Speed, Velocity, Or Acceleration Patents (Class 73/1.37)
  • Patent number: 11976924
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-axis atom interferometer system, including a source of cold atoms, a laser source generating a first light pulse configured in such a way as to spatially split the source of cold atoms into a first cloud of atoms propagating along a first trajectory along a first axis and a second cloud of atoms propagating along a second trajectory along a second axis, a second light pulse adapted to spatially deflect the first trajectory along the second axis and simultaneously the second trajectory along the first axis towards a first point and a last light pulse adapted to recombine the at least one part of the first cloud of atoms and the at least one part of the second cloud of atoms at the first point, and a detection system measuring an interferometric phase-shift accumulated between the first light pulse and the last light pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: EXAIL, INSTITUT D'OPTIQUE GRADUATE SCHOOL, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX
    Inventors: David Brynle Barrett, Pierrick Cheiney, Philippe Bouyer
  • Patent number: 11965923
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to self-tests for electrostatic charge variation sensors. The self-tests ensure an electrostatic charge variation sensor is functioning properly. The self-tests may be performed while an electrostatic charge variation sensor is active and without interruption to the application employing the electrostatic charge variation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Fabio Passaniti, Daniele De Pascalis, Enrico Rosario Alessi
  • Patent number: 11959458
    Abstract: Provided is a method of correcting a measurement value of least one wind characteristic, in particular wind speed and/or wind direction, related to a wind turbine having a rotor with plural rotor blades at least one having an adaptable flow regulating device installed, the method including: measuring a value of the wind characteristic; obtaining state information of the adaptable flow regulating device; and determining a corrected value of the wind characteristic based on the measured value of the wind characteristic and the state information of the adaptable flow regulating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Per Egedal, Thomas Esbensen, Gustav Hoegh
  • Patent number: 11945715
    Abstract: A method for determining a temperature compensation parameter for compensation of temperature effects on measured values of a sensor system having a sensor unit for acquiring measured values of a sensor measuring variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Hans-Peter Brueckner
  • Patent number: 11928068
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of oscilloscopes and disclose a method and an apparatus for decoding an oscilloscope signal and an oscilloscope. The method includes: obtaining a voltage signal; converting the voltage signal into a digital signal; determining whether the digital signal matches a decoding protocol; and if so, decoding the digital signal according to the decoding protocol, and outputting decoding result information. In the embodiments, the digital signal is decoded according to the decoding protocol, to generate the decoding result information without relying on a hardware device for decoding, so that when a new protocol is used for decoding, decoding compatibility may be improved without changes in hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: AUTEL INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Liangliang Yang, Xianchong Zhou
  • Patent number: 11885641
    Abstract: An elastically supported electrode substrate for detecting unbalanced mass of a resonant gyroscope includes an outer frame and an inner structure. A connection part configured to be connected to an anchor of a resonator is arranged at the center of the inner structure, and electrodes are distributed on the inner structure. The inner structure is connected inside the outer frame through elastic beams, and the inner structure has torsional and/or translational resonant modes inside the outer frame. The resonant frequency of the inner structure approaches resonant frequency of an operating mode of the resonator. Since the resonant frequency of the elastically supported electrode substrate approaches the resonant frequency of the operating mode of the resonator, the vibration displacement induced by the unbalanced mass of the elastically supported electrode substrate can be significantly magnified to improve the detection sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yan Shi, Dingbang Xiao, Kun Lu, Xiang Xi, Xuezhong Wu, Yulie Wu, Yongmeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11852482
    Abstract: A controller applies a predetermined voltage to a fixed part detection excitation electrode to vibrate a movable part in a second direction and simultaneously applies a predetermined voltage to a fixed part drive electrode to vibrate the movable part in a first direction. The controller acquires, of the movable part, a first resonance frequency along the first direction and a second resonance frequency along the second direction. The controller controls a drive spring adjustment part to adjust a spring constant of the drive spring, such that the first resonance frequency is maintained constant, and controls a detection spring adjustment part to adjust a spring constant of the detection spring such that the second resonance frequency is maintained constant. The controller detects the angular velocity based on a result of synchronously detecting signal from the fixed part detection electrode with the first resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuaki Goto, Shota Harada, Takashi Katsumata, Yoshiyuki Hata, Teruhisa Akashi
  • Patent number: 11740089
    Abstract: Provided is an application method of a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) inertial sensor and an electronic device. An application method of an accelerometer includes: based on an influence of a strain, generated under the action of an external force, of the accelerometer on a detection signal of the accelerometer, adopting the detection signal to reflect the external force. An application method of a gyroscope includes: based on an influence of a strain, generated under the action of an external force, of the gyroscope on a detection signal of the gyroscope, adopting the detection signal to reflect the external force. Further provided is an electronic device adopting the foregoing methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SENODIA TECHNOLOGIES (SHAOXING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Zou, Shuang Liu, Yan Huang
  • Patent number: 11619492
    Abstract: Methods and systems for compensation of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor may include associating test temperature values with input test signal values, identifying temperature-input signal pairs, and applying one of the test temperature values and one of the test signal values to the MEMS sensor. Desired output signal values may be determined, with each of the desired output signal values corresponding to one of the applied temperature-input signal pairs. Measured output signal values from the MEMS sensor may be measured, with each of the measured output signal values corresponding to one of the applied temperature-input signal pairs. Compensation terms may be determined based on the plurality of temperature-input signal pairs, the corresponding plurality of measured output signal values, and the corresponding plurality of desired output signal values. Compensation terms may be used to modify a sense signal of the MEMS sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventor: Vito Avantaggiati
  • Patent number: 11585659
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a MEMS wave gyroscope with improved sensitivity. The MEMS wave gyroscope includes a base; an anchor structure fixed to the base; and a volatility structure suspended above the base. The volatility structure includes N horizontal beams and M straight beams for being interlaced to form M nodes. The horizontal beam is divided into M?1 first beam units by the nodes. The straight beam is divided into N?1 second beam units by the nodes. A first in-surface transducer is formed by the second beam unit coupled with a mechanical field and an electric field of the second beam unit on two opposite sides along the second axis. A first out-surface transducer is formed by at least one of two opposite sides of the second beam coupled with the mechanical field and electric field of the second beam unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: AAC KAITAI TECHNOLOGIES (WUHAN) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Zhao Ma, Zhan Zhan, Shan Yang, Xiao Kan, Yang Li, Veronica Tan, Yan Hong, Kahkeen Lai
  • Patent number: 11566916
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for a vehicle includes a sensor element and at least two control devices, each having an evaluation and control unit and a power source. A first evaluation and control unit is connected to a first power source in a first control device, and a second evaluation and control unit is connected to a second power source in a second control device. The first control device comprises a switching device which connects a first connection of the sensor element to the first power source and/or to the second power source. A second connection of the sensor element is connected to the second control device. A sensor current flowing through the sensor element is modulated with information relating to a detected measurement variable. The first evaluation and control unit evaluates the sensor current detected between the connected power source and the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Wirth, Martin Koegel
  • Patent number: 11528081
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventors: Inkyu Lee, Jeongwoo Kim, Youngjin Park, Sanggeun Lee, Jungwon Lee, Hyungjoon Cha, Junyoung Choi
  • Patent number: 11427209
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for updating a relevant vehicle parameter in a vehicle so as to improve accuracy of a vehicle velocity determination. In one example, a method comprises integrating signals of a longitudinal acceleration sensor to obtain a first vehicle velocity and obtaining a second vehicle velocity from a wheel speed sensor between a first and a second reference point, and updating the relevant vehicle parameter as a function of a difference between a slope associated with the first vehicle velocity and another slope associated with the second vehicle velocity. In this way, accuracy of vehicle speed determination via one or more wheel speed sensors may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Eric Rollinger, Tyler Kelly, Scott S. Thompson
  • Patent number: 11391137
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring, detecting, and/or intervening with respect to cavitation and pulsation events during hydraulic fracturing operations may include a supervisory controller. The supervisory controller may be configured to receive pump signals indicative of one or more of pump discharge pressure, pump suction pressure, pump speed, or pump vibration associated with operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump. The supervisory controller also may be configured to receive blender signals indicative of one or more of blender flow rate or blender discharge pressure. Based on one or more of these signals, the supervisory controller may be configured to detect a cavitation event and/or a pulsation event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon, Joseph Foster
  • Patent number: 11372129
    Abstract: A post-compensation method for motion errors of a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer includes the steps of: during moving-base gravity gradient exploration, recording angular and linear motions of a gravity gradiometer; after the exploration, removing angular and linear motion errors from output data of the gravity gradiometer based on an analytical model of the rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer; while ensuring that the precision of the gravity gradiometer is unchanged, the post-compensation method for the motion errors may be applied to greatly reduce the requirements of the gravity gradiometer for the precision of an online error compensation system, thereby simplifying the circuit design and mechanical design of the rotary accelerometer gravity gradiometer, and making the rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer simpler and cheaper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tijing Cai, Mingbiao Yu
  • Patent number: 11262212
    Abstract: A gyroscope includes a MEMS sensor having a drive signal input terminal, a drive signal output terminal, and a sense signal output terminal. The gyroscope further includes a quadrature demodulator that demodulates a modulated sense signal and offset canceller circuits that cancel a direct current offset component included in an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal of the sense signal. The gyroscope has a quadrature error detector that detects a quadrature error based on the signals input from the offset canceller circuits and outputs an error signal. The gyroscope also has an IQ corrector circuit that receives the in-phase signal and the quadrature signal of the sense signal as inputs, and outputs a phase signal with a phase based on the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Furuta, Nobuaki Matsudaira, Tomohiro Nezuka
  • Patent number: 11255876
    Abstract: A method of measuring noise of an accelerometer can comprise exposing the accelerometer comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component coupled to an application specific integrated circuit component (ASIC), to an external environmental input, with the MEMS component being configured to provide a first output to the ASIC based on the external environmental input. The method can further comprise estimating a first noise generated by operation of the MEMS component, and replacing the first output provided to the ASIC from the MEMS component, with a second output generated by a MEMS emulator component, with the second output comprising the first noise. Further, the method can include generating an output of the accelerometer based on the second output processed by the ASIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Sriraman Dakshinamurthy, Matthew Julian Thompson, Vadim Tsinker
  • Patent number: 11191035
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a plurality of metal sensing members with sensing regions facing different directions; a test sensor, including a plurality of signal channels, wherein the plurality of signal channels are connected to the metal sensing members through signal wires, and the test sensor is configured to acquire a first capacitance variation when a distance between a sensing region and a user changes; and a processor connected to the test sensor, the processor being configured to adjust a radiation power of a radio frequency circuit in the electronic device according to the first capacitance variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yaqi Liu, Linchuan Wang
  • Patent number: 11181099
    Abstract: Provided is a method of determining an inclination angle of a wind turbine tower at which a nacelle is mounted, the method including measuring plural acceleration values of an acceleration of the nacelle in a predetermined direction relative to the nacelle for plural yawing positions of the nacelle; deriving the inclination angle based on the plural acceleration values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventor: Per Egedal
  • Patent number: 11125560
    Abstract: An optimal demodulation phase for extracting an in-phase component of a MEMS gyroscope output signal is determined through a test procedure. During the test procedure, multiple different rotation rate patterns such as different directions of rotation and different rotation rates are applied to the MEMS gyroscope while the MEMS gyroscope output signal is demodulated based on demodulation phases near a predicted quadrature phase for the MEMS gyroscope. The measured gyroscope outputs are used to calculate an optimal demodulation phase for the MEM gyroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Pietro Scafidi, Luca Coronato
  • Patent number: 11119138
    Abstract: A method may include applying an excitation signal to a capacitor of the capacitive sensor which causes generation of a modulated signal from an input signal indicative of a variance in a capacitance of the capacitor, detecting the modulated signal with a detector to generate a detected modulated signal that has a phase shift relative to the excitation signal, demodulating the detected modulated signal into an in-phase component and a quadrature component using a reference signal, nullifying the quadrature component by setting a phase of the reference signal relative to the excitation signal to compensate for the phase shift, and outputting the in-phase component as an unmodulated output signal representative of the capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikrant Arumugam, Amar Vellanki, Vamsikrishna Parupalli, Zhong You, Johann G. Gaboriau, John L. Melanson
  • Patent number: 10948289
    Abstract: A base unit includes a sensor calibration function. When a user communicatively couples a consumer electronic device having a sensor to the base unit, a controller at the base unit retrieves a calibration reference value for the sensor and/or a sensor algorithm that utilizes data output by the sensor. The base unit then sends the calibration reference value to the consumer electronic device to set a sensor calibration parameter associated with the sensor and/or the sensor algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andreas Kristensson, Magnus Abrahamsson, Gunnar Klinghult
  • Patent number: 10638928
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement probe of which hygiene can be easily secured. The measurement probe (1) receives fluorescence emitted by radiation of excitation light to a fingertip (90). The measurement probe (1) includes: a radiating portion that radiates the excitation light; a light-receiving portion that receives the fluorescence; a sleeve (16) disposed at a front end portion of the radiating portion or the light-receiving portion; and a transparent quartz plate (15) disposed at a front end surface (14I) of the radiating portion or the light-receiving portion. The sleeve (16) is provided with an opening in which the quartz plate (15) is detachably mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Life Science Corporation
    Inventor: Mikihiro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 10571303
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for error detection comprises an input for receiving two signals, in which a first signal is representative of a physical quantity in a first range and a second signal is representative of the physical quantity in a second range. The first range and second range are different ranges that overlap. The circuit comprises a processor configured to detect an inconsistency between the two signals by taking said first and second range into account, in which this inconsistency is indicative of an error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Melexis Technologies SA
    Inventor: Javier Bilbao De Mendizabal
  • Patent number: 10539588
    Abstract: The method of reducing error in rotor speed measurement includes synchronously measuring a rotor having a target including at least one geometric imperfection. Time intervals for the passing of each tooth of a rotor are stored in a circular buffer memory array. Speed is always determined by extracting the time for a complete revolution, so that geometric imperfections and asymmetry of the rotating target do not influence the speed determination, which is always representing the average speed over the latest complete revolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph Scott Riolo, David Allen Bradford
  • Patent number: 10488200
    Abstract: A MEMS device including a main die that may be coupled to a secondary die, which forms a frame, and at least one first mobile mass elastically coupled to the frame, the main die forming: a driving stage that drives the first mobile mass so that it oscillates, parallel to a first direction, with frequency-modulated displacements; and a processing stage, which generates an output signal indicating an angular velocity of the MEMS device as a function of displacements parallel to a second direction that are made by the first mobile mass, when driven by the driving stage, on account of a Coriolis force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gabriele Gattere, Alessandro Tocchio, Carlo Valzasina
  • Patent number: 10480943
    Abstract: Systems and methods for noise and drift calibration using dithered calibration, a system comprising a processing unit; and two or more dithered calibrated sensors that provide directional measurements to the processing unit, wherein a dithered calibrated sensor in the dithered calibrated sensors has an input axis that rotates about an axis such that bias error can be removed by the processing unit; wherein the dithered calibrated sensor provides a zero-bias measurement along a first axis and a low-noise measurement along a second axis, the second axis being orthogonal to the first axis; wherein the dithered calibrated sensors are arranged such that the dithered calibrated sensor provide low-noise and zero-bias measurements along the measured axes; and wherein the processing unit executes an algorithm to combine measurements that are along the same axis to produce a measurement for each measured axis that has both low-noise and zero-bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Endean, Grant Lodden, John Reinke
  • Patent number: 10393522
    Abstract: A device includes a proof mass of a sensor, capacitive elements, an electrode circuitry, a time multiplexing circuitry, a sense circuitry, and a force feedback circuitry. The proof mass moves from a first position to a second position responsive to an external actuation. The capacitive elements change capacitive charge in response thereto. The electrode circuitry coupled to the capacitive elements generates a charge signal. The time multiplexing circuitry pass the charge signal during a sensing time period and prevents the charge signal from passing through during a forcing time period. The sense circuitry generates a sensed signal from the charge signal. The force feedback circuitry applies a charge associated with the sensed signal to the electrode circuitry during the forcing time period. The electrode circuitry applies the charge received from the force feedback circuitry to the capacitive elements, moving the proof mass from the second position to another position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Alireza Shirvani, Michael Perrott
  • Patent number: 10371713
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for measuring the velocity and direction of a fluid flow. In some instances, a measuring system may include a housing capable of holding one or more pressure sensors in a desired location and orientation. The housing may include a cavity for each of the one or more pressure sensors and each cavity may have a connection to an opening at the outside surface of housing. Each opening may be able to face in any desired direction such that the pressure at any desired location on the outside surface of housing, which may be capable of facing in any desired direction, may extend to the cavity inside housing where it can be measured by a pressure sensor. The velocity and the direction of a fluid flow around the housing of the measurement system may be based on pressure readings generated by the pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: MRP Properties LLC
    Inventor: Raymond Hoheisel
  • Patent number: 10287998
    Abstract: A method for determining an amount of energy released in the working cycle of an internal combustion engine cylinder includes: (a) recording a time curve of the rotational speed of the engine crankshaft using tooth timings measured using a toothed sensor disc, (b) assigning each tooth timing to a working cycle of a selected cylinder, (c) determining a cylinder-specific average value from the tooth timings assigned to the selected cylinder, (d) determining cylinder-specific tooth timing deviations from the determined cylinder-specific average value, for the tooth timings assigned to each working cycle of the selected cylinder, (e) determining a cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing by summing the determined tooth timing deviations, and (f) specifying the amount of energy released in the working cycle of the selected cylinder as a function of the determined cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing, the amount of energy released being indirectly proportional to the determined cylinder-specific chara
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Gerhard Eser, Dirk Heinitz
  • Patent number: 10254116
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (300) for controlling a sensor (310), comprising a converter unit (320) for converting an input signal (365) into a control signal (360) for controlling said sensor (310), and a comparison unit (330) for determining a differential signal (370) that indicates the difference between said input signal (365) and control signal (360). The device also comprises a feedback unit (340) for regulating the input signal (365) using said differential signal (370). A differential signal (370) transfer function has a zero point at a sensor (310) operating frequency which does not equal zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN LITEF GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Spahlinger, Steffen Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 10253705
    Abstract: A method for determining an amount of energy released in the working cycle of an internal combustion engine cylinder includes: (a) recording a time curve of the rotational speed of the engine crankshaft using tooth timings measured using a toothed sensor disc, (b) assigning each tooth timing to a working cycle of a selected cylinder, (c) determining a cylinder-specific average value from the tooth timings assigned to the selected cylinder, (d) determining cylinder-specific tooth timing deviations from the determined cylinder-specific average value, for the tooth timings assigned to each working cycle of the selected cylinder, (e) determining a cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing by summing the determined tooth timing deviations, and (f) specifying the amount of energy released in the working cycle of the selected cylinder as a function of the determined cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing, the amount of energy released being indirectly proportional to the determined cylinder-specific chara
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Gerhard Eser, Dirk Heinitz
  • Patent number: 10168154
    Abstract: An integrated MEMS gyroscope, is provided with: at least a first driving mass driven with a first driving movement along a first axis upon biasing of an assembly of driving electrodes, the first driving movement generating at least one sensing movement, in the presence of rotations of the integrated MEMS gyroscope; and at least a second driving mass driven with a second driving movement along a second axis, transverse to the first axis, the second driving movement generating at least a respective sensing movement, in the presence of rotations of the integrated MEMS gyroscope. The integrated MEMS gyroscope is moreover provided with a first elastic coupling element, which elastically couples the first driving mass and the second driving mass in such a way as to couple the first driving movement to the second driving movement with a given ratio of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gabriele Cazzaniga, Luca Coronato
  • Patent number: 10012673
    Abstract: A system includes a MEMS sensor having dual proof masses capable of moving independently from one another in response to forces imposed upon the proof masses. Each proof mass includes an independent set of sense contacts configured to provide output signals corresponding to the physical displacement of the corresponding sense mass. A switch system is in communication with the sense contacts. The switch system is configured to enable a sense mode and various test modes for the MEMS sensor. When the switch system enables a sense mode, output signals from the sense contacts can be combined to produce sense signals. When the switch system enables a test mode, the second contacts are electrically decoupled from one another to disassociate the output signals from one another. The independent sense contacts and switch system enable the concurrent compensation and calibration of the proof masses along two different sense axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Tehmoor M. Dar, Bruno J. Debeurre, Raimondo P. Sessego
  • Patent number: 9983032
    Abstract: A sensor system includes first and second capacitive sensors. An excitation circuit, coupled with the sensors, applies an excitation voltage to each of the sensors. The excitation voltage is characterized by a first, second, and third excitation voltage components, wherein the second and third excitation voltage components have opposite polarities. A capacitance-to-voltage (C/V) converter, electrically coupled with the sensors, generates a differential-mode output signal in response to the first excitation voltage component applied to the sensors, and the C/V converter generates a common-mode output signal in response to the second and third excitation voltage components applied to the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Kraver, Chad Dawson, Shiraz Jiju Contractor
  • Patent number: 9927240
    Abstract: A method for testing the functionality of a rotation rate sensor, the rotation rate sensor including a substrate and a micromechanical structure oscillatory with respect to the substrate having a first drive element, a second drive element and at least one Coriolis element, the Coriolis element being excitable to at least one oscillation mode by the first drive element and/or by the second drive element, a detection signal being detected as a function of a force action to be detected on the Coriolis element, the rotation rate sensor being operable optionally in a normal mode or in a self-test mode, the first drive element and the second drive element being driven in the normal mode, characterized in that in the self-test mode, the first drive element or the second drive element is driven optionally exclusively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Torsten Ohms
  • Patent number: 9915532
    Abstract: A gyroscope having a resonant body utilizes a self-calibration mechanism that does not require physical rotation of the resonant body. Instead, interface circuitry applies a rotating electrostatic field to first and second drive electrodes simultaneously to excite both the drive and sense resonance modes of the gyroscope. When drive electrodes associated with both the drive and sense resonance modes of the gyroscope are excited by forces of equal amplitude but 90° phase difference, respectively, the phase shift in the gyroscope response, as measured by the current output of the sense electrodes for each resonance mode, is proportional to an equivalent gyroscope rotation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Inventors: Giorgio Casinovi, Farrokh Ayazi, Wang Kyung Sung, Milap Jayesh Dalal, Arashk Norouz Pour Shirazi
  • Patent number: 9846037
    Abstract: A closed-loop microelectromechanical gyroscope with a self-test function. At least one test input signal is generated from a signal of the vibrational primary motion and input during operation of the microelectromechanical gyroscope to the sense circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lasse Aaltonen
  • Patent number: 9797921
    Abstract: A system includes a MEMS sensor having dual proof masses capable of moving independently from one another in response to forces imposed upon the proof masses. Each proof mass includes an independent set of sense contacts configured to provide output signals corresponding to the physical displacement of the corresponding sense mass. A switch system is in communication with the sense contacts. The switch system is configured to enable a sense mode and various test modes for the MEMS sensor. When the switch system enables a sense mode, output signals from the sense contacts can be combined to produce sense signals. When the switch system enables a test mode, the second contacts are electrically decoupled from one another to disassociate the output signals from one another. The independent sense contacts and switch system enable the concurrent compensation and calibration of the proof masses along two different sense axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Tehmoor M. Dar, Bruno J. Debeurre, Raimondo P. Sessego
  • Patent number: 9574902
    Abstract: The invention relates to gyroscopic instruments. The method for calibrating the scale factor of an angular velocity sensor or an axisymmetric vibratory gyroscope, which method uses a control amplitude signal, a control precessional signal CP and a control quadrature signal CQ for exciting the vibration of a resonator on a resonant frequency, involves a first step of pre-calibration which consists of measuring and recording an initial scale factor and the value of an initial control signal, and a second step of measuring the value of the current control signal and establishing a scale factor SF that is corrected on the basis of a proportional relationship involving the initial scale factor SF°, the initial value of the control signal Y° and the current value of the control signal Y° according to the formula SF=SF°Y/Y°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INNALABS LIMITED
    Inventors: Isaak Markovich Okon, Alain Renault
  • Patent number: 9541394
    Abstract: Spring set configurations that include an advantageous combination of spring geometries are disclosed. Spring elements having curved and straight sections, orientation of spring element anchor points with respect to the common radius, orientation of spring element segments with respect to a specific axis, balance of the length of spring elements about the common radius, and mass balance about the common radius can be used to mitigate unwanted out of plane motion. The spring set provides planar motion while reducing undesired out of plane motion making MEMS devices substantially insensitive to the process-induced etch angle variations of the spring elements. The spring set can be used in a MEMS gyro device which maintains the desired resonant modes and consistently low quadrature error even with process variations in manufacturing causing undesirable etch angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: David Patrick Potasek, Marcus Allen Childress, John Carl Christenson
  • Patent number: 9506944
    Abstract: The invention relates to a velocity determination apparatus (1) for determining a velocity of an object (2). A Doppler frequency measuring unit is adapted to measure Doppler frequencies in at least three different frequency directions, wherein a Doppler frequency calculation unit is adapted to calculate a Doppler frequency for a calculation frequency direction being similar to one of the at least three different frequency directions depending on the Doppler frequencies measured for at least two further frequency directions of the at least three different frequency directions. The velocity can then be determined depending on the calculated Doppler frequency and the measured Doppler frequencies. Since in the calculation frequency direction the measured Doppler frequency is not needed for determining the velocity, a reliable velocity can be determined also in the calculation frequency direction, even if the measurement of the Doppler frequency in this calculation frequency direction is disturbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Mark Carpaij, Atanas Pentchev
  • Patent number: 9470663
    Abstract: A method of calibrating ultrasound velocity is provided, including receiving an ultrasound non-delayed data set; performing a beam-forming process on the ultrasound non-delayed data set with a plurality of velocities to generate a plurality of aperture images; performing a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) process to obtain a velocity and two sub-aperture images corresponding to an MAPE value located within an MAPE range; finding a first sub-aperture and a second sub-aperture corresponding to the two sub-aperture images, generating a first aperture image and a second aperture image with corresponding velocity; performing the MAPE process on the first aperture image and the second aperture image to generate an image error corresponding figure having an error curve; finding a trend curve according to the error curve; and finding a lowest point of MAPE value on the trend curve and finding a velocity correspondingly to obtain the calibrated ultrasound velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Yu-Ming Wei
  • Patent number: 9400288
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a first CMOS chip and a second CMOS chip with a first moving-gate transducer formed in the first CMOS chip for implementing a first 3-axis inertial sensor and a second moving-gate transducer formed in the second CMOS chip for implementing a second 3-axis inertial sensor. An ASIC for evaluating the outputs of the first 3-axis inertial sensor and the second 3-axis inertial sensor is distributed between the first CMOS chip and the second CMOS chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ando Feyh, Po-Jui Chen
  • Patent number: 9184659
    Abstract: A current-mode-control circuit for a switching regulator is provided. The circuit includes a first transistor coupled to a power supply voltage, a second transistor, and an inductor. The circuit further includes a slope compensation generation circuit coupled to the output of the current control circuit through a feedback loop, the slope compensation generation circuit generating a slope compensation current related to the output voltage, an inductor current sensing circuit coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor, and configured to calculate a current through the inductor and output a inductor sense current, and a pulse-width modulation control circuit coupled to the slope generation circuit and the inductor current sense circuit, the pulse-width modulation control circuit receiving the output of the current control circuit, the slope compensation current and the inductor sense current as inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, inc.
    Inventor: AnFei Song
  • Publication number: 20150027198
    Abstract: A sensor system includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor, control circuit, signal evaluation circuitry, a digital to analog converter, signal filters, an amplifier, demodulation circuitry and memory. The system is configured to generate high and low-frequency signals, combine them, and provide the combined input signal to a MEMS sensor. The MEMS sensor is configured to provide a modulated output signal that is a function of the combined signal. The system is configured to demodulate and filter the modulated output signal, compare the demodulated, filtered signal with the input signal to determine amplitude and phase differences, and determine, based on the amplitude and phase differences, various parameters of the MEMS sensor. A method for determining MEMS sensor parameters is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Raimondo P. Sessego, Tehmoor M. Dar, Bruno J. Debeurre
  • Publication number: 20150027200
    Abstract: A movement amount estimation system, comprising a storage area to store acceleration data, for estimating a movement amount of a holder of a mobile terminal, the movement amount estimation system is configured to: detect a start time and an end time of an elevator riding time period of the holder based on the acceleration data; integrate the acceleration data from the start time to the end time to calculate a movement velocity of the holder; correct one of a movement velocity at the start time and a movement velocity at the end time based on another of the movement velocity at the start time and the movement velocity at the end time; and integrate the movement velocity corrected by the time period to estimate a movement amount of the holder when the holder uses an elevator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: Takayuki Akiyama
  • Publication number: 20150027199
    Abstract: A compensation circuit connected to an accelerometer's output extends the frequency response of the accelerometer, while reducing noise produced by the accelerometer. The compensation circuit has a gain as a function of frequency that is (i) constant up to a first frequency that is less than the accelerometer's natural resonance frequency, and (ii) reduced to approximately zero at a second frequency that is greater than the accelerometer's natural resonance frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventor: Garimella R Sarma
  • Patent number: 8931325
    Abstract: A measuring device 1 for measuring structures is provided, wherein the measuring device including two inertial measuring units 3, 4 arranged at a distance from each other. The measuring device can be provided with means for engaging the constructions that are measured. Also, an arrangement including a measuring device and a base station 21 providing a reference point for the measuring device is provided. Moreover, a kit including the measuring device and adaptors are provided, wherein the adaptors can provide an interface between the measuring device and a measured construction. A method for measuring a stationary construction is also provided, using a measuring device, preferably a measuring kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Alignment Systems AB
    Inventor: Jonas Bäckman
  • Publication number: 20150007632
    Abstract: The axes of an accelerometer, installed in a vehicle at an arbitrary orientation, may be realigned to the coordinate frame of the vehicle. In one implementation, a method may include determining, based on acceleration measurements from the accelerometer that likely corresponds to stopping, a dominant orientation of the accelerometer in relation to gravity, including calculating a first transformation angle and a second transformation angle as parameters to perform coordinate realignment of a coordinate frame of the accelerometer to a coordinate frame of the vehicle. The method may further include identifying, based on the acceleration measurements, an occurrence of acceleration events of the vehicle; determining, based on an analysis of the acceleration events, a third transformation angle; and storing the first, second, and third transformation angles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: HTI IP, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Stephen Christopher Welch, James Ronald Barfield, JR.