Patents Examined by David M Schindler
  • Patent number: 7439735
    Abstract: A position sensor including a sensor assembly adapted to mount to a first rail of an automotive seat rail assembly. The sensor assembly includes a Hall device and a magnet. The assembly is mountable to the first rail to cause a first output of the Hall device when the first rail is in a first position relative to a second rail of the automotive seat rail assembly, and to cause a second output of the Hall device when the first rail is in a second position relative to the second rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Stoneridge Control Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan M. Barnabo, Mark Freeman, Kayvan Hedayat
  • Patent number: 7435016
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an image sensor on which an object image is formed via a photographing optical system; a radially-retracting device which moves the image sensor between a photographing position, at which the image sensor is located on a common optical axis of the photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position; and a flexible PWB for electrically connecting the image sensor to an image processing circuit. The flexible PWB includes a fixed portion positioned in front of the retracted position of the image sensor, and a free-deformable portion extending from the image sensor toward the fixed portion. The free-deformable portion forms a shape to accommodate and cover the image sensor when the image sensor is radially retracted to the radially-retracted position, and is extended to form a shape to uncover the image sensor when the image sensor is positioned in the photographing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7436183
    Abstract: An antenna structure is separately and independently formed with respect to a downhole tool. The antenna is adapted for easy and rapid deployment on the tool. An independently formed ‘partial ring section’ (or arcuate shaped member) contains an antenna coil. In one embodiment, two or more of the independently formed partial ring sections are placed in a recess on the tubular forming the downhole tool. In another embodiment, the partial ring sections can also be placed in one or more longitudinally distributed sections about the tool. Another embodiment includes partial ring sections forming an antenna with multiple coils of differing orientation to provide directional sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Clark
  • Patent number: 7436174
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotation angle detector for use mainly in detecting rotation angles of a vehicle's steering shaft, with a simplified and low-cost configuration. For this purpose, a first detection head and a second detection head are disposed perpendicularly to a rotor, and a spur gear formed outside the periphery of the first detection head is allowed to engage with a face gear formed on the bottom face of the periphery of the rotor. This can provide the first detection head with a simplified configuration in which magnetic sensors are provided together with a controller on a single circuit board. The configuration enables the rotation angle detector to perform the detection reliably and cheaply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shozoh Shiraga, Masahide Onishi, Yasunori Tomino, Tamotsu Ohta
  • Patent number: 7436185
    Abstract: An apparatus for logging a formation traversed by a borehole includes a plurality of logging tools adapted for conveyance inside the borehole. The plurality of logging tools includes a tool body, a sensing pad responsive to a density property of the formation coupled to the tool body, a current emitting measure electrode responsive to a lateral resistivity property of the formation incorporated on the sensing pad, a mechanism for urging the sensing pad in contact with a side of the borehole coupled to the tool body, and a pair of mass isolation bands disposed about the tool body to isolate a mass of the tool body adjacent the measure electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Fredette, Martin E. Poitzsch
  • Patent number: 7436172
    Abstract: An angular speed detecting device is composed of a magnetic sensor unit connected to a rotating object and including a permanent magnet and a pair of magnetic sensor elements to generate a pair of signals and an electric computing unit that calculates an angular speed from the signals. The electric computing unit calculates the angular speed by the following steps: forming sine and cosine functions of an angle ?? from the signals; forming a saw-tooth curve of the angle ??; forming a table showing plus or minus sign of the signals and the saw-tooth curve of the angle ?? at a plurality of rotation angles of the rotating object; forming a pair of curves of output angles ?1 and ?2 in terms of 360-degree angular range by distinguishing rotation position of the rotating object from a combination of the plus, or minus sign of the signals and the saw-tooth curve of the angle ??; and selectively using curves of the output angles ?1 and ?2 to calculate the angular speed of a rotating object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Matsumoto, Tatsuya Kitanaka
  • Patent number: 7432704
    Abstract: An inductor-type resolver capable of reducing a residual voltage by providing a correction winding inside the resolver is provided. Two magnetic pole portions 11 and 15 include winding portions W11 and W12, respectively, which constitute a first signal detecting winding W1. Two magnetic pole portions 13 and 17 include winding portions W21 and W23, respectively, which constitute a second signal detecting winding W2. A remaining magnetic pole portion W19 includes a correction winding W3 for obtaining a correction voltage used for reducing the residual voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sakae Kishi, Kazuhiro Makiuchi
  • Patent number: 7432716
    Abstract: A logging tool used in a borehole having non-conductive mud. The tool includes a known inductance in series with an electrode. The quality factor of a circuit that includes the electrode, the inductance and the earth formation is indicative of the resistivity of the formation. The quality factor may be determined using either a plurality of signals or by measuring a transient response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Stanislav W. Forgang, Gregory B. Itskovich, Randy Gold, Homero Castillo
  • Patent number: 7432703
    Abstract: A rope position sensor for the surveillance of the position of the traction or carrying rope of a transport installation on a grooved pulley comprises an inductive distance measuring unit capable of emitting an alternating magnetic field and of detecting the attenuation of that magnetic field by the presence of the rope 1 in a proximity zone. The sensor is adapted to detect the rope in at least three proximity zones (z1, z2, z3) and to produce an output signal containing information indicating the proximity zone in which the rope is being detected to indicate the position of the rope at the pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Optosys SA
    Inventors: Peter Heimlicher, Charles Rheme
  • Patent number: 7429859
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for measuring a radiofrequency magnetic field, characterised in that it comprises on a common support (10): a coil forming a primary reception antenna; a voltage-controlled oscillator, monitored so that its output frequency depends on the amplitude of the magnetic field received on the coil forming primary antenna; an absorption modulation load connected to the oscillator output; a secondary antenna (22) sensitive to the magnetic field influenced by the absorption modulation resulting from the power supply load by the voltage-controlled oscillator, and means (30) for operating the available signal on the secondary antenna (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Fahrenheit Thermoscope LLC
    Inventors: Jacky Bouvier, Philippe Geoffroy
  • Patent number: 7427859
    Abstract: A moving body detecting apparatus including at least a gear 1 as a magnetic moving body including at least one of a projected portion or a recessed portion, a bias magnet 5 for applying a bias magnetic field thereto, and two pairs of spin valve type giant magneto resistive elements R1, R2 and R3, R4, in which the moving body detecting apparatus is arranged such that magnetizing directions of pinned layers of the paired spin valve type giant magneto resistive elements are directed to direct substantially in a forward direction and substantially in an opposite direction relative to the direction of moving the gear 1, for example, linearly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Fukuoka, Toshinao Kido
  • Patent number: 7420364
    Abstract: An attitude detection sensor includes three magnetic sensing parts that detect magnetic field strength in respective directions along three axes perpendicular to each other, and two tilt sensing parts that detect tilt angles around two axes perpendicular to each other. The tilt sensing parts each include a cantilever having a magnet body that moves in accordance with the tilt angle, and a magnetic detection head that detects a displacement of the magnet body. The three magnetic sensing parts and the two magnetic detection heads are each formed using a magnetic detection element of the same type. At least one electronic circuit for controlling the five magnetic detection elements, the three magnetic sensing parts, and the two tilt sensing parts is disposed in a single package in the form of a module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignees: Aichi Steel Corporation, Vodafone K.K.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Honkura, Michiharu Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Kohtani, Masaki Mori, Eiji Kako, Tomohiko Nagao, Toshiro Matsumura, Hirohisa Kusuda, Yasuhiro Nishide, Daisuke Tsujino, Jun Yamazaki, Takashi Katayama
  • Patent number: 7420366
    Abstract: A sensor system employing a plurality of nonlinear sensors utilizes a coupling network to interconnect the sensors wherein the coupling network inherently induces oscillations in the sensor system. This approach removes the need to provide bias signal generation either onboard the sensors or via a source external to the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Visarath In, Antonio Palacios, Yong Kho, Adi R. Bulsara
  • Patent number: 7417421
    Abstract: Arrangement for measuring the angular position of an object, using planar magnetoresistive sensors (6, 9) through which an electric current flows and which are arranged in a magnetic field which is parallel to their respective planes, which magnetic field is generated by an arrangement of magnets (4, 14) rotatably journaled eccentrically on a shaft (11), the angular position of the shaft (11) corresponding to that of the object to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Matthias Wendt
  • Patent number: 7414400
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a potentially dangerous ferromagnetic object carried inadvertently by a person approaching the magnet of a magnetic resonance imaging system (14) uses the fringe field (16) of the magnet and provides guide members (11) defining a path along which the person is prescribed to pass. The path (11) is generally or approximately parallel to the field the path. At least one sense coil and generally two sets of sense coils (12, 13) are located on respective sides of the path (11) s the movement of the ferromagnetic object in the field of the magnet causes a voltage to be generated in the sense coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: National Research Council of Canada
    Inventor: David I. Hoult
  • Patent number: 7414391
    Abstract: Techniques for calibrating an electromagnetic logging tool equipped with a plurality of antennas, with at least one antenna having its axis at an angle with respect to a tool axis, include disposing a test loop about the tool such that an axis of the tool and a plane on which the test loop lies form a tilt angle that is between about 0 and 90 degrees. An induced signal is measured at one of the antennas by energizing another of the antennas. Embodiments analyze the induced signal corresponding to a max or min extrema associated with a coupling effect due to the test loop. In other embodiments a corrected signal is compared with a calculated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Dean M. Homan, Richard A. Rosthal, Gerald N. Minerbo, Thomas D. Barber
  • Patent number: 7414393
    Abstract: A magnetic detection device of a NS detection type is provided. A magnetic detection device comprising a first series circuit, a second series circuit, and a third series circuit. At least one of a plurality of resistance elements forming the first series circuit includes a first magneto-resistance element using a magneto-resistance effect, of which an electric resistance varies with an external magnetic field of any one direction. At least one of a plurality of resistance elements forming the second series circuit includes a second magneto-resistance element using a magneto-resistance effect, of which an electric resistance varies with an external magnetic field of a direction apposite to the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Katsuya Kikuiri, Kiyoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 7414405
    Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining tool face angles on a rotating drill collar in substantially real time is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment the apparatus includes a magnetoresistive magnetic field sensor deployed in a tool body. The apparatus further includes a programmed processor configured to calculate tool face angles in substantially real time from the magnetic field measurements. The programmed processor may optionally further be configured to correlate the calculated tool face angles with logging while drilling measurements for use in borehole imaging applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: PathFinder Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A Moore
  • Patent number: 7408341
    Abstract: A rotation angle detection device includes a housing including a magnetic sensor, a rotation member rotatable relative to the housing and including a magnet facing the magnetic sensor, and a shaft member operated so as to rotate with an operated member. A rotation angle of the operated member is detected on the basis of a change of an output signal from the magnetic sensor rotatable relative to the magnet. The rotation member and the shaft member are connected to each other in such a manner that axes thereof are tiltable towards each other. Further, the rotation angle detection device includes a centering mechanism for retaining the rotation member and the housing member in a coaxial manner regardless of a tilting of the shaft member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayoshi Okuya, Kota Saito
  • Patent number: 7405560
    Abstract: A GMR angle sensor for vehicles includes a GMR element in which the element resistance is changed in response to an external magnetic field, lead conductors connected to either end of the GMR element, and a protective layer that seals the GMR element and the lead conductors, wherein the protective layer has a laminated structure including an oxidation-resistant inorganic film that ensures that the GMR element and the lead conductors are sufficiently insulated and a silicone-based organic film laminated on the inorganic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Shimizu, Ichiro Tokunaga, Kenji Honda