Patents Examined by James Kerveros
-
Patent number: 6639408Abstract: A battery voltage measurement device includes: a plurality of first switching sections, wherein each pair of adjacent first switching sections sequentially selects two output terminals of each of a plurality of battery blocks included in a battery pack; a level change section for changing a level of a battery voltage of each battery block which is input to the level change section via the first switching section; an A/D conversion section for performing an A/D conversion of battery voltage data output from the level change section; and a reference voltage control section for controlling an output of a reference voltage of the level change section according to the polarity of the voltage input to the level change section.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2001Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirofumi Yudahira, Ichiro Maki, Naohisa Morimoto
-
Patent number: 6624625Abstract: The invented test equipment, includes a circuit under test including a first terminating resistance connected to a first terminal; a first test circuit for outputting a high-speed test signal to said circuit under test via the second terminal; a tester connecting its third terminal to the second terminal of said first test circuit when said first test circuit outputs the high-speed test signal, or connecting a second test circuit for outputting a low-speed test signal to said circuit under test via its third terminal when said first test circuit does not output the high-speed test signal; and a determination circuit for evaluating the outputted signal of said circuit under test. A wiring between the first terminating resistance, the first terminal, the second terminal, the third terminal, and the second terminating resistance is joined in this serial order, when said tester connects the second terminating resistance to the third terminal.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Naoaki Naka
-
Patent number: 6621269Abstract: A method includes diagnosing a solenoid circuit to determine if the circuit has begun to degrade. By measuring characteristics associated with the electrical waveform, it is determined if the characteristics of a solenoid circuit are different from the previously measured characteristics of the circuit, or of a known functioning circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2001Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: DaimlerChrysler CorporationInventors: Alan R Ward, Haitao Lin, Michael R Lindsay, Michael D Hesse
-
Patent number: 6617873Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit wherein a PMOS 111 having a high threshold voltage is installed between a VDD line 101 and a VDDV line 103, and a NMOS 121 having a high threshold voltage is installed between a VSS line 102 and a VSSV line 104. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a logic gate circuit supplied with a power source voltage via the VDDV line 103 and the VSSV line 104, respectively, and made up of PMOSes 131 to 133, and NMOSes 141 to 143. A substrate terminal of the PMOSes 131 to 133, respectively, is connected to a pad 163 to which a suitable voltage can be supplied from outside while a substrate terminal of the NMOSes 141 to 143, respectively, is connected to a pad 164 to which a suitable voltage can be supplied from outside. The semiconductor integrated circuit with such a configuration is capable of improving a failure detection ratio at testing.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Koichi Yokomizo
-
Patent number: 6611150Abstract: A leakage detector includes a receiver front end having an input for connection with an antenna and a signal path including circuitry for passing a signal from the input without amplification; an IF stage connected with the receiver front end for producing an IF signal therefrom; a detector for producing an AM detected output signal in response to the IF signal; a leak processor for passing only a synchronizing signal of the AM detected output signal, along with harmonic frequencies of the synchronizing signal and DC signals, the synchronizing signal having a peak level, and the signal processor providing an output corresponding to the peak level of the synchronizing signal of the AM detected output signal; a display; and a processing unit connected with the leak processor and the display for displaying leakage data in response to the output signal from the leak processor.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1999Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Sadelco, Inc.Inventor: William D. Stevens
-
Patent number: 6611135Abstract: A method and self-tuning circuit for tuning vibratory transducers, broadly including electroacoustic speakers and specifically including the speakers of common back-up alarms used for safety reasons on commercial vehicles and heavy equipment. The self-tuning circuit is physically coupled to the transducer's input terminals and operates by comparing the rising and falling edges of one period of a test waveform elicited from the transducer by the application of a test signal having a test frequency. Depending on the results of this comparison, the test frequency is adjusted by predetermined increments upward or downward until the transducer's resonance frequency has been tightly bracketed though not exactly pinpointed.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2001Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Systems Material Handling Co.Inventor: Gary Schroeder
-
Patent number: 6605946Abstract: An abnormality detection apparatus for a power supply circuit associated with an internal combustion engine detects an abnormality that may occur in a power supply circuit, and controls the automatic stop and the automatic start of the engine based on the state of the power supply circuit. The state of charge/discharge of a battery determined based on the electric potential of a terminal located between the battery and a generator-motor or a load is compared with the current through the battery detected by an ammeter. If there is a contradiction therebetween, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred somewhere in the power supply circuit including the battery. When it is determined that the power supply circuit has an abnormality, the apparatus performs such a control as to prevent the automatic stop/start control in which the engine is automatically stopped if a predetermined condition is met, and in which the engine is automatically restarted when the condition is unmet after being met.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2000Date of Patent: August 12, 2003Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hidenori Yokoyama
-
Patent number: 6605948Abstract: A test system for testing the wiring configuration of a programming plug 10 for a gas turbine engine control unit 16 includes an array of multiplexers 28. The multiplexers concurrently acquiring one data bit from a prescribed data pin in each of several groups of data pins projecting from the plug. A computer operating under the authority of an executable computer program produces an incrementable selection signal to successively prescribe the individual data pins from which data is to be acquired. The system also includes standards against which the condition or validity of the wiring configuration is assessed. A display system, such as a video monitor reports the condition of the programming plug.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2001Date of Patent: August 12, 2003Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Paul D. Russell
-
Patent number: 6593751Abstract: Motor insulation degradation is determined using circuitry to sense the common mode leakage current from the ground wire cable. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a small current transformer detects the common mode leakage current flowing in the ground wire cable of the motor controller circuit. A single pole low pass filter generates an average leakage current signal from the sensed current. The average leakage current signal is converted to a PWM signal. A pulse generator receives the PWM signal and generates pulse signals at the rising and falling edges of the PWM signal. A pair of level shifters receive the rising edge and falling edge pulse signals and transpose those signals from a floating high voltage to a voltage referenced to ground. A pulse reconstruction circuit receives the level shifted pulse signals and reconstructs a pulse width modulated signal having a duty cycle which varies with respect to the magnitude of the common mode leakage current.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2001Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventor: Toshio Takahashi
-
Patent number: 6590397Abstract: In a three terminal power line current differential protection system, all three phase current values (IA, IB and IC) are obtained from all three terminals. The current values for each phase are processed in three successive processing operations, using in turn the current values from each terminal as local current values and the combination of the other two terminal current values in each case as the remote current values. The resulting local and remote current values are then processed against preselected values which establish a restrain region in the current ratio (alpha) plane. Current values for each set of local and combined remote currents which result in the ratio being within the restrain region result in a blocking signal while current values which result in a ratio outside of the region result in a tripping signal. If the outputs of the three processing operations agree, then that signal is the system output.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey B. Roberts
-
Patent number: 6583632Abstract: A grid of capacitor surfaces is connected to read lines and control lines. The read lines are connected alternately to the output of a feedback operational amplifier and to a collecting capacitor. The capacitances to be measured are charged repeatedly and the charges are collected on the collecting capacitors. Between the charging operations, the potential on the read lines is kept constant through the use of the low-resistance output of the operational amplifier. The use of this method in the case of a fingerprint sensor makes it possible to evaluate all the read lines together.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2001Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Micronas GmbHInventors: Paul-Werner Von Basse, Josef Willer
-
Patent number: 6580263Abstract: Disclosed is a bit rate discrimination device that accurately discriminates a bit rate regardless of variations in the operating temperature. A photoelectric converter converts an input optical signal into an electric signal, and a bit rate detector detects a bit rate of the optical signal from the electric signal and outputs a discrimination signal indicating the bit rate. A DC amplifier outputs a bit rate detection signal by amplifying the discrimination signal, and a temperature detector detects the operating temperature of the DC amplifier and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected operating temperature. A variation amplifier outputs a temperature compensation signal by amplifying the voltage level difference between the temperature signal and a predetermined reference signal, so as to cancel variations in an output voltage of the DC amplifier according to the operating temperature.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2001Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTDInventors: Jeong-Seok Choi, Tae-Sung Park, Hee-Chan Doh, Gil-Yong Park, Yun-Je Oh
-
Patent number: 6570391Abstract: A method of manufacturing disc drives. Before a pivot cartridge is assembled into a disc drive, impedance readings of the pivot cartridge are taken, preferably, at more than one rotational position and across a frequency range. The pivot cartridge is accepted for assembly into the disc drive only if its impedance readings compare favorably with readings taken of a good pivot cartridge. Otherwise, the pivot cartridge is rejected and the impedance readings are analyzed to provide identification of the defect in the pivot cartridge. In addition, a system and a storage device readable by a computer system for implementing the method of screening pivot cartridges and identifying causes of defects is provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: May 27, 2003Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Bernard Tuang Liang Lim, Sheng Jau Wong, Myint Ngwe, Kah Liang Gan, Victor Wengkhin Chew, Eng Hock Lim
-
Patent number: 6566895Abstract: An apparatus and method are used to determine equivalent individual phase voltages and phase currents from an alternating delta power source and load configuration. A delta-wye input transformer and a wye-delta output transformer are interconnected between the delta power source and the delta power load. Each phase of the delta power source is effectively connected across a corresponding wye configured coil. The delta-wye input transformer and the wye-delta output transformer are electrically connected to each other in a manner thereby providing three conductors through which the individual phase currents through the wye coils may be directly measured. The phase voltages are preferably measured across the wye coils of either the input transformer or the output transformer not intermixed.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2003Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Peter Estrela, Edward W. Wilbur, Jr.
-
Patent number: 6563298Abstract: An apparatus to receive a response signal sent from a device under test. The apparatus includes pin electronics to identify a response signal contained in a composite signal. The composite signal is a composite, or sum, of the response signal and a test signal. The pin electronics has a driver to send the test signal to the device under test, and a receiver to receive the composite signal and to separate the response signal from the composite signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2000Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: LTX CorporationInventors: William R. Creek, Mark Deome, R. Warren Necoechea
-
Patent number: 6563330Abstract: A probe card for testing a wafer having formed a plurality of semiconductor chips, the probe card including a board and a multi-layer substrate. The probe card may also include a flexible substrate. A contact electrode, located opposite from an electrode on one of the chips, is disposed above or below the flexible substrate, or may be provided on an elastic material on the multi-layered substrate. A first wiring has a first portion connected to the contact electrode, a level transitioning portion extending from a level of the first portion to the multi-layer substrate at a lower level, and a connecting terminal at an end of the level transitioning portion connected to an internal terminal on the multi-layered substrate. A second wiring in the multi-layered substrate connects the internal terminal to an external terminal at a periphery of the multi-layer substrate. A third wiring on the board connects the external terminal on the multi-layer substrate to an external connecting terminal on the board.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2000Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Shigeyuki Maruyama, Daisuke Koizumi, Naoyuki Watanabe, Yoshito Konno, Eiji Yoshida, Toshiyuki Honda, Toshimi Kawahara, Kenichi Nagashige
-
Patent number: 6559647Abstract: The present invention related generally to a method for determining spark plug malfunction and more particularly to a method for determining spark plug malfunction in an internal combustion engine in which at least two spark plugs are disposed in each cylinder. In a dual plug configuration, a spark plug malfunction is detected by disabling one of the spark plugs during a test period in a particular cylinder. A misfire provides an indication of malfunction of the other spark plug.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2001Date of Patent: May 6, 2003Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: David Karl Bidner, Lynn Edward Davison, William Najib Mansur
-
Patent number: 6556032Abstract: A cartridge (10) includes a chuck plate (12) for receiving a wafer (74) and a probe plate (14) for establishing electrical contact with the wafer. In use, a mechanical connecting device (90) locks the chuck plate and the probe plate fixed relative to one another to maintain alignment of the wafer and the probe plate. Preferably, electrical contact with the wafer is established using a probe card (50) that is movably mounted to the probe plate by means of a plurality of leaf springs (52.) The mechanical connecting device is preferably a kinematic coupling including a male connector (94) and first and second opposed jaws (122, 124.) Each of the jaws is pivotable from a retracted position in which the male connector can be inserted between the jaws and an engaging position in which the jaws prevent withdrawal of the male connector from between the jaws. The male connector is movable between an extended and a retracted position, and is biased towards the retracted position.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Aehr Test SystemsInventors: Frank Otto Uher, John William Andberg, Mark Charles Carbone, Donald Paul Richmond, II
-
Patent number: 6556017Abstract: A Method and an arrangement providing detection of deteriorated lamp filaments (3) in a lamp circuit (11) fed by constant current, in particular for a lamp supervision system for airfield lights. A change in a constant current fed through a lamp circuit (11) is initiated, whereby the lamp filament resistance is determined once in conjunction with the change in current and once a time period later. A difference between the resistance determinations constitutes the deterioration of a lamp filament (3) in comparison with a threshold value. Hence, no record of previous resistance determinations have to be stored, and lamps (4) can be replaced when the difference matches the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Safegate International ABInventor: Åke Pettersson
-
Patent number: 6556018Abstract: A method of locating a defective bulb or socket in a light strand. The method includes connecting an electric power connector interface plug to exhibit an electro magnetic field thereat for checking its wires for operability of a fuse situated in the interface plug, and traversing an electro magnetic field detector along the non-illuminated bulb/sockets starting with the first non-illuminated bulb/socket closest to the interface and continuing in succession down the light strand until a non-illuminated bulb/socket is located that exhibits an electro magnetic field detection test opposite than that of the previous electro magnetic field detection test. Thereby identifying the non-illuminated bulb and/or socket with an electro magnetic field which is directly adjacent to a non-illuminated bulb and/or bulb socket that has no electro magnetic field as defective. If only this bulb is defective, its replacement will illuminate all bulbs in its circuit.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Inventor: Virgil Benton