Patents Examined by Dharti Patel
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Patent number: 9960732Abstract: A fault detection system in a photovoltaic system 1, is able to identify a system state on the basis of a first and optionally a second measured data profile and is thus able to distinguish error states from the operating state of the system.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2014Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Wolfgang Höft
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Patent number: 9960545Abstract: A universal serial bus (USB) cable including a power conductor configured to transmit power between a first device and a second device, a configuration channel (CC) conductor configured to allow the first device and the second device to determine whether a connection has been established via the USB cable, and a first positive temperature coefficient (PTC) element coupled to the CC conductor and configured to mitigate current flowing through the CC conductor if a temperature of the first PTC element rises above a predefine trip temperature.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2016Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.Inventors: Boris Golubovic, Kunghao Yu
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Patent number: 9960589Abstract: The stovetop timer kit is an aftermarket circuit interrupt device adapted for use with electric stoves. The stovetop timer kit uses a current transducer that senses the current flow to the burners and oven of the electric stove. A microcontroller monitors the current flow through the current transducer and when an overcurrent situation is sensed the microcontroller cuts off electric current flow to the burners and oven of the electric stove. The microcontroller is a programmable device that is used to control and operate the device. The stovetop timer kit comprises a control module and an interrupt circuit.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2016Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Inventor: James Gleason
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Patent number: 9953968Abstract: An integrated circuit having an ESD protection structure is described. One embodiment includes a circuit section interconnected with a first terminal and with a second terminal and being operable at voltage differences between the first terminal and second terminal of greater than +10 V and less than ?10 V. The integrated circuit additionally includes an ESD protection structure operable to protect the circuit section against electrostatic discharge between the first terminal and the second terminal. The ESD protection structure is operable with voltage differences between the first and second terminals of greater than +10 V and less than ?10 V without triggering. The ESD protection structure is electrically and optically coupled to a photon source such that photons emitted by the photon source upon ESD pulse loading are absorbable in the ESD protection structure and an avalanche breakdown is initiatable by electron-hole pairs generated by the absorbed photons.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Yiqun Cao, Ulrich Glaser, Magnus-Maria Hell, Julien Lebon, Michael Mayerhofer, Andreas Meiser, Matthias Stecher, Joost Willemen
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Patent number: 9954356Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of radio frequency circuits are provided. In certain configurations, an ESD protection circuit includes two or more pairs of field effect transistors (FETs) electrically connected in series between a radio frequency signal pin and a radio frequency ground pin. Each of the two or more pairs of FETs includes a negative ESD protection FET for providing protection from negative polarity ESD events and a positive ESD protection FET for providing protection from positive polarity ESD events. The source and gate of the negative ESD protection FET are electrically connected to one another, and the source and gate of the positive ESD protection FET are electrically connected to one another. Additionally, the drains of the negative and positive ESD protection FETs are electrically connected to one another. The ESD protection circuit exhibits a relatively low capacitance and flat capacitance versus voltage characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2015Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.Inventors: Srivatsan Parthasarathy, Javier Alejandro Salcedo, Rodrigo Carrillo-Ramirez
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Patent number: 9950181Abstract: A medical system is disclosed, comprising internal parts for implantation in a patient and external part for use externally to the patient. The external parts comprise an energy source equipped with a primary coil and an external control unit for controlling the energy source. The internal parts comprise an electrically powered medical device, an energy receiver equipped with a secondary coil and an internal control unit for controlling the internal parts. The system is arranged to determine a balance between the amount of energy received in the energy receiver and the amount of energy used by the medical device, based on a first, second and third parameter.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2017Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Inventor: Peter Forsell
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Patent number: 9953754Abstract: Provided are a medical apparatus and a method of operating the same. The medical apparatus includes a body including a user input unit to which a user instruction is input, a display device displaying a medical image and is rotatable about the body, and a locking member setting the display device to be rotatable when the display device is touched and fixes the display device when the display device is not touched.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.Inventors: Soon-deok Kim, Jung-sik Song, Yeon-ho Kim, Yu-ri Kim
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Patent number: 9948092Abstract: The present invention discloses a current-mirror-based electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping circuit comprising: a first power terminal; a second power terminal; a current-mirror-based ESD detector; a driver; and an ESD clamping element. The current-mirror-based ESD detector includes: a resistor coupled between the first power terminal and a detection-output-terminal; a semiconductor capacitor coupled between the detection-output-terminal and an ESD triggered current mirror; and the ESD triggered current mirror operable to electrically connect the semiconductor capacitor and/or the detection-output-terminal with the second power terminal according to the level of a driving signal under an ESD operation. The driver is operable to generate the driving signal according to the voltages of the detection-output-terminal and the first and second power terminals.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Tay-Her Tsaur, Cheng-Cheng Yen
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Patent number: 9940986Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structures for eFuses. The structure includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure operatively coupled to an eFuse, which is structured to prevent unintentional programming of the eFuse due to an ESD event originating at a source.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2015Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.Inventors: Alain F. Loiseau, Joseph M. Lukaitis, Ephrem G. Gebreselasie, Richard A. Poro, Andreas D. Stricker, Ahmed Y. Ginawi
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Patent number: 9941669Abstract: A protection device cartridge of an electrical installation intended to be brought on a base including an active protection component having a first terminal and a second terminal; a first connector forming a first electrical circuit portion electrically connected to the first terminal and to a first bearing portion of the base and a second connector forming a second electrical circuit portion electrically connected to the second terminal and to a second bearing portion of the base, the first connector and the second connector being arranged to allow the connection of the cartridge on the base according to an insertion direction, the first bearing portion and the second portion presenting a spacing determined according to the direction transverse to the insertion direction, where the second bearing portion is disposed between a first end point of the first electric circuit portion and the first bearing portion according to the direction transverse to the insertion direction and where the first bearing portionType: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: ABB Schweiz AGInventors: Boris Gautier, Stephane Brescon
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Patent number: 9935451Abstract: A protection monitoring circuit includes a protection circuit which detects overcharge, overdischarge, and overcurrent of a secondary battery, and a secondary battery monitoring circuit which monitors a state of the secondary battery and detects a residual quantity of the secondary battery. The protection circuit includes a first communication terminal that is connected to the secondary battery monitoring circuit, a second communication terminal that is connected to a mobile device, and a level shift circuit that is connected to the first and second communication terminals. The level shift circuit performs a level shift of a signal input of the first communication terminal so as to become a second level and outputs the signal to the second communication terminal, and also performs the level shift of a signal input of the second communication terminal so as to become a first level and outputs the signal to the first communication terminal.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Ikeuchi, Yoshihide Majima
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Patent number: 9932010Abstract: An electronic airbag ignition circuit includes a first and second output for the electrically conductive connection to a first and second terminal of a magnetic actuator. The electronic airbag ignition circuit also includes a first switching element, whose contact-break path is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the first output, and a second switching element, whose contact-break path is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the second output. The electronic airbag ignition circuit includes a second control circuit connected in an electrically conductive manner to a control terminal of the second switching element. The second control circuit is configured to close the second switching element in a first triggering mode for a first predetermined duration and in a second triggering mode for a second predetermined duration that differs from the first duration.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2014Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBHInventor: Steffen Walker
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Patent number: 9932947Abstract: An electromagnetic actuation system includes an electrical coil, a magnetic core, an armature, a controllable bi-directional drive circuit for selectively driving current through the coil in either of two directions, and a control module providing an actuator command to the drive circuit. Current is driven though the electrical coil in a first direction when an actuation is desired. When the actuation is not desired current is driven through the electrical coil including in a second direction sufficient to reduce residual flux within the actuator below a level passively attained within the actuator at zero coil current.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Thomas Wolfgang Nehl, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Chandra S. Namuduri, Avoki M. Omekanda
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Patent number: 9929557Abstract: The present invention provides a protection device which includes a laminar element 16 which is formed of an insulation resin and has at least one throughhole; electrically conductive metal thin layers 22 and 28 which are positioned on each of main surfaces of the laminar element, and a fuse layer 40 which is positioned on a side surface defining said at least one throughhole and electrically connects the electrically conductive metal thin layers. The fuse layer includes a first metal layer 41 consisting of a metal having a higher melting point and a second metal layer 42 consisting of a metal having a lower melting point. The protection device of the present invention allows a larger amount of a current to flow therethrough and can provide a protection from an excessive current.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2013Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: LITTELFUSE JAPAN G.K.Inventors: Keiichiro Nomura, Nobuyuki Shibahara, Takayuki Yokota
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Patent number: 9928982Abstract: A switching assembly includes an operating assembly and a fixed contact assembly including a first fixed contact, a second fixed contact, a third fixed contact, a fourth fixed contact, and a number of terminals. The number of terminals includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal. The switching assembly also includes a movable contact assembly that includes a first movable contact and a second movable contact. The first movable contact is movable between a first position and a second position. The second movable contact is movable between a first position and a second position. The operating assembly is coupled to the movable contact assembly and moves the first and second movable contact assemblies between the first and second positions. The switching assembly also includes a shunt assembly including a number of shunts. The shunt assembly is configured in one of a series configuration or a parallel configuration.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: LABINAL, LLCInventors: Archit Agarwal, Christopher Kenneth Wyatt, Patrick Wellington Mills
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Patent number: 9929680Abstract: A gripping device is described, and includes a holder including a base and a conformable jamming element having an electroadhesive element on a surface thereof and a controllable voltage source that is electrically connected to the electroadhesive element.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: John Patrick Spicer, Jianying Shi
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Patent number: 9929142Abstract: Apparatus and methods for overvoltage switches with active leakage current compensation are provided. In certain configurations, an IC includes an input node and a protection device or overvoltage switch electrically connected to the input node. The protection device includes a first well and a second well. The second well is positioned adjacent to the first well and has a conductivity type opposite that of the first well. Additionally, a first terminal of the protection device is electrically connected to the first well and to the input node of the IC. The protection device further includes a leakage current compensation circuit that is used to control a voltage level of the second well based on a voltage level of the first terminal to inhibit a leakage current of the first terminal of the protection device.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.Inventors: Evgueni Ivanov, Javier Alejandro Salcedo
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Patent number: 9923360Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes: a power supply circuit that supplies power supply voltage to a load; an overcurrent detection circuit that performs output of detection information indicating the direction of current at a power supply path for the load in the power supply circuit when overcurrent occurs in the power supply path; and a determination circuit that performs output of notification information indicating whether or not a location at which a failure occurs exists within the power supply circuit or outside the power supply circuit, based on the detection information.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventors: Ryo Kubota, Hiroki Tashima
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Patent number: 9923358Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a protection system and method configured to detect a parasitic impedance between first and second pins of a standard connector and to remove a current path between a power source and a supply pin of the standard connector if a low-impedance is detected, in certain examples, without adding a current sense resistance to a return path between a ground pin of the standard connector and the power source.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Zhibo Tao, David Kunst, Won-Seok Kang, Ke Hong
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Patent number: 9916951Abstract: The present invention relates to a contactor, a connector and a contactor component. According to the first aspect of the invention, a contactor relates to a switch mechanism, an iron core, an iron core position sensing circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit can measure the position of the iron core by measuring the variation in inductance by using the property that the coil can produce different inductances when the iron core is in different positions in the coil. According to the second aspect of the invention, a connector and contactor component are provided, wherein a control circuit is arranged on a connector, the control circuit comprises a PWM power-saving circuit. The PWM power-saving circuit is integrated on the connector, so that the average driving current of the contactor is reduced and meanwhile, the size of the contactor is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.Inventor: Xiao Zhou