Patents Examined by Hoai-An D. Nguyen
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Patent number: 8497691Abstract: A system for measuring the state of degradation of cooking oil or fat includes at least one fryer pot; a conduit fluidly connected to the fryer pot for transporting cooking oil from the fryer pot and returning the cooking oil back to the fryer pot. A pump for re-circulating cooking oil to and from the fryer pot; and a sensor disposed in fluid communication with the conduit that measures an electrical property of the cooking oil as the cooking oil flows past the sensor and is returned to the at least one fryer pot is provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2009Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Frymaster L.L.C.Inventors: Martin Behle, Jan Claesson, Janice M. K. Jaferian
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Patent number: 8493081Abstract: A resistive pinch sensor utilizing electrically conductive wires encapsulated in a resiliently deformable casing. A pinch is detected when one of the wires, which is normally separated by an air gap within the casing, contacts another wire lowering the electrical resistance therebetween. The described pinch sensors have wide activation ranges or angles. Tri-lobed designs provide wide activation range by incorporating at least three electrically-conductive conduits that are substantially equidistantly spaced circumferentially along the inner wall of a tubular casing. One of the conduits, or optionally an axially arranged electrically-conductive core may function as the reference element. Coaxial designs provide wide activation range by incorporating a central electrically-conductive core and a coaxial electrically-conductive tubular outer sheath that are normally spaced apart by at least one non-conductive spacer.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2010Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Magna Closures Inc.Inventors: Liviu Bolbocianu, Rade Isailovic
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Patent number: 8493058Abstract: A device and a method for frequency analysis. The frequency of an output signal is divided, and an auxiliary signal with a known frequency is subtracted from the low-frequency signal to define a low-frequency differential signal. The output frequency is determined on the basis of the frequency of the low-frequency differential signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbHInventors: Frank Gruson, Paul Schnebli
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Patent number: 8493073Abstract: An insulation resistance detecting apparatus is provided to detect an insulation resistance of a load circuit. The insulation resistance detecting apparatus includes a coupling capacitor of which a first end is connected to the load circuit; a periodic waveform output section which is connected to a second end of the coupling capacitor, and outputs a periodic waveform to the second end; a waveform shaping section which extracts and amplifies a part of the periodic waveform including a peak point; and an arithmetic operation section which determines the insulation resistance of the load circuit on the basis of a first wave height as a wave height value of a waveform outputted from the waveform shaping section and a second wave height value as a wave height value of the periodic waveform.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2010Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Yazaki CorporationInventors: Susumu Yamamoto, Satoshi Ishikawa
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Patent number: 8493072Abstract: This invention provides a method and an apparatus for detecting a short-circuit occurring between a signal line and a ground line of a lead wire. The apparatus comprises a circuit and a resistive element. The circuit has an output terminal, an input terminal and ground. One end of the ground line is connected to the ground of the circuit, and the other end of the ground line is disconnected. A first terminal of the resistive element is connected to the output terminal of the circuit. One end of the signal line is connected to a second terminal of the resistive element, and the other end of the signal line is disconnected.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2011Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventor: Xiang Ma
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Patent number: 8487645Abstract: A through-silicon via (TSV) testing structure is disclosed herein and includes a plurality of controllers, a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers. The controllers are configured to output a first controlling signal and a second controlling signal. The transmitters are respectively connected to the output end of the through-silicon via and one of the controllers, and output a testing output signal in accordance with the first controlling signal and the second controlling signal. The receivers are respectively connected to the input end of the through-silicon via and another one of the controllers, and input a testing input signal in accordance with the first controlling signal and the second controlling signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Global Unichip CorporationInventors: Ming-Tung Chang, Min-Hsiu Tsai, Chih-Mou Tseng
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Patent number: 8487608Abstract: In a system for measuring at least one high-frequency signal, comprising at least one broadband probe and at least one measuring apparatus, each broadband probe and each measuring apparatus comprise a high-frequency connection for transmitting a high-frequency signal, and each measuring apparatus, or instead of a measuring apparatus each signal processing unit, comprises power supply connections for supplying power to each of the broadband probes, and comprise data signal connections for transmitting communication data between the measuring apparatus or signal processing unit and the broadband probe head.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Martin Peschke, Toralf Bratfisch, Christian Benisch
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Patent number: 8487635Abstract: A system for determining a system charging current in a three-phase power system has a first grounding circuit that joins a neutral of the power transformer with a ground through a first resistor. System charged capacitance voltage in one phase is discharged through a second resistor in a second grounding circuit joining the one phase of the power system with the ground. A magnitude of the currents in the first and second grounding circuits are measured when the one phase is short circuited to ground. The preliminary system charging current is calculated as the root of the difference between the squares of the measured currents grounding circuits. The same procedure may be repeated for different values of the first resistor and for each of the phases, and the calculated preliminary system charging currents may be averaged to arrive at a net system charging current.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Inventor: Dev Paul
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Patent number: 8476908Abstract: A signal capture system for capturing a signal and storing the captured signal in a storage apparatus in real time, and a test apparatus including the signal capture system. The signal capture system includes a printed circuit board; a socket that is connected to the printed circuit board and on which a reference memory component is mounted; and an interposer that is mounted on the printed circuit board, is connected to the socket, an external apparatus, and a storage apparatus, receives first signals from the reference memory component and transmits the received first signals to the external apparatus and the storage apparatus, and receives second signals from the external apparatus and transmits the received second signals to the reference memory component and the storage apparatus, wherein a shape of the socket is defined according to a type of the reference memory component.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Woon-sup Choi, Ho-sun Yoo, In-su Yang, Min-sung Kim, Jong-pill Park, In-ho Choi, Sung-yeol Kim, Jeong-gon Lee, Seung-jun Chee, Jae-il Lee, Chul-woong Jang
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Patent number: 8471568Abstract: A method and circuit for evaluating a charge impedance at the output of a directional coupling having a first line adapted to convey a desired signal between a first terminal and a second terminal adapted to be connected to an antenna, and having a second line coupled to the first one including a third terminal on the side of the first terminal and a fourth terminal on the side of the second terminal, wherein the signal present on the fourth terminal is submitted to a homodyne detector having its local oscillator signal sampled from the third terminal.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2010Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Tours) SASInventors: Sylvain Charley, François Dupont, Benoît Bonnet
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Patent number: 8471567Abstract: A circuit for detecting changes in resistance at a solder joint connecting a constant voltage source supplying a first voltage and a pin of an array package during operation of the array package includes: a test circuit for applying a second voltage different from the first voltage at a side of the solder joint opposite the constant voltage source; and a monitoring circuit for monitoring an output of the test circuit, wherein the test circuit is configured to output the first voltage when the resistance at the solder joint is below a threshold value, and to output a voltage other than the first voltage when the resistance at the solder joint is above the threshold value, and wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to indicate a failure of the solder joint connection when the voltage other than the first voltage is output by the test circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Robert R. Clarkson
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Patent number: 8471574Abstract: A measuring method for determining an output drop of a PV unit is provided. The PV unit is arranged within a photovoltaic system comprising a plurality of electrically parallel-connected PV units. Each PV unit can be removed from the parallel circuit by a switching device. Further, a total current measuring device for measuring the total current through all PV units of the parallel circuit is provided. The defective PV unit is determined in an evaluation unit by the connection and disconnection of a disconnect switch.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Adensis GmbHInventor: Bernhard Beck
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Patent number: 8466698Abstract: A current sensor, which senses current passing through a harness via a terminal of a battery, includes a resistor through which current passes, a current sensing circuit which measures the current passing through the resistor based on a potential difference between two positions along the direction in which current is passed through the resistor, a power supply circuit which supplies power to the current sensing circuit, and at least one capacitor which is connected to at least one of an input terminal and an output terminal of the power supply circuit to smooth input/output voltage. The resistor includes a flat energizing path, and the capacitor is disposed in an area other than a plane of projection of the energizing path on a board on which the current sensing circuit and the power supply circuit are mounted.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Jyun Ozawa
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Patent number: 8461847Abstract: Disclosed are advances in the arts with novel methods and apparatus for detecting faulty connections in an electrical system. Exemplary preferred embodiments include basic, ASIC, AC, DC, and RF monitoring techniques and systems for monitoring signals at one or more device loads and analyzing the monitored signals for determining fault conditions at the device loads and/or at the main transmission lines. The invention preferably provides the capability to test and monitor electrical interconnections without fully activating the host system.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Tribune IP LLCInventors: Ross E. Teggatz, Wayne T. Chen, Brett Smith
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Patent number: 8456175Abstract: Measurement arrangement and method for active load pull measurements of a device under test (1). A wideband analog-to-digital conversion block (3) is provided for obtaining measurement data. First and second injection signal generators (7, 8) are connected to a source side and a load side of the device under test (1). This set up allows to create predetermined reflection coefficients at reference planes of the device under test (1). Injection signal parameters as determined are converted into the injection signals at the source and load side by digital-to-analog conversion. The wideband analog-to-digital conversion block (3) is further arranged for analog-to-digital conversion of the intermediate frequency signals to obtain the actual measured reflection coefficient versus frequency functions with a first frequency resolution. The first frequency resolution applied in the analog-to-digital conversion is equal to or better than a second frequency resolution applied in the digital-to-analog conversion.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Anteverta-MW B.V.Inventors: Mauro Marchetti, Marco Johannes Pelk, Leonardus Cornelis Nicolaas De Vreede
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Patent number: 8456179Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an angular velocity detection device which is capable of reducing the effect of coupling between a drive electrode and a first displacement detection electrode by a floating capacity, and is low in cost. In the angular velocity detection device, an oscillating body 21 is displaceable in a first direction and a second direction which orthogonally intersect each other. The oscillating body 21 is oscillated in the first direction by an electrostatic force corresponding to a drive signal generated by a non-interference signal generator 1. A carrier signal generated by the non-interference signal generator 1 is applied to the oscillating body 21. A first displacement detection circuit 3 and a second displacement detection circuit 4 each detect a displacement of the oscillating body 21 as a displacement modulation signal indicative of a change in electrostatic capacity synchronized with the carrier signal to thereby detect an angular velocity.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Iwasawa, Toshiaki Nakamura, Masahiro Matsumoto
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Patent number: 8456178Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include methods and devices for the electromagnetic (inductive) measurement of the conductivity of liquids by immersing a sensor into the liquid, wherein the sensor includes at least 2 toroidal cores, one of said cores carrying an excitation coil and the other core carrying an induction coil. Exemplary methods include converting the induced current at the induction coil into an alternating square-wave voltage, followed by rectification. A sample-hold circuit may be employed to avoid the transition time of the alternating square-wave current conversion. The demodulated DC voltage is proportional to the conductivity of the measured liquid.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2011Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Mettler-Toledo AGInventors: Changlin Wang, Fengjin Wang, Xiaokai Wang, Jürgen Ammann
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Patent number: 8456174Abstract: A sensor and method for determining at least one internal parameter for an active sensor in a special mode of operation. The sensor has at least one sensor element, an evaluation circuit, at least two connecting lines, and a changeover module. The sensor is changed over between a normal mode of operation and the special mode of operation by means of the changeover module and is put into the special mode of operation for the purpose of determining the at least one internal parameter. The sensor has an electric offset source which is used in the special mode of operation to at least partially actuate the evaluation circuit on the basis of the supply voltage of the sensor which is applied to the two connecting lines such that the at least one internal parameter of the sensor can be ascertained from the sensor output signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHGInventors: Joerg Eckrich, Ralf Klausen, Timo Dietz, Wolfgang Fritz, Wolfgang Joeckel
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Patent number: 8441266Abstract: A sensing circuit for comparing current flow through a reference resistance with current flow through a resistive device under test (DUT) such as a fuse. The sensing circuit includes a comparator having a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS transistor connected in series between a first input and a first node and a second PMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor connected in series between a second input and the first node. The first PMOS and NMOS transistors are cross-coupled with the second PMOS and NMOS transistors. Specifically, a first output is connected to the first node to the gates of the second PMOS and second NMOS transistors and a second output is connected to the second node and to the gates of the first PMOS and first NMOS transistors. The reference resistance is connected to one of the inputs and the DUT is connected to the other input.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2009Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Altera CorporationInventors: Ping Xiao, Weiying Ding
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Patent number: 8441247Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring the critical current of a superconducting tape. A continuous critical current measurement apparatus for measuring critical current of a superconducting tape while feeding a superconducting tape in a liquid nitrogen container includes wheel-type current terminals and wheel-type voltage terminals. The superconducting tape is continuously supplied and fed by a reel-to-reel device, and the critical current of the superconducting tape is measured in real time using the wheel-type current terminals and the wheel-type voltage terminals while the superconducting tape is fed at constant linear velocity in contact with the wheel-type current terminals and the wheel-type voltage terminals.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2010Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research InstituteInventors: Hong-Soo Ha, Seok-ho Kim, Ki-deok Sim, Sang-su Oh, Min-won Park