Patents by Inventor John A. Will

John A. Will 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: 20130192918
    Abstract: A brake system and method includes a test mode for determining a capacity of the brake system provided on a machine having a hydrostatic drive. A hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range is determined to simulate a test torque. A machine ground speed limit, hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure, and actual ground speed of the machine are determined. An output pressure of the hydrostatic pump is modulated to drive the hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure toward the hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range. A first test fault condition is determined when the actual ground speed exceeds the machine ground speed limit. A second test fault condition is determined when the hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure is outside the hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Lucas Micah Newlon, Bradley John Will, Sudarshan Aravamuthan Maiyur
  • Patent number: 8494731
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a gear ratio rate of change in a machine having a continuously variable transmission. The method includes moving an operator input device to a changed position, receiving electronic data indicative of the changed position, and determining a non-limited desired gear ratio based at least in part on the changed position. A maximum gear ratio rate of change corresponding to the changed position is selected from an electronically stored gear ratio rate map. A current desired gear ratio is determined based at least in part on the non-limited desired gear ratio and the maximum gear ratio rate of change. The method also includes changing a commanded gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission to the current desired gear ratio using electronic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Randall Todd Anderson, Bradley John Will
  • Publication number: 20130184948
    Abstract: A method for controlling a gear ratio rate of change in a machine having a continuously variable transmission includes moving an operator input device to a changed position, receiving electronic data indicative of the changed position, and determining a non-limited desired gear ratio based on the changed position. A maximum gear ratio rate of change corresponding to the non-limited desired gear ratio and an actual gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is selected from an electronically stored gear ratio rate map. A current desired gear ratio is determined based on a previous desired gear ratio and the maximum gear ratio rate of change. A commanded gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission is changed to the current desired gear ratio using electronic signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Randall Todd Anderson, Bradley John Will
  • Publication number: 20130126257
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a gear ratio rate of change in a machine having a continuously variable transmission. The method includes moving an operator input device to a changed position, receiving electronic data indicative of the changed position, and determining a non-limited desired gear ratio based at least in part on the changed position. A maximum gear ratio rate of change corresponding to the changed position is selected from an electronically stored gear ratio rate map. A current desired gear ratio is determined based at least in part on the non-limited desired gear ratio and the maximum gear ratio rate of change. The method also includes changing a commanded gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission to the current desired gear ratio using electronic signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: Caterpiller Inc.
    Inventors: Randall Todd Anderson, Bradley John Will
  • Publication number: 20130131937
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a gear ratio change in a hydrostatic drive machine. The hydrostatic drive machine includes a variable displacement pump and at least one variable displacement motor fluidly connected with the variable displacement pump. The method includes a step of determining a gear ratio rate of change corresponding to a change from a current gear ratio to a new gear ratio. Start and stop overlap gear ratios corresponding to the gear ratio rate are determined and define an overlap range. The current gear ratio is changed to the new gear ratio using electronic signals at least in part by simultaneously changing displacements of the variable displacement pump and the at least one variable displacement motor at gear ratios within the overlap range, and sequentially changing displacements of the variable displacement pump and the at least one variable displacement motor at gear ratios outside the overlap range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Randall Todd Anderson, Bradley John Will
  • Patent number: 8214101
    Abstract: A method for indirectly detecting a movement of a machine and a failure of a speed sensor is disclosed. The method may include receiving an operator input signal, and determining a first factor based on the operator input signal. The method may also include measuring a machine operation parameter, and determining a second factor based on the machine operation parameter. The method may further include identifying a movement of the machine if the first factor is out of a first threshold range and the second factor is out of a second threshold range for at least a first threshold length of time. The method may also include determining a speed sensor failure if the movement of the machine is identified and no speed is detected by the speed sensor for at least a second threshold length of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas James Carlton, Corwin Eugene Storer, Bradley John Will, Eric John Schultz
  • Publication number: 20090222162
    Abstract: A method for indirectly detecting a movement of a machine and a failure of a speed sensor is disclosed. The method may include receiving an operator input signal, and determining a first factor based on the operator input signal. The method may also include measuring a machine operation parameter, and determining a second factor based on the machine operation parameter. The method may further include identifying a movement of the machine if the first factor is out of a first threshold range and the second factor is out of a second threshold range for at least a first threshold length of time. The method may also include determining a speed sensor failure if the movement the machine is identified and no speed is detected by the speed sensor for at least a second threshold length of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Douglas James Carlton, Corwin Eugene Storer, Bradley John Will, Eric John Schultz
  • Patent number: 7299257
    Abstract: A ConnectIcon View is employed to establish collaborative communications between a plurality of participants in a group. Specifically, it is a dynamic visual representation of the participants of a group being invited to communicate together with their presence information, lists of documents and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to be examined, and a set of mechanisms (email, chat, voice, and the like) to initiate communication, each of which can be billed to the originator or otherwise as desired. The available presence information allows a user to employ the best mode of communicating for the instant purpose, namely, either asynchronous communication or synchronous communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: David Gray Boyer, James Owen Coplien, Rebecca Elizabeth Grinter, Randy L. Hackbarth, James David Herbsleb, Lalita Jategaonkar Jagadeesan, Peter Andrew Mataga, Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 7107312
    Abstract: A so-called “OpenChannel™” conference is established by separating particular participants of the conference from those participants that are actually currently active in the conference. This establishes a type of virtual conference, i.e., meeting, that can be monitored by participants, i.e., users, without requiring them to be actively a part of the conference call. These particular participants are in a so-called monitor mode. These participants can readily change their state from the monitor mode to a listen mode or active mode, as desired. One advantage of this invention is that a long-term conference of months or even years duration can be set up, only incurring a cost to participants when they are active participants in the conference call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Randy L. Hackbarth, James David Herbsleb, Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 6685918
    Abstract: There is disclosed an oral cleansing product comprising as an abrasive an alumnina in the form of particles having d10 below 3.5 &mgr;m, d50 below 1.0 &mgr;m, and a specific surface area below 6 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Alcan International Limited
    Inventors: Kevin John Wills, Iain Stewart Duncan
  • Patent number: 6682717
    Abstract: There is disclosed a toothpaste comprising as an abrasive an alumina in the form of particles having d10 below 3.5 &mgr;m, d50 below 1.0 &mgr;m and a specific surface area below 6 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Alcan International Limited
    Inventors: Kevin John Wills, Iain Stewart Duncan
  • Publication number: 20020147777
    Abstract: A TeamPortal View is a dynamic visual representation of the members of a team who may be located at geographically distributed locations. The TeamPortal View provides a Web portal that (a) displays static team information, (b) provides a dynamic view of the team members presence and their current locations, which are collected automatically and up-dated in real-time and (c) allows contact to be made by members of the team using the Web interface to initiate email, chat sessions, person-to-person calls, conference calls or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Randy L. Hackbarth, James David Herbsleb, Graham John Wills
  • Publication number: 20020143877
    Abstract: A so-called “OpenChannel™” conference is established by separating particular participants of the conference from those participants that are actually currently active in the conference. This establishes a type of virtual conference, i.e., meeting, that can be monitored by participants, i.e., users, without requiring them to be actively a part of the conference call. These particular participants are in a so-called monitor mode. These participants can readily change their state from the monitor mode to a listen mode or active mode, as desired. One advantage of this invention is that a long-term conference of months or even years duration can be set up, only incurring a cost to participants when they are active participants in the conference call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Randy L. Hackbarth, James David Herbsleb, Graham John Wills
  • Publication number: 20020143876
    Abstract: A ConnectIcon View is employed to establish collaborative communications between a plurality of participants in a group. Specifically, it is a dynamic visual representation of the participants of a group being invited to communicate together with their presence information, lists of documents and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to be examined, and a set of mechanisms (email, chat, voice, and the like) to initiate communication, each of which can be billed to the originator or otherwise as desired. The available presence information allows a user to employ the best mode of communicating for the instant purpose, namely, either asynchronous communication or synchronous communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: David Gray Boyer, James Owen Coplien, Rebecca Elizabeth Grinter, Randy L. Hackbarth, James David Herbsleb, Lalita Jategaonkar Jagadeesan, Peter Andrew Mataga, Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 6304260
    Abstract: A technique for generating and displaying views of hierarchically clustered data in a computer system. A binary tree is stored in memory of a computer system. The leaf nodes represent data items and the interior nodes represent clusters of the data items and a measure of dissimilarity between child clusters. The nodes of the tree are traversed and a display area is recursively split until nodes having a certain level of dissimilarity are reached, at which time a group rectangle is drawn around the current rectangle. Lower level nodes continue to be processed so that all data items are displayed in the display area. During the splitting of rectangles, the rectangles are split along the longest axis to produce better dimensioned rectangles. Upon generating a new display at a different level of dissimilarity, all data items are displayed in their same relative location, with only the resulting groups changing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 6125375
    Abstract: Apparatus for visualizing slices of transitive closures of entities having dependence relationships with one another. A preferred embodiment visualizes slices of programs. A display in a computer system includes reduced representations of the files, procedures, and lines making up a program. The user employs a pointing device to interactively select a reduced representation as the slice point and the apparatus computes the slice and changes the color of the reduced representations in the slice. The color of the reduced representation indicates the distance of the entity represented by the reduced representation from the slice point. The display may be rearranged so that files and procedures are ordered by distance from the slice point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Atkins, Thomas J. Ball, Stephen Gregory Eick, Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 5858900
    Abstract: A composition suitable for admixture with refractory grains to make a refractory monolithic formulation, consisting essentially of:2 to 10 parts by weight of activated alumina;0.25 to 1.0 parts by weight of an additive material which comprises at least one of an alumino-silicate-phosphate compound; a resin derived from an aldehyde and either an amine or an aromatic hydroxy compound; cellulose; polyethylene glycol(s); and methoxy polyethylene glycols;0 to 50 parts by weight of fine alumina;0 to 10 parts by weight of fine silica;0 to 1 parts by weight of a dispersant; and0 to 1 part by weight calcium aluminate cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Alcan International Limited
    Inventors: Farid Azizian, Kevin John Wills
  • Patent number: 5835085
    Abstract: Apparatus for providing displays in which the locations of nodes of a graph relative to each other are a function of the significance of a relationship between the nodes. The technique used to locate the nodes produces groups of nodes with significant relationships to each other which are set visually apart from the other nodes. The relationships between the nodes are defined by using a statistic to give weights to links between the nodes. Statistics may also be used to determine the size, shape, and color of the nodes and the color and width of the links. The display may also include histograms which show the numbers of links or nodes which have given values of the statistics and which relate the colors in which the nodes and links are displayed to values of the statistics. The histograms may further be used to interactively define masks for links and nodes, and masked links and nodes are not taken into account in making the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Gregory Eick, Graham John Wills
  • Patent number: 5793369
    Abstract: Apparatus for visualizing slices of transitive closures of entities having dependence relationships with one another. A preferred embodiment visualizes slices of programs. A display in a computer system includes reduced representations of the files, procedures, and lines making up a program. The user employs a pointing device to interactively select a reduced representation as the slice point and the apparatus computes the slice and changes the color of the reduced representations in the slice. The color of the reduced representation indicates the distance of the entity represented by the reduced representation from the slice point. The display may be rearranged so that files and procedures are ordered by distance from the slice point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Atkins, Thomas J. Ball, Stephen Gregory Eick, Graham John Wills