Patents by Inventor James G. Ballard

James G. Ballard 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: 20200180349
    Abstract: A writing implement is configured to dispense material onto a work surface. The writing implement includes a body having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface. The writing implement also includes a nib coupled to the first end. The nib is configured to allow the material to be dispensed onto the work piece. The writing implement further includes a pressure regulating assembly coupled to the body. The pressure regulating assembly and the inner surface define a cavity configured to hold the material. The pressure regulating assembly is moveable relative to the body in response to a pressure change within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventor: James G. Ballard
  • Patent number: 10603947
    Abstract: A writing implement is configured to dispense material onto a work surface. The writing implement includes a body having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface. The writing implement also includes a nib coupled to the first end. The nib is configured to allow the material to be dispensed onto the work piece. The writing implement further includes a pressure regulating assembly coupled to the body. The pressure regulating assembly and the inner surface define a cavity configured to hold the material. The pressure regulating assembly is moveable relative to the body in response to a pressure change within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventor: James G. Ballard
  • Publication number: 20200001446
    Abstract: A hydraulic pump includes a work port, a high-flow piston, multiple high-pressure pistons, and an unloading valve. The work port couples to a fluid supply line of a hydraulic tool. The high-flow piston supplies fluid along a first flow path to the work port. The high-pressure pistons supply fluid along a second flow path to the work port. The unloading valve is fluidly coupled to the first flow path and the second flow path, and actuatable between an open state and a closed state. The unloading valve is configured to (i) permit fluid to flow from the high-flow piston to the work port in the open state, (ii) inhibit fluid from flowing from the high-flow piston to the work port in the closed state, and (iii) actuate from the open state to the closed state when a pressure of the fluid in the second flow path exceeds a threshold pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Timothy Radtke, Daniel Garces, Ian C. Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20190232481
    Abstract: A hydraulic tool includes a tool head and a moveable piston coupled to the tool head. The hydraulic tool head includes a plurality of jaws, which are operable to open and close for performing work on a workpiece. The hydraulic tool also includes a motor operable to drive the moveable piston to close the plurality of jaws to a closed position at which the work on the workpiece is completed. The hydraulic tool further includes a position sensor configured to detect when the plurality of jaws are at the closed position and responsively generate a sensor signal indicating that the plurality of jaws are at the closed position. Additionally, the hydraulic tool includes a controller configured to receive the sensor signal from the position sensor. The controller is configured to operate the motor based on the sensor signal that the controller receives from the position sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Luke J. Skinner, Kris J. Kanack, James G. Ballard, David R. Bauer, Troy A. Marks, Marc S. D'Antuono, Paige L. Bovard, Eric Norquist
  • Patent number: 10312653
    Abstract: A hydraulic tool. The hydraulic tool includes a tool working end and a tool main section operably coupled to the tool working end. The tool main section comprising a ram assembly, the ram assembly includes a pretensioned return spring. A tool transmission end is operably coupled to the tool main section for hydraulically operating the tool working end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Joseph H. Ellice, Eric Norquist
  • Publication number: 20190151967
    Abstract: A hydraulic power tool includes a housing defining a cylinder, a piston at least partially positioned within the cylinder and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a clevis supporting a head of the power tool, a nut coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the clevis, and a collar coupled to the housing and surrounding the nut to axially constrain the nut between the collar and the housing while permitting relative rotation between the collar and the nut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Sean T. Kehoe, James G. Ballard, Marc S. D'Antuono
  • Patent number: 10226826
    Abstract: A hydraulic power tool includes a housing defining a cylinder, a piston at least partially positioned within the cylinder and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a reservoir containing hydraulic fluid, a pump for transferring hydraulic fluid in the reservoir to the cylinder, causing the piston to move from the retracted position toward the extended position, a return valve defining a rotational axis and positioned between the cylinder and the reservoir, and a valve actuator driven by the pump for opening the return valve, thereby fluidly communicating the cylinder and the reservoir, in response to a predetermined pressure being reached in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sean T. Kehoe, James G. Ballard, Troy C. Thorson, Marc S. D'Antuono, Alex Huber
  • Patent number: 9910951
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with mitigating wire capacitance are described. In one embodiment, a method includes loading, by at least a processor into an electronic memory, an electronic data structure that includes a design of an integrated circuit. The design defines layers of the integrated circuit and connections between structures and wire interconnects in the layers. The example method may also include generating, by at least the processor, a structured topology in the design by successively routing the wire interconnects throughout the layers according to coordinates of the structures in the design and weighted values associated with each of the structures to mitigate wire capacitance of the wire interconnects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiran Vedantam, James G. Ballard, Hsiangwen Lin
  • Publication number: 20170305185
    Abstract: A writing implement is configured to dispense material onto a work surface. The writing implement includes a body having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface. The writing implement also includes a nib coupled to the first end. The nib is configured to allow the material to be dispensed onto the work piece. The writing implement further includes a pressure regulating assembly coupled to the body. The pressure regulating assembly and the inner surface define a cavity configured to hold the material. The pressure regulating assembly is moveable relative to the body in response to a pressure change within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventor: James G. Ballard
  • Patent number: 9768111
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of parallel pillar structures is described. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a series of layers. The series of layers include a plurality of pillar metals in each of the series of layers. Pillars within each of the series of layers are oriented to be parallel. Pillars in adjacent layers are aligned to be perpendicular. Each of the plurality of pillar metals is a rectangular segment of metal. The plurality of pillar metals form a reconvergent mesh grid. The series of layers includes a plurality of vias connecting the plurality of parallel pillar metals between the series of layers. Vias of the plurality of vias are located at intersections in the reconvergent mesh grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark O'Brien, James G. Ballard, Kiran Vedantam, Mini Nanua, Salvatore Caruso
  • Publication number: 20170053054
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with mitigating wire capacitance are described. In one embodiment, a method includes loading, by at least a processor into an electronic memory, an electronic data structure that includes a design of an integrated circuit. The design defines layers of the integrated circuit and connections between structures and wire interconnects in the layers. The example method may also include generating, by at least the processor, a structured topology in the design by successively routing the wire interconnects throughout the layers according to coordinates of the structures in the design and weighted values associated with each of the structures to mitigate wire capacitance of the wire interconnects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Kiran VEDANTAM, James G. BALLARD, Hsiangwen LIN
  • Publication number: 20160329674
    Abstract: A hydraulic tool. The hydraulic tool includes a tool working end and a tool main section operably coupled to the tool working end. The tool main section comprising a ram assembly, the ram assembly includes a pretensioned return spring. A tool transmission end is operably coupled to the tool main section for hydraulically operating the tool working end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Joseph H. Ellice
  • Publication number: 20160252112
    Abstract: A hydraulic power tool includes a housing defining a cylinder, a piston at least partially positioned within the cylinder and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a reservoir containing hydraulic fluid, a pump for transferring hydraulic fluid in the reservoir to the cylinder, causing the piston to move from the retracted position toward the extended position, a return valve defining a rotational axis and positioned between the cylinder and the reservoir, and a valve actuator driven by the pump for opening the return valve, thereby fluidly communicating the cylinder and the reservoir, in response to a predetermined pressure being reached in the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Sean T. Kehoe, James G. Ballard, Troy C. Thorson, Marc S. D'Antuono, Alex Huber
  • Publication number: 20160086884
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of parallel pillar structures is described. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a series of layers. The series of layers include a plurality of pillar metals in each of the series of layers. Pillars within each of the series of layers are oriented to be parallel. Pillars in adjacent layers are aligned to be perpendicular. Each of the plurality of pillar metals is a rectangular segment of metal. The plurality of pillar metals form a reconvergent mesh grid. The series of layers includes a plurality of vias connecting the plurality of parallel pillar metals between the series of layers. Vias of the plurality of vias are located at intersections in the reconvergent mesh grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Mark O'BRIEN, James G. BALLARD, Kiran VEDANTAM, Mini NANUA, Salvatore CARUSO
  • Patent number: 9235674
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of parallel pillar structures is described. In one embodiment, a system includes a design logic configured to analyze a design of an integrated circuit to identify open tracks on each layer by determining a location of structures in each layer of the design. The open tracks are spaces on each layer of the design that are free from structures that obstruct routing the plurality of pillar metals. The system also includes routing logic configured to successively route the plurality of pillar metals in each of the layers of the design based, at least in part, on the parameters and the location of the structures. The routing logic routes pillars of the plurality of pillar metals that are in adjacent layers to be perpendicular and pillar metals that are within a same layer of the design to be parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark O'Brien, James G. Ballard, Kiran Vedantam, Mini Nanua, Salvatore Caruso
  • Publication number: 20140252644
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of parallel pillar structures is described. In one embodiment, a system includes a design logic configured to analyze a design of an integrated circuit to identify open tracks on each layer by determining a location of structures in each layer of the design. The open tracks are spaces on each layer of the design that are free from structures that obstruct routing the plurality of pillar metals. The system also includes routing logic configured to successively route the plurality of pillar metals in each of the layers of the design based, at least in part, on the parameters and the location of the structures. The routing logic routes pillars of the plurality of pillar metals that are in adjacent layers to be perpendicular and pillar metals that are within a same layer of the design to be parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark O'BRIEN, James G. BALLARD, Kiran VEDANTAM, Mini NANUA, Salvatore CARUSO
  • Patent number: 8627255
    Abstract: Methods and systems for flexible and repeatable pre-route generation are described. In one embodiment, a routing selection is received. The routing selection is for a path between at least a first cell and a second cell. The first and second cell are associated with a functional description of an integrated circuit. A floorplan associated with the functional description is modified to create a modified floorplan. The modified floorplan has a physical design change relative to the floorplan. A pre-route is automatically generated based on receipt of the routing selection and the modified floorplan. The pre-route is added to a physical design of the chip to create a pre-routed physical design. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Kiran Vedantam, James G. Ballard, Miao Rao, Guneet Singh, Wanyun Singh
  • Patent number: 8091058
    Abstract: A method of performing a pre-route repeater insertion methodology for at least part of a circuit design may include: partitioning at least part of a circuit design into a plurality of tiles; determining at least one attribute of one or more individual tiles of the plurality of tiles; and determining a repeater solution based at least in part on the determined attributes of the one or more individual tiles. A computer implemented tool for performing a pre-route repeater insertion methodology for at least part of a circuit design may include: a module configured to partition at least part of a circuit design into a plurality of tiles; a module configured to determine at least one attribute of one or more individual tiles of the plurality of tiles; and a module configured to determine a repeater solution based at least in part on the determined attributes of the one or more individual tiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Yi Wu
  • Publication number: 20100128760
    Abstract: A method of performing a pre-route repeater insertion methodology for at least part of a circuit design may include: partitioning at least part of a circuit design into a plurality of tiles; determining at least one attribute of individual tiles of the plurality of tiles; and determining a repeater solution based at least in part on the determined attributes of the individual tiles. A computer implemented tool for performing a pre-route repeater insertion methodology for at least part of a circuit design may include: a module configured to partition at least part of a circuit design into a plurality of tiles; a module configured to determine at least one attribute of individual tiles of the plurality of tiles; and a module configured to determine a repeater solution based at least in part on the determined attributes of the individual tiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Yi Wu
  • Patent number: D805365
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: James G. Ballard, Joseph H. Ellice