Patents Examined by Huy Q. Phan
  • Patent number: 11279387
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a train direction detection device and a method of determining the direction of travel. The train direction detection device analyzes the characteristics, such as impedance, of an electrical circuit implemented on a railroad to determine the direction of approach of a train. The invention is adapted to integrate with occupancy or grade crossing circuits commonly used by railroads at grade crossings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: VOSSLOH SIGNALING, INC.
    Inventors: John Cipollone, Martin Smaha
  • Patent number: 11274944
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing a rotating body includes a plurality of units to be detected provided on the rotating body; at least two sensing coils disposed to face the units to be detected; an oscillator including at least two capacitors respectively connected to the at least two sensing coils to form at least two oscillation circuits; and a rotation information calculator configured to count frequencies of at least two oscillation signals respectively output from the at least two oscillation circuits to generate a first count value and a second count value, and calculate a rotation direction of the rotating body based on a change in the first count value and a change in the second count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Woo Lee, Joo Yul Ko, Kyung O Kim, Ho Kwon Yoon
  • Patent number: 11262218
    Abstract: A posture adjusting device includes a support member with a pressure receiving surface to be pressed by a body of a user, multiple posture adjusting members each configured to change an uneven state of the pressure receiving surface, a sensor configured to output, when a given posture adjusting member is pressed by the body via the pressure receiving surface, a resistance value that constantly varies in accordance with a magnitude of a press force that is transferred via the given posture adjusting member, a drive unit configured to independently drive each of the multiple posture adjusting members, and a control unit configured to identify the pressed posture adjusting member based on the output of the sensor, and to control the drive unit to cause the pressed posture adjusting member to be moved or deformed to thereby cause the uneven state of the pressure receiving surface to change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Asakawa, Shigeyuki Adachi, Atsushi Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11262389
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus, a control method, an image pickup element, and an electronic appliance that achieve the suppression of an increase in electric power consumption. The signal processing apparatus may be configured to control an amount of electric current at a differential stage in a comparison unit that compares signal levels of a plurality of signals and reduce the amount of electric current for a period other than this comparison period. For example, the amount of electric current may be reduced by turning off part of a group of switches each capable of disconnecting a path of an electric current from an electric current source. In addition, for example, the amount of electric current may be reduced by causing a gate potential at the electric current source unit to decrease. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an image pickup element and an electronic appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsunori Nakahara
  • Patent number: 11262409
    Abstract: A battery management apparatus, including: a sensing unit configured to measure a pack voltage value of a battery pack configured to be charged by receiving a charging current from an engine, output a starting current to turn on the engine, and output an operating current to operate electronic components, and a processor configured to: set a first voltage region by using a first current value (CV) of the charging current and an internal resistance value (IRV) of the battery pack, set a second voltage region by using a second CV of the starting current and the IRV, set a third voltage region by using a third CV of the operating current and the IRV, calculate a voltage change amount of the pack voltage value, compare the first, second, and third voltage regions with the voltage change amount, and determine whether the battery pack is charged or discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Ju Hong, Dong-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 11264442
    Abstract: A flat panel display includes a substrate including a display region and a non-display region disposed outside of the display region, a display unit disposed in the display region that displays an image, a plurality of first pads disposed in the non-display region that receive driving signals for driving the display unit, a plurality of second pads disposed in the non-display region that receive inspection signals for inspecting the display unit, a plurality of third pads disposed in the non-display region that receive alignment confirmation signals for confirming alignment, and a resistor coupled between at least two third pads of the plurality of third pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Taeg Jung, Seung Kyu Lee, Hyun Woong Kim, Hyun Chol Bang
  • Patent number: 11249120
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and a device for detecting electricity theft, and a computer readable medium, smart meter data of each user and aggregated electricity consumption data are obtained during the detection period in the target area, a load profile set and non-technical loss data are obtained, and a correlation between each load profile in the load profile set and the non-technical loss data is obtained through a maximum information coefficient method and based on the smart meter data and the aggregated electricity consumption data, so as to obtain a correlation indicator for measuring the correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qixin Chen, Kedi Zheng, Yi Wang, Chongqing Kang, Qing Xia
  • Patent number: 11249047
    Abstract: A system 10 and associated method for detecting a material discontinuity in a magnetisable article 12 has a sensor unit 16 which includes a magnet 18 and at least one magnetic field coupling sensor S. The magnet 18 is supported a distance above the rail 12 so that the lines of magnetic flux 22 loop through the rail 12. The magnetic field of the magnet 18 causes the surface 14 of the rail 12 directly below the magnet 18 to become polarised opposite to the facing pole of the magnet 18 and the regions distant from the magnet 18 to become inversely polarised. The coupling sensor S is placed and held at a fixed position relative to and in the active magnetic field of the magnet 18. The coupling sensor S measures the flux coupling between the rail 12 and the magnet 18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Stewart Blair
  • Patent number: 11243242
    Abstract: A system for testing a traction block, such as a railway traction block, includes two zones that are physically separated from one another, an operational zone located in a container and divided into at least two parts. One part is a command part accessible by an operator during testing, and the other part is a high-voltage part inaccessible during testing. The system also includes a test zone located outside the container, and configured to receive the traction block to be tested. The test zone is able to be supplied with electricity during the test by the operational zone using dedicated connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ALSTOM Transport Technologies
    Inventor: Laurent Collongues
  • Patent number: 11243323
    Abstract: A method for locating a buried casing stub may comprise a) identifying a target region, b) providing at each of a plurality of survey points in the target region a casing stub locator that includes a vector magnetometer, c) measuring the magnetic field at each of the survey points using the vector magnetometer so as to generate a plurality of magnetic field measurements, d) using the magnetic field measurements to generate a model of the magnetic field of the target region, e) fitting the model generated in step d) to a selected model of a magnetic anomaly created by the casing stub so as to generate model fit information (MFI), and f) locating the casing stub using the MFI. At each survey point, an expected Earth magnetic field can be subtracted from the measured magnetic field. A total station can measure the position and/or the azimuth of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SCIENTIFIC DRILLING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Clinton Moss, Douglas Ridgway
  • Patent number: 11243260
    Abstract: A system for determining an operating mode of a battery includes a voltage sensor configured to detect a present voltage across terminals of the battery. The system further includes a non-transitory memory configured to store previously detected voltages across the terminals of the battery, and a previous operating mode of the battery. The system further includes a processor coupled to the voltage sensor and the non-transitory memory and configured to determine the operating mode of the battery by comparing the present voltage across the terminals of the battery to the previously detected voltages of the battery and based on the previous operating mode of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Don Karner, Frank Fleming, Ulf Krohn, Christer Lindkvist
  • Patent number: 11237019
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor comprises a sensor package and a magnet. The sensor package includes a plurality of lead frames, a magnetic sensor element, and an encapsulation. The plurality of lead frames include a first outer lead and a second outer lead. The first outer lead has a first body and a first protrusion. The second outer lead has a second body and a second protrusion. The magnet includes a magnet body, a first restricting portion, a second restricting portion, a first receiving portion, and a second receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Jyunya Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11231451
    Abstract: The invention provides testing of a chemically-sensitive transistor device, such as an ISFET device, without exposing the device to liquids. In one embodiment, the invention performs a first test to calculate a resistance of the transistor. Based on the resistance, the invention performs a second test to transition the testing transistor among a plurality of modes. Based on corresponding measurements, a floating gate voltage is then calculated with little or no circuitry overhead. In another embodiment, the parasitic capacitance of at least either the source or drain is used to bias the floating gate of an ISFET. A driving voltage and biasing current are applied to exploit the parasitic capacitance to test the functionality of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jarie Bolander, Keith Fife, Mark Milgrew
  • Patent number: 11221231
    Abstract: An encoder includes a magnetic sensor having higher detection sensitivity to a magnetic field applied in a reading direction, while having lower detection sensitivity to a magnetic field applied in a direction forming a greater angle with respect to the reading direction, an encoder substrate having the magnetic sensor mounted thereon, a magnetic shield to shield against a magnetic field including a side portion covering sides of the magnetic sensor and a top-side portion covering a top of the magnetic sensor, a permanent magnet located to face the encoder substrate, a shaft having the permanent magnet attached to a tip end of the shaft, and a bracket to support the shaft in a rotatable manner, wherein on the side portion of the magnetic shield, a notch as a connector insertion portion is located not to overlap an extended area of the magnetic sensor in the reading direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisanori Torii, Takuya Noguchi, Daisuke Kanamori, Takeshi Musha, Fumiaki Tsuchiya, Yasuhiro Kitayama
  • Patent number: 11221235
    Abstract: A position sensor for sensing position or motion, includes: a ferrite core, and a sensor coil configured to provide a sensor signal. The sensor coil is implemented on a printed circuit board, and the ferrite core is configured to be fitted into the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: LAPPEENRANNAN TEKNILLINEN YLIOPISTO
    Inventors: Rafal Jastrzebski, Kimmo Tolsa
  • Patent number: 11215656
    Abstract: A method for detecting partial discharges of an electrical operating device, wherein electromagnetic signals are captured at different positions of the operating device in a decentralized manner by a plurality of sensor apparatuses, where a sinusoidal phase progression is centrally determined for a voltage by a voltage-measuring assembly, and at least one phase point characterizing the phase progression is provided, and the electromagnetic signals are each provided with a time stamp, and a partial discharge signal is determined in each of the electromagnetic signals, and the at least one time stamp of the characterizing phase point and the time stamps of the partial discharge signals are taken into consideration by an evaluation assembly in a superposition of the sinusoidal phase progression with the partial discharge signals. An assembly detects partial discharges of an electrical operating device by the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Anton Wiedenbauer
  • Patent number: 11215644
    Abstract: Current transducer comprising a section of a primary conductor and a magnetic field gradient sensor mounted in proximity to the primary conductor configured to measure a magnetic field gradient in a gradient measurement direction transverse to a direction of flow of a primary current flowing in the primary conductor. The current transducer further comprises a first lateral magnetic shim mounted adjacent a first outer side of the primary conductor, and a second lateral magnetic shim mounted adjacent a second outer side of the primary conductor, a major internal surface of the first and second magnetic shims facing the magnetic field gradient sensor and extending essentially parallel to the direction of flow of the primary current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: LEM INTERNATIONAL SA
    Inventor: Dominik Schläfli
  • Patent number: 11218111
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a surface includes a housing and a probe. The housing includes a light source to direct light along a longitudinal axis and a shutter to selectively allow light to pass through to the probe. The probe includes a body portion and a head portion. The head portion of the probe includes a collector to detect photoelectrons emitted from the surface in response to light from the light source impinging on the surface. A proximal portion of the head portion moves relative to a distal portion of the head portion to allow for variations in angle relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA, Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd Ferrante
  • Patent number: 11209478
    Abstract: A system for verifying the operation of RF generators and resulting pulse waveforms in semiconductor processes includes a process chamber, a profile sensor, an optical sensor and a controller. A process implemented by the controller of the system for verifying the operation of RF generators and resulting pulse waveforms in semiconductor processes includes generating a pulse profile of a pulse shape of an RF generator under test, selecting a stored, representative profile of an RF generator known to be operating correctly to compare to the profile generated for the RF generator for a same pulse mode, defining a quantitative metric/control limit to identify similarities and/or differences between pulses of same pulse modes between the generated profile of the RF generator and the stored profile, comparing the generated profile and the selected stored profile, and determining if the RF generator under test is operating properly based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sathyendra Ghantasala, Hyun-Ho Doh
  • Patent number: 11204388
    Abstract: A power generation equipment monitoring system includes a receiver and a determining processor. The receiver acquires, from a measuring device that measures output currents of power generation equipment that converts rotational energy of a rotor thereof into electric energy to output AC voltage with a reference frequency, waveform data representing waveform of the output currents. The determining processor determines presence and absence of a malfunction in a rotary block that applies motive power to the rotor of the power generation equipment, according to the waveform data acquired through the receiver. The determining processor determines the presence and absence of the malfunction based on a component of at least one specific frequency arranged at one or more intervals according to a rotational speed of the rotor from the reference frequency on a frequency axis in a frequency spectrum of the output currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Tabuchi, Satoshi Kanai