Patents Examined by Rodney T. Frank
  • Patent number: 11162883
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to easily obtain a compressibility factor that is a characteristic of a fluid, and thereby dramatically improves the accuracy of flow rate measurement by an ROR system or the like. The invention is adapted to include: a chamber having a constant volume; a flow rate controller connected to the chamber so as to make it possible to introduce or lead a fluid into or out of the chamber at a constant flow rate; and an information processor adapted to calculate a compressibility factor depending on the pressure of the fluid on the basis of time changes in pressure inside the chamber when the fluid is introduced into the chamber at the same flow rate as each other through the flow rate controller under two different pressure conditions inside the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Isobe
  • Patent number: 11150092
    Abstract: A sensor includes a sensor substrate, and an upper lid substrate joined to an upper surface of the sensor substrate. The sensor substrate includes a fixed part, a deformable beam connected to the fixed part, and a weight connected to the beam. The weight is movable relative to the fixed part. The upper lid substrate includes a first part containing silicon and a second part joined to the first part and containing glass. The first part includes a projection protruding toward the sensor substrate relative to the second part. The sensor has high accuracy or high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Imanaka, Shoichi Taji, Soichiro Hiraoka, Katsuya Morinaka
  • Patent number: 11143670
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for detecting functional state of a microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor is described. The method includes monitoring an input common-mode feedback (ICMFB) voltage generated by an ICMFB circuit coupled to the MEMS sensor through a plurality of nodes. The method also includes determining, using the monitored ICMFB voltage, whether all of the plurality of nodes of the MEMS sensor are electrically connected to the ICMFB circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Davy Choi, Yamu Hu, Deyou Fang
  • Patent number: 11111780
    Abstract: Faded channels in a distributed acoustic sensing system can be mitigated using a phase modulator. A first pulse and a second pulse of an optical signal can be determined. A phase modulator can modulate the first pulse to have a different wavelength than the second pulse. The first pulse can be launched into a sensing fiber that extends into a wellbore. A first backscattered signal can be received from the sensing fiber in response to the first pulse being launched into the sensing fiber. The second pulse can be launched into the sensing fiber and a second backscattered signal can be received from the sensing fiber. Data about an environment of the wellbore can be determined by processing the first backscattered signal and the second backscattered signal to compensate for fading in the first backscattered signal or the second backscattered signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David Andrew Barfoot, John Herbert Dailing, Ira Jeffrey Bush
  • Patent number: 11112423
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses an acceleration sensor, where the acceleration sensor comprises: a housing, and a mass block in the housing and connected with the housing via at least two hanging beams, where an auxiliary buffer component is further provided between the mass block and a bottom surface of the housing, and an elastic coefficient of the auxiliary buffer component decreases as force applied thereon increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongjie Han, Shuqian Dou, Xiaoliang Fu, Ting Tian, Dayong Zhou, Zhiqiang Fan, Yawen Zhang, Youcai Yang, Dong Zhang, Zhongjun Wang, Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 11085867
    Abstract: A kit is provided that includes a protective material having opposite first and second surfaces, a contaminant for application to the first surface of the protective material, a sorbent pad for placement in contact with the second surface of the protective material, and a multi-point pin technology (MPPT) device configured to press the protective material against the sorbent pad in order to permit the sorbent pad to detect any permeation of the contaminant through the protective material. The MPPT device includes at least one plate having a plurality of apertures, and pins inserted in and slidably displaceable along the apertures independently of one another to press the protective material against the sorbent pad. Also provided are an apparatus made from the kit and methods of using the kit and apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Christopher J Ruppert, Christopher B. Steinbach
  • Patent number: 11085768
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical z-axis gyroscope which comprises a proof mass system centred around a gyroscope center point. The oscillation of first and second proof mass pairs is synchronized by a substantially circular synchronization element which is centred at the gyroscope center point and comprises four first attachment points. Each proof mass is attached to the nearest first attachment point on the substantially circular synchronization element. The substantially circular synchronization element also comprises two or more second attachment points, and a substantially linear suspender extends tangentially from each second attachment point to an anchor point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Heikki Kuisma
  • Patent number: 11079403
    Abstract: A physical quantity sensor module includes: a resonant frequency shift based physical quantity sensor whose frequency adjusts with a adjust in physical quantity; a reference signal oscillator which outputs a reference signal; a frequency delta-sigma modulator which performs frequency delta-sigma modulation of the reference signal, using an operation signal based on a measurement target signal as an output from the resonant frequency shift based physical quantity sensor, and generates a frequency delta-sigma modulated signal; a first low-pass filter provided on an output side of the frequency delta-sigma modulator and operating synchronously with the measurement target signal as the output from the resonant frequency shift based physical quantity sensor; and a second low-pass filter provided on an output side of the first low-pass filter and operating synchronously with the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Kenta Sato, Masayoshi Todorokihara
  • Patent number: 11079265
    Abstract: An air mass flowmeter with a housing having an air-guiding path in which an air mass sensor element is arranged on a sensor element carrier in the housing and is electrically connected to a circuit carrier by connection wires. The circuit carrier is also arranged in the housing the air mass sensor element is positioned accurately in the air-guiding path by a positioning element that engages into a positioning element receptacle formed in the sensor element carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Millies, Jörg Schindler, Stephen Setescak, Rainer Frauenholz
  • Patent number: 11066882
    Abstract: Apparatus for early detection of drilling mud gains or losses that is positioned in the return wellbore of oilwell drilling operations, includes a pair of an upper and lower pressure sensor in an apparatus that is positioned in the return wellbore of an oilwell drilling operation as well as a flow chamber having an inlet port, an outlet port, a flow tube and a flow sensing device for determining the gains or losses in the return wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventor: H. Udo Zeidler
  • Patent number: 11047758
    Abstract: A pressure indicator is disclosed having a coupling body and an indicator member positioned within the coupling body. The coupling body has an open first end and an open second end, an inside surface and an outside surface extending from the open first end to the open second end. The inside surface surrounds a coupling body cavity. The outside surface is threaded adjacent to the second end. The coupling body is sized and dimensioned to be threaded into a bung hole of a static storage container. The indicator member is positioned within the coupling body cavity in a sealing relationship. The indicator member, biased to a first position, is movable from the first position within the coupling body cavity to a second position outside of the coupling body cavity responsive to the coupling body being exposed to a pressure within the static storage container above a predetermined pressure threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Luneta, LLC
    Inventors: James Chester Fitch, Thomas Chester Fitch
  • Patent number: 11022156
    Abstract: An actuator-operation detecting apparatus is configured to check the operating state of a piston of an actuator. The actuator includes a double-acting cylinder, the piston that partitions the cylinder into a first pressure acting chamber and a second pressure acting chamber, and a rod connected to an end face of the piston facing the second pressure acting chamber. The actuator-operation detecting apparatus includes a first pressure detector to detect the pressure in the first pressure acting chamber, a second pressure detector to detect the pressure in the second pressure acting chamber, a differential amplifier circuit to calculate a thrust force acting on the piston based on the pressures detected by the first and second pressure detectors and the pressure-receiving area of the piston, and a microcomputer to monitor the operation of the piston based on the thrust force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takemoto Kondo
  • Patent number: 11016077
    Abstract: Provided is an analysis apparatus configured to analyze characteristics of a viscoelastic material based on a viscoelastic material constitutive law in which an elastic element and a viscoelastic element are arranged in parallel with each other; calculate, in a viscoelastic material model divided into a finite number of elements each having a node, a displacement amount of the node; calculate a strain rate at the node through use of the displacement amount; calculate, as a relaxation time of the viscoelastic element, a value proportional to a value of a power using the strain rate as a base and a value of a power using a shift factor of a temperature-time conversion law as a base; and calculate a stress at the node through use of the relaxation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Long Vinh Phan
  • Patent number: 11015439
    Abstract: Interventionless testing casing within a wellbore to determine a location where the casing is leaking. Testing systems include a casing disconnect tool to receive an object, such as a ball, allowing for pressurizing to test a backside between new casing associated with the disconnect tool and older casing associated with a cased hole or open hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: VERTICE OIL TOOLS INC
    Inventor: Mohamed Ibrahim Saraya
  • Patent number: 10989622
    Abstract: A flexible leak testing machine for tightness testing of a cylinder head, an engine block or similar workpiece has at least one sealing plate, a machine frame with at least one workpiece holding device for the workpiece and an adjusting device with a first drive for bringing together the workpiece and the sealing plate into a test position. The leak testing machine is flexibly usable in that it includes a changeover device for sealing plates. The changeover device has an adjustable holding arrangement on the machine frame, with sealing plate holders and an associated drive for sealing plate changeover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: ELWEMA AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Antonio Alvarez, Eberhard Ilg
  • Patent number: 10983092
    Abstract: An acoustic sensor comprises a side wall closed at each end by an end wall to form a cavity which, in use, contains a fluid. At least one transmitter and at least one receiver are operatively associated with one of the end walls. A maximum half width, a, of the cavity and a height, h, of the cavity satisfies the following inequality: a/h is greater than 1.2. In use, the transmitter causes oscillatory motion of the region of the end wall operatively associated with the transmitter, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the end walls such that the perpendicular oscillations of the end walls drive substantially in-plane oscillations of the fluid pressure in the cavity. The substantially in-plane oscillations in the pressure of the fluid drive substantially perpendicular oscillatory motion of the region of the end wall operatively associated with the receiver, resulting in an electrical signal from the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew Baker-Campbell, Justin Buckland, Harry Bullivant
  • Patent number: 10982532
    Abstract: Determining a type of annular material in a wellbore comprises measuring an acoustic noise of one or more reference materials and thereby generating a corresponding one or more acoustic profiles, monitoring the annular material with an acoustic sensor positioned in the wellbore and thereby obtaining an acoustic response of the annular material, comparing the acoustic response with the one or more acoustic profiles using a processor communicably coupled to the acoustic sensor, and characterizing the annular material based on the comparison of the acoustic response and the one or more acoustic profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishna M. Ravi, Li Gao, Christopher Lee Stokely
  • Patent number: 10955328
    Abstract: A method of integrity testing porous materials that is non-destructive to the material being tested. The inlet gas stream includes at least two gases, wherein one of the gases has a different permeability in liquid than the other, such as oxygen and nitrogen in water. The relative permeability of the gases is measured in the retentate stream, thereby avoiding accessing the permeate stream and potentially introducing contaminants to the material being tested. The integrity test is capable of detecting the presence of oversized pores or defects that can compromise the retention capability of the porous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation
    Inventor: Salvatore Giglia
  • Patent number: 10955278
    Abstract: A method for a vehicle, comprising: indicating a true fill level of a fuel tank based on a fuel vapor canister temperature profile during a refueling event. In this way, a quantity fuel dispensed over the maximum fill level of the fuel tank may be accounted for, regardless of the fuel level sensor reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Damien Baldwin, Dennis Seung-Man Yang, Robert Roy Jentz
  • Patent number: 10955434
    Abstract: A resonant sensor device includes a base and a detection substrate. The detection substrate includes a movable portion configured to move in a first direction, a supporter includes one or more supporting portions which extend in a direction along an intersecting plane intersecting the first direction, an intermediate fixing portion which is connected to the movable portion via the supporter, a connection portion which connects a mounting portion fixed to the base to the intermediate fixing portion in a second direction that is one direction along the intersecting plane, and a resonator at least partially embedded in the one or more supporting portions. The maximum dimension of the connection portion in a third direction orthogonal to the second direction in the intersecting plane is smaller than a maximum dimension of the supporter in the third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeto Iwai, Makoto Noro