Patents Examined by Dominic E Hawkins
  • Patent number: 11437569
    Abstract: A Hall sensor structure comprising a semiconductor body of a first conductivity type, a well region of a second conductivity type extending from a top side of the semiconductor body into the semiconductor body, at least three first semiconductor contact regions of the second conductivity type, each extending from a top side of the well region into the well region, at least one second semiconductor contact region of a second conductivity type, wherein the first semiconductor contact regions are spaced apart from one another and from an edge of the well region, a metallic connection contact layer is arranged on each first semiconductor contact region, the at least one second semiconductor contact region extends along the top side of the semiconductor body at least partially around the well region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TDK-Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Maria-Cristina Vecchi, Reinhard Erwe, Martin Cornils, Kerwin Khu
  • Patent number: 11435316
    Abstract: This magnetic body management system (100) includes: a first magnetic body inspection device (1) configured to acquire a detection signal (DS) before the magnetic body (MM) is installed at a location of use; a second magnetic body inspection device (2) configured to acquire a detection signal (DS) after the magnetic body (MM) has been installed at the location of use, the second magnetic body inspection device (2) having the same method as that of the first magnetic body inspection device (1); a server (3); a first transmission unit (4); and a second transmission unit (5). The server (3) is configured to estimate a deterioration state of the magnetic body (MM) based on at least the first magnetic body information (10) and the second magnetic body information (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kodama, Mitsuo Yamashita, Satoshi Akasegawa, Taketoshi Noji, Yoshio Takami
  • Patent number: 11422166
    Abstract: A magnetic field detection apparatus includes a magnetoresistive effect element and a coil. The coil includes first and second tier parts opposed to each other in a first axis direction, with the magnetoresistive effect element interposed therebetween. The coil is configured to be supplied with a current and thereby configured to generate an induction magnetic field to be applied to the magnetoresistive effect element in a second axis direction. The first tier part includes first conductors extending in a third axis direction, arranged in the second axis direction and coupled in parallel to each other. The second tier part includes a second conductor or second conductors extending in the third axis direction, the second conductors being arranged in the second axis direction and coupled in parallel to each other. The first conductors each have a width smaller than a width of the second conductor or each of the second conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Kobayashi, Norikazu Ota, Kenzo Makino
  • Patent number: 11422208
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magneto-sensitive portion (105); an excitation wiring (110) formed in a wiring region above the magneto-sensitive portion (105) through intermediation of an insulating film (12), the excitation wiring (110) including a plurality of conductor portions (1101, 1102, 1103, 1104, and 1105) arranged in in order across at least one radial direction from a center axis of the magneto-sensitive portion (105); a current flowing through the excitation wiring (110) having a current density of which an absolute value becomes zero in a vicinity of a center of the magneto-sensitive portion (105) and continuously increases toward an outer side of the magneto-sensitive portion (105); and a magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the excitation wiring (110) in a direction vertical to the surface of the magneto-sensitive portion (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventor: Hirotaka Uemura
  • Patent number: 11422165
    Abstract: A current sensor includes a plurality of individual sensors and a wiring case. Each of the individual sensors includes an electrical-conduction member through which a measurement current to be measured flows, a magnetoelectric converter and an insulating sensor housing. The magnetoelectric converter converts a measurement magnetic field caused by a flow of the measurement current into an electric signal. The sensor housing accommodates the electrical-conduction member and the magnetoelectric converter therein. The wiring case is larger than the sensor housing. The wiring case includes an insulating integrated housing in which the plurality of individual sensors is fixed, and an input/output wiring disposed in the integrated housing and electrically connected to the megnetoelectric converter of each of the plurality of individual sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Miwa, Akito Sasaki, Ryosuke Sakai, Takuma Esaka, Tatsuaki Sugito
  • Patent number: 11422167
    Abstract: A packaged current sensor includes a lead frame, an integrated circuit, an isolation spacer, a first magnetic concentrator, and a second magnetic concentrator. The lead frame includes a conductor. The isolation spacer is between the lead frame and the integrated circuit. The first magnetic concentrator is aligned with the conductor. The second magnetic concentrator is aligned with the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Dok Won Lee, Jo Bito, Keith Ryan Green
  • Patent number: 11415603
    Abstract: A shunt resistor is connected in series to a load. A differential amplifier circuit are inputted a first voltage that is generated at one end of the shunt resistor and a second voltage that is generated at the other end of the shunt resistor. The differential amplifier circuit outputs a third voltage equivalent to a sum of a reference voltage and a voltage obtained by performing differential amplification on the first voltage and the second voltage. A conversion circuit outputs the voltage obtained by performing differential amplification on the first voltage and the second voltage by removing the reference voltage from the third voltage. The voltage is proportional to a load current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaro Minami
  • Patent number: 11415643
    Abstract: An amplifier includes a graphene Hall sensor (GHS). The GHS includes a graphene layer formed above a substrate, a dielectric structure formed above a channel portion of the graphene layer, and a conductive gate structure formed above at least a portion of the dielectric structure above the channel portion of the graphene layer for applying a gate voltage. The GHS also includes first and second conductive excitation contact structures coupled with corresponding first and second excitation portions of the graphene layer for applying at least one of the following to the channel portion of the graphene layer: a bias voltage; and a bias current. The GHS further includes first and second conductive sense contact structures coupled with corresponding first and second sense portions of the graphene layer. The amplifier also includes a current sense amplifier (CSA) coupled to the GHS. The CSA senses current output from the GHS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Baher S. Haroun, Arup Polley, Srinath M. Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 11415601
    Abstract: A resistor having low temperature coefficient of resistance includes a resistive part and two conductive parts connected to opposite sides of the resistive part. One conductive part has a through slot and a sensing portion between the through slot and the resistive part. The through slot has two inter-connected sections. Each section extends and ends with a closed end and has a parallel component, parallel to a main current direction defined on the resistor, and a perpendicular component, perpendicular to the main current direction. Another resistor having low temperature coefficient of resistance includes a resistive part and two conductive parts connected to two sides of the resistive part respectively. Each conductive part has a protrusion block, extending outward perpendicular to a main current direction defined on the resistor, and a sensing portion at the protrusion block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: CYNTEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tzu-Hao Hung, Ying-Da Luo
  • Patent number: 11411562
    Abstract: A current sensing circuit includes load transistors having a current path coupled between a power terminal and corresponding load terminals, sense transistors having a current path coupled between the power terminal and corresponding sense terminals, each sense transistor being coupled to a respective load transistor, N-channel transistors having a current path coupled between a respective sense transistor and a respective sense terminal, an amplifier for selectively equalizing the voltages across one of the load transistors and one of the sense transistors, and bypass circuits coupled to a bulk terminal of the N-channel transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Ioan-Alexandru Tranca, Florian Brugger, Alexander Mayer
  • Patent number: 11408921
    Abstract: A circuit and method for realizing a combined connection of neutral wires or live wires using phase information of the neutral wires and the live wires are provided. The circuit includes a phase detection module. The phase detection module is connected to a power grid via the live wire VL and the neutral wire VN. The phase detection module includes a high-voltage phase detector, a first inverter and a second inverter. The output of the high-voltage phase detector is sequentially connected to the first inverter and the second inverter. The method includes: arranging nodes on the live wire VL and the neutral wire VN of the power grid, respectively; defining the nodes by determining a phase relationship that a high-voltage signal first appears on the live wire VL or the neutral wire VN; and connecting systems to be connected in parallel to the power grid through the nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI SINCERETEK MICROELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xuegang Ren
  • Patent number: 11402441
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic sensor includes a first element part. The first element part includes a first magnetic element, a first conductive member, a first magnetic member, and a second magnetic member. The first magnetic element includes a first magnetic layer, a first counter magnetic layer, and a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the first counter magnetic layer. A direction from the first magnetic layer toward the first counter magnetic layer is along a first direction. The second magnetic member is separated from the first magnetic member along a second direction crossing the first direction. The first magnetic element includes a first element region, a first other-element region, and a first intermediate element region. The first magnetic member includes a first partial surface and a second partial surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akira Kikitsu, Satoshi Shirotori, Hitoshi Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Higashi, Yoshinari Kurosaki
  • Patent number: 11397196
    Abstract: A current sensor includes a wiring board, a shield, an insulating sensor housing, and a shield adhesive. The wiring board and the shield are accommodated in the sensor housing. The sensor housing has a shield support part to support the shield, and a shield adhesion part. An application surface of the shield adhesion part is further from the shield than a contact surface of the shield support part. The shield is mounted on the contact surface of the shield support part, and the shield adhesive is disposed between the application surface of the shield adhesion part and the shield. The shield and the wiring board are aligned with and spaced from each other in the sensor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akito Sasaki, Ryosuke Sakai, Hiroaki Miwa, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Nomura, Takuma Esaka, Tatsuaki Sugito
  • Patent number: 11391762
    Abstract: A current sensor includes an electrical-conduction member, a magnetoelectric converter and a shield. The shield includes a first shield and a second shield arranged such that surfaces are opposed to and spaced away from each other. A part of the electrical-conduction member and the magnetoelectric converter are located between the surface of the first shield and the surface of the second shield. The part of the electrical-conduction member located between the first shield and the second shield extends in an extension direction along the surface of the second shield. The second shield has two sides aligned in a lateral direction perpendicular to the extension direction, and has a plurality of extending parts extending toward the first shield at the sides and being aligned with and separated from each other in the extension direction. The magnetocelectric converter is located between the plurality of extending parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuma Esaka, Ryosuke Sakai, Hiroaki Miwa
  • Patent number: 11391697
    Abstract: A magnetic body inspection device (100) is provided with a magnetic field application unit (1) configured to apply a magnetic field to a magnetic body (W) to be inspected in advance to rectify the magnitude and orientation of magnetization in the magnetic body (W), and a detection unit (2) configured to output a detection signal based on the magnetic field in the magnetic body to which the magnetic field application unit has been applied or a change in the magnetic field. The magnetic application unit includes magnets (11) arranged such that pole faces (Pf) of the same polarity are opposed to each other on both sides of the magnetic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Iijima
  • Patent number: 11391761
    Abstract: A current converter contains a primary conductor, a housing through which the primary conductor is led, an inductive alternating-current sensor which has at least one secondary coil arranged in the housing, and a compensation current sensor having a compensation coil arranged in the housing for producing a compensation magnetic field, which compensates a primary magnetic field produced by the primary conductor. A magnetometer is further provided for detecting a sum of the primary magnetic field and the compensation magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Lars Hoppe
  • Patent number: 11394253
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a relative position of a wireless power transmitter from a wireless power receiver is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of sense coils, each configured to generate a respective signal under influence of an alternating magnetic field comprising a plurality of wave pulses, each wave pulse occurring in a respective time slot of a plurality of time slots. The apparatus further comprises a processor configured to determine the relative position of the wireless power transmitter from the wireless power receiver based on the respective signal from each of the plurality of sense coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
    Inventors: Hans Peter Widmer, Andreas Daetwyler, Lukas Sieber
  • Patent number: 11385263
    Abstract: A capacitive network for use in a voltage sensor includes a first conductor shaped to form a boundary that separates a first interior space and a first exterior space; a second conductor shaped to form a boundary that encircles a second interior space and separates the second interior space from a second exterior space; a third conductor disposed in the second interior space and having a line of sight to the first conductor through an opening in the second conductor; and an external insulator formed around the first conductor and the second conductor in the first exterior space and the second exterior space. A first capacitance is formed between the first conductor and the third conductor, a second capacitance is formed between the second conductor and the third conductor, and conductive material that may collect on the external insulator has negligible effect on the first capacitance and the second capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventor: Goran Djogo
  • Patent number: 11372029
    Abstract: A magnetic field detection apparatus includes a magnetoresistive effect element and a conductor. The magnetoresistive effect element includes a magnetoresistive effect film extending in a first axis direction and including a first end part, a second end part, and an intermediate part between the first and second end parts. The conductor includes a first part and a second part that each extend in a second axis direction inclined with respect to the first axis direction. The conductor is configured to be supplied with a current and thereby configured to generate an induction magnetic field to be applied to the magnetoresistive effect film in a third axis direction orthogonal to the second axis direction. The first part and the second part respectively overlap the first end part and the second end part in a fourth axis direction orthogonal to both of the second axis direction and the third axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norikazu Ota, Kenzo Makino, Hiraku Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 11372061
    Abstract: A Hall effect sensor device may be provided, including one or more sensor structures. Each sensor structure may include: a base layer having a first conductivity type; a Hall plate region having a second conductivity type opposite from the first conductivity type arranged above the base layer; a first isolating region arranged around and adjoining the Hall plate region, and contacting the base layer; a plurality of second isolating regions arranged within the Hall plate region; and a plurality of terminal regions arranged within the Hall plate region. The first and second isolating regions may include electrically insulating material, and each neighboring pair of terminal regions may be electrically isolated from each other by one of the second isolating regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yongshun Sun, Eng Huat Toh, Ping Zheng