Stress Or Strain Measurement Patents (Class 702/42)
  • Patent number: 11933291
    Abstract: A compressor, a monitoring system and a method of monitoring a compressor that make it possible to monitor the remaining lifetime of a semiconductor element of a motor control system while the processing load is reduced are provided. A compressor (1) includes: a motor control system (10) that controls the rotation speed of a motor (2); a compressor body (3) that compresses air by being driven by the motor (2); a pressure sensor (20) that is provided on the discharge side of the compressor body (3); and a running controller (11) that performs switching between load running and no-load running on the basis of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Okubo, Norinaga Suzuki, Kiyomi Tashima, Akihiro Takanuki
  • Patent number: 11920986
    Abstract: A sewer pipe inflow and infiltration diagnosis method based on a distributed fiber-optic temperature measurement system is provided. The inflow and infiltration diagnosis method includes the following steps: S1: transmitting, by an optical time-domain reflectometer, an original optical signal to a temperature sensing fiber-optic cable provided in a sewer pipe; S2: feeding back, by the temperature sensing fiber-optic cable, a modulated optical signal to the optical time-domain reflectometer due to a temperature effect; S3: subjecting the modulated optical signal to photoelectric conversion, so as to acquire binary information; S4: converting the binary information into decimal information; S5: drawing a spatiotemporal map of a water temperature; and S6: eliminating a background noise value, identifying an abnormal water temperature point, determining an inflow and infiltration point of the sewer pipe, and determining an abnormal inflow and infiltration point of the sewer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TONGJI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hailong Yin, Zuxin Xu, Longtian Guo, Ming Xie
  • Patent number: 11913912
    Abstract: Disclosed are a hole expansion ratio testing device, a hole expansion ratio testing method, and an operation program. The hole expansion ratio testing device includes a chucking unit configured to chuck a plate member having a hole, a punching unit inserted into the hole and configured to expand the hole, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of the hole expanded by the punching unit, and an analysis unit configured to extract an interest area corresponding to the hole from the acquired image, linearize the interest area, and provide information on a crack as a blob changes due to the linearization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION HANYANG UNIVERSITY ERICA CAMPUS
    Inventors: Jonghun Yoon, Seungho Choi
  • Patent number: 11874654
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods of condition-based management of electro-mechanical systems are disclosed. The method includes generating a stress profile for the electro-mechanical system based on operating or simulating operation of the electro-mechanical system in accordance with a load profile, wherein the load profile indicative of operation duration and load capacity of the electro-mechanical system. The method further includes receiving condition data associated with the electro-mechanical system in operation from a plurality of sensing units and predicting a failure instance of the electro-mechanical system using an accelerated degradation model based on at least one of the stress profile and the condition data. The accelerated degradation model is generated when the electro-mechanical system is operated above a rated stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: P. V. Sudev Nair
  • Patent number: 11868099
    Abstract: Cracks in foundations may be detected by sensing motion within the foundation. Depth sensors may be applied to a foundation, and the depths of the sensors may be read. At subsequent points in time the depths of the sensors may be read again. If the depths of the sensors are changing in a way that suggests that portions of the foundation are moving apart from each other, then it may be inferred that a crack is forming in the foundation. The formation of cracks may be used to take various actions. For example, the owner of the building that rests on the foundation may be information of the crack so that he or she may take remedial action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: Bradly Jay Billman
  • Patent number: 11852101
    Abstract: A method of making a multi-grained fuel grain for a rocket is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of using at least one nozzle to extrude a first propellant in an additive manufacturing process, the first propellant comprising a multi-grained fuel grain, the multi-grained fuel grain forming the at least one void, the at least one void facilitating variation in internal ballistics, forming sensors, said sensors permitting continuous monitoring and continuous modification such that a user controls the ballistics profile of a rocket motor, forming an electrically-controlled second propellant in contact with and operatively coupled to the sensors; and wherein the additive manufacturing process uses at least at least one nozzle to extrude raw materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: X-Bow Launch Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Hundley, Mark Kaufman, Michael McPherson
  • Patent number: 11815175
    Abstract: In a control device of an electric vehicle including a motor, driving wheels, a shifting device that is operated by a driver and selectively sets one of two shift positions of a traveling position that generates driving force by transmitting output torque of the motor to the driving wheels, and a non-traveling position that does not generate driving force without transmitting the output torque to the driving wheels, a controller causes the motor to output signal torque that enables the driver to sense a change in a vehicle behavior accompanied with switching of the shift position when the driver switches the shift position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daijiro Kawasaki, Satoshi Yamanaka, Hideaki Otsubo
  • Patent number: 11810802
    Abstract: Systems and methods for substrate support in a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a millisecond anneal system includes a processing chamber having a wafer support plate. A plurality of support pins can extend from the wafer support plate. The support pins can be configured to support a substrate. At least one of the support pins can have a spherical surface profile to accommodate a varying angle of a substrate surface normal at the point of contact with the substrate. Other example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods for estimating, for instance, local contact stress at the point of contact with the support pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: BEIJING E-TOWN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., MATTISON TECHNOLOGY, INC
    Inventor: Joseph Cibere
  • Patent number: 11802747
    Abstract: The invention relates to a firearm analysis device for determining parameters which are indicative for a firearm from a shot which has been discharged from the weapon, as well as a corresponding method, a corresponding firearm and a computer program product. The device comprises a voltage generating unit which generates an alternating voltage (Ue) during a counter-recoil travel and/or recoil travel of a movable weapon part occurring during a firing. The device is characterized by a signal processing unit which generates a measurement signal (IN+) from the generated AC voltage (Ue), a signal evaluation unit which determines a first time point and a second time point during the counter-recoil travel and/or recoil travel of the movable weapon part, and a time determination unit which determines a time period duration between the first time point and the second time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: HECKLER & KOCH GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Staiger, Mark Scheuermann, Johannes Alexander Kopf, Dietrich Gebert, Dieter Rimpf
  • Patent number: 11726040
    Abstract: A detecting apparatus for use in specifying regions having different impurity concentrations in an ingot includes an ingot holding unit having a holding surface for holding the ingot thereon, an excitation light source for applying excitation light having a predetermined wavelength to a face side of the ingot held on the holding surface, and a photodetector for detecting fluorescence emitted from the ingot upon exposure to the excitation light and generating an electric signal representing a number of photons of only light whose wavelength is in an infrared radiation range, of the detected fluorescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Mori, Ryohei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11713985
    Abstract: Fibre optics for distributed environmental condition and/or air quality sensing such as, but not limited to, sensing air quality in enclosed areas of an aircraft such as the passenger cabin. Fibre optics can be used for sensing and for communication and are therefore well suited to the distributed sensing of environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, gas and particulate composition within spaces of the aircraft e.g. the cabin, cargo space, cockpit, electronics bay etc. and in related systems such as the environmental control system (ECS), the cabin recirculation system, bleed air system etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Catherine Thibaud, Zissis A. Dardas, Jagadeswara Reddy Karra, David L. Lincoln
  • Patent number: 11673685
    Abstract: A system for monitoring propeller health includes a processing unit having a processor which is programmed to apply a plurality of algorithms to inputted aircraft parameter data. The system also includes a plurality of data inputs for inputting aircraft parameter data into the algorithms, wherein the processor is configured to apply the physics based algorithms to the aircraft parameter data to determine at least the fatigue life consumption of one or more critical components of a propeller. In addition, the system includes an output device which is able to output an indication of the determined fatigue life consumption to an observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventors: Abdellah El Haloui, Brian P. Huth, Mark Vignali, Olivier Lacroix
  • Patent number: 11644371
    Abstract: Systems, devices and methods enable generation and monitoring of support platform structural conditions in a manner that overcomes drawbacks associated with conventional approaches (e.g., load cells) for generating and monitoring similar operating condition information. In preferred embodiments, such systems, devices and methods utilize fiber optic strain gauges (i.e., fiber optic sensors) in place of (e.g., retrofit/data replacement) or in combination with conventional load cells. The fiber optic sensors are strategically placed at a plurality of locations on one or more support bodies of a support platform. In preferred embodiments, the fiber optic strain gauges are placed in positions within a hull and/or one or more pontoons of an offshore platform. Such positions are selected whereby resulting operating condition data generated by the fiber optic strain gauges suitably replaces data received by conventionally constructed and located load cells of an offshore platform (e.g., a TLP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ASTRO TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC
    Inventor: David Verl Brower
  • Patent number: 11536618
    Abstract: A load indicator apparatus which is compact, portable and detachably mounted on the tie-rod. The load indicator apparatus includes a first reference fixture configured for attachment at a first position on the tie-rod, a second fixture configured for attachment at a second position on the tie-rod and an elongation gauge extending between the first reference fixture and the second fixture and configured to measure displacement of the second fixture relative to the first reference fixture during elongation of the tie-rod. A displacement transducer is connected to the second fixture to measure a capacitance value proportional to the loading acting on the tie-rod and transfers it to a load monitoring unit which translates the measured capacitance into a visual load reading and an electronic load output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Valley Forge & Bolt Mfg. Co.
    Inventor: Ronald C. Clarke
  • Patent number: 11524534
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for a load-sensing hitch utilizing a system of strain gauges. An example apparatus includes a hitch including a first support including a first end, a second end, and a mid-portion located between the first end and the second end, the mid-portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first end or the cross-sectional area of the second end, a strain gauge located at the mid-portion of the first support, a frame attachment to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle, the support coupled to the frame attachment, and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from the strain gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Stanton Giaier, Bryce Reinert, Andrew Niedert, Joshua Norwood, Jorge Rivas, Peter Kowalow, Rebecca Giaier
  • Patent number: 11507035
    Abstract: Cracks in foundations may be detected by sensing motion within the foundation. Sensors may be applied to a foundation, and the positions of the sensors may be read. At subsequent points in time the positions of the sensors may be read again. If the positions of the sensors are changing in a way that suggests that portions of the foundation are moving apart from each other, then it may be inferred that a crack is forming in the foundation. The formation of cracks may be used to take various actions. For example, the owner of the building that rests on the foundation may be information of the crack so that he or she may take remedial action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: Bradly Jay Billman
  • Patent number: 11407079
    Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one memory configured to store at least one image of multiple pieces of deburring media used in a vibration deburring machine. The apparatus also includes at least one processor configured to analyze the at least one image to determine a condition of each of the multiple pieces of deburring media and determine an overall condition of the deburring media. The at least one processor is also configured to generate a graphical user interface containing a notification based on at least one of: the conditions of the multiple pieces of deburring media and the overall condition of the deburring media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Kristen Stone, Robert R. S. Di Carlo
  • Patent number: 11385113
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a coil sensor-based tensile force measurement system capable of temperature compensation. The coil sensor-based tensile force measurement system includes: a coil sensor configured to magnetize an inspection target object, and to detect information about a magnetic flux density formed by the magnetized inspection target object; a thermistor disposed to detect the temperature of a place where the coil sensor is installed; and a tensile force measurement server configured to acquire magnetic hysteresis curve information based on the temperature for the inspection target object, based on information collected by the coil sensor and the thermistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SMARTINSIDE AI Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Hee Park, Won Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 11360009
    Abstract: To provide a fracture-visualization sensor capable of visualizing the fracture behavior of a composite material and a composite-material fracture-visualization system using the fracture-visualization sensor. A first luminescent film including a mechanoluminescent material is provided on one surface of a composite material. The first luminescent film has a maximum stress per unit of cross-sectional area within the range of 19-43 N/mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yuki Fujio, Nao Terasaki
  • Patent number: 11346206
    Abstract: Changes to the vibrational frequencies of a drill string or BHA are monitored for prognostic health monitoring purposes. When one or more orders of resonance frequencies deviate from a baseline frequency, the magnitude of the deviation, and possibly the rate of deviation, is evaluated. When the deviation exceeds a threshold value, an alert is triggered. The alert may be triggered by downhole processing of the vibration data and conveyed to an operator to allow changes in operational parameters or removal of the component from the wellbore. The alert may instead be triggered by post-run processing of stored and dumped data, that can be used to evaluate whether the tool can be re-run, or whether it should be inspected, repaired, or scrapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Adam Ian Bowler, Mauro Caresta, Benjamin Peter Jeffryes
  • Patent number: 11277573
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a drill string comprising: a plurality of image capture devices disposed around a wellbore and adapted to record images of a portion of the drill string; and a logic device adapted to determine linearity of the portion of the drill string based on a form factor deviation. A method of monitoring a drill string comprising: capturing images of a portion of the drill string with an image capture device; assessing a form factor deviation of the portion of the drill string; and determining a linearity of the portion of the drill string based on the form factor deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Nabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Magnuson, Mark Docherty
  • Patent number: 11263373
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for predictive machining for forging distortions. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a mesh model of a machined part to be machined from a forged part and residual stress field data for the forged part, where the mesh model includes multiple nodes corresponding to at least one boundary of the machined part, updating the mesh model by applying the residual stress field data to the multiple nodes corresponding to the at least one boundary to change positions of the multiple nodes in the mesh model, repeating the updating until an amount of change to each of the positions of the multiple nodes in the mesh model satisfies a correction criteria, and providing the compensated mesh model for use in machining the machined part from the forged part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Mario Noviello, Fikret Kalay, Akmal Ariff Bin Abu Bakar
  • Patent number: 11255311
    Abstract: A rotor rotation control system for a wind turbine and a control method thereof are provided. The control system includes a rotation unit configured to drive a rotor of the wind turbine to rotate relative to an engine base of the wind turbine, a driving unit configured to drive the rotation unit, and a processor configured to determine a bending moment load switching position on a rotating shaft of the rotor, and output an adjustment instruction to the driving unit based on the bending moment load switching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: JIANGSU GOLDWIND SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongfeng Li, Yong Yang, Jing Fang, Endi Zhai, Xingang Zhang, Ye Li
  • Patent number: 11244093
    Abstract: A method simulates behavior of a structure by finite element calculation in which a global model represents the structure, a local model represents an area of the structure including geometric details, and an auxiliary model represents the area without the geometric details. The method includes determining by finite element calculation in the global model of a nodal displacement field corresponding to a loading applied to the global model; applying the nodal displacement field to the local and auxiliary models and determining the corresponding forces; calculating a correction when convergence of the solution obtained for the global model is not achieved, and the applying is resumed with a nodal displacement field calculated in the global model after implementing the correction; determining values of internal variables for the different loading increments; and assessing the evolution in the behavior of the structure over time as a function of these values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: Safran Aircraft Engines, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)
    Inventors: Geoffrey Juan Desmeure, Maxime Guy Roland Blanchard, Olivier Francois Gerard Allix, Pierre Noel Gosselet
  • Patent number: 11025865
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method receives a two dimensional or a three dimensional computer generated representation of an area, receives a plurality of images of the area captured by one or more video cameras, detects a first moving object in the plurality of images, generates a computer representation of the first moving object, correlates the images of the area captured by the one or more video cameras with the two dimensional or three dimensional computer generated representation of the area, and displays the computer representation of the first moving object in the two dimensional or the three dimensional computer generated representation of the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Swarup S. Medasani, Yuri Owechko, Kyungnam Kim, Alexander Krayner
  • Patent number: 11016011
    Abstract: In a breaking prediction method of predicting a breaking portion of a component, which is obtained by forming a metal sheet, by using a finite element method, the breaking portion is easily and reliably extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Nitta, Shigeru Yonemura, Satoshi Shirakami, Takashi Yasutomi
  • Patent number: 11007101
    Abstract: A motive system for a patient lifting assembly, a patient lifting assembly and a method of operating a patient lifting assembly. The motive system includes an electric motor, numerous sensors and an adaptive control unit cooperative with one another so that a memory and processor that are part of the control unit that can respectively store and execute a computer readable and executable instruction set. By comparing collected data from the sensors during operation of the motor to corresponding reference values associated with one or more motor operational parameters—such as accumulated motor wear over time or differences in operating temperature of the motor—the system can selectively adjust the maximum amount of current available for use by the motor. In this way, changes in motor efficiencies that arise with these parametric changes can be taken into consideration when determining an upper limit on how much electrical current may be delivered to the motor for a given load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: LIKO RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Joakim Eriksson, Mattias Andersson, Erik Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 10883814
    Abstract: A method to assemble a highly stretchable and highly sensitive strain sensor. Carbon nanofibers prepared by electrospinning of PAN followed by stabilization and carbonization, are sandwiched in two layers of elastomer PU. The CNFs/PU strain sensor shows large strain range of 300%, high sensitivity with gauge factor up to 72.5, and superior stability and durability during 8000 cycles of stretch/release. The CNFs/PU strain sensor shows fast, stable and reproducible responses following the bending movement of fingers, wrists, and elbows. The flexible CNFs/PU strain sensor with has broad applications in wearable devices for human motion monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS
    Inventors: Zhengtao Zhu, Yichun Ding, Yongchen Yang
  • Patent number: 10752341
    Abstract: A method of tip clearance estimation for a rotor blade is provided. The method includes measuring blade deflection of the rotor blade, generating a harmonic function for the rotor blade from the measured blade deflection, predicting tip displacement of the rotor blade using the generated harmonic function and adjusting a position of the rotor blade according to the predicted tip displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Derek Geiger, Jeremy Frimpong Banning
  • Patent number: 10732073
    Abstract: The invention is a method for obtaining the curved displacement of a flexible structure by using strain measurements obtained by strain sensors. By obtaining the displacement of structures in this manner, one may accurately construct the deformed shape of the structure under large geometric nonlinear deformations and display said deformed shape in real-time, enabling active control of the structure shape if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: U.S.A. as Represented by the Administration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William L Ko, Van T Fleischer, Shun-Fat Lung
  • Patent number: 10704972
    Abstract: A method for measuring the applied load on a towing hook/or a tow bar accessory of a towing hook arrangement for a vehicle, and a towing hook arrangement for a vehicle. The towing hook arrangement comprises a towing hook and/or a tow bar accessory arranged on a tow bar, the towing hook arrangement also comprises a sensor arrangement having at least one actuator and at least one sensor, the sensor arrangement is adapted to detect an imparted vibration on the tow bar and use the detected imparted vibration to determine the applied load on the towing hook and/or the tow bar accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: BRINK TOWING SYSTEMS B.V.
    Inventor: Teunis Lassche
  • Patent number: 10612911
    Abstract: A method and system for rendering the quaternion shape and orientation of a three-dimensional structure. The proposed system and method keeps track of twist/roll angles and updates its effect on pitch and yaw orientations. The system relies on a single or multi-core optical fiber or multi-fiber bundle containing fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGs) arrayed in rosettes at 45° deltas and spaced at uniform intervals along the entire length of the structure to be monitored. A tunable laser is used to interrogate the sensors using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), which detects shifts in the wavelength reflected by the sensors in response to strain on the fibers. Each sensor is continuously queried by software which determines the strain magnitude (?L/L) for each fiber at a given triplet. Given these measured strain values, the software implements a novel quaternion approach to rendering the 3D shape of the fiber including twist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Francisco Pena, III, Allen R. Parker, Jr., William Lance Richards, Hon Man Chan
  • Patent number: 10605854
    Abstract: A method of monitoring the health of a semiconductor power electronic switch such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is provided. The method having the steps of: measuring one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of: a rate of change of voltage ( dV dt ) across the switch; a rate of change of current ( di dt ) through the switch, a charge present on a gate of the switch (QG), a peak overshoot voltage (VPO) across the switch, and a peak overshoot or reverse recovery current (IRR) through the switch; and estimating the health of the switch based on the measured parameter(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLYS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Mohamed Halick Mohamed Sathik, Chandana Jayamapathi Gajanayake, Shantha Dharmasiri Gamini Jayasinghe, Amit Kumar Gupta, Rejeki Simanjorang
  • Patent number: 10589431
    Abstract: Provided is a strain sensor which includes: a linear bearing including a first member and a second member which are supported such that the first member and the second member are relatively movable only in an axial direction of a predetermined axis; a connecting member including fixed portions, which are respectively fixed to the first member and the second member, and a strain generation portion which connects the fixed portions with each other; and a strain detecting element disposed on the connecting member so as to be capable of detecting strain in at least a moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Nakayama
  • Patent number: 10595399
    Abstract: An organic substrate includes a core layer including organic materials; a first buildup layer on a top surface of the core layer; a second buildup layer on a bottom surface of the core layer; and at least one correction layer formed on at least one part of surfaces of the first buildup layer and the second buildup layer, wherein the correction layer has a thickness which has been calculated using properties of constituent materials including the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the Young's modulus of the core layer, and CTEs and the Young's modulus of the first and the second buildup layers for reducing warpage of the organic substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sayuri Hada, Hiroyuki Mori, Keishi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10578144
    Abstract: An Internet of Thing (IoT) device includes a head portion; an elongated stress sensor coupled to the head portion, the stress sensor coupled to a surface; a processor coupled to the stress sensor; and a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Inventors: Bao Tran, Ha Tran
  • Patent number: 10543721
    Abstract: A method of operating a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) includes executing tire pressure monitoring of at least one tire installed on a vehicle in a first mode, and transmitting frequency signal loss information to a center if a loss of a frequency signal in the first mode occurs in a designated time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Sung Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 10521527
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for analysis of a leading edge rib of a fixed leading edge section of an aircraft wing. The apparatus may identify geometric or inertial properties of a plurality of stiffeners of the rib, and based thereon perform an analysis to predict a failure rate of the leading edge rib under an external load. From the failure rate, the apparatus may determine a structural integrity of the leading edge rib under the external load. Performing the analysis may include importing a plurality of section cuts into a finite element model of the rib and thereby identifying nodes proximate the section cuts. Under an external load, internal load distributions may be extracted from elements proximate the nodes and elements, and the failure rate of the leading edge rib under the external load may be predicted based on the internal load distributions of the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric S. Lester, Michael A. O'Grady, Alan N. Baumgarten, Navin Kumar, Venkata Narasimha Ravi Udali, Sachin Kulshrestha, Tejoram Bhagavathula
  • Patent number: 10521551
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes providing a first digital representation of a first member and a second digital representation of a second member. The first member and the second member are configured to be joined. The method also includes aligning the first digital representation and the second digital representation in a same coordinate system. Further, the method includes determining, in the coordinate system, a virtual deformation corresponding to at least one of the first digital representation or the second digital representation corresponding to an applied loading. Also, the method includes determining shim dimensions for a shim to be interposed between the first member and the second member based on the virtual deformation. The method further includes fabricating a shim having the shim dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Don Michael Clark, Joshua Gerritt Letendre, Steven Elsdon Larson
  • Patent number: 10458881
    Abstract: This internal pressure loading system includes an internal pressure loading device and an information processing device. The internal pressure loading device is set at an inner face of a pipe, and includes a load meter which detects the load applied to the inner face of the pipe and a displacement meter which detects the deformation amount of the pipe. When the internal pressure loading device is expanded so as to increase the load to be detected by the load meter, the width of the pipe at which the displacement meter is located is reduced. On the basis of the load detected by the load meter and the deformation amount detected by the displacement meter, the information processing device evaluates the remaining strength of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOTTORI UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SHIMANE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masahiro Hyodo, Hidehiko Ogata, Naoki Kawamura, Tsuguhiro Nonaka, Masayuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 10426541
    Abstract: A device (1) assisting with the placement of an orthopedic instrument (2) intended to be inserted in a receiving bone (3) by impaction, by means of an impacter (10) comprising at least one striking surface (11) designed to come into contact with an impact surface coupled to said orthopedic instrument in order to apply an impaction force to said orthopedic instrument (2), said device being characterized in that it comprises a force sensor (12) able to measure, upon each impact, said impaction force applied by the impacter (10) to said impact surface and to supply a measurement signal indicative of the temporal variation of said applied impaction force, said force sensor (12) being connected to processing means (30) designed to determine, on the basis of the temporal variation of said impaction force supplied for each impact in succession, an indicator representative of the degree of insertion of said orthopedic instrument (2) in the receiving bone (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)
    Inventors: Guillaume Haiat, Vincent Mathieu, Adrien Michel
  • Patent number: 10354023
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transforming a finite element model is provided. A set of joint elements to the finite element model of a structure is created at a set of joint locations in the finite element model of the structure. A local coordinate system is assigned to each of the set of joint elements that is independent of a global coordinate system of the finite element model to generate a transformed finite element model. The transformed finite element model is generated with improved consistency and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Saif Sultan, Weidong Song, Nooshin M. Khalili
  • Patent number: 10311202
    Abstract: A fatigue life management system for determining a remaining fatigue life of a component of an aircraft. The fatigue life management system may generate probability density functions of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage for predetermined time intervals based on selected flight data of the aircraft and regression models for probabilistic prediction of minimum load, maximum load, and timeframe damage of the component. The fatigue life management system may further compute an accumulated fatigue damage estimation based on the probability density functions and a probabilistic fatigue strength model. The fatigue life management system may then generate a distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation of the component. If desired, the processing circuit may compare the distribution of the accumulated fatigue damage estimation with a reliability requirement to determine the remaining fatigue life of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Sam Dekker, Georg Wurzel
  • Patent number: 10295438
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for analysis of a leading edge rib of a fixed leading edge section of an aircraft wing. The apparatus may identify geometric or inertial properties of a plurality of stiffeners of the rib in which respective stiffeners are represented by a collection of geometry within a solid model of the rib, and perform an analysis to predict a failure rate of the leading edge rib under an external load. From the failure rate, the apparatus may determine a structural integrity of the leading edge rib under the external load. Identifying the properties may include, extracting a section cut of the geometry that corresponds to and has one or more properties of the respective stiffener, and identifying the properties of the cross-section and thereby the respective stiffener based on a correlation of the cross-section to a generic profile of a plurality of different cross-sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Eric S. Lester, Michael A. O'Grady, Alan N. Baumgarten, Navin Kumar, Venkata Narasimha Ravi Udali, Sachin Kulshrestha, Tejoram Bhagavathula
  • Patent number: 10285762
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for assessing an arterio-venous malformation (AVM) may include, for example, receiving a patient-specific model of a portion of an anatomy of a patient; using a computer processor to analyze the patient-specific model for identifying one or more blood vessels associated with the AVM, in the patient-specific model; and estimating a risk of an undesirable outcome caused by the AVM, by performing computer simulations of blood flow through the one or more blood vessels associated with the AVM in the patient-specific model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventors: Sethuraman Sankaran, Christopher K. Zarins, Leo Grady
  • Patent number: 10270137
    Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, devices, apparatus, and computer program products for detecting battery status and failure. In general, detecting mechanical swelling of a battery cell along with optional measurement of temperature increases can be used to identify a battery cell as failing or failed. Force strain sensors or similar extension/compression sensors can be mounted in a (e.g., fire resistant) sleeve surround a battery pack and/or between cells in a battery pack. In some embodiments, extension/compression sensors are used along with temperature probes to detect battery cell failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Olaeris, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul E. I. Pounds
  • Patent number: 10168685
    Abstract: A method for applying stress conditions to integrated circuit device samples during accelerated stress testing may include partitioning each of the integrated circuit device samples into a first region having a first functional element, partitioning each of the integrated circuit device samples into at least one second region having at least one second functional element, applying a first stress condition to the first region having the first element, applying a second stress condition to the at least one second region having the at least one second element, determining a first portion of the integrated circuit device samples that functionally failed based on the first stress condition, and determining a second portion of the integrated circuit device samples that functionally failed based on the second stress condition. An acceleration model parameter is derived based on the determining of the first and second portion of the integrated circuit samples that functionally failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Burns, Douglas S. Dewey, Nazmul Habib, Daniel D. Reinhardt
  • Patent number: 10161892
    Abstract: A method of analyzing press-forming of a press-forming material including analyzing press-forming, analyzing springback and analyzing a change in shape of the press-forming material. The analyzing press-forming may include setting an initial temperature distribution for the heated press-forming material and performing a press-forming analysis by combining temperature analysis and structural analysis to obtain shape information, temperature distribution, stress distribution, and strain distribution. The analyzing springback may occur with and without consideration of contact heat transfer between a press-forming tool and the press-forming material. The method may further include modifying the temperature distribution obtained in the analyzing springback and then re-analyzing the change in shape of the press-forming material. The analyzing the change in shape may be performed until a temperature distribution in the press-forming material is within the range of ±5° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Minote, Yuichi Tokita, Yoshikiyo Tamai, Takeshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 10069451
    Abstract: A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America,Inc.
    Inventors: Brian L. Beifus, Paul N. Selking, Vijay D. Gurudasani, Michael R. Koller
  • Patent number: 10020546
    Abstract: A device for managing an accumulator, including: a plurality of strain gauges including at least three strain gauges, the strain gauges being arranged to measure stresses along at least three distinct stress axes; a measuring device measuring strains undergone by each gauge along its stress axis; a reversible electrical switch; a calculating device controlling opening and closing of the electrical switch, depending on measurements carried out by the measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Sylvie Genies, Melanie Alias, Caroline Coutier, Estelle Le Baron, Sophie Mailley