Phase Comparison (e.g., Between Cyclic Pulse Voltage And Sinusoidal Current, Etc.) Patents (Class 324/76.77)
  • Patent number: 11989087
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a tag reading apparatus acquires tag data of a wireless tag to be learned without transmission from the wireless tag to be learned. The tag reading apparatus extracts a data signal from a reception signal output from an antenna that has received a radio wave from the wireless tag to be learned. The tag reading apparatus learns the extracted data signal in association with correct answer data of the wireless tag to be learned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sunao Tsuchida, Sadatoshi Oishi
  • Patent number: 11867734
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to apparatuses and methods for testing an electrical circuit related to an electrical circuit. The electrical testing meter may generate electrical measurement data based at least in part on electrical signals received via at least one electrical measurement terminal in contact with one or more references points of the electrical circuit. Electrical circuit characteristic data may be generated based at least in part on the electrical measurement data. The electrical measurement data and/or the electrical circuit characteristic data may be transmitted to one or more remote computing entities to generate a consolidated record of electrical measurement data for the electrical circuit, which may be rendered for display at the one or more remote computing entities. The transmitted data may be stored for future reproduction and/or analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Reginald Alan Byrd
  • Patent number: 11668736
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of electric power networks, and it is more specifically concerned with a method for determining current sensitivity coefficients between several measuring nodes and selected branches in an electric power network without the knowledge of the network parameters. This method may be described as model-less or model-free since no data relating to network parameters needs to be used. In particular, the present invention should preferably be implemented in the form of a unified method for determining both current and voltage sensitivity coefficients. In this method, some or all of the power network nodes are measurement nodes equipped with metering units. The determined current sensitivity coefficients demonstrate the important behavior and characteristics of the power network which can be further used for the power network analysis, identification, operation, and control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: KRAKENFLEX LIMITED
    Inventors: Omid Alizadeh-Mousavi, Joël Jaton
  • Patent number: 11646702
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to more accurately determine reflected power, reflection coefficient, and/or voltage standing wave to permit prompt protection of components such as power amplifiers and notify communication system operators. This is accomplished by more accurately determining an amplitude and phase of an output reflected signal at an output port of a bidirectional coupler as a function of the following: an amplitude and a phase of a coupled forward signal coupled into a forward coupled port of the bidirectional coupler; an amplitude and a phase of a coupled reverse signal coupled into a reverse coupled port of the bidirectional coupler; an electrical transmission parameter from an input port of the bidirectional coupler to the forward coupled port; an electrical transmission parameter from the input port to the reverse coupled port; and an electrical transmission parameter from an output port of the bidirectional coupler to the reverse coupled port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Andrew Wireless Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Gunzner, Johannes Steigert, Felix Lübbers, Peter Schmid, Patrick Braun
  • Patent number: 11415610
    Abstract: In order to ensure safe operation of a multi-phase system, even a system including a plurality of phases, a number of phase groups is provided, which comprises some of the phases, wherein phase currents of the number of phase groups are merged in a group node to form a group sum current and a group sum current measurement value of the group sum current is captured. The current measurement values belonging to the number of phase groups are summed up to form a group sum and the group sum is compared with the group sum current measurement value to validate the phase currents of the phases in order to ensure safe operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Mayrhofer
  • Patent number: 11355930
    Abstract: A device includes at least one processor configured to determine, based on (i) a first plurality of time-varying electrical measurements corresponding to a feeder head of a power distribution network having a plurality of phases and (ii) a second plurality of time-varying electrical measurements corresponding to a node in the power distribution network, and using statistical analysis, a predicted phase, from the plurality of phases, that corresponds to the node. The processor may be configured to use ranked correlation coefficients (such as the Kendall rank correlation coefficient) to determine the predicted phase and may use principle component analysis. The processor is also configured to cause at least one device of the power distribution network to modify operation based at least on part on the predicted phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Santosh Sambamoorthy Veda, Surya Chandan Dhulipala, Murali Mohan Baggu Data Venkata Satya, Harsha Vardhana Padullaparti
  • Patent number: 11181605
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for estimating an angle of arrival of an incident radio signal in relation to a predetermined reference direction by using a set of N receiving paths comprising at least one directional antenna pointing in N different receiving directions, wherein only one sub-set of at least two receiving paths with adjacent antenna directions in said set of antennas delivers a measured power at reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benoît Gorisse, Daniel Jahan, Cédric Cornu
  • Patent number: 11175316
    Abstract: A method for identifying type of a grid automatically and an inverter device thereof are provided. The inverter device comprises a power line L1, a power line L2, a neutral line N and a ground line electrically connectable to a first power line, a second power line, a neutral line and a ground line of the grid, respectively. The method comprises: sampling at least two of voltages between L1 and L2, between L1 to N and between L2 to N when the two neutral lines are connected, and identifying the type of the grid based on the sampling result; and sampling the voltage between L1 and L2 when the two neutral lines are not connected, sampling at least one of a voltage between L1 and GND and between L2 and GND with cooperation of a grid-connected switching unit, and identifying the type of the grid based on the sampling results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qikang Wei, Feidong Xu, Xuancai Zhu
  • Patent number: 11126726
    Abstract: A verification circuit provided in an information processing apparatus verifies the presence or absence of the tampering of a boot program stored in a memory. A monitoring circuit monitors a signal communicated between the verification circuit and the memory and detects that the start-up of a system has failed due to the tampering of the boot program based on a monitoring result of the signal. Subsequently, the monitoring circuit provides notification of information related to a cause of failure of the start-up of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11061056
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a voltage meter rating for a utility meter connected to a distribution system via one or more distribution lines. The system accesses voltage measurements provided by a meter that represent a voltage at different time intervals. The system filters the voltage measurements to remove any voltage measurements that fall outside a voltage range for the distribution line. The system further determines a measured voltage rating from a set of candidate voltage ratings for the meter. The system compares a stored voltage rating for the meter and the measured voltage rating to determine a confidence level for the measured voltage rating. When the confidence level for measured voltage rating exceeds a confidence threshold, the system uses the measured voltage rating to maintain the distribution system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Joshi, Umang Deora
  • Patent number: 11038602
    Abstract: An illustrative integrated circuit and method providing on-chip jitter evaluation. One illustrative integrated circuit embodiment includes a digital receiver having a timing recovery circuit that determines a phase offset signal from estimated timing errors of previous sampling instants; and an on-chip memory that captures the phase offset signal, the on-chip memory being coupled to a processor that derives one or more jitter measurements from the phase offset signal. For initial calibration, the processor may configure the receiver for loop back operation, and thereafter the calibration values may enable evaluation of remote transmitter clock jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CREDO TECHNOLOGY GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: Junqing Sun, Haoli Qian
  • Patent number: 10878430
    Abstract: A computing device that includes a card reader component including a card reader, a plurality of micro cameras positioned proximate to the card reader, a battery detector circuit, and processing circuitry in communication with the card reader component, the plurality of micro cameras, and the battery detector circuit is described. The processing circuitry is configured to analyze one or more images captured by the plurality of micro cameras, determine that one or more of the images captured by the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, in response to the determination that the one or more of the images of the plurality of micro cameras is obscured, initiate the battery detector circuit, and in response to the battery detector circuit detecting a presence of an external battery near the card reader, determine that a skimming device is affixed over the card reader component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventor: Raziq Yaqub
  • Patent number: 10824130
    Abstract: A method for electrically producing a stalled state in a stepper motor having a first coil and a second coil is provided. The method includes driving a first sinusoidal current through the first coil, and driving a second sinusoidal current through the second coil, wherein the first and second sinusoidal currents are in phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rakesh Raja, Sudhir Nagaraj, Sooping Saw
  • Patent number: 10693479
    Abstract: A PLL includes a controlled oscillator, a phase accumulator to measure the controlled oscillator output phase, a phase predictor to calculate the required output phase, and a phase subtractor to calculate the phase difference or phase error. The phase accumulator includes a counter whose output sequence changes only one bit per counted controlled oscillator output cycle, such as a Gray counter. It further includes a register or latches, which sample(s) the counter output value upon receiving a reference clock pulse. The latches output value represents the measured phase. A binary encoder, such as a Gray-to-binary converter, may translate the measured phase to a binary number. The phase accumulator may further include a delay line, second latches, and a delay line decoder to measure a fractional part of the phase. A calibration feedback loop may keep the number of delay line steps per output clock pulse known and stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Inventor: Julian Jenkins
  • Patent number: 10684315
    Abstract: A voltage presence indicating system intended to be connected to a voltage measurement sensor for each phase of a high-voltage electrical network, a visual indicator representing the presence of the measured voltage, a first peak limiter having a first regulation voltage so as to deliver a first sinusoidal output signal representing the measured voltage and a second peak limiter having a second regulation voltage so as to deliver a second sinusoidal output signal representing the phase angle of the measured voltage, the second regulation voltage being higher than the first regulation voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventor: Christophe Mollier
  • Patent number: 10677913
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (METH) for measuring a distance R between a vehicle (V) and an identifier (I) for accessing and starting the vehicle (V), the vehicle (V) and the identifier (I) being synthronised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: VALEO COMFORT AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE
    Inventor: Eric Leconte
  • Patent number: 10641802
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide a current sensor having fault detection circuitry configured to detect over-current and/or current faults corresponding to current through a conductor being greater than a predetermined level. The current sensor can include a shared signal path, a main signal path, and a fault detection signal path to perform both fault detection and current detection signal processing. The current sensor can include one or more magnetic field sensing elements configured to generate a magnetic field signal indicative of the current through the conductor, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive the magnetic field signal and convert the magnetic field signal into a digital signal, and a fault detector responsive to the digital signal to generate a fault signal indicative of the current through the conductor being greater than a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Craig S. Petrie, Soo-Chang Choe, Cory Voisine
  • Patent number: 10459016
    Abstract: Determination of electrical network topology and connectivity are described herein. A zero-crossing is indicated at a time when the line voltage of a conducting wire in an electrical grid is zero. Such zero-crossings may be used to measure time within a smart grid, and to determine the connectivity of, and the electrical phase used by, particular network elements. A first meter may receive a phase angle determination (PAD) message, including zero-crossing information, sent from a second meter, hereafter called a reference meter. The first meter may compare the received zero-crossing information to its own zero-crossing information. A phase difference may be determined between the first meter and the reference meter from which the PAD message originated. The first meter may pass the PAD message to additional meters, which propagate the message through the network. Accordingly, an electrical phase used by meters within the network may be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Itron, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy James Driscoll, Hartman Van Wyk, Robert Sonderegger, Chris Higgins
  • Patent number: 10097233
    Abstract: Embodiments of full duplex radios are disclosed herein. For example, a radio may include: a first transmitter, a second transmitter, and a receiver. The first transmitter may be configured to receive an input signal, process the input signal to generate a first transmit signal, and transmit the first transmit signal. The second transmitter may be configured to receive the input signal, process the input signal to generate a second transmit signal, and couple the second transmit signal into an input path of the receiver. Leakage at the receiver may thus be reduced. Some embodiments of a radio may also include a base band correction circuit and means for reducing transmitter noise that leaks into the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
    Inventor: Patrick Pratt
  • Patent number: 10062436
    Abstract: The semiconductor memory includes a plurality of word lines; and a plurality of columns including a plurality of resistive storage cells corresponding to the plurality of word lines, the plurality of columns being divided into a plurality of pages each having one or more columns; a memory circuit coupled to the semiconductor memory to sense data stored in the resistive storage cells; and a memory control circuit coupled to the semiconductor memory and the memory circuit to control sensing of the stored data by the memory circuit to, in a read operation, sense data of resistive storage cells included in a selected page by continuously active-precharging one or more word lines among the plurality of word lines in a period in which the selected page among the plurality of pages is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang-Myoung Rho
  • Patent number: 10009064
    Abstract: A method for differentiating power distribution areas and phases by using voltage characteristics, where the method includes performing similarity comparison on a voltage curve of a node to be determined and a voltage curve recorded by a concentrator to determine whether the node belongs to a current power distribution area. Using the method for identifying power distribution areas and phases according to voltage characteristics, the problem of inaccurate electric power measurement due to power distribution area archive errors, communication crosstalk, and others is effectively resolved, a collection success rate and meter reading stability of a power distribution area are improved, a line loss rate of a power distribution area is moderately reduced, correctness of ammeter archive information of an SG186 system is ensured, occurrences of power distribution area crossing of carrier communications and ammeter archive errors are eradicated, and delicacy management of a marketing system is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignees: JIANGSU LINYANG ENERGY CO., LTD., NANJING LINYANG POWER TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hanxi Lu, Yan Zhu
  • Patent number: 9992776
    Abstract: A wireless device and a radio frequency channel calibration method, where the wireless device includes a first radio frequency circuit and a second radio frequency circuit that operate on a same frequency band, and a processor. The first radio frequency circuit is configured to send a calibration signal using a calibration antenna. The second radio frequency circuit is configured to receive the calibration signal using each of at least two to-be-calibrated antennas. The second radio frequency circuit corresponds to at least two radio frequency channels, the at least two radio frequency channels respectively correspond to the at least two to-be-calibrated antennas. The processor is configured to determine a device phase difference of each of the at least two radio frequency channels, and calibrate a corresponding radio frequency channel using the device phase difference of each of the at least two radio frequency channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Ruan, Qian Li, Mingyue Wang, Hongyi Tan, Xi Zhao
  • Patent number: 9898565
    Abstract: An emulator emulating a DUT emulates a clock generator for generating clock signals of the DUT with jitter. As part of generating clock signals, the emulator generates a jitter clock value for each clock signal. To generate a jitter clock value for a clock signal, the emulator identifies a clock parameter stored for the clock signal and sums the clock parameter with a jitter value randomly selected from the jitter range of the clock signal. When a system fast clock cycle starts, the emulator determines the lowest value from the generated jitter clock values. The emulator outputs an edge on clock signal having the lowest jitter clock value. The emulator generates a new jitter clock value for each clock signal and the process repeats during the next system fast clock cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventor: Ludovic Marc Larzul
  • Patent number: 9760423
    Abstract: A first control device includes a first storage unit holding a first error count and a first control unit that calculates the first error count, based on a status of an error detected when a storage device is accessed via a second control device, stores the calculated first error count in the first storage unit, and transmits the first error count to the second control device at predetermined timing. The second control device includes a second storage unit holding a second error count and a second control unit that calculates the second error count, based on a status of an error detected when the storage device is accessed, stores the calculated second error count in the second storage unit, and determines whether the storage device has malfunctioned, based on an aggregate value of the first error count received from the first control device and the second error count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Akira Sampei, Fumio Hanzawa, Hiroaki Sato
  • Patent number: 9709612
    Abstract: Accurate measurements of electrical power at various points of a power grid is becoming more important and, at the same time, is getting more difficult as the old power distribution model of a few, large power generating stations and a multitude of relatively linear loads is replaced by a newer model containing a multitude of smaller, and to some degree unpredictable power sources, as well as a multitude of not always linear and often smart (essentially also unpredictable) loads. Embodiments of the invention provide for high accuracy voltage, current and power measurements of quasi-stationary and stationary waveforms in single and multiple phase power systems. Precision AC voltage, current, phase, power and energy measurements in power networks may be measured with current ranges from 1 mA to 20 kA and voltage ranges from 1V to 1000 kV and in a frequency range from a few hertz to one hundred kilohertz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Guildline Instruments Limited
    Inventors: Tomasz Barczyk, Petar Miljanic, Iain Page
  • Patent number: 9473541
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions performing processes including a determination, a setting, a first generation, a second generation and a transmission operations. The determination operation determines whether a communication state is a first or second state based on at least one of transmission data transmitted by the communication device to a conference server and reception data received by the communication device from the conference server. The setting operation sets a combined time to a first or second period of time in response to the determination operation. The first generation operation generates sound data corresponding to the combined time, by sequentially compressing sampling data corresponding to the combined time in an order of storage in a first storage portion. The second generation operation generates a packet including the sound data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9287827
    Abstract: A method includes demodulating a load modulated signal at an initiator device based at least partially on a phase adjusted comparison value corresponding to the load modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: RaviKiran Gopalan, Koorosh Akhavan, Le Nguyen Luong
  • Patent number: 9245858
    Abstract: A semiconductor device package is provided with integrated antenna for wireless applications. The semiconductor device package comprises a substrate including a semiconductor chip mounted thereon; a protective layer covering the semiconductor chip; a metal pattern mounted on the protective layer; and a first connective member connecting the semiconductor chip and the metal pattern. According to this configuration, the semiconductor device package is capable of being easily manufactured while minimizing the electrical distance between the metal pattern for use as an antenna and the semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myeong Woo Han, Do Jae Yoo, Jung Aun Lee, Jung Ho Yoon, Chul Gyun Park
  • Patent number: 9212937
    Abstract: A flow meter device of a fluid includes a time difference measuring means which measures time for a received wave to reach a zero cross point after the received wave exceeds a reference voltage, after transmission of a signal, and a reference voltage setting means which changes the reference voltage from a minimum value to a maximum value, recognizes peak voltages of waves of the received wave based on a plurality of inflection points at which a time difference measured by the time difference measuring means when the reference voltage is changed from the minimum voltage to the maximum voltage, is significantly changed, and automatically sets the reference voltage to a point between peak voltages of particular two waves based on a ratio between the peak voltages, and the reference voltage is changed from a voltage which is close to the peak voltages of the two waves and the peak voltages are newly recognized, when the reference voltage is newly set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Koba, Kouichi Takemura, Aoi Watanabe, Yuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 9207268
    Abstract: A type determination apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to chronologically acquire power consumption consumed by an electrical device; and a determination unit configured to determine that a type of the electrical device is a type to be determined in accordance with a reference pattern representing a predetermined pattern of a power fluctuation when a fluctuation pattern of the power consumption acquired for a duration equal to or more than a reference period of time is matched with the reference pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yukio Fujiwara, Takeo Tsukamoto, Hidenori Tomono, Kenji Kameyama, Takanori Inadome, Hideaki Aratani, Yukiko Oshima, Hiroto Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20150145500
    Abstract: An A.C. power measuring apparatus includes a voltage detecting unit that detects voltage waveforms of each of phases of a set of insulated cables for supplying a three-phase A.C. power to a load, by performing a contactless measurement by electrostatic capacitance coupling, and a current detecting unit that detects current waveforms of the set of insulated tables, by performing a contactless measurement by electromagnetic induction coupling. The apparatus further includes a processing unit that computes a power to be supplied to the load, based on line-to-line voltage waveforms, the current waveforms, and prescribed voltage values, by normalizing the voltage waveforms of each of the phases so that as amplitude ratio of the voltage waveforms becomes in accordance with a grounding type of the three-phase A.C. power, and obtaining the line-to-line voltages of the set of three insulated cables based on the normalized voltage waveforms of each of the phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirotaka Oshima, Akio ITO
  • Publication number: 20150137728
    Abstract: A circuit is provided for detecting peaks of a sinusoidal input signal includes circuitry for generating first and second sinusoidal output signals that are out of phase with one another and with the sinusoidal input signal. A comparator block compares the sinusoidal output signals to determine instances where the amplitudes of the first and second sinusoidal output signals cross over each other. The sinusoidal output signals may lead the sinusoidal input signal somewhat so that, after taking into account processing delay, the indicated crossover instances substantially coincide with peaks in the sinusoidal input signal such that a trigger signal generated by the circuit accurately indicates the timing of the peaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Magna E-Car Systems of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Wand, Roger Douglas
  • Patent number: 9035642
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an output terminal and a controller having a measurement input coupled to the output terminal, a first output adapted to couple to a current source to control a first current sourced into the output terminal, and a second output adapted to couple to a current sink to control a second current from the output terminal. The controller applies control signals to the first output and the second output to selectively enable the current source and disable the current sink during a first phase of a load detection period and to disable the current source and enable the current sink during a second phase of the load detection period. The controller detects the load coupled to the output terminal if a voltage at the measurement terminal during the first phase is substantially equal to a voltage at the measurement terminal during the second phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Mahbub Hasan
  • Patent number: 9031800
    Abstract: Power measurement by tracking of a voltage cycle when voltage and current measurements are taken at different locations on an AC power line, with the devices taking the measurements interconnected by an asynchronous data network. In general, a synchronization/timing message is sent from the voltage sensing side to the current sensing side, with the synchronization/timing message being transmitted at a predetermined point in the periodic voltage cycle. The receipt of the synchronization/timing message by the current sensing side may be used to re-synchronize an internal model of the voltage cycle maintained by the current sensing side to the measured voltage cycle. The predetermined point in the voltage cycle may be the zero-crossing point, or other point, of the voltage cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander S. Filippenko, Scott R. Brown, Paul R. Buda
  • Patent number: 9024620
    Abstract: The polarity detection circuit includes a first diode with anode receiving a first phase of the AC power supply voltage and a second diode with anode receiving a second phase, opposite the first phase. The detection circuit further includes a constant-voltage power supply outputting a positive constant voltage. A first reference-voltage output circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to the constant voltage when the AC voltage of the first phase is positive, and outputs a voltage at a cathode of the second diode when the AC voltage of the first phase is negative. The detection circuit also includes a first signal output circuit that compares a first voltage, corresponding to a voltage at the cathode of the first diode, and a voltage output from the first reference-voltage output circuit and that outputs a signal indicative of polarity of the AC voltage having the first phase according to a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: FDK Corporation
    Inventors: Masatsuru Miyazaki, Hidetaka Yoshihashi
  • Patent number: 9018964
    Abstract: A powder sensor includes a piezoelectric element, an oscillator circuit, a first square wave signal generator, a second square wave signal generator, and a phase judgment circuit. The oscillator circuit applies to the piezoelectric element an output signal having a frequency equal to or near a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element. The first square wave signal generator generates a first square wave signal by converting a terminal voltage of the piezoelectric element. The second square wave signal generator generates a second square wave signal that transits from an initial level to a detection level when the first square wave signal rises or falls in a detection period and that does not transit outside of the detection period. The detection period is a part of each cycle of the output signal of the oscillator circuit. The phase judgment circuit determines phase of the second square wave signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuo Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9013171
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a zero-voltage condition. In one embodiment, the method comprises generating a first current that is proportional to a voltage across a four-quadrant (4Q) switch; generating a reference current, wherein the reference current is equal to a value of the first current when of the voltage across the 4Q switch is at a predefined value; comparing the first current to the reference current; and generating an indication of a zero-voltage condition across the 4Q switch when the first current is less than the reference current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Richard Zimmanck
  • Patent number: 9007056
    Abstract: Disclosed is a monitoring device for a rotary encoder electronically connectable to the monitoring device. A pulse generating unit generates a comparison pulse signal by extracting a portion corresponding to a specific phase range from a first pulse included in a first pulse signal output from the rotary encoder. The rotary encoder detects rotation of a rotating body and outputs the first pulse signal and a second pulse signal, the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal having a phase difference from each other. A determining unit determines an abnormality of the rotary encoder, based on a state of a pulse of the comparison pulse signal at a specific timing of a second pulse included in the second pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Okamoto, Teruyuki Nakayama, Minoru Hashimoto, Daichi Kamisono
  • Publication number: 20150084615
    Abstract: A method for identifying a position of a multi-phase brushless motor includes applying a plurality of detection voltage pulses to the motor, each detection voltage pulse corresponding to a respective driving phase of the motor, measuring a time period associated with a current reaching a predetermined current limit for each applied detection voltage pulse, and identifying a driving phase associated with a shortest time period for the current to reach the predetermined current limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Yichao WANG, Foo Leng LEONG
  • Publication number: 20150084616
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a system for measuring power produced by a power source. The system includes a first voltage sensor for sensing a first voltage difference between a first voltage and a second voltage and a second voltage sensor for sensing a second voltage difference between a third voltage and the second voltage. The system further includes a first current sensor for sensing a current difference between a first current and a second current, and a second current sensor for sensing a current difference between a third current and the second current. The system further includes a power measuring device that determines the power produced by the power source using the first and second voltage differences and the first and second current differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Isaac S. Frampton
  • Patent number: 8988081
    Abstract: Techniques for obtaining a propagation delay through first and second transmission lines having substantially equal propagation delays may include: providing a first signal to the first transmission line; providing a second signal to the second transmission line; detecting an incident edge of the first signal on the first transmission line; detecting a reflected edge of the second signal on the second transmission line; and determining the propagation delay based on times of detection of the incident edge and detection of the reflected edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Tushar K. Gohel, Brandon Thorpe
  • Patent number: 8988060
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an electrical device is provided. The method comprises receiving three phase power from a source, decomposing signals representative of power in each phase of the three phase power to provide a positive-sequence component of each phase and tracking the positive-sequence component of each phase via a phase locked loop and a tracking filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Russel J. Kerkman, Carlos D. Rodriguez-Valdez
  • Patent number: 8981757
    Abstract: A phase detector (100, 400, 800) comprising a balun (150) and input ports (116) at each of the balun's balanced ports. The phase detector (100, 400, 800) has four devices (105, 115, 110, 155) for measuring a signal's amplitude: —a first device (105) at a first input port (116), —a second device (115) at a second input port (117), —a third device (110) between the input ports (116, 117), connected to the ports via a passive component (120, 125; 120?, 125; 120?, 125?), —a fourth device (155) at the unbalanced port of the balun (150), The difference between the amplitude values of the third (110) and fourth (155) devices indicate the phase difference and the difference between the amplitude values measured by the first (110) and second (115) devices indicates the phase difference in the region of 0-2?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Mingquan Bao
  • Publication number: 20150061609
    Abstract: A reference signal generating circuit is provided that generates a reference signal corresponding to an input signal for power factor compensation of a power converter. The reference signal generating circuit includes a detector sampling the input signal according to a reference clock to detect and hold the maximum input signal and a phase measuring unit measuring a phase of the sampled input signal based on the sampled input signal and the detected maximum input signal. The circuit also includes a reference signal generating unit configured to generate a reference signal having a specific value in response to the measured phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: MagnaChip Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhi Yuan CUI, Younggi RYU, Inho HWANG, Sang Hoon JUNG, Taeyoung PARK
  • Publication number: 20150061641
    Abstract: A method for determining the position of the rotor of an electric machine having multiple phases in relation to the stator. The change ?i in the time derivative I of the current I flowing through at least one of the power inputs is determined. The change ?i is caused by a change ?U in the potential U on at least one of the power inputs of the electric machine. A measurement signal that is representative of a position of the rotor is determined from multiple simultaneously or successively determined changes ?i.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventor: Rolf Strothmann
  • Patent number: 8970204
    Abstract: A wireless phasing voltmeter determines the phase difference between the voltage carried by a reference electrical conductor and a field conductor. The voltage signal from the reference conductor is detected by a first unit and compared to a precision 60 Hz wave form generated from a first 1 pps GPS signal. The phase difference between the wave form and the reference conductor, represented by nine data bits, is used to modulate a radio frequency carrier wave and transmitted via simplex transmission to a second unit near an electrical conductor in the field. The second unit receives the modulated carrier wave, decodes the phase angle difference and compares it to a second phase angle difference between the voltage on the field conductor and a second precision 60 Hz wave form generated from a second 1 pps GPS signal. The difference between the two phase differences determines the phase of the field conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Inventor: Walter S. Bierer
  • Publication number: 20140368185
    Abstract: Approaches for enhancing web position determination involve phase locking a web movement encoder signal to a sensed web fiducial signal. Fiducials disposed along a longitudinal axis of a substrate are sensed and corresponding sensor signals are generated. An estimated web position is provided by one or more encoder signals. The phase difference between the sensor signals and the encoder signals is calculated and the web position error is determined based on the phase difference. The web position error signal can be fed back to adjust the encoder signals which improves the accuracy of the web position determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel T. Theis, Daniel H. Carlson, Brian K. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20140320110
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring a characteristic of a crystal unit includes an input unit, a measuring unit, a storage unit, and a calibrating unit. The input unit is configured to input a measurement signal into the crystal unit. The measuring unit is configured to measure the characteristic of the crystal unit based on an output signal output from the crystal unit with respect to the measurement signal. The storage unit is configured to associate calibration data with a measuring condition to measure the characteristic of the crystal unit, and store the associated data. The calibration data is generated based on a measurement result measured by the measuring unit with connecting a short-circuit element instead of the crystal unit. The calibrating unit is configured to calibrate the characteristic of the crystal unit measured by the measuring unit based on the calibration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HIROKI MATSUI, KAZUNORI HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 8866511
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided for clock phase detection. A first set of delayed versions of a first clock signal is generated and a second set of delayed versions of a second clock signal is generated. The second set of delayed versions of the second clock signal is sampled using the first set of delayed versions of the first clock signal to produce an array of clock samples in a domain corresponding to the first clock signal. At least one edge indication is located within the array of clock samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: William J. Dally
  • Patent number: 8847604
    Abstract: Implementations are presented herein that include a test circuit and a reference circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Baumann, Georg Georgakos, Christian Pacha, Anselme Urlick Tchegho Kamgaing