Abstract: This method for detecting a disturber of magnetic field amplitude comprises: the emitting (62) of several magnetic fields of different frequencies from a same uniaxial magnetic field source, the amplitudes of the magnetic field emitted at two different unspecified frequencies being related to each other by a predetermined ratio, the measurement (64) of the amplitude of these magnetic fields at different frequencies by means of a same sensor, and the reporting (70) of an amplitude disturber if a ratio between two of said measured amplitudes diverges from a predetermined threshold of the predetermined ratio which relates the amplitudes of the magnetic fields emitted at the same frequencies and, if not, the absence of any reporting.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 6, 2010
Date of Patent:
March 31, 2015
Assignee:
Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux energies alternatives
Abstract: A pulse-induction type metal detector using a transmitter coil energizing pulse that selectively reduces the amplitude of background signals from conductive soils, ores and salt water. The detector can be operated with higher amplification of the received signals than conventional detectors, without driving the input amplifier into saturation. This makes it possible to detect land mines, tramp metal and gold in media whose characteristics make detection with conventional metal detectors difficult.
Abstract: A non-contact sensor system is provided that comprises a first sensor element and a rotary member disposed proximate the first sensor element without physically contacting the first sensor element. The rotary member may be configured to he rotated about an axis Y by a shaft configured to pass through the rotary member along the axis Y at a value X. The non-con act sensor system further comprises a second sensor element disposed on the rotary member proximate the first sensor element without physically contacting the first sensor element, and the first sensor element and the second sensor element may be operatively coupled to facilitate sensing the value X.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 14, 2012
Date of Patent:
March 24, 2015
Assignee:
Goodrich Corporation
Inventors:
Staffan Erickson, Eric Cahill, Harald Klode
Abstract: The invention relates to a position/displacement measuring system comprising at least one encoded scale body having at least one encoding track extending in a measuring direction and a sensor device having at least one sensor head sensitive to the encoding, wherein the at least one sensor head comprises at least a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit which provide respective sensor signals and are spaced apart from one another in the measuring direction.
Abstract: In a method of performing a cluster assay, a suspension (14) of superparamagnetic particles in a fluid to be analyzed is provided, wherein the superparamagnetic particles are coated with a bioactive agent. The particles are then allowed to form clusters due to an analyte present within the fluid. Subsequently, clusters of superparamagnetic particles are selectively actuated by applying a rotating magnetic field, wherein the amplitude of the magnetic field varies over time. Finally, the selectively actuated clusters are detected. An apparatus for performing a cluster assay comprises means for accommodating a sample (12) and means for applying a rotating magnetic field (11), the magnetic field being adapted for selectively actuating clusters of superparamagnetic particles. The apparatus further comprises means for detecting the selectively actuated clusters.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 4, 2009
Date of Patent:
March 17, 2015
Assignee:
Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Inventors:
Andrea Ranzoni, Menno Willem Jose Prins, Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ovsyanko
Abstract: A rotational angle detection device may include a sensor wiring member and a motor wiring member. Each of the sensor wiring member and the motor wiring member includes a terminal body section and a connector section that are formed separately from each other and are electrically connected to each other via a connection structure.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 14, 2012
Date of Patent:
March 17, 2015
Assignee:
Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Inventors:
Tsutomu Ikeda, Masashi Kishi, Yuichi Nishida, Fusatomo Miyake, Tatsuhisa Matsuda, Hiroki Shimoto, Makoto Mase
Abstract: A measurement system includes a rotating member configured to transfer mechanical energy to a point of use. The member has at a surface thereof one or more circumferentially oriented bands of magnetizable material. Each band has a magnetic pattern comprised of a plurality of transitions magnetically recorded in the magnetizable material of that band. A magnetic-field sensor is disposed sufficiently near each band of magnetizable material to sense a magnetic pattern recorded in that band as the member rotates. Each magnetic-field sensor generates signals in response to the magnetic pattern sensed by that magnetic-field sensor. Processing electronics is in communication with each magnetic-field sensor to receive the signals generated by that magnetic-field sensor while the member rotates and to dynamically compute from the signals a measurement associated with a performance of the rotating member.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 10, 2011
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2015
Assignee:
SRI International
Inventors:
Kurt D. Fulkerson, Donald C. Arns, Jr., Paolo G. Sechi
Abstract: An eddy current probe 1 in accordance with the present invention has a structure in which a cross coil 7 is placed in a predetermined direction relative to permanent magnets 3 and 5 in the following manner. When the probe 1 is erected, the coil 7 is placed between the magnets 3 and 5 so that a direction CD in which the opposing portion 9a (9c) of the first coil 9 is extended intersects with a direction MD in which the magnets 3 and 5 are extended. In the same manner, when the probe 1 is erected, the coil 7 is placed between the magnets 3 and 5 so that a direction CD in which the opposing portion 11a (11c) of the second coil 11 is extended intersects with the direction MD in which the magnets 3 and 5 are extended.
Abstract: Manufacturing of magnetometer units (20?) employs a test socket (41) having a substantially rigid body (43) with a cavity (42) therein holding an untested unit (20) in a predetermined position (48) proximate electrical connection (50) thereto, wherein one or more magnetic field sources (281, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336) fixed in the body (43) provide known magnetic fields at the position (48) so that the response of each unit (20) is measured and compared to stored expected values. Based thereon, each unit (20) can be calibrated or trimmed by feeding corrective electrical signals back to the unit (20) through the test socket (41) until the actual and expected responses match or the unit (200) is discarded as uncorrectable. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field sources (281, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336) are substantially orthogonal coil pairs (332, 333, 334) arranged so that their centerlines (332-1, 333-1, 334-1) coincide at a common point (46) within the predetermined position (48).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 22, 2011
Date of Patent:
February 24, 2015
Assignee:
Freescale Semiconductor Inc.
Inventors:
Peter T. Jones, David T. Myers, Franklin P. Myers, Jim D. Pak
Abstract: A pump comprising an electrical motor drive (2) and a pump engine (3), the pump engine having a stator portion (32) and an axially and rotatably movable rotor portion (30) mounted in the stator portion. The electrical motor drive comprises a rotor (6) with a permanent magnet (20), a stator (4) with a magnetic circuit (10) and one or more coils, and a position sensor (8) comprising at least one magnetic field detector (24a, 24b) positioned in the proximity of the rotor permanent magnet and configured to detect both rotational and axial movement of the rotor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 12, 2010
Date of Patent:
February 17, 2015
Assignee:
Sensile Pat AG
Inventors:
Dominique Genoud, Franck Robin, Helmut Thiemer
Abstract: A motor rotation angle sensor includes a plurality of Hall elements and a plurality of switches, each a which is able to interrupt supply of power for operating a corresponding one of these Hall elements.
Abstract: A measuring device for the measurement of differential signals including a real-time portion, which contains two probes, a signal adder and a triggering device. The probes each record a partial signal of a differential signal. The signal adder adds the partial signals to form a differential signal. The triggering device implements a triggering on the basis of the differential signal.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 25, 2010
Date of Patent:
February 10, 2015
Assignee:
Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
Inventors:
Thomas Kuhwald, Johann Huber, Michael Reinhold, Wolfgang Herbordt, Markus Freidhof
Abstract: In various embodiments, apparatus and methods of operating the apparatus are provided to determine existence and location of parasitic stress threes on a rod portion, the rod portion made of a magnetostrictive material and having a hollow tube. The apparatus may include a device comprising an envelope made of a non-magnetic material, a magnetic field source disposed inside the envelope, a motor to set the magnetic field source in rotational motion on the inside of the envelope, and a sensor to measure a value of the magnetic field and to deliver a signal representative of the value of the magnetic field. Operation of the apparatus may include penetration of the envelope into a portion of the hollow tube of the rod portion and translation of the envelope along the portion of the hollow tube. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 1, 2012
Date of Patent:
January 13, 2015
Inventors:
Jean-Pierre Martin, Phillippe Broun, Jean-Louis Coulomb, Vincent Bongiraud
Abstract: A logging tool and method to make subsurface measurements is disclosed, wherein the tool is placed within a borehole penetrating a formation. The tool has a transmitter antenna and a receiver antenna spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the tool, and at least one of the transmitter or receiver antennas has a dipole moment that is non-coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the tool. The at least one non-coaxial antenna can rotate relative to the other antenna. Energy is transmitted from the transmitter antenna and a signal associated with the transmitted energy is measured at the receiver antenna while the at least one non-coaxial antenna rotates relative to the other antenna.
Abstract: A method and system are provided for calibrating a magnetometer. The method comprises determining a current quality level associated with magnetometer readings obtained using an active set of calibration parameters; and lowering a quality threshold for a background calibration of the magnetometer when the current quality level exceeds a threshold quality level needed by an application utilizing the magnetometer readings.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 19, 2011
Date of Patent:
December 30, 2014
Assignee:
Blackberry Limited
Inventors:
Nazih Almalki, Christopher Harris Snow, Jeffrey Alton Hugh Dods, Adam Louis Parco
Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a circular vertical Hall (CVH) sensing element and at least one planar Hall element. The CVH sensing element has contacts arranged over a common implant region in a substrate. In some embodiments, the at least one planar Hall element is formed as a circular planar Hall (CPH) sensing element also having contacts disposed over the common implant region. A CPH sensing element and a method of fabricating the CPH sensing element are separately described.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 7, 2011
Date of Patent:
December 30, 2014
Assignee:
Allegro Microsystems, LLC
Inventors:
Andreas P. Friedrich, Andrea Foletto, Gary T. Pepka
Abstract: The present disclosure describes various geophysical survey systems and methods for mapping an electric potential field. At least one illustrative embodiment includes an electromagnetic (EM) source and geophysical survey cables that each includes multiple electrodes spaced apart along each geophysical survey cable's length, and multiple data acquisition units that each obtains measurements indicative of an electric potential between two the electrodes. A modeling module is included and configured to calculate a reference potential at a selected electrode for each of the plurality of geophysical survey cables, as well as a calculation module to combine signals representative of the measurements to produce signals indicative of the electric potential of each electrode relative to the reference potential.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 14, 2012
Date of Patent:
December 30, 2014
Assignee:
PGS Geophysical AS
Inventors:
Mattias Südow, Frederick James Barr, Jr., Peter Lindqvist, Robert Juhasz
Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward a system that includes a turbomachine blade monitoring system having an eddy current proximity probe assembly. The eddy current proximity probe assembly includes an eddy current proximity probe having a probe tip and a probe tip shroud disposed about the probe tip, wherein the probe tip shroud comprises a non-metallic material. The eddy current proximity probe is configured to provide a signal indicative of a presence of a turbomachine blade, wherein the eddy current proximity probe assembly is configured to be disposed within a turbomachine casing. The turbomachine blade monitoring system also includes a monitor coupled to the eddy current proximity probe assembly, wherein the monitor is configured to monitor a parameter of the turbomachine blade based on the signal.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 16, 2012
Date of Patent:
December 30, 2014
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Kristoffer Wayne Wickstead, Samuel Thomas Walter Francis, Jesse Lewis Hanna, Sherrie Ann Clark
Abstract: The input device has a printed circuit board (5) to which a plurality of coils (L1-L8) has been fitted which, together with a capacitor (C2), each form a frequency-determining element of an oscillator (1). The coils (L1-L8) are arranged so as to be distributed along a path (K), which may also be a circular path. A movable magnet portion (M) can be displaced relative to the printed circuit board (5). At least one further stationary magnet portion (M1-M8) is mounted on the printed circuit board (5), which is opposite the movable magnet portion (M).
Abstract: Identifying measurement subset comprising a disturbed measurement disturbed by a magnetic disturber includes emitting and measuring magnetic fields using mono-axial source/mono-axial transducer pairs to obtain real measurements distinguished by position of a source used to emit the field, position of transducer used to measure the field, and field frequency, a source being tied to a mobile object and the transducer tied to a frame of reference in which a position of the mobile object is to be expressed (or vice versa), estimating position of the object in the reference frame based on an observer and involving only a first subset of the measurements, estimating the measurements based at least in part on the estimated position Pi and on a direct model linking the object's position to the measurements, and determining whether or not the first measurement subset comprises a disturbed measurement by comparing the estimated and real measurements.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 20, 2010
Date of Patent:
December 9, 2014
Assignee:
Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives