Patents Examined by Herbert K Roberts
  • Patent number: 11975372
    Abstract: A device for ascertaining the lateral strip contour and/or the position of the strip edges of a metal strip. It includes at least one sensing element for ascertaining suitable measurement data. The sensing element is integrated into a lateral guide together with a main part module of the metal strip conveying device. The lateral guide includes at least one wear element which is arranged in the lateral guide and which comprises a wear element adjusting device that can be rotated about a rotational axis substantially perpendicular to a guide plane of the lateral guide. The wear element together with the wear element adjusting device is designed as a sensing element. In an operating method, at least one sensing element is brought into contact with a lateral edge at a starting time, and suitable measurement data is ascertained using the sensing element while the metal strip runs past the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventor: Friedrich Moser
  • Patent number: 11971428
    Abstract: An accelerometer arrangement and method are described for determining accelerations of an inground tool. First and second triaxial accelerometers are supported such that a normal sensing axis of the first triaxial accelerometer is at least generally orthogonal to the normal sensing axis of the second triaxial accelerometer for determining the accelerations along the three orthogonal axes based on a combination of sensing axis outputs from one or both of the triaxial accelerometers. A weaker sensing axis of one triaxial accelerometer can be supported at least approximately normal to a weaker sensing axis of another triaxial accelerometer such that the weaker axes are not used. The triaxial accelerometers can be supported such that one axis of one accelerometer can be redundant with respect to another axis of another accelerometer. One triaxial accelerometer can be mounted on a tilted plane with respect to another triaxial accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Merlin Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert W. Chau, John E. Mercer, Scott Phillips
  • Patent number: 11965769
    Abstract: A method, meter and device capable of determining the accuracy, proof, or percent of error of a meter in service. The method is configured to establish one or more baseline flow measurements for the meter, the meter configured to measure a flow through the meter; obtain a current flow measurement for the meter; and determine a proving result in accordance with a comparing of the current flow measurement to the one or more baseline flow measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ROMET LIMITED
    Inventors: Brent Collver, Mohammadreza Soudmand-Asli, Frederick Joseph Maly, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11959834
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a sample collection component, by which a removable light shielding component is disposed on a main body of the sample collection component to shield at least a portion of the light that passes through a storing space of the sample collection component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Materials Analysis Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Pin Chang, Ying-Chan Hung, Hung-Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 11957188
    Abstract: A wearable device includes a sensor device and a clothes to which the sensor device is attached. The clothes includes a clothes body and an insertion and extraction portion that has an opening formed in the clothes body and enables the sensor device to be inserted into or extracted from the clothes body. The sensor device includes a humidity sensor configured to measure humidity in the clothes body and a housing having a first region exposed to an inside of the clothes body and a second region exposed to an outside of the clothes body, while the sensor device is inserted from the insertion and extraction portion into the clothes body. The humidity sensor is accommodated in the first region of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroto Matsuoka, Nobuaki Matsuura, Kei Kuwabara, Yuki Hashimoto, Takako Ishihara
  • Patent number: 11958510
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a bearing hub assembly of a rail guide wheel apparatus for a rail vehicle. The bearing hub assembly may couple rail wheels to the rail guide wheel apparatus. The rail guide wheel apparatus may be included on a Hi-Rail vehicle or any other vehicle configured to travel along railroad tracks. The bearing hub assembly includes a sensor that is integrally mounted within the bearing hub assembly. The sensor collects information associated with rotation of the rail wheels. Information collected by the sensor may be used to determine a speed, direction, location, and/or distance traveled of the rail vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: HARSCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: John Wiggins, Eric Carter
  • Patent number: 11959793
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a gas flow metrology system for a substrate processing system includes a) measuring temperature using a first temperature sensor and a reference temperature sensor over a predetermined temperature range and determining a first transfer function; b) measuring pressure using a first pressure sensor and a reference pressure sensor over a predetermined pressure range using a first calibration gas and determining a second transfer function; c) performing a first plurality of flow rate measurements in a predetermined flow rate range with a first metrology system and a reference metrology system, wherein the first metrology system and the reference metrology system use a first orifice size and the first calibration gas; and d) scaling temperature and pressure using the first transfer function and the second transfer function, respectively, and determining a corresponding transfer function for the first calibration gas based on the first plurality of flow rate measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Evangelos T. Spyropoulos, Piyush Agarwal
  • Patent number: 11953357
    Abstract: A flow sensor chip includes a substrate in which a cavity having an opening is formed, a membrane provided on a surface of the substrate so as to cover the opening, a heater provided inside the membrane, a first thermopile and a second thermopile provided in the membrane, and a heat conduction member for heat conduction between the substrate and the membrane. A first hot junction and a first cold junction of a thermocouple provided in the first thermopile and a second hot junction and a second cold junction of a thermocouple provided in the second thermopile are arranged at positions overlapping with the opening in a plan view. The heat conduction member includes a first heat conduction member for heat conduction between the first cold junction and the substrate and a second heat conduction member for heat conduction between the second cold junction and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MMI SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kasai, Koji Momotani
  • Patent number: 11952264
    Abstract: An electronic device including a substrate, a sensor, a partition wall structure, a pressurizing component, and a stopping structure is provided. The substrate has a carrying surface. The sensor is disposed on the carrying surface. The partition wall structure is disposed on the carrying surface and surrounds the sensor. The pressurizing component is disposed on the partition wall structure. The pressurizing component, the partition wall structure, and the substrate jointly form a cavity, and the pressurizing component includes a mass and a vibration membrane. The stopping structure is disposed between the pressurizing component and the partition wall structure and extends into the cavity. The stopping structure has at least one opening penetrating the stopping structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Merry Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jia Yin Wu, Yung-Hsiang Chang, Yueh-Kang Lee
  • Patent number: 11953399
    Abstract: Pressure sensors having ring-tensioned membranes are disclosed. A tensioning ring is bonded to a membrane in a manner that results in the tensioning ring applying a tensile force to the membrane, flattening the membrane and reducing or eliminating defects that may have occurred during production. The membrane is bonded to the sensor housing at a point outside the tensioning ring, preventing the process of bonding the membrane to the housing from introducing defects into the tensioned portion of the membrane. A dielectric may be introduced into the gap between the membrane and the counter electrode in a capacitive pressure sensor, resulting in an improved dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: THE ALFRED E. MANN FOUNDATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
    Inventors: Siegmar Schmidt, William A. Dai, Boon Khai Ng
  • Patent number: 11953392
    Abstract: The present application discloses a packaging structure and method of an MEMS pressure sensor. The packaging structure of the MEMS pressure sensor includes: a film, forming a sealing chamber with a base, during manufacturing the sealing chamber is internally equipped with a sensing medium and a pressure sensor chip, when the external pressure increases, the film bends towards an inner side of the sealing chamber to cause the sealing chamber to contract and transmit pressure to the pressure sensor chip through the sensing medium. The packaging structure of the present application can avoid the sensing chip from being damaged by excessive contraction of the sealing chamber due to pressure overload, and thus achieves overload protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Wuxi Sencoch Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tongqing Liu
  • Patent number: 11953354
    Abstract: A sensor apparatus may include a channel structure configured to couple with an external element and a fluid conduit, such that the channel structure may receive a fluid, at least partially drawn through the external element from an ambient environment, and direct the fluid through the fluid conduit. A sensor may generate sensor data indicating a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid conduit based on monitoring a variation in a pressure at a location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and in relation to an ambient pressure of the ambient environment. The sensor apparatus may enable generation of improved topography information associated with flows of fluid drawn from the external element based on measuring a local pressure at the location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and determining the ambient pressure based on monitoring the local pressure over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: David B. Kane, Yezdi B. Pithawalla, Srinivasan Janardhan, Gerd Kobal
  • Patent number: 11951459
    Abstract: A photocatalyst made of cuprous bromide, wherein the cuprous bromide expresses a photocatalytic property of decomposing a substance brought into contact with the cuprous bromide by irradiation with light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Michio Ushigome, Masato Wakamura, Osamu Tsuboi
  • Patent number: 11946792
    Abstract: There is disclosed a sensor system for determining a fluid level comprising a first sensor comprising a contact sensor a second sensor comprising a conductive sensor and a transducer configured to determine a water level based upon pressure placed on the transducer. There is also a microprocessor in communication with the first sensor, the second sensor and the transducer, the microprocessor configured to determine from at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor and the transducer, a fluid level in a container. In one embodiment the system further comprises a memory configured to feed values to the microprocessor, wherein the values comprise at least one of a high level fluid value and a low level fluid value. In one embodiment the microprocessor is configured to read pressure levels from the transducer wherein the pressure level of the transducer is configured to estimate a fluid level in a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: CLEAN AIR ZONE INC.
    Inventors: Serge B. Hoyda, Gregg Russell Dickinson
  • Patent number: 11946737
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring an inside diameter of a pipe to determine if it exceeds a predetermined value using a plurality of fingers operatively connected to a spring. When in a fully extended position, the distance between opposite fingers is the predetermined value. The fingers are pivotable between a starting position, through the fully extended position, and to a failing position. In the starting position, an outer end of each finger engages an inside surface of the pipe to compress the spring. If the diameter exceeds the predetermined value as the system moves through the pipe, the pipe inside surface will no longer engage the fingers, which releases the spring causing the fingers to pivot to the failing position, where they remain until the system is removed from the pipe and manually reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mewbourne Oil Company
    Inventor: Erin McMath
  • Patent number: 11946823
    Abstract: A thermal conductivity gauge measures gas pressure within a chamber. A sensor wire and a resistor form a circuit coupled between a power input and ground, where the sensor wire extends into the chamber and connects to the resistor via a terminal. A controller adjusts the power input, as a function of a voltage at the terminal and a voltage at the power input, to bring the sensor wire to a target temperature. Based on the adjusted power input, the controller can determine a measure of the gas pressure within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerardo A. Brucker, Timothy C. Swinney
  • Patent number: 11937559
    Abstract: A submersible member can include an elongated body defining an outer body surface, the body defining a top end and a bottom end; a base electrode extending through the outer body surface; a first conductive member extending through the body from the top end to the base electrode, the first conductive member connected in electrical communication with the base electrode; an indicator electrode extending through the outer body surface, the indicator electrode positioned between the top end and the base electrode; and a second conductive member extending through the body from the top end to the indicator electrode, the second conductive member connected in electrical communication with the indicator electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Modern Garden Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan Hill, Hakki Tomanbay
  • Patent number: 11940347
    Abstract: A pressure sensor has a stem in which a pressure introduction hole into which a pressure medium is introduced and a diaphragm deformable according to the pressure of the pressure medium are formed, and a strain detecting element which is arranged on the diaphragm via an insulating film and being configured to output a detection signal according to the deformation of the diaphragm. The strain detecting element is configured to have a portion made of polysilicon. A low doping layer having a higher electrical resistivity than polysilicon and a higher crystallinity than the insulating film is arranged between the insulating film and the strain detecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NAGANO KEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kodama, Naoki Yoshida, Kaori Miyashita, Eiji Takeda, Nobuaki Yamada, Yoshihiro Tomomatsu, Yasushi Yanagisawa, Yusuke Midorikawa, Shirou Kamanaru, Kenichi Yokoyama, Inao Toyoda, Hisayuki Takeuchi, Naohisa Niimi, Masao Takahashi, Yasutake Ura, Kouji Asano, Yukihiro Kamada
  • Patent number: 11931843
    Abstract: A turning tool includes a tool body extending along a tool axis and having a base on a tip of the tool body, a cutting insert detachably attached to the base, and a measurement device attached to the tool body. The measurement device has a first distance sensor which measures a distance to an object located radially outward of the tool axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuharu Imai, Yosuke Sato
  • Patent number: 11927571
    Abstract: Methods for determining the hardness and/or ductility of a material by compression of the material are provided as a first aspect of the invention. Typically, compression is performed on multiple sides of a geologic material sample in a contemporaneous manner. Devices and systems for performing such methods also are provided. These methods, devices, and systems can be combined with additional methods, devices, and systems of the invention that provide for the analysis of compounds contained in such samples, which can indicate the presence of valuable materials, such as petroleum-associated hydrocarbons. Alternatively, these additional methods, devices, and systems can also stand independently of the methods, devices, and systems for analyzing ductility and/or hardness of materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventor: Michael P. Smith