Patents by Inventor Lucas Allen

Lucas Allen 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).

  • Patent number: 9903264
    Abstract: A control system for an engine cylinder having a pre-chamber and a main chamber includes a pressure sensor being provided in the pre-chamber, and a processor coupled to the pressure sensor. The processor is configured to measure pre-chamber pressure using the pressure sensor, determine a peak pre-chamber pressure from the measured pre-chamber pressure, calculate an estimated main chamber pressure corresponding to the peak pre-chamber pressure from at least one cylinder condition at ignition, calculate a pressure ratio of the peak pre-chamber pressure to the estimated main chamber pressure, calculate a fuel parameter for at least one of the pre-chamber and main chamber from the pressure ratio to achieve a desired pressure ratio, and generate a control signal to provide fuel to at least one of the pre-chamber and main chamber in accordance with the fuel parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Mary Louise Yeager, Lucas Allen Burger, Andrew Loetz, Brett Zook
  • Patent number: 9855637
    Abstract: A method and system for observing and monitoring thermal characteristics of a machining operation, such as a surface finishing operation, performed on a workpiece is disclosed. The surface finishing operation can be performed on the workpiece in order to remove a surface defect, e.g. a parting line, on a surface of the workpiece and/or to provide a mirror-like finish to the workpiece. In one embodiment, an emissive layer is applied to the workpiece to increase a thermal emissivity of the workpiece. In some embodiments, a finishing surface, such as a polishing or buffing wheel, and/or a lubricant used in a finishing operation is monitored. A thermal profile of the surface of the workpiece, finishing surface and/or lubricant can be obtained. The finishing operation can be modified in response to the monitored thermal characteristics to prevent the occurrence of defects and improve the efficacy of the finishing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas Allen Whipple, Simon Regis Louis Lancaster-Larocque, Collin D. Chan, Christopher R. Fagan, Vincent Yan, Ian S. Theilacker, Brian K. Miehm, Shravan Bharadwaj
  • Publication number: 20170334062
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve an intelligent ordering and delivery system. An internet-based device is used to request delivery of an object or item at a specific location. An internet-of-things robot processes the request and automatically delivers the object or item to the specified location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Lucas Allen, Gregory Jaworski, Steven Simoni
  • Publication number: 20170260917
    Abstract: A control system is provided for use with an engine. The control system may have a plurality of fuel valves, at least one sensor, a starter motor, and a controller in communication with the plurality of fuel valves, the at least one sensor, and the starter motor. The controller may be configured to set at least a first of the plurality of fuel valves to a first admission setting, to set at least a second of the plurality of fuel valves to a second admission setting different from the first admission setting, and to cause the starter motor to crank the engine. The controller may also be configured to determine, based on the signal, which one of the first and second admission settings results in combustion initiation during cranking, and to responsively set all of the plurality of fuel valves to the one of the first and second admission settings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas Allen BURGER, Robert Jay MAXSON
  • Publication number: 20160063691
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to using a plenoptic camera in a manufacturing system for various imaging operations. The embodiments include calculating a distance of a manufactured part from a light source or plenoptic camera for further use by a robotic device in the manufacturing system. The embodiments further include compiling a composite two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of a manufactured part in order to derive dimensions of the manufactured part for use by the manufacturing system. Additionally, the embodiments include performing a profile analysis of a surface of a manufactured part based on image data captured by the plenoptic camera. Furthermore, the embodiments discussed herein can be performed on a still or moving manufactured part in order to optimize one or more manufacturing processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Lucas Allen WHIPPLE
  • Publication number: 20150346017
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an automatic fluid composition sensor. A fluid composition sensor includes a plurality of detection elements positioned along a length of a sample chamber having a number of material interfaces, the fluid composition sensor detecting location(s) of the interface(s) and/or a composition of one or more of the materials within the chamber. A fluid level sensor generates one or more pulses and measures a time delay between a transmission of the pulses from a source and a reception of the reflected pulses from a gas/oil interface to estimate a position of the oil/gas interface and thus a height of the oil in an oil well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: TACHYUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Francisco LePort, Lucas Allen, Daniel Slomski
  • Publication number: 20150290764
    Abstract: A method and system for observing and monitoring thermal characteristics of a machining operation, such as a surface finishing operation, performed on a workpiece is disclosed. The surface finishing operation can be performed on the workpiece in order to remove a surface defect, e.g. a parting line, on a surface of the workpiece and/or to provide a mirror-like finish to the workpiece. In one embodiment, an emissive layer is applied to the workpiece to increase a thermal emissivity of the workpiece. In some embodiments, a finishing surface, such as a polishing or buffing wheel, and/or a lubricant used in a finishing operation is monitored. A thermal profile of the surface of the workpiece, finishing surface and/or lubricant can be obtained. The finishing operation can be modified in response to the monitored thermal characteristics to prevent the occurrence of defects and improve the efficacy of the finishing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Lucas Allen Whipple, Simon Regis Louis Lancaster-Larocque, Collin D. Chan, Christopher R. Fagan, Vincent Yan, IAN S. THEILACKER, Brian K. Miehm, Shravan Bharadwaj
  • Patent number: 8798782
    Abstract: The described embodiment relates generally to the polishing of a device housing. The device housing can be formed of a thermoplastic, or a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel. More particularly, a method and an apparatus are described for accurately measuring the amount of material removed during a polishing process. Accurate measurement of such a polishing process can be especially helpful in measuring material removal on curved surfaces and edges where material removal rates tend to be less predictable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Simon R. Lancaster-Larocque, Lucas Allen Whipple
  • Publication number: 20100306007
    Abstract: A selection of an enterprise project type is received from a plurality of enterprise project types. The enterprise project type may include a plurality of pages. Each page may include a plurality of input fields for collecting values of properties. A project page from the enterprise project type is displayed. The project page may include a create project interface element. When a selection of the create project interface element is received, an instance of the enterprise project type is generated. The instance of the enterprise project type represents an entity, such as a project plan, an application plan, or a product plan. The pages are displayed. The values of properties are collected through the pages. The entity is generated by transforming the values of properties into the entity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Pradeep GanapathyRaj, Samuel Y. Chung, Alexandru Savescu, Lucas Allen Humphrey