Patents Examined by Derek Rosenau
  • Patent number: 9728705
    Abstract: A metallization, for carrying current in an electrical component, includes a bottom layer overlying a substrate surface and includes titanium (Ti) or a titanium compound as main constituent. An upper layer overlies the bottom layer and includes copper (Cu) as main constituent. The bottom layer and the upper layer form a base layer. A top layer is in direct contact with the upper layer and includes aluminum (Al) as main constituent. The base layer further includes a middle layer, consisting of silver, that is arranged between the bottom layer and the upper layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles Binninger, Ulrich Knauer, Helmut Zottl, Werner Ruile, Tomasz Jewula, Rudolf Nuessl
  • Patent number: 9722512
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inertial drive on the basis of pulse trains is disclosed. The pulse trains include pulses having sections of different gradients and having variable amplitude and/or frequency. A pulse interval occurs between the individual pulses, wherein the selected pulse duration is so short that is substantially less than the cycle duration of the natural oscillation of the system to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: SmarAct Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Rass, Axel Kortschack
  • Patent number: 9707593
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer having a membrane and a container having a base and at least one wall element. The one or more wall elements can be situated over at least part of the base to form a cavity that can have an at least partially open end. The open end can be sealed with the membrane and the interior of the container can be maintained at a lower atmospheric pressure than the ambient pressure. Within the container, a piezoelectric flexure can be fixed at one end to a location at a wall element. The other end of the flexure can be in mechanical communication with the membrane, either directly or through a stiffener that is itself in communication with the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: uBeam Inc.
    Inventor: Marc Berte
  • Patent number: 9712137
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing resonation device (a quartz crystal oscillator) includes the steps of applying a thermosetting thermal insulating connection material and an electrically-conductive connection material, which is higher in curing temperature than the thermosetting thermal insulating connection material, on a principal surface of a substrate, mounting fixation terminals of a resonator (a quartz crystal resonator), which has a heating element, and to which the fixation terminals and connection terminals are connected, in application positions of the insulating connection material on the substrate, and connection terminals in application positions of the electrically-conductive connection material, and heating the insulating connection material and the electrically-conductive connection material based on a reflow profile to make the insulating connection material and the electrically-conductive connection material cure in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Manabu Kondo
  • Patent number: 9712087
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element drive circuit includes a piezoelectric element that has a piezoelectric substance whose thickness is 0.05? to 20 ?m and two electrodes which interpose the piezoelectric substance therebetween, an inductor that is connected to the piezoelectric element in parallel, and a drive voltage generation circuit that applies a drive voltage including an AC component to the piezoelectric element and the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiichi Kajino
  • Patent number: 9705425
    Abstract: A piezoelectric motor with improved efficiency and improved specific power is disclosed. The piezoelectric motor has two frictionally engaged components mounted in such a way that they can move relative to each other. One component is a piezoelectric element in the form of a rectangular plate with metal coatings on its main planar surfaces. This component defines electrodes, where either some or all of the electrodes have leads for connection to a source of alternating voltage. The piezoelectric element is pressed by either its peripheral surfaces or by some parts of its peripheral surfaces at least by one of its sides or a section of one of its side against a cylindrical or planar surface of the other frictionally engaged component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Discovery Technology International, Inc.
    Inventors: Serhiy Petrenko, Viacheslav Lavrinenko, Valentin R. Zhelyaskov
  • Patent number: 9705064
    Abstract: A circuit assembly is used for controlling a piezoelectric transformer having an input capacitance in a first circuit branch. The circuit assembly also includes a second circuit branch for compensating for the input capacitance, preferably by means of a capacitive element, and a differential amplifier having two inputs. The first input is coupled to the first circuit branch and the second input is coupled to the second circuit branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Peter Kraxner, Markus Puff
  • Patent number: 9705426
    Abstract: An ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator including a contact surface that is brought into contact with a member to be driven, and a piezoelectric element fixed thereto, the vibrator configured to drive the member to be driven by an ultrasonic vibration excited by the piezoelectric element; a fixing unit; and a pressing member supported by a restraining part of the fixing unit so as not to move in a direction parallel to the contact surface, the pressing member configured to apply a bias force to the vibrator so as to press the contact surface against the member to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Yamasaki, Makoto Oikawa
  • Patent number: 9689733
    Abstract: A vibration limit switch with a membrane, which can be set into oscillation, and a drive unit for setting the membrane into oscillation and/or for detecting an oscillation of the membrane, with the drive unit comprising at least one electromagnetic drive and one Piezo-electric drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: VEGA GRIESHABER KG
    Inventor: Holger Gruhler
  • Patent number: 9683612
    Abstract: A two dimensional structure such as a disk or belt is shaped or distorted to form a buckling wave. At least one contact touches the wave, two contacts squeezing the wave between them providing a firmer connection. The wave is propagated along the structure by any of a variety of means including magnets or piezo actuators. This movement of the wave moves the contacts relative to the two dimensional structure, providing a high leverage ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Genesis Robotics LLP
    Inventor: James Brent Klassen
  • Patent number: 9673779
    Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer has reduced loss due to acoustic waves emitted in the transverse direction. For this purpose, a transducer comprises a central excitation area, inner edge areas flanking the central excitation area, outer edge areas flanking the inner edge areas, and areas of the busbar flanking the outer edge areas. The longitudinal speed of the areas can be set so that the excitation profile of a piston mode is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Werner Ruile, Markus Mayer, Ulrike Rösler, Markus Hauser, Ingo Bleyl, Karl-Christian Wagner, Wolfgang Sauer, Michael Jakob, Thomas Ebner, Edgar Schmidhammer, Stefan Berek, Christoph Eggs
  • Patent number: 9673372
    Abstract: An actuator device and a manufacturing method for the actuator device with which an outer electrode electrically connected to an inner electrode can be reliably formed even when using a film made of an electrostrictive material. An actuator device includes a plurality of stacked electrostrictive films each of which is made of an electrostrictive material and includes inner electrodes formed on one surface or both surfaces of the film. Lead electrodes are formed to be led out respectively from the inner electrodes toward the outside of the electrostrictive film 31. At least one cut portion is formed in each of the lead electrodes, and conductive ink is applied to the cut portion. The conductive ink reaches, from the cut portions, the lead electrodes formed on the electrostrictive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shozo Otera
  • Patent number: 9673777
    Abstract: Quartz cuts are provided which exhibit temperature characteristics which are favorable for making differential SAW temperature sensors. Families of Y cuts rotated between 0° and 60° degrees in combination with placement of two resonators at specified angles to each other are disclosed. Further, preferred embodiments in which the resonators are placed on opposite sides of a zero TCF line are disclosed, to provide wide temperature differences while efficiently utilizing the available bandwidth. The design permits placement of the resonator at angles smaller than 12.5° and even less than 5° therebetween, most preferably on quartz rotated Y cut between 28.5° and 42.75°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Transense Technologies PLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Andle, Victor Kalinin
  • Patent number: 9666785
    Abstract: A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate, and a piezoelectric vibrating body including a substrate, and piezoelectric elements provided on the substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order on the substrate. The piezoelectric vibrating body is installed on the vibrating plate so that the piezoelectric element is interposed between the substrate and the vibrating plate. A wiring pattern including a first wiring corresponding to the first electrode and a second wiring corresponding to the second electrode is formed on the vibrating plate, the first electrode and the first wiring are connected to each other through a first laminated conducting portion, and the second electrode and the second wiring are connected to each other through a second laminated conducting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohisa Iwazaki, Akio Konishi, Kiichi Kajino, Koichi Kamijo, Osamu Miyazawa, Yutaka Arakawa, Daisuke Yamada
  • Patent number: 9667222
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing resonation device (a quartz crystal oscillator) includes the steps of applying a thermosetting thermal insulating connection material and an electrically-conductive connection material, which is higher in curing temperature than the thermosetting thermal insulating connection material, on a principal surface of a substrate, mounting fixation terminals of a resonator (a quartz crystal resonator), which has a heating element, and to which the fixation terminals and connection terminals are connected, in application positions of the insulating connection material on the substrate, and connection terminals in application positions of the electrically-conductive connection material, and heating the insulating connection material and the electrically-conductive connection material based on a reflow profile to make the insulating connection material and the electrically-conductive connection material cure in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Manabu Kondo
  • Patent number: 9666786
    Abstract: A bulk wave piezoelectric resonator operating at a predetermined frequency includes a substrate block, having a plane face, a first thickness and consisting of a first material, a resonant plate having a length, width and second thickness, and consisting of a second piezoelectric material, first and second metal electrodes at least partly covering the resonant plate on each side and partly facing each other. The resonant plate is fixed perpendicularly in the vicinity of the plane face of the substrate block so that the width of the resonant plate and the first thickness of the substrate block have the same direction, and the first material, the second material, the first thickness of the block of substrate, the length, the width, the second thickness of the resonant plate are configured for trapping bulk waves at the operating frequency of the resonator and for producing a plane-plane type bulk wave piezoelectric resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE DE FRANCHE-COMTE, ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DE MECANIQUE ET DES MICROTECHNIQUES
    Inventors: Sylvain Ballandras, Gwenn Ulliac, Blandine Edouard-Guichardaz, Thomas Baron, Jean-Yves Rauch
  • Patent number: 9667174
    Abstract: A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body, inner electrodes, a glass coating layer, and outer electrodes. The glass coating layer extends from an exposed portion of one of the inner electrodes at a first end surface to a first principal surface. The outer electrodes are each constituted by a plating film disposed directly above the glass coating layer. The glass coating layer includes a glass medium and metal powder particles that define conductive paths. The metal powder particles have an elongated or substantially elongated shape and are dispersed in the glass medium. The dimension of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first principal surface in the length direction, is larger than that of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first end surface in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nishisaka, Satoshi Matsuno, Tetsuya Kisumi, Yoko Okabe
  • Patent number: 9662680
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer is provided that includes an ultrasonic wave generator having piezoelectric vibrators, and cases having ultrasonic wave emission holes and accommodating the ultrasonic wave generator. Acoustic paths in which air serves as a medium are formed by the ultrasonic wave generator and the and extend from the piezoelectric vibrators to the ultrasonic wave emission holes. Resonance of air is generated in the acoustic paths by ultrasonic waves generated by the piezoelectric vibrators in which the ultrasonic wave emission holes are open ends of the resonance. The piezoelectric vibrators are driven at a driving frequency at which the temperature-sound pressure characteristic for the resonance of air and the temperature-amplitude characteristic at the driving frequency of the piezoelectric vibrators have opposite tendencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironari Yamamoto, Akihiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 9660171
    Abstract: An electronic component has a mounting board, a bump located on a mounting surface of the mounting board, a SAW device located on the bump and connected to the bump. The SAW device has an element substrate, an excitation electrode located on the first primary surface of the element substrate, a pad located on the first primary surface and connected to the excitation electrode, and a cover located above the excitation electrode and formed with a pad exposure portion on the pad. Further, the SAW device makes the top surface of the cover face the mounting surface, makes the bump be located in the pad exposure portion, and makes the pad abut against the bump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasutaka Ohashi, Masaki Nambu, Yusuke Morimoto, Daisuke Makibuchi, Takanori Ikuta
  • Patent number: 9660170
    Abstract: Micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) arrays capable of multiple resonant modes and techniques for operating them are described, for example to achieve both high frequency and low frequency operation in a same device. In embodiments, various sizes of piezoelectric membranes are fabricated for tuning resonance frequency across the membranes. The variously sized piezoelectric membranes are gradually transitioned across a length of the substrate to mitigate destructive interference between membranes oscillating in different modes and frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM DIMATIX, INC.
    Inventor: Arman Hajati