Patents by Inventor Stephen M. Hess

Stephen M. Hess 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: 20240311547
    Abstract: A method for interpreting incident reports parses an incident report. The method determines abnormal condition scores, each abnormal condition score corresponding to at least one parsed word of the incident report. The method determines normal condition scores, each normal condition score corresponding to at least one parsed word of the incident report. The method generates a user interface having a visual representation of the incident report. The method marks a set of parsed words corresponding to a portion of the abnormal condition scores using a first visual indicator. The method marks another set of parsed words corresponding to a portion of normal condition scores using a second visual indicator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew P. Miller, Jonathan L. Hodges, Stephen M. Hess
  • Publication number: 20240310824
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an industrial facility divides an incident report into text portions. The method determines text confidence values to the text portions. The method determines a report characteristic including a non-textual data type for the incident report. The method trains a neural network model. The method inputs the text confidence values and the report characteristic into the neural network model. The method outputs a network confidence value from the neural network model in response to inputting the text confidence values and the report characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Hodges, Stephen M. Hess, Andrew P. Miller
  • Patent number: 6912911
    Abstract: An improved method of sensing strain allows measurements of stress, torque, vibration and other loads imposed on a body without physical contact between the body/sensor and the monitoring equipment. An induction loop is at least partially comprised of a magnetostrictive material with a non-linear current-voltage relationship. An excitation device such as a coil is used to induce an AC response in the sensor. The non-linear response to the induced current is received by a sensing device such as a sensing coil, and the output thereof is filtered. The excitation device and sensing device are located in operative proximity to the sensor, but need not be in contact therewith, allowing easy measurement in small spaces, under harsh conditions, or of moving bodies such as drive shafts. The non-linear response of the sensor induces easily detectable harmonics of the base frequency of excitation. These harmonics may advantageously be measured as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Inventors: Sung J. Oh, William J. Biter, Stephen M Hess
  • Patent number: 6899170
    Abstract: A thermal control device for controlling the temperature of a craft/spacecraft is an electrostatic switch causing a large change in apparent emissivity. A flexible covering has a high emissivity and makes close contact with the surface of the spacecraft when electrostatically attracted thereto, when the covering is out of contact, the spacecraft surface emissivity controls radiation. The device can operate with moderate levels of DC voltages. Application of voltage results in high emissivity while removal of voltage allows a separator to move the covering out of contact and thus results in low emissivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventors: William J. Biter, Sung J. Oh, Stephen M. Hess
  • Publication number: 20030200814
    Abstract: An improved method of sensing strain allows measurements of stress, torque, vibration and other loads imposed on a body without physical contact between the body/sensor and the monitoring equipment. An induction loop is at least partially comprised of a magnetostrictive material with a non-linear current-voltage relationship. An excitation device such as a coil is used to induce an AC response in the sensor. The non-linear response to the induced current is received by a sensing device such as a sensing coil, and the output thereof is filtered. The excitation device and sensing device are located in operative proximity to the sensor, but need not be in contact therewith, allowing easy measurement in small spaces, under harsh conditions, or of moving bodies such as drive shafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Sung J. Oh, William J. Biter, Stephen M. Hess
  • Patent number: 6584856
    Abstract: A method of sensing strain in a material includes the steps of embedding in a material at least one wire formed of a conductive core and a magnetoelastic film coated around the conductive core and having a known level of saturation, interconnecting an input lead to one end portion of the wire and an output lead to another end portion of the wire, inputting an electrical current in the wire through the input lead so as to drive the magnetoelastic film of the wire to saturation such that the electrical impedance is sensitive to changes in strain in the material, and outputting an electrical signal from the output lead being proportional to a strain imposed on the material surrounding the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Inventors: William J. Biter, Sung J. Oh, Stephen M. Hess
  • Publication number: 20030089484
    Abstract: A thermal control device for controlling the temperature of a craft/spacecraft by means of an electrostatic switch to change the mode of heat transfer of the craft/spacecraft skin from conduction to radiation. The change is by means of a large change in apparent emissivity. The device can operate with moderate levels of DC voltages. Application of voltage results in high emissivity while removal of voltage results in low emissivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: William J. Biter, Sung J. Oh, Stephen M. Hess