Patents by Inventor Michael A. Benjamin

Michael A. Benjamin 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: 20220364510
    Abstract: A turbofan gas turbine engine configured to reduce hotspots within combustors. The engine includes an axis and a combustor that is circumferentially disposed about the axis. The combustor includes an annular combustor liner that includes a front portion and a rear portion. The annular combustor liner is joined to an annular combustor dome via front portion and defines a chamber and a nozzle is mounted within the annular combustor dome and is configured to inject fuel into a plurality of swirlers. At least one or more dilution openings is circumferentially distributed around the liner such that a region is fluidly connected through the annular combustor liner to the chamber. Each one of the pluralities of dilution openings includes an opening and a radial support wall that is positioned aft of the opening such that the radial support wall extends into the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Gurunath Gandikota, Varun Lakshmanan, Perumallu Vukanti, Allen M. Danis, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11493036
    Abstract: A variable displacement vane pump is described. The pump includes a control chamber provided between a housing and a control slide. A pressure-controlled relief valve is in fluid communication with the outlet path and moves to block or unblock a relief port based on output pressure of the lubricant. A feedback channel fluidly connects the control chamber to an inlet path of the pump. The feedback channel further connects to a control port that is connected to a main control valve. The relief valve and control valve are distinct and not fluidly connected. The relief valve moves once the pressure in the outlet path exceeds a predetermined amount, opening the relief port, and thus delivers a portion of the output lubricant to the control chamber via the relief port, thereby pressurizing the control chamber and reducing eccentricity of the pump by displacing the control slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Stackpole International Engineered Products, Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Morton, Matthew Tyler Hughes, Theresa Kam Lun Chan, Michael Benjamin Sy
  • Publication number: 20220349581
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for spraying fuel in an augmented gas turbine engine. The embodiments may include a spray bar with a fuel injection aperture configured to inject a fuel jet into a fuel conduit; the fuel conduit having a fuel window to discharge the fuel jet into a core exhaust flow of an augmented gas turbine engine; a first channel directing a first air stream into the fuel conduit; and a second channel directing a second air stream into the fuel conduit. The first air stream and the second air stream cooperatively shape the fuel jet coming out of the fuel window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Brett A. Rich, Michael A. Benjamin, Nicholas R. Overman, Aaron J. Glaser
  • Patent number: 11486262
    Abstract: An engine may include an integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly, a diffuser, and a bleed port. The integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly fluidly coupled between the diffuser and the bleed port. The integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly is configured to flow a boundary layer flow from the diffuser to the bleed port. A baffle hole may be included in the integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly such that the assembly may function to dampen acoustic instabilities in the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Wickersham, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise
  • Patent number: 11488139
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for authentication depending on device capabilities and user requests based on situational information collected in advance of a device becoming non-operational. A user may wish to utilize some device process, such as access and use of a device application or other module. For example, a user may wish to utilize a payment application of the communication device, or authenticate the user using a service provider accessible through the communication device. If the communication device becomes non-operational (e.g., lack of power or signal strength), the user may be prevented from authenticating through the communication device. Thus, the user may establish a limited use authentication credential from situational data to the user and device (e.g., location or current image) that allows the user to authenticate with the service provider. The authentication credential may be limited to a location, amount, and/or type of authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventors: Billy Henry Runyan, Marty Jorgensen, Mohammad Zunaid Siddique, Rahul Nair, Eduardo Batlle, Michael Benjamin Bowman, Rashmi Singh Prakash
  • Publication number: 20220333781
    Abstract: A mixing assembly for a combustor includes: a pilot mixer including a pilot housing extending along a mixer centerline and a pilot fuel nozzle; a main mixer surrounding the pilot mixer; a fuel manifold between the pilot and main mixers; a mixer foot extending from a main housing of the main mixer; a main swirler body surrounding the main housing defining a mixing channel between the main housing and the main swirler body; and a main fuel ring in the mixing channel connected to the main housing by main fuel vanes, at least one of the main fuel ring and main fuel vanes including fuel injection ports for discharging fuel into the mixing channel, wherein the fuel injection ports are disposed non-uniformly relative to the mixer centerline, so as to produce a static pressure difference therebetween in response to mixer air flow passing around the main fuel ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Hari Ravi Chandra, Jayanth Sekar, Gurunath Gandikota, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11461385
    Abstract: An exemplary onsite photo management server located at an event provides a wireless network to couple the server with a network-enabled camera used by a photographer, as well as with a photo kiosk device and a photo printing device located at the event for use by event attendees during the event. The server automatically retrieves, in real time as the photographer photographs the event, photographic content captured by the network-enabled camera. The server also automatically stores the photographic content in accordance with a predefined organizational structure associated with the event. The server provides the photographic content to the photo kiosk device to allow the event attendees to browse, in accordance with the predefined organizational structure, photos captured at the event by the photographer. The server also, on request from an event attendee, provides the photographic content to the photo printing device for printing. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: 40 North Labs LLC
    Inventors: Michael Benjamin Crosby, Richard M. McEwen
  • Publication number: 20220307428
    Abstract: A fuel leak detection system for hydrogen fuel system including a monitored component. The fuel leak detection system including a sensor and controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The sensor is positioned to monitor at least a portion of the monitored component. The sensor is configured (i) to sense a parameter corresponding to a hydrogen fuel leak of the monitored component and (ii) to generate an output. The controller is configured (i) to receive the output of the sensor, (ii) to determine, based on the output of the sensor, if a leak has occurred in the monitored component, and (iii) to generate an output indicating a fuel system leak when the controller determines that the leak has occurred in the monitored component. The monitored component may be a component of one of a fuel tank, a power generator, and a fuel delivery assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Arthur W. Sibbach, Paul Burchell Glaser, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20220307421
    Abstract: A fuel system for a power generator using hydrogen fuel and a method of recovering a safety marker added to the hydrogen fuel. The hydrogen fuel may be stored in a tank and delivered, in at least one of a gaseous phase and a supercritical phase, to a power generator. The hydrogen fuel is delivered with a fuel delivery assembly and contains at least one safety marker when the fuel is in the fuel delivery assembly. The at least one safety marker is separated from the hydrogen fuel, using, for example, a separator. The at least one safety marker separated from the hydrogen fuel is stored in a safety marker storage tank. The safety marker may be a visual safety marker, such as a noble gas, or an odorant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Arthur W. Sibbach, Michael A. Benjamin, Paul Burchell Glaser
  • Publication number: 20220306310
    Abstract: A hydrogen fuel including a safety marker and a method and apparatus for adding the safety marker to the hydrogen fuel. The hydrogen fuel may be stored in a tank in a liquid phase and then heated to at least one of a gaseous phase and a supercritical phase. The safety marker may be added to the hydrogen fuel when the hydrogen fuel is in the at least one of the gaseous phase and the supercritical phase after heating the hydrogen fuel. The hydrogen fuel may be delivered in the at least one of the gaseous phase and the supercritical phase to a power generator, such as a gas turbine engine. The safety marker may be a visual safety marker, such as a noble gas, or an odorant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Arthur W. Sibbach, Michael A. Benjamin, Paul Burchell Glaser
  • Publication number: 20220294790
    Abstract: Methods of filtering comprise aggregating a plurality of filter rulesets to produce an active aggregated filter ruleset (FA) having FA lists of allowed and blocked platforms, and processing a platform access request through the FA. The processing includes blocking the request if the requested platform is in the FA list of blocked platforms and allowing the request if the requested platform is in the FA list of allowed platforms. Methods of aggregating filter rulesets include combining a lowest priority filter ruleset (F1) with a second lowest priority filter ruleset (F2), which includes removing any platforms of an F1 list of blocked platforms from an F1 list of allowed platforms, adding an F2 list of allowed platforms to the F1 list of allowed platforms, removing any platforms of the F2 list of allowed platforms from the F1 list of blocked platforms, and adding the F1 and F2 lists of blocked platforms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Marco Angelo Suson, Michael Benjamin Higgins, Nathan Victor Bak
  • Publication number: 20220282627
    Abstract: An engine may include an integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly, a diffuser, and a bleed port. The integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly fluidly coupled between the diffuser and the bleed port. The integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly is configured to flow a boundary layer flow from the diffuser to the bleed port. A baffle hole may be included in the integrated diffuser-bleed baffle assembly such that the assembly may function to dampen acoustic instabilities in the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew Wickersham, Michael A. Benjamin, Steven C. Vise
  • Patent number: 11421885
    Abstract: A System for Aerodynamic Premixer for Reduced Emissions comprising a premixer is generally cylindrical in form and defined by the relationship in physical space between a first ring, a second ring, and a plurality of radial vanes. The first and second rings are found to be generally equidistant, one from the other, at all points along their facing surfaces. Radial vanes connect the first ring to the second ring and thereby form the premixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11421884
    Abstract: A System for Aerodynamic Premixer for Reduced Emissions comprising a premixer is generally cylindrical in form and defined by the relationship in physical space between a first ring, a second ring, and a plurality of radial vanes. The first and second rings are found to be generally equidistant, one from the other, at all points along their facing surfaces. Radial vanes connect the first ring to the second ring and thereby form the premixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11408610
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for spraying fuel in an augmented gas turbine engine. The embodiments may include a spray bar with a fuel injection aperture to inject a fuel jet into a fuel conduit; the fuel conduit having a fuel window to discharge the fuel jet into a core exhaust flow of an augmented gas turbine engine; a first airflow conduit having a first orifice to discharge a first air stream into the core exhaust flow; and a second airflow conduit having a second orifice to discharge a second air stream into the core exhaust flow. The first orifice and the second orifice may be paired with the fuel window to cooperatively shape the fuel jet coming out of the fuel window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brett A. Rich, Michael A. Benjamin, Nicholas R. Overman, Aaron J. Glaser
  • Publication number: 20220243915
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for spraying fuel in an augmented gas turbine engine. The embodiments may include a spray bar with a fuel injection aperture to inject a fuel jet into a fuel conduit; the fuel conduit having a fuel window to discharge the fuel jet into a core exhaust flow of an augmented gas turbine engine; a first airflow conduit having a first orifice to discharge a first air stream into the core exhaust flow; and a second airflow conduit having a second orifice to discharge a second air stream into the core exhaust flow. The first orifice and the second orifice may be paired with the fuel window to cooperatively shape the fuel jet coming out of the fuel window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Brett A. Rich, Michael A. Benjamin, Nicholas R. Overman, Aaron J. Glaser
  • Publication number: 20220234447
    Abstract: A vehicle interior system having a first frame having a first end and a second end and a second frame having a third end and a fourth end. The third end of the second frame is arranged proximal to the second end of the first frame, and the first frame and the second frame define a bending axis between the second end and the third end. A continuous cover material is bonded to the first and second frame and across the bending axis. The vehicle interior system also includes a first display device positioned in a first aperture of the first frame. The system has a first configuration in which the first frame is planar with the second frame and a second configuration in which the first frame is not planar with the second frame. The system is configured to reversibly transition between the first and second configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Michael Benjamin, Wesley J Buth, Scott Steven Cronk, Atul Kumar, Khaled Layouni, Jason Scott Stewart, Po Ki Yuen
  • Publication number: 20220210124
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for providing enhanced security in edge computing environments. A first aspect describes a method for moving security features dynamically applied to an application at a first deployment location to an application at a second deployment location. A second aspect describes a method for locally expanding/contracting an instance of a deployed application. A third aspect describes a method for redirected network traffic associated with detected malicious conduct from a first application deployment environment to a secured second application deployment environment. A fourth aspect describes a method for performing multi-stage network traffic filtering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Smith, Michael Benjamin, Peter Brecl
  • Patent number: D964335
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Sawyer Isaac Cohen, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, David A. Pakula, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Ashutosh Y. Shukla, Ian Spraggs, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Michael Benjamin Wittenberg, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D965902
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fusion Packaging I, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Benjamin Seibert, Alexander Lee Kwapis, Daniel M. Dominski, Nils Ernst Alfons Siegel