Electrical Signal Parameter Measurement System Patents (Class 702/57)
  • Patent number: 9692621
    Abstract: A decision feedback equalizer (DFE) includes a sampler for receiving a first input signal and comparing an amplitude of the first input signal with a first predetermined voltage level and a second predetermined voltage level. The DFE includes a DFE logic circuit for receiving at least one first sign signal based on comparison results, and for selectively updating a tap coefficient based on the at least one first sign signal. The DFE logic circuit is configured to update the tap coefficient when the at least one first sign signal indicates the amplitude of the first input signal is not between the first predetermined voltage level and the second predetermined voltage level. The DFE logic circuit is configured to maintain the tap coefficient when the at least one first sign signal indicates the amplitude of the first input signal is between the first and the second predetermined voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Chow Peng, Yu-Chun Lin
  • Patent number: 9658094
    Abstract: In order to provide a thermal-type flowmeter highly accurate, with high reliability, and simple in construction, while being available at a lower price, a thermal-type flowmeter as proposed includes a sub-path that takes in a fluid under measurement; a sensor element that measures a flow-rate of the fluid under measurement in the sub-path; a temperature detection element that detects a temperature of the fluid under measurement; a drive circuit that controls a heating temperature of the sensor element; and a protection circuit that protects the drive circuit from noise, a cavity being formed on a substrate of the sensor element, an exothermic resistor being provided on a thin-film part on the cavity through the intermediary of an electrically insulating film, and a flow rate being detected on the basis of temperature distribution in the thin-film part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Tokuyasu, Shinobu Tashiro, Keiji Hanzawa, Takeshi Morino, Ryosuke Doi
  • Patent number: 9632122
    Abstract: A method determines operating characteristics of a signal generator. The method includes performing a first set of measurements of an output signal generated by the signal generator and corresponding reflected signal, where the first set of measurements is performed over multiple frequencies and amplitudes of the output signal; applying an external signal to the output port of the signal generator; performing a second set of measurements of the output signal and corresponding reflected signal while the external signal is being applied to the output port, where the second set of measurements is performed over frequencies and amplitudes of the output signal, the external signal having the same frequency as the output signal for each measurement of the second set of measurements. A set of coefficients describing the operating characteristics of the signal generator is determined by processing results of the first and second sets of measurements through a non-linear model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Loren C. Betts, David V. Blackham, Michael C. Dobbert, Xiaolong Li, Dara Sariaslani, Lisa Shenton, Erwin F. Siegel, Bernadette Smith, Matt Todhunter, Kenneth H. Wong
  • Patent number: 9621368
    Abstract: Provided is a method for displaying electricity use status and a portable device thereof by identifying at least one electronic appliance in an image on a screen captured through a camera, receiving electricity use information of the at least one electronic appliance, determining the electricity use status of the at least one electronic appliance using the received electricity use information, and displaying one of a plurality of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI), wherein each GUI corresponds to a different stage of the electricity use status of the at least one electronic appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-kyu Jin, Young-ho Lee, Il-ku Chang, Young-shil Jang
  • Patent number: 9582111
    Abstract: A mobile device has a proximity sensor. A compensation value of the proximity sensor is determined. The compensation value is compared to a reference compensation value to determine validity of the compensation value. A capacitance of the proximity sensor is measured. A value of the capacitance of the proximity sensor is adjusted based on the compensation value. A coefficient defining a relationship between a capacitance of the proximity sensor and a temperature of the mobile device is calculated. A temperature sensor is coupled to the proximity sensor. The temperature of the mobile device is measured. A value of the capacitance of the proximity sensor is adjusted based on the coefficient and the temperature of the mobile device. The adjusted capacitance value is compared to a threshold capacitance value to determine proximity of an object to the mobile device. A radio frequency signal is adjusted by detecting proximity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Semtech Corporation
    Inventors: Chaouki Rouaissia, Jerald G. Ott, III
  • Patent number: 9565700
    Abstract: A method at a base station of determining a time delay associated with a mobile station in a multiple access wireless communication system. A signal is received from a mobile station over a selected random access subchannel in a selected random access time slot. A Fast Fourier Transform is applied to the received signal to generate a transformed signal in the frequency domain. The transformed signal is then processed in the frequency domain by computing a dot-product to identify a random access sequence carried in the received signal. The received signal is then processed in the time domain by computing a correlation between a time-shifted version of the received signal and the identified random access sequence to determine a time delay associated with the mobile station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Neocific, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Titus Lo, Kemin Li, Haiming Huang
  • Patent number: 9559519
    Abstract: Method, modules and a system formed by connecting the modules for controlling payloads are disclosed. An activation signal is propagated in the system from a module to the modules connected to it. Upon receiving an activation signal, the module (after a pre-set or random delay) activates a payload associated with it, and transmits the activation signal (after another pre-set or random delay) to one or more modules connected to it. The system is initiated by a master module including a user activated switch producing the activation signal. The activation signal can be propagated in the system in one direction from the master to the last module, or carried bi-directionally allowing two way propagation, using a module which revert the direction of the activation signal propagation direction. A module may be individually powered by an internal power source such as a battery, or connected to external power source such as AC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Inventor: Yehuda Binder
  • Patent number: 9546947
    Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging system which includes an imaging device to be used by multiple users, allows each user to perform imaging at an appropriate timing, and is capable of efficiently using the imaging device. An imaging system includes an imaging device, a plurality of terminal devices, and an authorization unit which gives the terminal devices the authority to specify controllable functions of the imaging device. The authorization unit switches between a first state where the terminal devices are given a first authority to exclusively occupy a part of functions of the imaging device with a controllable state and a second state where one terminal device is given a second authority to exclusively occupy and control the part of functions and to release the occupation, and the terminal devices other than one terminal device are given a third authority with the restriction of the control of the part of functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Yasunori Ohta, Yasutake Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9547051
    Abstract: A prestored database indicating a correspondence of ? (depth)/?HcJ (coercivity increment) and a prestored database indicating information of Dy diffusion condition (diffusion coefficient, diffusion flux and processing time regarding Dy diffusion) are used to compute distribution of Dy introduction amount in a magnet from shape information of the magnet and information of a Dy introduction face and compute distribution of ?HcJ in the magnet from the distribution of Dy introduction amount. Regarding a magnet having a coercivity that is distributed non-uniformly, a J/H curve is computed using the computed distribution of ?HcJ, and a demagnetizing factor at a predetermined temperature is computed using a temperature coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsutoshi Natsumeda
  • Patent number: 9510475
    Abstract: An Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) includes a plurality of hardware modules including a pair of analog input modules (AIM) modules, a Power Supply Module (PSM), and a Binary Input/Output (BIO) module. Each module is configured for mounting in a first IED housing that has a first form factor. The PSM and BIO module are constructed and arranged to directly connect with electrical connections of the first housing. A second IED housing is provided that has a second form factor that is different from the first form factor. The AIM modules are mounted to a bottom panel of the second housing. The PSM and the BIO module are mounted in the second housing. Wiring electrically connects the AIM modules to connections on the second housing. Adaptor structure electrically connects the PSM and the BIO module with associated connections of the second housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Shamsi Ismayilov, Yaser A. Khalifa, Frantisek Koudelka, Arkady Oksengorn, Siu Lau, Hardik Patel, In Y. Choi
  • Patent number: 9501451
    Abstract: A capacitance detecting method disclosed herein, which achieves a good detection accuracy, a good resolution, and a high-speed operation, (A)(a) drives, on the basis of code sequences (di (=di1, . . . , diN, where i=1, . . . , M)) which are orthogonal to one another, drive lines (DL1, . . . , DLM) in parallel for each of (I) a first capacitance column (Ci1) between the drive lines and a first sense line (SL1) and (II) a second capacitance column (Ci2) between the drive lines and a second sense line (SL2) and (b) outputs (sFirst=(s11, . . . , s1N)) from the column (Ci1) and outputs (sSecond=(s21, . . . , s2N)) from the column (Ci2), and (B) estimates (a) on the basis of inner product operation of the outputs (sFirst) and the code sequences (di), a first capacitance value in the column (Ci1) and (b) on the basis of inner product operation of the outputs (sSecond) and the code sequences (di), a second capacitance value in the column (Ci2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9451496
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus of positioning a mobile terminal based on geomagnetism. The mobile terminal has at least one magnetic force sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
    Inventors: Zhipeng Zhang, Liangjie Zhou, Xiao Qian, Hui Shen, Yunjiao Yao
  • Patent number: 9450409
    Abstract: Converter stations have real and reactive power set points initially determined as part of a main loadflow analysis routinely performed on the AC power system connected to the converter stations. Viable real and/or reactive power set points for the converter stations can be identified by calculating real and/or reactive power set point candidates for the converter stations before the main loadflow analysis is performed again on the AC power system. The power set point candidates are calculated based on information determined as part of a previous iteration of the main loadflow analysis on the AC power system. The power set point candidates which violate an operating constraint imposed on the AC power system are identified, and a region of valid power set points is defined for the converter stations that excludes the power set point candidates which violate an operating constraint imposed on the AC power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Debrup Das, Reynaldo Nuqui, Mats Larsson
  • Patent number: 9435846
    Abstract: A system and a method for testing thru silicon vias (TSVs) in a silicon die. A silicon die containing multiple TSVs is mounted on a wafer tape. Two probe points are probed on the exposed side of the silicon die. A resistance is measured between the two probe points and an electrical integrity is determined based on the measured resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: eSilicon Corporation
    Inventor: Javier DeLaCruz
  • Patent number: 9428805
    Abstract: A technique is provided for forming a nanodevice for sequencing. A bottom metal contact is disposed at a location in an insulator that is on a substrate. A nonconducting material is disposed on top of the bottom metal contact and the insulator. A carbon nanotube is disposed on top of the nonconducting material. Top metal contacts are disposed on top of the carbon nanotube at the location of the bottom metal contact, where the top metal contacts are formed at opposing ends of the carbon nanotube at the location. The carbon nanotube is suspended over the bottom metal contact at the location, by etching away the nonconducting material under the carbon nanotube to expose the bottom metal contact as a bottom of a trench, while leaving the nonconducting material immediately under the top metal contacts as walls of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Aaron D. Franklin, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 9432954
    Abstract: In some implementations, a mobile device can analyze motion sensor data during a voice call to determine whether the mobile device is on a stationary object or worn on a user's body (e.g., in the lap or pocket of a user of the mobile device). The mobile device can adjust the transmit power level of the telephony transceiver during the voice call based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hung A. Pham, Adam S. Howell
  • Patent number: 9426529
    Abstract: A display device and a method for providing content in the display device are disclosed, in which a display displays a menu screen including selectable icons representing a plurality of execution modes that indicate versions of content to be displayed, and a controller detects a user action for selecting an icon, identifies an execution mode indicated by the selected icon, in response to the detected user action, and executes the content in the identified execution mode. The plurality of execution modes may include edited version mode, Web mode, and application mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: LG LECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Sangseok Lee
  • Patent number: 9419888
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to methodologies, apparatuses, and systems for providing cell router (relay) failure detection in a mesh network. Individual cell relays heading up cells within a mesh network transmit synchronization signals including as a portion thereof a counter value. Nodes with the cells monitor the counter value and search for a new connection to a central facility if the counter value fails to update within a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Itron, Inc.
    Inventors: Fabrice Monier, Jerome Bartier, Hartman Van Wyk
  • Patent number: 9371561
    Abstract: A technique is provided for forming a nanodevice for sequencing. A bottom metal contact is disposed at a location in an insulator that is on a substrate. A nonconducting material is disposed on top of the bottom metal contact and the insulator. A carbon nanotube is disposed on top of the nonconducting material. Top metal contacts are disposed on top of the carbon nanotube at the location of the bottom metal contact, where the top metal contacts are formed at opposing ends of the carbon nanotube at the location. The carbon nanotube is suspended over the bottom metal contact at the location, by etching away the nonconducting material under the carbon nanotube to expose the bottom metal contact as a bottom of a trench, while leaving the nonconducting material immediately under the top metal contacts as walls of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Aaron D. Franklin, George S. Tulevski
  • Patent number: 9368416
    Abstract: A binning process uses curve fitting to create and assign one or more bins based on testing data of operating voltage versus leakage current for test integrated circuits. Each bin is created by assigning an initial operating voltage to the bin and fitting a curve to the testing data population. An equation is generated describing the fitted curve. Integrated circuits are binned by measuring the leakage current at a selected operating voltage and testing the integrated circuit at one or more operating voltages determined based on the fitted curves. The integrated circuits are assigned a maximum operating voltage that corresponds to the lowest tested operating voltage at which the integrated circuit passes the test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Preminder Singh, Date Jan Willem Noorlag, Sung Wook Kang
  • Patent number: 9342425
    Abstract: In order to efficiently test a plurality of types of devices under test, provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising one or more test modules that each include a plurality of testing sections testing the device under test by exchanging signals with the device under test; and a plurality of control apparatuses that control operation of the testing sections. In each of the one or more test modules, the plurality of testing sections are each allocated to one of the plurality of control apparatuses, and each of the control apparatuses is capable of executing a test program managed by a different user, and controls operation of the testing sections allocated thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Yaguchi, Hajime Sugimura, Takahiro Nakajima, Toshiaki Adachi
  • Patent number: 9279700
    Abstract: A method for processing daily consumption, demand and time of use meter reads for electric, gas, water and other metered entities. The meter reads are collected by any of the well known Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technologies and loaded into a meter data warehouse. At a minimum daily meter reading, reads that are tagged as Good, Stale, Partial, Incomplete and Missing are required for properly identifying usage patterns, applying rules for error patterns and estimating the reads which will provide quality meter reads to the utilities thereby identifying meter problems before they become billing problems. The overall process involves loading the daily meter reads into a database, comparing each meter read against its previous day's read and applying a set of rules that help in validating, editing and estimating (VEE) of this data. The VEE rules that are applied can be broadly classified into five (5) categories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Analytics, LLC
    Inventors: Venkatesh Ramachandran, David Hubbard, John Skog
  • Patent number: 9257833
    Abstract: Disclosed are adaptive communication assisted protection and control. Local intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) associated with local switching devices and having unique IDs may transmit switch status and unique IDs to an area IED. The area IED may calculate topology using switch status, and provide control information to local IEDs using the topology. The area IED may communicate the unique ID of the local IED calculated to be immediately upstream of each local IED and, upon detection of a fault, the local IEDs may send blocking signals that include the received unique ID of the IED immediately upstream therefrom. The area IED may communicate control commands that include the unique IDs and control commands for the local IEDs to take the control action. Upon matching of the unique ID in the control command with its own unique ID, the local IEDs may take the control action and transmit remaining actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: William F. Allen, Dennis Haes, Bryan J. Fazzari
  • Patent number: 9255835
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor vibration sensing system includes a non-contact reflective optical vibration sensor adapted for reflecting photons off of a component within the combustor with a photon source and receiving reflected photons with a photon detector. Exemplary combustor internal components include the combustor basket or transition. A vibration analyzer is coupled to the vibration sensor, for correlating photons received by the detector with vibration characteristics of the component. Vibration characteristics in turn can be correlated with combustion characteristics, including by way of example flame front position and flameout conditions. Vibration characteristic information may be used as an operational parameter by a turbine monitoring system to modify operation of a gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua S. McConkey
  • Patent number: 9241559
    Abstract: A device for attaching to an electric power line conductor includes an electrically conductive housing with an opening for accepting the power line conductor that is configured to be grounded to the power line conductor. At least one magnetic core configured to surround the power line conductor and power a power supply electronics module. An ambient air relative humidity measuring device is located within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Inventor: Murray W. Davis
  • Patent number: 9225441
    Abstract: A range to fault (RTF) module (100) for use in a system for locating faults in a cable network is discussed. The module includes an input port (101) for coupling the module to a PIM analyzer. The module (100) also includes an output port (102) for connection to the device under test (DUT). In addition to the input (101) and output (102) ports the module is provided with a monitor port (103) for receipt of a PIM signal from the PIM analyzer. The module in this instance also includes two USB ports (104a), (104b) enabling a serial connection between the PIM analyzer and the module (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Kaelus Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Frank Strachan, Brendan Horsfield, Greg Delforce, Ian Davies
  • Patent number: 9208733
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring internal resistance of a display. The method may include supplying the display via a capacitor with a first voltage configured to enable the display to receive one or more touch inputs. After supplying the display with the first voltage, the method may include discharging the capacitor to a second voltage configured to enable the display to display image data. The method may then monitor a discharge waveform that corresponds to when the capacitor discharges from the first voltage to the second voltage. Based at least in part on the discharge waveform, the method may determine a chip on glass resistance value and a flex on glass resistance value that correspond to an internal resistance of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Yafei Bi
  • Patent number: 9201549
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring internal resistance of a display may include supplying the display via a capacitor with a first voltage and a second voltage configured to enable the display to receive touch inputs and display image data, respectively. The method may discharge the capacitor at least three times via a first resistor, a second resistor, and the first resistor and second resistor coupled in parallel with each other. The method may monitor three discharge waveforms that corresponds to when the capacitor discharges from the first voltage to the second voltage via the first resistor, the second resistor, and the first resistor and second resistor coupled in parallel with each other. Based at least in part on the discharge waveforms, the method may determine a chip on glass resistance value and a flex on glass resistance value that correspond to an internal resistance of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Yafei Bi, Mir B. Ghaderi
  • Patent number: 9166407
    Abstract: A process of implementing, or engineering, topology-dependent functions based on a formal description of the Substation Automation system, includes performing a topology analysis of the current single line state. A topology interpreting implementation replacing complex topology analysis logics can include the project specific static single line topology and the connection to the real process state data. All information can be delivered in an IEC 61850 conforming SCD file. The interface description for controlling and monitoring the load transfer application can be generated automatically from the SCD file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Peter Rietmann, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 9111707
    Abstract: An exemplary installation switching device includes such as a circuit breaker, residual current circuit breaker or motor circuit breaker, a housing, and at least one current path that passes through an internal conductor between at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal. The installation switching device also includes a current sensing unit inside the housing having an interface with at least two data connections and at least two power connections. The housing has an interface opening that is capable of accepting a connecting fixture for connecting the current sensing unit to a bus located outside the installation switching device and containing data and power lines such that the current sensing unit is electrically isolated from the current path and is supplied with power from outside the installation switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Adelbert Schalk, Karlheinz Lutter
  • Patent number: 9097755
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems for generating test sequences that can be used to evaluate high-speed circuit pathways. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and systems can be used, for example, in a printed circuit board or integrated circuit design flow to analyze signal integrity or other electrical behavior. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, a sequence of code words to be input on a circuit channel is determined in a nonrandom manner. In this embodiment, the sequence of code words complies with a transmission code (for example, the 8b10b transmission code) and is designed to cause the output voltage of the channel to be reduced during a time period in which the channel outputs a logic high value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Vladimir B. Dmitriev-Zdorov
  • Patent number: 9093841
    Abstract: A method for power distribution network correlation and analysis includes receiving event data from a plurality of data sources, identifying an event of interest, retrieving, in a querying engine, the event data, correlating the event data and the event of interest and identifying one or more root causes of the event of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramon Juan San Andres, Atul Nigam
  • Patent number: 9043168
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments involving correction of signals generated by a crystal oscillator. An age of an integrated circuit or a time of use of the integrated circuit may be determined. A signal generated from a crystal of the integrated circuit may be modified based at least in part on the determined age of the integrated circuit or the determined time of use of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Evan McCarthy, John Walley, Jeon Hyun-Gyu, Amir Ibrahim, Sunil Kanekal, Jared Welz
  • Publication number: 20150142343
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for tracking the thermal age of a self-regulating heating cable. Over a time period, current and voltage data for a cable signal are collected, from which spectral information is extracted. The spectral information has a frequency component and an amplitude component. The cable signal is processed to extract a line frequency signature that includes the electrical system's line current frequency and at least some of its harmonics. A ratio of the amplitudes of at least two of the odd harmonics of the line current frequency is calculated. The ratio is compared to an aging curve indicating the thermal age of the cable as a function of the odd-harmonic ratios. The curve may be obtained in a laboratory setting or in the field by characterizing a cable with zero hours of use. The characterizing may include aging the cable to determine the curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Juergen J. Zach, Jim Beres, Erik Olson
  • Patent number: 9037430
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to electrical impedance tomography testing systems and methods for non-destructively testing a polycrystalline diamond element (e.g., a polycrystalline diamond table of a polycrystalline diamond compact or a freestanding polycrystalline diamond table) using electrical impedance tomography to locate one or more high-electrical-conductivity regions (e.g., one or more regions of poorly sintered diamond crystals and/or high-metal-solvent catalyst content) and/or one or more low-electrical-conductivity regions (e.g., porosity and/or cracks) in the tested polycrystalline diamond element. Further embodiments relate to a rotary drill bit including at least one polycrystalline diamond compact that has been selectively positioned so that one or more high-electrical-conductivity regions of a polycrystalline diamond table thereof identified using the non-destructive testing systems and methods disclosed herein are not positioned to engage a subterranean formation during drilling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason K. Wiggins, Kenneth E. Bertagnolli, Gene Bogdanov, Reinhold Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20150133781
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for interfacing a time variant waveform between two hardware environments. In one aspect, the invention comprises a circuit for accurately simulating the output of one or more types of sensing device (e.g., passive bridge pressure transducer) for use with a plurality of different monitoring and/or analysis devices, thereby obviating the need for specialized interface circuitry adapted to each different monitor/analyzer. In one exemplary embodiment, the sensing device comprises a non-invasive blood pressure monitor (NIBPM), which universally interfaces with prior art patient monitors via the interface circuit of the invention. In a second aspect of the invention, an improved NIBPM device incorporating the interface circuit is disclosed. An improved disconnect circuit adapted to sense the status of the electrical connection between the sensing device and monitor is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Ronald S. Conero
  • Patent number: 9031791
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide systems and methods for using ballast sensors to detect rock fall events in a vicinity of railway tracks or similar roadways or tracks. The ballast sensors are spaced apart from the tracks. Particular embodiments permit the use of signals from the ballast sensors to discriminate rock fall events from other types of events and to detect the hypocenter of a rock fall event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants Ltd.
    Inventors: Bohdan Nedilko, Iain Weir-Jones
  • Patent number: 9026689
    Abstract: An Extended Input/output (I/O) measurement word facility is provided. Provision is made for emulation of the Extended I/O measurement word facility. The facility provides for storing measurement data associated with a single I/O operation in an extended measurement word associated with an I/O response block. In a further aspect, the stored data may have a resolution of approximately one-half microsecond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M. Carlson, Greg A. Dyck, Tan Lu, Kenneth J. Oakes, Dale F. Riedy, Jr., William J. Rooney, John S. Trotter, Leslie W. Wyman, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 9018938
    Abstract: An integrated device suspended at a high voltage potential for the metering and protection of a distribution network comprises a measurement current transformer (CT), a protective CT and a voltage sensor. The voltage signal is output from the voltage sensor to an electric energy metering module and first and second electric signal acquiring modules. The current signal acquired by the measurement CT is output to the electric energy metering module. The current signal acquired by the protective CT is output to the first and second electric signal acquiring modules. The electric energy metering module processes the current and voltage signals and sends the processed data to a comprehensive control module. The first and second electric signal acquiring modules send the voltage and current data to the comprehensive control module. The comprehensive control module comprehensively calculates the received data and sends the result to a low voltage terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Wuhan Guoce Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tiexin Hou, Zhengliang Bu, Shun Hu, Zhigui Xu, Youyi Li, Zhengtao Zhao, Leping Zhang
  • Patent number: 9014996
    Abstract: A system to aggregate, filter, and share energy data for analysis receives first data associated with a first electrical circuit where the first data has a first protocol. The system samples the first data at a first sampling rate to generate first digital data where the first sampling rate is substantially continuous. Further, the system transmits at a reporting rate that is decoupled from the first sampling rate at least the first digital data over a network having a third protocol that is different from the first protocol. The network can be accessed by wired or wireless access and includes one or more servers in cloud configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: eXcorda, LLC
    Inventors: Michel Roger Kamel, Paul W. Donahue
  • Patent number: 9008981
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for design validity verification of an electronic circuit board with regard to power supply noise, wherein with regard to an i-th LSI (i=1 to n) on the electronic circuit board, an input voltage Vin[i] to the LSI from the printed circuit board is given by Vin[i]=VDD?Z1si[i]×VDD/(Z1si[i]+Z11[i]), where Z1si[i] is an input impedance characteristic and Z11[i] is a reflected impedance characteristic viewed from a position at which the i-th LSI is mounted, being a characteristic with the i-th LSI omitted from the whole of the electronic circuit board and a judgment is made as to whether or not a reflected voltage Vr[i]=Vin[i]×(Z1si[i]+Z11[i])/(Z1si[i]?Z11[i]) satisfies |Vr[i]|?? V (power supply variation tolerance range).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kashiwakura
  • Patent number: 8996325
    Abstract: There is described a detecting device of the distribution profile of current of a switching converter; the converter has an input voltage and is adapted to supply an output current. The device comprises means adapted to convert a signal indicating the output current of the converter into a digital signal comprising p digital samples, being p an integer, processed in p successive time intervals belonging to a time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Dora S.p.A.
    Inventor: Alberto Bianco
  • Patent number: 8989909
    Abstract: A multi-dimensional energy control system is provided with an energy management software application that organizes the consumption of energy by a device as an n-dimensional energy space, where n is an integer greater than 2, and each axis in the energy space represents an energy consumption characteristic. The energy management application generates instructions for a device in response to calculating a compromise operating point in the energy space. A user interface (UI) connected to the energy management application has a display to receive a graphical representation of the energy space and compromise operating point, and an input to receive user commands for moving the represented compromise operating point in the represented energy space. The energy management application calculates the compromise operating point in the energy space to match the displayed compromise operating point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Park, James Owen, Carl Mansfield, David Elrod
  • Patent number: 8983790
    Abstract: Systems and methods gather data for debugging a circuit-under-test. The system includes a trigger-and-capture circuit, a data compressor, a direct memory access controller, and a memory controller. The trigger-and-capture circuit is coupled to the circuit-under-test for receiving signals from the circuit-under-test. The trigger-and-capture circuit is configured to assert a trigger signal when the signals match a trigger condition. The data compressor is configured to loss-lessly compress the signals into compressed data. The direct memory access controller is configured to generate write and read requests. The write requests write the compressed data to a memory integrated circuit die, and the read requests read the compressed data from the memory integrated circuit die. The memory controller is configured to perform the write and read requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Ushasri Merugu, Siva V. N. Hemasunder Tallury, Sudheer Kumar Koppolu
  • Patent number: 8952681
    Abstract: A measuring device for the measurement of differential signals including a real-time portion, which contains two probes, a signal adder and a triggering device. The probes each record a partial signal of a differential signal. The signal adder adds the partial signals to form a differential signal. The triggering device implements a triggering on the basis of the differential signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Kuhwald, Johann Huber, Michael Reinhold, Wolfgang Herbordt, Markus Freidhof
  • Patent number: 8954096
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting insertion of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in a portable terminal are provided, in which a SIM card is inserted into a SIM card connector, and a controller continuously supplies an operating voltage to a predetermined pin of the SIM card connector, determines whether a voltage level of the predetermined pin of the SIM card connector changes in a predetermined pattern, and determines that the SIM card has been inserted into the SIM card connector if the voltage level of the predetermined pin of the SIM card connector changes in the predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gwang-Hui Lee, Min-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 8947257
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses for reducing network congestion in a smart utility meter system are provided. The systems, methods, and apparatuses may include providing, for a utility meter, a first communications interface for communicating with a first network; providing, for the utility meter, a second communications interface for communicating with a second network different from the first network; receiving or generating, by the utility meter, information having a destination; selecting either the first communications interface or the second communications interface; and delivering the information to the destination via the selected communications interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Bradley Richard Ree
  • Patent number: 8949047
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor device is connectable to a data processing device and is a circuitry physically separate from the data processing device. In the magnetic sensor device, a detection unit detects magnetic field and outputs analog magnetic data representing the detected magnetic field. A conversion unit converts the analog magnetic data into digital magnetic data. A buffer memory has a capacity capable of storing a statistical population formed of a given number of the digital magnetic data. A control unit responds to a first trigger for operating the detection unit to successively output the analog magnetic data, then successively receives the digital magnetic data from the conversion unit in correspondence to the analog magnetic data, and accumulates the received digital magnetic data in the buffer memory to thereby form the statistical population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Sato
  • Patent number: 8949046
    Abstract: A system is provided to associate containers with handling equipment (HE) in a container storage facility. In the system an operation detector, such as a twistlock sensor that indicates when a container is picked up or dropped off, is installed on a first HE which is a piece of container handling equipment (CHE) that can lift the container. An event detector, such as a vibration sensor or distance measuring radar, is further installed on a second HE that is a tractor with an attached chassis for receiving and transporting a container. The event detector indicates when a container-operation-related event, such as a container pick up or drop off, occurred on the tractor chassis. The two detectors (operation and event) are used by a processor to associate the container with either the CHE or the tractor. The operation and event detectors can further be used in conjunction with position sensors such as a GPS sensor to accurately determine the position of the tractor and the CHE in a container yard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mi-Jack Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Han-Shue Tan, Jihua Huang, Ke-Ren Chuang, Fanping Bu, Gregory Keith Warf
  • Publication number: 20150032386
    Abstract: The distributor module serves for distributing electrical power to at least two connected measuring devices (S1, S2) and for forwarding to at least one superordinated electronic data processing unit (NLU) information concerning at least one physical, measured variable transmitted from the connected at least two measuring devices. For this, the distributor module comprises a module housing (100) as well as an electronics module placed within the module housing (100).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Torsten PECHSTEIN, Sven-Mattias SCHEIBE