Patents Examined by Craig Steven Miller
  • Patent number: 7596465
    Abstract: Built-in test equipment (BITE) incorporated in a GPS receiver for providing a loop forward test. The loop forward test capability may be combined with a loop backward capability to provide a comprehensive built-in test (BIT) capability for the signal path in a GPS receiver. A code generator generates deterministic test code signals such as C/A code, P code and pseudo M code that are used to modulate one or more radio frequency (RF) carriers to produce RF test signals. The RF test signals are injected into the GPS receiver's RF input. The RF test signal signals are then down-converted and demodulated through an operational signal path of the GPS receiver. The processed test signals may then be compared to the initial test data. A loop backward BITE may also be used to sample the positioning data output by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventors: Randall Dale Ristau, Paul Turney
  • Patent number: 7027938
    Abstract: A machine diagnostic system for on-line diagnosis of a machine including a package for a machine diagnostic module that collects data relating to operation of the machine. The package is mounted to an outer mounting surface of the machine and includes a container which contains the machine diagnostic module. The package further includes a heat dissipation device between the container and the outer mounting surface of the machine which dissipates heat generated by the machine into surrounding air thereby minimizing heat transfer to the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Carl J. Dister
  • Patent number: 6996489
    Abstract: An apparatus for sampling a power supply current value for performing frequency analysis of the power supply current flowing in an integrated circuit with a test signal applied to the integrated circuit has a power supply generating a prescribed supply of power for the integrated circuit (DUT: device under test), a current detection means for observing the power supply current value supplied from the power supply to the DUT, a test signal generation means for generating a prescribed test signal to be applied to an input/output terminal other than a power supply terminal of the DUT and for generating a test signal application signal during application of the test signal to the DUT, a sampling means for sampling the power supply current value signal, a sampling time determining means for instructing the sampling means with regard to the start and end timing for sampling, based on the test signal application signal, a sampling data storage means for storing data sampled by the sampling means, a Fourier transform
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 6990426
    Abstract: A diagnosis method and apparatus for measuring blood hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, respiration rate, or degree of aging of blood vessels using light includes an input/output unit for receiving a command for measurement from a user and for providing information on the result of a measurement to the user; a control unit for receiving the command for measurement from the input/output unit and for generating a control signal; a light generating unit for generating at least two light beams for measurement according to the control signal; a light receiving unit for receiving the light beams transmitted through an object that is subject to measurement and for converting the received light beams into electrical signals; and a data processing unit for processing the electrical signals received from the light receiving unit and for outputting information on the result of a predetermined measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gil-won Yoon, Hong-sig Kim, Kye-jin Jeon, Jong-youn Lee, Kun-kook Park, Su-jin Kim, Hoon-jong Jwa
  • Patent number: 6968285
    Abstract: A method of describing a set of tests capable of being performed on a device under test (DUT) is disclosed. The method includes identifying a scenario space of the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Inventor: Adnan A. Hamid
  • Patent number: 6957163
    Abstract: An integrated circuit system has a reference data table for holding information that is used to control at least one circuit block in the system and also has a power supply circuit, a body bias control circuit, a clock delivery circuit, a temperature monitor circuit, and/or a configuration control circuit. The performance of the system is improved by obtaining system performance data by testing the system at different supply voltages, different body-bias voltages, different clock speeds, and/or different temperatures. Values based on the data are entered into the reference data table. The power supply circuit, the body bias control circuit, the clock delivery circuit, and/or the temperature monitor circuit data is adjusted using the entered values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Ando
  • Patent number: 6947864
    Abstract: Latent faults are detected by a testing system in a redundant DC power supply system having at least two power supplies connected to a common load via respective isolation devices. The testing system selects as a subject for a test procedure one isolation device and its corresponding power supply. The power supplies are controlled during the test procedure to marginally vary the output voltage of at least one power supply such that a differential voltage is applied between the output of the selected power supply and the outputs of the remaining power supplies for selectively changing the conductive state of at least one isolation device to a non conductive state by reducing its forward voltage to less than its respective forward bias voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Garnett
  • Patent number: 6944565
    Abstract: A signal analysis instrument (10) and a receiver. The signal analysis instrument (10) comprises a computer (12), a phase shift mechanism, a receiver mechanism and data acquisition device. The phase shift mechanism comprises an input (100) for receiving a first high frequency signal; a phase shifter (114) arranged to act on the first high frequency signal to produce a phase-shifted first high frequency signal; and a phase shift controller (116) arranged to control operation of the phase shifter (114) in response to instructions from the computer (12). The receiver mechanism comprises a mixer (104) and a first signal conditioning circuit (106). The mixer (104) is responsive to the phase-shifted first high frequency signal and to a second high frequency signal to produce a mixer output signal. The first signal conditioning circuit (106) is responsive to the mixer output signal to produce a receiver output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Poseidon Scientific Instruments Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Cameron Mcneilage, Mehran Mossammaparast, Paul Richard Stockwell
  • Patent number: 6944569
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating an electronic test signal, and particularly to the use of such a method and apparatus for calibrating meters used to measure electrical characteristics such as voltage, current, phase angle and power. A user may select via a user input control the frequency domain characteristics of a desired electronic test signal including a user-defined set of amplitudes and phases of a fundamental frequency and one or more harmonic frequencies. A processor generates from the user-defined set of amplitudes and phases a frequency domain output set of amplitudes and phases for the fundamental frequency and one or more harmonic frequencies, which is then converted into a first time domain set of amplitudes extending over at least one cycle of the fundamental frequency. The first time domain set of amplitudes is communicated to a digital-to-analog output stage which generates an electronic test signal corresponding to the time domain set of amplitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Fluke Precision Measurement Ltd.
    Inventors: Philip James Harbord, Alastair Fields
  • Patent number: 6931357
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for analyzing network performance by creating benchmark test results when the computer network is initialized, and subsequently testing the network while operational to determine degradations. This method and system can proactively determine problems before they result in network failures, or immediately detect network failures even before the user is aware of them. In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a method of monitoring at least one computer network from a remote location. The method includes benchmark-testing at least one computer network with test data provided from the remote location to obtain benchmark test results. Often, benchmark-testing is performed when the network is initialized. Once operational, the remote location will perform operational-testing of at least one computer network with sample data provided from the remote location to obtain operational test result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Computer Network Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Dana K. Richard, Roger T. Richardson, Lisa D. Ludgate, Robert R. Beyer, William C. Collette
  • Patent number: 6925407
    Abstract: A controller with attachments for controlling specific electronic circuits is disclosed. Each attachment has a connector connectable to the electronic circuit to be controlled, and a memory accessible by the controller that contains configuration data for accessing the electronic circuit, and operational software for operating the electronic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles M. Duppong
  • Patent number: 6920405
    Abstract: A desired Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL), a desired Key Defect Rate (KDR), a desired power of a sampling plan for items that are manufactured and a desired false alarm rate for the sampling plan are input into a computer. The computer calculates a required sample size to provide the desired AQL, the desired KDR, the desired power of the sampling plan for the items that are manufactured and the desired false alarm rate for the sampling plan. Thus, each of the individual parameters may be independently specified based on the items that are manufactured, desired AQLs, KDRs, power and false alarm rates. Reliance on ANSI/ASQ Z1.9 tables which might best fit a user's desired parameters can be reduced and preferably eliminated. In addition to calculating the required sample size, a decision rule critical value also may be calculated based upon the required sample size to provide the desired AQL, the desired KDR, the desired power and the desired false alarm rate for the sampling plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventor: David E. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 6915239
    Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus for obtaining accurate, timely information for event detection and prediction based on autonomous opportunism. The objective is to make the best possible use of all available resources at the time of acquisition, including historical data, multiple sensors, and multiresolution acquisition capabilities, under a given set of processing and communication bandwidth constraints. This method (and the corresponding apparatus) fuses multiple adaptively acquired data sources to prepare information for use by decision support models. The onboard data acquisition schedule is constructed to maximize the prediction accuracy of the decision models, which are designed to operate progressively, utilizing data representations consisting of multiple abstraction levels and multiple resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Bergman, Yuan-Chi Chang, Matthew Leon Hill, Chung-Sheng Li, John R. Smith
  • Patent number: 6895341
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of analysis for human locomotion irregularities. In such method, acceleration measurements obtained during one or more motions controlled at a stabilized gait of a human being are used, through accelerometers measuring on a time base accelerations according to at least one direction, and any locomotion irregularities are analyzed from reference measurements. Such measured accelerations are submitted to at least one wavelet transformation and the resulting wavelet transform is used to detect and/or analyze the irregularities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique
    Inventors: Eric Barrey, Bernard Auvinet
  • Patent number: 6889168
    Abstract: A method and apparatus performs a security analysis computer system to identify, notify, and possibly correct, vulnerabilities and discrepancies. The security system includes a number of security tools and utilities in order to perform these functions. The security system includes the capability to identify the system configuration and once this is done performs different processes to analyze the computer system directories, locate vulnerabilities in the files or directories, check the network access, do analysis of the users or groups which have access to the computer system and check the permissions which these parties have been granted, and analyze passwords of the users. The utilities include the functionality to permanently remove files from the computer system, mark particular files to be analyzed, as well as schedule the security tests to be performed at predetermined times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Innerwall, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce V. Hartley, Eric Knight, Greg Zymbaluk, Cynthia Mavros, Kevin Reynolds
  • Patent number: 6885963
    Abstract: A method described is distinguished by the fact that an external test device brings about the execution, in a program-controlled unit, of a program that initiates, performs or supports the testing of the program-controlled unit. As a result, program-controlled units can be rapidly and reliably tested under all circumstances with minimal outlay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Arnold, Thorsten Klose, Ernst-Josef Kock
  • Patent number: 6885956
    Abstract: There is disclosed a semiconductor test apparatus enabling writing into an information write space of a block including a failure cell into which block writing is inhibited partially or entirely by the bad block mask function and the fail loop back function. A pattern generation block outputs to an output controller a release signal (S4) for releasing the write inhibit instruction defined by an inhibit signal (S3) and a mask signal (SI). When the output controller receives the release signal (S4), the output controller outputs a write enable signal (WE) to an MUT (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Advantest Corp.
    Inventor: Tadahiko Baba
  • Patent number: 6885975
    Abstract: Operators and plant computer programs used to operate a complex process facility are aided in managing the process during transitions by a computer-based apparatus. The apparatus incorporates a knowledge base and methods for identifying modes and transitions during plant operation. At frequent intervals, measured values of the process variables are used to evaluate the current state of the process and its sections and subsections. The identified state of the plant is broadcast to different clients of this application. The apparatus monitors the plant for the normal execution of the transition. It also identifies the current task being performed in the process and sends this message to different sections of the plant. The results are displayed on a visual display device and can also be sent to other plant computer programs for guidance during the transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Inventors: Rajagopalan Srinivasan, Anandakrishnan Sundarraman, Pradeep Kumar Viswanathan, Hiranmayee Vedam, Nochur Ananthanarayanan
  • Patent number: 6859739
    Abstract: An improved empirical model-based surveillance or control system for monitoring or controlling a process or machine provides identification of transitions between operational states. Empirical model-based estimates generated in response to receiving actual operational parameters are compared using a global similarity operator to the actual parameters to indicate whether the process or machine is operating in a stable state, or is in transition from one state to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Smartsignal Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan W. Wegerich, David R. Bell, Xiao Xu
  • Patent number: 6859754
    Abstract: A statistical process control (SPC) method, wherein a post-stage process corresponds to a pre-stage process, is disclosed in the present invention. In one embodiment, the SPC method comprises: collecting a plurality of pre-stage measurements and post-stage measurements respectively during the pre-stage process and the post-stage process; evaluating an equation for approaching a relation between the plurality of post-stage measurements and the plurality of pre-stage measurements; calculating based on the equation a post-stage variance being independent of the fluctuation of the plurality of pre-stage measurements; and monitoring the post-stage process of mass production by an upper and a lower control limits, wherein the upper control limit is equal to the equation plus half order of the post-stage variance and the lower control limit is equal to the equation minus half order of the post-stage variance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Mosel Vitelic, Inc.
    Inventor: Ming-Yuan Shieh