Patents by Inventor Harry Kirk

Harry Kirk 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).

  • Distributed vehicle system control system and method
    Patent number: 10705519
    Abstract: A distributed control system includes a remote control system configured to be communicatively coupled with plural separate vehicle systems. The remote control system is configured to remotely control operation of the vehicle systems and/or communicate with the local vehicle control system or operator. The remote control system also is configured to one or more of change how many of the vehicle systems are concurrently controlled by the remote control system or change how many remote operators of the remote control system concurrently control the same vehicle system of the vehicle systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: transportation ip holdings, llc
    Inventors: James D Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Paul Houpt
  • Multiple vehicle control system
    Patent number: 10676115
    Abstract: A system includes one or more processors that are configured to obtain a constraint on movement for a first vehicle system along a route. The constraint is based on movement of a separate second vehicle system that is concurrently traveling along the same route. The processor(s) are configured to determine a speed profile that designates speeds for the first vehicle system according to at least one of distance, location, or time based on the constraint such that the first vehicle system maintains a designated spacing from the second vehicle system along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Brian Nedward Meyer, James D. Brooks, Joseph Daniel Wakeman, Dan Dai, Anup Menon
  • VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20200149996
    Abstract: A method that may include obtaining environmental parameters related to one or more routes of a trip for a first vehicle system, and determining one or more expenditure sections and one or more charging sections of the one or more routes by predicting where the first vehicle system will consume energy and where the first vehicle system will generate the energy, respectively, during the trip based on the environmental parameters. A first trip plan may be obtained for the trip based on the one or more expenditure sections and the one or more charging sections, the trip plan designating one or more operational settings for the first vehicle system for travel during the trip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Gayathri Seenumani, Harry Kirk Mathews, James D. Brooks
  • SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING OR MONITORING A VEHICLE SYSTEM ALONG A ROUTE
    Publication number: 20200086900
    Abstract: System includes a control system used to control operation of a vehicle system as the vehicle system moves along a route. The vehicle system includes a plurality of system vehicles in which adjacent system vehicles are operatively coupled such that the adjacent system vehicles are permitted to move relative to one another. The control system includes one or more processors that are configured to (a) receive operational settings of the vehicle system and (b) input the operational settings into a system model of the vehicle system to determine an observed metric of the vehicle system. The one or more processors are also configured to (c) compare the observed metric to a reference metric and (d) modify the operational settings of the vehicle system based on differences between the observed and the reference metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Gabriel de Albuquerque Gleizer, Carlos Gonzaga, Lucas Vargas, Harry Kirk Matthews, JR.
  • System and methods for fabricating a component with laser array
    Patent number: 10583530
    Abstract: A component is fabricated in a powder bed by moving a laser array across the powder bed. The laser array includes a plurality of laser devices. The power output of each laser device of the plurality of laser devices is independently controlled. The laser array emits a plurality of energy beams from a plurality of selected laser devices of the plurality of laser devices to generate a melt pool in the powder bed. A non-uniform energy intensity profile is generated by the plurality of selected laser devices. The non-uniform energy intensity profile facilitates generating a melt pool that has a predetermined characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Harris Karp, Justin John Gambone, Jr., Michael Evans Graham, David Charles Bogdan, Jr., Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, William Thomas Carter, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Kevin George Harding, Jinjie Shi, Marshall Gordon Jones, James William Sears
  • POWER CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20200062283
    Abstract: A power control system for a vehicle system identifies coupler nodes in the vehicle system for travel of the vehicle system along a route. The coupler nodes represent slack states of couplers between vehicles in the vehicle system. The system also determines combined driving parameters at locations along the route where a state of the coupler nodes in the vehicle system will change within the vehicle system during the upcoming movement of the vehicle system. The system determines a restriction on operations of the vehicle system to control the coupler nodes during the upcoming movement of the vehicle system and to distribute the combined driving parameters among two or more of the vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Lucas Vares Vargas, Harry Kirk Mathews, JR., Brian Nedward Meyer, Gabriel de Albuquerque Gleizer, Carlos Gonzaga
  • Vehicle building system and method
    Patent number: 10572850
    Abstract: A system for building a vehicle system determines cargo and vehicles to carry the cargo from a first location to a second location via one or more vehicle yards disposed between the locations. One or more characteristics of the vehicle yards are determined, as well as different builds of the vehicle system based on the cargo, the vehicle units, and the characteristics of the vehicle yards. The different builds designate different combinations of where the first cargo is carried in a vehicle system that includes the vehicle units and/or where the vehicle units are located relative to each other in the vehicle system. A build of the vehicle system is selected from among the different builds for forming the vehicle system according to the build in order to reduce the time spent handling or processing the vehicle system at another vehicle yard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Johnson, Srinivas Bollapragada, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Ilkin Onur Dulgeroglu, Edward McQuillan, Steven Jay Tyber
  • System for controlling or monitoring a vehicle system along a route
    Patent number: 10532754
    Abstract: System includes a control system used to control operation of a vehicle system as the vehicle system moves along a route. The vehicle system includes a plurality of system vehicles in which adjacent system vehicles are operatively coupled such that the adjacent system vehicles are permitted to move relative to one another. The control system includes one or more processors that are configured to (a) receive operational settings of the vehicle system and (b) input the operational settings into a system model of the vehicle system to determine an observed metric of the vehicle system. The one or more processors are also configured to (c) compare the observed metric to a reference metric and (d) modify the operational settings of the vehicle system based on differences between the observed and the reference metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: Gabriel de Albuquerque Gleizer, Carlos Gonzaga, Lucas Vargas, Harry Kirk Matthews, Jr.
  • Systems and methods for additive manufacturing rotating build platforms
    Patent number: 10500832
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is configured to manufacture a component. The additive manufacturing system includes a laser device, a build platform, a first scanning device, and an air knife. The laser device is configured to generate a laser beam. The component is disposed on the build platform. The air knife is configured to channel an inert gas across the build platform. The first scanning device is configured to selectively direct the laser beam across the build platform. The laser beam is configured to generate successive layers of a melted powdered build material on the component and the build platform. The build platform is configured to rotate the component relative to the air knife.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Charles Bogdan, Jr., Jason Harris Karp, Justin John Gambone, Jr., Lang Yuan, Jinjie Shi, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, Marshall Gordon Jones, William Thomas Carter, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Kevin George Harding
  • Additive manufacturing systems including an imaging device and methods of operating such systems
    Patent number: 10500675
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a surface holding a particulate and a focused energy source configured to generate at least one beam that moves along the surface to heat the particulate to a melting point creating a melt path. A camera is configured to generate an image of the surface as the at least one beam moves along the surface. The camera has a field of view and is positioned in relation to the surface such that the field of view encompasses a portion of the melt path defining a plurality of rasters. The camera generates a time exposure image of at least the portion of the melt path defining the plurality of rasters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Allen Cheverton, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr.
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD INTEGRATING AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND YARD PLANNER SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190367062
    Abstract: A system and method identify vehicles to be included in a multi-vehicle system that is to travel along one or more routes for an upcoming trip, and determines plural different potential builds of the multi-vehicle system. The different potential builds represent different sequential orders of the vehicles in the multi-vehicle system. The system and method also simulate travels of the different potential builds for the upcoming trip, calculate a safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds based on travels that are simulated, and generates a quantified evaluation of the safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds for use in selecting a chosen potential build of the different potential builds. The chosen potential build is used to build the multi-vehicle system for the upcoming trip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: James D. Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, JR., William Schoonmaker
  • Power control system for a vehicle system
    Patent number: 10479379
    Abstract: A power control system for a vehicle system identifies coupler nodes in the vehicle system for travel of the vehicle system along a route. The coupler nodes represent slack states of couplers between vehicles in the vehicle system. The system also determines combined driving parameters at locations along the route where a state of the coupler nodes in the vehicle system will change within the vehicle system during the upcoming movement of the vehicle system. The system determines a restriction on operations of the vehicle system to control the coupler nodes during the upcoming movement of the vehicle system and to distribute the combined driving parameters among two or more of the vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: Lucas Vares Vargas, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Brian Nedward Meyer, Gabriel de Albuquerque Gleizer, Carlos Gonzaga
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190291757
    Abstract: A system (e.g., a control system) includes a sensor configured to monitor an operating condition of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along a route. The system also includes a controller configured to designate one or more operational settings for the vehicle system as a function of time and/or distance along the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Brian Nedward Meyer, Harry Kirk Mathews, JR., James D. Brooks, Kristopher Ryan Smith
  • System and method integrating an energy management system and yard planner system
    Patent number: 10399584
    Abstract: A system and method identifies vehicles to be included in a multi-vehicle system that is to travel along one or more routes for an upcoming trip, and determines plural different potential builds of the multi-vehicle system. The different potential builds represent different sequential orders of the vehicles in the multi-vehicle system. The system and method also simulate travels of the different potential builds for the upcoming trip, calculate a safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds based on travels that are simulated, and generates a quantified evaluation of the safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds for use in selecting a chosen potential build of the different potential builds. The chosen potential build is used to build the multi-vehicle system for the upcoming trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: James D. Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., William Schoonmaker
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING VEHICLE ORIENTATION IN A VEHICLE CONSIST
    Publication number: 20190263430
    Abstract: A system and method includes determining, with a sensor assembly disposed onboard a first aerial vehicle, a direction in which a fluid flows within or through the first aerial vehicle, and determining an orientation of the first aerial vehicle relative to a second aerial vehicle based at least in part on the direction in which the fluid flows within or through the first aerial vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Eugene Smith, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Wolfgang Daum, Martin Paget, Daniel Rush, Sameh Fahmy, Brad Thomas Costa, Seneca Snyder, Jerry Duncan, Mark Bradshaw Kraeling, Michael Scott Miner, Shannon Joseph Clouse, Anwarul Azam, Matthew Lawrence Blair, Nidhi Naithani, Dattaraj Jagdish Rao, Anju Bind, Sreyashi Dey Chaki, Scott Daniel Nelson, Nikhil Uday Naphade, Wing Yeung Chung, Daniel Malachi Ballesty, Glenn Robert Shaffer, Jeffret James Kisak, Dale Martin DiDomenico, Suresh Govindappa, Manibabu Pippalla, Sethu Madhavan, Jared Klineman Cooper, Huan Tan, John Michael Lizzi, Charles Burton Theurer, Balajee Kannan, Romano Patrick, Brad Thomas Costa, James D. Brooks, Micahel Scott Miner, Harry Kirk Matthews, JR., Bradford Wayne Miller, Neeraja Subrahmaniyan, Brian Joseph McManus, Frank Wawrzyniak, Ralph C. Haddock, III, Robert James Foy, James Glen Corry, Steven Andrew Kellner, Joseph Mario Nazareth, Brian William Schroeck, Shawn Arthur McClintic
  • System and method for controlling a vehicle system
    Patent number: 10363949
    Abstract: A system (e.g., a control system) includes a sensor configured to monitor an operating condition of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along a route. The system also includes a controller configured to designate one or more operational settings for the vehicle system as a function of time and/or distance along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventors: Brian Nedward Meyer, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., James D. Brooks, Kristopher Ryan Smith
  • VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190161101
    Abstract: A system includes a locator device and one or more processors operably connected to the locator device. The locator device determines a trailing distance between a trailing vehicle system that travels along a route and a leading vehicle system that travels along the route ahead of the trailing vehicle system in a same direction of travel. The one or more processors compare the trailing distance to a first proximity distance relative to the leading vehicle system. In response to the trailing distance being less than the first proximity distance, the one or more processors set a permitted power output limit for the trailing vehicle system to be less than a maximum achievable power output for the trailing vehicle system, the permitted power output limit being set based on a power-to-weight ratio of the leading vehicle system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: James D. Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, JR.
  • System and method for determining identity information of an electrically operable machine
    Patent number: 10288659
    Abstract: A system for determining identity information corresponding to an electrically operable machine is disclosed, where the electrically operable machine receives electricity from a power supply port. The system includes at least one sensor to generate a signal indicative of the electricity being drawn by the electrically operable machine from the power supply port. The system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to determine the identity information corresponding to the electrically operable machine based on one or more electrical characteristics of the signal sensed by the at least one sensor. Method and non-transitory computer readable media for determining the identity of the electrically operable vehicle are also disclosed. Moreover, a system for controlling charging of a vehicle that is operated at least partially by the electricity is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jigar Jayesh Shah, Matthew Christian Nielsen, Conner B Shane, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr.
  • Vehicle convoy control system and method
    Patent number: 10262542
    Abstract: A control system and method identify a first vehicle system that is traveling from a first location toward a different, second location, and a second vehicle system for combining with the first vehicle system into a convoy of vehicle systems. The system and method also direct the first and second vehicle systems to couple with each other for travel as the convoy. The system and method direct one or more of the second vehicle system of the convoy to separate from the convoy and/or a third vehicle system that is outside of the convoy to join the convoy by coupling with one or more of the first vehicle system or the second vehicle system in the convoy in at least one intermediate location between the first location and the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: James D. Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr.
  • MULTIPLE VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190106133
    Abstract: A system includes an energy management system disposed onboard a vehicle system configured to travel on a route during a trip. The energy management system is configured to receive trip information that includes one or more constraints including at least one of speed, distance, or time restrictions for the vehicle system along the route. The energy management system is further configured to generate a trip plan for controlling movement of the vehicle system along the route during the trip. The trip plan is generated based on the one or more constraints. The trip plan has a plan speed profile that designates speeds for the vehicle system according to at least one of distance or time during the trip. The energy management system is further configured to control movement of the vehicle system during the trip according to the plan speed profile of the trip plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, JR., Brian Nedward Meyer, James D. Brooks, Joseph Daniel Wakeman, Dan Dai, Anup Menon