Abstract: Embodiments of a capacitive sensor array may comprise a plurality of large sensor electrodes and, for each of the large sensor electrodes, a first plurality of small sensor electrodes each capacitively coupled with the large sensor electrode, and each conductively coupled by one of a first set of routing traces to one of a first set of conductors located in a first edge region, and a second plurality of small sensor electrodes capacitively coupled with the large sensor electrode and conductively coupled by a second set of routing traces to a second set of conductors in a second edge region. The first set of routing traces is located in a first routing channel and the second set of routing traces is located in a second routing channel, where the first and second routing channels are located along different sides of the large sensor electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and apparatus for inspecting tendons and cable stays in bridges and structures using multi-frequency excitation of an ECVT sensor.

Abstract: A method and device for measuring the position of sections with an absorbing substance in multi-segment filter rods of the tobacco processing industry by measuring a varying shift of the resonance frequency A and/or spread of the resonance line B during movement of the rod in the longitudinal direction, using a microwave resonator, which has a field concentration in a spatial area, wherein this spatial area is smaller in the rod direction than the segment length to be determined, forming a difference quotient ?A of the resonant frequency shift A and/or ?B of the resonance line spread B relative to the longitudinal direction, determining local extreme values of the respective difference quotients, and assigning local extreme values as a position of a transition from a section with higher content of absorbing substance to a section without, or with lower content, of absorbing substance, and vice versa.

Abstract: A position pointer is disclosed, in which an electronic ink cartridge of an electromagnetic induction type is accommodated. The electronic ink cartridge includes a resonance circuit having a coil and a capacitor circuit, and is configured to detect pressure applied to a core member accommodated in the position pointer based on a variation of a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit. The cartridge includes a tubular member, in which the core member and the coil are accommodated such that the coil is positioned between the core member, which extends outwardly from one end of the tubular member, and the capacitor circuit along a direction of a center axis of the tubular member. The cartridge also includes a connection member in the tubular member, which electrically connects a first end and a second end of the coil to a first terminal and a second terminal of the capacitor circuit, respectively.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for tracking energy consumption. An energy tracking system comprises at least one switching element, at least one inductor and a control block to keep the output voltage at a pre-selected level. The switching elements are configured to apply the source of energy to the inductors. The control block compares the output voltage of the energy tracking system to a reference value and controls the switching of the switched elements in order to transfer energy for the primary voltage into a secondary voltage at the output of the energy tracking system. The electronic device further comprises an ON-time and OFF-time generator and an accumulator wherein the control block is coupled to receive a signal from the ON-time and OFF-time generator and generates switching signals for the at least one switching element in the form of ON-time pulses with a constant width ON-time.

Abstract: A non-contact sensing module includes a coil printed circuit board in which a reference pattern coil may be formed at an upper surface and in which a sensing pattern coil may be formed at a lower surface and that has a mounting hole at the center, and a main printed circuit board that may be coupled to the mounting hole and that may be vertically disposed at an upper surface of the coil printed circuit board and that may be electrically connected to the reference pattern coil and the sensing pattern coil.

Abstract: A material medium, such as an optical fiber or electrical cable, is used to carry services. The material medium is monitored with at least one diagnostic sensor. The diagnostic sensor may measure the operational health of the material medium, or may measure local environmental conditions around the material medium.

Abstract: A technique for recognizing and rejecting false activation events related to a capacitance sense interface includes measuring a capacitance value of a capacitance sense element. The measured capacitance value is analyzed to determine a baseline capacitance value for the capacitance sensor. The capacitance sense interface monitors a rate of change of the measured capacitance values and rejects an activation of the capacitance sense element as a non-touch event when the rate of change of the measured capacitance values have a magnitude greater than a threshold level, indicative of a maximum rate of change of a touch event.

Abstract: A method of determining the compatibility of a lubricating fluid with an energized electrical or electronic component comprises: (a) contacting a test apparatus with the fluid; (b) applying an electrical current to the test apparatus; and (c) monitoring the current flow through the test apparatus over time. The test apparatus includes at least one pair of conductors separated by an insulator that does not extend across the whole of the opposing surfaces of the conductors. The electrical current is applied across the pair of conductors. Also described is a device for performing the method, a method of selecting a lubricant and a lubricant so selected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a capacitive fingerprint sensing device for sensing a fingerprint pattern of a finger, the capacitive fingerprint sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, each including: a protective dielectric top layer to be touched by the finger; an electrically conductive sensing structure arranged underneath the top layer; charge measuring circuitry connected to the sensing structure for sequentially transitioning between at least a first measurement state and a second measurement state to perform a measurement sequence resulting in an output signal from the charge measuring circuitry being indicative of a change of a charge carried by the sensing structure resulting from a change in a potential difference between the finger and the sensing structure; and timing circuitry connected to the charge measuring circuitry for controlling a timing of at least one of the measurement states.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor device for approach and/or contact detection has at least one generator electrode, at least one measurement electrode and at least one calibration electrode, wherein the at least one calibration electrode is arranged in a predefined distance adjacent to the at least one measurement electrode, wherein the at least one measurement electrode and the at least one calibration electrode are assigned to the generator electrode, wherein the at least one generator electrode may be loaded with a generator voltage and the at least one calibration electrode may be loaded with a calibrating voltage, and wherein the at least one calibration electrode at least may be operated in a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein in each of the operating modes the calibrating voltage lies between a ground voltage and the generator voltage, and the calibrating voltage is different in each operating mode.

Abstract: A high voltage sensor is located within a dielectric canister inside a high voltage power line support insulator. A space through the voltage sensor accommodates a mechanical connecting rod associated with a circuit interrupter switch located in another section of the support insulator. An electrically floating dumbbell-shaped sensor extending between and capacitively coupled to high voltage and low voltage shields assumes a midpoint voltage value between the shields. A sensor plate or other suitable pickup capacitively coupled to the dumbbell sensor provides a voltage measurement, which is calibrated to provide a measurement of the power line voltage. This solution allows a voltage sensor to be added to or integrated in conventionally sized power line support insulators with no additional size, negligible additional weight, and minimal additional cost.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a three-phase AC phase sequence detecting method, including the steps of: 1) sampling instant values of three-phase AC electrical signal in real-time; 2) converting said instant values into electrical signal components in a two-phase still coordinate system in manner of coordinate conversion; 3) performing an arc tangent calculation on the electrical signal components to obtain a output signal value; 4) executing step 1) to step 3) one or more times, to obtain one or more output signal values; 5) the output signal values obtained from step 3) and the one or more output signal values obtained from step 4) composing a periodic function, if the periodic function is an increasing function within one minimum positive period, the three-phase AC phase sequence is determined to be positive sequence; otherwise, negative sequence. Three-phase AC phase detecting a detecting apparatus using the above detecting method is also provided.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for non-destructive measurements of coating thicknesses on a curved surface by measuring components of the microwave energy reflected from the surface. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a portable microwave thickness detector with a rounded rocker-type base allowing the microwave beam to be moved through a range of angles with respect to the target surface. An optical alignment system determines when the microwave angle of incidence is at a desired angle when the components of the reflected microwave energy are measured. Preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide a portable microwave thickness detector which maintains a constant standoff distance between the between the microwave detector and the sample to be measured.

Abstract: A method of detecting a resistive short-to-ground fault in an injector driver circuit is disclosed. The method includes determining if the injector driver circuit is in an inactive state and providing a pull-up resistor configured for connection to a low-side output of at least one fuel injector. The method further includes selectively enabling a pull-up voltage across the pull-up resistor only when the injector driver circuit is in the inactive state and determining an intersection voltage at a point between the pull-up resistor and the low-side output. The method further includes comparing the intersection voltage with a predetermined reference voltage. The method further includes disabling the injector driver circuit if the short-to-ground fault is detected at the low-side of the fuel injectors.

Abstract: A test cell structure of a display panel is disposed in the peripheral region of the display panel. First conductive lines and second conductive lines extend from the display region to the peripheral region, and the amounts of the first and second conductive lines are the same. The test cell structure includes a plurality of first test transistors, a plurality of second test transistors, and a plurality of first shorting bars. The drains of the first test transistors are electrically connected to the first conductive lines respectively, and their sources are electrically connected to the first shorting bars. The sources of the second test transistors are electrically connected to the drains of the first test transistors respectively, and their drains are electrically connected to the second conductive lines. The first test transistors are disposed between the second test transistors and the display region.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring conductivity of a fluid containing dissolved ions, particularly for measuring conductivity of salt water, features a cylindrical tube (57) of poorly conductive material such as glass, a first electrode (51A) and a second electrode (51B) inside the tube, connected together (56) to maintain a common electrical potential, a first transformer (52,53) concentrically arranged around the tube (57) to drive current through the fluid in the tube, and a second transformer (54, 55) arranged to sense a value of the current flowing in the fluid, and a digital processing circuit (62) coupled to receive an output signal of the second transformer, and to derive therefrom a value representing the conductivity of the fluid. The sensor is adapted to be towed behind a research ship, or to be deployed on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or the like. Current signals are preferably processed by digital switching measurement technology (dMST).

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the salinity of an ionic sample consisting essentially of: a single current probe having a central aperture large enough to accommodate a tube that contains the ionic sample; a network analyzer electrically coupled to the current probe, wherein the network analyzer is configured to transmit power into the ionic sample when the tube containing the ionic sample is positioned within the central aperture and then further configured to measure the return loss parameter of a signal voltage waveform reflected from the ionic solution; and a reference table of reference sample properties to which the measured return loss parameter may be compared to determine the level of salinity of the ionic sample.

Abstract: A leakage detection circuit with integrated robustness check provides leakage detection and continuous robustness check capability. A circuit can include a first voltage divider coupled to a chassis ground and a positive terminal of a traction energy storage device (ESD). A second voltage divider, connected in series to the first voltage divider, can be coupled to the chassis ground and a negative terminal of the ESD. A third voltage divider can be coupled to both the positive and negative ESD terminals. A checkproduct based on a voltage detected at the third voltage divider can be compared to a sum VS of voltages detected at first and second voltage dividers to check for a circuit fault. Voltages detected at the first and second voltage dividers, and SOC values, can be used to detect leakage faults, including balanced leakage faults, and a fault response can be performed.

Abstract: An air ionization monitoring device 200 and method is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the air ionization monitoring device 200 comprises an ion source 202 adapted to emit ions 204 and a capacitor 208 including a first conductor 210 arranged to be exposed to the ions 204 emitted by the ion source 202, and a second conductor 212 arranged to be shielded from the ions 204 emitted by the ion source 202. The monitoring device 200 further includes a commutation circuit 234 operable between a first configuration for charging the capacitor 208 to a first predefined voltage, and a second configuration for using the ions 204 emitted by the ion source 202 to discharge the capacitor 208 for a predefined time resulting in the capacitor 208 having a second voltage. The device 200 is configured to use the first and second voltages to determine an ionic current of the emitted ions.