Patents Examined by Alvaro E Fortich
  • Patent number: 11867779
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes an insulating layer, a first MR element, and a second MR element. The insulating layer includes a first layer and a second layer, and also includes first and second inclined surfaces formed across the first layer and the second layer. Each of the first and second MR elements includes a magnetization pinned layer and a free layer. The magnetization pinned layer and the free layer of the first MR element are disposed on the first inclined surface. The magnetization pinned layer and the free layer of the second MR element are disposed on the second inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromichi Umehara, Keita Kawamori, Kenzo Makino, Masachika Hashino
  • Patent number: 11867775
    Abstract: A quantum Hall resistance apparatus is to improve resistance standards and includes a substrate, a graphene epitaxially grown on the substrate and having a plurality of first contact patterns at edges of the graphene, a plurality of contacts, each including a second contact pattern and configured to connect to a corresponding first contact pattern, and a protective layer configured to protect the graphene and to increase adherence between the first contact patterns and the second contact patterns. The contacts become a superconductor at a temperature lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature and under up to a predetermined magnetic flux density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: Government of the United States of America, University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Randolph Elmquist, Albert Rigosi, Mattias Kruskopf
  • Patent number: 11859967
    Abstract: A tool recognition system may comprise a tool recognition assembly and a control system in communication with the tool recognition assembly. The control system may comprise a processor and a memory comprising machine-readable instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions may cause the control system to receive a first baseline sensor value from the tool recognition assembly and determine a baseline adjustment threshold based on the first baseline sensor value. The instructions may also cause the control system to receive first monitored sensor data from the tool recognition assembly and compare the first monitored sensor data to the baseline adjustment threshold for a predetermined duration. If the comparison satisfies a comparison criterion, a second baseline sensor value may be established using the first monitored sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Nicola Diolaiti
  • Patent number: 11860191
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a probe module, comprising: a body, a floating plate located at the bottom of the body and a probe assembly located on the side of the body which is far away from the floating plate. The probe assembly includes a cover plate, a mould core comprising pin grooves and blade pins each limited and fixed in the pin groove by a limiting member. The floating plate comprises pin holes, and the floating plate is configured to be floatable relative to the body in an extension direction of the blade pin and electrical contact terminals of the blade pins may be inserted into the pin holes from the surface of the floating plate close to the body and protrude from the surface of the floating plate which is far away from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SUZHOU HYC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bin Jiang, Yue Liu, Hao Li
  • Patent number: 11852700
    Abstract: Magnetic element including a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization including a stable magnetization vortex configuration having a vortex core. The first ferromagnetic layer includes an indentation configured such that the vortex core nucleates substantially at the indentation. Upon application of an external magnetic field in a first field direction, the vortex core moves along a first path and the first magnetization rotates around the vortex core in a counterclockwise direction. Upon application of the external magnetic field in a second field direction opposed to the first field direction, the vortex core moves along a second path and the first magnetization rotates around the vortex core in a clockwise direction. Both the first and second field path are substantially identical and move the vortex core away from the indentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CROCUS TECHNOLOGY SA
    Inventors: Salim Dounia, Claire Baraduc, Bernard Dieny
  • Patent number: 11852602
    Abstract: A liquid detection device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The liquid detection device includes: a substrate; a working electrode disposed on the substrate, wherein the working electrode includes a first metal portion and a first sensing portion, and the first sensing portion is disposed on the first metal portion; and a reference electrode disposed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: INNOLUX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fuh-Tsang Wu, Yi-Hung Lin, Huei-Ying Chen
  • Patent number: 11852697
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor for detecting magnetism generated from a conductor in which a current flows in a first direction includes a magnetic detection unit capable of detecting the magnetism, a magnetization core, and a magnetic shield. The magnetization core includes a first core section, which is substantially parallel to the first direction, and a second core section and third core section, which are each continuous from both end portions of the first core section in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The second core section and the third core section each extend from an end portion of the first core section to follow a third direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The magnetic detection unit has a sensitivity direction in the second direction and is positioned in a core gap sandwiched between the vicinity of the end portion of the second core section and the vicinity of the end portion of the third core section in the third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hirano, Makoto Takahashi, Ryoichi Menju
  • Patent number: 11854752
    Abstract: A relay state prediction device according to the present invention includes: a voltage value acquisition unit that measures every moment a detected voltage detected from two ends of a shunt resistor; a voltage value difference calculation unit that calculates a voltage value difference between a first voltage value of when the detected voltage becomes minimum by an armature starting displacement after a primary-side switch is turned off and a second voltage value of when secondary-side contacts are opened; a slope calculation unit that calculates a slope at which the voltage value difference decreases as the secondary-side contacts are repeatedly opened and closed in response to the primary-side switch repeatedly turning on and off; and a state prediction unit that predicts the number of openable and closable times from the present time until the voltage value difference reaches a predetermined threshold value based on the voltage value difference at the present time and the decreasing slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Matsuo, Takuya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11846688
    Abstract: An operating state monitoring device for monitoring a connecting cable, the device may include a connecting cable and at least two Hall sensors. The connecting cable may have at least two electroconductive conductors that extend along a longitudinal central axis, and through each of the conductors current flows or currant can flow by forming a magnetic field. The at least two Hall sensors may be configured to detect magnetic fields and output measuring signals based on detected magnetic fields. The device may have a number of Hall sensors that is identical to the number of conductions. A single Hall sensor may be arranged proximate each conductor via direct contract or indirect contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventors: Ziga Ahec, Gregor Babic, Peter Bozic, Janez Smid, Rok Vrtovec
  • Patent number: 11846685
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for determining a velocity. A voltage is detected for a planar sensor array while the planar sensor array is moving though a magnetic field, wherein the planar sensor array comprises conductive channels formed in a substrate, wherein the conductive channels are connected in series, and wherein the voltage is generated by the planar sensor array in response to a movement of the planar sensor array through the magnetic field and wherein the voltage is proportional to a velocity of the planar sensor array moving through the magnetic field. The velocity of the planar sensor array is determined using the voltage detected for the conductive channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Matthew J. Pelliccione, Danny M. Kim, Travis M. Autry, Rongsheng Li, Brian C. Grubel, James H. Kober
  • Patent number: 11846654
    Abstract: Described herein is a method including measuring a current in a wire, normalizing the measured current, and comparing the normalized measured current to a control curve. The control curve is a function of a series of normalized current magnitudes and reaction times for corresponding ones of that series of normalized current magnitudes. The method further includes limiting the current in the wire based upon the comparison. The reaction times for ones of the series of normalized current magnitudes are times at which current limitation would occur if the normalized current remained at an associated normalized current magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Romeo Letor
  • Patent number: 11846684
    Abstract: During both invasive and non-invasive treatments and therapies, inaccuracies in locating the areas of interest mean that not all the area is treated, or the treatment is incomplete. A magnetic field probe 100, 1010, 102, 103 is provided that improves determination of a disposition of an implantable magnetic marker 200, the probe comprising a first 110, 120 and second 110, 120 magnetic sensor, substantially disposed along a transverse axis intersecting the longitudinal axis of the probe 150. The first 110, 120 and second 110, 120 magnetic sensors are close to the distal end 160 of the probe, and are separated by a minor sensor separation. A third 120, 130 magnetic sensor is provided close to the proximal end 165, separated by a major sensor separation from the second magnetic sensor 110, 120 close to the distal end 160, the major sensor separation being larger than the minor sensor separation; and the ratio of the major sensor separation to the minor sensor separation is in the range 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SIRIUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS B.V.
    Inventors: Hubert Cécile Francois Martens, Bram Schermers, Takeshi Kaneko, Jeroen Hendrik Franken
  • Patent number: 11847534
    Abstract: A superconducting readout system employing a microwave transmission line, and a microwave superconducting resonator communicatively coupled to the microwave transmission line, and including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), may be advantageously calibrated at least in part by measuring a resonant frequency of the microwave superconducting resonator in response to a flux bias applied to the SQUID, measuring a sensitivity of the resonant frequency in response to the flux bias, and selecting an operating frequency and a sensitivity of the microwave superconducting resonator based at least in part on a variation of the resonant frequency as a function of the flux bias. The flux bias may be applied to the SQUID by an interface inductively coupled to the SQUID. Calibration of the superconducting readout system may also include determining at least one of a propagation delay, a microwave transmission line delay, and a microwave transmission line phase offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Jed D. Whittaker, Loren J. Swenson, Ilya V. Perminov, Abraham J. Evert, Peter D. Spear, Mark H. Volkmann, Catia Baron Aznar, Michael S. Babcock
  • Patent number: 11846604
    Abstract: Ion sensing device includes a field-effect transistor including a bottom gate and a top gate, a reference electrode, and a driver circuit configured to measure concentration of ions in a sample solution into which the reference electrode and the top gate are immersed. The driver circuit includes a constant current source configured to supply a drain of the field-effect transistor with a constant current, and a voltage follower configured to receive a potential of the drain. The driver circuit is configured to supply the reference electrode with a constant reference potential, apply a constant voltage across an output of the voltage follower and the bottom gate, and output an output potential of the voltage follower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: TIANMA JAPAN, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sekine
  • Patent number: 11846693
    Abstract: A magnetic field calibration device is used to calibrate a magnetism measurement device having a plurality of magnetic sensors and includes a first holder having a first holding surface, a second holder having a second holding surface having a fixed relative positional relation with the first holding surface, and magnetism generating parts fixed to the first holding surface and the second holding surface. Thus, calibration can be completed with a single operation by assigning the first and second holding surfaces of the magnetic field calibration device respectively to the first and second measurement surfaces of the magnetism measurement device. In addition, since the relative positional relation between the first and second holding surfaces is fixed, measurement results obtained from the individual measurement surfaces match each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: TDK Corporation, Kanazawa Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Tomohiko Shibuya, Yoshiaki Adachi
  • Patent number: 11835599
    Abstract: A printed circuit board assembly may have a printed circuit board with at least one electric component. A magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field may be included, where an amperage of a current conducted in the electric component is determined on the basis of the magnetic field. The assembly may also include a magnetic conductor for conducting the magnetic field, which is then measured by the magnetic field sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Alfons Neuner
  • Patent number: 11835600
    Abstract: What is proposed is a current sensor comprising a current rail and comprising a magnetic field sensor, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to measure a magnetic field induced by a current flowing through the current rail, wherein a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer are arranged between the current rail and the magnetic field sensor, wherein an interface between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer is free of a contact with the current rail and/or is free of a contact with the magnetic field sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Rainer Markus Schaller, Volker Strutz, Jochen Dangelmaier
  • Patent number: 11828718
    Abstract: Provided is a button device including a humidity sensor. The button device includes a substrate having a plurality of sensing regions, a housing on the substrate, the housing separating a first sensing region of the plurality of sensing regions from other sensing regions, a porous structure within the housing, the porous structure having through-holes, a first electrode on the porous structure, a second electrode on the porous structure, the second electrode being electrically connected to the first electrode through the porous structure, and a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first sensing region to sense a temperature of the first sensing region, The porous structure includes a body having an outer surface defining the through-holes, the body having an air gap therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Choon Gi Choi, Mondal Shuvra, Bok Ki Min, Yoonsik Yi
  • Patent number: 11828627
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to obtain increased performance and differentiation for an inductive position sensor through improvements to the sense element and target design are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a sense element includes a transmit coil, a first receive coil that includes a first plurality of arrayed loops, wherein two or more of the first plurality of arrayed loops are at least one of phase blended and amplitude arrayed, and a second receive coil that includes a second plurality of arrayed loops, wherein two or more of the second plurality of arrayed loops are at least one of phase blended and amplitude arrayed, and wherein the first receive coil and the second receive coil are phase shifted. The sense element coils are arrayed in several geometries and layouts, and the coil and target geometry are manipulated to compensate for inherent errors in the fundamental design of an inductive position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: James M. Maloof
  • Patent number: 11828818
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a magnetometer may include; obtaining at least four measurement values using the magnetometer, calculating a center and a radius of a sphere in accordance with the measurement values, wherein the center and the radius of the sphere correspond to an internal magnetic field associated with an electronic device including the magnetometer, and calibrating an output of the magnetometer in accordance with the center of the sphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventors: Andrey Zobenko, Gwon Sedo, Jungwoong Yoon