Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120233865 | Adjustable Comb Assembly For Hair Cutting Appliance - An adjustable comb assembly, which is attachable to an electric hair cutting appliance of the type including opposing cutting blades defining a cutting edge margin for cutting hair, includes a plurality of teeth for regulating a haircut length resulting from the hair being cut by the cutting edge margin of the electric hair cutting appliance. The teeth are selectively movable relative to the cutting edge of the electric hair cutting appliance to any one of a substantially infinite number of different haircut length positions within a range from a maximum haircut length position, in which the comb assembly facilitates cutting hair to a maximum haircut length, to a minimum haircut length position, in which the comb assembly facilitates cutting hair to a minimum haircut length. | 09-20-2012 |
20120233866 | Electric Hair Grooming Appliance Including Touchscreen - An electric hair grooming appliance is configured to have one or more operations to facilitate grooming of hair. The electric hair grooming appliance includes a control circuit, and a touchscreen for receiving one or more inputs from a user and to facilitate communication between the user and the control circuit. The touchscreen is configured to send one or more command signals to the control circuit in response to receiving the one or more inputs from the user. The control circuit is configured to control one or more operations of the electric hair grooming appliance in response to receiving one or more of the command signals. | 09-20-2012 |
20130192068 | ELECTRIC HAIR TRIMMER - An electric hair trimmer generally includes a handle, a drive system, and a cutter head. The cutter head includes a stationary blade and a movable blade, and the cutter head is releasably connectable to the handle in operative connection with the drive system. The handle is configured for ejecting the cutter head. | 08-01-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090005026 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING TIMED EVENTS OF A PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICE TO TRIGGER REMOTE CONTROL OF EXTERNAL DEVICES - One embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes using a portable computing device to remotely control devices and/or systems wirelessly. Specifically, a software timer application operating on the portable computing device enables its user to predefine the time, date, and the operation(s) that one or more properly enabled devices and/or systems perform in the future. That is, the timer software operating on the portable computing device is able at some predefined time to wirelessly trigger an action or a sequence of actions from devices and/or systems. For example, a user of the portable computing device is able to utilize the timer software to program a predefined date and time that the portable computing device will turn on a favorite radio program and turn up the thermostat. The wireless communication of the portable computing device may occur using a radio frequency (RF) technology like Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, or HomeRF. | 01-01-2009 |
20090094686 | METHOD FOR BYPASSING PASSKEY EXCHANGE AND AUTHENTICATION PROCEDURES - A method and system thereof for establishing a wireless connection to a device while bypassing passkey exchange and authentication procedures. Passkeys are authenticated and exchanged with another device. At the user's discretion, the passkey for the other device can be stored in memory. In the case in which the passkey is stored, the other device is considered a “trusted device.” Subsequently, when a trusted device is discovered and selected, and a wireless connection to the trusted device is made, the passkey for the trusted device is automatically retrieved from memory. As such, it is not necessary for the user to manually input a passkey or for the devices to perform a passkey exchange and authentication procedure. | 04-09-2009 |
20090161582 | METHOD FOR INTELLIGENTLY SELECTING WIRELESS ACCESS POINT - A method and system for selecting and connecting to an access point in a wireless network of devices, such as a Bluetooth network. Initially, an initiator device is preconfigured with a list of available access point addresses. The initiator device broadcasts an inquiry message that is received by available wireless devices which, in turn, respond with their respective addresses, occupancy level and device classification. The initiator device compares the respondent addresses with the preconfigured access point addresses and connects to a match, thus terminating the inquiry, provided certain fitness functions are satisfied. The fitness functions might include such considerations as occupancy rate, device classification, signal strength, or physical distance of separation. The list of addresses on the initiator device is updated automatically upon connecting with a network server whenever a new device is added or an old one removed from the network server's access point address list. | 06-25-2009 |
20100121930 | MESSAGING SERVER TO REDIRECT AN INSTANT MESSAGE TO A MOBILE DEVICE - A messaging server is configured to receive an instant message comprising a message address and to store a mobile device ID associated with the message address. The messaging server is configured to redirect the instant message to a mobile device associated with the mobile device ID and to send the instant message to the mobile device. | 05-13-2010 |
20120164947 | BYPASSING BLUETOOTH DISCOVERY FOR DEVICES IN A SPECIAL LIST - A method of rejecting a Bluetooth communications request is disclosed. A portable device receives a Bluetooth communications request from a computing device. The communications request includes a device identification of the computing device. A list of trusted device identifications stored in a memory resource of the portable device is automatically accessed. The Bluetooth communications request is rejected in response to determining that the device identification is not in the list of trusted device identifications. | 06-28-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140365363 | SECURE INTEGRATIVE VAULT OF CONSUMER PAYMENT INSTRUMENTS FOR USE IN PAYMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and a method is provided for secure storage of consumers' credentials, financial accounts such as credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, checking accounts, savings accounts, proprietary gift cards, line of credit accounts, brokerage accounts, loyalty accounts, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, or the like, and storage of consumers' financial, legal or other important documents in an integrative vault providing payment processing access, protection, management, control and auditability over all of the consumers' payment instruments, other instruments, and important documents in a cloud based payment transaction processing environment. | 12-11-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090146424 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A WIND POWER PLANT - An apparatus and method for extending the power-capture region of a wind turbine during certain operating conditions is disclosed. The actual set point of an operational parameter is selected so as to be maintained at a predetermined number of standard deviations away from an operating limit during certain operating conditions. For example, the operational parameter may be a rotor/generator speed and the operating condition may be a mean wind speed that exceeds a predetermined wind speed. | 06-11-2009 |
20090148286 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING ASYMMETRIC ROTOR LOADS IN WIND TURBINES DURING SHUTDOWN - An apparatus and method for reducing asymmetric rotor load in a wind turbine includes calculating a time delay for pitching each blade toward feather upon initiation of a shutdown condition. The blades with the larger blade angle begin moving toward feather with an initial pitch rate, while the blade with the smallest blade angle begins moving toward feather with a final pitch rate. Once all the blades have reached approximately an identical blade angle, the blades move simultaneously together to feather at the final pitch rate. By introducing the time delay for pitching the blades having higher blade angles at the final pitch rate, a simple, time-based correction of initial conditions during shutdown reduces the extreme loads on turbine components. | 06-11-2009 |
20090243295 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING ROTOR LOADS IN A WIND TURBINE UPON DETECTION OF BLADE-PITCH FAILURE AND LOSS OF COUNTER-TORQUE - A system and method for reducing rotor loads in a wind turbine that includes a brake and one or more rotor blades coupled to a rotor. Upon detection of a loss of counter torque and a blade-pitch failure in at least one rotor blade, a processor reduces a generator overspeed threshold value by a predetermined amount and determines a brake-release threshold value. The brake is applied to slow the rotor if the generator/rotor speed exceeds the reduced generator/rotor overspeed threshold value. In addition, the brake is applied to slow the rotor until the generator/rotor speed is below the brake-release threshold value. The rate of change of the pitch angle of the rotor blade may be varied as the blade moves toward feather in response to the detected blade-pitch failure. | 10-01-2009 |
20090263245 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS INVOLVING WIND TURBINE TOWERS FOR POWER APPLICATIONS - A system for determining wind turbine tower base torque loads including a controller configured to determine a torque load of a base of a tower of a wind turbine according to a computation of an effective height of the wind turbine multiplied by a wind force upon a rotor of the wind turbine, and generate a control signal representing the torque load. A method for determining wind turbine tower base torque loads including determining a torque load of a base of a tower of a wind turbine according to the foregoing computation, and generating a control signal representing the torque load. | 10-22-2009 |
20100078939 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A WIND TURBINE DURING LOSS OF GRID POWER AND CHANGING WIND CONDITIONS - An apparatus and method for controlling a wind turbine having a plurality of blades such that the blade angle of each blade is continuously adjusted during loss of grid power relative to a wind direction relative to an orientation of the nacelle (i.e., yaw offset) and a rotor azimuth while keeping the orientation of the nacelle of the wind turbine substantially constant. The wind turbine is capable of pitching the blades a full 360 degrees and generating power from the rotation of the rotor shaft during loss of grid power. | 04-01-2010 |
20100140940 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING WIND TURBINE ACTUATION - A wind turbine includes a plurality of wind turbine blades attached to a rotor positioned atop a tower affixed to a tower foundation. At least one blade pitch sensor is configured to measure blade pitch angles for one or more of the wind turbine blades. A rotor/generator speed sensor is configured to measure the rotational speed of the wind turbine rotor, a corresponding wind turbine generator, or both. A wind turbine nacelle yaw sensor is configured to measure the nacelle yaw, while at least two tower-base bending sensors are configured without use of adhesives, cements or bonding agents to provide large-area measurement of tower deflection. A controller is configured to adjust the pitch angle of one or more of the wind turbine blades in response to the measured one or more blade pitch angles, the measured rotational speed, the measured nacelle yaw and measured tower longitudinal deflection. | 06-10-2010 |
20120027566 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A WIND TURBINE - A method, system and computer program product for operating a wind turbine is disclosed. For operating the wind turbine a set of operational data points are sensed via a sensing module. The set of operational data points may include bending stress values. Based on the bending stress values, a load scenario indicator value may be computed. Further, based on the set of operational data points a loading threshold value may be obtained. At least one operating parameter of the wind turbine is changed if the load scenario indicator value exceeds the loading threshold. | 02-02-2012 |
20130259682 | METHOD OF ROTOR-STALL PREVENTION IN WIND TURBINES - A method for operating a wind turbine is based on providing a wind turbine that includes a control system programmed to adjust a blade pitch angle of one or more rotor blades without knowledge of rotor blade efficiency. A blade pitch angle of one or more rotor blades is adjusted in response to the current conditions experienced by the wind turbine to provide a blade pitch angle that is greater than or equal to a blade pitch angle necessary to maintain a predetermined minimum rotor stall margin according to modeled aerodynamic performance of the rotor blades such that continuous operation of the wind turbine is maintained without transitions to the stalled mode. | 10-03-2013 |
20140030090 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING TOWER CLEARANCE IN A WIND TURBINE - A wind turbine control system includes a detecting unit for adjusting a reference nodding moment of a wind turbine rotor based on at least one of an aerodynamic thrust on the wind turbine rotor and a speed of wind; a compensating unit for determining a physical nodding moment of the wind turbine rotor, comparing the physical nodding moment with the reference nodding moment, and using the comparison to compute a pitch angle command for at least one wind turbine blade; and a driving unit for changing a pitch of the at least one blade based on the pitch angle command to control the physical nodding moment of the wind turbine rotor. | 01-30-2014 |
20140145534 | MAGNETIC BEARING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - A magnetic bearing system includes a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet opposing the first electromagnet, and a rotor positioned between the first and second electromagnets. The first and second electromagnets are configured to apply a magnetic force. The system also includes a controller configured to determine a control action necessary to move the rotor to a predetermined rotor setpoint. The system further includes a nonlinear compensation device configured to calculate a first electrical current setpoint for the first electromagnet and a second electrical current setpoint for the second electromagnet to maintain a predetermined stiffness during at least one of startup, operation, and shutdown of the magnetic bearing system. The first and second electrical current setpoints are calculated based on the control action determined by the controller. | 05-29-2014 |
20140301842 | METHODS FOR CONTROLLING WIND TURBINE LOADING - Methods are provided for controlling wind turbine loading. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of determining a current thrust value for the wind turbine, calculating a thrust differential based on the current thrust value and a predetermined maximum thrust value, calculating a desired pitch offset value based on the thrust differential and a thrust sensitivity value, and adjusting a pitch of the wind turbine utilizing the pitch offset value. | 10-09-2014 |
20150050143 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADE DAMAGE - Methods and systems for detecting rotor blade damage in a wind turbine are provided herein. A monitoring system includes a filter module and a damage determination module. The filter module is configured to determine an amplitude of a 1P frequency component of at least one operating condition of the wind turbine. The damage determination module is configured to compare the determined 1P frequency component amplitude to a threshold 1P frequency component amplitude. | 02-19-2015 |
20150076275 | CONTROL METHODS FOR PRODUCING PRECISION COILS - A method for sensing a position of a lead wire during winding of a wire on a coil form to form a precision coil is provided. The method includes acquiring data representative of at least a portion of the precision coil, identifying portions of the acquired data that represent the wire in the precision coil, and determining a position of the lead wire on the coil form from the identified portions of the acquired data. | 03-19-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080272199 | METHODS USING A DRAPED LIQUID WARMING DEVICE - A liquid warming device for heating sterile fluids in a removable basin is described with emphasis on the properties of the basin interaction with the liquid warming device and with a drape that works with the basin to maintain a sterile field above the drape and the top of the basin. The interactions between a temperature sensor and a temperature well integrated in the removable basin are disclosed. Also disclosed are various desirable aspects for a control system for a liquid warming device. | 11-06-2008 |
20090014547 | LIQUID WARMING DEVICE WITH BASIN DETECTION - A liquid warming device for heating sterile fluids in a removable basin is described with emphasis on the properties of the basin interaction with the liquid warming device and with a drape that works with the basin to maintain a sterile field above the drape and the top of the basin. Also disclosed are various desirable aspects for a control system for a liquid warming device. | 01-15-2009 |
20090112057 | ANTI-FOGGING AND CLEANING APPARATUS FOR MEDICAL SCOPES - An apparatus and method for warming a medical scope to a temperature at or near body temperature in order to prevent fogging and remove debris. A system for warming medical scopes and a variety of other medical items is to be used in conjunction with a liquid warming device for heating sterile fluids. The anti-fogging apparatus is described with emphasis on the properties of said apparatus and its interaction with a liquid warming device with a removable basin. Also disclosed are various desirable aspects for an apparatus used to warm and clean medical scopes and other medical items before, during and after medical procedures. | 04-30-2009 |
20090301107 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SLUSH FOR SURGICAL USE - Methods and apparatus for producing saline slush for surgical applications. Producing surgical saline slush in a slush bottle that is a rigid or semi-rigid, high integrity, sturdy container that resists punctures and leaks to better maintain a sterile barrier and does not rely on having an external object placed in the fluid to mix the slush. Slush is agitated by rotating the slush bottle within a slush bottle carriage around an axis of rotation. Agitation of the slush may be increased by including an agitation feature such as at least one fin in one or more sidewalls of the slush bottle. The rotating slush bottle is chilled. One variation is to keep the sterile saline in a flexible container and tumble the flexible container in a rotating slush bottle. Other variations are suggested. | 12-10-2009 |
20110114629 | OPEN ACCESS SLEEVE FOR HEATED FLUID UNITS - A series of implementations of open access sleeves for holding one or more closed containers of sterile fluid for use in medical procedures are disclosed. The open access sleeves may be adapted to provide heat to maintain the containers of sterile fluid above the ambient air temperature of the room. The provision of heat may be controlled by a control system. The control system may use a temperature measurement device to obtain a temperature representative of the container of sterile fluid and of the sterile fluid in the container. The access sleeve may be included in a device for maintaining an open volume of sterile fluid within a range of a target temperature to maintain the closed containers of sterile fluid at a temperature near target temperature for open volume of sterile fluid. | 05-19-2011 |
20110282281 | OPEN ACCESS SLEEVE FOR HEATED FLUID UNITS - A series of implementations of open access sleeves for holding one or more closed containers of sterile fluid for use in medical procedures are disclosed. The open access sleeves may be adapted to provide heat to maintain the containers of sterile fluid above the ambient air temperature of the room. The provision of heat may be controlled by a control system. The control system may use a temperature measurement device to obtain a temperature representative of the container of sterile fluid and of the sterile fluid in the container. The access sleeve may be included in a device for maintaining an open volume of sterile fluid within a range of a target temperature to maintain the closed containers of sterile fluid at a temperature near target temperature for open volume of sterile fluid. | 11-17-2011 |
20130310799 | OPEN ACCESS SLEEVE FOR HEATED FLUID UNITS - A series of implementations of open access sleeves for holding one or more closed containers of sterile fluid for use in medical procedures are disclosed. The open access sleeves may be adapted to provide heat to maintain the containers of sterile fluid above the ambient air temperature of the room. The provision of heat may be controlled by a control system. The control system may use a temperature measurement device to obtain a temperature representative of the container of sterile fluid and of the sterile fluid in the container. The access sleeve may be included in a device for maintaining an open volume of sterile fluid within a range of a target temperature to maintain the closed containers of sterile fluid at a temperature near target temperature for open volume of sterile fluid. | 11-21-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120324530 | RULE-BASED APPLICATION ACCESS MANAGEMENT - A container that manages access to protected resources using rules to intelligently manage them includes an environment having a set of software and configurations that are to be managed. A rule engine, which executes the rules, may be called reactively when software accesses protected resources. The engine uses a combination of embedded and configurable rules. It may be desirable to assign and manage rules per process, per resource (e.g. file, registry, etc.), and per user. Access rules may be altitude-specific access rules. | 12-20-2012 |
20120331570 | RULE-BASED APPLICATION ACCESS MANAGEMENT - A container that manages access to protected resources using rules to intelligently manage them includes an environment having a set of software and configurations that are to be managed. A rule engine, which executes the rules, may be called reactively when software accesses protected resources. The engine uses a combination of embedded and configurable rules. It may be desirable to assign and manage rules per process, per resource (e.g. file, registry, etc.), and per user. Access rules may be altitude-specific access rules. | 12-27-2012 |