Flow Control (e.g., Valve Or Pump Control) Patents (Class 700/282)
  • Patent number: 11655731
    Abstract: An oil supply system for supplying oil to a lubricating cavity of a gas turbine engine, the oil supply system has: a de-oiler having a de-oiler air-oil inlet, a de-oiler oil outlet hydraulically connected to the lubricating cavity, and a de-oiler air outlet in fluid flow communication with an environment outside of the oil supply system; and a closed-loop oil circuit including a main pump having a main pump inlet and a main pump outlet, the main pump outlet hydraulically connected to the lubricating cavity, a de-aerator having a de-aerator inlet hydraulically connected to a scavenge outlet of the lubricating cavity, a de-aerator air-oil outlet in fluid flow communication with the de-oiler inlet, and a de-aerator oil outlet hydraulically connected to the main pump inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Legare, Sylvain Brouillet, Daniel Alecu, Sam Cutrara, Rose Beaulieu
  • Patent number: 11656145
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring consumable gas usage are disclosed. A method includes obtaining, from one or more sensors installed at a property, sensor data that indicates one or more attributes of the property; based on the sensor data, determining an expected amount of gas consumption at the property; obtaining, from a gas meter installed at the property, gas meter data that indicates a gas consumption at the property; determining, based on the gas meter data and the expected amount of gas consumption, that the gas consumption at the property meets criteria for abnormal gas consumption; and based on determining that the gas consumption at the property meets criteria for abnormal gas consumption, performing one or more monitoring system actions. Determining an expected amount of gas consumption at the property comprises determining an operating status of each of a plurality of gas consuming appliances at the property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventor: Colby Kevin Clark
  • Patent number: 11659685
    Abstract: An information handling system may include an information handling resource, at least one fluidic conduit thermally coupled to the information handling resource and configured to convey a cooling liquid proximate to the information handling resource in order to cool the information handling resource, an air mover support infrastructure comprising a plurality of bays, each bay of the plurality of bays configured to receive an air mover for cooling components of the information handling system, and a liquid manifold sized and shaped to be received in at least one of the plurality of bays and received in a first bay of the plurality of bays and configured to enable at least one fluidic conduit to fluidically couple to an external cooling system, wherein the external cooling system is configured to deliver cooled cooling liquid to the information handling system, receive warmed cooling liquid from the information handling system, and cool the warmed cooling liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Walter R. Carver, Douglas S. Haunsperger
  • Patent number: 11656130
    Abstract: A grommet is provided for use in a fire and overheat detection system (FODS) clamp. The grommet includes an elongated body defining a central aperture and a slit. The elongated body includes wire mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: KIDDE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Rhushikesh Patil, Vinod Maruti Naik, Scott Kenneth Newlin
  • Patent number: 11656149
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for automatically determining friction of a control valve. An example apparatus includes a hysteresis measurement controller to determine an average control hysteresis value for a valve over a first range of travel of the valve, a comparator to compare the average control hysteresis value to a second value corresponding to a second range of travel of the valve encompassing the first range of travel of the valve, and a step size selector to select one of multiple control step sizes for the valve based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC
    Inventors: Michael Fontaine, David Smid
  • Patent number: 11644215
    Abstract: A system for controlling flow of a fluid through a heat exchanger in a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a flow control device operable to adjust the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger, temperature sensors positioned to obtain a temperature differential of the fluid across the heat exchanger, and a controller configured to compare the temperature differential to a threshold. Responsive to the temperature differential being less than the threshold, the controller is configured to calculate an adjusted setpoint for the flow control device as a function of both the temperature differential and the threshold and operate the flow control device to adjust the flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger in accordance with the adjusted setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Rachel A. Glanzer, Brennan H. Fentzlaff, Kirk H. Drees
  • Patent number: 11639813
    Abstract: In an immediate hot water supply operation mode in which a circulation pump is activated while a hot water supply faucet is closed, a water heating apparatus forms an immediate hot water supply circulation path by an inner path including a water entry path, a heat exchanger, and a hot water output path and an outer path bypassing the hot water supply faucet, as being combined. A controller stores as an actual flow rate value for each immediate hot water supply operation mode, a flow rate detection value by a flow rate sensor at predetermined timing, and calculates a flow rate learning value based on a plurality of stored actual flow rate values. When the flow rate detection value becomes larger than a criterion value set in accordance with the flow rate learning value, use of the hot water supply faucet is detected and the circulation pump is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: NORITZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahide Hasegawa, Atsushi Ushio
  • Patent number: 11631038
    Abstract: A system and method for dispatching haul trucks includes a production planner configured to operate based on a production plan. The production planner computationally defines production arcs for transferring material from loading tools to dump sites, computationally develops one or more possible return arcs for each production arc, compiles a set of possible return arcs, and computationally selects a sub-set of the possible return arcs to command a real time dispatcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Russell A. Brockhurst, Kevin E. Gates
  • Patent number: 11630469
    Abstract: A control system controls a fluid distribution system that includes consumer branches arranged in parallel. Each consumer branch includes a consumer element (31) consuming fluid and/or thermal energy, a regulating device (9) receiving a control value regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the consumer branch, and a sensor (11) providing a measured value of the consumer branch. The control system includes a saturation calculation module (21) providing a saturation value, for each operational consumer branch, indicative of the saturation degree of the associated consumer branch, and a saturation compensation module (23) receiving the saturation values and altering a reference value. The altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from all consumer branches. The consumer branch regulating device, of each operational consumer branch, is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: Anders Overgaard, Brian Kongsgaard Nielsen, Carsten Skovmose Kallesøe
  • Patent number: 11632522
    Abstract: The video recording system comprises a video recorder and one or more cameras which is specially designed to record video on the exterior and interior of a locomotive. The system is capable of withstanding the railroad environment, and has been designed to maximize safety and to minimize liability. The video recording system is capable of recording video on at least two drives (same video or different video on at least two drives) thereby creating redundancy in case one of the videos is unclear and/or damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Inventor: Joseph Donnan
  • Patent number: 11626744
    Abstract: A motor-driven actuator device includes an enclosure (1) in which a motor, control module (3) and a drive (4) are housed. The drive (4) is coupled between a motor and a device being actuated. The device also includes an input for receiving a renewable or harvested energy power supply and a battery pack (6) housed within said enclosure (1). The battery pack (8) is electrically connected to selectively drive the motor and drive system (4) and is electrically connectable to the renewable or harvested energy power supply for charging. The control module is configured to cause the battery pack (6) to selectively drive the motor and cause the actuator to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Rotork Controls Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Wiggins, David Ware, Nian You Tan
  • Patent number: 11624524
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a flow sensor in a heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The method includes receiving, at a controller, a request to enter a calibration mode and, in response to receiving the request, automatically commanding a flow control device to achieve a target flow rate. The method further includes generating, by the controller, calibration data for the flow sensor using a reference flow value of the flow rate when the flow control device has achieved the target flow rate and a corresponding flow measurement from the flow sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Homero L. Noboa, Kirk H. Drees, Jack A. Peterson, Brennan H. Fentzlaff
  • Patent number: 11622513
    Abstract: A system with sensor equipment including one or more sensors and watering equipment disposed on a parcel of land and configured to selectively apply water to the parcel, and a gateway configured to provide for communication with the sensor equipment and the watering equipment. The watering equipment comprises a watering pump, wherein the watering pump is operably coupled to a water source and a water line to alternately couple the water source to and isolate the water source from the water line. The watering pump further includes a pump sensor assembly configured to direct the watering pump based on detected environmental and operational parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Johannes Gungl, Florian Soor, Thomas Schabel, Juergen Link, Wolfgang Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11612688
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the volume of fluid dispensed. The apparatus has an acoustic volume sensor that acoustically excites a reference volume and a measurement chamber with a loudspeaker and measures the acoustic response with microphones acoustically coupled to the reference and the measurement chamber. The loudspeaker and sensing microphones are connected to the measurement chamber by separate ports. A detachable dispensing chamber is coupled to the acoustic volume sensor. The volume of the fluid dispensed is determined by a processor based on the acoustic response of the microphones to acoustic excitement by the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Dean Kamen, Larry B. Gray, Russell H. Beavis, John M. Kerwin, Derek G. Kane
  • Patent number: 11608906
    Abstract: A control device for providing a position controller mode for closed-loop position control of an actuator member of a fluidic actuator which can be driven by a pressurized fluid, wherein the control device is configured to activate a pressure controller mode in response to the actuator member being located in a position target range given by a target position value of the closed-loop position control, and, in the pressure controller mode, to carry out a closed-loop pressure control of the pressurized fluid on the basis of a target pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KG
    Inventor: Matthias Joachimsthaler
  • Patent number: 11611730
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to modular LED imaging projector and optical systems and apparatuses. A light-emitting diode (LED) engine module emits a light beam that is homogenized and focused through a predetermined focal point. The LED engine module is detachably attached to a posterior connection point of a base body assembly. A collimating lens within the base body assembly refocuses the light beam to reduce divergence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventors: Brian Robert Moon, John W. Luhrs
  • Patent number: 11612065
    Abstract: A foldable display module and its formation method, and a foldable display device are provided in the present disclosure. The module includes a foldable display panel and a support plate which are disposed oppositely. The support plate includes a first support part and a second support part; the first support part is made of a first material; and the second support part is made of a second material; the foldable display module includes a bendable region and a non-bendable region; the foldable display panel includes a bendable portion and a non-bendable portion; the bendable portion is at the bendable region; and the non-bendable portion is at the non-bendable region; the first support part includes a first portion configured to support the bendable portion of the foldable display panel; and the second support part is configured to support the non-bendable portion of the foldable display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SHANGHAI TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shouzheng Wu
  • Patent number: 11604482
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for operation and control of gravity-fed fluid flows in water and wastewater related systems. The disclosed flow control system uses gravity to provide a flow of a fluid from a fluid source and a motorized flow control device fluidically coupled to the fluid source to control a defined flow rate of the flow by changing a position of an internal volume of the flow control device through which the fluid flows relative to a fixed level of the fluid in the fluid source. The disclosed devices, systems and methods can be used in a wide variety of systems for environmental and low-energy demand applications such as, for example, a wastewater treatment system to control a flow of wastewater in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: AQUACYCL, INC.
    Inventors: Sofia Malinova Babanova, Orianna Bretschger, José Daniel Barocio Montemayor, Gerardo Garcia Serrano
  • Patent number: 11598197
    Abstract: A method of managing oilfield activity with a control system is provided having a plurality of virtual sensors and integrating the virtual sensors into a virtual sensor network. The method includes determining interdependencies among the virtual sensors, obtaining operational information from the virtual sensors, and providing virtual sensor output to the control system based on the determined interdependencies and the operational information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keshava Rangarajan, Joseph Blake Winston, Anuj Jain, Xi Wang
  • Patent number: 11561560
    Abstract: A flow controller includes a valve unit for influencing the flow of a fluid through a fluid channel, a flow sensor for detecting the flow of the fluid through the fluid channel, a pressure sensor arrangement for detecting a fluid pressure of the fluid, and a control unit which is adapted to, in response to the flow being within a measurement range of the flow sensor, assume a first operating mode, and, in the first operating mode, to perform a first closed-loop flow control on the basis of the flow detected by the flow sensor, and, in response to the flow being outside the measurement range of the flow sensor, assume a second operating mode, and, in the second operating mode, to perform an open-loop flow control on the basis of the detected fluid pressure and/or to perform a second closed-loop flow control on the basis of the detected fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Valentin Falkenhahn, Gerhard Gommel, Daniel Klassen
  • Patent number: 11555720
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of Internet of Things (IoT), and provides a gas leakage detection method based on a compound IoT and an IoT system. According to the gas leakage detection method based on the compound IoT and the IoT system provided by the present invention, whether a gas pipeline of a user has gas leakage or not is judged via a user participation manner, the judgment manner is intelligent, the judgment result is accurate and thus the gas safety of the user is guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: CHENGDU QINCHUAN IOT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zehua Shao
  • Patent number: 11557894
    Abstract: A protection relay device includes a housing and a fuse unit. The fuse unit includes a connection conductor, an input conductor connected to the connection conductor and receiving an external power, a fuse connected to the connection conductor, and an external device connection conductor connected to the fuse on a side opposite to the input conductor, and to which an external device is connected. A short-circuit induction conductor is provided on at least one of the input conductor on a side opposite to the fuse and the flapper portion, the short-circuit induction conductor protruding toward the other of the input conductor and the flapper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Inamasa, Kenji Uetani, Mitsuru Hano
  • Patent number: 11539062
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a fuel gas supply channel, a regulator, an injector, and a controller. The controller drives the regulator in conjunction with the injector. The controller compares a fuel gas flow amount necessary for the fuel cell to generate electricity with a predetermined fuel gas flow amount, selects the fuel gas flow amount that is larger, and issues commands to the regulator and the injector. The predetermined fuel gas flow amount is set to be larger than the fuel gas flow amount necessary for the fuel cell to generate the electricity when a generated current or output of the fuel cell is smaller than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiichi Tanaka, Nobukazu Mizuno, Kazuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11538287
    Abstract: An apparatus for managing vehicle data collection including a remote access execution circuit, a property translation circuit, a parameter acquisition circuit, a remote operation circuit, and a parameter conditioning circuit. The remote access execution circuit interprets a remote access request value including a requested vehicle property and/or a vehicle function value. The property translation circuit determines: a property request value responsive to the requested vehicle property; and/or an actuator command value responsive to the vehicle function value. The parameter acquisition circuit interprets vehicle parameter values responsive to the property request value. The remote operation circuit provides the actuator command value to a vehicle network zone endpoint. The parameter conditioning circuit generates, responsive to the property request value, vehicle property data from the vehicle parameter values. The vehicle property data corresponds to the requested vehicle property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Sonatus, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Fang, Yixiang Chen, Xuanran Zong, Robin Reed, Troy Michael Trenchard, Thurston Zhu, Sudhir Ramphal Dhankhar, Jeffrey Chou, Felipe Andres Valdes Valenzuela
  • Patent number: 11530704
    Abstract: A well management system provides Internet-enabled monitoring, configuration, and control of a well system that may include a pump and a pressure tank. A controller is operatively coupled to the pump. The controller controls the pump based on pressure readings from a pressure sensor to maintain a configured pressure range within the system. The controller can communicate with a management system via a communications network. The management system is further in communication with one or more client devices, which may be associated with a homeowner, a service provider, a manufacturer, or the like. Via the management system, the client devices can receive information from the controller and send commands to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: AMTROL LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Van Haaren, Michael Cogliati, Brady Erickson
  • Patent number: 11530689
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a dispensing station comprising a data processing unit configured for communicating with a controller and configured for receiving one or more command parameter(s) via a first communication device, the first communication device is a wireless device. The dispensing station is configured for receiving a first set of condition parameters via the first communication device, wherein the first condition parameters is related to at least the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: HOVE A/S
    Inventors: Ivan Madsen, Thomas Cramer
  • Patent number: 11524607
    Abstract: A dynamic ergonomic surface system for use in a motor vehicle includes an ergonomic surface that is inlayed in a surrounding surface and transitions between states, including: a neutral state in which the ergonomic surface is consistent with the surrounding surface, and at least one ergonomic support state in which the ergonomic surface provides ergonomic support for a user operating an input device. The dynamic ergonomic surface system also includes a sensor system that detects events triggering the transition between states, and a controller that controls the ergonomic surface to transition between the states in response to the detected events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Franziska Lang, Martin Francisco, Eric Brown, Matthew Potter, Paul Ferraiolo
  • Patent number: 11512578
    Abstract: A method and system of adjusting near-bit weight on a drill bit in a drill string having a bottom hole assembly located at an end of a drill pipe, an anti-stall device near the bottom hole assembly, surface sensing and control equipment and a downhole-to-surface communication system, the anti-stall device measuring downhole performance criteria and evaluation of the measured downhole performance criteria, comprising the steps of measuring at least one downhole performance criteria by the anti-stall device; evaluating the measured downhole performance criteria in substantially real time by the anti-stall device; adjusting weight on the drill bit by the anti-stall device based on the evaluation by the anti-stall device; and communicating the adjustment to weight on the drill bit to the surface sensing and control equipment by the downhole-to-surface communication system for further adjustment of weight on the drill bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: WWT North America Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Norman Bruce Moore, Rudolph Ernst Krueger, V, Philip Wayne Mock, Rudolph Ernst Krueger, IV
  • Patent number: 11513541
    Abstract: The method for inspecting the flow rate controller for controlling a flow rate of a fluid includes creating and recording a three-dimensional database in which a first pressure, a set flow rate or a second pressure, and a control value of a piezoelectric element are associated with each other, based on reference data, measuring, as target data, control values of the piezoelectric element corresponding to the first pressure detected by a first pressure detector and the set flow rate specified in a recipe of a substrate processing process or the second pressure detected by a second pressure detector, at the time of the execution of the substrate processing process, and determining whether or not there is a problem in a diaphragm valve, by comparing the target data with the reference data included in the three-dimensional database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Atsushi Sawachi, Norihiko Amikura
  • Patent number: 11505778
    Abstract: A control device performs control of a culture condition in production of an organic compound by a fermentation method. The control device executes processing a plurality of times to acquire culture data, to calculate, using the acquired culture data, a plurality of candidates for a culture condition set in advance, and a linear model set in advance that outputs a production amount of an organic compound at a future time, the production amount at the future time for each of the candidates, to determine an optimum candidate out of the candidates using the calculated production amount at the future time for each of the candidates and a target production amount of the organic compound at the future time set in advance, and to change the culture condition to the determined candidate. The linear model and the target production amount are set for each time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Shimodaira, Hiroki Kobayashi, Takahiro Terawaki, Yasuhiro Kusunose
  • Patent number: 11495067
    Abstract: An access control system includes an identification unit having an infrared (IR) transmitter that transmits IR radiation, an IR detector that receives the reflected IR radiation from one or more body parts of the user, one or more signal processing components to determine a temperature of the user based on the received reflected IR radiation, and an identification device to receive identification information of the user. The access control system also includes a processor that receives the reading of the user, instructs a door lock controller to unlock a door when the temperature is below the threshold temperature or the temperature is within the temperature range. The processor sends an alert when the temperature is above the threshold temperature or the temperature is outside the temperature range, and sends identification information of the user to one or more network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Nikhil D. Mirkar, Manali V. Pednekar
  • Patent number: 11489328
    Abstract: A method for protecting a server from damage by a liquid leak from a liquid-cooling unit of the server is provided. The server further includes a liquid leak sensor unit, a programmable logic circuit, and a power supply unit that supplies main power and standby power for the server. When a liquid leak is detected, the liquid leak sensor unit generates a main-power-off signal to the programmable logic circuit that causes the power supply unit to stop outputting the main power accordingly. The liquid leak sensor unit sends a total-power-off signal to the power supply unit to stop supply of the standby power after the power supply unit has stopped outputting the main power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Mitac Computing Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Hsiu-Sheng Lin, Ho-Tien Chang
  • Patent number: 11486408
    Abstract: An antisurge controller for a turbocompressor system stores multiple control algorithms in a memory for the antisurge controller. The antisurge controller identifies capabilities of field devices in the turbocompressor system. The field devices include an antisurge valve and multiple sensors. The antisurge controller selects one of the multiple control algorithms based on the identified capabilities and applies the selected control algorithm to the turbocompressor system. The selected control algorithm provides the smallest surge control margin, of the surge control margins in the multiple control algorithms, that are supported by the identified capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Compressor Controls LLC
    Inventors: Richard Hall, Thomas Pesek, Serge Staroselsky, Michael Lev Tolmatsky
  • Patent number: 11460822
    Abstract: A self-perturbing extremum-seeking controller for a plant that includes at least a static portion includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to obtain a value of a performance variable characterizing a performance of the plant. The processing circuit is configured to determine a sign of a gradient of the performance variable with respect to an input to the static portion of the plant. The processing circuit is configured to adjust a control input for the plant using the sign of the gradient, and provide the control input to the plant to affect the performance variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Timothy I. Salsbury, John M. House
  • Patent number: 11460332
    Abstract: Gas meter includes shutoff valve, return unit, flow rate measurer, display, communication unit that communicates with an outside, controller, area information setting unit, and area information comparator. The gas meter compares, by area information comparator, a preset area information held in area information setting unit with a specified value of area information added to a remote shutoff instruction received by communication unit, and when the preset area information and the specified value of the added area information match, shutoff valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagatomo, Yasuo Koba, Ryuji Iwamoto, Mitsunobu Enomoto
  • Patent number: 11454009
    Abstract: A control system (15) controls a water supply from at least two separate input lines (3i-k) into a sector (1) of a water supply network. The control system (15) is configured to receive input flow information indicative of the water input flow (qi-k) through each of the input lines (3i-k). The control system (15) is configured to receive input pressure information indicative of the input pressure (pi) in at least one (3i) of the input lines (3i-k). The control system (15) is configured to receive pressure information indicative of at least one pressure value (pcri,m,n) determined by a pressure sensor (7m,n) within the sector (1). The control system (15) is configured to control the input pressure (pi) by controlling at least a pressure regulating system (13i) at an input line (3i) based on the input flow information from all input lines (3i-k) and based on the sector pressure information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: Carsten Skovmose Kallesøe, Abdul-Sattar Hassan, Tom Nørgaard Jensen
  • Patent number: 11446204
    Abstract: Spa systems may be used all year round and in colder weather provide an enjoyable experience for users through the cold ambient outdoor temperature and the heated water of the spa. However, failures in respect of the water circulating pump and/or heater of the spa system either mechanically, electrically or through overall power outages mean the water in the spa system and its pipework can easily freeze if ambient conditions are cold enough leading to cracks in the spa system or pipes and hence leaks when the water thaws requiring costly repair or replacement of components or entire systems. Accordingly, a freeze protection system is provided that uses a backup thermal management system discretely or in combination with other backup systems. These freeze protection systems offering backup when mechanical failures, electrical failures etc. arise by providing thermal input to the spa system through alternate thermal paths and providing alarms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: York Sikora
  • Patent number: 11429119
    Abstract: A system is provided for differentiating between water usage of multiple water consumers using a common distributed water infrastructure. The system receives from a water sensor that is upstream of a plurality of appliances, signals indicative of water usage, and constructs from the signals a plurality of water event profile signatures. The system associates, based on differences between similar water event profiles, at least one water event profile signature with a first water consumer and associates a second water event profile signature with a second water consumer, and stores the water event profile signatures for the first water consumer and the second water consumer. The system constructs current water event profiles reflecting subsequent water usage in the distributed water infrastructure, and attributes a first current water event profile to the first water consumer and attributes a second current water event profile to the second water consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: WINT WI LTD
    Inventor: Alon Haim Gal
  • Patent number: 11408267
    Abstract: A system for stimulating oil or gas production from a wellbore includes a hydraulic fracturing pump unit having one or more hydraulic fracturing pumps driven by one or more electrical fracturing motors, a variable frequency drive (VFD) controlling the electrical fracturing motors, a fracturing pump blower unit driven by a blower motor, and a fracturing pump lubrication unit having a lubrication pump driven by a lubrication motor and a cooling fan driven by a cooling motor. The system may further include a blender unit and a hydration unit. A system control unit may control the operational parameters of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: STEWART & STEVENSON LLC
    Inventors: Mark Payne, Haomin Lin, Tom Robertson
  • Patent number: 11376458
    Abstract: A fire protection system and method for an enclosure includes an inert agent supply source configured to discharge an inert agent following a discharge of a primary agent in the enclosure, a gas detector configured to determine a gas concentration level in the enclosure, and a controller connected with the inert agent supply source and the gas detector and configured to regulate the discharge of the inert agent into the enclosure based at least partially upon the gas concentration level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul M. Johnson, Joseph Albert Senecal, David VanZandt, Mohammed Ateeq
  • Patent number: 11366464
    Abstract: A diagnosis unit (1) for detection, analysis, and data management of sensor data detected on an actuator (20), has at least one sensor (14, 15), a data processing unit (10), a data manager (11), and an interface unit (12). The at least one sensor (14, 15), the interface unit (12), and the data manager (11) are respectively, connected to the data processing unit (10), enabling data exchange. The diagnosis unit (1) is built into a module with the actuator (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Fibro GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Knaup
  • Patent number: 11366442
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a diagnostic device for a field device from the field of automation technology, comprising a control unit, a sensor carrier, a stereo acoustic sensor, which is fastened to the sensor carrier, a first temperature sensor, which is fastened at a first position on the sensor carrier, and a second temperature sensor, which is fastened at a second position on the sensor carrier. The first position and the second position are remote from one another owing to a first spacing. The sensor carrier is suitable for being expanded such that the first spacing is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Conducta GmbH+Co. KG
    Inventors: Guido Mennicken, Sebastian Schmidt, Ralf Steuerwald
  • Patent number: 11364340
    Abstract: A simplified insulin pump allows type II diabetics to identify routine patterns in their daily lifestyle that provide a generally accurate typical pattern of activity and meals. An infusion regimen can be programmed into the pump that generally correlates with this typical pattern to provide a viable treatment option for a type II diabetic without the need for specific and precise matching of insulin to carbohydrate consumption or activity level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
    Inventor: Mike Rosinko
  • Patent number: 11359845
    Abstract: A method of operating an air conditioner unit to implement effective defrost cycles includes obtaining a coil temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger, a dew point of a flow of air through the outdoor heat exchanger, and a flow rate of the flow of air. A frost rate of frost buildup on the outdoor heat exchanger is estimated based on the coil temperature, the dew point, and the flow rate, and a frost quantity or weight is determined by integrating the frost rate. A defrost cycle is initiated if the frost quantity exceeds a predetermined frost threshold, e.g., in pounds of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Haler US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Isaac D'Souza, Richard Dustin Henderson
  • Patent number: 11355316
    Abstract: A plasma generator and a method for the pulsed provision of electrical power having a frequency of at least 40 KHz to at least two process chambers are described. The plasma generator comprises: a control unit configured to obtain and evaluate process data about processes in the at least two process chambers; a controllable power supply having an output, the controllable power supply being configured to output a direct current at a predetermined voltage and/or intensity at its output in response to a control signal from the control unit; and a switching unit having a first input connected to the output of the power supply and having at least two switching unit outputs for respective connection to one of the at least two process chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: CENTROTHERM INTERNATIONAL AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Hubertus Schulz, Thomas Pernau, Florian Nachbauer, Felix Walk
  • Patent number: 11353941
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a requesting unit that requests a power supply apparatus to supply power, and a determination unit that determines whether the power supply apparatus is an authentic apparatus. In a case in which the determination unit determines whether the power supply apparatus is the authentic apparatus, after the requesting unit has requested the power supply apparatus to supply first power and the determination unit determines that the power supply apparatus is the authentic apparatus, the requesting unit then requests the power supply apparatus to supply second power higher than the first power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Moritomo
  • Patent number: 11348585
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an artificial intelligence apparatus and a method of operating the same. The artificial intelligence apparatus includes one or more processors that obtain weight data of a container and speech data, determines whether the container is seated on a seating portion of a water dispensing apparatus using the weight data, adjusts a speech recognition sensitivity according to whether the container is seated on the seating portion, inputs the first speech data to a speech recognition model and allows the water dispensing apparatus to perform a first water dispensing operation corresponding to first water dispensing information when the speech recognition model outputs the first water dispensing information based on the first speech data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sangwon Kim, Jaehoon Park
  • Patent number: 11340001
    Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration cycle circuit, a liquid receiver, a first valve and a second valve. The refrigeration cycle circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger. The liquid receiver is provided in a second section located in the refrigeration cycle circuit. The second section is a section extending between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger without extending through the compressor. The first valve is provided in a first section in the refrigeration cycle circuit, and is a solenoid valve or a motor valve. The first section is a section extending between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger through the compressor. The second valve is provided in the second section and between the liquid receiver and the indoor heat exchanger, and is an electronic expansion valve, a solenoid valve or a motor valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ochiai, Haruo Nakano, Hideki Tsukino, Ryohei Horiba, Yasuhiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11337363
    Abstract: In one aspect, an agricultural planted is associated with an apparatus, a system and/or a method for calibrating a depth control arrangement in each of one or more row units adapted for attachment to a toolbar of the planter, where each row unit has a depth controlling linkage arrangement operatively connected to an adjustable-depth gauge wheel of the row unit. The linkage arrangement includes a load-sensing element that is monitored during adjustment of a calibration mechanism of the linkage arrangement to remove tolerance stack-up in the linkage arrangement and achieve a uniform desired value of the present load on the linkage arrangement of each of the one or more row units that is consistent with a zero-depth or other reference depth setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Johnathon R. Dienst
  • Patent number: 11342751
    Abstract: A long-term predictor predicts long-term predicted power indicating temporal changes in consumed power of a customer using a long-term prediction model. A short-term predictor predicts short-term predicted power indicating temporal changes in the consumed power of the customer immediately after a current time, using a short-term prediction model, based on temporal changes in the consumed power of the customer immediately before the current time. A controller controls charging and discharging of a power storage apparatus at intervals based on the long-term predicted power and the short-term predicted power. The controller predicts temporal changes in charging power, discharging power, and charged electric energy of the power storage apparatus, and when the charged electric energy is predicted to reaches a lower limit due to discharging of the power storage apparatus, the controller charges power from the power network to the power storage apparatus in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Minegishi, Tetsuyoshi Ogura, Noriaki Takeda, Junichi Kanou