Patents by Inventor Yuri M. Shkel

Yuri M. Shkel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Self-sensing solid-state sensor
    Patent number: 6910385
    Abstract: An apparatus and method directed to a solid-state capacitance sensor for measuring a strain force on a dielectric having a corresponding dielectric constant includes at least one pair of electrodes disposed so as to interface with the dielectric. The sensor preferably includes a measuring circuit coupled to the electrodes to measure a change in the dielectric constant in response to the force. In operation, the change in the dielectric constant is caused by an electrostrictive response of the dielectric upon deformation. Preferably, the response is quantified by computing a change in the dielectric constant based on a measured change in capacitance. The electrodes may be fixed to the dielectric, and the measuring circuit determines the change in the dielectric constant by measuring a change in capacitance between the pair of electrodes and then computing the change in the dielectric constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventor: Yuri M. Shkel
  • Solid-state strain sensor and method of manufacture
    Publication number: 20030164048
    Abstract: An apparatus and method directed to a solid-state capacitance sensor for measuring a strain force on a dielectric having a corresponding dielectric constant includes at least one pair of electrodes disposed so as to interface with the dielectric. The sensor preferably includes a measuring circuit coupled to the electrodes to measure a change in the dielectric constant in response to the force. In operation, the change in the dielectric constant is caused by an electrostrictive response of the dielectric upon deformation. Preferably, the response is quantified by computing a change in the dielectric constant based on a measured change in capacitance. The electrodes may be fixed to the dielectric, and the measuring circuit determines the change in the dielectric constant by measuring a change in capacitance between the pair of electrodes and then computing the change in the dielectric constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventor: Yuri M. Shkel