Patents Examined by Kevin Butler
  • Patent number: 9971237
    Abstract: A portable screen for setting up outdoors to display images projected thereonto from a beam projector and the like is provided. The portable screen being not only convenient to set up outdoors to be used, but additionally being stably supported to withstand even wind or external impact without easily collapsing to allow the image content to be comfortably viewed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Inventor: In-Young Jo
  • Patent number: 9962069
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: David D. Scott, David C. Shafer, Dominique Brichard, Peter M. Herzlinger
  • Patent number: 9958377
    Abstract: A method for testing the adhesion of elastic adhesives or elastic sealing materials on surfaces of components including: a) applying the adhesive/sealing material to a component surface, b) attempting by exerting a peeling force to detach the applied adhesive/sealing material from the component surface, and c) assessing the adhesion of the adhesive/sealing material on the basis of fractures caused in the adhesive/sealing material and the detachment of the adhesive/sealing material from the component surface by the exertion of the peeling force. Prior to and/or during step a), an anti-adhesion material layer is applied to at least one first part of the component surface, which causes poorer adhesion of the adhesive/sealing material to the component surface and therefore can be detached from the component surface with less peeling force than directly from the component surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Waissi Tello, Helmuth Kleinoeder
  • Patent number: 9952494
    Abstract: A video projecting structure includes a substrate having a visible light transmittance greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 90%, a reflectivity greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 90%, and a front haze less than or equal to 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tao, Kenta Sekikawa, Hitoshi Tsujimura, Kenichi Ebata, Yuriko Kaida
  • Patent number: 9946202
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image to the recording medium. A heating unit heats the fixing member. A control unit receives a print job, the print job indicating a print mode and at least one job condition. The control unit determines a ready temperature based on the print mode and the at least one job condition. The control unit controls a heating operation of the heating unit based on the determined ready temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masanaka Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9945979
    Abstract: A system for recording metadata is disclosed. The system includes an acoustic vibration sensing system. The system also includes one or more sensors operable to measure characteristic parameters. The sensors are coupled to the acoustic vibration sensing system and include one or more channels for recording metadata. The system further includes one or more optical modulators. The optical modulators modulate a signal received from the one or more sensors and direct the modulated signal to the acoustic vibration sensing system. The system further includes one or more sources of the metadata coupled to the one or more optical modulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Stokely, John L. Maida, David Sharp
  • Patent number: 9938970
    Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus, including a hydronic sensorless pumping system, that features a signal processor or processing module configured to receive signaling containing information about motor readout values of power and speed, and also about pump and system characteristics equations together with empirical power equations that are constructed by a polynomial best-fit function together with pump affinity laws based upon a pump curve published by a pump manufacturer; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a pump or system pressure and a flow rate at the motor readout values of power and speed, based upon the signaling received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Fluid Handling LLC
    Inventors: Andrew A. Cheng, James J. Gu, Graham A. Scott
  • Patent number: 9933590
    Abstract: A camera filter unit (10) includes a front ring (4) for holding a polarization filter (2) and a rear ring (5) for rotatably holding the front ring (4). The front ring (4) includes a rear annular wall portion (18) extending in a radial direction (R), a rear annular plate portion (19) extending rearward from the inner peripheral end of the rear annular wall portion (18), and an annular projection portion (20) projecting for a short distance from the rear end of the rear annular plate portion (19) toward the outer peripheral side. The rear annular wall portion (18), the rear annular plate portion (19), and the annular projection portion (20) form an annular recess (21) on the outer peripheral surface of the front ring (4). The rear ring (5) includes an annular protrusion (45) protruding to the inner peripheral side. The annular protrusion (45) is inserted into the annular recess (21) of the front ring (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TSUSO
    Inventor: Hideo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9933325
    Abstract: Test leak device including a gas-filled container and a capillary extending through a container wall. The gas including at least 10% of atmospheric air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventor: Rudi Widt
  • Patent number: 9927415
    Abstract: An oil quality sensor to determine the quality of deep-frying oil by measuring the capacitance of the deep-frying oil in a deep fryer includes a housing and a hollow space in the housing through which the deep-frying oil is guided. An inlet opening introduces deep-frying oil to the hollow space, and a drain opening guides the deep-frying oil out of the hollow space. A first bent electrode extends along the hollow space, and a second bent electrode extends along the hollow space and is arranged opposite the first electrode, in which case the two electrodes form a capacitor and deep-frying oil is guided through the space formed between these two electrodes to measure its capacitance. A first temperature sensor measures the temperature of the oil used for deep frying that needs to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: XYLEM ANALYTICS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Baumann, Klaus Beyer, Thomas Ottenthal
  • Patent number: 9921463
    Abstract: A video projecting structure includes a substrate having a visible light transmittance greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 90%, a front haze greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 40, and a rear haze greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 60. In a case where light is incident on a surface of the substrate at an angle of 45°, an intensity of a backward scattering light is lower than an intensity of a frontward scattering light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tao, Kenta Sekikawa, Hitoshi Tsujimura, Kenichi Ebata, Yuriko Kaida
  • Patent number: 9903750
    Abstract: A method of determining information relating to the mass of a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The method comprises loading the semiconductor wafer on to a measurement area of a weighing device having weight compensation means arranged to compensate for a predetermined weight loaded on to the measurement area; generating measurement output indicative of a difference between the weight of the semiconductor wafer and the predetermined weight; and using the measurement output to determine information relating to the mass of the semiconductor wafer. Also discloses is a corresponding weighing device for determining information relating to the mass of a semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: METRYX LTD.
    Inventors: Robert John Wilby, Adrian Kiermasz
  • Patent number: 9904231
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a main body, a belt unit detachably attachable to the main body, a coupling and a restricting part. The belt unit includes: a first roller defining an axis extending in an axial direction, a second roller opposing the first roller in a first direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a belt looped over the first roller and the second roller. The coupling is configured to move in the axial direction to come into engagement with the first roller for inputting a drive force into the first roller. The restricting part is provided on the main body and is configured to restrict the first roller from moving in a second direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the first direction when the belt unit is attached to the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9904215
    Abstract: A drive system includes multiple vibrating members that tend to vibrate when these members are driven and a holding system to hold the multiple vibrating members. The holding system at least includes a first holding unit and a second holding unit superimposed on and partially connected to each other. The multiple vibrating members include a first vibrating member and a second vibrating member. The first vibrating member is held by the first holding unit and is not held by the second holding unit. The second vibrating member is held by the second holding unit and is not held by the first holding unit. At least one of the first vibrating member and the second vibrating member is a driving device to drive another member as a drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Matsuda, Masahiro Ishida, Jun Yasuda, Shinya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9897463
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for operating a sensor system comprising at least one sensor unit which provides signals, in which the signals comprise primary measurement value signals which are measurement values of the sensor unit or are generated from measurement values of the sensor unit and in which the signals comprise coefficient signals which characterize the measurement value capture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: BALLUFF GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Burkhardt, Ralph Bauer
  • Patent number: 9891446
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a detection unit that detects accelerations in directions of three orthogonal axes; a generation unit that, in a case in which a difference between the magnitude of a resultant vector of the accelerations in the directions of the three orthogonal axes and the magnitude of the acceleration of gravity is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, generates a reference vector using the resultant vector; and a correction unit that corrects an image blur caused by translational shakes in directions of two orthogonal axes perpendicular to at least an optical axis of an imaging optical system, using the reference vector, on the basis of the accelerations in the directions of the three orthogonal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsu Wada
  • Patent number: 9891564
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes a heat roller, a heat generating body, and a controller. The heat roller heats a conveyed sheet. The heat generating body generates heat with electric power in the heat roller. The controller applies thinning control to electric energy supplied to the heat generating body in processing for heating the heat roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuhiko Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9885594
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for measuring air mass flow using an air mass flow meter. The air mass flow meter comprises a sensor element for detecting an air mass flow (Q) and for generating a signal (S), and an electronic circuit for processing the signal (S) from the sensor element, wherein the sensor element generates a non-linear signal characteristic. The method may include converting the non-linear signal into a correcting, non-linear signal characteristic, then filtering the correcting, non-linear signal characteristic, then converting the filtered non-linear signal characteristic into a non-linear signal characteristic, and then generating an output signal relaying the signals (S) detected by the sensor element and processed by the linearization element, the filter element, and the conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Schuerer, Thorsten Knittel, Stephen Setescak
  • Patent number: 9880380
    Abstract: An endoscope system has observation modes making observations with lights having optical characteristics different from each other. The system includes an endoscope including an insertion section provided with an illumination window, a light guide arranged in the insertion section, and including an entrance end on which the lights enter and a plurality of light guide areas that guide the lights entered on the entrance end, and an entrance area switching unit that switches between the light guide areas through which the entered lights are guided by switching between areas on which the lights enter at the entrance end in accordance with an observation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bakusui Daidoji, Takeshi Ito, Satoshi Ohara, Motoki Tabata
  • Patent number: 9869552
    Abstract: A method compensates for a sensitivity of an inertial sensor having a resonator and an accelerometer. The method includes adding a test signal to a quadrature tuning voltage applied to the resonator of the inertial sensor. The method also includes receiving a quadrature error signal from the accelerometer of the inertial sensor. The method also includes detecting a phase difference between the quadrature error signal and the test signal. The method also includes determining a bandwidth of the accelerometer based on the detected phase difference, the bandwidth indicating the sensitivity of the accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Gregory