Patents by Inventor Patrick Lowery

Patrick Lowery 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: 20240085930
    Abstract: A hybrid flow ratio controller system is provided, which includes an inlet configured to receive a total inlet fluid flow and three or more distribution channels. Each of the three or more distribution channels has a respective variable flow control valve and carries a respective portion of the total inlet fluid flow. The hybrid flow ratio controller further includes a controller operatively coupled to the respective variable flow control valves. The controller is configured to control a flow rate of at least a first distribution channel according to a predetermined flow ratio of the inlet fluid flow in accordance with a flow ratio control mode, to control a flow of at least a second distribution channel in either a flow rate control mode or a pressure control mode, and to control a third distribution channel in an overflow mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Maximilian Martin Gundlach, Patrick Lowery, Tadahiro Yasuda
  • Patent number: 11860018
    Abstract: A rate-of-change flow measurement device is provided including first pressure sensor, a position control valve with a valve position sensor, a second sensor position and a chamber comprising a part of the flow path of the device, and an isolation valve, arranged in this order along the flow path of the device. The device receives valve position data from the valve position sensor and pressure data from the pressure sensors, and calculates a volume of the chamber at least in part using the valve position data when a calibration of a device-under-test is performed by decreasing a pressure of the chamber or increasing the pressure of the chamber while opening the position control valve to maintain the pressure reading of the first pressure sensor constant to stay at a pressure set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Hoke, Tyson Stephenson, Patrick Lowery
  • Patent number: 11789472
    Abstract: A gas delivery system is provided comprising an electrical backplane, a system controller operatively coupled to the electrical backplane, and a plurality of mass flow controllers. Each mass flow controller includes respective mass flow control circuitry operatively coupled to the electrical backplane. The system controller and each mass flow control circuitry are physically mounted on the electrical backplane. The gas delivery system further comprises a pump/purge system to help eliminate pressure build up in the system and provide a quick stop to a flow process in the system. Accordingly, a row associated with a flow process may be evaluated so that a mass flow controller may be swapped out as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Edward Cocciadiferro, John Dick, William W. White, Maximilian Gundlach, Patrick Lowery
  • Patent number: 11709080
    Abstract: A mass flow controller, including a block body having a flow path and a valve provided at least in part within the flow path. The mass flow controller may further include a valve position sensor, a first temperature sensor, a first pressure sensor located on an upstream side of the flow path from the valve, and a second pressure sensor located on a downstream side of the flow path from the valve. The mass flow controller may further include a processor configured to receive valve position data, first temperature data, first pressure data, and second pressure data. The processor may be further configured to estimate a flow rate of fluid in the flow path at least in part by applying a trained machine learning model to the valve position data, the first temperature data, the first pressure data, and the second pressure data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Edward Cocciadiferro, Patrick Lowery
  • Publication number: 20210223800
    Abstract: A gas delivery system is provided comprising an electrical backplane, a system controller operatively coupled to the electrical backplane, and a plurality of mass flow controllers. Each mass flow controller includes respective mass flow control circuitry operatively coupled to the electrical backplane. The system controller and each mass flow control circuitry are physically mounted on the electrical backplane. The gas delivery system further comprises a pump/purge system to help eliminate pressure build up in the system and provide a quick stop to a flow process in the system. Accordingly, a row associated with a flow process may be evaluated so that a mass flow controller may be swapped out as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Edward Cocciadiferro, John Dick, William W. White, Maximilian Gundlach, Patrick Lowery
  • Publication number: 20210199480
    Abstract: A mass flow controller, including a block body having a flow path and a valve provided at least in part within the flow path. The mass flow controller may further include a valve position sensor, a first temperature sensor, a first pressure sensor located on an upstream side of the flow path from the valve, and a second pressure sensor located on a downstream side of the flow path from the valve. The mass flow controller may further include a processor configured to receive valve position data, first temperature data, first pressure data, and second pressure data. The processor may be further configured to estimate a flow rate of fluid in the flow path at least in part by applying a trained machine learning model to the valve position data, the first temperature data, the first pressure data, and the second pressure data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Edward Cocciadiferro, Patrick Lowery
  • Patent number: 11036242
    Abstract: A calibration data generation apparatus includes a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a fluid control valve; a differential pressure control mechanism; a temperature control mechanism; and a control unit that when the fluid passing has sound velocity, uses the temperature control mechanism to change the temperature from a reference temperature to comparative temperature. In addition, the control unit includes a valve opening control part that controls the fluid control valve so that at the comparative temperature, an output value outputted from one of the position sensor and the flow rate sensor becomes equal to the reference output value of the one; and a calibration data generation part that generates the calibration data on the basis of a calibration data generation output value outputted from the other one of the position sensor and the flow rate sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Hoke, Patrick Lowery, Bill White, John Dick, Tadahiro Yasuda, Tomohiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10969019
    Abstract: Provided is a fluid control device that achieves high sealing performance at full closure, and can suppress damage to a valve body or a valve seat surface even without mechanical accuracy improvements. The fluid control device includes: a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and a control mechanism that controls the fluid control valve. The fluid control valve includes: a valve seat surface; a valve body that contacts and separates from the valve seat surface; and an actuator that drives the valve body. Further, the control mechanism includes a speed adjustment part that when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface in order to fully close the fluid control valve, and the valve seat surface and the valve body reach a predetermined distance apart, reduces the moving speed of the valve body more than before reaching the predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yasuda, Thomas Hoke, Ryan Owens, Maximilian Gundlach, Patrick Lowery, John Dick, Tomohiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10545514
    Abstract: Provided is a flow rate control apparatus that includes a flow restrictor, a downstream side valve, a downstream side pressure sensor, first and second flow rate calculators, and a flow rate controller. The downstream side valve is disposed downstream of the flow restrictor in a flow path. The downstream side pressure sensor measures a pressure between the flow restrictor and the downstream side valve. The first flow rate calculator calculates a first flow rate of fluid flowing through the flow restrictor. The second flow rate calculator calculates a second flow rate of fluid flowing out of the downstream side valve on the basis of the first flow rate and the temporal variation in downstream side pressure measured by the downstream side pressure sensor. The flow rate controller controls the downstream side valve on the basis of a set flow rate and the second flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yasuda, Bill White, Patrick Lowery, Maximilian Gundlach, Ryan Owens
  • Publication number: 20190196517
    Abstract: A calibration data generation apparatus includes a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a fluid control valve; a differential pressure control mechanism; a temperature control mechanism; and a control unit that when the fluid passing has sound velocity, uses the temperature control mechanism to change the temperature from a reference temperature to comparative temperature. In addition, the control unit includes a valve opening control part that controls the fluid control valve so that at the comparative temperature, an output value outputted from one of the position sensor and the flow rate sensor becomes equal to the reference output value of the one; and a calibration data generation part that generates the calibration data on the basis of a calibration data generation output value outputted from the other one of the position sensor and the flow rate sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas Hoke, Patrick Lowery, Bill White, John Dick, Tadahiro Yasuda, Tomohiro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20190033896
    Abstract: Provided is a flow rate control apparatus that includes a flow restrictor, a downstream side valve, a downstream side pressure sensor, first and second flow rate calculators, and a flow rate controller. The downstream side valve is disposed downstream of the flow restrictor in a flow path. The downstream side pressure sensor measures a pressure between the flow restrictor and the downstream side valve. The first flow rate calculator calculates a first flow rate of fluid flowing through the flow restrictor. The second flow rate calculator calculates a second flow rate of fluid flowing out of the downstream side valve on the basis of the first flow rate and the temporal variation in downstream side pressure measured by the downstream side pressure sensor. The flow rate controller controls the downstream side valve on the basis of a set flow rate and the second flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yasuda, Bill White, Patrick Lowery, Maximilian Gundlach, Ryan Owens
  • Publication number: 20180356845
    Abstract: Provided is a fluid control device that achieves high sealing performance at full closure, and can suppress damage to a valve body or a valve seat surface even without mechanical accuracy improvements. The fluid control device includes: a fluid control valve provided in a flow path through which fluid flows: and a control mechanism that controls the fluid control valve. The fluid control valve includes: a valve seat surface; a valve body that contacts and separates from the valve seat surface; and an actuator that drives the valve body. Further, the control mechanism includes a speed adjustment part that when the valve body is brought close to the valve seat surface in order to fully close the fluid control valve, and the valve seat surface and the valve body reach a predetermined distance apart, reduces the moving speed of the valve body more than before reaching the predetermined distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Tadahiro Yasuda, Thomas Hoke, Ryan Owens, Maximilian Gundlach, Patrick Lowery, John Dick, Tomohiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10055759
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for spend based targeting. In various embodiments, the system may transmit, to a third party system, a spend data file associating a first party cookie ID with spend data, as well as a first party cookie ID and/or a third party cookie ID to a web client. The web client may transmit the first party cookie ID and/or the third party cookie ID to the third party system, and the third party system may generate a look alike model for targeting advertisements to the web client based on the spend data file and clickstream data associated with the web client. In various embodiments, the third party system may match the third party cookie ID with the first party cookie ID in the spend data file, which may associate a customer with a segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: David Bonalle, Brian Bender, Mehmet E. Dedeoglu, Rajendra Rane, Tamara Odinec, Patrick Lowery
  • Publication number: 20170300975
    Abstract: A method includes tracking a location of a motor vehicle that has been registered with a vehicle communication system. Promotional offer information is received. The promotional offer information indicates a promotional offer identified based on a current location of the motor vehicle. The promotional offer information is pushed via the vehicle communication system to an information output device installed in the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Marianne Iannace, Patrick Lowery, Sheridan Benjamin Schechner, Prasad V Iyer, Lisa Helen Yates
  • Publication number: 20170262784
    Abstract: A mobile application is made available for download to a device associated with a mobile business. Data describing a varying location of the business (and including an ID) is obtained by exposing an API to the application over a wireless network. The varying location is tracked by the application interfacing with a GPS unit of the device. A database of payment card transactions is queried based on the ID to obtain payment card transaction data (amount and time stamp) for a plurality of transactions at the mobile business. A location is assigned to each of the transactions, based on matching the time stamps of each of the transactions with a corresponding location in the data, to obtain augmented transaction data; and an alert is sent to the mobile application based on the augmented transaction data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Patrick Lowery, Mary Ellen Kelleher, Nikhil Ledlie
  • Publication number: 20160055500
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for spend based targeting. In various embodiments, the system may transmit, to a third party system, a spend data file associating a first party cookie ID with spend data, as well as a first party cookie ID and/or a third party cookie ID to a web client. The web client may transmit the first party cookie ID and/or the third party cookie ID to the third party system, and the third party system may generate a look alike model for targeting advertisements to the web client based on the spend data file and clickstream data associated with the web client. In various embodiments, the third party system may match the third party cookie ID with the first party cookie ID in the spend data file, which may associate a customer with a segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: DAVID BONALLE, BRIAN BENDER, Mehmet E. Dedeoglu, Rajendra Rane, Tamara Odinec, Patrick Lowery
  • Publication number: 20070208208
    Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. Insulating lining may comprise one or more layers of a thermal insulating material, one or more layers of refractory material, or a combination thereof. The material to be treated may be heated by placing at least two electrodes in the material to be treated and passing a current between the electrodes, or alternatively, by placing at least one heating element in the material to be treated and passing heat into the material to be treated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Leo Thompson, Patrick Lowery, Steven Woosley
  • Publication number: 20070145321
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a diaphragm valve includes a valve body having a chamber in fluid communication with a first channel and a second channel. A diaphragm is disposed in the chamber, and a tapered seat member is at least partially disposed in the first channel. A sleeve is compressively disposed in the seat member between the seat member and the first channel to maintain a fluid tight seal between the seat member and the first channel. A valve member is movable to controllably urge the diaphragm into and out of engagement with the seat member to control flow of fluid between the first the first and second channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: CIRCOR International, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Lowery