Patents by Inventor Mark A. Flood

Mark A. Flood 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: 11927950
    Abstract: A system for communicating between redundant devices balances the desired attributes of a high availability (HA) control system and a safety control system. The system includes concurrent connections as a fault tolerant mechanism for industrial protocol connections at the transport layer. The concurrent connections establish multiple paths for redundancy from a data producer to a data consumer. Concurrent connections increase availability of the HA control and safety instrumented systems. More specifically, concurrent connections and architectural redundancies eliminate a single point of failure within the control system and further reduce safety connection timeouts during fault detection and/or recovery. Concurrent connections may be used to keep a HA system operational or to provide detection of a failure in a safety system. The industrial control network may be configured to function as a HA control system, as a safety control system, or with certain degrees of both HA and safety-related operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Stay, Anthony G. Gibart, Mark A. Flood, Chandresh R. Chaudhari, Chad J. Bohl, Sivaram Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 11669076
    Abstract: A system of communicating data over a high availability industrial control system is disclosed. The industrial control system includes a first data producer, a second data producer in communicative connection with the first data producer, a first data consumer, and a second data consumer in communicative connection with the first data consumer. The system further includes the first producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the first producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules, and the second producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the second producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules. Also disclosed is a method of communicating data over the high availability industrial control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Publication number: 20220113707
    Abstract: A system of communicating data over a high availability industrial control system is disclosed. The industrial control system includes a first data producer, a second data producer in communicative connection with the first data producer, a first data consumer, and a second data consumer in communicative connection with the first data consumer. The system further includes the first producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the first producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules, and the second producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the second producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules. Also disclosed is a method of communicating data over the high availability industrial control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Kendal R. Harris, Mark A. Flood, Kyle E. Neet, Scott A. Pierce, Anthony G. Gibart, Raymond R. Husted, David M. Fort, Chandresh R. Chaudhari, Jonathan D. Bradford
  • Publication number: 20220050451
    Abstract: A system for communicating between redundant devices balances the desired attributes of a high availability (HA) control system and a safety control system. The system includes concurrent connections as a fault tolerant mechanism for industrial protocol connections at the transport layer. The concurrent connections establish multiple paths for redundancy from a data producer to a data consumer. Concurrent connections increase availability of the HA control and safety instrumented systems. More specifically, concurrent connections and architectural redundancies eliminate a single point of failure within the control system and further reduce safety connection timeouts during fault detection and/or recovery. Concurrent connections may be used to keep a HA system operational or to provide detection of a failure in a safety system. The industrial control network may be configured to function as a HA control system, as a safety control system, or with certain degrees of both HA and safety-related operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Stay, Anthony G. Gibart, Mark A. Flood, Chandresh R. Chaudhari, Chad J. Bohl, Sivaram Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 11221612
    Abstract: A system of communicating data over a high availability industrial control system is disclosed. The industrial control system includes a first data producer, a second data producer in communicative connection with the first data producer, a first data consumer, and a second data consumer in communicative connection with the first data consumer. The system further includes the first producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the first producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules, and the second producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the second producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules. Also disclosed is a method of communicating data over the high availability industrial control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Kendal R. Harris, Mark A. Flood, Kyle E. Neet, Scott A. Pierce, Anthony G. Gibart, Raymond R. Husted, David M. Fort, Chandresh R. Chaudhari, Jonathan D. Bradford
  • Publication number: 20210223761
    Abstract: A system of communicating data over a high availability industrial control system is disclosed. The industrial control system includes a first data producer, a second data producer in communicative connection with the first data producer, a first data consumer, and a second data consumer in communicative connection with the first data consumer. The system further includes the first producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the first producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules, and the second producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the second producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules. Also disclosed is a method of communicating data over the high availability industrial control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Patent number: 11022962
    Abstract: A high availability industrial automation system in disclosed. The system has a primary industrial automation controller, a secondary industrial automation controller, and a communication network connected to the primary industrial automation controller and the secondary industrial automation controller. The primary industrial automation controller includes a processor and a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions, a plurality of automation tasks, input/output (I/O) data, and internal storage data. The processor is operative to execute the plurality of instructions to cross load information from the primary industrial automation controller to the secondary industrial automation controller. The cross loading of information can be less than the maximum amount of communicable information capable of being cross loaded. Also disclosed are methods of communicating over the high availability industrial automation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Patent number: 10901399
    Abstract: A high availability industrial automation controller used in a high availability industrial automation system is disclosed. The controller includes instructions executable by a processor to receive information about a lost redundancy in the industrial automation system, change a first redundancy state and a second redundancy state associated with a first task and a second task, respectively, upon receiving the information, perform the first task and the second task. The performing the first/second task can include identifying the first/second redundancy state has been changed, modifying operation of the first/second task in response to the first/second redundancy state being changed, and resetting the first/second redundancy state. Also disclosed is a method of operating the industrial automation controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Publication number: 20200221718
    Abstract: A smoke generation pod for use in a smoke generation system includes an enclosure that has there within a material such as wood that is heated or ignited by a heating element housed within the smoke generation pod receiving energy from an induction coil. The smoke generation pod has an input vent for accepting air and an output vent for distributing smoke. The smoke is routed to an object such as a glass (with or without a liquid there within) for infusing the smoke into the liquid or onto the object. In some embodiments, the output vent has a filter and, some such filters also remove some or all carcinogens from the smoke that is emitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Patent number: 10638768
    Abstract: A smoke generation pod for use in a smoke generation system includes an enclosure that has there within a material such as wood that is heated or ignited by an igniter or arc housed within the smoke generation pod. The smoke generation pod has an input vent for accepting air and an output vent for distributing smoke. The smoke is routed to an object such as a glass (with or without a liquid there within) for infusing the smoke into the liquid or onto the object. In some embodiments, the output vent has a filter and, some such filters also remove some or all carcinogens from the smoke that is emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Publication number: 20200103861
    Abstract: A high availability industrial automation system in disclosed. The system has a primary industrial automation controller, a secondary industrial automation controller, and a communication network connected to the primary industrial automation controller and the secondary industrial automation controller. The primary industrial automation controller includes a processor and a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions, a plurality of automation tasks, input/output (I/O) data, and internal storage data. The processor is operative to execute the plurality of instructions to cross load information from the primary industrial automation controller to the secondary industrial automation controller. The cross loading of information can be less than the maximum amount of communicable information capable of being cross loaded. Also disclosed are methods of communicating over the high availability industrial automation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Publication number: 20200103860
    Abstract: A high availability industrial automation controller used in a high availability industrial automation system is disclosed. The controller includes instructions executable by a processor to receive information about a lost redundancy in the industrial automation system, change a first redundancy state and a second redundancy state associated with a first task and a second task, respectively, upon receiving the information, perform the first task and the second task. The performing the first/second task can include identifying the first/second redundancy state has been changed, modifying operation of the first/second task in response to the first/second redundancy state being changed, and resetting the first/second redundancy state. Also disclosed is a method of operating the industrial automation controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventor: Mark A. Flood
  • Publication number: 20200033840
    Abstract: A system of communicating data over a high availability industrial control system is disclosed. The industrial control system includes a first data producer, a second data producer in communicative connection with the first data producer, a first data consumer, and a second data consumer in communicative connection with the first data consumer. The system further includes the first producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the first producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules, and the second producer communicating the data over multiple connection paths from the second producer to the first consumer and the second consumer through intermediate modules. Also disclosed is a method of communicating data over the high availability industrial control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Kendal R. Harris, Mark A. Flood, Kyle E. Neet, Scott A. Pierce, Anthony G. Gibart, Raymond R. Husted, David M. Fort, Chandresh R. Chaudhari, Jonathan D. Bradford
  • Publication number: 20180139973
    Abstract: A smoke generation pod for use in a smoke generation system includes an enclosure that has there within a material such as wood that is heated or ignited by an igniter or arc housed within the smoke generation pod. The smoke generation pod has an input vent for accepting air and an output vent for distributing smoke. The smoke is routed to an object such as a glass (with or without a liquid there within) for infusing the smoke into the liquid or onto the object. In some embodiments, the output vent has a filter and, some such filters also remove some or all carcinogens from the smoke that is emitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Publication number: 20180139974
    Abstract: A hand-held smoke generation device includes a hand-held housing that has a receptacle for removably receiving a smoke generation pod. The receptacle has a first plurality of electrical contacts for mating with a second plurality of contacts on the smoke generation pod. A source of electrical power is contained within the hand-held housing and a switch selectively provides electrical power from the source of electrical power to the second plurality of contacts. Operation of the switch provides the electrical power and causes a material within the smoke generation pod to generate smoke. Another device within the hand-held housing pulls the smoke from the smoke generation pod and routes the smoke out of the hand-held housing (e.g. out of a tube or muzzle for directing into a container such as a glass).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Patent number: 9649342
    Abstract: Compositions and processes for the effective and efficient regeneration of spinal discs are provided. These compositions contain stem cells, donor cells, and platelet plasma compositions. By using these compositions, there is an increased likelihood of acceptance and proper cell differentiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Laser Spine Institute, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Publication number: 20150246077
    Abstract: Compositions and processes for the effective and efficient regeneration of spinal discs are provided. These compositions contain stem cells, donor cells, and platelet plasma compositions. By using these compositions, there is an increased likelihood of acceptance and proper cell differentiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: Laser Spine Institute, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Patent number: 9114190
    Abstract: Compositions and processes for the effective and efficient regeneration of spinal discs are provided. These compositions contain stem cells, donor cells, and platelet plasma compositions. By using these compositions, there is an increased likelihood of acceptance and proper cell differentiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Laser Spine Institute, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Publication number: 20140227240
    Abstract: Compositions and processes for the effective and efficient regeneration of spinal discs are provided. These compositions contain stem cells, donor cells, and platelet plasma compositions. By using these compositions, there is an increased likelihood of acceptance and proper cell differentiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Laser Spine Institute, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Flood
  • Patent number: D855882
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Inventor: Mark Flood