Patents Examined by Jacques M. Saint-Surin
  • Patent number: 11428670
    Abstract: Provided is a method for inspecting at least a portion of a downhole conveyance device. The method, in one embodiment, includes providing a downhole conveyance device, and providing an ultrasonic defect inspection system adjacent the downhole conveyance device. The method, in this embodiment, further includes detecting defects in the downhole conveyance device using the ultrasonic defect inspection system, wherein the detecting includes transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic defect inspection system toward the downhole conveyance device, and obtaining defect data by sensing disruptions in the reflected ultrasonic waves caused by defects in the downhole conveyance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan D. Powell, Anthony Phan
  • Patent number: 11428673
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic inspection device for inspecting a packaged semiconductor device, The ultrasonic inspection device including an ultrasonic transducer that is disposed to face the semiconductor device; a medium holding unit that is provided at an end of the ultrasonic transducer facing the semiconductor device and holds a medium through which ultrasonic waves are propagated; a stage that moves the position of the semiconductor device relative to the ultrasonic transducer; and an analysis unit that analyzes the reaction of the semiconductor device in accordance with input of the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventor: Toru Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11428671
    Abstract: An arrangement for non-destructive testing of a component part, which may include a first end surface and a second opposite end surface. The arrangement may include a plurality of discrete piezoelectric transduction elements arranged in a circular array on the first end surface, and an electric wave signal transmitting and receiving unit electrically coupled to the piezoelectric transduction elements. The electric wave signal transmitting and receiving unit may be able to generate an electric excitation wave signal and to receive an electric response wave signal. The piezoelectric transduction elements may deform, upon an application of the electric excitation wave signal, in an in-phase shearing motion parallel to the first end surface and in respective tangential direction with respect to the circular array so as to generate a corresponding structure-borne wave in the component part at the first end surface such that said structure-borne wave can propagate in the component part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Nanyang Technological University
    Inventors: Zheng Fan, Danylo Lisevych, Xudong Yu
  • Patent number: 11422116
    Abstract: A robot system for non-destructive testing (NDT) of a test object, including: a transducer holder and an NDT transducer to perform an NDT on the surface of the test object; a memory to store a predefined trajectory of the NDT transducer; a force-sensing device to provide measurements of the contact forces and/or contact moments between the surface of the test object and the NDT transducer and/or the transducer holder; a controller to generate an actuation signal based on the predefined trajectory; and a positioning device to control the position and/or orientation of the NDT transducer relative to the test object based on the actuation signal. Consequently, the position and/or orientation of the NDT transducer relative to the test object and the contact forces and/or contact moments between the NDT transducer and/or the transducer holder and the test object can be automatically adapted to improve the quality of the NDT measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FLEXIBLE ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS
    Inventor: Joris De Schutter
  • Patent number: 11415553
    Abstract: A mobile automated pipe or shaft non-destructive inspection system with rotational inspection sensor assembly for 360 degree imaging or sensing and generation of three dimensional models or sensing imaging or depictions of the pipe or shaft, preservative removal/application system, mobile platform mounting, and control system as well as related methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Glenn Earle Howland
  • Patent number: 11415551
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus for measuring binding kinetics of an interaction of an analyte material present in a fluid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensing resonator having at least one binding site for the analyte material; actuation circuitry adapted to drive the sensing resonator into an oscillating motion; measurement circuitry coupled to the sensing resonator and adapted to measure an output signal of the sensing resonator representing resonance characteristics of the oscillating motion of the sensing resonator; and a controller coupled to the actuation and measurement circuitry, wherein the controller is adapted to detect an individual binding event between the at least one binding site and a molecule of the analyte material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Qorvo Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventor: James Webster
  • Patent number: 11415555
    Abstract: Aspects of ultrasonic through-wall data communication are described. In some aspects, a sensor device is located in an isolated environment behind a wall. A modulator generates a modulated sensor signal based on the binary sensor signal and a carrier signal. A coaxially aligned pair of electroacoustic transducers that transmits the modulated sensor signal through the wall of the isolated environment. A demodulator demodulates the modulated sensor signal to generate a demodulated binary sensor signal. A sensor data recovery component converts the demodulated binary sensor signal into an image or another sensor parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
    Inventor: Haifeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11408860
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe can detect flaws in an object in a non-destructive manner. The probe includes a row-column addressed (RCA) array with a plurality of row and column electrodes. The row and column electrodes are configurable to have at least four states: 1) a transmission state, 2) a reception state, 3) a ground state, and 4) a high impedance state. The probe also includes a control circuit to operate the RCA array in different transmission and reception configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Olympus NDT Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Jinchi Zhang, Frederic Landry, Benoit Lepage
  • Patent number: 11408861
    Abstract: Described are a transducer made of at least three transducer elements which approximate a sector of an elementary wave with a virtual point source, and a transducer arrangement with three transducers made of at least three transducer elements, wherein the transducers, in the cross section, are disposed along the shorter base and the two non-parallel legs of a virtual trapezoid. Moreover, the invention relates to an ultrasonic probe system comprising the transducer arrangement according to the invention and an inspection method using a transducer made of at least three transducer elements, with the number of transducer elements experiencing a virtual increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND, VERTRETEN DURCH DEN BUNDESMINISTER FÜR WIRTSCHAFT UND ENERGIE
    Inventors: Thomas Heckel, Rainer Boehm
  • Patent number: 11397104
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing erroneous weighing of items such as by detecting items extending beyond a periphery of a weigh platter whereby in one configuration, the system employs a light source disposed in or on a housing of a scanner-scale for producing a light beam along an edge of the weigh platter, the light beam being modulated to contain a defined packet of data; a detector for receiving the data-modulated light beam, the detector being disposed in or on the housing; and a processor coupled with the detector for decoding the defined packet of data responsive to the detector receiving the data-modulated light beam. Various indicators for alerting the operator of off-scale detection are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: DATALOGIC USA, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick O'Donnell, Brett Howard
  • Patent number: 11391701
    Abstract: Various embodiments include methods for creating an analysis data set for an evaluation of an ultrasonic test of an object comprising: providing a first and second measurement data set, each based on an ultrasonic measurement of a region of the object and a SAFT analysis thereof; associating a first equivalent defect size with a volume element of the first measurement data set associated with at least a portion of the region; associating a second equivalent defect size with a volume element of the second measurement data set associated with at least the portion of the region; creating the analysis data set having at least one volume element which is associated with at least the portion of the region; and associating a third equivalent defect size with the volume element of the analysis data set, wherein the third is formed from the maximum of the first and second sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Johannes Vrana, Hubert Mooshofer
  • Patent number: 11391703
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a photoacoustic sensor head for detecting acoustic signals which are excited in a sample by absorption of pulsed measuring light, comprising a contact prism which is transparent for the measuring light and has a sample contact surface, a detection surface arranged opposite the sample contact surface and a light entrance surface arranged adjacent to the detection surface, as well as means for radiating the measuring light through the light entrance surface in the direction of the sample contact surface, wherein a detection device comprising at least one sound transducer is arranged in a manner covering the detection surface, characterized in that those portions of the measuring light which are reflected at the sample contact surface are directed to the detection surface or to the light entrance surface, wherein a material layer containing a material which absorbs the measuring light is arranged between the detection surface and the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: QUANTUNE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Hermann Von Lilienfeld-Toal, Jan-Ferenc Kischkat, Oliver Supplie
  • Patent number: 11385203
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a detection system includes a plurality of sensors, a locator, a first counter, and a determiner. The plurality of sensors that detect an elastic wave, the sensors being disposed separately from each other in a direction in which the welded portion extends and each being installed on the first member or the second member. The locator that locates a generation source position of the elastic wave on the basis of outputs of the plurality of sensors. The first counter that accumulates information of generation source positions of a plurality of elastic waves located by the locator to calculate a distribution of generation source positions of the plurality of elastic waves over a predetermined time. The determiner that determines the position of the crack on the basis of the distribution calculated by the first counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Keiichiro Someda, Takashi Usui, Kazuo Watabe, Shuichi Hirano
  • Patent number: 11381672
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display module having a display panel configured to display an image; a sound generating device on a rear surface of the display panel and including a first side and a second side perpendicular to the first side and an adhesive member in a partial region of the sound generating device, the adhesive member having a size smaller than one of the first side and the second side of the sound generating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seon Man Kim, MinHo Sohn, JunSeok Oh, Sung-Jin Kang, Kyounghwan Kim, Jeonggoo Kang, JaiHyuk Lee
  • Patent number: 11376178
    Abstract: A support platform supports a mattress. The support platform includes legs. Force sensors are coupled to the legs or to the support platform. The force sensors are configured to sense a force applied to each leg or support platform. A controller is configured to receive at least one force stream from at least one of the force sensors. The at least one force stream represents a force sensed by the force sensor. The controller is configured to, in responses to receiving the at least one force stream, determine a sleep parameter from the following group of sleep parameters: bed presence, weight, heart rate, respiration rate, and motions. The controller is configured to output at least one or more of those parameters to an end user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Sleep Number Corporation
    Inventors: Ramazan Demirli, Yuki Hino, Tyler Holmvik
  • Patent number: 11371963
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an ultrasonic detection system in an arrangement for handling screening material, e.g. aggregate, ore or similar. The ultrasonic detection system includes an ultrasonic transmitter arranged at a surface of the arrangement, and adapted to send out an ultrasonic signal towards the surface, an ultrasonic receiver arranged at the surface, and adapted to receive the ultrasonic signal, and a control unit connected to the at least one ultrasonic transmitter and the at least one ultrasonic receiver. The disclosure also relates to a method for monitoring operation of an arrangement for handling screening material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Metso Sweden AB
    Inventors: Niclas Hällevall, Cecilia Jonsson
  • Patent number: 11366038
    Abstract: A vibration test bench for electrodynamic-suspension magnetic levitation trains and a testing method using the same. The vibration test bench includes an adjustable track mounting surface, a track base, a guiding track and a simulated levitation device. The track base includes a first track base and a second track base. The first track base and the second track base are respectively provided at two sides of the adjustable track mounting surface. The guiding track is arranged at a bottom of the track base and can be embedded in the T-shaped bolt mounting grooves on the adjustable track mounting surface to move. The simulated levitation device is arranged on the track base and is configured to levitate the magnetic levitation train between the first track base and the second track base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Southwest Jiaotong University
    Inventors: Zigang Deng, Dingding Wu, Yuhang Yuan, Huan Huang, Hongfu Shi, Jun Zheng, Jianghua Zhang
  • Patent number: 11366085
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for inspecting a bonded structure in a component. The system includes an integrated probe and a processor coupled to the integrated probe. The integrated probe includes an ultrasonic component and a laser component. The ultrasonic component is configured to transmit pulsed sound waves into the bonded structure and receive reflected pulsed sound waves from the bonded structure. The laser component is configured to generate laser pulses and direct the laser pulses to the bonded structure to generate tension waves across the bonded structure. The processor is configured to test a bonded structure in the component. Further, the processor includes a pre-test module configured to operate the ultrasonic component in a pre-test mode, a test module configured to operate the laser component in a test mode, and a post-test module configured to operate the ultrasonic component in a post-test mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Morteza Safai
  • Patent number: 11360055
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include in-line inspection devices, methods to perform in-line inspections of pipeline and protective casings, and methods to determine anomalies of pipeline and protective casings. The method includes deploying an in-line inspection device in a section of a pipeline enclosed by a protective casing. While the in-line inspection device is traveling along the pipeline, the method also includes transmitting, at a frequency, a transmitted signal toward the protective casing; and detecting a scattered signal scattered by the protective casing. The method further includes detecting a scattered signal scattered by the protective casing. The method further includes locating an anomaly of the protective casing based on the scattered signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Joshua Stark, Ilker R. Capoglu, Aurel Adrian Popoviciu
  • Patent number: 11359918
    Abstract: Examples of the present subject matter provide techniques for measuring thicknesses of materials using one or more acquisition cycles. The data from the one or more acquisition cycles may be amplified using a specified gain across the signal response, converted to a digital signal, and stored in a memory. The digital signal may be retrieved from memory, and signal processing techniques using one or more time-variable threshold(s) may be used to calculate one or more thickness(es) of the testing object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas Corp.
    Inventor: Andrew Thomas