Patents Examined by Amy He
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Patent number: 9007064Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of evaluating electric joints includes: partially separating a terminal portion from a busbar portion of a joint formed between a battery cell terminal and an interconnector busbar; and measuring electric resistance between the terminal portion and the busbar portion. In another embodiment, the step of measuring includes connecting the terminal portion of the joint to a first clip of a first polarity and connecting the busbar portion of the joint to a second clip of an opposing polarity.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2012Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Humi Widhalm
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Patent number: 8981790Abstract: A noise current passing through a substrate on which an electronic component is mounted is suppressed in a housing, to provide a malfunction of an electronic device. A substrate (103) on which an electronic component is mounted is secured to a housing (102) by a metal spacer (108) and a screw (104). A noise control member (100) mainly composed of an insulation substance is disposed between the metal spacer (108) and the substrate (103). A first conductive film is formed on the metal spacer-side of the noise control member (100), and a second conductive film is formed on the substrate-side of the noise control member (100). A resistance member (101) is disposed between the first conductive film and the second conductive film. A noise current introduced from the housing to the substrate can be suppressed by the resistance member.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Satoshi Nakamura, Takashi Suga, Yutaka Uematsu
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Patent number: 8981795Abstract: A measuring arrangement for determining electrical conductivity of a measured liquid, comprising: a container, in which the measured liquid is accommodated, a gradiometer arrangement, comprising an exciter coil, a first receiving coil and a second receiving coil, wherein the first and the second receiving coils are arranged symmetrically relative to the exciter coil, and a measurement circuit embodied to excite the exciter coil for producing an alternating magnetic field passing through the first receiving coil, the second receiving coil and the measured liquid. The receiving coils are influenced in different manner by the magnetic field induced by the alternating magnetic field in the measured liquid and directed counter to the alternating magnetic field. The measurement circuit is furthermore embodied to register an electrical signal of the receiving coils and to derive from such the electrical conductivity of the liquid.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta Geselllschaft fur Mess-Und Regeltechnik mbH + Co. KGInventors: Manfred Jagiella, Marco Völker
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Patent number: 8970202Abstract: A shift sensor includes a movable member, four movable contacts, seven fixed contacts, and two power supply terminals. Each of the movable contacts is fixed to the movable member and pivoted to a position corresponding to a shift position. Each of the fixed contacts outputs a shift signal when it is brought into conduction with a power supply terminal by coming into contact with any of the movable contacts. The fixed contacts are arranged such that the number of shift signals that differ between shift positions is three or more, between the shift positions of P, R, N, D, and B, except for between the D and B positions.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Hokoi, Yoshitaka Watanabe, Junji Sato
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Patent number: 8970226Abstract: An RF current probe is encapsulated in a conductive housing to permit its placement inside a plasma reactor chamber. An RF voltage probe is adapted to have a long coaxial cable to permit a measuring device to be connected remotely from the probe without distorting the voltage measurement.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2013Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Satoru Kobayashi, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
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Patent number: 8970230Abstract: An embodiment of an integrated circuit device may comprise an integrated circuit package, a sensor element attached within the integrated circuit package, a capacitance sensor coupled with the sensor element and situated within the integrated circuit package, wherein the capacitance sensor is configured to measure a capacitance of the sensor element, and an output pin positioned at the exterior of the integrated circuit package, wherein the output pin is configured to carry a signal based on the measured capacitance of the sensor element.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Rajagopal Narayanasamy, Mahadevan Krishnamurthy Narayana Swamy, David Wright, Steven Kolokowsky
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Patent number: 8970225Abstract: A circuit for exciting at least one DC sensor is provided in which the circuit has a digital regulation controller connected to a main system and to a regulation loop. The main system has a DAC connected to the sensor via a non-inverted amplified path and via an inverted amplified path in order to send sensor excitation signals including a DC component in differential mode. The regulation system includes an ADC connected to the amplified paths. The circuit includes a monitoring system that is connected to the controller in parallel with the converter in order to send signals as a function of an AC component of the signals taken from the amplified paths. The digital controller is arranged to inject a sinewave in common mode into the excitation signals and to analyze signals output by the monitoring system and signals output by the ADC.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2010Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Sagem Defense SecuriteInventors: Nicolas Geneste, Gwenaël Esteve
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Patent number: 8941371Abstract: An RFID-based sensor is provided with an RFID chip and an antenna electrically connected to the RFID chip. The sensor further includes a sensing material electrically connected to the antenna and a drive element. At least a portion of the sensor is movable between a closed condition in which the sensing material is isolated from the outside environment and an open condition in which the sensing material is exposed to the outside environment. The drive element moves the sensor between the open and closed configurations depending on whether or not it is receiving a signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2011Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Avery Dennison CorporationInventor: Ian J. Forster
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Patent number: 8928331Abstract: A diagnostic circuit for trouble shooting electronic control units of appliances includes a voltage sensing and signal generation device with an input/output and an input. The circuit includes first terminals for connecting to the load and second terminals for connecting to the two lines of the sinusoidal source. One of the first terminals is connected to the input/output, and another one of the first terminals is connected to the input. A relay is connected between one of the second terminals and the input/output. Another relay is connected between another one of the second terminals and the input. A first diode pair with clamping diodes is connected to the input/output, and a second diode pair first diode pair with clamping diodes is connected to the input.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2012Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KGInventors: Robert Alvord, James Kopec, Jochen Aicher, Vu Nguyen
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Patent number: 8922219Abstract: A photo ionization detector (PID) is provided for selectively determining various compounds or gases present in a breath sample. The PID, comprises a substrate comprising a gas ionization chamber, at least one pair of ion sensing electrodes, and at least one amplifying circuit; and an ultraviolet (UV) ionization source to transmit a UV light beam into the gas ionization chamber. A system comprises the PID is also provided. A method of detecting a response pattern for various compounds or gases in breath using PID is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2010Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Bo Li, Rui Chen, Matthew Damian Pietrzykowski, Xuefeng Wang, Nannan Chen, Cheng-Po Chen
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Patent number: 8922192Abstract: A method for multiphase electrical power phase identification by a monitoring component includes: receiving a request for the power phase identification for a given power component phase connection from a power component; in response, sending signal characteristics to the power component; monitoring power signals on distribution panel phase connections; determining that the signal characteristics are found on a given distribution panel phase connection; and in response, sending an identifier of the given distribution panel phase connection to the power component. In receiving the signal characteristics, the power component: selects the given power component phase connection; applies a signal with the signal characteristic on the given power component phase connection; receives an identifier of the given distribution panel phase connection from the monitoring component; and associates the identifier with the given power component phase connection.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2011Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Stem, Inc.Inventors: David Erhart, Craig Southeren, Stacey Reineccius
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Patent number: 8907655Abstract: A system and method to detect the fundamental frequency of an electric input signal using a feedback control loop including a phase error detector, a loop controller, and a digitally controlled oscillator. The frequency detector may detect the fundamental frequency of an electric input signal and produce an output signal representing the fundamental frequency of the electric input signal. The frequency detector may further include a filter that may be coupled to the frequency detector output signal in order to remove spurious tones or noise from the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.Inventor: Gabriel Antonesei
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Patent number: 8901915Abstract: An external signal sensor uses a single sensing circuit to detect a DC voltage or an AC voltage or a contact closure. The circuit can sense different isolated signals with relatively low power consumption. According to various embodiments, an isolation transformer has a primary winding that is fed by an oscillator signal. A secondary winding of the isolation transformer is open when no contact closure or AC or DC voltage is present, but is closed when a contact closure is present or when an AC or DC voltage is present. When the secondary winding is open, a status signal at an output of the sensing circuit has a logical high value. When the secondary winding is closed, the status signal has a logical low value. In this way, the same sensing circuit can be used to detect either a contact closure or an AC or DC voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2012Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Elster Solutions, LLCInventor: Kenneth C. Shuey
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Patent number: 8866491Abstract: Techniques for correcting tail effect are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a sensor coupled with a processing logic. The sensor is configured to measure a plurality of measurements from a sensor array, where the measurements are representative of a conductive object that is in contact with or proximate to the sensor array. The sensor array comprises RX electrodes and TX electrodes that are interleaved without intersecting each other in a single layer on a substrate of the sensor array. The processing logic is configured to determine a set of adjustment values that correspond to a tail effect associated with the measurements, and to generate adjusted measurements based on the set of adjustment values, where the adjusted measurements correct a parasitic signal change of the tail effect.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2013Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Petro Ksondzyk, Vasyl Mandziy, Igor Kolych, Massoud Badaye
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Patent number: 8866490Abstract: Techniques for eliminating tail effect are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a sensor coupled with a processing logic. The sensor is configured to measure a plurality of measurements from a sensor array when the sensor array is in an unsettled state, where the measurements represent a conductive object that is proximate to a touch-sensing surface of the sensor array. The processing logic is configured to determine a set of adjustment values that correspond to a tail effect associated with the plurality of measurements, and to generate adjusted measurements corresponding to the plurality of measurements based on the set of adjustment values.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Vasyl Mandziy, Igor Kolych, Volodymyr Hutnyk, David G. Wright
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Patent number: 8854060Abstract: A physiological measurement instrument is disclosed, having a detector, implemented as one or more sensors, for measuring values of one or more physiological measured parameters associated with a body of a human or animal subject, and for detecting values of a physical parameter that indicates an operating position of the measurement instrument relative to the body, and an operating-position-determining unit that receives and analyzes output signals from the detector, to determine the operating position of the measurement instrument.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2010Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: BIOTRONIK CRIM Patent AGInventors: Michael Diebold, Jens Philipp, Thomas Finnberg
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Patent number: 8854026Abstract: A method of determining a measure of a total capacitance of one or more capacitive elements connected to an output of a switched mode power supply is described. The method includes generating a voltage control signal to cause an output voltage controller to sweep a voltage at the output of the switched mode power supply from an initial voltage value to a final voltage value. Sample values of a current at the output measured by a current sampler during the sweep of the output voltage are received, and an integrated current value representing a measure of the total capacitance using the received sample values is calculated.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2009Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)Inventors: Magnus Karlsson, Torbjörn Holmberg, Matz Lenells
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Patent number: 8841930Abstract: An integrated circuit and a method for efficiently operating integrated circuit devices. The integrated circuit includes an input that is configured to receive a first current which is representative of a leakage current drawn by leakage in a portion of the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a leakage calibrator that is configured to compare the first current to a current required to perform a switching operation and output a value indicative of the leakage.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2011Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Marvell Israel (MISL) Ltd.Inventor: Eitan Rosen
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Patent number: 8823388Abstract: A calibration circuit and a calibration method are provided. The calibration circuit has a delay circuit, a phase detector, and a controller. The delay circuit delays an input signal to output an output signal, wherein a delay time between the input signal and the output signal is related to an equivalent capacitance and an equivalent resistance of the delay circuit. The phase detector coupled to the delay circuit compares the phases of the input signal and the output signal. The controller coupled to the delay circuit and the phase detector generates a control signal according to the comparison result of the phase detector to adjust the equivalent resistance of the delay circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Solid State System Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yu-Wei Lin
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Patent number: 8810257Abstract: Signal measuring systems, and measurement methods are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2011Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.Inventor: Gary R. Simpson