Patents Examined by Huy Q. Phan
  • Patent number: 11486734
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor system includes a magnetic field generator and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor includes a plurality of MR elements. The plurality of MR elements are each configured so that a bias magnetic field in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction is applied to a free layer, and to change in resistance with a strength of a magnetic field component. A maximum strength of the magnetic field component applied to each of the MR elements is greater than or equal to 1.2 times the strength of a bias magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yongfu Cai, Hayato Miyashita, Tsuyoshi Umehara, Yuta Saito
  • Patent number: 11474132
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method and apparatuses for detecting and reporting suspected tampering of an energy meter to a utility. The method and apparatus uses a plurality of sensors to obtain data relating to one or more input parameters based on the type of input signal. The input parameters are mapped with a tamper type to provide a classification of one or more output parameters. The output parameters are compared to one or more operating conditions of the energy meter to identify one or more suspected tampers. Any suspected tampers are reported to the utility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Nagaraja Sundaresh, Rajesh Mahapatra, Shalu Singhvi
  • Patent number: 11469708
    Abstract: A ground-fault detecting device includes: a first detecting module, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and a third input terminal coupled to a first-phase electric power, a second-phase electric power, and a third-phase electric power on an AC side of a photovoltaic power generating system respectively, for sampling voltages of the first-phase electric power, the second-phase electric power, and the third-phase electric power to generate a first sampled voltage, a second sampled voltage, and a third sampled voltage respectively; and a controller, coupled to the first detecting module, for determining if a ground-fault occurs in the AC side before the photovoltaic power generating system is connected to a grid according to the first sampled voltage, the second sampled voltage, and the third sampled voltage; wherein the controller generates an alarm signal when the ground-fault occurs in the AC side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KEHUA HENGSHENG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunbao Zeng, Peizai Hong, Wen Wei, Zhenhuang Lin, Kailong Chen
  • Patent number: 11460520
    Abstract: A sensor test system having excellent throughput is provided. The sensor test system 1 includes a test apparatus group 20 including a plurality of sensor test apparatuses 30A to 30D coupled to each other so that the sensor 90 can be transferred, and each of the sensor test apparatuses 30A to 30D includes an application unit 40 including an application device 42 including a socket 445 to which the sensor 90 is electrically connected, and a pressure chamber 43 which applies a pressure to the sensor 90, a test unit 35 which tests the sensor 90 via the socket 445, and a conveying robot 33 which conveys the sensor 90 into and out of the application unit 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: ADV ANTEST Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunari Suga, Daisuke Takano, Satoshi Hanamura, Michiro Chiba, Hisao Nishizaki, Atsushi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 11448682
    Abstract: A method of detecting a partial discharge in an electrical asset includes sensing of a discharge current in the electrical asset using a transducer and responsively providing a transducer output; processing the transducer output by comparing the transducer output to a baseline; calculating an accumulated amount by which the transducer output exceeds the baseline; decreasing the accumulated amount with time; detecting partial discharge in the electrical asset based upon the accumulated amount; and providing an output related to detected partial discharge. A partial discharge detection system for detecting a partial discharge in an electrical asset includes a transducer configured to receive a signal from the electrical asset generated due to an occurrence of partial discharging in the electrical asset and responsively providing a transducer output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Charles Andle, Jonathan P. Murray, David J. Lane, Thomas M. Cunneen
  • Patent number: 11441888
    Abstract: An off-axis counter is suggested that is arranged to count magnetic poles of a magnetic field source that turns around a rotation axis modulo an integer number. Also, a rotation angle sensing device and a method for determining a rotation angle are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 11435306
    Abstract: A method of determining moisture content in an emulsified asphalt-aggregate system is disclosed. The method includes: placing a first electrode in an emulsified asphalt-aggregate system (Mixture) at a first depth, placing a second electrode in the Mixture at a second depth, applying an alternating current (AC) signal between the first electrode and the second electrode, measuring impedance, determining the frequency which yields the minimum measured impedance, recording the minimum measured impedance, repeating the above steps at a predetermined time interval until the recorded minimum impedance is about 10 times of the first recorded minimum impedance, and alerting a user that the Mixture has sufficiently cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: John Ernest Haddock, William Jason Weiss, Miguel Angel Montoya Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 11428657
    Abstract: A sensor for measuring electrochemical impedance includes a primary circuit that includes a primary electrically conducting coil and a secondary circuit that includes a secondary electrically conducting coil. The primary electrically conducting coil is inductively coupled to the secondary circuit. During operation, the secondary electrically conductive couple has contact electrodes that contact a medium for which the impedance is to be measured. An alternating current source energizes the primary electrically conducting coil during impedance measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Ellis F. Meng, Lawrence Yu
  • Patent number: 11422007
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes first and second bridge circuits. The first bridge circuit includes a first group of magnetoresistive elements connected in a bridge. The first bridge circuit outputs a first detection signal corresponding to a magnetic field detected by the magnetoresistive elements in the first group. The second bridge circuit includes a second group of magnetoresistive elements connected in a bridge. Each magnetoresistive element of the first and second bridge circuits is formed by a sensor element bent in a serpentine manner. The second bridge circuit outputs a second detection signal corresponding to a magnetic field detected by the magnetoresistive elements in the second group and having a waveform that has a sine-cosine relationship with the first detection signal. The sensor elements of the first and second bridge circuits are arranged along a circumference of part of a circle about a center of the sensor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro Kitada
  • Patent number: 11420772
    Abstract: A sensor signal comprising a first signal pulse having a first voltage amplitude and a second signal pulse having a second voltage amplitude greater than or substantially equal to the first voltage amplitude is obtained from a sensor positioned adjacent a feedback device coupled to rotate with an aircraft-bladed rotor about a longitudinal axis and to move along the axis with adjustment of the rotor's blade pitch angle. The feedback device comprises a reference feature configured to generate the second signal pulse and varying detectable feature(s) configured to generate the first signal pulse and to cause a change in the first voltage amplitude as a function of an axial position of the feedback device along the axis. A voltage ratio is determined based on the first voltage amplitude and the second voltage amplitude, and the axial position of the feedback device is determined from the voltage ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, James Jarvo, Ella Yakobov
  • Patent number: 11422159
    Abstract: A measurement device comprising a housing, a measurement channel, a trigger unit connected to the measurement channel, and an arbitrary waveform generator housed within the housing is disclosed. The measurement channel comprises an acquisition unit. The trigger unit is configured to detect a predetermined trigger event in a signal processed by the measurement channel. The trigger unit is configured to control the acquisition unit, and the trigger unit is configured to control the arbitrary waveform generator. Moreover, a measurement system and a method for operating a measurement device are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Markus Freidhof
  • Patent number: 11415620
    Abstract: A method of detecting a partial discharge in an electrical asset includes sensing of a discharge current in the electrical asset using a transducer and responsively providing a transducer output; processing the transducer output by comparing the transducer output to a baseline; calculating an accumulated amount by which the transducer output exceeds the baseline; decreasing the accumulated amount with time; detecting partial discharge in the electrical asset based upon the accumulated amount; and providing an output related to detected partial discharge. A partial discharge detection system for detecting a partial discharge in an electrical asset includes a transducer configured to receive a signal from the electrical asset generated due to an occurrence of partial discharging in the electrical asset and responsively providing a transducer output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: ROSEMOUNT INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Charles Andle, Jonathan P. Murray, David J. Lane, Thomas M. Cunneen
  • Patent number: 11408756
    Abstract: A magnetic position measuring device includes a magnetic scale and a scanning unit movable relative thereto in at least one measuring direction. The magnetic scale has scale regions positioned at a regular pitch and have an oppositely oriented magnetization, the pitch indicating the extension of a scale region along the measuring direction. The scanning unit has at least one first detector unit cell, which includes three stripe-shaped magnetoresistive detector elements set apart from one another in the measuring direction, the longitudinal directions of the detector elements each having an orientation oriented perpendicular to the measuring direction. Adjacent detector elements along the measuring direction in the first detector unit cell have a distance of, for example, one twelfth of the pitch, relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Schneider
  • Patent number: 11408945
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a current source configured to generate a bias current, a plurality of magnetic field transducers, each having power terminals coupled to the current source and output terminals at which an output signal of the transducer is provided, wherein the power terminals of each of the plurality of magnetic field transducers are electrically coupled together in series so that the bias current flows through each of the plurality of magnetic field transducers in series. A capacitively-coupled summing amplifier has a plurality of inputs, each configured to receive the output signal of a respective one of the plurality of magnetic field transducers, and an output at which an amplified and summed signal is provided, wherein the capacitively-coupled summing amplifier is configured to amplify and sum the received output signals of the plurality of magnetic field transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Craig S. Petrie, HernĂ¡n D. Romero, David J. Haas
  • Patent number: 11402417
    Abstract: A centralising meter is connected to a data concentrator via a first powerline communication network and to remote basic meters via a second powerline communication network. The centralising meter emulates a smart electricity meter application with respect to the data concentrator for each remote basic meter, in order in particular to construct a corresponding load curve. When the ratio of an energy consumption declared by all the remote basic meters to an energy consumption measured by the centralising meter is below a predefined threshold and when furthermore a plurality of load curves show a drop to zero, a fraud is detected. The centralising meter compares total energy consumptions estimated from extrapolations of certain load curves with the measured energy consumption, to identify which remote basic meter is subject to the fraud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SAGECOM ENERGY & TELECOM SAS
    Inventor: Henri Teboulle
  • Patent number: 11402239
    Abstract: A vehicle movement tracking system that employs floor mats for generating location information using magnetic stripes, detectable with a magnetic sensor in a wheel of the vehicle. Two sensors are in a wheel of a vehicle. One sensor senses wheel rotation, and the other sensor senses a magnetic. The vehicle passes over a floor mat comprising magnetic stripes thereon that code the mat and thereby indicate the location at which the mat is at. When the vehicle travels over this mat, the magnetic sensor in the wheel detects the magnetic stripes and the wheel rotation sensor detects the distance between the magnetic stripes. In combination, these two sensors are used to create a location word that denotes the mat over which the vehicle passes over. The location word is stored in non-volatile memory and later uploaded to a location collection station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Enrique Aleman, Monte Denton, Keith Edwin Curtis
  • Patent number: 11391767
    Abstract: A measuring arrangement for monitoring a cable extending in a longitudinal direction includes a cable core having at least one electrical line element for transmitting electrical data or electric power, a signal unit for feeding a measurement signal into the cable core and for detecting a response signal, a sensor unit having a sensor line extending in the longitudinal direction and being disposed inside the cable core, and a monitoring unit. A method for monitoring a cable which extends in a longitudinal direction is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Leoni Kabel GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Janssen, Heiko Weber
  • Patent number: 11368060
    Abstract: A device including a plurality of motors is disclosed. The device includes a body comprising a plurality of magnet arrays. Each magnet array comprises a plurality of magnets which define a polygon and the plurality of magnets are arranged in a semi-Halbach configuration. The polygons of the plurality of magnet arrays form a tessellating pattern in which the magnet arrays each share at least one magnet with another one of the magnet arrays. Each magnet is configured to be rotatable relative to the body, or in the case of coils as magnets, the input of each coil can be manipulated to replicate the same or similar effect. The device further comprises a plurality of rotors, wherein each magnet array is configured to receive a rotor rotatable relative to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Jeffrey Seltzer, Boqin Sun
  • Patent number: 11366146
    Abstract: An electric utility meter pedestal with provision for providing pre-construction power from underground service comprising an elongate support for a double compartment meter housing the upper portion of which accommodates a standard utility meter and the lower portion of which provides secure access to a pre-construction 110-volt duplex outlet and a breaker switch for that outlet. Access to the duplex outlet is made secure by virtue of an outer cover panel which can be put in place to fully cover and limit access to the outlet after the construction of the building has been complete. The 20 amp duplex outlet therefore provides 110 volt 20 amp service to workmen using tools during the construction phase as well as a convenient outdoor outlet for the homeowner after construction is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventor: Matthew P. Linnell
  • Patent number: 11365985
    Abstract: Provided is a rotation detection device including: a power supply unit configured to output constant power supply; a rotation sensor unit configured to output a detection signal that depends on rotation of a vehicle; a controller configured to calculate on-time rotation information on the vehicle, which is information at a time when an ignition switch is on, to control a motor; and a calculation unit configured to calculate off-time rotation information on the vehicle by intermittently supplying a power supply voltage to the rotation sensor unit when the ignition switch is off, update a set value of an intermittent interval so that the set value becomes smaller when the off-time rotation information contains information indicating rotation of a motor for the vehicle, and otherwise update the set value of the intermittent interval so that the set value becomes larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Cornoration
    Inventors: Yu Kawano, Satoshi Iohara