Specific Application Of Speed Responsive Control System Patents (Class 700/304)
  • Patent number: 7930071
    Abstract: The inventors have revealed that the actual rotation speed of the rotor in a fan structured as a centrifugal fan exceeds the designated rotation speed if the ventilation opening of the centrifugal fan is occluded. If a larger amount of dust accumulates at the ventilation opening of the centrifugal fan, for example, the actual rotation speed of the rotor in the centrifugal fan exceeds the designated rotation speed by a predetermined deviation. The accumulation of dust at the ventilation opening can in this manner be observed in a facilitated manner. The occlusion of the ventilation opening can thus be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masatoshi Nishizawa, Tomoki Harada, Goro Nakagai, Toyohiro Kato
  • Publication number: 20110029151
    Abstract: In a temperature adjustment system and method for a storage system, a corresponding relationship between data transfer rates of the storage system and rotational speeds of electric fans coupled to the storage system is established. Real-time data transfer rates of the storage system are measured. If there is a continuous increase or decrease in data transfer rates of the storage system, a rotational speed of the electric fans is determined according to the real-time data transfer rates and the corresponding relationship. The electric fans are controlled to run at the determined rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: CHIANG-CHUNG TANG, WEI LIAO
  • Publication number: 20110029135
    Abstract: A method is provided to control a paper-processing machine. Following an occurrence of at least one error, the error is automatically detected with at least one detection device. Following the detection of the error, a measure is automatically introduced to counteract the error. The measure is then canceled at least in part if the error no longer occurs or the machine is stopped completely if the error is still detected by the detection device following completion of a predetermined criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Muller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Thomas Probst
  • Publication number: 20110018916
    Abstract: There is provided an eccentricity amount estimation device, including: a rotation body provided with plural detected portions disposed along the rotation direction at predetermined rotation angle intervals, each of the plural detected portions being formed such that from an outer peripheral end towards an inner peripheral end a width of the detected portion at a position at the peripheral inside is the same as or greater than the width at a position at the peripheral outside; a generating section that generates a pulse signal according to passing of each of the plural detected portions accompanying rotation of the rotation body; and an estimation section that estimates a physical quantity corresponding to an eccentricity amount of the rotation body, based on a high level side pulse width and a low level side pulse width within one period of the pulse signal generated by the generating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Kibayashi, Hiroaki Satoh, Toru Nishida, Takeshi Zengo
  • Publication number: 20100315223
    Abstract: A method for providing control signals to a fan in a computer system is described. During the method, an electronic device receives temperature measurements and a fan-speed measurement performed in the computer system. Using a pattern-recognition model, the electronic device validates the measurements, and excludes any inaccurate measurements, such as those associated with drifting or failed sensors. Next, the electronic device determines control signals for a fan in the computer system using a model of coolant flow in the computer system and/or a slope of a phase-frequency curve of a cross power spectral density function corresponding to a pair of temperature profiles measured, as a function of time, by a pair of thermal sensors. Then, the determined control signals are provided to the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan
  • Publication number: 20100274409
    Abstract: The invention describes an over-speed governor for a stairlift which not only triggers a safety gear or brake upon the carriage exceeding a pre-determined speed, but also triggers the safety gear in the event the carriage unexpectedly reverses its direction. In a preferred embodiment, the over-speed governor also triggers the safety gear in the event the chair departs from the horizontal by more than a predetermined angle. The speed determining function is preferably electronic and the safety gear operates in both directions without adaptation. Other aspects are described including setting the trip speed as a function of carriage position on the rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: STANNAH STAIRLIFTS LIMITED
    Inventors: Leonard Smith, Tony Eric Palmer
  • Publication number: 20100250020
    Abstract: A space sensor apparatus suitable for a mobile carrier is provided. The space sensor apparatus includes a posture angle calculation module, a position calculation module, and a processing system. The posture angle calculation module calculates the current posture angles of the mobile carrier corresponding to different direction axes in a space according to signals input by one or multiple sensors. The position calculation module calculates the current position of the mobile carrier in the space according to the posture angles and an acceleration parameter and outputs a positioning information to the processing system. The processing system further obtains an environment information through a mechanical wave transceiver. After that, the processing system generates a real-time calculation information for controlling the movement track of the mobile carrier in the space according to the positioning information and the environment information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chin-Lung Lee, Kuo-Shih Tseng, Chia-Lin Kuo
  • Patent number: 7761190
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes a wind turbine system. The wind turbine system includes a wind turbine generator operable to supply wind turbine power to a utility system. A converter is coupled to the wind turbine generator and the utility system. The wind turbine system also includes a controller comprising an internal reference frame of the wind turbine generator, coupled to the converter, and configured for modulating flow of power through the converter in response to frequency disturbances or power swings of the utility system relative to the internal reference frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert William Delmerico, Nicholas Wright Miller
  • Patent number: 7761192
    Abstract: A complex signal processing system for multiple fans is used to control the rotation of a first fan and a second fan. The speed signals of the first fan and the second fan are processed through an XOR operation to obtain a complex speed signal. In response to the complex speed signal, the speed and the operational status of the first fan and the second fan can be evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Tyan Computer Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-Yu Lo
  • Patent number: 7751943
    Abstract: In a process for protection of a gas turbine (1) from damage caused by pressure pulsations (P), pressure pulsations (P) occurring during the operation of the gas turbine (1) are measured, from the measured pressure pulsations (P), a pulsation-time signal (PZS) is generated, the pulsation-time signal (PZS) is transformed into a pulsation-frequency signal (PFS), from the pulsation-frequency signal (PFS), a pulsation level (PL) is determined for at least one specified monitoring frequency band (12), the pulsation level (PL) is monitored for the occurrence of at least one specified trigger condition, and, when the at least one trigger condition occurs, a specified protective action (16) is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Heinz Bollhalder, Michael Habermann, Hanspeter Zinn
  • Patent number: 7706920
    Abstract: A method for controlling movement of movable object having a plurality of movable subcomponents comprises receiving an instruction configured to generate a defined movement of a selected subcomponent of the movable object between a first state and a second state. The method further comprises determining whether execution of the defined movement results in the selected subcomponent leaving a motion space associated with the selected subcomponent. The motion space is defined by a motion space boundary. The method further comprises producing a modified instruction configured to generate a modified movement of the selected subcomponent between the first state and the second state. Execution of the modified movement results in the selected subcomponent remaining within the motion space. At least a portion of the modified movement deviates from the defined movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexis Paul Wieland
  • Patent number: 7694157
    Abstract: A heat dissipation device for cooling an electronic device. The heat dissipation device comprises a fan, a controller connected to the fan and coupled to the electronic device and a sensor connected to the controller and sending a first signal to the controller by detecting a temperature variation in the electronic device. The electronic device sends a second signal to the controller, the controller changes the speed of the fan according to either the first signal or the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Feng Wu, Cheng-Chieh Liu, Yueh Lung Huang, Yi-Chieh Cho
  • Patent number: 7693628
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronous communication in a control system is disclosed. Within a first time interval, a first source task is executed to broadcast a first destination task, within a second sequential time interval, the first destination task is communicated over a channel to a first destination, and within a third sequential time interval, the first destination task is consumed. Within the first time interval, a second source task may be executed to broadcast a second destination task, within the second sequential time interval, the second destination task may be communicated over the channel to a second destination, and within the third sequential time interval, the second destination task may be consumed. The first source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the second source task, and the second source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the first source task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Fuhrman, Miroslawa A. Supal, Arnold W. Millsap
  • Publication number: 20100076619
    Abstract: A folder gluer for conveying a cardboard sheet and folding up the cardboard sheet from a deployed state thereof is disclosed. The folder glurer comprises two flat belts including a first belt and a second belt arranged in parallel for conveying a cardboard sheet, two pulleys provided at a starting part or a terminal part in a conveying direction of the folder gluer for respectively driving the first and second flat belts by friction forces, two motors for respectively driving the pulley for the first belt and the pulley for the second belt, a sensor device for respectively detecting the speeds of the first belt and the second belt, and a control device for controlling at least one of the two motors such that a difference in the speeds of the first belt and the second belt detected by the sensor device becomes zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hisashi Hayashi, Hidenori Kokubo
  • Patent number: 7684759
    Abstract: The present invention is a novel device, system, and method for determining the damped natural frequencies of a dynamic system whose characteristics are available in the form of a “frequency response function” FRF. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method identifies the dampened natural frequencies associated with the poles and zeros of a transfer function. The method is especially useful for analysis of measurements that contain some degree of contamination due to noise or non-linear effects. It is based on a set of rules that may be more successful than a direct approach based on a least squares criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Yutkowitz
  • Publication number: 20100070073
    Abstract: In a material handling system having a material feeder, a material container may be configured to discharge material to the material feeder and a process aid may be engaged with the material container, a method including determining a process indicator associated with a material flow characteristic of the feeder during operation of the feeder, determining a difference between the process indicator and an indicator threshold value, adjusting the operation of the process aid based on the value of the difference determined above between the process indicator and the indicator threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: James T. Foley, John B. Myhre, Jason K. Daniel, Manuel Sporri
  • Patent number: 7680545
    Abstract: This Invention provides for a method and system for speed measurement verification. The method comprises the step of automatically measuring the speed of a vehicle traveling on a surface which includes a fixed marker at a predetermined distance from a point where the speed of the vehicle is measured. The measured speed is automatically compared to a predetermined speed limit and if the speed limit is exceeded, the next step involves automatically calculating a time delay, which time delay is calculated according to the measured speed and the predetermined distance so as to predict when the vehicle, if traveling at the measured speed, will reach the marker. An image is then captured with a camera directed at the marker after expiration of the time delay so that, if the measured speed is accurate, the vehicle will be positioned proximate the marker so that the captured image showing the vehicle relative to the marker is able to serve as verification of the accuracy of the measured speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Inventor: Rudiger Heinz Gebert
  • Publication number: 20100063633
    Abstract: A method of controlling an operation of an operating member from a first position to a second position, wherein an operating speed of the operating member is initially increased from zero while an acceleration value of the operating member is first increased from zero and then decreased to zero, and the operating speed is subsequently decreased while the acceleration value is first decreased from zero and then increased to zero, and wherein a derivative of the acceleration value of the operating member is controlled such that the derivative during an acceleration increasing time and the derivative during an acceleration decreasing time are asymmetric with respect to each other. Also disclosed in an operating device including the operating member and a control device having an asymmetric control portion configured to practice the control method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ye JianMing
  • Patent number: 7676302
    Abstract: A computer program product stored in a computing device has a processor and a communication interface to determine cooling specifications of a remote housing. The computer program product includes a machine-readable storage medium and machine-readable program code, stored on the machine-readable storage medium. The machine readable program code includes instructions, which when executed, to cause the processor, via the communication interface set a speed of a fan within the remote housing, set an alarm condition for the fan within the remote housing, set a temperature threshold for the fan within the remote housing, capture the cooling specifications of the fan for the remote housing, the cooling specification including a measured temperature; and increase the speed of the fan if the temperature threshold is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Scott Frankel, Peter Martin, Eric Hardt
  • Publication number: 20100042266
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for control of friction at the nanoscale. A method of controlling frictional dynamics of a plurality of particles using non-Lipschitzian control includes determining an attribute of the plurality of particles; calculating an attribute deviation by subtracting the attribute of the plurality of particles from a target attribute; calculating a non-Lipschitzian feedback control term by raising the attribute deviation to a fractionary power ?=(2m+1)/(2n+1) where n=1, 2, 3 . . . and m=0, 1, 2, 3 . . . , with m strictly less than n and then multiplying by a control amplitude; and imposing the non-Lipschitzian feedback control term globally on each of the plurality of particles; imposing causes a subsequent magnitude of the attribute deviation to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Jacob Barhen, Yehuda Y. Braiman, Vladimir Protopopescu
  • Patent number: 7611018
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a quantity of cullet having at least two colors of glass from an input stream of recyclable material and non-recyclable material. In an embodiment, the system includes a sortation station, a screening apparatus, an air classifier, and a crushing apparatus to provide as output substantially pure cullet having at least two colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Bohlig, Sean P. Duffy
  • Patent number: 7565226
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining cooling fan speeds that should be avoided to prevent vibational resonance with system enclosures, given ambient conditions, and/or current geographic altitude. An exemplary method to determine one or more ranges of fan speed for one or more cooling fans in a chassis with one or more systems to avoid vibrational resonance in the chassis caused by the one or more cooling fans is provided. The method includes determining a range of operable fan speed for the one or more cooling fans that meets the cooling goal of the one or more systems in the chassis, wherein the one or more cooling fans are used to cool the chassis, and the one or more systems. The method also includes scanning fan speed for the one or more cooling fans over the determined range of operable fan speed, and collecting and analyzing read or write rates on a hard disk drive in the one or more systems over the determined range of operable fan speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Cooley, Aleksey M. Urmanov, George Popescu, Kenneth C. Gross
  • Publication number: 20090177328
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method comprising a plurality of activities comprising, for a shalt of an electric motor, the shaft comprising a runout sensing area: determining an electrical runout value for the runout sensing area; rotating the shaft; and/or heating the runout sensing area of the shaft sufficient to reduce the electrical runout value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: William Finley, Mark Hodowanec
  • Publication number: 20090106912
    Abstract: A method of operating a motor, the method comprising: operating a motor at a first speed; operating the motor in negative slip; imbalancing at least one phase of the motor to dissipate regeneration energy using windings of the motor; and wherein a next motor speed is decreased to a speed less than the first speed. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Mariano Filippa, Edward Hatfield, Richard D. Suel, II, John Steven Holmes
  • Patent number: 7499770
    Abstract: To provide a data processing device with cooling fan capable of executing data processing by using a processor which always works within the maximum range of its specifications. In the data processing device with cooling fan 3 for cooling down the processor 1 that performs data processing, the device includes: a working rate calculating section 4 for calculating the working rate of the processor 1; and a control section 5 for activating the cooling fan 3 when the value of the working rate reaches or exceeds a predetermined reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoji Sawada
  • Publication number: 20090038347
    Abstract: A method and control system for automatically halting operation of a washing machine by stopping operation of the washing machine motor is provided. The washing machine that implements the method includes a motor controller having a primary microprocessor and a secondary microprocessor which serves as a backup redundancy processor in the event there is a malfunction with the primary microprocessor or the primary microprocessor fails to halt washing machine operation within a prescribed window of time. The primary microprocessor controls operation of all of the washing machine electrically controlled components. The secondary microprocessor is electrically connected to a lid switch and the washing machine motor and is configured to halt operation of the motor in response to the primary microprocessor failing to halt motor operation after the lid is open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Michael F. Finch, Donald Richard Dickerson, JR., Robert Hollenbeck, Meher Kollipara
  • Patent number: 7415376
    Abstract: A valve tester system is disclosed that comprises a valve tester assembly for rotating a valve stem of a valve. The valve tester assembly may include a support, a rotation element mounted on the support for rotating a valve during a rotation event, a control element for controlling aspects of the rotation event of the valve by the rotation element, and an element for detecting a location of the valve tester assembly during the rotation event of the valve. In some embodiments of the invention, the element for detecting the location of the valve tester assembly includes a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver. In some embodiments, the GPS receiver is integral with the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Inventor: Lyndon J. Hurley
  • Publication number: 20080183308
    Abstract: Systems and methods that determine resonant frequencies of a motor system via employing an output of a velocity regulator. The velocity regulator enables the motor drive to command the rotation of the motor at predetermined rotations, by setting rotational speeds of the motor. The output of the velocity regulator can then be stored as a function of time, and a Fast Fourier Transform performed on such time data to obtain a frequency data and a signal power spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zhengrong Li, Wei Qian, Peter B. Schmidt, Sang Hoon Lee
  • Publication number: 20080061723
    Abstract: A driving velocity of a motor is detected by processing a position information signal output from a sensor in accordance with a driving position of a motor. The signal processing device includes a position information signal processor (410) that processes the position information signal and calculates driving velocity information of the motor, and an internal position information generator (460) that reflects a latest driving velocity information (?n) calculated by the position information signal processor (410) and generates a latest presumed position of the motor as internal position information. An amplitude correcting unit (465) detects the amplitude of the position information signal from the sensor and corrects the amplitude of the internal position information signal based on the detected amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: TOSHIBA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Fujita, Takamichi Ito
  • Patent number: 7331760
    Abstract: Actual temperatures of intake air, hydraulic oil, and coolant, to be cooled by a cooling fan, are detected. Target fan revolution speeds are determined by PI control units based on differences between the actual temperatures and target temperatures. The cooling fan is controlled based on the target fan revolution speeds. To restrict accumulation of negative integral elements when performing integration by the PI control units an integration start control system adapted to control the timing for each PI control unit to initiate integration is provided. Target temperatures for initiating integration are respectively set, and control is performed so that integral elements of each PI control unit are kept invalid until the actual temperature of the corresponding cooling target fluid, i.e. the intake air, the hydraulic oil, or the coolant, reaches the corresponding target temperature. Delay in rise of fan revolution speed is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideto Furuta
  • Publication number: 20080004755
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for automatically configuring control of a fan to be exclusively performed by a motherboard is disclosed. In an embodiment, the motherboard includes remote fan speed control module and a signal module, each to be coupled with a fan over a communication medium. The signal module is to transmit a signal over the communication medium indicating that the remote fan speed control module has exclusive control over fan speed of the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Robert A. Dunstan, Scott Lee
  • Patent number: 7283887
    Abstract: A method for determining a change in direction of rotation of a motor includes the steps of establishing steady state operating parameters of the motor, triggering a command interrupting the rotation of the motor, estimating the speed of the motor after triggering the command and determining the instant from which the speed of the motor is below zero. This instant corresponds to the change in direction of rotation of the motor. The instant from which the motor changes direction of rotation can be determined accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems - France
    Inventor: Paul Bizard
  • Patent number: 7228204
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fan unit used for forced air cooling, a motherboard with predetermined wiring formed as a wiring pattern, disposed on the rear face of an equipment, and an electronic equipment provided with the fan unit and the motherboard. It is an object of the present invention to reliably maintain appropriate forced air cooling at low cost. For this purpose, the fan unit of the present invention measures temperatures of predetermined places in parallel, processes each of combinations of these temperatures, outputs the processing result via lines whose number is equal to the number of the combinations, and maintains the revolving speed of fans at a value suitable for the processing result obtained via these lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iino, Naoya Yamazaki, Takashi Shirakami, Yoshiaki Tada
  • Patent number: 7047097
    Abstract: Devices being controlled electronically via physical manipulation often display a resonance. In many circumstances, the frequency range of operation is not close to the resonance frequency. In these cases, the resonance can be removed through the use of simple compensation techniques such as filters. However, when the resonance frequency is close to the frequency range of operation and when the resonance frequency can change depending on temperature, time, and physical position of the device, simple compensation techniques cannot be used. The present invention presents a non-mechanical technique for providing compensation for devices with a shifting resonance. The non-mechanical technique allows for the compensation to be performed via computation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark W. Heaton
  • Patent number: 6914779
    Abstract: A computing device includes a housing with various electrical and/or mechanical components included therein. Disposed within the housing is a processor assembly that includes a fan. The fan is configured to draw air into the interior of the housing and force air heated by the internal components of the computing device from the interior of the housing. The fan has a diameter that is larger than the smallest dimension of the three orthogonal dimensions of the housing of the computing device and generates low levels of acoustic noise having a low frequency. Additionally, the processor assembly includes a support structure that supports the fan and reduces the effects of electromagnetic emissions generated by a processor of the processor assembly upon electrical devices adjacent to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Roy James Askeland, J. David Egner
  • Patent number: 6807463
    Abstract: A system of intelligent appliances coupled by common household power lines or wireless links. One or more of the appliances serves as a system controller and may include a further communications interface for coupling to an external communications network, such as the telephone network. The system can thus be accessed and controlled remotely. The system can also communicate with and obtain information from remote sources such as Internet-based facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Sunbeam Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Cunningham, Kenneth R. Parker, Timothy E. Woods, Stephen J. Zwonitzer, Evan T. Ward, Maureen E. Carroll, John Hamann, JoAnne Lala, Lily Kunz, Mike Swieboda, Mark Devine, Jim Montagnino
  • Patent number: 6748300
    Abstract: Command path and command speed within a predetermined range are read. The predetermined range is time required for the object to move between two points on the command path. Speed command for each time is temporarily generated based on the read command path and the command speed. Frequency component that corresponds to mechanical vibration due to movement of the object and that is included in a speed command for the each time is calculated. Speed at which the frequency component becomes equal to or smaller than a preset reference value is determined as the permissible speed. Moving speed of the object is controlled so as not to exceed the calculated permissible speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Sato
  • Publication number: 20040107026
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a handling device (12) that is used to guide an energy source (14), wherein the energy source that applies energy to a work piece (16, 18) is moved at a speed V inside a protective cabinet (22). To allow the energy source to be moved relative to a work piece, without inadmissible temperature increases occurring, it is proposed that the speed of the energy source (14) moved inside the chamber be established as the current speed Vakt, that the current speed Vakt of the energy source (14) be compared with a minimum speed Vmin that is dependent upon the power being emitted by the energy source, and that if the current speed should fall below the minimum speed Vmin at least the energy source (14) shall be switched off immediately or following expiration of an allowable period of time below this minimum speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicants: Reis GmbH & Co. Maschinenfabrik Obernburg, ELAN Schaltelemente GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Eberhard Kroth
  • Patent number: 6738683
    Abstract: An epitaxial cleaning apparatus has a blower controller module and controller module code. The blower controller module is connected between a blower of an epitaxial deposition device having a reaction chamber, a blower and a plurality of plenum chambers for delivering cooling air from the blower to the reaction chamber, and a blower power source for controlling the speed of the blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: CXE Equipment Services, LLC
    Inventor: Frank J. Dunn
  • Publication number: 20040088061
    Abstract: A speed adjustment control method includes determining an amount of variation in speed from a data table corresponding to |command speed−initial speed| and speed adjustment time, determining number of divisions of |command speed−initial speed| by dividing |command speed−initial speed| by the amount of variation in speed, determining number of divisions of the speed adjustment time by subtracting 1 from the number of divisions of |command speed−initial speed|, determining a speed variation interval by dividing the speed adjustment time by the number of divisions of the speed adjustment time, determining a value for speed that is obtained by adding the amount of variation in speed to previously determined speed for each speed variation interval after starting with a speed obtained by adding amount of variation in speed to the initial speed during acceleration, switching over to the command speed on attaining the command speed, and d
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6728580
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating the time to failure acceleration factor of a large industrial motor includes a sensor, a clock for controlling sensor sampling times, and a memory address calculator for mapping output signals of the sensor to a memory address. A unit is provided for incrementing the content of a specified memory address by unity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Brock Estel Osborn, Kati Illouz, Gerald Burt Kliman
  • Patent number: 6701223
    Abstract: Pipelines are controlled by specifying operations along them. Control specifies sequential control values defining operations at each station to control the pipeline state. The time-dependent state is determinable by software calculations using continuous measurements along the pipeline. Forecasted deliveries dictate that the current pipeline state must change by future time (T). Control sequences are determined at pipeline stations to exercise optimum pipeline control while achieving predetermined goals from the current state to a sustainable target state which supports future deliveries by simulating current pipeline states through time interval T, while satisfying time-dependent forecast deliveries. An initial computable control set is iteratively improved and evaluated by computing the gradient of pipeline operational cost, costs of missing target(s), and costs of violating constraints by solving an adjoint problem each time the simulation is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Advantica, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry R. Rachford, Jr., Richard G. Carter
  • Patent number: 6681672
    Abstract: The optimized band saw feed speed system of this invention is associated with a saw mill carriage reciprocable past a band saw by a power drive motor. The feed speed control system utilizes a first laser line arranged to allow video scanning of the diameter profile of a log on the carriage for measuring the impending depth of cut by the band saw blade as the carriage moves the log through the band saw. A second laser line is arranged to show on the band saw blade for detecting the lateral deviation of the blade from its path. A video camera is arranged to cover the diameter of a log on the carriage and to view the laser line projections and control the speed of the power drive motor of the carriage, to provide optimum speed of movement of the log through the band saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Inventor: Warren L. Myrfield
  • Patent number: 6679820
    Abstract: There is provided a method for limiting an operating speed of a rotor installed in a centrifuge system. The method includes the steps of (a) determining whether an actual change in energy required to accelerate the rotor from a first speed to a second speed is within a predetermined range of an expected change in energy required to accelerate the rotor from the first speed to the second speed, and (b) limiting the operating speed when the actual change in energy is not within the predetermined range of the expected change in energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Kendro Laboratory Products, LP
    Inventors: David Alan Barkus, Raymond Gary Potter
  • Patent number: 6611748
    Abstract: An engine synchronization system for a pair of turbo jet engines in a twin jet aircraft includes a subsystem for selecting a power output, a signal generator for producing a first output signal in response to the speed of a first engine and a signal generator for producing a second output signal in response to the speed of a second engine. The system also includes a selector for selecting the fan speed or compressor speed of the engines as a control. The system incorporating an averaging device for calculating the average of the engine speeds and causing the servo driven throttle controller to retard the faster and advance the slower throttles toward the average. The engine synchronization system also includes a split shaft assembly including first and second output shafts which are disposed on a common axis. Each of the output shafts is locked to a servo motor and are free to rotate with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Safe Flight Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: Leonard M. Greene
  • Patent number: 6597972
    Abstract: A fan controller for use with a variable speed fan. The fan controller includes a processor coupled to a communication circuit that, in an advantageous embodiment, includes a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART). The communication circuit allows an external controller to monitor and establish a desired speed setting of the variable speed fan. The fan controller also includes a memory device, such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), coupled to the processor, that contains the desired speed setting of the variable speed fan. The fan controller further includes a feedback circuit, coupled to the processor, that receives a feedback signal indicative of the variable speed fan operation and a fan driver circuit, coupled to the processor, that provides a driving signal to control a speed of the variable speed fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert George Emberty, Craig Anthony Klein, Blanca Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 6564109
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing or removing the effect of measurement error so that an actual engine operates closer to optimum are described. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes the steps of identifying an engine operation (e.g., acceleration) that is less than optimal, estimating the measurement error associated with the less than optimal operation, adjusting the engine control logic based on the measurement error estimate, and reassessing the engine operation. The method is implemented, in one form, in an engine controller by programming a control processor to execute the above described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Malcolm J. Ashby, Sridhar Adibhatla
  • Publication number: 20030065426
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fan unit used for forced air cooling, a motherboard with predetermined wiring formed as a wiring pattern, disposed on the rear face of an equipment, and an electronic equipment provided with the fan unit and the motherboard. It is an object of the present invention to reliably maintain appropriate forced air cooling at low cost. For this purpose, the fan unit of the present invention measures temperatures of predetermined places in parallel, processes each of combinations of these temperatures, outputs the processing result via lines whose number is equal to the number of the combinations, and maintains the revolving speed of fans at a value suitable for the processing result obtained via these lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Iino, Naoya Yamazaki, Takashi Shirakami, Yoshiaki Tada
  • Patent number: 6507768
    Abstract: A method and system to regulate the sheet transport speed in a sheet handling device. Sheets are transported at a transport speed governed by an assigned signal. The actual transport speed of the sheets is determined and the assigned signal is adjusted to make the actual transport speed match a desired transport speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Co.
    Inventors: Laurent A. Regimbal, Hernan Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 6496786
    Abstract: An improved method, for obtaining a datum concerning the rotation speed (n) of a rotating object, such as a motor rotor (32), offers high precision. Typically, the motor has a sensor (61) which supplies a sensor signal that has, for each revolution of the rotor, a plurality A of events such as pulses or pulse edges which are counted by a microprocessor (23) associated with the motor. In order to keep the computation load on the microprocessor from increasing as the rotor speed increases, yet maintain high precision, the measurement is done over a full rotation of the rotor, starts at a first signal event (176), and ends after a third or nth signal event (182) which happens at the same rotational position as the first signal event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Roland Dieterle, Hermann Rappenecker, Alexander Hahn