Patents by Inventor Peter M. Willis
Peter M. Willis 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).
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Publication number: 20240073567Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, systems, devices, components, and methods for providing first data to a first waveguide device via a first medium of a first assembly, wherein the first waveguide device incorporates the first data as part of a first electromagnetic wave that is guided by, and propagates along, a first transmission medium coupled to the first waveguide device without requiring an electrical return path, and providing the first data, second data, or a combination thereof, to a second waveguide device via a first medium of a second assembly, wherein the second waveguide device incorporates the first data, the second data, or the combination thereof as part of a second electromagnetic wave that is guided by, and propagates along, a second transmission medium coupled to the second waveguide device without requiring the electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2022Publication date: February 29, 2024Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Donald J. Barnickel, Robert Bennett, Irwin Gerszberg, Farhad Barzegar, Thomas M. Willis, III, Peter Wolniansky
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Patent number: 11899032Abstract: A device is provided for use in analytical instrumentation that provides continuous transfer of a known molar quantity of gas from a source having an unknown gas mixture and varying pressure. In addition to the upstream and downstream paths of typical flow control devices, the device has a midstream path to introduce a carrier gas at a known elevated pressure. The device has at least three equal-volume ballast vessels and a valve arrangement to cycle the ballasts through at least three states: fill, equilibrate, and empty. The ballasts fill with the upstream gas, pressurize and equilibrate at the midstream pressure, and empty to the downstream path. The cycle of each ballast is timed in phased relationship to the other ballasts to keep the flow relatively uninterrupted; as one fills, another equilibrates, and another empties.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Bradley R. Rush
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Patent number: 11726010Abstract: A rotary dosing device for use in analytical instrumentation quickly transfers a sequence of precise molar quantities of gas from a primary stream into a secondary stream. The device has a rotating chamber with dosing ports that cycle through three states: fill, equilibrate, and transfer. The device cycles in an overlapping manner such that as one dose volume fills with gas from the primary stream, another equilibrates at a known pressure and temperature, and another transfers its contents to the secondary stream. The device initiates its operation so that the first transfer in a sequence is a properly filled and equilibrated dose from the primary stream. Rather than cycling a single dose volume through the three states multiple times, the overlapping operation of the rotary doser enables multiple precise molar quantities of gas to be transferred in one-third the time.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Bradley R. Rush
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Publication number: 20210382082Abstract: A device is provided for use in analytical instrumentation that provides continuous transfer of a known molar quantity of gas from a source having an unknown gas mixture and varying pressure. In addition to the upstream and downstream paths of typical flow control devices, the device has a midstream path to introduce a carrier gas at a known elevated pressure. The device has at least three equal-volume ballast vessels and a valve arrangement to cycle the ballasts through at least three states: fill, equilibrate, and empty. The ballasts fill with the upstream gas, pressurize and equilibrate at the midstream pressure, and empty to the downstream path. The cycle of each ballast is timed in phased relationship to the other ballasts to keep the flow relatively uninterrupted; as one fills, another equilibrates, and another empties.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Peter M. Willis, Bradley R. Rush
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Publication number: 20210372888Abstract: A rotary dosing device for use in analytical instrumentation quickly transfers a sequence of precise molar quantities of gas from a primary stream into a secondary stream. The device has a rotating chamber with dosing ports that cycle through three states: fill, equilibrate, and transfer. The device cycles in an overlapping manner such that as one dose volume fills with gas from the primary stream, another equilibrates at a known pressure and temperature, and another transfers its contents to the secondary stream. The device initiates its operation so that the first transfer in a sequence is a properly filled and equilibrated dose from the primary stream. Rather than cycling a single dose volume through the three states multiple times, the overlapping operation of the rotary doser enables multiple precise molar quantities of gas to be transferred in one-third the time.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Peter M. Willis, Bradley R. Rush
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Patent number: 9435758Abstract: An analyzer with a combustion furnace includes a flow path of byproducts of combustion coupled to a bidirectional ballast chamber by valves which are sequentially actuated for alternately filling and exhausting byproducts of combustion from opposite sides of the chamber during combustion. Alternately, a plurality of low volume ballast chambers are employed. A method of determining the concentration of elements in a sample includes the steps of combusting a sample; and alternately collecting and exhausting the byproduct gases of combustion in opposite sides of a bidirectional ballast. The bidirectional ballast chamber has an outer wall defining a chamber with sealed enclosures at opposite ends of the wall, a movable piston positioned within the chamber, and gas ports associated with the chamber on opposite sides of the piston.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Leco CorporationInventor: Peter M. Willis
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Patent number: 9243954Abstract: A pulse-width-modulated voltage is applied to an IR emitter during the on-time of a primary drive voltage having a frequency of about 2.5 Hz in order to control the power to a predetermined desired level. The secondary modulation is at about 800 Hz. The lower response time of the emitter will, in effect, filter the higher frequency, and it will appear that an average power is being applied to the emitter during the on-time.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Joshua Allen Slavens
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Patent number: 9082597Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The spectra processing module generates spectra from the processed signals and supplies the generated spectra to an external processor for post-processing. The spectra processing module may include an ion statistics filter and/or a peak histogram filtering circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2011Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: LECO CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Publication number: 20130023057Abstract: An analyzer with a combustion furnace includes a flow path of byproducts of combustion coupled to a bidirectional ballast chamber by valves which are sequentially actuated for alternately filling and exhausting byproducts of combustion from opposite sides of the chamber during combustion. Alternately, a plurality of low volume ballast chambers are employed. A method of determining the concentration of elements in a sample includes the steps of combusting a sample; and alternately collecting and exhausting the byproduct gases of combustion in opposite sides of a bidirectional ballast. The bidirectional ballast chamber has an outer wall defining a chamber with sealed enclosures at opposite ends of the wall, a movable piston positioned within the chamber, and gas ports associated with the chamber on opposite sides of the piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2012Publication date: January 24, 2013Applicant: Leco CorporationInventor: Peter M. Willis
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Publication number: 20120228502Abstract: A pulse-width-modulated voltage is applied to an IR emitter during the on-time of a primary drive voltage having a frequency of about 2.5 Hz in order to control the power to a predetermined desired level. The secondary modulation is at about 800 Hz. The lower response time of the emitter will, in effect, filter the higher frequency, and it will appear that an average power is being applied to the emitter during the on-time.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Joshua Allen Slavens
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Publication number: 20110284736Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The spectra processing module generates spectra from the processed signals and supplies the generated spectra to an external processor for post-processing. The spectra processing module may include an ion statistics filter and/or a peak histogram filtering circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Inventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Patent number: 8063360Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The spectra processing module generates spectra from the processed signals and supplies the generated spectra to an external processor for post-processing. The spectra processing module may include one or more of: a cross-spectra filter for filtering data in each spectra as a function of data in at least one prior spectra; a shaping filter for removing skew and shoulders from the processed signals; a sharpening filter for sharpening the peaks of the processed signals to effectively deconvolve and separate overlapping peaks; an ion statistics filter; and a peak histogram filtering circuit.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2008Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Patent number: 8017907Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector and a processing circuit. The processing circuit may include an initial processing module and a spectra processing module. According to one embodiment, the spectra processing module generates stick spectra and supplies the stick spectra to an external processor. The stick spectra comprise a peak intensity, resolution, and a location in the spectra for each detected peak. The stick spectra may be generated in real time.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2008Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Patent number: 7884319Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial/transient processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial/transient processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The transient processing module may contiguously sample the ion detection signals at a rate of at least 1.5 GHz. The spectra processing module may generate spectra from the transients at a rate of at least 50 spectra per second. The initial processing module may be configured to have a sensitivity that is sufficient to detect a single ion received within one of over at least 100 transients and to detect and quantify a number of ions simultaneously striking said ion detector up to at least 10 simultaneously striking ions.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark A. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Patent number: 7825373Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for receiving, sampling, and processing ion detection signals received from the ion detector, and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The initial processing module includes a horizontal accumulation circuit that combines a fractional number of adjacent samples of the ion detection signals into bins. The number of adjacent samples to combine into bins may vary as a function of: (1) the time of arrival at the ion detector corresponding to that sample; (2) the mass corresponding to that sample; (3) the resolution corresponding to that sample; and/or (4) an operational mode of the spectrometer. The spectra processing module receives the processed signals and generates spectra.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2008Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Publication number: 20090090861Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial/transient processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial/transient processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The transient processing module may contiguously sample the ion detection signals at a rate of at least 1.5 GHz. The spectra processing module may generate spectra from the transients at a rate of at least 50 spectra per second. The initial processing module may be configured to have a sensitivity that is sufficient to detect a single ion received within one of over at least 100 transients and to detect and quantify a number of ions simultaneously striking said ion detector up to at least 10 simultaneously striking ions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Applicant: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Publication number: 20090072134Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for processing the ion detection signals and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The spectra processing module generates spectra from the processed signals and supplies the generated spectra to an external processor for post-processing. The spectra processing module may include one or more of: a cross-spectra filter for filtering data in each spectra as a function of data in at least one prior spectra; a shaping filter for removing skew and shoulders from the processed signals; a sharpening filter for sharpening the peaks of the processed signals to effectively deconvolve and separate overlapping peaks; an ion statistics filter; and a peak histogram filtering circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Patent number: 7501621Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector and a processing circuit. The processing circuit may include an initial processing module and a spectra processing module. According to one embodiment, the spectra processing module generates stick spectra and supplies the stick spectra to an external processor. The stick spectra comprise a peak intensity, resolution, and a location in the spectra for each detected peak. The initial processing module may contiguously sample the ion detection signals at a rate matched to the capabilities of the ion detector (up to at least 1.5 GHz) over a full spectral range. The spectra processing module may receive the processed signals and generate spectra from the processed signals at a rate matched to the time response of the separation techniques (up to 200 spectra/second).Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2007Date of Patent: March 10, 2009Assignee: Leco CorporationInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Publication number: 20090014643Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector and a processing circuit. The processing circuit may include an initial processing module and a spectra processing module. According to one embodiment, the spectra processing module generates stick spectra and supplies the stick spectra to an external processor. The stick spectra comprise a peak intensity, resolution, and a location in the spectra for each detected peak. The stick spectra may be generated in real time.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2008Publication date: January 15, 2009Inventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz
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Publication number: 20090014642Abstract: A data acquisition system and method are described that may be used with various spectrometers. The data acquisition system may include an ion detector, an initial processing module, and a spectra processing module. The initial processing module is provided for receiving, sampling, and processing ion detection signals received from the ion detector, and for supplying processed signals to the spectra processing module. The initial processing module includes a horizontal accumulation circuit that combines a fractional number of adjacent samples of the ion detection signals into bins. The number of adjacent samples to combine into bins may vary as a function of: (1) the time of arrival at the ion detector corresponding to that sample; (2) the mass corresponding to that sample; (3) the resolution corresponding to that sample; and/or (4) an operational mode of the spectrometer. The spectra processing module receives the processed signals and generates spectra.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2008Publication date: January 15, 2009Applicant: LECO CORPORATIONInventors: Peter M. Willis, Michael C. Mason, Mark R. Wheeler, Viatcheslav B. Artaev, Julie R. Pitz