Patents Examined by Diego Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 7905025
    Abstract: A stud marking device for easily and quickly marking locations of studs. The stud marking device includes a handle having a tubular base member having a pair of prong-like members extending outwardly from a bottom thereof, and further having three telescopic members slidably and lockingly extended within one another, and further includes a wheel being of many different sizes and being rotatably mounted to the prong-like members. As a first embodiment, the wheel has a bore radially extended through the circumference with a marker being threaded in the bore and having a marking end which extends outwardly beyond the circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Inventor: Derek Andersen
  • Patent number: 7645938
    Abstract: The present invention is to prevent twisting of a wiring harness when it is assembled to a vehicle. A wiring harness fastening device for an electric supply line of a sliding door includes a rotational portion having a spherical shape for fastening the wiring harness and a case having a spherical receiving space for rotatably holding the rotational portion, wherein the rotational portion has a protrusion at an outer surface thereof, wherein the receiving space has a rib, and wherein the protrusion abuts to the rib when the wiring harness is twisted. The rotational portion has a circular-shaped rib intersecting with the rib for holding the rotational portion slidably. The case has a wiring harness guide wall with a curved shape to lead out the wiring harness. The wiring harness abuts the wiring harness guide wall prior to the protrusion abuts the rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Kogure, Hiroshi Sanada
  • Patent number: 7633295
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance (MR) microscope and a dual-mode optic and MR microscope system are disclosed. The MR microscope is provided with a horizontal stage above which a sample to be analyzed is located, a radiofrequency coil assembly located above the horizontal stage and below the sample, a magnetic field gradient module located under the horizontal stage, and a heat exchange unit thermally coupled to the magnetic field gradient module and located under the magnetic field gradient module. The dual-mode optic and MR microscope system is provided with an MR microscope and an optical microscope, the optical microscope comprising a mirror located above the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Julian Michael Tyszka, Andrey V. Demyanenko, Yun Kee, Scott E. Fraser
  • Patent number: 7622932
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus that measures a characteristic of a device under measurement is provided. The measuring apparatus includes: a signal generating section that outputs a forward signal to the device under measurement through a device side terminal; a directional coupler that outputs a backward split signal obtained by splitting a part of a backward signal inputted from the device under measurement through the device side terminal; a backward mixer that outputs a backward detection signal obtained by multiplying a local signal having a predetermined frequency by the backward split signal; and an analysis section that analyzes a characteristic of the device under measurement based on the backward detection signal. The directional coupler is included in a multilayer substrate, and the backward mixer is included in a chip provided on a surface of the multilayer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Kimishima, Shoichi Mizuno, Takao Seki
  • Patent number: 7609071
    Abstract: A human phantom apparatus is provided with a body section, a head section connected with the body section, at least one shoulder section connected with the body section, and an arm section including a hand section, the arm section connected with the shoulder section. Each of the body section, the head section, the at least one shoulder section, and the arm section is filled with a human body equivalent material. The human phantom apparatus has a so-called PDA (Portable Digital Assistance) attitude of holding a radio communication apparatus by the hand section of the arm section, so that the human phantom apparatus looks at a display unit of the radio communication apparatus in front of the body section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwai, Atsushi Yamamoto, Koichi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7605579
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for regulating current consumption and output current of a charge pump. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first current coming into the charge pump and a second current coming into a driver of at least one of one or more stages of the charge pump is measured. A control loop may regulate one or more parameters of the charge pump and/or a load connected to the charge pump, such as by adjusting one or more of: a supply voltage; a stage's voltage; the stage's frequency and/or duty-cycle; and the number of stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Saifun Semiconductors Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoram Betser, Alexander Kushnarenko, Oleg Dadashev
  • Patent number: 7601913
    Abstract: A wire harness fixing device designed to enable convenient installation thereof within an inner liner of a refrigerator while effectively preventing leakage of a foam insulation material filled between the inner liner and an outer liner of the refrigerator. The wire harness fixing device includes a housing including an insert part provided at one end of the housing and inserted through a fixing hole formed in the inner liner, and an interior part positioned at the other end within the inner liner. A latch is provided on the insert part that engages an outer surface of the inner liner at the fixing hole when the insert part is inserted into the fixing hole, and a cover of a flexible material integrally formed to the housing at the interior part side to cover the fixing hole, the cover being subjected to elastic deformation to closely contact an inner surface of the inner liner at the fixing hole side when the latch is latched to and supported by the inner liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Ryol Kim, Seung Weon Nam
  • Patent number: 7578192
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring operation of a press assembly includes establishing a baseline vibration level for a first location on the press assembly. The baseline vibration level defines a boundary for vibrations beyond which one or more press elements have a reduced life expectancy. Vibrations are measured at the first location and also at a second location during operation of the press. The vibrations measured at the first location are correlated with the vibrations measured at the second location, and a relationship between the vibrations at the first and second locations is established. Vibrations measured at the second location can then be adjusted and compared to the baseline vibration level to determine if adjustments to the press operation need to be made, or if certain press elements will need to be replaced prior to their expected life span.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Evangelos Liasi, Chandra Sekhar Jalluri, Prashanth Magadi, Gary Farquhar
  • Patent number: 7564248
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring a coolant conductivity of a fuel cell supplying power via positive and negative buses. The method includes measuring a first voltage of the positive bus, measuring a second voltage of the negative bus, applying a resistance between the positive bus and a reference potential, measuring a third voltage of the positive bus after a period of applying the resistance, and determining an isolation resistance based on the measured voltages. The isolation resistance is a function of the coolant conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard M. Breese, Thomas P. O'Meara, Stanley K. Fujii, Bernd Peter Elgas, Stephen Raiser
  • Patent number: 7557590
    Abstract: A capacitance detection circuit containing an input protection circuit and having high sensitivity is provided. A capacitance detection circuit for detecting the capacitance of a capacitive sensor, comprising a buffer amplifier connected to the capacitive sensor via a signal wire and having a voltage gain of 1; diodes connected in series between the signal wire and a positive power supply; diodes connected in series between the signal wire and a negative power supply, wherein an output terminal of the buffer amplifier is connected to a junction point of the diodes and to a junction point of the diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Masami Yakabe
  • Patent number: 7550980
    Abstract: Apparatus within power sourcing equipment and a method for determining whether a load within a powered device coupled to the power sourcing equipment via a cable is within an acceptable resistance range. If the load is within the acceptable resistance range, a voltage source is coupled to the load. In one embodiment one recharge interval is employed during which a capacitor is charged based, at least in part, on the voltage drop across the load and one discharge interval is employed during which a capacitor is discharged based, at least in part, on the voltage drop across the load. In a second embodiment, first and second recharge and discharge intervals are employed and prior to initiation of the recharge and discharge intervals, settling time periods are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jean Picard, Lin Wang, Wilburn M. Miller, Robert A. Neidorff, Guillermo J. Serrano
  • Patent number: 7548053
    Abstract: To create a broad band spectrometer, a plurality of individual antenna based bolometers are fabricated on the surface of a single spectrometer chip, each bolometer having an individual antenna which is sized differently from all others, thus being responsive to a generally unique frequency of radiation. Each antenna is coupled to a related transistor, which is easily formed using CMOS technology. The antennas are connected to opposite sides of a transistor gate, thus creating a termination resistor for the particular antenna. Multiple outputs from the various antennas are then coupled, thus providing responsiveness to electromagnetic radiation of a very broad spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Morf, Thomas H. Toifl
  • Patent number: 7535236
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thickness measurement method for thin films using microwaves. In the method, the Q-factors of a dielectric resonator are measured. The effective surface resistance (RSeff) of a superconductor or a conductor film and the loss tangent of a dielectric are determined using the Q-factor. The penetration depth ? for the superconductor film is measured using a dielectric resonator with a small gap between the superconductor film at the top of the resonator and the rest. The intrinsic surface resistance of superconductor films for calibration is determined using the measured RSeff and ? while the intrinsic surface resistance of a conductor film for calibration is determined using the measured RSeff and the nature of the intrinsic surface resistance being equal to the intrinsic surface reactance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Konkuk University Industrial Cooperation Corp.
    Inventors: Sang Young Lee, Jae Hun Lee, Hyun Kyung Han, Sang Geun Lee, Byung Woo Park
  • Patent number: 7525319
    Abstract: A method of electrically qualifying high speed printed circuit board (PCB) connectors includes mounting a PCB connector on a test card, sending bit patterns through a first portion of the test card, evaluating a waveform on a sense signal on a second portion of the test card for the bit patterns launched on said first portion of the test card to measure common mode noise, and comparing the measured common mode noise of the second portion of the test card to a golden standard performed on a pre-qualified connector. The first portion of the test card comprises connectors to inject bit patterns. The second portion of the test card includes a split plane which induces common mode noise on a sense signal, the sense signal, and a termination pack. If the measured common mode noise on the PCB connector is worse than the golden standard, then the PCB connector is disqualified. If the measured common mode noise on the PCB connector is as good as or better than the golden standard, then the PCB connector is qualified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rubina Firdaus Ahmed, Moises Cases, Bradley Donald Herrman, Kent Barclay Howieson, Bhyrav Murthy Mutnury, Pravin Patel, Peter Robert Seidel
  • Patent number: 7525317
    Abstract: A real-time multi-point ground resistance monitoring device is provided herein to simultaneously monitor ground resistances of different work stations. The present invention mainly contains a number of monitoring ports connected to multiple test ground points in parallel via conductive wires respectively. Each monitoring port is configured with a safety range of acceptable ground resistances and a presentation manner of the alarm when the measured ground resistance of a monitoring port exceeds the safe range. The monitoring device has a self-correction function to automatically offset the resistance of conductive wire from the measurement result when the conductive wire is too long. The monitoring device can further contain a network interface allowing remote operation and monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Inventor: Hsin-Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 7525323
    Abstract: A method for determining consistency of a permeability of a ferromagnetic material in integrated circuits in which a test strip of the subject ferromagnetic material is included for testing with an impedance measurement instrument, such as an inductance-capacitance-resistance (LCR) meter, with which the resistance of the strip of ferromagnetic material over a range of measurement signal frequencies is determined based upon the measured impedance values. The measured impedance values, measurement signal frequencies and selected permeability values are then used in numerical simulations to produce multiple resistance versus frequency curves each of which corresponds to one of the selected permeability values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Hopper, Kyuwoon Hwang, Peter I. Smeys, Andrei Papou
  • Patent number: 7521945
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides for a sensing element comprising a non-conductive housing with three chambers for detecting oil conductivity, additive depletion and oxidation, and water contamination, respectively. Through the monitoring of an array of oil sensors, an early warning of oil degradation due to oxidation is provided. The monitoring system further detects excess soot, water and other contaminants in the oil. The oil sensor array and related monitoring system decrease the likelihood of catastrophic engine failure through the early detection and warning of a decrease in oil quality thereby reducing vehicle owner outlays for servicing and disposal fees while further aiding in the satisfaction of environmental protection regulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Voelker Sensors Inc.
    Inventors: Joe D. Hedges, Paul J. Voelker
  • Patent number: 7518362
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic resonance imaging system capable of performing spectrum measurement even when a magnetic resonant frequency changes during MRS measurement. A time-varying rate of a water magnetic resonant frequency is measured in advance before the MRS measurement. The amount of change in water magnetic resonant frequency during the MRS measurement is predicted from the measured time-varying rate. With the predicted value as the reference, a transmission frequency of an RF magnetic field irradiated in a signal suppression pulse sequence, a transmission frequency of an RF magnetic field for excitation and inversion and a received frequency at the detection of a magnetic resonance signal in a sequence of the MRS measurement are respectively set. A high-precision spectrum measurement is hence enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirata, Hisaaki Ochi, Yo Taniguchi, Tetsuhiko Takahashi, Hiroyuki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7518382
    Abstract: A sensor chip for measuring of structures in a finger surface includes an electronic chip provided with a number of sensor electrodes for capacitance measurements. The chip further includes a first layer comprising a metal or another electrically conducting material over and coupled to the sensor electrodes and a first dielectric layer substantially covering the first metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Idex ASA
    Inventors: Ovidiu Vermesan, Jon Nysaether, Ib-Rune Johansen, Jon Tschudi
  • Patent number: 7514935
    Abstract: A system and method for managing power delivered to a processing chamber is described. In one embodiment power is delivered to the processing chamber with a power cable, the power cable storing energy and including a first and second conductors, the first conductor having a first voltage polarity relative to the second conductor. The voltage polarity of the first conductor is reversed relative to the second conductor and at least a portion of the stored energy in the power cable is provided to the plasma chamber while the polarity of the first power cable is reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua Brian Pankratz