Patents Examined by Jeff Natalini
  • Patent number: 9772174
    Abstract: A capacitor based sensor for angular position detection having two fixed plates arranged at an angle and a semicircular rotating plate in between. The sensor can determine any angular position in the full 0-360 degrees range. The sensor may be temperature compensated, and integrated with electronics such that sensor module only has two electrical leads, one for input power and one for input/output digital data. A method for converting capacitance measurements to an angle is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mohamed Naushad Mohamed Zuhair, Jiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 9770714
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an analysis package including a board including an electrical terminal, an analysis chip provided at the board, the chip including a detector for detecting a particle, a flow channel of a sample liquid for particle detection to the detector, and a liquid receiver for introducing the sample liquid into the flow channel, a mold provided to cover the board on which the analysis chip is provided, the mold comprising an opening above the liquid receiver, a first shield layer provided on a back surface of the board, and a second shield layer provided to be attachable and detachable on an opposite side to the analysis chip of the mold, the second shield layer being electrically connected to a part of the electrical terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hamasaki, Michihiko Nishigaki, Yutaka Onozuka, Kentaro Kobayashi, Hiroko Miki, Naofumi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9772514
    Abstract: A driving integrated circuit bonded to a mounting area of a display panel, the circuit including a plurality of connection contact pads electrically coupled to a plurality of signal pads in the mounting area, at least one test contact pad electrically coupled to at least one test pad in the mounting area, and a resistance measuring unit configured to charge an external capacitor electrically coupled to a bonding part of the test pad and the test contact pad and to measure a bonding resistance of the bonding part based on a magnitude or a discharging time of a charging voltage of the external capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Won Moon
  • Patent number: 9753587
    Abstract: In an example, a processing system includes a sensor module having sensor circuitry. The sensor module is configured to drive sensor electrodes with a capacitive sensing signal to acquire first changes of capacitance between each of the sensor electrodes and at least one input object; and drive at least one sensor electrode in a first set of the sensor electrodes with a reference signal and at least one sensor electrode in a second set of the sensor electrodes with a capacitive sensing signal to acquire second changes of capacitance between the at least one sensor electrode in the second set and the at least one input object. The processing system further includes a capacitive measurer module configured to determine a capacitive image based at least in part on the first and second changes of capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: David Hoch
  • Patent number: 9745788
    Abstract: A door device for a household appliance includes a door having in particular a first vertical longitudinal side, a second vertical longitudinal side disposed opposite the first longitudinal side, and a top side extending between the longitudinal sides The door device further includes a door opening device for automatically opening the door, wherein a handle element is designed in particular on the second longitudinal side and/or a handle element is designed in particular on the top side. The door has at least one detection sensor, which is designed to detect a finger in a detection region around or on the handle element, and a control unit, which is designed to control the door opening device in response to information received from the detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Gael Mollet, Pierre Steiner
  • Patent number: 9727175
    Abstract: A projected capacitive touch sensor includes a substrate and sets of electrodes coupled to corresponding areas of the substrate. The areas are non-overlapping with respect to each other. The sets of electrodes include a horizontal sensing electrode that extends along a height of a first column within the area and vertical sensing electrodes that extend partially along the height of at least one column within the area. The at least one column includes at least two vertical sensing electrodes that are physically separate with respect to each other and electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Ricardo R. Salaverry
  • Patent number: 9709616
    Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring safety components including monitoring electronics which include a plurality of clock generators and evaluation means and on which at least two interfaces to be monitored for electric coupling to safety components are formed, wherein each of the interfaces includes at least two output ports and at least two input ports, wherein each of a first output port and a second output port is connected to a clock generator designed for providing clocked electric monitoring signals, wherein a first input port and a second input port are connected to the evaluation means, and wherein a number of clock generators greater than two and less than a number of all output ports of the interfaces to be monitored is chosen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel, Colin Leitner
  • Patent number: 9696361
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with testing a cable are described. According to one embodiment, an integrated circuit device includes a transmitter, a receiver, cable tester logic and a cable test control logic. The transmitter is configured to transmit signals to a cable. The receiver is configured to receive signals from the cable. The cable tester logic includes an echo tester configured to identify peaks corresponding to echo canceller coefficients that model an impulse response of reflected signals received by the receiver and a power-based cable tester configured to determine a power-based cable length based on an attenuation of a signal received from the link partner. The cable test control logic is configured to selectively activate one or both of the echo tester and the power-based tester and to determine a cable length based, at least in part, on the power-based cable length and the identified peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Junqing Sun, Danjin Wu, Hung Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9691669
    Abstract: Described are test structures and methods for measuring silicon thickness in fully depleted silicon-on-insulator technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharad Saxena, Thomas Brozek, Yuan Yu, Mike Kyu Hyon Pak, Meindert Martin Lunenborg
  • Patent number: 9689785
    Abstract: Disclosed is a metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor having a nanostructure, the metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor including: a substrate; a first electrode formed on the substrate; a gas sensing layer provided on the first electrode, made of a metal oxide semiconductor which has a nanostructure and of which electrical conductivity changes when the metal oxide semiconductor reacts with gas to be sensed, and formed by oblique angle deposition; a second electrode formed on the metal oxide semiconductor; and a control unit for measuring the electrical conductivity of the gas sensing layer to sense the gas by applying a predetermined amount of current through the first and the second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: POSTECH ACADEMY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jong Kyu Kim, Hyun Ah Kwon, Sun Yong Hwang
  • Patent number: 9678130
    Abstract: Disclosed is an earth leakage circuit breaker. The earth leakage circuit breaker is capable of determining an earth leakage signal applied thereto with high accuracy, by performing a trip operation by determining noise components included in the earth leakage signal, such as switching noise or harmonics, based on a determination signal generated by tracking the earth leakage signal. The earth leakage circuit breaker is capable of precisely determining whether to perform a trip operation with respect to an earth leakage signal applied thereto. The earth leakage circuit breaker is capable of preventing a malfunction due to a noise signal similar to an earth leakage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jong Kug Seon
  • Patent number: 9678191
    Abstract: An electrostatic capacitance detection circuit includes a charge amplifier that has an operational amplifier in which a capacitor is provided on a feedback path, and into which a signal including detection of electric charge of an inter-electrode capacitor of a sensor electrode and electric charge due to an external noise, and a selection switch that can switch a direction of a capacitor that is connected to input and output terminals of the charge amplifier through a feedback path that switches the direction of the capacitor depending on a direction of electric charge flowing in from a detection-side electrode of the sensor electrode, due to a drive signal applied to the sensor electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsumi Fujiyoshi
  • Patent number: 9658191
    Abstract: An atomic flux measurement device for measuring the amount of dissociated atomic flux produced by discharge and emitted from a plasma generation cell into a vacuum camber. The atomic flux measurement device includes a counter electrode body including a pair of first and second sheet-like electrodes that are arranged substantially parallel to each other with a predetermined spacing between them, a direct-current power supply configured to maintain the first sheet-like electrode at a negative potential so that atoms attached to the inner surface of the sheet-like electrode undergo self-ionization and to apply a direct-current voltage between the first and second sheet-like electrodes so that a current flows between the first and second sheet-like electrodes, and a direct-current ammeter configured to measure a current flowing due to electrons emitted by the self-ionization of the dissociated atoms attached to the inner surface of the first sheet-like electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: THE DOSHISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Ohachi, Motoi Wada, Osamu Ariyada, Nobuhiko Yamabe
  • Patent number: 9622679
    Abstract: A method for multichannel multifrequency analysis of an object, applying a set of excitation signals to the object and sampling the response signal from the object, using uniform and non-uniform undersampling. Non-uniform sampling of the response signal is performed, i.e., the sampling is performed for two or more different frequencies in one observation time slot. Also, uniform sampling of the response signal is performed, i.e., the sampling of a signal, corresponding to one frequency, is performed for two or more channels within one observation time slot and then sampling the same signal for another frequency for two or more channels within the next observation time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: OÜ Eliko Tehnoloogia Arenduskeskus
    Inventors: Mart Min, Paul Annus, Alar Kuusik, Raul Land, Toomas Parve
  • Patent number: 9612169
    Abstract: Examples are generally described that include monitoring an electrocaloric effect device. A varying voltage may he applied across an electrocaloric effect material. A capacitance change of the electrocaloric effect material at least in part responsive to the varying voltage may be measured. A temperature change of the electrocaloric effect material may be calculated based, at least in part, on the capacitance change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventor: Ezekiel Kruglick
  • Patent number: 9599738
    Abstract: A tool attachment unit includes a power feeding electrode and a plurality of detection electrodes. When a tool including a power receiving electrode and a displacement electrode is attached onto the tool attachment unit, the power feeding electrode and the power receiving electrode are opposed to each other, and the detection electrode and the displacement electrode are opposed to each other. A pair of the power feeding electrode and the power receiving electrode and a pair of the detection electrode and the displacement electrode form a capacitor circuit. A capacity of the capacitor circuit is changed in response to a position of the tool. A tool position detection unit supplies a power feeding signal to the power feeding electrode. A voltage information extractor extracts voltage information from the detection electrode. Based on the extracted voltage information, a position detection/arithmetic operation unit detects to which position the tool is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AMADA COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiko Gondo, Aristophane Goudjanou, Kazuhiro Kanno
  • Patent number: 9594103
    Abstract: A capacitive detection type electro-mechanical transducer comprises; a cell formed by a first electrode arranged on a substrate and a second electrode arranged on a vibration film, and a detection circuit for detecting a displacement of the vibration film, based on a capacity change between the first and second electrodes, wherein a plurality of the cells are classified into a plurality of groups, each one includes at least two cells, and the first electrodes or the second electrodes of the cells of the same one group are commonly connected to the same one detection circuit, and an addition circuit for adding, into single information, signals from the plurality of detection circuits corresponding to the plurality of groups, and for outputting the information, and a capacitive load for each one of the detectors are formulated to be dispersedly arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Kandori, Makoto Takagi, Masao Majima
  • Patent number: 9568581
    Abstract: A circuit configured to sample a signal of a source circuit and to provide calibration signals to a testing device of the signal sampled from the source circuit. The circuit may include an amplifier, a sampling circuit, and a calibration circuit. The amplifier may be configured to drive signals on an internal node to the testing device. The sampling circuit may be configured to provide a sample of a signal from the source circuit to the internal node. The calibration circuit may be configured to provide a first calibration signal and a second calibration signal to the internal node. The second calibration signal may be a known proportion of the first calibration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Jian Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9568524
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor, a button, a conductor between the button and the sensor, and a controller connected to the sensor. The sensor includes first and second electrode tracks. The button includes an electrically isolating material and is configured to capacitively couple with an object. The conductor is configured to capacitively couple with the sensor and form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor. The controller is configured to measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor and to detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor is not contacting the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor is not contacting the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Arild Rødland, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9551733
    Abstract: A method of detecting an electric current through a main bearing of a rotating system comprising: a hub; a plurality of blades connected to the hub; at least one electrical motor arranged at the hub; a main shaft attached to the hub and enclosing cabling for providing electrical power to the at least one electrical motor; a bearing housing attached to a metallic structure acting as electrical earth; and a main bearing having an inner ring attached to the main shaft and an outer ring attached to the bearing housing, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first measurement device for determining a measure indicative of an electric current in the main shaft at a first location on a side of the main bearing facing the hub; providing a second measurement device for determining a measure indicative of an electric current in the main shaft at a second location on a side of the main bearing facing away from the hub; determining a measure indicative of a difference between a first current flowing through the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventor: Olle Bankeström