Patents Examined by Andre J. Allen
  • Patent number: 11731468
    Abstract: A radio-transmitting sensor for a vehicle wheel, suitable for measuring at least one physical quantity and for transmitting a radio signal representative of this measured physical quantity. The sensor includes a measurement and transmission circuit, an antenna impedance matching circuit, and an antenna circuit. The sensor includes a sensitivity switch controlled by the measurement and transmission circuit and suitable for switching the antenna circuit according to two modes: a dynamic mode in which the antenna circuit is configured as a magnetic antenna, and in which the sensor transmits said radio signal representative of the measured physical quantity, this signal including transmitted data frames; and a static mode in which the antenna circuit is configured as an electric antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Sébastien Kessler, Mohamed Cheikh, Alexis Morin, Frédéric Lathiere
  • Patent number: 11733116
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for indicating the presence of a threshold directional differential pressure between separated adjacent spaces. An inclined conduit contains at least one movable element that indicates whether the pressure difference between the two spaces is at least as high as a threshold pressure difference. The apparatus may include an on-board pitch indicator and a roll indicator which are used together to calibrate the apparatus and its installation. The apparatus may provide only one or more discrete number of pressure difference set points and be non-adjustable once installed. The inclined conduit may be non-rotatable relative to the baseplate, and the baseplate may be rotatable to change threshold pressure difference set points. The apparatus may provide a tamper-resistant indication of whether a threshold pressure differential is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: AirFlow Direction, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian M. Wiseman
  • Patent number: 11731469
    Abstract: A method performed by an electronic device to monitor one or more wheels of a vehicle. The method includes receiving first accelerometer measurements of a first accelerometer mounted on the vehicle's first wheel when the vehicle is moving during an interval of time, determining based on the first accelerometer measurements a first path followed by the first accelerometer when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, receiving second accelerometer measurements of a second accelerometer mounted on a vehicle's second wheel when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, determining, based on the second accelerometer measurements, a second path followed by the second accelerometer when the vehicle is moving during the interval of time, and determining based on a comparison of the first path with the second path that at least one of the vehicle's first wheel and the vehicle's second wheel is misaligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Samsara, Inc.
    Inventor: Glen Phillip McGillan
  • Patent number: 11733119
    Abstract: Determining when to calibrate a pressure sensor of a mobile device. Particular systems and methods determine values of a plurality of metrics, determine weights for the metric values, determine weighted metric values by applying the weights to the metric values, use the weighted metric values to determine if a pressure sensor of the mobile device should be calibrated using information associated with the first location, and calibrate the pressure sensor of the mobile device using the information associated with the first location if a determination is made that the pressure sensor of the mobile device should be calibrated using information associated with the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: NextNav, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Dormody, Guiyuan Han, Badrinath Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11724553
    Abstract: A valve system for a tire parameter monitoring system includes a valve body having an elastomeric material and a connection element. The connection element includes a first engaging device with which the connection element is detachably connected to an electronic module of the tire parameter monitoring system, a second engaging device with which the connection element is detachably connected to the valve body, and a mounting section adapted to be detachably connected to a hole in a wheel rim. A tire parameter monitoring system and a method for mounting a tire parameter monitoring system to a wheel rim of a vehicle are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Mihai Barbalata, Adrian-Sinisa Racoviceanu
  • Patent number: 11726104
    Abstract: A flow velocity sensor includes a substrate, a resistor, and a signal processing section. The substrate has first and second substrate surfaces outwardly opposite to each other. The first substrate surface is exposed to a fluid. The resistor is mounted on the second substrate surface. The resistor has a heat generating portion facing the second substrate surface. The signal processing section is configured to receive a signal from the resister. The signal from the resistor represents heat dissipation of the resistor. A fluid velocity is detected based on the signal from the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventor: Tomokazu Ikeno
  • Patent number: 11719579
    Abstract: A wearable device includes a case and a far infrared temperature sensing device. The case has a first opening. The far infrared temperature sensing device is disposed inside the case of the wearable device. The far infrared temperature sensing device includes an assembly structure, a sensor chip, a filter structure, and a metal shielding structure. The assembly structure has an accommodating space and a top opening. The sensor chip is disposed in the accommodating space of the assembly structure. The filter structure is disposed above the sensor chip. The metal shielding structure is disposed above the sensor chip, and has a second opening to expose the filter structure. The first and second openings are communicated to cooperatively define a through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Ming Sun, Ming-Han Tsai, Cheng-Nan Tsai
  • Patent number: 11714079
    Abstract: A pressure cell for sum frequency generation spectroscopy includes: a metal pressure chamber; a heating stage that heats a liquid sample; an ultrasonic stage that emulsifies the liquid sample; a chamber pump that pressurizes an interior of the metal pressure chamber; and a controller that controls the chamber pump, the ultrasonic stage, and the heating stage to control a pressure of the interior of the metal pressure chamber, an emulsification of the liquid sample, and a temperature of the liquid sample, respectively. The metal pressure chamber includes: a liquid sample holder that retains the liquid sample; a removable lid that seals against a base; a window in the removable lid; a sample inlet that flows the liquid sample from an exterior of the metal pressure chamber to the liquid sample holder at a predetermined flow rate; and a sample outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Salah H. Alsaleh, Dong Kyu Cha, Ali Abdallah Al-Yousef
  • Patent number: 11714015
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to sensing pressure and mitigating the error introduced by the thermoelectric effect. A pressure sensing device includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an error correction device. The pressure sensor produces a voltage output proportional to a sensed pressure. The temperature sensor measures a first temperature at a first location and a second temperature at a second location to produce a temperature difference signal. The error correction device modifies the pressure output proportionally to the temperature difference signal to produce a temperature adjusted pressure output which compensates for error introduced from the temperature difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT AEROSPACE INC.
    Inventors: Brandon T. Berg, Brian A. Gilkison
  • Patent number: 11713242
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a sensor is provided. The sensor includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) substrate disposed over an integrated chip (IC), where the IC defines a lower portion of a first cavity and a lower portion of a second cavity, and where the first cavity has a first operating pressure different than an operating pressure of the second cavity. A cap substrate is disposed over the MEMS substrate, where a first pair of sidewalls of the cap substrate partially define an upper portion of the first cavity, and a second pair of sidewalls of the cap substrate partially define an upper portion of the second cavity. A sensor area comprising a movable portion of the MEMS substrate and a dummy area comprising a fixed portion of the MEMS substrate are both disposed in the first cavity. A pressure enhancement structure is disposed in the dummy area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Wen Cheng, Fei-Lung Lai, Kuei-Sung Chang, Shang-Ying Tsai
  • Patent number: 11709109
    Abstract: The PCB wind tunnel test device includes: a flow-stabilizing structure, which includes: a box used to provide flow channels for air entering the flow-stabilizing structure; flow-stabilizing plates, which are inserted into the cavities of the box in a layered manner; a wind source, arranged at an air inlet of the flow-stabilizing structure; a test device, arranged at the outlet of the flow-stabilizing structure. When the flow-stabilizing structure receives the wind energy provided by the wind source, the state of the air flow is adjusted by flow stabilization, so that the test device tests the air passing through the flow-stabilizing structure. The present invention solves the problem that conventional wind tunnels cannot test at low air volumes and enables PCB testing at different ambient temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Inventec (Pudong) Technology Corporation, INVENTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hangyu Duan, Lianfei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11707948
    Abstract: There is provided a computerized system comprising a processing unit and associated memory configured to obtain a three-dimensional dataset informative of at least part of a tread of a tire, and determine, using the three-dimensional dataset, data informative of tread depth of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: UVEYE LTD.
    Inventors: Roman Shklyar, Ilya Grinshpoun, Danny Grossman, Ilia Shapiro
  • Patent number: 11703406
    Abstract: A device for measuring pressure includes a curved microbeam having opposing ends, a length extending between the pair of opposing ends, and a plurality of resonant frequencies, an actuating electrode extending along the length of the curved microbeam and spaced from the curved microbeam, an AC power source in communication with one of the opposing ends and the actuating electrode to deliver an AC signal at a first symmetric resonant frequency and a second symmetric resonant frequency selected from the plurality of resonant frequencies to the curved microbeam, a DC power source in communication with the opposing ends to pass an electrothermal voltage along a length of the curved microbeam, and a frequency monitoring device to monitor changes in the first symmetric resonant frequency and the second symmetric resonant frequency caused by an ambient pressure surrounding the curved microbeam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nouha Alcheikh, Amal Hajjaj, Mohammad Ibrahim Younis
  • Patent number: 11698318
    Abstract: A reconfigurable pressure transducer assembly having an input tube filter assembly is provided. The resonant frequency and dampening characteristics associate with the pressure transducer assembly may be configured by the input tube filter assembly. The input tube filter assembly includes one or more inserts disposed in an input tube channel, the one or more inserts including one or more bores of selectable dimensions and extending therethrough from a first end to a second end. The one or more inserts define an effective input tube bore, and the input tube filter assembly is tunable by selection of the selectable dimensions of the one or more inserts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: KULITE SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Louis DeRosa, Robert Gardner
  • Patent number: 11698317
    Abstract: A measurement device for measuring the pressure of a wheel (3) of a vehicle, the measurement device comprising a stationary portion (5) and a movable portion (14) for being driven in rotation by the wheel, the stationary portion including a first printed circuit (7) having at least one first track formed thereon defining a first winding, the movable portion including a second printed circuit (16) having at least one second track formed thereon defining a second winding, the second printed circuit being arranged to be connected to a pressure sensor (15), the first winding and the second winding being coupled together to form a wireless communication channel, the measurement device being arranged in such a manner that the pressure sensor is electrically powered by the stationary portion via the wireless communication channel, and in such a manner that uplink data comprising pressure measurement data is transmitted to the stationary portion (5) by the movable portion (14) via the wireless communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: SAFRAN LANDING SYSTEMS, SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE
    Inventors: Joel Zabulon, Didier Levavasseur
  • Patent number: 11691464
    Abstract: A method for detecting a thermal anomaly during running of a tire-wheel assembly (3) of a vehicle (1) equipped with a mounting wheel (5) on which a pneumatic tire is mounted comprises the steps of measuring the internal pressure (P) and temperature (T) of the tire-wheel assembly (3) using a sensor (9) attached to the mounting wheel (5), calculating a monitoring ratio which is a function of the measured pressure and of the measured temperature, repeating the preceding steps and tracking the evolution in the value of the monitoring ratio in order to determine a thermal anomaly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Frederic Domprobst, Vincent Pilon
  • Patent number: 11692897
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a field serviceable pressure scanner suitable for high-pressure sensing applications and replacement of large pressure transmitter panels. The pressure scanner includes a housing having a mounting plate comprising a plurality of through-hole bores extending from a front to back side for mating with corresponding transducer ports of the pressure sensors, and a plurality of input ports disposed on the front side of the mounting plate and in communication with the corresponding plurality of through-hole bores. The pressure scanner assembly includes two or more field-replaceable (swappable) pressure sensors seal mounted to the back side of the mounting plate, each pressure sensor comprising one or more sensor ports, each of the one or more sensor port in communication with corresponding through-hole bores in the mounting plate, and a multi-channel data acquisition system configured to receive pressure signals from the two or more field-replaceable pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: KULITE SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Louis DeRosa, Joseph R. VanDeWeert, Steve Kleiber
  • Patent number: 11692814
    Abstract: A hand-held device for obtaining a three-dimensional topological surface profile of a tire, the device comprising: a base comprising an aperture; a light source arranged in use to generate an elongate pattern of light, and to project said pattern through the aperture onto a rolling surface of the tire; a detector arranged to image a region of the rolling surface of the tire; a plurality of pairs of guide wheels mounted on respective axles mounted on the base, wherein the guide wheels on adjacent axles are linked by gears; and a rotary encoder arranged to generate a signal corresponding to rotation of an axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SNAP-ON EQUIPMENT S.R.L. A UNICO SOCIO
    Inventors: Andrew Pryce, Björn Gustafsson, Kshitij Sisodia, Allen Pearson
  • Patent number: 11685199
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tire pressure sensor that includes a pressure transducer, a transmitter, and a housing carrying the pressure transducer and the transmitter, adapted to be mounted to an air inlet end of a tire valve; wherein the housing has a sleeve part which has an internal thread at the end for screwing the sleeve part onto the tire valve. The tire pressure sensor according to the invention is characterized in that the housing further has a receiving part in or on which the pressure sensor and the transmitter are arranged and which, in the mounted state, is connected to the sleeve part so as to be rotatable relative to the sleeve part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TIRECHECK GMBH
    Inventor: Christian Markert
  • Patent number: 11686638
    Abstract: A piezoelectric sensor includes a substrate, a meta-membrane adhered to the substrate, and a piezoelectric element adhered to the meta-membrane. The substrate includes a support frame which laterally surrounds and partly defines a recess and a cover film which overlies and partly defines the recess. The support frame supports the cover film along an entire periphery of the cover film. The meta-membrane is adhered to the cover film of the substrate. In accordance with one embodiment, the meta-membrane has an auxetic bi-axial kirigami honeycomb structure. In accordance with another embodiment, the meta-membrane has an auxetic hexagonal honeycomb structure. The meta-membrane is adhered to the substrate and to the piezoelectric element using elastic glue. In one proposed implementation, the substrate and meta-membrane are made of polycarbonate and the piezoelectric element comprises a piezoelectric substrate made of polyvinylidene fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Saman Farhangdoust, Gary E. Georgeson