Patents Examined by J M Saint Surin
  • Patent number: 10551353
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a detection system includes a plurality of first sensors, a second sensor, a first calculator, and a second calculator. Each of the first sensors is configured to detect an elastic wave generated from a structure, and convert the elastic wave into a detection signal. The second sensor is configured to detect a noise propagating from surroundings, and convert the noise into a reference signal. The first calculator is configured to calculate a plurality of difference detection signals based on the respective detection signals and the reference signal. The second calculator is configured to calculate a position of a generation source of the elastic wave from the plurality of difference detection signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Usui, Kazuo Watabe
  • Patent number: 10264999
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for collecting, interpreting, and utilizing noise exposure data may include sensors to obtain an analog signal representative of impulse noise sound pressure and an analog signal representative of continuous noise sound pressure. At least one ADC may generate digital signals by sampling the analog signals at rates equal to or greater than twice the reciprocal of a minimum impulse noise rise time. Accelerometers may obtain data in close proximity to and remote from the sensors. At least one processor may include a first combining node to combine the digital signals to represent both the continuous noise and the impulse noise, a shock-artifact detection filter to identify a time frame including a shock artifact based on the accelerometry data, a frequency filter to generate a background-removed audio signal, an adaptive filter to estimate the shock artifact, and a second combining node to produce a shock-artifact-free audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Joseph J. Lacirignola, Trina Rae Vian, Christopher J. Smalt, David F. Aubin, Jr., David C. Maurer, Mary Katherine Byrd, Christine M. Weston, Kerry A. Johnson, Shakti Davis, Olha Townsend, Paul T. Calamia, Edward H. Chen, Paula P. Collins
  • Patent number: 10254134
    Abstract: An excitation signal is produced on a plate of an unknown capacitor and on a plate of a known capacitor. The excitation signal is amplified over time to produce a first output signal, with gain that is proportional to capacitance of the unknown capacitor. The excitation signal is also amplified over time to produce a second output signal, with gain that is proportional to capacitance of the known capacitor. Capacitance of the unknown capacitor is computed using a mathematical function of the first and second output signals and the capacitance of the known capacitor, while being insensitive to amplitude of the excitation signal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Roderick B. Hogan, Nathan A. Johanningsmeier
  • Patent number: 10247600
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for matching the resonance frequencies of multiple resonators. In some embodiments, a resonator generates an output signal reflecting the resonator's response to an input drive signal and an input noise signal. The output signal is then compared to the noise signal to derive a signal representative of the resonance frequency of the resonator. Comparing that signal to the output signal of a second resonator gives an indication of whether there is a difference between the resonance frequencies of the two resonators. If there is, one or both of the resonators may be adjusted. In this manner, the resonance frequencies of resonators may be matched during normal operation of the resonators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Youn-Jae Kook, Jose Barreiro Silva, Jianrong Chen, Ronald A. Kapusta, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10241084
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a method for ultrasonic testing according to the pulse-echo method as well as an arrangement for performing such a method. By means of an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic pulse is obliquely incident into a sound incidence surface of a test object. Next, an echo signal is received from the test object. This takes place either by means of the ultrasonic transducer, which has emitted the ultrasonic pulse or with another ultrasonic transducer. The time amplitude characteristic of the echo signal is evaluated in a predefined defect expectation interval of time. The evaluation step includes, in at least one section of the amplitude characteristic, an amplification of the amplitude and/or a reduction in the threshold value. For example, the amplitude of the received echo signal is then compared with the predefined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: GE SENSING & INSPECTION TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Reinhard Prause, Wolfgang Dick
  • Patent number: 10241085
    Abstract: A scanning acoustic microscope includes a transducer mounted below a particular elevation and configured to produce ultrasonic energy, a coupling fluid source configured to introduce coupling fluid between the transducer and the particular elevation. Ultrasonic energy is directed upwardly through coupling fluid disposed between and the transducer and a first surface of a part to be inspected, wherein the part is disposed at the particular elevation and wherein a second surface of the part is not contacted by coupling fluid during inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence W. Kessler, Thomas Kleinschmidt, Dan Micek
  • Patent number: 10238578
    Abstract: This invention relates to modifications to the traditional manually operated pill counting tray that is broadly used throughout the world to provide features that permit semi-automatic operation that is faster and more accurate than manual-only operation when counting pharmaceutical pills. The tray modifications are based on electronic weight-based sensing technology including the addition of (1) a weighing load sensor to determine the weight of the pills to be counted, (2) a motion sensor and latch for the trough lid to aid operation and performance, (3) a microprocessor that can convert the measured weight of the pills to a pill count, and (4) an output display to show the number of pills counted. This apparatus includes novel features to improve pill counting speed and accuracy, as well as ease of use, that are only possible when employing electronic counting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: CounTrue, LLC
    Inventors: Barbara Lyn Chessa, Arash Abdollahi Sabet, Douglas Arthur Pinnow
  • Patent number: 10232483
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic displacement sensor that more accurately identifies a plurality of models on a conveyance line on which a plurality of types of workpieces having different specifications coexists, in particular, on a conveyance line of cylinder blocks in a manufacturing facility of engines for automobiles, to thereby improve reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiki Ohno
  • Patent number: 10234288
    Abstract: A BAW gyroscope is configured to operate with two pairs of orthogonal modes instead of a single pair in order to mitigate the impact of changes in gaps (e.g., introduced from external stresses such as thermal gradients, external shocks, mechanical stress/torque, etc.). Specifically, the BAW gyroscope resonator is configured to be simultaneously driven to resonate with a two disparate resonant modes (referred to herein as the “fundamental” mode and the “compound” mode), with the same set of drive electrodes used to drive both resonant modes (i.e., all of the drive electrodes are used to drive the two drive modes). When the sensor experiences external rotation, energy couples from the driven modes of vibration to two corresponding orthogonal sense modes via the Coriolis force. The same set of sense electrodes is used to sense both sense modes (i.e., all of the sense electrodes are used to sense the two sense modes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Analog Devices Global Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Siddharth Tallur, Sunil Ashok Bhave
  • Patent number: 10234430
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a detection system includes a detection device, an acoustic emission sensor, and a processing unit. The detection device detects a change that occurs in a structure or a change in an environment related to the structure. The acoustic emission sensor detects an acoustic emission wave produced from the structure. The processing unit performs first signal processing to process an acoustic emission signal indicating the acoustic emission wave, which is input from the acoustic emission sensor until a first period of time elapses after a detection signal is input from the detection device. The detection signal indicates that a change has occurred in the structure or the environment related to the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hidefumi Takamine
  • Patent number: 10228276
    Abstract: The invention discloses a glass body scale, the scale comprising: a glass panel, where a support leg assembly is mounted beneath the glass panel, and a metering display component is mounted at one side of the glass panel; the glass panel is provided with a hole or holes, and a support leg of the support leg assembly is inserted into the hole or one hole, so that the glass panel is sleeved on the support leg by using the hole. The present invention has the advantages of simple structure, which results in convenient assemble, firmer installation, and implementation of an ultrathin appearance with thickness of less than 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: GUANGDONG ONE TWO THREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yang Zhao
  • Patent number: 10222353
    Abstract: A method and assembly are provided in order to inspect a partially cured repair patch prior to installation. For example, an assembly for inspecting a repair patch is provided that includes a partially cured repair patch comprised of a composite material. The assembly also includes an acoustic facilitation layer disposed proximate of the surface of the repair patch through which ultrasonic signals will be introduced. The assembly further includes a vacuum bag surrounding the repair patch and the acoustic facilitation layer. The acoustic facilitation layer has an acoustic impedance that is closer to the respective acoustic impedances of the repair patch and the vacuum bag than the acoustic impedance of air is to the respective acoustic impedances of the repair patch and the vacuum bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey Reyner Kollgaard, John F. Spalding
  • Patent number: 10222298
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (100) for assisting with the diagnosis of the operating condition of at least one industrial rotary machine (M1, M2, M3), consisting of an industrial electric fan unit, or an industrial motorized pump unit including a pumping wheel, said diagnosis assistance system (100) including a base support (50) and a means (10) for receiving signals (S1, S2, S3) secured to the base mounting (50), the means (10) for receiving signals (S1, S2, S3) being designed such as to receive signals (S1, S2, S3) representing raw values (6) of at least one operating parameter of the rotary machine (M1, M2, M3), characterized in that the system (100) also includes a means (20) for interpreting the operating condition designed such as to automatically interpret the raw values (6) received and to generate a diagnosis (De) of the operating condition of the rotary machine (M1, M2, M3) in accordance with said raw values (6). The invention can be used in the field of rotary-machine maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Howden Solyvent-Ventec
    Inventors: Michel Sivo, Alain Bernard Dominique Louisot, Didier Francois Hugues Amor
  • Patent number: 10215734
    Abstract: The application relates to a method for testing a workpiece using ultrasound in a curved region of the surface of said workpiece, having the following steps: a plurality of ultrasonic signals are emitted from a plurality of transmitting positions into the workpiece a corresponding ultrasonic echo signal is received for each ultrasonic signal the ultrasonic echoes having amplitudes representing local maxima are determined for each transmitting position if an individual ultrasonic echo having an amplitude representing a local maximum was determined for a transmitting position in, the associated ultrasonic echo signal of said echo is selected if a plurality of ultrasonic echoes having an amplitude representing a local maximum were determined for a transmitting position, ultrasonic echo signals are selected if only an individual ultrasonic echo having an amplitude representing a local maximum was determined for an adjacent transmitting position at least the selected ultrasonic echo signals are evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: AREVA GMBH
    Inventors: Felix Köber, Kerstin Scholz, Edgar Zaus
  • Patent number: 10215733
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a nondestructive inspection method and nondestructive inspection device for an anchor bolt capable of quantitatively inspecting the health of an anchor bolt fixed to a foundation by a metallic anchor. Provided is a nondestructive anchor-bolt inspection method for inspecting the health of an anchor bolt fixed to a foundation by a metallic anchor, wherein a striking sound is produced through the striking of a portion of the anchor bolt exposed from the surface of the foundation, frequency information is obtained through the reception and frequency analysis of the signal waveform of the striking sound, and the health of the anchor bolt is nondestructively and quantitatively inspected on the basis of the frequency information for the signal waveform. Also provided is a nondestructive inspection device for an anchor bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: NUCLEAR FUEL INDUSTRIES, LIMITED
    Inventors: Junji Etoh, Takashi Matsunaga, Ryota Ogawa, Yoshihiro Isobe, Mitsuyuki Sagisaka
  • Patent number: 10215867
    Abstract: A vibration analyzing apparatus includes a vibration detecting unit set in a building where a person can reside and configured to detect vibration and output a detection signal based on the detected vibration, a mode determining unit configured to determine presence or absence of vibration of the building caused by an earthquake, and a control unit including a vibration analyzing unit configured to analyze the vibration on the basis of the detection signal, the control unit setting an analysis mode of the vibration analyzing unit. The control unit sets one of a normal time analysis mode for causing the vibration analyzing unit to analyze a vibration waveform indicated by the detection signal on the basis of a first condition and obtaining information concerning residence of the person and an earthquake analysis mode for obtaining information concerning deformation of the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Oto
  • Patent number: 10209225
    Abstract: Examples of collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system includes: receiving pipe segment criteria for a pipe segment, the pipe segment including a length of a pipe between a first computing node and a second computing node; determining a prediction of frequency content based on the pipe segment criteria; measuring an actual speed of sound for the pipe segment between the first computing node and the second computing node; and comparing the actual speed of sound and a theoretical speed of sound to calculate a predicted pipe degradation for the pipe segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mueller International, LLC
    Inventor: Sebastien Perrier
  • Patent number: 10209352
    Abstract: An ultrasound transducer assembly (30) is disclosed, comprising: a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements (34, 36, 38) for receiving ultrasound waves and for providing transducer signals (X2, X3, X4) corresponding to the respectively received ultrasound waves. The assembly comprises a plurality of signal combiners (42, 44; 60, 62, 64) for providing different output signals (Y1, Y2) on the basis of the transducer signals, and a plurality of timing elements (48, 52; 68, 70; 72, 74) for providing different time shifts (?) to the transducer signals. Each of the ultrasound transducer elements is connected to a plurality of the signal combiners for providing the transducer signals including the different time shifts to different of the signal combiners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Antonia Cornelia van Rens
  • Patent number: 10209228
    Abstract: The invention is applied to an ultrasound inspection apparatus including an array probe such that wetting is substantially limited to an inspection surface of the work. The ultrasound inspection apparatus includes: a work holder that holds a work with an inspection surface thereof facing downward; an array probe that probes the work with an ultrasonic wave; a water tank in which the array probe is immersed in water; an arm that holds the array probe such that the array probe faces an underside of the inspection surface of the work; X-axial direction scanning means that horizontally scans the work, with a liquid surface coming into contact with the inspection surface of the work due to surface tension of a liquid stored in the water tank; and Y-axial direction scanning means that horizontally scans the array probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Oono, Kenta Sumikawa
  • Patent number: 10209383
    Abstract: An illustrative distributed acoustic sensing system includes a multi-mode optical fiber cable for distributed sensing and a distributed acoustic sensing interrogator coupled to the multi-mode optical fiber cable via a single mode optical fiber. The interrogator derives distributed acoustic measurements from Rayleigh backscattering light that is initiated with a substantially under-filled launch configuration that is designed to excite only the lowest-order modes of the multi-mode optical fiber. Mode conversion within the multi-mode optical fiber is anticipated to be negligible. For elastic scattering (i.e., Rayleigh scattering), it is further anticipated that the scattered light will be primarily returned in the incident propagation mode, thereby escaping the extraordinarily large coupling loss that would otherwise be expected from coupling a single-mode optical fiber to a multi-mode optical fiber for distributed sensing. Experiments with graded index multi-mode optical fiber have yielded positive results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: David A. Barfoot, John L. Maida