Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Schiff Hardin & Waite
  • Patent number: 6671643
    Abstract: In order to test a hearing aid having at least one microphone, one signal processing unit and one sound transducer, a sound channel is produced between the microphone and the sound transducer. The electrical signal path in the hearing aid is interrupted, and a test signal is fed into the interrupted signal path within the hearing aid, is emitted via the sound transducer, and is passed on through the sound channel to the microphone. The signal received by the microphone is then evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Kachler, Fred Zoels
  • Patent number: 6671330
    Abstract: A power amplifier, particularly a gradient amplifier of a nuclear magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, has at least one switched output stage containing a power bridge circuit formed by a number of switch elements, the bridge circuit being connected to a floating intermediate circuit voltage, as well as at least one digital pulse width modulator that generates pulse-width-modulated control signals for all switch elements of the power bridge circuit from digital input signals in order to generate at least one output stage voltage according to an output stage switching clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Lenz, Christian Schwingenschloegl
  • Patent number: 6671329
    Abstract: A power amplifier, particularly a gradient amplifier of a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, has at least one switched output stage containing a power bridge circuit formed by a number of switch elements and connected to a floating intermediate circuit voltage, as well as at least one digital pulse width modulator that generates pulse-width-modulated control signals for all switch elements from a digital input signal in order to generate at least one output stage voltage according to an output stage switch clock. The digital pulse width modulator is preceded by a pre-modulator for forming the digital input signals, with at least one of the digital input signals containing an offset, preferably corresponding to half an LBS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Helmut Lenz
  • Patent number: 6668403
    Abstract: A bearing mechanism or support structure for an imaging medical examination apparatus, particularly a magnetic resonance apparatus or a computer tomography apparatus, has a bearing plate for the patient and an endless conveyor band or belt for transporting the bearing plate through an opening in the examination apparatus. The conveyor band can move through the opening that serves for the acceptance of the patient and is moved therethrough by means of two end rollers arranged on mutually opposite sides of the examination apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Matthias Seufert
  • Patent number: 6667979
    Abstract: For processing ATM cells in bidirectional, upstream and downstream data streams in an ATM module, whereby the processing speed is higher than the average cell rate and empty cycles without ATM cells occur in the cell stream, a processing logic of the module—for the purpose of an alternating processing of upstream or downstream cells—makes requests upstream and downstream for empty cycles to an empty cycle controller in order to receive processing time. The cells of the downstream data stream can be separately backed up and released in a buffer and, in this way, downstream empty cycles can be generated. Given a downstream empty cycle request, this request is allowed with priority over a simultaneous downstream request when an empty cycle occurs, and, given a downstream empty cycle request, an empty cycle is released delayed by one cycle length if an upstream request is simultaneously present but is otherwise immediately released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellscahft
    Inventor: Dirk Amandi
  • Patent number: 6667617
    Abstract: In a multi-echo magnetic resonance imaging method a number of high-frequency pulses are generated involving a high-frequency excitation pulse and a number of following high-frequency refocusing pulses, at least two phase encoding gradient pulses are respectively generated between the high-frequency refocusing pulses, and at least two compensation phase encoding gradient pulses are generated between the high-frequency excitation pulse and the first high-frequency refocusing pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Heubes
  • Patent number: 6667673
    Abstract: A dual mode SAW filter is provided with improved symmetry and/or blocking attenuation by selecting the structure in one-track, two-track embodiment and with potentially split track, in which first transducers and second transducers, these as input transducers and/or output transducers and/or coupling transducers (given a multi-track embodiment), always have an even-numbered plurality of fingers and are point-symmetrical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventor: Georg Strauss
  • Patent number: 6667520
    Abstract: Majority voting between triple redundant integrated circuits is used in order to provide an SEU hardened output signal. Accordingly, an input signal is processed in a predetermined manner to provide a first signal, the input signal is processed in the same manner to provide a second signal, and the input signal is also processed in the same manner to provide a third signal. A majority vote is taken between the first, second, and third signals by an SEU immune majority voter circuit, and an output signal is provided corresponding to the majority vote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: David E. Fulkerson
  • Patent number: 6667742
    Abstract: In a presentation device for two-dimensional, perspective projection of volume data elements of a volume dataset, the point of vision can be displaced along an optical axis and the point of vision and, with it, an acquired spatial angle can be rotated around at least one rotational axis with interactive inputs. The rotational axis intersects the optical axis in a pivot point that is determined dependent on the data values of volume data elements that lie within the acquired spatial angle, particularly on the optical axis or in the proximity thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Alois Noettling
  • Patent number: 6667482
    Abstract: A radiation detector for an X-ray computed tomography apparatus, has a number of detector modules mounted side-by-side, each detector module having a sensor array composed of a number of sensor elements. For simplifying the maintenance of the detector, each detector module contains an electronic memory arrangement for storing data relating to the calibration of each of the sensor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Thomas Von Der Haar
  • Patent number: 6667618
    Abstract: In a method for the operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus, wherein a positional change of a region of an examination subject to be imaged relative to an imaging volume of the apparatus is acquired with orbital navigator echos, at least one reference dataset with data points is generated, the data points in the k-space, at least on a partial surface of a spherical surface, being arranged to occupy the partial surface in surface-covering fashion, and the partial surface extending at least around a great circle of the spherical surface corresponding to a maximally expected angular range of the positional change. For acquiring the positional change, a dataset of at least one of the navigator echos is compared to the reference dataset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Thesen
  • Patent number: 6665370
    Abstract: In a spiral scan cone beam computed tomography method and apparatus, the output data are divided into sub-segments being shorter than the length required for the reconstruction of a CT image. Segment images having inclined image plane relative to the system axis are reconstructed for the sub-segments. A signal reproducing the time curve of the periodic motion is acquired during the scanning. A z-position on the system axis and a time position with respect to the periodic motion are allocated to the segment images. Segment images belonging to a desired range of z-positions and a desired range of time positions are selected such that the corresponding sub-segments have an overall length adequate for the reconstruction of a CT image. The selected segment images are at least indirectly combined into a resulting CT image with respect to a target image plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Bruder, Thomas Flohr, Robert Mayer, Bernd Ohnesorge, Stefan Schaller, Karl Stierstorfer
  • Patent number: 6664710
    Abstract: An electromechanical motor and method for operating same result in a motor low-wear, quiet, slip-free and simple structure, wherein the drive shaft is driven free of bending moments, can be arrested in quiescent position and can be operated at low speed. A drive ring is disposed for line contact with the shaft and moved by a combination of linear displacements of respective electromechanical drive elements to execute a circulatory motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernhard Gottlieb, Andreas Kappel
  • Patent number: 6663981
    Abstract: A marker for use in a magnetic anti-theft security system has an amorphous ferromagnetic alloy alarm strip and at least one activation strip. The semi-hard magnetic alloy for the activation strip contains 8 to 25 weight % Ni, 1.5 to 4.5 weight % Al, 0.5 to 3 weight % Ti and balance of iron. The alloy is distinguished over known, employed alloys by excellent magnetic properties and a high resistance to corrosion. Further, the alloy can be excellently cold-worked before the annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Vacuumschmelze GmbH
    Inventors: Hartwin Weber, Gernot Hausch, Ottmar Roth
  • Patent number: 6662202
    Abstract: Data management systems of real-time systems are intended to provide user systems with rapid and consistent on-line management of various data generations. This is achieved by an access data structure which allows a generations management system (GMS) to carry out the management of various data generations on the basis of the same data objects already used on a previous occasion by a transaction management system (TMS) for carrying out transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Krusche, Dirk Lukas, Stefan Lang, Jürgen Lantermann
  • Patent number: 6661275
    Abstract: In a circuit arrangement for discharging at least one circuit node, an input and at least one output connectible to the at least one circuit node are provided along with at least one controllable resistor, a capacitor and a diode. A first terminal of the controllable path of the controllable resistor is connected to the output. A second terminal of the controllable path of the controllable resistor is connected to the input. A terminal of the capacitor and a cathode of the diode are connected to a control terminal of the controllable resistor. An anode of the diode is connected to the input. The circuit arrangement requires a very small area in an integrated circuit and enables a very fast discharge of the circuit node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andrea Logiudice
  • Patent number: 6657851
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a layer stack for the acceptance of a liquid having a suction layer (1) with high absorbency sufficing for sucking up the liquid from the edge of the layer stack into its middle and having a first storage layer (2) with low absorbency that is not sufficient for sucking up the liquid from the edge of the layer stack up to its middle between which an intermediate layer (3) composed of non-absorbent material and adjoining the first storage layer (3) is arranged, whereby a non-absorbent edge layer (7) is arranged at that side of the first storage layer (2) facing away from the intermediate layer (3), and whereby the intermediate layer (3) comprises through holes (4) whose plurality, size and distribution is selected such that some of the liquid suctioned up by the suction layer (1) can proceed via the holes (4) to the first storage layer and thoroughly saturate this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: EPCOS Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Norbert Will
  • Patent number: 6655275
    Abstract: A printing press has a conveying path for a paper web formed by rollers and has at least one high performance printing unit arranged at the conveying path, a plurality of ink jets or multi-color printing units being arranged along the conveying path at intervals in a row and a paper web intermediate store is located in the conveying path preceding each of the ink jet or multi-color printing units, as viewed in the paper conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Hubert Mugrauer
  • Patent number: 6658085
    Abstract: A medical examination installation has an MR system and an X-ray system that has an X-ray radiator with an X-ray tube and a solid-state X-ray image detector for producing X-ray exposures. The X-ray system has sensors for the acquisition of the location dependency of the stray field of the MR system in the three spatial axes, and coils for compensation of the stray field, and a computer that uses the output signal of the sensors to calculate a current for the coils which cause the stray field to be reduced in the region of the electron beams of the X-ray tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hartmut Sklebitz
  • Patent number: D483381
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Axel Platz