Patents by Inventor Michael A. Davis

Michael A. Davis 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: 12050166
    Abstract: A system for sensing the volume and/or viscosity of a slurry (e.g., like concrete) contained in a rotating container or drum, having a sensor and a signal processor. The sensor is configured to attach inside a rotating container or drum having a known geometry, sense angular positions of the sensor and also sense associated entry and exit points when the sensor enters and exits the slurry, including concrete, contained in the rotating container or drum, and provide signaling containing information about the angular positions and the associated entry and exit points. The signal processor receives the signaling, and determines corresponding signaling containing information about a volumetric amount, or a viscosity, or both, of the slurry in the rotating container or drum, based upon the signaling received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: CIDRA CONCRETE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, James Michael Sullivan, Paul Dolan, Michael A. Davis, David Vincent Newton, Charles Winston
  • Patent number: 12050213
    Abstract: A system features an acoustic sensor configured to mount on a wall of a mixing drum, sense an acoustic characteristic of a mixture of a slurry, including concrete, contained in a mixing drum when rotating, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic characteristic sensed; and a signal processor configured to receive the acoustic sensor signaling, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a slump characteristic of the mixture of concrete contained in the mixing drum, based upon the signaling received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: CIDRA CONCRETE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Davis, Douglas H. Loose, David Vincent Newton, Charles Winston, Alan D. Kersey
  • Patent number: 11726076
    Abstract: A system features an acoustic sensor configured to mount on a wall of a mixing drum, sense an acoustic characteristic of a mixture of a slurry, including concrete, contained in a mixing drum when rotating, and provide acoustic sensor signaling containing information about the acoustic characteristic sensed; and a signal processor configured to receive the acoustic sensor signaling, and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a slump characteristic of the mixture of concrete contained in the mixing drum, based upon the signaling received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: CIDRA CONCRETE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Davis, Douglas H. Loose, David Vincent Newton, Charles Winston, Alan D. Kersey
  • Patent number: 11579603
    Abstract: A particle size tracking system for providing predictive maintenance and battery tuning of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration, featuring a control having a signal processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about particle sizes of material flowing in pipes of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor may be configured to provide the corresponding signal as control signaling to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 11275056
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services Inc.
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 11275009
    Abstract: A system for sensing the volume and/or viscosity of a slurry (e.g., like concrete) contained in a rotating container or drum, having a sensor and a signal processor. The sensor is configured to attach inside a rotating container or drum having a known geometry, sense angular positions of the sensor and also sense associated entry and exit points when the sensor enters and exits the slurry, including concrete, contained in the rotating container or drum, and provide signaling containing information about the angular positions and the associated entry and exit points. The signal processor receives the signaling, and determines corresponding signaling containing information about a volumetric amount, or a viscosity, or both, of the slurry in the rotating container or drum, based upon the signaling received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services LLC
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, James Michael Sullivan, Paul Dolan, Michael A. Davis, David Vincent Newton, Charles Winston
  • Publication number: 20220034844
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 11125593
    Abstract: A system includes a learning network having a signal processor configured to: receive learned signaling containing information about representative samples of conditions related to operating states of a hydrocyclone and characterized as learned samples of each condition when the learning network is trained, and raw signaling containing information about raw samples containing information about the current operation of the hydrocyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about an operating state of the current operation of the hydrocyclone based upon a comparison of the learned signaling and the raw signaling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES LLC
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 11035826
    Abstract: The invention provides a signal processor that receives a signal containing information about an acoustic signal that is generated by at least one acoustic transmitter, that travels through an aerated fluid in a container, and that is received by at least one acoustic receiver arranged in relation to the container, including inside the container; and determines the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid based at least partly on the speed of sound measurement of the acoustic signal that travels through the aerated fluid in the container. The signal processor also sends an output signal containing information about the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid. The signal processor may be configured together with at least one acoustic transmitter, the at least one acoustic receiver, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark R. Fernald, Timothy J. Bailey, Douglas H. Loose, James M. Sullivan, John Biesak, Alan D. Kersey, Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 10814339
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a slurry flowing from incoming piping and entering hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration, featuring a signal processor that receives signaling containing information about respective individual cyclone control signaling x(i) for each individual cyclone being evaluated and controlled, median control signaling {tilde over (x)} of all of the respective individual cyclone control signaling x(i), a scale factor Ai and a number N of the individual cyclones being evaluated and controlled; and determine/provides primary control signaling C containing information to control the slurry flowing from the incoming piping and entering the hydrocyclones arranged in the battery configuration by taking the median control signaling {tilde over (x)} and adding a correction factor, where the correction factor is determined by taking a sum of a respective difference of each of the respective individual cyclone control signaling x(i) and the median control signaling {tilde over (x)}, applyi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Publication number: 20200124570
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 10502727
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring a signal processing module configured to receive signaling containing information about detected acoustic emissions related to ore being mined from a block cave in a block caving process, including falling ore that creates unique acoustic signatures; and determine information about the ore being mined from the block cave in the block caving process, based at least partly on the signaling received. The signal processing module may receive the signaling from an array of acoustic sensors placed around the block cave, including where the array of acoustic sensors surrounds the block cave in both vertical and horizontal directions. The signal processing module may provide corresponding signaling containing corresponding information about the ore being mined from the block cave in the block caving process, including where the corresponding information includes information about a distribution and size of the ore being mined from the block cave in the block caving process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services LLP
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 10245597
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring a first and second cells. The first cell receives an ore slurry having mineral particles of interest, receives unexpanded polymer microspheres comprising a surface having mineral collector chemistry attached thereto with molecules for attaching the mineral particles of interest, causes the unexpanded polymer microspheres to expand substantially in volume into expanded polymer microspheres having a substantially increased sphere surface area, and provides an expanded polymer microsphere foam layer comprising the expanded polymer microspheres with attached mineral particles of interest. The second cell receives the expanded polymer microsphere foam layer, and causes the expanded polymer microspheres to collapse substantially in volume into collapsed polymer microspheres having a substantially reduced sphere surface area that results in a mechanical shearing off of the attached mineral particles of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services Inc.
    Inventors: Francis K. Didden, Alan D. Kersey, Michael A. Davis, Paul J. Rothman, Mark R. Fernald, Christian V. O'Keefe, Douglas H. Adamson
  • Patent number: 10156547
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services Inc.
    Inventors: John Biesak, Douglas H. Loose, Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 9977007
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising a signal processing module configured with at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: receive signaling containing information about a stiffness of a concrete mixture; and determine an average bubble size of gas contained in the concrete mixture, based at least partly on the signaling received. The signal processing module may be configured to provide corresponding signaling containing information about the average bubble size of gas contained in the concrete mixture. The signal processing module may be configured to determine the pressure inside air bubbles and determine an average air bubble size of the gas contained in the concrete mixture, based at least partly on the pressure determined inside the air bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Patent number: 9880095
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique that uses discrete wavelengths of illumination of an ore sample, and through the use of optical filters and laser illumination the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement can be greatly improved, and may take the form of apparatus featuring a signal processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about a spectral reflectance caused by discrete wavelengths illuminating an ore sample; and determine information about a bitumen content of the ore sample based at least partly on the signaling. The signal processor may provide corresponding signaling containing information about the bitumen content of the ore sample, including for further processing, printing or displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Davis, Mark R. Fernald
  • Patent number: 9851201
    Abstract: New techniques are provided for measuring the thickness of a pipe wall using ultrasonic reflections. The apparatus includes a signal processor that receives a signal containing information about ultrasonic pulses injected into a pipe wall; and determines a pipe wall thickness measurement based at least partly on decomposing the signal received in order to identify either peaks using a cepstrum analysis or repeated spacing using a wavelet analysis. The wavelet analysis includes dividing data in the signal received into a specific frequency component and a defined temporal component in order to detect correct pulses where multiple reflections are caused by irregularities in the pipe wall surface being measured. The cepstrum analysis includes processing repeating pulses in the signal in order to detect correct pulses where multiple reflections are caused by irregularities in the pipe wall surface being measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: CiDRA CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Davis, Mark A. Foss
  • Patent number: 9839919
    Abstract: Apparatus is providing featuring a synthetic bead having a solid-phase body with a surface, and being configured with a predetermined electric charge so as to respond to a corresponding predetermined electric field; and a plurality of molecules attached to at least part of the surface, the molecules comprising a functional group selected for attracting and attaching one or more mineral particles of interest to the molecules. Some combination of the solid-phase body or the surface may be configured from a polymer. The polymer may be polyethylenimine. The polyethylenimine may be engineered or configured to be highly charged so as to be used to collect the mineral particles of interest and then manipulated through and by the corresponding predetermined electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES INC.
    Inventor: Michael A. Davis
  • Publication number: 20170262766
    Abstract: Techniques and a system are provided for a variable analysis system that learns from input variables. The variable analysis system may be used to determine how variables relate to other variables, to develop a tool used to predict outcomes for an entity based on other entities. The variable analysis system may employ grouping, so that multiple variables are considered as one input in a given model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Chung-Ting John Chao, Wei Di, Michael A. Davis, Xing Zhou, Yan Liu
  • Patent number: 9759556
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising a signal processor that receives signaling containing information about an acoustic signal swept and sensed over a frequency range in relation to a pipe; and determines information about the structure of the pipe based at least partly on two or more sub-frequency ranges that form part of the frequency range in the signaling received. The signal processor also receives the acoustic signal being transmitted to the pipe and corresponding signaling in the two or more sub-frequency ranges containing information about reflections of the acoustic signal back from the pipe; and determines information about the structure of the pipe based at least partly on a coherent mixing of the acoustic signal and the corresponding signaling in the two or more sub-frequency ranges using a coherent acoustic tomography technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Davis, Alan D. Kersey, John Viega