Patents Examined by Hoang X Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9222838
    Abstract: A detection device includes a heat sensing element, a detection circuit connected to a detection node of the heat sensing element, and a read circuit connected to a read node of the detection circuit, wherein the detection circuit includes a drive transistor whose gate is controlled by the detection node. In a program period the detection node is programmed to a voltage value corresponding to the threshold voltage of the drive transistor, and in a read period following the program period the read circuit reads the detection result of the detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 9210598
    Abstract: An embodiment of a low power system for measuring passive intermodulation (PIM) includes a port, a test signal source, a dielectric frequency domain multiplexer and a receiver. The test signal source provides a test signal including two tones each capable of producing a signal at the test port of amplitude +30 decibels referenced to one milliwatt (dBm) or less. The dielectric frequency domain multiplexer connected with the port and the test signal source and is adapted to multiplex the test signal provided by the test signal source and a measurement signal obtained at the port. The receiver receives the multiplexed measurement signal from the dielectric frequency domain multiplexer and provides a signal indicative of PIM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: ANRITSU COMPANY
    Inventor: Donald Anthony Bradley
  • Patent number: 9201094
    Abstract: A wafer examination device includes a probe, a fusion section and a measurement section. The probe is made of a metal which reacts with silicon carbide to produce silicide. The fusion section fuses the probe to a silicon carbide wafer as an examined object. The measurement section measures an electrical property of the silicon carbide wafer through the fused probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fujiwara, Narumasa Soejima
  • Patent number: 9200883
    Abstract: Transferable probe tips including a metallic probe, a delamination layer covering a portion of the metallic probe, and a bonding alloy, wherein the bonding alloy contacts the metallic probe at a portion of the probe that is not covered by the delamination layer are provided herein. Also, techniques for creating a transferable probe tip are provided, including etching a handler substrate to form one or more via arrays, depositing a delamination layer in each via array, depositing one or more metals in each via array to form a probe tip structure, and depositing a bonding alloy on a portion of the probe tip structure that is not covered by the delamination layer. Additionally, techniques for transferring transferable probe tips are provided, including removing a handler substrate from a probe tip structure, and transferring the probe tip structure via flip-chip joining the probe tip structure to a target probe head substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul S. Andry, Bing Dang, Steven L. Wright
  • Patent number: 9176170
    Abstract: A current sensor comprises a flat housing made of plastic having an underside and an upper side and electrical connections, a current conductor through which the current to be measured flows, and a semiconductor chip having two magnetic field sensors, wherein the component of the magnetic field detected by the two magnetic field sensors points in opposite directions at the locations of the two magnetic field sensors. The semiconductor chip is connected as flipchip to the electrical connections. The current conductor extends from one side wall to the opposite side wall of the housing, is embedded flat in the underside of the housing and is therefore exposed on the underside of the housing. The opposing surfaces of the semiconductor chip and the current conductor are separated by an electrical insulation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Melexis Technologies NV
    Inventor: Robert Racz
  • Patent number: 9164132
    Abstract: A current sensor includes: a core formed by U-shaped flat plates made of a magnetic body and stacked together; a flat plate-like conductor which is inserted on an interior side of a U-groove of the core and through which a current to be measured flows; a detection element which is arranged on the side of an opening of the U-groove in such a way that a detecting direction extends in a spacing direction of the opening, and which detects a strength of a magnetic field; a housing which supports the core, the conductor and the detection element; and a pair of spacing direction supporting portions which are provided at positions along the spacing direction on both sides of the detection element, in an opening-side end of the core, and which abut on the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Okumura, Shigeki Niimi, Kenichi Taguch, Akira Kamiya
  • Patent number: 9153608
    Abstract: A reverse bias voltage is applied to a photodiode array provided with a plurality of avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode and with quenching resistors connected in series to the respective avalanche photodiodes. Electric current is measured with change of the reverse bias voltage applied, and the reverse bias voltage at an inflection point in change of electric current measured is determined as a reference voltage. A voltage obtained by adding a predetermined value to the determined reference voltage is determined as a recommended operating voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sato, Shogo Kamakura, Shigeyuki Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Ohta, Michito Hirayanagi, Hiroki Suzuki, Shunsuke Adachi
  • Patent number: 9121963
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for evaluating an earth formation. Methods may include conveying the carrier into a formation borehole; and using measure electrodes, in one mode of measurement, to make current measurements by applying a voltage to each measure electrode in a first set of sensor arrays while making first current measurements; and applying another high frequency voltage to each measure electrode in a second set of sensor arrays while making second current measurements. Optionally, methods include using the measure electrodes, in another mode of measurement, to make further resistivity measurements by applying a voltage to each measure electrode in both sets of sensor arrays while making third current measurements. Methods include combining first current measurements, second current measurements, and third current measurements to simulate a virtual impedance for each measure electrode. Optionally, any two consecutive sensor arrays around the circumference of the tool body are in different sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Alexandre N. Bespalov, Gregory B. Itskovich
  • Patent number: 9113245
    Abstract: A headset or earphone is provided, having an electro-acoustic reproduction transducer with an oscillator coil arranged in an axis. An amplifier is coupled to the electro-acoustic reproduction transducer. The headset or earphone also has a magnetic interference sensor for measuring a magnetic interference field. A correction unit, for analyzing an output of the magnetic interference sensor and for producing a compensation signal, is coupled to the magnetic interference sensor. In addition, the headset or earphone also includes an adding unit for adding the compensation signal to an input signal and for outputting the result to the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Oliver Gelhard
  • Patent number: 9103729
    Abstract: Determining a Curie temperature (Tc) distribution of a sample comprising magnetic material involves subjecting the sample to an electromagnetic field, heating the sample over a range of temperatures, generating a signal representative of a parameter of the sample that changes as a function of changing sample temperature while the sample is subjected to the electromagnetic field, and determining the Tc distribution of the sample using the generated signal and a multiplicity of predetermined parameters of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Ganping Ju, Jason L. Pressesky, Roy William Chantrell, Xiaowei Wu, Xi Chen, Xiaobin Zhu, Yingguo Peng
  • Patent number: 9086368
    Abstract: Two test coupons are utilized in an apparatus, method and design process/structure for determining the moisture content in an electronic circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB) or panel). The first coupon has a laminate stack-up with voltage planes separated from each other by dielectric material. These voltage planes include etched clearances with neither plated through holes (PTHs) nor drilled holes extending therethrough. The second coupon is substantially identical to the first coupon except that each of the voltage planes of the first coupon includes PTHs extending through etched clearances corresponding to the etched clearances of the first coupon. In one embodiment, an alarm indicating unacceptably high moisture content is generated if a delta capacitance calculated as a difference between capacitance measurements acquired from the respective coupons is greater than a threshold. Preferably, the alarm notifies a user that at least one aqueous process related to PTH formation is implicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Kuczynski, Wayne J. Rothschild, Kevin A. Splittstoesser
  • Patent number: 9086400
    Abstract: An array of electrochemical detectors includes an array of electrodes that provide current responsive to oxidation events. Each electrode is coupled to a transistor, an amplifier coupled to an input of the transistor and having a feedback loop coupled to the electrode and providing a bias voltage to the electrode, an integrating capacitor coupled to the transistor operable to integrate charge from the electrode, and a reset switch coupled to the integrating capacitor. The amplifier may have a shared stage with other detectors. A shared buffer circuit may also provide a sampled output from multiple detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley A. Minch, Sunitha Bandla Ayers, Manfred Lindau
  • Patent number: 9075099
    Abstract: A method for adapting a ground fault detection to a change of an electrical machine condition, wherein the machine includes a winding. The electrical machine is in a first machine condition, a first reference value being defined for measured values of an electrical quantity. The ground fault detection includes continuously measuring the electrical quantity in the winding and detecting a ground fault based on the measured values of the electrical quantity and the first reference value. The method includes receiving a signal, detecting a change of machine condition based on the received signal, and changing to a second reference value for the measured values of the electrical quantity, the second reference value being different from the first reference value when the change of machine condition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventors: Henrik Johansson, Joseph Menezes, Stefan Roxenborg, Tord Bengtsson
  • Patent number: 9076663
    Abstract: A semiconductor die is described. This semiconductor die includes a driver, and a spatial alignment transducer that is electrically coupled to the driver and which is proximate to a surface of the semiconductor die. The driver establishes a spatially varying electric charge distribution in at least one direction in the spatial alignment transducer, thereby facilitating determination of a vertical spacing between a surface of the semiconductor die and a surface of another semiconductor die. In particular, a spatial alignment sensor proximate to the surface of the other semiconductor die may detect an electrical field (or an associated electrostatic potential) associated with the spatially varying electric charge distribution. This detected electric field may allow the vertical spacing between the surfaces of the semiconductor dies to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ivan E. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 9063178
    Abstract: A system for measuring current includes a current monitoring system comprises a current sensor configured to sense a first current passing through a conductor and a voltage conversion device coupled to the current sensor and configured to receive a second current from the current sensor and convert the second current into a first voltage. A first scaling circuit is coupled to the voltage conversion device and configured to convert the first voltage to a second voltage proportional to the first current based on a first scaling factor, and a second scaling is circuit coupled to the voltage conversion device and configured to convert the first voltage to a third voltage proportional to the first current based on a second scaling factor, wherein the second scaling factor is different from the first scaling factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: James H. Woelfel, Kaijam M. Woodley
  • Patent number: 9054062
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing current sensing over an extended area, such as a substrate of an integrated circuit, are described. The described methods and systems particularly describe a circuit layout procedure and configuration that can be used to carry out current sensing at diverse locations in the extended area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Chris Olson
  • Patent number: 9047990
    Abstract: A circuit for determination of a resistance of an array of capacitive elements includes a reference ring oscillator circuit, the reference ring oscillator circuit being loaded with low-loss capacitive elements; an array test ring oscillator circuit, the array test ring oscillator circuit being loaded with the array of capacitive elements; and a resistance determination module, the resistance determination module configured to determine the resistance of the array of capacitive elements based on data from the reference ring oscillator circuit and the array test ring oscillator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Noah Zamdmer
  • Patent number: 9041392
    Abstract: There is provided a current sensor capable of performing malfunction determination with high accuracy even under the influence of an adscititious magnetic field. A current sensor includes first and second current sensor units, a computation unit, a storage unit, and a determination processing unit. The first current sensor unit measures a target current. The first and second current sensor units have almost the same sensitivity. The computation unit calculates and outputs an addition value and a difference value of outputs of the first and second current sensor units. In the storage unit, the addition and difference values output from the computation unit are stored. The determination processing unit determines whether a malfunction has occurred by using the addition and difference values stored in the storage unit. The determination processing unit determines that a malfunction has occurred, in a case where there is a correlation between the addition and difference values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: ALPS GREEN DEVICES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kotera, Manabu Tamura, Hisanori Kiyomatsu
  • Patent number: 9035662
    Abstract: A device and a method for the capacitive detection of an object which is preferably arranged behind a flat article that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation or a wall, including a sensor incorporating sensor electrodes for the detection of the object, preferably for the detection of relative movements between the sensor and the flat article or a finger, where a control circuit serves for the control of the sensor electrodes and for the evaluation of the output signals of the sensor, and, due to the fact that the sensor comprises at least one sensor electrode which is surrounded by at least one further electrode, the surrounding further electrode is connected to the sensor electrode by the control circuit in such a manner that, in the event of a change of the potential of the sensor electrode, the potential of the surrounding further electrode is regulated in the opposite sense to the sensor electrode in such a way that the sensor electrode remains at a pre-determined or pre-definable potential, such th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventor: Gerd Reime
  • Patent number: 9030199
    Abstract: An apparatus of a magnetoresistance sensor consisting of a substrate, a conductive unit on the substrate, and a magnetoresistance structure on the conductive unit is provided. The conductive unit includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and the first surface faces the substrate. The magnetoresistance structure is formed on the second surface of the conductive unit and is electrically connected to the conductive unit. The magnetoresistance sensor has high performance and reliability. A magnetoresistance sensor fabricating method based on this apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Voltafield Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Fu-Tai Liou, Chien-Min Lee