Patents Assigned to AMI
  • Publication number: 20100142714
    Abstract: An acoustic shock protection method and device are provided. A pattern analysis-based approach is taken to an input signal to perform feature extraction. A parameter space is identified, which is corresponding to, the signal space of the input signal. A rule-based decision approach is taken to the parameter space to detect an acoustic shock event. The device may be advantageously implemented using a weighted overlap-add approach to provide low group delay, high-fidelity and a high degree of protection from acoustic shock events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Todd SCHNEIDER, Robert L. BRENNAN, David HERMANN, Tina SOLTANI
  • Patent number: 7723516
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating triazine-containing water of a melamine plant. The method is characterized in that the water containing ionic and non-ionic triazines in a dissolved form is fed to at least one membrane filtration unit, the water is separated into an ionic triazine-rich fraction and a non-ionic triazine-rich fraction in the membrane filtration unit, whereupon the ionic triazine-rich fraction is discharged and the non-ionic triazine-rich fraction is redirected into the melamine plant. The inventive method allows a great portion of the melamine contained in the triazine-containing water to be redirected into the process while the yield is increased along the entire melamine process. Furthermore, the need for fresh water in the wet part of the melamine plant is decreased. The disclosed method can be carried out continuously and in liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Toplack, Peter Weiss, Hartmut Bucka
  • Publication number: 20100113141
    Abstract: An amusement device has a display and an input device and includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores a plurality of games and a system control program. The controller is operatively coupled to the memory, the input device and the display. The controller controls the display based upon the system control program retrieved from the memory and based upon inputs from the input device. The controller is configured to grant a user a block of time for accessing the amusement device; permit the user to selectively retrieve from the memory and play a first game from the plurality of games during the block of time; and permit the user to selectively retrieve from the memory and play a second game from the plurality of games that is different than the first game during the block of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: AMI Entertainment Network, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Logan, James R. Stelzer, Robert K. Mills, Thomas J. Kane
  • Patent number: 7708137
    Abstract: A candle box for storing individual candles and candle accessories. The box includes a housing with a top opening, a tray for storing candle accessories that fits within the top opening of the housing, and a slidable lid for covering the tray. The housing has a bottom and four side walls that define the top opening. The tray has a bottom integral with four tray side walls that, when placed within the opening of the housing, engage the interior surface of housing side walls to create an airtight enclosure. The lid has a top cover and three side walls, two of which are adapted to slidably engage any two opposing side walls of the tray. The top cover includes a snap-lock for engaging one of tray walls when the lid is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Faultless Starch-Bon Ami Company
    Inventors: Joseph M. Rowley, Jr., Catherine A. O'Kane
  • Patent number: 7706902
    Abstract: A method and system for data logging in a listening device is provided. The system includes a digital signal processing (DSP) entity, which performs normal hearing aid audio and system processing, a level translating module, and a non-volatile (NV) memory. The NV memory is used to store logged data. During the hearing aid audio processing, the DSP entity communicates with the NV memory via the level translating module. The level translating module performs voltage-translation during data logging to a communication signal between the DSP entity and the NV memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Heubi, Olivier Hautier, Dustin Griesdorf, Jakob Nielsen, Todd Schneider
  • Patent number: 7699265
    Abstract: An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad Mastrolia
  • Patent number: 7695432
    Abstract: An instrument for use in the treatment of prolapsed hemorrhoids by applying a purse-string suture includes a tube, which has a distal end, with which it can be inserted forward into the rectum of a patient. The tube also has an open proximal end and a shell wall encompassing an inner hollow space and is provided with an elongated opening. The opening extends in the axial direction of the tube from a distal end to a proximal end. The instrument also includes a closure device, which in a closing position closes the opening and by which the opening can be successively exposed from the distal to the proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Agency for Medical Innovations GmbH
    Inventor: Mathias Scheyer
  • Patent number: 7692568
    Abstract: A low power analog-to-digital channel includes a decimation filter coupled to a sigma-delta modulator. Various embodiments include a decimation filter including an output and a sigma-delta modulator coupled to the output of the decimation filter, where a clock frequency applied to the decimation filter is approximately a integral multiple of a sampling frequency of the sigma delta modulator. In an embodiment, the sigma-delta modulator includes one or more successive approximation converters. In an embodiment, the sigma delta modulator includes one or more area efficient integrators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Neaz Farooqi, Jerry Wahl, Garry Richardson
  • Patent number: 7693294
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing audible side effects of dynamic current consumption is provided. The system includes an audio subsystem, and a plurality of digital subsystems. The audio subsystem and the digital subsystem are powered by a common power supply. T he digital subsystem processes data packets including audio data packets. The processing events implemented in one or more than one digital subsystem are reorganized to change the profile for executing the events inside the subsystem(s). The dynamic current spectral properties in one or more digital subsystems are changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Schneider, Andreas Drollinger, Marc Matthey, Jakob Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7678267
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for thermally purifying waste water, comprising a tank through which waste water can flow. The inventive device is characterized by having at least one flow guiding means for guiding the waste water inside the tank in an essentially meandering manner, and by having at least one heating means inside the tank for regulating a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ami-Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ruech, Christoph Neumuller, Frank Schroder
  • Publication number: 20100062842
    Abstract: An amusement system includes at least one amusement device having a video touchscreen, a controller, and a memory. The memory stores a plurality of electronic games playable on the amusement device using the video touchscreen. The amusement device is operable upon payment by a user. A credit card transaction terminal is operable to receive the payment by the user and is separate from the amusement device. A method of operating an amusement device, operable once one or more playable credits are obtained by a user, includes establishing a user account. The user account is configured to store money for a user for obtaining playable credits. Money is deposited into the player account. At least a portion of any deposited money that has not been used to obtain playable credits after a predetermined amount of time is withdrawn. The withdrawn money is unavailable to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: AMI ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK, INC.
    Inventors: Colin Higbie, James R. Stelzer
  • Patent number: 7672462
    Abstract: An acoustic shock protection method and device are provided. A pattern analysis-based approach is taken to an input signal to perform feature extraction. A parameter space is identified, which is corresponding to the signal space of the input signal. A rule-based decision approach is taken to the parameter space to detect an acoustic shock event. The device may be advantageously implemented using a weighted overlap-add approach to provide low group delay, high-fidelity and a high degree of protection from acoustic shock events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Schneider, Robert L. Brennan, David Hermann, Tina Soltani
  • Patent number: 7637812
    Abstract: An amusement device includes a display having a touchscreen and an input component to receive value in order to establish one or more playable credits. The amusement device also includes a controller configured to select and play at least one electronic game. The at least one electronic game is playable by a player to score a plurality of amusement points. The one or more playable credits are used to permit play of the at least one electronic game, and are different than and not based on the amusement points. The at least one electronic game also has a continue feature that provides the player of the amusement device with an option to automatically continue play of the at least one electronic game. The at least one electronic game is configured to require player input during play of the at least one electronic game in order to score amusement points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, Inc.
    Inventor: Colin Higbie
  • Publication number: 20090294272
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for purifying wastewaters of melamine systems. The method is characterized in that triazine-containing wastewater is subjected to a thermal pretreatment stage, whereupon the vapors are condensed from the gas phase of the thermal pretreatment stage, and the liquid phase of the thermal pretreatment stage is subjected to a thermal hydrolysis stage while NH3 is isolated from the obtained liquid phase containing H2O, CO2, and NH3. The inventive method makes it possible to compensate varying wastewater qualities, thus allowing the melamine system and wastewater station to be operated in a constant and safe fashion. Furthermore, the strain on the subsequent thermal hydrolysis stage is relieved with the aid of the thermal pretreatment stage of the inventive method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: AMI GROLINZ MELAMINE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Ruech, Christoph Neumüller, Thomas Wallek
  • Patent number: 7608510
    Abstract: Manufacturing a power transistor by forming a gate structure on a first layer, forming a trench in the first layer, self aligned with the gate structure, and forming part of the transistor in the trench. By forming a spacer next to the gate, the spacer and gate can be used as a mask when forming the trench, to allow space for a source region next to the gate. The self-aligning rather than forming the gate after the trench means the alignment is more accurate, allowing size reduction. Another aspect involves forming a trench in a first layer, filling the trench, forming a second layer on either side of the trench with lateral overgrowth over the trench, and forming a source region in the second layer to overlap the trench. This overlap can enable the chip area to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor Belgium BVBA
    Inventors: Peter Moens, Marnix Tack
  • Patent number: 7600732
    Abstract: A equipment support for aircraft and the like comprises a base to which a lower link, an intermediate link, and a equipment platform are attached. The lower link rotates horizontally about the base. The intermediate link rotates horizontally about the end of the lower link and the equipment platform rotates horizontally about the end of the intermediate link. This arrangement gives the equipment platform the ability to assume an infinite number of lateral positions and 360 degrees of rotation. The equipment support is locked in position by means of locking pins that engage corresponding metering plates adjacent the support bearings. The locking pins are released by a common linkage that sequentially releases the equipment platform rotation lock then simultaneously releases the rotation locks of the intermediate and lower links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Othar P. Kennedy
  • Publication number: 20090248807
    Abstract: A social network allows subscribers to build and maintain a network of friends. The network includes a server that maintains travel information for the subscribers and for their friends. The server analyzes this travel information to determine whether a given subscriber will be geographically near a friend for a predetermined amount of time. If so, the server notifies the subscriber, and possibly the friend as well, so that the two can arrange to meet during that time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Ami-Go Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Fron, Tia S. Fron, Robert R. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20090239978
    Abstract: The invention relates to melamine resin, wherein it is, in essence, linearly synthesized and is dependent upon the viscosity of the rate of shear. The invention also relates to a method for producing the melamine resin and to the use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: AMI AGROLINZ MELAMINE INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Steffen Pfeiffer, Werner Deutschbauer, Roland Raninger
  • Patent number: 7592764
    Abstract: A circuit for determining a direction of rotation of an electric motor, the motor having asymmetry and/or eccentricity in a profile of back electromotive force as a function of angular position of a rotor with respect to a stator, the circuit receiving a signal representing the BEMF, and use the corresponding asymmetry and/or eccentricity in the signal to derive the direction of rotation. The signal representing the back emf can be generated by a control circuit. The control circuit can have a feedback loop regulator to generate a control signal (TL or TR) to control a current drive circuit (11,12) to control an amplitude of current (iw) in the windings, the feedback loop regulator being arranged to compare the amplitude of the current (iw) in the windings with a reference value (iset), and use the control signal to provide the signal representing the back electromotive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: AMI Semiconductor Belgium BVBA
    Inventors: Sam Vermeir, Francois Laulanet, Bart Decock
  • Publication number: 20090231204
    Abstract: An antenna and a method for direct matching the antenna to a transceiver is provided. The method includes designing the antenna to directly match an antenna impedance to at least one of an input impedance of the transceiver and an output impedance of the transceiver. The step of designing includes modeling the antenna and the transceiver and implementing an electromagnetic field simulation using a human body phantom model with the antenna to determine the value of an antenna parameter for the antenna model. The antenna for a communication device having a transceiver, includes an antenna element directly coupled with the transceiver having a transmitter and a receiver, an antenna parameter of the antenna element being tuned so that the real part of the impedance of the antenna is maximized, and a plate for optimizing the reactive part of the impedance of the antenna. The impedance of the antenna is directly matched to at least one of an impedance of the transmitter and an impedance of the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: George Shaker, Mohammad-Reza Nezhad-Ahmadi, Safieddin Safavi-Naeini, Gareth Pryce Weale