Patents Examined by Amy He
  • Patent number: 11957443
    Abstract: A system for electrical impedance tomography comprises: a plurality of electrodes; a plurality of impedance measurement units, each being associated with two or more electrodes, and wherein each impedance measurement unit comprises a current generator for generating a stimulation current between the electrodes and an amplifier for amplifying a measurement voltage between the electrodes; wherein the system is configured to perform a plurality of impedance measurements, wherein, for each impedance measurement, one impedance measurement unit is set in a stimulation mode for providing a stimulation current into the object, and wherein the impedance measurement unit being set in the stimulation mode is switched among the plurality of impedance measurement units, and wherein each impedance measurement unit is configured to be set in a calibration mode during at least one of the plurality of impedance measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Stichting IMEC Nederland
    Inventors: Seulki Lee, Mario Konijnenburg, Gijs Van Gestel, Nahm Il Koo
  • Patent number: 11953645
    Abstract: A foreign object detection method for detecting whether a foreign object exists on a function pin of a power supplier side or a power receiver side, wherein the power supplier side and the power receiver side are coupled to each other in a detachable fashion. The foreign object detection method includes: discharging a capacitor via the function pin, wherein the capacitor is electrically connected to the function pin; providing a sensing current flowing through the function pin, to charge the capacitor; sensing a voltage variation of the function pin during a predetermined period; and comparing the voltage variation with a predetermined variation, so as to determine whether a foreign object exists on the function pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shang-Te Yang, Ming-Jun Hsiao
  • Patent number: 11940295
    Abstract: A universal mounting system for insulated instruments includes a mounting plate which engages openings in mating parts of a self-supporting insulated enclosure. The plate supports the instrument and the enclosure independently and allows all connections to the interior of the enclosure to be made through the plate. The plate is bent to an L-shape, with one leg supported by a support structure and the other leg supporting the instrument and enclosure. A termination of a traced tubing system is housed in an enclosure mounted to an opposite side of the mounting plate. The mounting plate includes a collar, cutouts in mating sections of the enclosure fitting over the collar to mount the enclosure to the mounting plate. Illustratively, the mounting plate includes a mount plate portion connected to a supporting structure, and an instrument plate mounted to the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Obcorp, LLC
    Inventors: Marcus C. McCarter, Warren J. Gross
  • Patent number: 11933827
    Abstract: Implementations relate to capacitive sensing of hand presence at a control input device. In some implementations, a control input device includes a support structure, a handle moveable in one or more degrees of freedom with reference to the support structure, and a capacitive sensor circuit electrically coupled to the handle. The handle is isolated from electrical ground and is an antenna for the capacitive sensor circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Luptak
  • Patent number: 11933826
    Abstract: An execution device according to an exemplary embodiment includes an operation device, an acceleration sensor, and an arithmetic device. The operation device is a device for executing a predetermined operation. The acceleration sensor measures acceleration applied to the execution device. The arithmetic device measures an elapsed time after the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor becomes a value within a reference range, and when a predetermined time elapses while the acceleration remains a value within the reference range, causes the operation device to execute the predetermined operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuto Usuki, Takayuki Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 11906561
    Abstract: An inspection device inspects a display for defects. The display includes a power supply, a circuit board having a stabilizer to stabilize the power supply, a display panel which is electrically connected to the circuit board and has a first electrode, and an input sensor which is disposed on the display panel and has a second electrode. The inspection logic measures a value of capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the display, and includes a frequency setter that sets a driving frequency of the second electrode to a frequency in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bongil Kang, Joo-Hyeon Jeong, Jun-Young Ko, Sangkook Kim, Gayeon Yun
  • Patent number: 11906508
    Abstract: A system for monitoring cells, which includes a device for monitoring cell-substrate impedance, the device having a plurality of wells on a nonconductive substrate, where each of the plurality of wells has an electrode array fabricated on the substrate for measurement of cell-substrate impedance; an impedance analyzer that measures cell-substrate impedance from the plurality of wells; electronic circuitry with multiple analogue-to-digital conversion channels, where the electronic circuitry electrically connects the electrode arrays to the impedance analyzer such that the electrode arrays are electrically monitored at millisecond time resolution; and a software program that analyzes the measured cell-substrate impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaobo Wang, Yama A. Abassi, Biao Xi, Wen Fu Zhang, Xiao Xu
  • Patent number: 11892486
    Abstract: A frequency debugging board includes a bottom plate; a variable capacitor and a plurality of first probes that are all disposed on the bottom plate, two ends of the variable capacitor being each connected to a first probe; and a plurality of second probes and at least one switch that are all disposed on the bottom plate, any two adjacent second probes being connected to each other through a switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiangxiang Zou
  • Patent number: 11874316
    Abstract: A method is for the generation of patterns for identifying faults in power supply systems. In this case, values characterizing a state of the power supply system are used for measurable variables specific to the power supply system for various times in a power supply system and values are determined for the variables specific to the power supply system via a model for the power supply system. In this case, the determination via a model is based on known system-specific input variables and unknown system-specific variables, and the unknown system-specific variables are determined in accordance with a fault-free functioning power supply system. Finally, a pattern for identifying faults is generated by forming the difference between the values characterizing the state and the values determined via the model for the various times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ulrich Muenz, Dagmar Beyer, Chris Oliver Heyde
  • Patent number: 11863173
    Abstract: A system includes a housing, a sensing electrode disposed within the housing, and a connecting electrode. The system also includes a capacitive sensing circuit galvanically connected to the connecting electrode at a first port, but not to the sensing electrode. The capacitive sensing circuit is configured to determine a first capacitance between the first port and a ground. The first capacitance includes a variable capacitance between the connecting electrode and a person when the person is touching the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Peter Spevak
  • Patent number: 11828782
    Abstract: An electric field measuring device measures an electric field corresponding to an inter-electrode voltage between two electrodes, based on a voltage signal that arises at an electric field antenna including the two electrodes because of the electric field. The electric field measuring device includes an amplifier, a reference capacitive element, a GPIO that generates a step wave, and a microcomputer that processes a voltage signal. The microcomputer inputs the step wave to the amplifier, using the GPIO, obtains a step response waveform, and obtains an amplitude compensation factor, based on the step response waveform. The microcomputer compensates the voltage signal, using the amplitude compensation factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Yano
  • Patent number: 11828780
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reporting capacitance of a capacitor of a power backup circuit comprising a plurality of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). The system may also include a bleeder resistor and a voltage detection circuit. When capacitance monitoring is active, a first MOSFET may be turned off, causing the capacitor to be discharged via the bleeder resistor. After predetermined time intervals, a first drain voltage and a second drain voltage of the first MOSFET may be determined using the voltage detection circuit. The drain voltage readings at the different times may be used to determine the capacitance of the capacitor, which may be used to generate and transmit a report on capacitor performance and status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: ZT Group Int'l, Inc.
    Inventors: Yung-Tsung Hsieh, Chi-Lin Chiu
  • Patent number: 11811398
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method of operating a capacitance sensing device comprises: calculating a difference of a raw data compared to one of the raw data received in a previous data frame; and performing a comparison calculation based on the raw data and a stored baseline value to determine whether a proximity event has occurred. Under the proximity event, selects one of several baseline value update procedures based on the magnitude of the difference. Thus, the present application effectively avoids the problem of failure to update the baseline value when the object is close to the capacitance sensing device for a long period of time, which may lead to misjudgment of the capacitance sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sensortek Technology Corp
    Inventors: Wang-An Lin, Chung-Jung Wu, Chun-Lun Wang
  • Patent number: 11802863
    Abstract: An oil condition determination system includes a resistance value measurement unit and a determination unit. The resistance value measurement unit applies a measurement voltage between a pair of measurement electrodes in contact with oil to measure a resistance value of the oil. The determination unit determines, when a change tendency of the resistance value of the oil is reversed, that condition of the oil is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON PILLAR PACKING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Sasaki, Yasuteru Asakawa, Tomomi Honda, Tatsunari Koyama, Akira Nakatsu
  • Patent number: 11781885
    Abstract: An energy-efficient capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) is provided that utilizes a capacitance-domain successive approximation (SAR) technique. Unlike SAR analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), analysis shows that for SAR CDCs, the comparator offset voltage will result in signal-dependent and parasitic-dependent conversion errors, which necessitates an op-amp-based implementation. The inverter-based SAR CDC contemplated herein provides robust, energy-efficient, and fast operation. The inverter-based SAR CDC may include a hybrid coarse-fine programmable capacitor array. The design of example embodiments is insensitive to analog references, and thus achieves very low temperature sensitivity without the need for calibration. Moreover, this design achieves improved energy efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hesham Omran, Abdulaziz Alhoshany, Khaled Salama
  • Patent number: 11768564
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a global baseliner circuit coupled with sensing channels of a sensing device. The global baseliner circuit has a signal generator to generate a rectified sinusoidal signal and a square wave having a frequency matching that of an excitation sinusoidal signal, and is to use the square wave to modulate the excitation sinusoidal signal provided at an output of the global baseliner circuit. A channel baseliner circuit is coupled between the global baseliner circuit and a sensing channel and that includes a switched capacitor coupled between the output of the global baseliner circuit and the sensing channel; a sigma-delta modulator coupled with the signal generator and to generate, from the rectified sinusoidal signal, a density-modulated bit stream; and a pair of AND gates to use the density-modulated bit stream and non-overlapping clock signals to generate outputs including density-modulated clock signals sent to switches of the switched capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Viktor Kremin, Oleksandr Pirogov, Vadym Grygorenko, Jens Weber
  • Patent number: 11768196
    Abstract: Methods and systems for stimulating and monitoring electrogenic cells are described. Some systems for stimulating electrogenic cells are based on the injection of electric currents into the cells via electrodes connected to the cells. Such stimulators may comprise an impedance element having an input terminal and an output terminal coupled to an electrode, and a voltage follower coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal of the impedance element, the voltage follower being configured to maintain a substantially constant voltage between the input terminal and the output terminal of the impedance element. The impedance element may comprise one or more switched capacitors at least in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the voltage follower may be implemented using a source follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Donhee Ham, Jeffrey T. Abbott, Hongkun Park, Wenxuan Wu
  • Patent number: 11768254
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting Packet Energy Transfer (PET) in a cable is disclosed herein. The PET detecting apparatus includes an input adapted to generate a current by operative communication of the input with the cable, wherein the cable communicates PET as a pulse train. A spectral analyzer compares frequencies of maxima of the power spectrum of a signal derived from the current with a fundamental frequency of the pulse train and a harmonic frequency of the pulse train to detect PET in the cable. A power maximum of the power spectrum at the fundamental frequency and a second power maximum of the power spectrum at the harmonic frequency indicates PET in the cable. No power maximum of the power spectrum at the fundamental frequency or no second power maximum of the power spectrum at the harmonic frequency indicates no PET in the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Telco Sales, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary J. Tennyson, Floyd D. Rohner
  • Patent number: 11770070
    Abstract: A method includes providing a current flowing through a first flying capacitor of a switched-capacitor power converter, measuring a first voltage at one terminal of the first flying capacitor at a first voltage measurement time instant, measuring a second voltage at the one terminal of the first flying capacitor at a second voltage measurement time instant, and calculating a capacitance value of the first flying capacitor based on the first voltage, the second voltage, the first voltage measurement time instant and the second voltage measurement time instant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOLTA TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ikgyoo Song, Xiaoming Xia
  • Patent number: 11762046
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a magnetic field strength is provided. The apparatus includes a stage on which a sample to be measured is placed, a cantilever having a tip, an optical system having a light source and a light receiver, and a microwave power source. The tip is a diamond tip having a nitrogen vacancy defect. The optical system is configured such that excitation light from the light source is focused at the diamond tip. The cantilever is configured as a coaxial microwave antenna through which microwaves from the microwave power source are supplied to the diamond tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Baohua Niu, Ji-Feng Ying