Patents Examined by Christopher McAndrew
  • Patent number: 8552751
    Abstract: A method for determining a heating characteristic of a glow plug, wherein pulse-width-modulated voltage pulses are applied to the glow plug and an electric variable is measured repeatedly during a voltage pulse with the heating characteristic of the glow plug determined by evaluating the difference of successive measurement results of this variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Kernwein
  • Patent number: 8547121
    Abstract: A quality control process for determining the concentrations of boron and phosphorous in a UMG-Si feedstock batch is provided. A silicon test ingot is formed by the directional solidification of molten UMG-Si from a UMG-Si feedstock batch. The resistivity of the silicon test ingot is measured from top to bottom. Then, the resistivity profile of the silicon test ingot is mapped. From the resistivity profile of the silicon test ingot, the concentrations of boron and phosphorous of the UMG-Si silicon feedstock batch are calculated. Additionally, multiple test ingots may be grown simultaneously, with each test ingot corresponding to a UMG-Si feedstock batch, in a multi-crucible crystal grower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Silicor Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Kamel Ounadjela, Marcin Walerysiak, Anis Jouini, Matthias Heuer, Omar Sidelkheir, Alain Blosse, Fritz Kirscht
  • Patent number: 8536883
    Abstract: A method of measuring the permittivity and/or conductivity of a multiphase fluid flowing through a conduit is provided. The method includes the steps of measuring the signal from a first electromagnetic transmitter to a first electromagnetic receiver separated by a first distance, measuring the signal from the first electromagnetic transmitter to a second electromagnetic receiver separated by a second distance, measuring the signal from a second electromagnetic transmitter to the first electromagnetic receiver separated by a distance substantially equal to the second distance, measuring the signal from the second electromagnetic transmitter to the second electromagnetic receiver separated by a distance substantially equal to the first distance, and wherein the first and second distances are substantially different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-gang Xie, Mehdi Hizem, Rolf Rustad
  • Patent number: 8525528
    Abstract: A method for evaluating the electric performances of an FDSOI transistor, including the steps of: measuring capacitance and/or conductance of the FDSOI transistor, by applying a voltage VBG>0 on a substrate composed of semiconductor of the FDSOI transistor when the FDSOI transistor is NMOS or a voltage VBG<0 on the substrate composed of semiconductor of the FDSOI transistor when the FDSOI transistor is PMOS, depending on a voltage VFG applied between a gate and source and drain regions of the FDSOI transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Xavier Garros, Laurent Brunet
  • Patent number: 8471579
    Abstract: A method of measuring slider resistance of different types of row bar with a common tester comprises judging the type of the row bar, if the row bar is femto-type row bar, supplying a first voltage to the front pins, and supplying a second voltage that is unequal to the first voltage to the back pins, thereby obtaining resistances of the sliders; if the row bar is shunting-type row bar, supplying a third voltage to the front pins which contact the test pads, and supplying a fourth voltage that is unequal to the third voltage to the front pin that contacts the common test pad, thereby obtaining resistances of the sliders. The present invention can measure two different types of row bar with a same common tester, which can reduce the downtime of machine and the manpower, and prevent the probe card from being damaged without a frequent disassembly and switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventor: Jian Liu
  • Patent number: 8456154
    Abstract: In a low voltage differential-mode signaling (LVDS) test system and method, a positive signal waveform and a negative signal waveform of an LVDS signal pair are obtained. A differential-mode high voltage, a differential-mode low voltage, and a common-mode noise are measured according to the positive signal waveform and the negative signal waveform. The measurement results are output to an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jui-Hsiung Ho, Wang-Ding Su
  • Patent number: 8451013
    Abstract: An insulated fiber sensor apparatus is used in a composite that includes a number of fibers in a matrix. An insulated fiber is connected with the composite and is covered with insulation such that the insulation separates the insulated fiber from the matrix and from the number of fibers in the matrix. Further, a measurement device is connected with the insulated fiber. According to one aspect of the invention, the fibers are carbon fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventor: Kuang-Ting Hsiao
  • Patent number: 8441269
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method to determine a characteristic of a subsurface formation using a downhole logging tool. A downhole logging tool having the ability to make substantially concurrent disparate measurements on the subsurface formation is provided and substantially concurrent disparate measurements on the formation using the downhole logging tool are made. Those measurements are used to solve a system of equations simultaneously and the solution to the system of equations is used to determine the characteristic of the subsurface formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chanh Cao Minh, Ahmad Madjidi
  • Patent number: 8427163
    Abstract: A spot indicating metal detector apparatus rides on a motorized platform having a rotary framework having a plurality of metal detectors mounted thereon with a plurality of metal detector coils positioned adjacent the ground below. The metal detector apparatus has a plurality of spray heads each associated with one metal detector detector coil for spraying a fluid onto the earth at the position the metal detector detects the presence of a metallic object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventor: Robert L. Sickler, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8395378
    Abstract: A method and system for inspecting components, such as a rotating component of a turbomachines having one or more slots along a perimeter thereof. The method entails mounting to a robotic apparatus a probe assembly that includes a holder assembly to which a probe tip is mounted, an eddy current coil within the probe tip and adjacent a first face thereof, a touch probe contact located at a second face of the probe tip, an element for enabling relative movement between the probe tip and holder assembly, and an element for biasing the probe tip relative to the holder assembly in a direction parallel to the movement. The probe tip is then placed in a slot and caused to travel along the surface of the slot to electromagnetically inspect the slot for cracks in its surface while the first face of the probe tip is maintained in contact with a slot surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wayne Lee Lawrence, Michael Dziech, Joseph A. Traxler
  • Patent number: 8319497
    Abstract: A marine sensor streamer includes a jacket covering an exterior of the streamer. At least one strength member extends the length of the jacket. At least one stiffener element extends inside the length of the jacket. The at least one stiffener element includes a gas filling the interior of a flexible, compressible tube and filler elements disposed in the gas. The filler elements have exterior shape and surface roughness such that upon compression of the gas, the filler elements are urged into contact with each other, causing the streamer to become substantially rigid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Gustav Göran Mattias Südow, Ulf Peter Lindqvist, Andras Robert Juhasz