Patents by Inventor John Brandon
John Brandon 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).
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Patent number: 9464338Abstract: Method of reclaiming and inhibiting activation of DRI fines is disclosed comprising the steps of forming a moving stream or pile containing DRI pellets and DRI fines, coating the moving stream or the pile of DRI pellets and DRI fines with a coating material comprising an alkane mixture in the C15 to C40 range to form a coating on the DRI pellets and DRI fines and cause DRI fines to adhere together and to the DRI pellets to form a plurality of agglomerates, and moving the agglomerates of coated DRI pellets and coated DRI fines to a facility for use in making steel. The coating material may be applied to coat the DRI pellets and DRI fines at a rate between 0.2 and 2.0 gallons per ton of DRI processed. The coating material may be mineral oil.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2014Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: Nu-Iron Technology, LLCInventors: David Hendrickson, John Brandon, Les Hart, John Anderson
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Publication number: 20160238364Abstract: A measurement system for determining dimensions of a measurement zone of a physical asset is presented. The system includes a telescoping gauge configured to determine one or more analog measurements corresponding to the measurement zone of the physical asset, where the telescoping gauge includes a sliding arm and a vertical arm. Furthermore, the system includes a data digitizer operatively coupled to the telescoping gauge and configured to convert the one or more analog measurements to corresponding one or more digital measurements. In addition, the system includes a wireless unit operatively coupled to the telescoping gauge and configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more digital measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2015Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Juntao Wu, Robert William Tait, Chun Zhan, Maxine Marie Gibeau, John Brandon Laflen
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Publication number: 20160173608Abstract: System architecture that provides computer-based methods of wireless communication between a wireless metrological device and a mobile computing device that includes the sending/receiving of data (e.g., measurements) along with a universal generic data service that includes data descriptor(s) affiliated with the measurements. The architecture and methods, which may be communicated via BLE, allow for uniform communication between tools and mobile computing devices regardless of tool type, manufacturer, and measurement information.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: John Brandon Laflen, Glen William Brooksby, Patrick Jay Biel, Yakov Polishchuk, Steven William Wik
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Publication number: 20160169716Abstract: A meteorological system for calibrating a field measurement apparatus includes a field measurement apparatus coupled to a field device. The measurement apparatus is configured to generate measurement signals corresponding to a physical measurement associated with the field device. The measurement signals define a raw data stream. The system also includes a mobile calibration device including a transfer function module with a resident corrective algorithm. The mobile calibration device also includes a calibration standard data module including calibration standard data associated with the measurement apparatus resident thereon. The mobile calibration device is configured to establish bi-directional communication with the measurement apparatus, facilitate shifting the measurement apparatus to a calibration mode, receive the raw data stream from the measurement apparatus, transmit the raw data stream to the transfer function module, and calibrate the field measurement apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: John Brandon Laflen, John Anthony Vogel, Steven William Wik, Yakov Polishchuk, Glen William Brooksby
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Publication number: 20160161385Abstract: A method implemented using one or more computer processors for estimating the density of a material in an annular space includes receiving detector data representative of scattered photons resulting from interaction of a material in an annular space with radiation from a radiation source and detected by a plurality of radiation detectors. The method further includes performing a set of Monte Carlo simulations and generating polynomial models of the detector data based on the set of Monte Carlo simulations. The method further includes estimating the density of the material at one or more locations within the annular space based upon the polynomial models and the detector data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2014Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Michael Anthony Lexa, Meena Ganesh, John Brandon Laflen, John Edward Smaardyk, Donald Kenney Steinman
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Publication number: 20160162610Abstract: A method implemented using one or more computer processors for estimating the density of a material in an annular space includes receiving detector data representative of scattered photons resulting from interaction of a material in an annular space with radiation from a radiation source and detected by a plurality of radiation detectors. The technique further includes performing a set of Monte Carlo simulations. The method further includes performing a principal component analysis on the set of Monte Carlo simulations to generate a principal component analysis model of the detector data. The method also includes estimating the density of the material at one or more locations within the annular space based upon the principal component analysis model and the detector data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2014Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Michael Anthony Lexa, Meena Ganesh, John Brandon Laflen, John Edward Smaardyk, Donald Kenney Steinman
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Publication number: 20160146707Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the use of a mobile computing device to implement a workflow to be followed when conducting an examination of installed equipment on-site. The workflow may be generated remote from the equipment site and specifies an order in which measurements may be obtained. The workflow may incorporate formulas or equations for processing some or all of the measurements and which may be evaluated on the mobile device itself.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2014Publication date: May 26, 2016Inventors: Thomas D. Citriniti, John Brandon Laflen, Glen William Brooksby
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Publication number: 20160084644Abstract: A system includes a light emitting unit, a front mirror, a rear mirror, an imaging unit and a processor. The light emitting unit is configured to emit a collimated light beam. The front mirror is configured to reflect part of the collimated light beam to produce and project a front focused ring of structured light to an object to obtain a front reflected ring of light, and configured to allow part of the collimated light beam to pass by. The rear mirror is positioned downstream of a light transmitting path of the front mirror. The rear mirror is configured to reflect at least part of the collimated light beam passing by the front mirror to produce and project a rear focused ring of the structured light to the object to obtain a rear reflected ring of light.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Xu HAN, Guangping XIE, Kevin George HARDING, John Brandon LAFLEN
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Patent number: 9255779Abstract: A taper gauge that includes an elongate taper assembly that has a tip section and an electronics section that includes a location determining element that collects data related to a measurement area when the tip section is inserted in the measurement area and a power source. An embodiment allows for increased precision, accuracy, and speed for wireless measurement of gaps. A method and system that uses the taper gauge.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Brandon Laflen, John William Herbold, William Judson Hendrix, Jason Harris Karp, Yakov Polishchuk, Robert William Tait, Steven William Wik, Juntao Wu
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Patent number: 9251582Abstract: A computer-implemented system for enhanced automated visual inspection of a physical asset includes a visual inspection device capable of generating images of the physical asset and a computing device including a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor. The computing device includes a storage device coupled to the memory device and coupled to the processor. The storage device includes at least one historic image of the physical asset and at least one engineering model substantially representing the physical asset. The computing device is configured to receive, from a present image source, at least one present image of the physical asset captured by the visual inspection device. The computing device is configured to identify at least one matching historic image corresponding to the at least one present image. The computing device is configured to identify at least one matching engineering model corresponding to the at least one present image.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ser Nam Lim, Vinod Padmanabhan Kumar, Russell Robert Irving, John Brandon Laflen, Li Guan, Shubao Liu, Xingwei Yang
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Publication number: 20150348174Abstract: A method of digitally processing a digital image file comprising a print image and a non-print portion, in order to isolate the print image from the non-print port ion of the digital image file, comprising the steps of converting the digital image file to grayscale whereby a grayscale image is created, creating a blurred copy of the grayscale image whereby a blurred grayscale image is created, creating a composite image comprising the difference between the blurred grayscale image and the grayscale image, creating a negative image comprising the negative of the composite image, removing dithering from the negative image, resulting in a dithered image, normalizing the colorspace of the dithered image to black and white, replacing white pixels with transparent pixel information to form a processed print image, and saving the processed print image in an image file format with transparency support.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Jerry G. Purvis, Jr., John Brandon Johnson
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Publication number: 20150315700Abstract: A method of coating a non-refractory and/or non-planar substrate (8) with synthetic diamond material using a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (CVD) synthesis technique, the method comprising: forming a composite substrate assembly (1) comprising: a support substrate (2) comprising an upper surface; one or more electrically conductive refractory guards (6) disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hg above the upper surface of the support substrate; and one or more non-refractory and/or non-planar substrates disposed over the upper surface of the support substrate and extending to a height hs above the upper surface of the support substrate, wherein the height hs is less than the height hg, wherein a difference in height hg?hs lies in a range 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: ELEMENT SIX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: Charles Simon James Pickles, Christopher Wort, John Brandon, Neil Perkins
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Patent number: 9098474Abstract: System and methods for determining if a preview of a file uploaded to a web-based collaborative environment is likely to be requested. For a file that is likely to be previewed, the system pre-converts the input format of the file to a target format suitable for providing the preview to minimize the time a user waits to be presented with the preview after making the request. The present disclosure includes a method of determining whether an intermediate format of a file generated during the conversion of an input format to the target format should be stored to be used later or discarded.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2012Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Box, Inc.Inventors: Kimber Lockhart, Jeffrey H. Seibert, Jr., Nicholas Silva, John Brandon Savage, David T. Lee, Arshdeep Mand
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Patent number: 9045809Abstract: A method of reclaiming and inhibiting activation of DRI including forming a moving stream or pile containing DRI pellets and DRI fines and applying to said DRI material a coating material optionally having a melting point between 70 and 200° F. and comprising at least one antioxidant and at least one a carboxylic material with at least one selected from the group consisting of coatable fatty acid and an esterified derivative thereof, forming a coating on the DRI pellets and DRI fines to cause the fines to adhere together and to the pellets to form a plurality of DRI agglomerates. The coating material may be selected from the group consisting of palm oil, coconut oil, combinations thereof, and ester derivatives thereof. The antioxidant in the coating material is selected from the group consisting of at least one of butylated hydroxytoluene, carotenoid, phytosterol, squalene, vitamin E, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and mixtures thereof.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: NU-IRON TECHNOLOGY, LLCInventors: David Hendrickson, John Brandon, Les Hart, John Anderson
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Publication number: 20150100138Abstract: A computer-implemented system includes a plurality of metrological interface devices. Each metrological interface device is in communication with a metrological sensing device configured to detect metrological data from a physical asset. The computer-implemented system also includes a portable computing device. The portable computing device is configured to a) receive a metrological data set, the metrological data set substantially representing data associated with the physical asset at a point in time, b) process the metrological data set and an asset data model into a processed metrological data set, c) upon determining, based on the processed metrological data set, a metrological variance, recalibrating the asset data model and returning to step (a), and d) upon determining no metrological variance, reporting the metrological data set and the asset data model to at least one report recipient.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Inventors: John Brandon Laflen, Anand Uday, Piyush Modi, Joe William Bolinger, LynnAnn DeRose
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Publication number: 20150096183Abstract: A taper gauge that includes an elongate taper assembly that has a tip section and an electronics section that includes a location determining element that collects data related to a measurement area when the tip section is inserted in the measurement area and a power source. An embodiment allows for increased precision, accuracy, and speed for wireless measurement of gaps. A method and system that uses the taper gauge.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: John Brandon Laflen, John William Herbold, William Judson Hendrix, Jason Harris Karp, Yakov Polishchuk, Robert William Tait, Steven William Wik, Juntao Wu
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Publication number: 20150097671Abstract: A metrological interface device includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”) including at least one metrological sensor communication interface and at least one first wireless communication interface. The metrological interface device is in communication with a metrological sensing device via the metrological sensor communication interface. Each metrological sensing device is coupled to a physical asset. Each metrological interface device is configured to receive the metrological data from the metrological sensing device. The metrological interface device is configured to receive metrological data from the metrological sensing device via the metrological sensor communication interface. Metrological data represents physical measurement data associated with the physical asset.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Inventors: John Brandon Laflen, SM Shajedul Hasan, Steven William Wik, Yang Zhao, Yakov Polishchuk, Patrick Jay Biel
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Patent number: 8995793Abstract: In some approaches, super-resolution of static and moving objects can be performed. Results of moving object super-resolution may be improved by means of performing image co-registration. The quality of images of moving objects in an automated form may be improved. A sequence of images may be processed wherein objects can be detected and tracked in succeeding frames. A small region around a tracked object may be extracted in each frame. These regions may be co-registered to each other using frequency domain techniques. A set of co-registered images may be used to perform super-resolution of the tracked object. Also described are image processing systems and articles of manufacture having a machine readable storage medium and executable program instructions.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2010Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Lockheed Martin CorporationInventors: John Brandon Laflen, Glen William Brooksby, Christopher Greco
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Patent number: 8919004Abstract: The present application provides for feeler gauges. The feeler gauges include a plurality of elongate measuring leaves rotatably coupled on a common axis of rotation with an elongate housing. The leaves may be manually, selectively rotatable between a “home” position wherein the leaves are substantially aligned with the housing and an “extended” position wherein the leaves are spaced from the housing. The leaves may be relatively flexible and substantially flat such that they define a substantially constant thickness. One or more extended leaves may be used to measure the thickness of a clearance or gap. The gauges may be configured to detect, determine or measure the thickness of the leaves that are in the “home” position and/or the “extended” position, and thereby determine the total thickness of a clearance or gap measured by the extended leaves.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Juntao Wu, Robert William Tait, Cheryl (Chun) Zhan, John Brandon Laflen, Steven William Wik, John Herbold, S. M. Shajedul Hasan
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Publication number: 20140182417Abstract: Method of reclaiming and inhibiting activation of DRI fines is disclosed comprising the steps of forming a moving stream or pile containing DRI pellets and DRI fines, coating the moving stream or the pile of DRI pellets and DRI fines with a coating material comprising an alkane mixture in the C15 to C40 range to form a coating on the DRI pellets and DRI fines and cause DRI fines to adhere together and to the DRI pellets to form a plurality of agglomerates, and moving the agglomerates of coated DRI pellets and coated DRI fines to a facility for use in making steel. The coating material may be applied to coat the DRI pellets and DRI fines at a rate between 0.2 and 2.0 gallons per ton of DRI processed. The coating material may be mineral oil.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2014Publication date: July 3, 2014Applicant: Nu-Iron Technology, LLCInventors: David HENDRICKSON, John BRANDON, Les HART, John ANDERSON