Patents Examined by Thang Le
  • Patent number: 9857395
    Abstract: Current flowing through an inductor in response to a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal is sensed to generate a sensed current. The sensed current is processed over one or more PWM cycles of the PWM control signal to generate an output signal indicative of average inductor current. This processing may include charging and discharging a capacitor at different rates dependent on the sense current, with the detection of capacitor discharge triggering a sampling of a voltage dependent on the sensed current that is indicative of average inductor current. The processing may include using the sensed to current to generate a first charge voltage associated with minimum inductor current and a second charge voltage associated with maximum inductor current, and then averaging the first and second charge voltages to generate an output signal indicative of average inductor current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Shenzhen) R&D Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Meng Wang, Xue Lian Zhou
  • Patent number: 9857394
    Abstract: Relative capacitance of a plurality of capacitive sensors may be monitored by using only one ADC conversion. A plurality of capacitive sensors individually charges a sample and hold capacitor. After all of the plurality of capacitive sensors have charged the sample and hold capacitor, a digital conversion of the resulting analog on the sample and hold capacitor is made and stored in a memory. This stored digital collective voltage is compared to a previously stored one and if different then a proximity/touch event may have occurred. Therefore, an entire panel of capacitive sensors may be quickly monitored for a change in the “group” capacitance thereof, or portions of the capacitive sensors may be monitored for a change in the “subgroup” capacitance thereof. By knowing which subgroup of capacitive sensors has changed its collective capacitive value, a more focused and selective capacitive sensor measurement can be made that uses less power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Xiang Gao
  • Patent number: 9853560
    Abstract: Congruent power and timing signals in a single electronic device. In an embodiment, a circuit may include just one isolation transformer operable to generate a power signal and a timing signal. On the secondary side, two branches may extract both a power signal and a clock signal for use in the circuit on the isolated secondary side. The first branch may be coupled to the transformer and operable to manipulate the signal into a power signal, such as a 5V DC signal. Likewise, the second circuit branch is operable to manipulate the signal into a clock signal, such as a 5 V signal with a frequency of 1 MHz. By extracting both a power supply signal and a clock signal from the same isolation transformer on the secondary side, valuable space may be saved on an integrated circuit device with only having a single winding for a single isolation transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS (SHENZHEN) R&D CO., LTD., STMICROELECTRONICS (CHINA) INVESTMENT CO. LTD
    Inventors: Henry Ge, Welsin Wang, Xing Zhang
  • Patent number: 9851387
    Abstract: A high voltage power monitoring system includes a controller, a detector connected to the controller, and a generator connected to the detector and the controller. The generator may be configured to generate a plurality of test signals according to control signals generated via the controller. The generator may provide the test signals to the detector. The detector may be configured to provide the plurality of test signals to a test loop. The detector may be configured to simultaneously sense a first voltage, a second voltage, a first current, and a second current. The first voltage and the first current may correspond to a first test signal of the plurality of test signals. The second voltage and the second current may correspond to a returned version of the first test signal that has passed through the test loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Miguel Angel Aceña, Youssef Ghabbour, Jose Gabriel Fernández Bañares
  • Patent number: 9851392
    Abstract: A ground-loss detection circuit for an integrated circuit, (IC) device including a first dynamic threshold metal oxide semiconductor (DTMOS) device operably coupled between a first ground plane of the IC device and at least one further ground plane of the IC device, at least one of the first and at least one further ground planes comprising an external ground connection of the IC device, at least one further DTMOS device operably coupled between the first and at least one further ground planes of the IC device in an opposing manner to the first DTMOS device, and at least one ground-loss detection component operably coupled to at least one of the first and at least one further DTMOS devices and arranged to detect a ground-loss for at least one of the first and at least one further ground planes based at least partly on a drain current of the at least one of the first and at least one further DTMOS device(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christelle Franchini, Alexis Huot-Marchand
  • Patent number: 9846179
    Abstract: Electrical current transducer to measure the current flowing in a primary conductor, the transducer including an outer casing, a magnetic core comprising a magnetic circuit gap, a magnetic field detector comprising a sensing portion positioned in the magnetic circuit gap, an insulating core housing, a secondary coil formed from a wire wound around a coil support portion of the insulating core housing, and an electrostatic shield. The electrostatic shield is positioned between secondary coil and a radially inner wall portion of the outer casing, the radially inner wall portion defining a passage configured to receive said primary conductor therethrough. The electrostatic shield comprises a skirt portion formed by a plurality of flexible strips extending axially from an edge of the shield, the flexible strips configured to elastically bias against a base wall portion of the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: LEM Intellectual Property SA
    Inventor: Stéphane Claeys
  • Patent number: 9841441
    Abstract: Electrical current transducer including a magnetic core comprising a magnetic circuit gap, a magnetic field detector comprising a sensing portion positioned in the magnetic circuit gap, an insulating support body comprising a coil support portion and a coil terminal connection portion, and a secondary coil formed from a wire wound around the coil support portion. The coil support portion has a generally U-shaped cross-sectional profile comprising a base wall, a radially inner wall extending from the base wall and a radially outer wall extending from the base wall, the radially inner and outer walls having a height configured such that open end edges thereof extend slightly beyond an axial thickness of the magnetic core including any manufacturing tolerances such that the open end edges are folded inwards around corners of the magnetic core by the coil wound around the magnetic core housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: LEM Intellectual Property SA
    Inventor: Stéphane Claeys
  • Patent number: 9841449
    Abstract: A system and method corrects the phase of measurement signals obtained from remote heads during testing of a device. A first signal is transmitted along first and second transmission lines to respective remote heads. A shunt switch is connected between a remote end of the first transmission line and a first remote head, and another shunt switch is connected between a remote end of the second transmission line and a second remote head. The shunt switches in a first configuration respectively reflect the first signal back to a phase measurement apparatus as first and second reflected signals. The phase measurement apparatus determines a first reference phase and a second reference phase respectively based on the first and second reflected signals. A compensation unit compensates phase of the measurement signals based on the first and second reference phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mikulka, Richard Lynn Rhymes, Hassan Tanbakuchi, Chen-Yu Chi, Kenneth H. Wong, Thomas Zwick
  • Patent number: 9835680
    Abstract: A method performed at least partially by a processor includes performing a test sequence. In the test sequence, a test pattern is loaded into a circuit. The test pattern is configured to cause the circuit to output a predetermined test response. A test response is unloaded from the circuit after a test wait time period has passed since the loading of the test pattern into the circuit. The unloaded test response is compared with the predetermined test response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Sandeep Kumar Goel, Yun-Han Lee, Saman M. I. Adham
  • Patent number: 9835675
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting deteriorated junctions within an electrical circuit includes a voltage channel circuit, a load circuit, and a microcontroller. The voltage channel circuit is connectable to the electrical circuit and includes a multiplier circuit, a peak detector circuit, and a filter circuit. The multiplier circuit is configured to square a line voltage of the electrical circuit. The peak detector circuit is configured to detect peak voltages of the line voltage based on an output of the multiplier circuit. A DC output voltage is provided from the filter circuit based on the output of the multiplier circuit. The load circuit is connectable to the electrical circuit and includes a plurality of resistors and a plurality of switches controlled by the microcontroller to enable current flow through the plurality of resistors to control the line voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Lectrispect, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth L. Graves
  • Patent number: 9829508
    Abstract: It is described a testing head for a testing equipment of an electronic device comprising at least one upper guide and a lower guide provided with guide holes, a plurality of contact probes inserted into the guide holes of the upper and lower guides and at least one containment element of the probes being is disposed between the upper and lower guides, each of the contact probes having at least one terminal portion which ends with a contact tip adapted to abut on a respective contact pad of the electronic device to be tested; at least one spacer element sandwiched between the containment element and at least one of the upper and lower guides, the spacer element being removable to adjust a length of the terminal portions of the contact probes projecting from the lower guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Technoprobe S.p.A.
    Inventors: Stefano Felici, Raffaele Vallauri, Roberto Crippa
  • Patent number: 9824905
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing device has an upper cover configured to be arranged above top surface of unshielded semiconductor device which are mounted on a tray placed on a carrier to go through electromagnetic shielding, and a displacement detector configured to detect an abnormality when the upper cover is raised by at least one of the semiconductor device which is brought into contact with a bottom surface of the upper cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsunori Shibuya, Takashi Imoto, Soichi Homma, Takeshi Watanabe, Yuusuke Takano
  • Patent number: 9817041
    Abstract: A peak detector circuit comprises a first output coupled to ground by a first load and to emitter terminals of first and second switching devices. A second output is coupled to ground by a second load and to emitter terminals of third and fourth switching devices. A third output is coupled to a supply voltage node by a third load and to collector terminals of the first and second switching devices. A fourth output is coupled to the supply voltage node by a fourth load and to collector terminals of the third and fourth switching devices. The first, second, third, and fourth switching devices have control terminals which are biased with a common bias voltage. The first, second, third and fourth load are selected so that R1=R2=?f*R3=?f*R4, with R1, R2, R3, R4 being a resistance of the first, second, third and fourth loads, respectively, and ?f a common-base current gain of the switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Yi Yin
  • Patent number: 9819126
    Abstract: To neutralize static electricity in a charged coaxial cable with a decreased installation space. The first base member 2A and the second base member 2B are installed at the adapter 13 in order to interpose a box nut 13a of the adapter 13 therebetween and are fixed by fixing means 6. A flexible rod-like static electricity neutralizing contact 4 is erected on the second base member 2B parallel to the adapter 13. The static electricity neutralizing contact 4 is brought into contact with a central conductor and an outer conductor of a coaxial connector 15a before the coaxial connector 15a of a coaxial cable 15 is connected to the adapter 13, and static electricity in the charged coaxial cable 15 is neutralized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: ANRITSU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 9810718
    Abstract: A wire wound resistor arrangement including a plurality of wire wound resistors electrically connected in a series connection, a first terminal disposed at a first end of the series connection of wire wound resistors, and a second terminal disposed at a second end of the series connection of wire wound resistors. The wire wound resistors are arranged in a polygonal shape having at least three vertices the first terminal and the second terminal are disposed at one of the vertices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick Thomas Walsh, Theodore James Miller
  • Patent number: 9810714
    Abstract: A probe pin (100, 100?) for electronic testing of semi-conductor elements is provided. The pin contains an electrically conductive core element (200) made up of a metallic alloy, and an electrically insulating jacket element (300) which surrounds the core element (200) over regions thereof. The core element (200) contains a distal contact section (210) for electrical contacting to a semi-conductor element. The metallic alloy of the core element contains at least 67% by weight rhodium, 0.1% by weight to 1% by weight zirconium, up to 1% by weight yttrium, and up to 1% by weight cerium. A method for producing a probe pin is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Per Soerensen, Nicole Staudt, Reinhold Weiland, Ingo Prunzel, David Francis Lupton
  • Patent number: 9804202
    Abstract: An electrical current transducer is disclosed which includes a primary conductor bar for carrying the current to be measured, a magnetic core having a magnetic circuit gap, a magnetic field sensor having a magnetic field detector positioned in the magnetic circuit gap, and an insulating housing surrounding the magnetic core and magnetic field sensor. The primary conductor bar has connection terminal ends extending outside of the housing configured for connection to an external primary conductor. The primary conductor bar has a core passage section comprising a fuse portion configured for interruption of the primary conductor if a predefined electrical current is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: LEM Intellectual Property SA
    Inventor: Arnaud Labbe
  • Patent number: 9804260
    Abstract: A sensor has a strip resonator filter that energizes an emitter patch which emits an electric field out from the strip resonator filter (away from the strip resonator filter). The capacitance of the filter, or specifically the coupling capacitance and radiation pattern of the slotted patch, is altered when an object such as a finger is near the sensor. Resulting changes in a signal outputted by the filter can be used to determine how close the object is to the sensor. The strip resonator filter may be a half wavelength strip resonator coupled filter having three separate strips. The patch may have a slot and two accompanying strips. An arrangement of multiple sensors may detect the position of an object in two or three dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Gerald DeJean, Trang Thai
  • Patent number: 9796561
    Abstract: A method of wear detection of a coated belt or rope includes connecting a wear detection unit to one or more monitoring strands and/or cords of a coated belt or rope. The coated belt or rope includes one or more baseline strands and/or cords exhibiting a first change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope and one or more monitoring strands and/or cords exhibiting a second change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope, greater than the first change in electrical resistance. An electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords is measured via the wear detection unit. Using at least the measured electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords, a wear condition of the belt or rope is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Brad Guilani, Hong Yang
  • Patent number: 9791473
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a test probe, a test probe component, and a test platform. The test probe comprises a probe body, wherein one end of the probe body is of a hollow design, thereby cooperating with a gold finger through insertion. According to the present invention, one end of the probe body is of a hollow design, thereby cooperating with the gold finger through insertion, thus solving the current technical problems of the assembling of the probe being relatively difficult, the requirements for processing of the through-hole being relative high, and the powering on being unstable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen Ceway Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Linhong Nie