Mechanical Control System Patents (Class 700/275)
  • Patent number: 10253564
    Abstract: Intelligent building control systems utilize sky information from a camera or cameras to facilitate control of building systems such as lighting, motorized window coverings, electrochromic glazings, HVAC systems, and so forth. In this manner, energy efficiency and occupant comfort and convenience are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: MechoShade Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen P. Hebeisen, Alex Greenspan, Joel Berman
  • Patent number: 10253780
    Abstract: A fan control apparatus is provided for the computer equipment including a fan, a temperature sensor, and a device module (e.g. an add-in card) mounting at least two devices aligned along an air flow. The fan control apparatus determines a revolving speed of the fan for cooling each device based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of each device. In addition, the fan control apparatus estimates an inlet temperature of a second device, which is disposed in the downstream side of a first device among at least two devices, based on an inlet temperature and a usage rate of the first device. Thus, it is possible to control the fan to cause an adequate amount of cooling air for cooling devices mounted on the device module installed in the computer equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: NEC PLATFORMS, LTD
    Inventor: Hideo Iwama
  • Patent number: 10248095
    Abstract: A numerical control device includes a multicore CPU for outputting a position command value of a servomotor, an ASIC including a servo controller, which outputs a current command value to an amplifier for driving the servomotor, and another processor, and a DSP for reading the position command value and controlling the servomotor such that the servomotor moves to a position indicated by the position command value. The CPU and the ASIC are connected through a plurality of serial interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Hada, Yoshito Miyazaki, Takaaki Komatsu, Akira Koizumi
  • Patent number: 10241747
    Abstract: Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The methods include, for instance: obtaining data relevant to an activity from one or more device in an environment. For the activity presently ongoing, a context of the activity is analyzed and one or more noise control handle for the activity is generated based on the context of the activity. One or more operation specified in the one or more noise control handle is performed to prevent a noise louder than a noise tolerance level for the activity in a boundary of the activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, John M. Ganci, Jr., Martin G. Keen, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 10237941
    Abstract: The current subject matter relates to a lighting device that can be installed in an already existing fixture in a structure. The lighting device can include a light emitting diode (LED) lighting segment and a fluorescent lighting segment. The LED lighting segment can include a LED lighting source, and the fluorescent lighting segment can include a fluorescent lighting source. The LED lighting source can be activated. Motion sensors and/or occupancy sensors can detect motion and/or occupancy of an occupant in the structure. If there is motion or if the occupancy is more than a predetermined threshold, the fluorescent lighting source can be activated. After each regular interval of time, the detection of motion or occupancy can be re-performed. If there is no detection of motion and/or occupancy, the fluorescent lighting source can be deactivated, after a period of time. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Inventor: Richard d. Ashoff
  • Patent number: 10234189
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments, a plurality of cooling units to cool the plurality of storage compartments, a temperature sensing unit to sense temperatures of the plurality of storage compartments, a drive unit to drive the plurality of cooling units, and a controller to control the drive unit to drive the cooling unit that satisfies a predetermined driving condition. If at least one cooling unit among the plurality of cooling units is being driven, the controller delays driving the other cooling unit even if the other cooling unit satisfies the driving condition. The refrigerator minimizes simultaneous driving a plurality of compressors, which may prevent generation of noise and vibration, as well as excessive power consumption, due to driving the plurality of compressors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Cho, Woo Sung Kim
  • Patent number: 10226161
    Abstract: A lifting device for a holder for items to be washed of a water-bearing domestic appliance includes a driving apparatus configured to generate a supporting force to assist a manual movement of the holder into a washing container of the water-bearing domestic appliance as the holder is lowered and to generate a supporting force to assist a manual movement of the holder out of the washing container as the holder is raised. The driving apparatus is activated by a control apparatus so as to generate the supporting force during the manual movement of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignees: BSH Home Appliances Corporation, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Gerstner, Marco Gleixner, Franz Kiechle
  • Patent number: 10221991
    Abstract: Disclosed is a display apparatus including: a display configured to be swiveled; a stand configured to support the display; a driver configured to swivel the display with respect to the stand; a swiveling indicator provided within a predetermined swiveling range of the display and shaped to show a swiveling indication value corresponding to a swiveled angle of the display; a sensor configured to sense the swiveling indication value of the swiveling indicator corresponding to the swiveled angle of the display; and a controller configured to determine the swiveled angle of the display based on the swiveling indication value sensed by the sensor and to provide at least one function supported by the display apparatus in accordance with the determined swiveled angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-woo Lee, Sang-won Kim
  • Patent number: 10214403
    Abstract: Wireless portable vehicle lift system incorporating one or more enhanced communication and/or control features. The lift system can incorporate enhanced touch screen-enabled functionalities and/or enhanced wireless communication features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry M. Jaipaul, John E. Fagan, David Dwight Sandmann, William R. Keck, Jr., Stephen J. Rucker, Ralph S. McKee
  • Patent number: 10186751
    Abstract: A patient support has two support parts which can be coupled to one another and which are pivotable relative to one another to exchange data between the two support parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: BERCHTOLD GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Udo Tockweiler
  • Patent number: 10187145
    Abstract: A communication system includes a light source to generate light; a broadband light transmitter control electronics to modulate a light signal and provide broadband optical data transmission network using the light source; a broadband light receiver control electronics to demodulate a received light signal from the broadband optical data transmission network; and a wired network transceiver coupled to the light transmitter/receiver to receive and transmit data between the optical data transmission network and a wired circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Inventor: Bao Tran
  • Patent number: 10168681
    Abstract: The invention teaches a system and method for reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings. The invention provides development of certain mechanical cooling profiles and use of such profiles in an automated optimization method. Outputs communicate with the building management system of the commercial building, and regulate the cooling system during a season when the building activates the cooling system. Various embodiments are taught.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventor: Patrick Andrew Shiel
  • Patent number: 10171262
    Abstract: A method for provisioning and configuring room automation components of a building automation system during an installation and configuration phase, wherein a configuration unit is used for the provisioning and configuring the room automation components, each room automation component is assigned a unique during the installation, a temporary address and a unique recognition code is defined for each room automation component and for an associated, temporary address, which is transferred to the respective room automation component, where a configuration mode is activated, during which the respective recognition code is issued by the respective room automation component. After successful identification and association with the respective associated, temporary address, each identified room automation component is indicated optically on the mobile unit and is selectable in a simple manner for further configuration, whereby the outlay in time is reduced and the flexibility during the installation is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Lukas Krammer, Daniel Lechner
  • Patent number: 10172219
    Abstract: A networked lighting control system includes a variety of lighting control devices, including intelligent luminaires, standalone intelligent control nodes, plug load controllers, and power packs that communicate over a wireless control network and a commissioning network. Each lighting control device includes a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system. The dual-band wireless radio communication interface system is configured for unicast and multicast communication over a first of two different wireless communication bands as well as point-to-point communication over a second wireless communication band. The standalone intelligence control node can be a wall switch or detector. Commissioning and provisioning of the lighting control system is performed over the second communication band via communications with a mobile device and lighting controls are carried out over the first communication band. The lighting control devices may be divided into light control groups or zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Larry D. Turvy, Jr., John W. Scrimgeour, Tyler B. Fultz, John Peter Roquemore, III
  • Patent number: 10159624
    Abstract: A method and a control panel are described for facilitating the control of a bathing unit system so that the bathing unit system is caused to transition between operating in accordance with a first operational mode to operating in accordance with a second operational mode. A control signal is generated in response to a unitary user input event performed by a user at a control panel of the bathing unit system, the control signal conveying an ambiance activation command associated with a specific ambience setting, the generation of the control signal comprising selecting the specific ambience setting from a set of ambience settings stored in a memory device. The control signal is then transmitted from the control panel to the controller over a communication link where it is processed to cause the bathing unit system to transition from being in the rest mode to operating in accordance with the specific ambience setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: GECKO ALLIANCE GROUP INC.
    Inventors: Benoit Laflamme, Christian Brochu
  • Patent number: 10150483
    Abstract: A method and system for managing settings on a single vehicle/implement system and across a fleet of vehicle/implement systems. Each vehicle/implement system includes a plurality of Embedded Systems having configurable settings, a Precision Agriculture Server having configurable settings, and a Telematics Server having configurable settings. All of the servers are connected by a plurality of vehicle data busses. The Telematics Server is connected to Cloud-Based Servers via the Internet. Vehicle/implement system settings are managed by the Precision Ag Server and shared with other vehicle/implement systems via the Cloud-based Server. Flexibility for different vehicle/implement models and options is provided by a distributed system using Client Software in the Precision Ag Server or Client Software in the Embedded Systems and by a settings identification and versioning schema.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven R. Procuniar, Peter J. Jensen, Benjamin Neermann, Sarah L. Schinckel, Jeffrey R. Fox, Sean McKay, Margaux M. Price, Robert J. Meegan, Hans Juergen Nissen
  • Patent number: 10146195
    Abstract: A method of controlling devices connected to a controller includes receiving, from a server, a service rule including a trigger condition and a device executing action which is an action to be performed by one of the devices according to whether the trigger condition is satisfied, selecting one of the devices connected to the controller based on the received service rule, modifying the received service rule to control the selected device, and controlling the selected device according to the modified service rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzhi Xie, Feng Tang
  • Patent number: 10140561
    Abstract: A system for automated localization of information for smart appliances identifies a user of the smart appliance via a user interface. The system receives scanned input associated with an item from a scanning component. The system requests cognitive services from an appliance cognitive localization server, where the cognitive services integrates localization information with the item information. The system provides the localization information to the smart appliance, and operates the smart appliance using the localization information and the item information. The system retrieves the localization information and the item information from an item repository during a subsequent scan of the item using the scanning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Debbie A. Anglin, Su Liu, Fang Wang, Charles D. Wolfson
  • Patent number: 10123631
    Abstract: An operating system (10) for operating an article of furniture (12), the article of furniture (12) comprising a support structure, at least one component displaceably arranged relative to the support structure and a receiver. The operating system (10) includes a (controller 34) which communicates wirelessly with the article of furniture (12), the controller (34) outputting operating signals (46) containing operating instructions. A signal processing module communicates with the wireless controller (34) via a routing arrangement (48), the signal processing module receiving the operating signals (46) and converting the operating signals into control signals to be provided to the receiver to effect displacement of the at least one component of the article of furniture (12) relative to the support structure under the control of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: King Furniture Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Geoffrey David Sizer, Gregory Michael Rosser, Jesse Alan Kovac, James Lawson-Craig, Benjamin Watson Barnes, Bin Xia, David King, Ryan Lawson, Tanya Rechberger, Anastasie Panagopoulos, John Levey
  • Patent number: 10117308
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, apparatuses and systems for operating a control fixture are disclosed. One method includes generating a sense signal, maintaining a communications link between the control fixture and a network, tracking a location of a first mobile device, identifying the first mobile device being within a threshold distance of a second mobile device or a place, and allowing the first mobile device or a user of the first mobile device to receive information associated with the second mobile device or the physical place, or to provide information to be associated with the second mobile device or the physical place upon identifying the first mobile device to be within the threshold distance of the second mobile device or the place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: enLighted, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjeev Patel, Gaile Gordon, Tanuj Mohan
  • Patent number: 10098496
    Abstract: To improve the particle size regulation produced by a coffee grinder (64) associated with an espresso coffee dispensing machine (10), a method is described comprising the steps of acquiring, via a sensor (42), a data or an electrical signal indicative of the shape of the thread of liquid coffee (C) while it percolates from the outlet (14) of the machine, driving an operator of the grinder to regulate the particle size thereof as a function of the detected signal or data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBAL COFFEE SERVICE F.V.
    Inventor: Fabio Vettorel
  • Patent number: 10101757
    Abstract: An intelligent control method and an intelligent control device are adapted to be used in a heat-dissipating system. The intelligent control device includes at least a set of sensors and a micro-controller. The intelligent control method includes steps of obtaining a set of first state parameters and a set of second state parameters by sensing the heat-dissipating system at a first time point and a second time point, respectively; analyzing the set of first state parameters and the set of second state parameters to acquire an optimized heat-dissipating strategy, to generate at least a set of first control parameters; and adjusting a heat-dissipating action of the heat-dissipating system according to the set of first control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Cooler Master Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chu-Yi Kuo, Chung-Yang Chen
  • Patent number: 10076014
    Abstract: This disclosure relates in general to a networked light switch. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a light switch that, in response to detecting a local input or motion, transmits a communication that causes another light switch to change a state of a light. This disclosure further relates to techniques for detecting an abnormal current draw state of an electrical device such as a lighting device are described; systems including in-wall network devices having a user-facing restore button for restoring some or all of the customizable settings to a factory default state; and techniques for controlling device operations in accordance with scenes or modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: BELKIN INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Francis Michael Kelly, Jon Plummer, Ryan Yong Kim, Li-ter Chen
  • Patent number: 10071483
    Abstract: A robot includes an arm that has a plurality of arm members, a drive unit driving the plurality of arm members, and a grasp unit; and a force detector. The robot sequentially performs a contact operation in which a fitting member grasped by the grasp unit is moved in a predetermined contact direction and is brought into contact with a to-be-fitted member, a posture change operation in which a posture of the fitting member is changed to a fitting posture, and a fitting operation in which the fitting member in the fitting posture is moved in a searching direction and the fitting member is fitted into the to-be-fitted member in a fitting direction. The contact direction, the searching direction, and the fitting direction are directions different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimodaira, Masakazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10065842
    Abstract: A vehicle lift system incorporating one or more lift control modules having an advanced operating platform. The lift control module includes a user interface for receiving user instructions from a user, at least one control module processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium with an advanced operating platform stored thereon. The computer readable medium includes a first application operable executable by the advanced operating platform. The first application directs the control module processor to provide instructions to the vehicle lift to control the vehicle lift based on the user instructions. The computer readable medium further includes a second application executable by the advanced operating platform. The second application directs the control module processor to perform certain steps, with such certain steps not directed to controlling the vehicle lift. Furthermore, the advanced operating platform is configured to execute said first application and said second application simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry M. Jaipaul, Stephen J. Rucker, Raymond C. Chan
  • Patent number: 10066464
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention relates to a drilling-information-management system. The drilling-information management system includes a probe assembly disposed on a drill rod, a first computer interoperably coupled to the probe assembly via a conductor disposed in a drill rod, and a second computer in communication with the first computer. The second computer includes a barcode scanner. The drilling-information management system includes a database in communication with the second computer. Drilling-project data is transferred from the database to the second computer and calibration data is transferred from the second computer to the first computer. The first computer executes a drilling plan according to the drilling-project data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: REI, Inc.
    Inventors: Forrest Paul Schumacher, Jeffrey J. Schwoebel, Michael J. Hardin, Daniel J. Brunner
  • Patent number: 10054960
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a system for controlling fluid systems and for remotely controlling fluid control devices. In some described embodiments, the system includes at least one fluid control device, a proportional valve driver coupled to the at least one fluid control device, a wireless network, and at least one user controller device coupled to the proportional valve driver through the wireless network. In some described embodiments, the proportional valve driver comprises a wireless transceiver, a proportional translation unit, and a parameter unit. The proportional valve driver comprises a wireless transceiver operable to establish a communication channel with a user controller, receive a request signal, transmit the request signal to a processor for deconstruction and execution, and transmit a response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Lynch Fluid Controls Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest Thomas Lynch
  • Patent number: 10041736
    Abstract: A cooling tower simulation system may receive a measurement from a cooling tower sensor and generate a predicted output of a cooling tower system based on a model of the cooling tower system. The simulation system may generate an estimated output using an extended Kalman filter with the measurement and the predicted output as inputs, wherein the estimated output represents a characteristic of the cooling tower system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: BL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditya Kumar, Brett R. Ellis, Zhaoyang Wan, Claudia C. Pierce, Mustafa Tekin Dokucu, Dongrui Wu, Sangeeta Balram
  • Patent number: 10042340
    Abstract: A building control system includes a wireless measurement device and a controller. The wireless measurement device measures a plurality of values of an environmental variable and uses the plurality of measured values to predict one or more future values of the environmental variable. The wireless device periodically transmits, at a transmission interval, a message that includes a current value of the environmental variable and the one or more predicted values of the environmental variable. The controller receives the message from the wireless device and parses the message to extract the current value and the one or more predicted future values of the environmental variable. The controller periodically and sequentially applies, at a controller update interval shorter than the transmission interval, each of the extracted values as an input to a control algorithm that operates to control the environmental variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Heidi A. Hofschulz, Robert D. Turney, Timothy C. Gamroth, Matthew J. Ellis
  • Patent number: 10033184
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a demand response device that is configured to receive comparison report information from a notification system, wherein the notification system is configured to execute steps including receiving at least one temperature report for each of a plurality of demand response devices, and identifying two or more demand response devices that share a common geographic location. In some aspects, a notification system of the subject technology can be further configured for generating a comparison report, wherein the comparison report is based on the ambient temperature information and the geolocation data for at least two of the plurality of demand response devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: OPOWER, INC.
    Inventors: David Byron, Sudarshan Mandayam Aji, Thom Loftus, Edward L. Peters, Janet Yu
  • Patent number: 10021770
    Abstract: A networked lighting control system includes a variety of lighting control devices, including intelligent luminaires, standalone intelligent control nodes, plug load controllers, and power packs that communicate over a wireless control network and a commissioning network. Each lighting control device includes a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system. The dual-band wireless radio communication interface system is configured for unicast and multicast communication over a first of two different wireless communication bands as well as point-to-point communication over a second wireless communication band. The standalone intelligence control node can be a wall switch or detector. Commissioning and provisioning of the lighting control system is performed over the second communication band via communications with a mobile device and lighting controls are carried out over the first communication band. The lighting control devices may be divided into light control groups or zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Larry D. Turvy, Jr., John W. Scrimgeour, Tyler B. Fultz, John Peter Roquemore, III
  • Patent number: 10014821
    Abstract: A system for measuring the power or energy loss in a photovoltaic array due to soiling, which is the accumulation of dust, dirt, and/or other contaminants on the surfaces of photovoltaic modules, comprising: a pair of photovoltaic reference devices placed within or near the photovoltaic array and co-planar to the modules comprising the array, wherein one reference device is a module similar to those of the array and is allowed to accumulate soiling at the natural rate, and wherein the second reference device is a module or a cell and is periodically cleaned; and a measurement and control unit which measures and compares the electrical outputs of the soiled reference device and the clean reference device in order to determine the fraction of power lost by the soiled reference module due to soiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Inventor: Michael Gostein
  • Patent number: 9994125
    Abstract: Embodiments include a vehicle comprising a seat, a first sensor coupled to the seat for detecting a seat angle, and a processor communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the seat, and configured to output a control signal for correcting the seat angle if the seat angle is not within a predetermined range of values. Embodiments also include a method of correcting a position of a vehicle seat having an occupant seated therein. The method comprises receiving, at a processor, an output detected by a sensor unit coupled to the seat; comparing, using the processor, the output to a predetermined threshold to determine whether an alarm condition exists; if it does, outputting a control signal for correcting the seat position, wherein the sensor unit includes an angular position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mauricio Magaña, Paul Fernando Cepeda Rode, Juan Palencia, Alfredo Gutiérrez Torres, Leonardo D. Reyes Chacalco
  • Patent number: 9957754
    Abstract: A method of operating a directional drill rig from a remote location may involve the steps of: Issuing instructions from a remote location using a remote communications system; receiving said instructions at a drill site location using an on-site communications system; applying said instructions to a directional drill rig; and communicating directional drill rig data from the drill site location to the remote location using the remote and on-site communications systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Ozzie Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Dwayne Osadchuk, Ryan Littlefield
  • Patent number: 9938911
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car having a turbocharger with a compressor and a turbine. The method includes determining a change quantity of a gas flow quantity of a gas flow through the internal combustion engine and regulating the compressor based on this change quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL MOTORS LLC
    Inventors: Joerg Bernards, Martin Miertschink
  • Patent number: 9905062
    Abstract: The work machine includes a controller including a first storage unit capable of storing work machine information and capable of rewriting the stored work machine information, and a processing unit configured to collect the work machine information, and when trigger information for causing the first storage unit to start storing the work machine information occurs, the processing unit causes at least a portion of the collected work machine information to be stored to the first storage unit. The first storage unit stores header information. At a time when the trigger information occurs, the processing unit generates the work machine data from the collected work machine information in accordance with the header information and stores the work machine data to the first storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Fujimori, Shunsuke Sugimura
  • Patent number: 9881054
    Abstract: An information processing system, a computer readable storage medium, and a method of managing a query to find a set of JSON documents in a multi-schema JSON document store. A query engine receives a first query to find at least one JSON document in a plurality of sets of JSON documents stored in the JSON document store, each set of JSON documents being organized in a unique JSON schema version related to a unique JSON schema version of each other set of JSON documents by at least one schema change. The first query is organized in a first unique JSON schema version. A query translator translates the first query into a second query based on the at least one schema change. The first and second queries are executed to provide first and second query results which are collectively returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhao Cao, Yuan Feng, Tao Li, Lanjun Wang, Lin Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 9876673
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for automatic remediation of application performance degradations caused by configuration changes. In one embodiment, a learning module keeps track of application configuration changes and subsequent effects on the application's performance. The learning module creates new potential remediation rules based on correlations between such configuration changes and performance degradations or improvements. The learning module affirms such potential rules if the correlation between the configuration changes and degradations or improvements are repeatedly observed, and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Adar Margalit, Eran Dvir
  • Patent number: 9869481
    Abstract: The invention provides a method to reduce the thermal energy used in a commercial building by use of thermal parameters which are derived from readily-available data both internal and external to the building. By deriving a statistical relationship for each of the OFVR—Overnight Forced Ventilation Rate—and DFAR—day-time forced air replacement—, based on the weather forecast, the invention provides controlling the time and duration for which the mechanical cooling system is to be turned off or disabled from supplying chilled water to the ventilation system, which in turn, supplies tempered fresh air to some of all of a selected commercial building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Patrick Andrew Shiel
  • Patent number: 9870716
    Abstract: A system for wearable devices including intelligent electronic devices, smart glasses, smart watches, and smart devices. A variety of sensors may be integrated into a wearable smart watch device for health management, voice commands, and lifestyle management. The glasses may continuously screen the food consumed by an individual and analyze the food content based on the size of the morsel, consistency, transparency, and other factors. This may further enable an individual to keep track of daily calorie intake and nutritional value will help in healthy diet and glasses will help in maintaining a healthy weight management. The device may image various people and assess health factors including hydration rate, skin health such as skin rashes, and pulse rates. This may be determined using image recognition and shining a light source on the skin to determine the rate of blood flow and refractory of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventors: Sanjay K. Rao, Rekha K. Rao, Sunil K. Rao
  • Patent number: 9869486
    Abstract: This invention teaches a method of controlling the heating system of a commercial building, to reduce the thermal energy consumed by use of thermal parameters which are derived from readily-available data both internal and external to the building. By deriving a statistical relationship for each of the Solar Gain Rate and Day-time Natural Cool-down Rate from observed data, then based on the weather forecast, it is possible to determine if, when and for how long the mechanical heating system can be turned off or disabled from supplying heat to some of all of the building in question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventor: Patrick Andrew Shiel
  • Patent number: 9851136
    Abstract: In this container refrigerator, the permissible equivalent negative-phase-sequence current of a generator to be connected is calculated in Step S3 based on its capacitance. Next, in Step S4, the power consumption of an inverter device to generate the equivalent negative-phase-sequence current is calculated. Then, in Step S6, the equivalent negative-phase-sequence current generated by the container refrigerator is calculated based on the power consumption of this inverter device. Thereafter, in Step S9, It is compared to Itg. If It>Itg is satisfied, It is restricted until It?Itg is met by lowering the output frequency of the inverter device repeatedly in multiple stages. Consequently, even if the generator connected has small capacitance, the operation may be continued at a number of rotations appropriate for that small capacitance without causing the generator to overheat or be burned out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Uchida, Naoki Nakatani, Shuuhei Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9834414
    Abstract: A method controls the operation of the door system using one or combination of parameters of a reduced order model of the door system. The operation includes moving at least one door of the door system. The method measures a signal representing the operation of the door system and filters the measured signal by removing at least one dynamic of the measured signal absent from a frequency response of the reduced order model of the door system. The method also updates parameters of the reduced order model of the door system to reduce an error between the filtered signal and an estimated signal of the operation estimated using the updated reduced order model of the door system. The parameters of the reduced order model include a mass parameter and a friction parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Yebin Wang
  • Patent number: 9808918
    Abstract: A system, and a method of using a system, for controlled tool operation. The method includes providing a tool used in a force application such as a such torque application. The tool communicates with a controller which can communicate with the tool, and to a display in communication with the tool and the controller. The controller can be programmed with operational information about a tool operation. Information related to the operational information is displayed to a user during use. Service information including at least information about an amount of force applied during use is recorded and stored in the controller. Also disclosed is a computerized system for controlled tool operation which sends operational instructions to the tool before use and retrieves service information from the tool after use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Chris Lawton, Jie Li, De L San, Nathan Lee
  • Patent number: 9798343
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for quantifying operating strategy energy usage. One embodiment describes an industrial control system that includes a tangible, non-transitory, computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of the industrial control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip John Kaufman
  • Patent number: 9749454
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for controlling a smart device. The method includes: when a connection is established between the terminal and a smart device, detecting whether the smart device is set with a personalized control interface; when detecting that the smart device is set with the personalized control interface, acquiring a personalized interface plug-in of the smart device, the personalized interface plug-in including a personalized function type and a personalized status display type; generating control options and a status display interface, based on at least one of the personalized interface plug-in or configuration information of a common control interface of the smart device; and controlling the smart device according to the control options and the status display interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Xiaomi Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanbo Wang, Qiao Ren, Enxing Hou
  • Patent number: 9746072
    Abstract: An oil pressure control device controls a supply pressure of oil supplied to an oil pressure chamber of a friction element having a first engagement board and a second engagement board engaged with or disengaged from each other between a non-engagement state and a non-sliding engagement state via a sliding engagement state. The oil pressure control device includes: an electromagnetic valve that controls the supply pressure using a spool which reciprocates according to an energizing amount; and a control part that defines a first oscillatory wave part in which the energizing amount is controlled by making a first waveform with a first frequency to superimpose on a second waveform with a second frequency higher than the first frequency during a first period while the sliding engagement state and an instruction value of the supply pressure are kept constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Sakai, Fuminori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9730525
    Abstract: The present invention provides an adjustable bed handheld remote control that may include a handheld housing, a touch sensor on a front face of the handheld housing, a transmitter and the like. The touch sensor may be presented in a slider form and may be adapted to facilitate a user in adjusting a frame position of an adjustable bed. The transmitter may be electrically coupled to a processor and may receive input from the touch sensor, for communication control signals to the adjustable bed in accordance with the input received from the touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Inventor: Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
  • Patent number: 9689776
    Abstract: An apparatus including a piston bore, exhibiting a longitudinal axis, and a piston, including a piston head and a piston shaft. The piston being axially displace-able within the piston bore along the longitudinal axis. The piston bore and a first surface of the piston head form a first working volume and displacement of the piston alters the first working volume. The apparatus also includes a first plurality of injectors coupled to the first working volume and a first common rail. The first plurality of injectors are configured to inject a hydraulic fluid from the common rail into the first working volume. The first common rail is configured to store the hydraulic fluid at an elevated pressure of 1,000 bar or greater. The apparatus includes a flow path between the first working volume and a reservoir for the hydraulic fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Riccardo Meldolesi, Peter Mark Lee
  • Patent number: 9660571
    Abstract: A method for hybrid solar tracking, and an apparatus for hybrid solar tracking and a photovoltaic blind system using the same are disclosed. The method includes generating first predicted power output data by analyzing first measured power output data of the past; generating a lagged error; constructing a regression analysis (RA) model, and deriving second predicted power output data; constructing an artificial neural network (ANN) model, and deriving third predicted power output data; selecting either a method for solar tracking based on photovoltaic power output or a method for solar tracking based on location and time depending on whether the second measured power output data of the present time falls within a filtering range based on a first error range and a second error range; and determining the directions of photovoltaic panels according to the selected method for solar tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tae Hoon Hong, Choong Wan Koo, Kwang Bok Jeong, Ji Min Kim, Cheol Woo Ban, Min Hyun Lee, Chang Yoon Ji