustic panels. One embodiment is a method comprising acquiring a core of acoustic cells, and fabricating a facesheet covering the core by: dispensing a base layer of material atop the acoustic cells while leaving openings into each of the acoustic cells, covering the openings by applying a liner of porous material atop the base layer, dispensing a cap layer of material atop liner while leaving gaps in the cap layer over the acoustic cells, and fusing the cap layer to the liner by directly radiating laser energy onto locations where the cap layer has been dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Eric Herrera
  • Patent number: 10661883
    Abstract: An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Erin E. Stache, Eric Herrera, Larken E. Cumberland, Shahriar Alam, Christopher S. Roper, Geoffrey McKnight
  • Patent number: 10542363
    Abstract: A laser cuts overlapping ribbons of acoustic material into acoustic devices. An automatically controlled manipulator includes an end effector having groups of placement tools for simultaneously placing multiple acoustic devices in a cellular core. The placement tools include mandrels provided with vacuum pickups for picking up and holding the acoustic devices during transport to the core. A vision system aligns the placement tools with the cells of the core. The end effector includes a thermal radiation device for bonding the acoustic devices to the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric Herrera, Noel Timothy Gerken, John Scott Bauman
  • Publication number: 20190329360
    Abstract: A forming system includes a femtosecond laser and a control unit that includes one or more processors operatively connected to the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is configured to emit laser pulses onto an inner surface of a face sheet of an acoustic inner barrel. The acoustic inner barrel includes an acoustic core comprising an array of hexagonal cells attached to an outer surface of the face sheet that is opposite the inner surface. The control unit is configured to control the femtosecond laser to laser drill a plurality of perforations in the face sheet via emitting laser pulses at pulse durations between about 100 femtoseconds and about 10,000 femtoseconds and at frequencies over 100,000 Hz such that the perforations are formed without burning portions of the face sheet or the acoustic core surrounding the perforations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jake Adam Reeves, Mark Alan Negley, Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Perry T. Horst
  • Patent number: 10443496
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for acoustic paneling. One embodiment is a method for fabricating an acoustic panel. The method includes receiving a sheet of thermoplastic paper, stamping/conforming the sheet into rows that each comprise a three dimensional shape, and transforming the sheet into a multi-celled core. Transforming the sheet includes identifying fold lines separating the rows, folding the sheet at the fold lines in a pleat fold, thereby uniting upper surfaces of adjacent rows and uniting lower surfaces of adjacent rows; and compressing the rows of the folded sheet together in the presence of heat, causing adjacent rows to fuse together into cells. The method further includes applying a backing sheet to the core, and applying a facesheet to a surface of the core that includes openings which direct a portion of airflow across the facesheet into the cells, resulting in acoustic control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric Herrera, Marta Baginska Elleby, Garry Duschl
  • Publication number: 20190270507
    Abstract: An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Erin E. Stache, Eric Herrera, Larken E. Cumberland, Shahriar Alam, Christopher S. Roper, Geoffrey McKnight
  • Patent number: 10336433
    Abstract: An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Erin E. Stache, Eric Herrera, Larken E. Cumberland, Shahriar Alam, Christopher S. Roper, Geoffrey McKnight