Patents Examined by Carolyn Igyarto
  • Patent number: 10209124
    Abstract: According to the invention, a PIR sensor system (100) comprises a first PIR sensor (1) associated with a first sensing region (11) and a second PIR sensor (2) associated with a second sensing region (12). The first and second sensing regions partially overlap and are divided into detection cells (46a-46f) and (45a-45d). Each detection cell is represented by predetermined characteristics of first and second output signals, which signals are based on input signals from first and second sensing elements (4-7) of each PIR sensor. Thereby different detection cells are encoded by a certain combination of signal characteristics (amplitude and sign) of the first and second output signals. Further, the PIR sensor system comprises a processing unit (15) configured to associate the characteristics of the first and second output signals with one of the detection cells for determining in which of the detection cells a heat source is positioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Gianluca Monaci, Ashish Vijay Pandharipande
  • Patent number: 10209377
    Abstract: A method of distinguishing effective pulses from test pulses in a scintillation detector that generates measurement light pulses includes providing a regularly-pulsed test light source that produces individual test light pulses having a time-dependent course of relative light intensity, which differs from a time-dependent course of relative light intensity of the measurement light pulses. The test light pulses are provided to a light detector for measurement of the test light pulses. The time-dependent courses of the relative light intensities of the test light pulses are analyzed. The measured pulses are separated into the test light pulses and the measurement light pulses according to the different time-dependent courses of the relative light intensities. The detector includes a scintillator, a light detector, a regularly-pulsed test light source that is adapted provide test light pulses to the light detector for measurement, and an electronic measuring circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: FLIR Detection, Inc.
    Inventors: Jurgen Stein, Guntram Pausch
  • Patent number: 10078141
    Abstract: A radiation detection device, a system, a method, or a computer program product are used in timestamping detected radiation quanta. The device includes an optical detector pixel array, a timestamp trigger unit and a timing unit. The timestamp trigger unit determines a pixel cell triggering rate for pixel cells within the optical detector pixel array. The timestamp trigger unit causes the timing unit to generate a timestamp based on the pixel cell triggering rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Torsten Solf
  • Patent number: 10062356
    Abstract: An imager is provided for viewing subcutaneous structures. In an embodiment of the invention, the imager includes a camera configured to generate a video frame, and an adaptive nonlinear processor. The adaptive nonlinear processor is configured to adjust a signal of the video frame below a first threshold to a maximum dark level and to adjust the signal of the video frame above a second threshold to a maximum light level. The imager further includes a display, configured to display the processed video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Admin of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael J Krasowski, Joseph M Flatico, Phillip P Jenkins, Lawrence C Greer
  • Patent number: 10048392
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable mediums are provided that determine the angular orientation of detectors and detector electronic assemblies (“DEAs”). In various embodiments, the orientation of detectors/DEAs (in the ring) is determined with respect to other detectors/DEAs in the ring, the orientation of the detectors/DEAs with respect to a patient bed, or the orientation of the detectors/DEAs with respect to Earth's gravitational field. In another embodiment, a nuclear medical imaging system has one or more detector units arranged around or that can be swept around a patient bed. Each of the detector units includes an angular orientation-sensing accelerometer. By determining angular orientation of the detector from signals outputted by the accelerometer, the circumferential position of the detector relative to the patient bed can be determined. That information is used in conjunction with information about detected events to construct an image of an organ or tissue mass of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: James Mark Long
  • Patent number: 10041837
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation imaging sensor with at least one detection element, which is implemented on a substrate as a micromechanical resonator and which absorbs the radiation to be detected. The resonator is set into a resonant oscillation with an excitation device and a shift in the resonance frequency of the detection element under exposure to radiation is detected with a detection device. The radiation sensor is characterized by the fact that it comprises a scanning device with a single-axis or multi-axis tiltable scanning element. The facility to tilt the device means that the detection element can be used to detect radiation from different directions. The imaging sensor can be realized in a compact manner and be economically produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Hofmann, Manfred Weiss, Joachim Janes, Frank Senger
  • Patent number: 10031075
    Abstract: A device for identifying refrigerants includes a gas cell, which has a test gas inlet and a test gas outlet, an infrared source that radiates through the gas cell, and at least one sensor that detects the infrared radiation that passes through the gas cell. At least one wide-band filter is provided between the infrared source and the sensor. The passband of the at least one wide-band filter includes the absorption spectra of the refrigerants to be detected and does not include the absorption spectrum of hydrocarbons. The gas cell is connected to a cartridge, which contains the refrigerant to be detected in pure form as a reference gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Inficon GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Kuester, Werner Grosse Bley
  • Patent number: 10024810
    Abstract: An analyzer system including an on-belt analyzer having a housing adapted to be positioned across a path of a conveyor belt which carries material to be analyzed, wherein the housing defines a tunnel dimensioned to allow the belt to travel therethrough in suspended relation in order to allow analysis of the material without the belt contacting the analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: SCANTECH INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD
    Inventors: Andrew Roland Harris, Michael Francis Edwards, Kenneth Graham Smith, Gavin Leith Christie, Nick John Deans
  • Patent number: 10012635
    Abstract: A method for characterizing food-grade wooden part-components, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: emitting an IR radiation beam towards food-grade wooden part-components, receiving radiations reflected/transmitted by the radiated wooden part-components, processing said radiations reflected/transmitted by the radiated food-grade wooden part-components to generate information indicative of the radiation spectrum, determining, on the basis of said spectrum, the quantities PE(i) of odor active volatile compounds present in the food-grade wooden part-components, and characterizing said wooden part-components on the basis of determined quantities PE(i) of odor active volatile compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Giobatta E Piero Garbellotto S.p.A.
    Inventors: Piero Garbellotto, Franco Battistutta
  • Patent number: 10009990
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises a detecting unit for converting radiation or light into an electric signal provided with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of the pixels including a conversion element and a switching element, a drive circuit unit for controlling a conducting state of the switching element, and a control circuit unit for controlling the drive circuit unit based on the electric signal converted by the detecting unit. The control circuit unit controls the drive circuit unit to perform steps including the drive circuit unit setting the switching elements at the conducting state row by row to acquire an offset image based on the signal accumulated in the plurality of pixels for subtraction processing of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuro Takenaka, Toshio Kameshima, Tomoyuki Yagi, Sho Sato, Atsushi Iwashita, Eriko Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9927536
    Abstract: A radiation detection apparatus includes a selecting unit that allows a light having a light emission wavelength and a polarization direction to pass thorough the selecting unit, an optical system that forms an image of the light, a photon detecting unit that observes the image formed by the optical system, and detects the photon in whole range of the entire image, a counting unit that calculates the number of the alpha rays based on a result of counting the photons derived from the light emission of gas excited by the alpha rays, whereby it is possible to sufficiently eliminate background light (noise light) even if background light is strong, and therefore observe weak light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kuroda, Kunihiko Nakayama, Kei Takakura, Mikio Izumi, Naoto Kume
  • Patent number: 9857484
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a neutron spectrometry system, comprising a plurality of semiconductor detector portions arranged in close proximity, wherein the detector portions are arranged in at least two non-parallel axes, wherein each detector portion is arranged to output a detection signal indicative of energy deposited in the detector portion by ionising particles induced in the device by incident neutrons, and a control unit arranged to receive the plurality of detection signals, and to allocate detection signals to one or more of a plurality of channels based on a number of substantially coincident detection signals for determining a spectrum of incident neutrons based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
    Inventors: Simon Philip Platt, Xiao Xiao Cai
  • Patent number: 9857230
    Abstract: An infrared detector based on carbon nanotubes is provided. The infrared detector includes a detecting element, a first electrode and a second electrode. The detecting element includes an absorbing part and a non-absorbing part. A first end is located in the absorbing part. A second end is located in the non-absorbing part. An angle between the absorbing part and the non-absorbing part is less than 90 degrees. A first electrode is electrically connected with the first end. A second electrode is electrically connected with the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chun-Hua Hu, Chang-Hong Liu, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 9820710
    Abstract: Provided is a preview image generating section configured to generate preview image during radiography for the purpose of providing a radiation tomography apparatus that allows suppression of unnecessary imaging time by displaying a condition of an image during the radiography in the process of diagnosis. An operator can recognize from the preview image how a subject appears in the image in a radiation tomography apparatus also during the radiography. This allows stopping the radiography before a diagnostic image having a suitable level of clearness for diagnosis is generated. As a result, a shorter imaging time is achieved, and burden to the subject can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Ohi
  • Patent number: 9813644
    Abstract: An infrared imager includes a first optical component, a second optical component, and at least one thin film dielectric layer. The first optical component has multiple first parallel conductors with a first spacing pattern, aligned in a plane perpendicular to an axis. The second optical component has multiple second parallel conductors with a second spacing pattern, aligned in a plane perpendicular to the axis, angularly offset from the first direction. The thin film dielectric layer includes a refractive index change (RIC) material disposed between and in contact with the first and second parallel conductors. The first optical component, second optical component, and at least one thin film dielectric layer form an antenna array configured to detect one or more predetermined infrared wavelengths based on at least one of the first spacing pattern or the second spacing pattern or the angular offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul E. Jackson, Clara R. Baleine, Christopher P. Voita
  • Patent number: 9810630
    Abstract: Fluorescing compositions are disclosed for monitoring cleaning of a surface. The fluorescing compositions are stable, fluoresce under UV light, and do not leave a mark after drying and removal. The compositions include an optical brightener solubilized with cyclodextrin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Wegner, Erin Brown, Xin Sun, Thomas Mohs
  • Patent number: 9804026
    Abstract: A photoconductive device that includes a semiconductor substrate, an antenna assembly, and a photoconductive assembly with one or more plasmonic contact electrodes. The photoconductive assembly can be provided with plasmonic contact electrodes that are arranged on the semiconductor substrate in a manner that improves the quantum efficiency of the photoconductive device by plasmonically enhancing the pump absorption into the photo-absorbing regions of semiconductor substrate. In one exemplary embodiment, the photoconductive device is arranged as a photoconductive source and is pumped at telecom pump wavelengths (e.g., 1.0-1.6 ?m) and produces milliwatt-range power levels in the terahertz (THz) frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Mona Jarrahi, Christopher W. Berry, Shang-Hua Yang
  • Patent number: 9754988
    Abstract: A large format array is described having a series of smaller arrays daisy chained together to form the larger array. The smaller arrays are mounted on a base plate that may be of a non planar configuration. The daisy chaining together of the smaller arrays enables a smaller number of connections to be made to the external interface via connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: LEONARDO MW LTD
    Inventors: Philip Stephen Karl Booker, Ian M. Baker
  • Patent number: 9726524
    Abstract: Optical position encoding mechanisms and methods for use in reimaged optical imaging systems. In one example, a reimaged optical imaging system includes an imaging detector, an optical component, and at least one light source coupled to the optical component and configured to be reimaged onto the imaging detector, wherein a position of an image of the at least one light source at the imaging detector encodes a position of the optical component relative to the imaging detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric C. Fest, Page E. King, Justan Forsyth
  • Patent number: 9678222
    Abstract: A radiation detector device for detecting a primary radiation includes a scintillator which generates a converted primary radiation in response to incoming primary radiation and a photo detector for detecting the converted primary radiation. The radiation detector device further includes a secondary radiation source for irradiating the scintillator with a secondary radiation which has a wavelength different from a wavelength of the first radiation and which is capable of producing a spatially more uniform response of the scintillator to primary radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Rudolph M. Snoeren, Heidrun Steinhauser, Nicolaas J. Noordhoek, Matthias Simon