Patents Examined by Eric S. McCall
  • Patent number: 12656118
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (100) for measuring the angular errors in the inclination of a real axis of rotation (204) of a rotary element (101), the device comprising control electronics (111) controlling the rotation of the rotary element (101) about its real axis of rotation (204), a first and a second rotation sensor (112a, 112b) for obtaining angular velocities about two measurement axes (302, 304) which are orthogonal to one another and both orthogonal to the real axis of rotation (204), a third rotation sensor (112c) making it possible to obtain the angular position and angular velocity of the rotation element (101) about its real axis of rotation (204), at least two of the aforementioned sensors being inertial sensors making it possible to obtain projections of the vector of the speed of rotation of the Earth onto at least two axes of projection, an acquisition unit (113), a measurements-storage memory (114), a computation unit (115) configured to compute, from the angular positions and velociti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: EXAIL
    Inventors: Damien Ponceau, Mehdi Bussutil, Bernard Vau, Clément Pinzio
  • Patent number: 12656112
    Abstract: A water buoy data system stabilizes an offshore vessel. Water buoys sense wind characteristics and water characteristics at a location of the vessel. The water buoys wirelessly transfer data messages that indicate the wind characteristics and water characteristics at the location of the vessel for delivery to a computer system. The computer system receives the data messages wirelessly transferred by the water buoys that indicate the wind characteristics and the water characteristics at the location of the vessel. The computer system determines wave forces based on the wind characteristics and the water characteristics at the location of the vessel. The computer system indicates the wave forces to control vessel engine thrusters to counter the wave forces and stabilize the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Inventor: John W. Tauriac
  • Patent number: 12656110
    Abstract: In a water buoy, a power system generates electrical energy from water kinetics and transfers the electrical energy to a sensor array, processing circuitry, and communication interface. In the water buoy, the sensor array detects buoy locations, water velocities, water velocity directions, and wind speeds. In the water buoy, the processing circuitry aggregates the detected buoy locations, the detected water velocities, the detected water velocity directions, and the detected wind speeds into data messages. In the water buoy, the communication interface wirelessly transfers the data messages for delivery to a computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Inventor: John W. Tauriac
  • Patent number: 12656111
    Abstract: Water buoys sense water characteristics and wirelessly transfer the water characteristics for delivery to a computer system. The computer system receives the water characteristics wirelessly transferred by the water buoys. The computer system receives a location and a user water condition preference transferred by a user communication device. The computer system processes the water characteristics, the location, and the user water condition preference, and in response, generates and transfers water condition information for the location for delivery to the user communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Inventor: John W. Tauriac
  • Patent number: 12650333
    Abstract: According to examples, an optical fiber-based sensing membrane may include at least one optical fiber, and a substrate. The at least one optical fiber may be integrated in the substrate. The optical fiber-based sensing membrane may include, based on a specified geometric pattern of the at least one optical fiber, an optical fiber-based sensing membrane layout. The substrate may include a thickness and a material property that are specified to ascertain, via the at least one optical fiber and based on the optical fiber-based sensing membrane layout, a thermal and/or a mechanical property associated with a device, or a radiation level associated with a device environment. The specified geometric pattern of the at least one optical fiber may include a spiral geometric pattern, and each spiral of the spiral geometric pattern includes no direct neighbor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Vincent Lecoeuche
  • Patent number: 12650362
    Abstract: A laser wind tunnel turbulent airflow detection system comprising a laser sensor system and a controller. The laser sensor system is configured to emit laser beams in a wind tunnel from transmitter locations. The laser sensor system is configured to detect the laser beams at receiver locations. The controller is configured to emit the laser beams from the transmitter locations to the receiver locations using the laser sensor system. The controller is configured to determine beat frequencies of the laser beams detected by the laser sensor system at the receiver locations. The controller is configured to determine air turbulence in the wind tunnel for the receiver locations using the beat frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Nathan D. Hiller, Robert Michael Dowgwillo, John A. Ladd
  • Patent number: 12650323
    Abstract: A cartridge-style flow sensor for sensing fluid flow within a manifold. The sensor includes an exterior, interior, a circuit board, and first and second ports. The first and second ports permit fluid to flow into and out of the interior. A encoder/sensor in the interior detects the number of revolutions of an impeller. An electric coupler interfaces with the sensor and a transmitter for communication of the revolutions of the impeller to a controller. The controller determines the rate of fluid flow in a conduit. The controller automatically issues a command signal to a component of a hydraulic system to alter the rate of fluid flow in the conduit. The cartridge hydraulic flow sensor is easily and releasably engaged to a cavity of a hydraulic circuit manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Inventor: Dale G. Dietel
  • Patent number: 12638354
    Abstract: A pressure and temperature sensor is provided. The sensor may include a pressure port configured to receive a media, wherein the pressure port includes at least one thermistor. The sensor may further include a body having a header and a sense element configured to seal the body from the media in the pressure port. The header and the sense element may define a space accessible to the media and the header may further include a media receiver configured to allow the media to pass between the pressure port and the space. The header may also include at least one pin in electrical communication with the thermistor and a pin receiver configured to accept the at least one pin. The at least one pin may be operatively connected to the pin receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Sangermano, Robert T. Ballerstedt, Carolina Camejo
  • Patent number: 12638583
    Abstract: A system and method for acoustically measuring a curved object are described. A flexible sheet is provided with an array of acoustic transducers. The flexible sheet is wrapped around the curved object such that the acoustic transducers acoustically contact the curved object. The acoustic transducers are used to generate and/or measure acoustic waves at variable locations depending on a shape of the curved object. Spatial coordinates of the acoustic transducers are determined while the flexible sheet is wrapped around the curved object. In particular, the spatial coordinates are determined based on respective subsets of travel times used to calculate respective wave directions of the acoustic waves arriving at respective subarrays from a common origin, e.g. scattering element inside the curved object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Jan-Laurens Pieter Jacobus Van Der Steen, Laurens Christiaan Johannes Maria Peters, Paul Louis Maria Joseph Van Neer, Arno Willem Frederik Volker
  • Patent number: 12631525
    Abstract: A method of operation is provided. During this method, a first power system of an aircraft powerplant is operated to direct a first quantity of fuel into a flowpath of the aircraft powerplant for combustion. A second power system of the aircraft powerplant is tested during the operating of the first power system. The testing of the second power system includes: signaling the second power system to direct a second quantity of fuel into the flowpath for combustion; determining an operational parameter of the aircraft powerplant following the signaling; and evaluating operability of the second power system by comparing the operational parameter to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Mark, Michael Hanna
  • Patent number: 12631524
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for testing a component, in particular an aircraft engine, comprising the steps of: determining (S40) a value of a first toleranced parameter (A1; A2) of the component; determining (S50) a value of a second toleranced parameter (E1; . . . ; E4) of the component; and classifying (S70) the component in a predefined quality class if this value pair lies outside of a predefined tolerance range, the upper and/or lower limit (G) of which for the second parameter depends on the first parameter, in particular linearly, in at least one first permissible value range (Ta1,1) of the first parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventors: Christian Eichler, Dieter Freno, Andreas Hieber, Philipp Farah, Salome Gassmann
  • Patent number: 12631505
    Abstract: A flexible strain sensor comprises a sensing area, a connection area, an encapsulation layer and a flexible substrate. The sensing area and the connection area are made of the same conductive material by adjusting size structures of different areas. The sensor is prepared by performing one-step printing of carbon black-silicone rubber composite conductive paste on a fabric substrate on the basis of a screen printing process. The method is simple and convenient to operate, is low in manufacturing cost and is suitable for large-scale production; and the prepared sensor has a high sensitivity (?10), a large strain range (˜100%), a low hysteresis quality and a good stability, and can be applied to the fields of human body motion detection, intelligent medical service, etc. The method for preparing a sensor in the present invention has important reference value for industrial production of a flexible strain sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignees: SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, ZHONGSHAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY OF SCUT
    Inventors: Lin Shu, Xiaobin Chen, Xiangmin Xu
  • Patent number: 12631510
    Abstract: A pressure sensing system includes a housing that houses one or more pressure transducers therein. A tube is sealed to the housing at a first end of the tube. One or more pressure transducers are in fluid communication with a second end of the tube through an inner passage of the tube for sensing pressure at the second end of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Carpenter, James J. Kamm, Patrick Louis Clavette, Shalman Ahmed, Myles R. Kelly, Debabrata Pal
  • Patent number: 12631539
    Abstract: The present application relates to a single-hole multi-stage pore water pressure observation device and an installation method thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2026
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignees: INSTITUTE OF MECHANICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Zhejiang Natural Resources Group Spatial Information Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Xinxing Zhou, Xiaoyu Liu, Fuping Wang, Haiqian Yu, Pengfei Weng, Kai Huang
  • Patent number: 12631504
    Abstract: A sensor member including a membrane; a protective film covering a part of the membrane; and an electrode portion connected to the membrane, wherein the electrode portion covers at least a part of the protective film, whereby a peeling defect such as peeling off from an end of the protective film or damage due to impact can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Kobayashi, Ken Unno, Tetsuya Sasahara, Tetsuo Hata, Lucie Ouedraogo
  • Patent number: 12631509
    Abstract: A piezoelectric measuring device includes a sensor element that generates a measurement signal for a pressure and a data acquisition device to evaluate the measurement signal. The sensor element includes an operational amplifier with an inverting input and an output, a feedback capacitance in parallel with the inverting input and the output, and a reset switching element in parallel with the inverting input and the output. The operational amplifier provides an electrical supply voltage and the data acquisition device includes a measurement cycle circuit configured to activate the electrical supply voltage before a measurement cycle and deactivate after the measurement cycle. The sensor element includes a power-on reset logic to detect the electrical supply voltage accordingly close or reopen the reset switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Kistler Holding AG
    Inventor: Jochen Schneider
  • Patent number: 12631660
    Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for generating a pulsatile fluid flow in a microchannel by means of external actuation of a thin flexible film. With the devices described herein, cycles of positive and negative actuation can be used to infuse or withdrawal fluid in a microchannel. Fluid can be recirculated over one or more microfluidic feature, such as a chemical or molecular receptor, biosensor, electrode, cell or biological material, chromatography feature, mixer, etc., in a way that would represent an advantage over the single-pass flow techniques common to most microfluidic devices. The devices and methods are particularly useful in vitro diagnostics (IVD), analytical chemistry, chromatography, and mixing applications in a variety of fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventor: Glennon W. Simmons
  • Patent number: 12625033
    Abstract: An abnormality detection system for a combustor for a gas turbine, includes: a sensor for detecting whether an ignition plug is located at an insertion position in a combustion tube of the combustor, the ignition plug being disposed movably between the insertion position and a retracted position retracted from the combustion tube; and a diagnostic unit configured to diagnose an abnormality in an ignition device including the ignition plug, based on a detection result by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kojima, Susumu Sekine, Kozo Toyama
  • Patent number: 12618726
    Abstract: Provided is a tension-insensitive tactile sensor having high sensitivity and a wide sensing range by using a stretchable sensor array. According to the stretchable sensor array and the method for manufacturing the same of the present invention, pressure may be measured without interference of tension while maintaining flexibility of the sensor. In addition, the stretchable sensor array may have high initial resistance, induce a large change in contact resistance when pressure is applied, thereby being capable of measuring pressure with high sensitivity, have a wide pressure sensing range, and have decreased interference by an when sensing a pressure distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jongbaeg Kim, Minhyeong Kim, Kyubin Bae
  • Patent number: 12618734
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device includes a pressure gauge having a pressure measuring member, at least one connection line which connects the pressure gauge to a measured media source, a connection block which is fluidically connected to the pressure gauge, a heating element and/or cooling element which controls a temperature of the connection block, and at least one closable vent hole which is arranged in the connection block. A section of the at least one connection line which is connected to the pressure measuring member is arranged in the connection block. The at least one closable vent hole is arranged to branch off from the at least one connection line in an ascending manner and to open above the at least one connection line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: AVL LIST GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Sailer