Patents Examined by Hoang X Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9030207
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an insulation fault in an electric network with at least one electric power system supplying electric power to one or more electric loads, and at least one insulation resistance monitor is provided, wherein the at least one electric power system includes at least one electrical power source, and wherein the at least one insulation resistance monitor monitors an insulation resistance between terminal leads of the at least one electric power source and at least one reference potential. The steps are performed of disconnecting the at least one electric power source from the one or more loads by opening each terminal lead; measuring the insulation resistance between the electric circuit of at least one electrical power source and the reference potential; measuring the insulation resistance for the total electric network; closing the second terminal lead with the first terminal lead open; and measuring the insulation resistance for the total electric network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Anders Lasson, Jörgen Kjellberg
  • Patent number: 9016123
    Abstract: In an angle detection method with a resolver, the method being for detecting a rotational angle of a rotator by synchronously detecting a first signal and a second signal that are two phase sine wave modulation signals obtained from a one phase excitation/two phase output resolver, the method includes: a first signal detection process which detects a signal in the order of the first signal and the second signal; and a second signal detection process which detects a signal in the order of the second signal and the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kimpara, Yasuaki Hori, Tatsuya Mori, Takayuki Kifuku, Takahiro Okanoue
  • Patent number: 9000781
    Abstract: A device for non-destructive testing of an electrically conductive part including: an induction portion, a receiving portion, and a processor. The induction portion includes an inductor dissociated into n layers supplied at different frequencies f1, f2, . . . , fn, wherein the receiving portion includes plural magnetic receivers supplied at different frequencies f1?, f2?, . . . , fn? connected to one another in at least one column, each magnetic receiver being positioned under a layer, the indices n and m being integers >2, and wherein the processor makes it possible to know the magnetic field in each of the magnetic receivers of a column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Jean-Marc Decitre
  • Patent number: 8994364
    Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus including: a measurement portion that measures electric power information concerning electric power supplied to another apparatus, a storing control portion that stores the electric power information measured by the measurement portion and measurement time when the electric power information is measured, into a volatile storage, and stores the electric power information and the measurement time stored into the volatile storage, into a nonvolatile storage in desired timing; and a supplement portion that, when a first power supply is turned off and turned on again, supplements to the volatile storage electric power information and time concerning electric power assumed to be supplied to the another apparatus between final measurement time in a plurality of pieces of measurement time stored in the nonvolatile storage and time when the first power supply is turned on again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fujitsu Component Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Katayama, Naoyuki Nagao
  • Patent number: 8978632
    Abstract: A method of ion sensing in a CD ignition system for an internal combustion engine comprises: a) closing the controllable switch in synchronism with the internal combustion engine for a period of time to transfer energy to the ignition coil primary to cause a spark breakdown across the spark plug; and b) observing the current in the secondary winding circuit indicative of ionization in the vicinity of the spark plug electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hoerbiger Kompressortechnik Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Steinrueck, Gerhard Ranegger, Joseph M. Lepley, Steven B. Pirko
  • Patent number: 8970221
    Abstract: A discharge ionization current detector capable of supplying plasma gas in large quantity to stabilize plasma simultaneously with lowering the sample dilution ratio to improve detection sensitivity is provided. A gas supply pipe 7 for supplying a plasma gas, which also functions as a dilution gas, is connected to a point near the connecting section of a first gas passage 3 having electrodes 4-6 for plasma generation and a second gas passage having electrodes 16 and 17 for ion detection. A first gas discharge pipe 8 is connected to the other end of the first gas passage 3, and a second gas discharge pipe 13 is connected to the other end of the second gas passage 11. Flow controllers 9 and 14 are provided in the gas discharge pipes 8 and 13, respectively. The flow rate of the gas passing through a plasma generation area and that of the gas passing through an ion current detection area can be independently regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Shinada, Shigeyoshi Horiike, Takahiro Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 8957677
    Abstract: A beam that passes through a plurality of gas cells a number of times is led to a deflection meter from a light ejecting section, detection of a deflected surface angle is performed and a strength of a magnetic field is measured by a structure in which the plurality of the gas cells is arranged along a light beam between two reflection units or light concentrating units that have a light beam incidence section and a light beam ejecting section and are opposite to each other, and a laser beam that is incident from the light beam incidence section passes through the plurality of the gas cells and then is multiply reflected by both reflection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kimio Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 8947082
    Abstract: An integrated dual-axis anisotropic magnetoresistive sensor can include first and second sensor units. A resistor bridge of the first sensor unit can include a plurality of magnetoresistors, each having at least one strip of anisotropic magnetoresistive material with a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the technological anisotropy axis of the material. A resistor bridge of the second sensor unit can include a plurality of magnetoresistors having a plurality of strips of the anisotropic magnetoresistive material, the plurality of strips including a first subset having longitudinal axes aligned at a first angle to the technological anisotropy axis and a second subset having longitudinal axes aligned at a second angle to the technological anisotropy axis. The second angle can have the same magnitude as the first, but be rotated in an opposite direction from the technological anisotropy axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: University College Cork, National University of Ireland
    Inventor: Jan Kubik
  • Patent number: 8947112
    Abstract: Provided is a switching apparatus that switches a connection state between two terminals, comprising a switch that switches the connection state between the two terminals according to a control voltage supplied thereto; a driving section that provides the switch with the control voltage corresponding to a control signal supplied thereto; and a changing section that changes the control voltage output from the driving section, according to a designated switching time. The changing section may change power supplied as a power supply to the driving section, according to the designated switching time. The changing section may change the control voltage output from the driving section prior to switching of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Itaru Yamanobe
  • Patent number: 8917089
    Abstract: A device for detecting metal elements in slab form such as metal plates or sheets, includes an emission coil powered by suitable control elements and generating a magnetic field, a reception coil placed so as to enable generation via induction of a voltage across the terminals of the coil under the action of the magnetic field, and elements for processing and evaluating the voltage signal delivered by the at least one reception coil, enabling delivery of an information signal indicating the absence or presence of one or more metal elements near the coils. The emission coil (3) and the reception coil (5) are both mounted in a housing or a sensor head having an active detection face having an associated detection region, and are positioned at a defined inclination one relative to the other and relative to the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Senstronic (Societe par Actions Simplifiee)
    Inventor: Rémy Kirchdoerffer
  • Patent number: 8901923
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor is provided, having a first Hall sensor with a first terminal contact and with a second terminal contact and with a third terminal contact and with a fourth terminal contact and with a fifth terminal contact, and a second Hall sensor with a sixth terminal contact and with a seventh terminal contact and with an eighth terminal contact and with a ninth terminal contact and with a tenth terminal contact, whereby the first terminal contact is connected to the fifth terminal contact and to the sixth terminal contact and to the tenth terminal contact, and the second terminal contact is connected to the ninth terminal contact, and the fourth terminal contact is connected to the seventh terminal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Micronas GmbH, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg
    Inventors: Timo Kaufmann, Patrick Ruther, Fabian Purkl, Olvier Paul
  • Patent number: 8896302
    Abstract: A method for measuring magnetic induction intensity of a magnetic field using a short cavity fiber laser, includes the steps of: a) arranging the short cavity fiber laser, where the short cavity laser has sequentially coupled laser diode pumping source, a wavelength division multiplexer, a fiber Bragg grating, an active optical fiber and a loop mirror; b) fixing the short cavity fiber laser on a magnetostrictive material; c) disposing the short cavity fiber laser and the magnetostrictive material in the magnetic field to be measured, and matching the stretching direction of the magnetostrictive material with the direction of the magnetic field to be measured; d) measuring the drift amount of longitudinal mode output by the short cavity fiber laser; and e) calculating the magnetic induction intensity of the magnetic field to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Beijing Information Science & Technology University
    Inventors: Lianqing Zhu, Fei Luo, Yinmin Zhang, Wei He, Mingli Dong, Xiaoping Lou, Yudong Jia
  • Patent number: 8878556
    Abstract: A sensing device includes an oscillator, a driver, a switch, a counter and a timer. The oscillator includes an input coupled to a reference capacitor. The driver alternately sources and sinks current in accordance with an oscillation signal outputted by the oscillator. The switch connects or disconnects the reference capacitor with a sensing capacitor. The counter counts value for the oscillation signal. The timer counts operation periods respectively when the switch connects the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor and when the switch disconnects the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor, and the counter counts values corresponding to conditions of the switch connecting and disconnecting the reference capacitor with the sensing capacitor during the operation periods, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Cheng-Chih Wang
  • Patent number: 8872520
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor comprising a substrate (10) carrying a field effect transistor (30) having a gate electrode (32), the sensor further comprising a measurement electrode (36) spatially separated from the gate electrode; and a reference electrode (40), said measurement electrode being in configurable conductive contact with said gate electrode, the sensor further comprising a charge storage element (60) comprising a first electrode connected to a node (38) between the measurement electrode and the gate electrode; and a second electrode configurably connected to a known potential source (80). The present invention further relates to a method of performing a measurement with such a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Axel Nackaerts, Matthias Merz
  • Patent number: 8872505
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic circuit with a first terminal for connecting an accessory thereto, and with a functionality for detecting the presence of an accessory connected to the first terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Furtner
  • Patent number: 8829891
    Abstract: A digital multimeter includes a single chip processor, a sound chip connected to the single chip processor, a signal amplifying circuit, a speaker connected to the signal amplifying circuit, and a power source for providing electrical energy for the digital multimeter. The single chip processor collects high and low level signals, and converts the signals into codes which the sound chip can recognize, and transmits the codes to the sound chip. The sound chip converts the codes into audio signals and transmits the audio signals to the signal amplifying circuit. The signal amplifying circuit amplifies the audio signals and outputs the amplified audio signals to the speaker. The amplified audio signals reports the measurement values of the digital multimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precisison Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Jun Song, Chun-Fang Xi
  • Patent number: 8823364
    Abstract: An accelerometer is provided having a power circuit, a detection circuit, and a compensation circuit. The compensation circuit is operative to measure an offset voltage occurring between an output reference voltage from the power circuit and an output voltage from the detection circuit state, store the offset voltage during a zero acceleration, and output the stored offset voltage to alter the output voltage of the detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Measurement Specialties, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas F. Connolly, Ming Zhong
  • Patent number: 8823394
    Abstract: An apparatus for capacitively measuring changes has a sensor (S) with a sensor-active region. The sensor has at least one transmitting electrode, which generates an electric field, and a further electrode (13) which is capacitively coupled to the transmitting electrode (15), wherein the transmitting electrode (15) is arranged between the further electrode (13) and an element (11) which is at a reference potential. An output of a driver/evaluation unit (5.0) is coupled to the transmitting electrode (15) and an input of the driver/evaluation unit (5.0) is coupled at high impedance to the further electrode (13), an electric field forming between the further electrode (13) and a reference potential on account of the electric field, generated by the transmitting electrode (15), between the transmitting electrode (15) and the further electrode (13). A change in the capacitance between the further electrode (13) and the reference potential is thus detected using the driver/evaluation unit (5.0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Gerd Reime
  • Patent number: 8816695
    Abstract: A method and system for interoperability testing is provided. Various network communications messages are sent to a device under test (DUT) and a number of similar devices from different sources including different manufacturers. Responses to the test signals from the device under test and the similar devices are compared to expected responses in accordance with the standard, and adjustments are made in the device under test if deviations in responses are detected. The device under test may be a intelligent electronic device or IEC 61850 protocol client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balakrishna Pamulaparthy, Anuradha Charugalla
  • Patent number: 8803518
    Abstract: Measuring apparatus for measuring magnetic properties of the area surrounding the measuring apparatus with a sensor row comprising at least two magnetoresistive sensor elements, which are arranged in a row that extends in a row direction, and a supporting field apparatus with generates a magnetic supporting field having a magnetic field component which points in the row direction and the field strength of which varies in the row direction, wherein this field strength profile in the row direction does not have a zero crossing and/or a maximum or minimum on at least two sensor edges of the sensor elements which for the sensor row, which sensor edges are arranged after one another in the row direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: MEAS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Armin Meisenberg, Axel Bartos