Patents Examined by J. A San Martin
  • Patent number: 11541421
    Abstract: A wearable element is disclosed. In an embodiment a wearable element includes at least one piezoelectric element configured to vibrate so that a haptic impression of an acoustic signal is generated, wherein the wearable element is wearable on a body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TDK ELECTRONICS AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Rauch
  • Patent number: 11522515
    Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes a piezoelectric substrate, a pair of interleaved interdigital transducer electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric substrate, and a dielectric film including silicon oxynitride covering the pair of interleaved interdigital transducer electrodes. The dielectric film exhibits a temperature coefficient of velocity of substantially zero throughout an operating temperature range of the acoustic wave device of between ?55° C. and 125° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Satoru Matsuda, Atsushi Nishimura, Yoshiro Kabe
  • Patent number: 11508897
    Abstract: A driver for a circuit with a capacitive load, includes a power converter configured to receive a DC input voltage from an input stage, generate a switching voltage at a switching node, and output an output voltage forming an analog waveform at an output stage. The power converter includes a first switch connected between an inductive device and a ground, a second switch connected between the inductive device and the output stage, and a controller to control the first switch and the second switch. The analog waveform has an amplitude at least two times greater than the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventor: Simon Chaput
  • Patent number: 11504742
    Abstract: A vibration device includes a light-transmitting body that is located on a subject side of an imaging element, a cylindrical body that includes a first end portion, a second end portion on the opposite side from the first end portion, and an outer surface and an inner surface that connect the first end portion and the second end portion to each other, the cylindrical body being connected to the light-transmitting body and holding the light-transmitting body on the first end portion side thereof, and a piezoelectric element provided along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body and that torsionally vibrates the cylindrical body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumi Fujimoto, Chikahiro Horiguchi, Kenji Nishiyama, Yasuhiro Kuratani, Shinichiro Ichiguchi
  • Patent number: 11508900
    Abstract: The present application provides a human joint energy harvesting apparatus for capturing the biomechanical energy of a joint to generate electrical energy. The generated electrical energy may provide a real-time power supply to the wearable electronics. The apparatus employs a linear slide rail mechanism and cooperates with the user's first limb and second limb to form a slider-crank mechanism, which converts the rotating motion of the joint into a linear motion of the linear slide rail mechanism. The bending beam converts the linear motion of the linear slide rail mechanism into a bending motion. A piezoelectric film may be bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the bending beam. During walking, the bending beam is deformed, causing the piezoelectric film to be stretched or compressed to generate electrical energy. To harvest more energy, the bending beam used in the apparatus is designed to be subjected to forced motion and free vibration, and a proof mass is attached to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Wei-Hsin Liao, Fei Gao, Gao-Yu Liu, Brendon Lik-Hang Chung, Hugo Hung-Tin Chan
  • Patent number: 11509289
    Abstract: In a composite component, a semiconductor device is stacked on an elastic wave device. Side electrodes extend from at least one side surface of a piezoelectric substrate of the elastic wave device to at least a side surface of a semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor device and are connected to an IDT electrode and functional electrodes. The side electrodes extend onto at least one of a second main surface of the piezoelectric substrate and a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuya Matsumoto, Yuji Toyota
  • Patent number: 11509288
    Abstract: A vibrator device includes a vibration element including a vibration portion and a fixed portion, a supporting member to which the fixed portion is attached to support the vibration element, and a first substrate to which the supporting member is attached, the supporting member includes a attaching portion attached to the first substrate, and A1?A2 is satisfied in a case where an area of a rectangular region including the fixed portion is A1 and an area of a rectangular region including the attaching portion is A2 in a plan view seen from a thickness direction of the vibration element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuya Otsuki, Tsugio Ide
  • Patent number: 11495726
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element that includes a substrate, a lower electrode layer on the substrate, an intermediate layer on the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes a first piezoelectric layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component thereof and located between the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer, a first buffer layer including an aluminum nitride as a main component and located between the first piezoelectric layer and the upper electrode layer, a first intermediate electrode layer located between the first buffer layer and the upper electrode layer, and a second piezoelectric layer located between the first intermediate electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Aida, Daiki Murauchi
  • Patent number: 11495732
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transformer comprises at least a laminate of a first member, a first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element and a second member sequentially stacked one on the other in the above-listed order and a pressurizing mechanism for squeezing the first member and the second member together in the stacking direction. The ratio of the electromechanical coupling coefficient k33 relative to the electromechanical coupling coefficient k31 (k33/k31) of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element is not less than 2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Uebayashi, Miki Ueda, Takanori Matsuda, Makoto Kubota
  • Patent number: 11496071
    Abstract: The module comprises a pendular unit with an elastically deformable piezoelectric beam having a clamped end and an opposite, free end, coupled to an inertial mass. The beam produces an oscillating electrical signal collected by electrodes, which is rectified and regulated to output a voltage for charging a battery. The number and configuration of the electrodes (T1, T2, B1, B2, N) carried by the piezoelectric beam define a plurality of pairs of electrodes between which a corresponding plurality of said oscillating signals can be simultaneously collected. A switching matrix, as a function of an input command, selectively switches the plurality of pairs of electrodes between each other according to a plurality of different series (S), parallel (P) and/or series-parallel (SP) configurations, the selected configuration being that which maximizes the power sent to the battery as a function of the voltage level (VBAT) present at the terminals of the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CAIRDAC
    Inventors: Alaa Makdissi, An Nguyen-Dinh
  • Patent number: 11495731
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator assembly is described. The assembly including a first layer including a top and a bottom surfaces. The assembly including a second layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the second layer is disposed over the top surface of the first layer. The assembly including a third layer having a top and a bottom surfaces, the bottom surface of the third layer is disposed over the top surface of the second layer. The assembly includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode. The third electrode is configured to be shorter than the second electrode such that the active PZT length of the second layer and the third layer is shorter than the active PZT length of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Magnecomp Corporation
    Inventors: Long Zhang, Kuen Chee Ee, David Glaess, Peter Hahn, Johnathan Phu
  • Patent number: 11490991
    Abstract: A medical, particularly a dental or dental surgical, ultrasonic treatment device for generating ultrasonic vibrations and transmitting the ultrasonic vibration to a tool, which can be connected to the ultrasonic treatment device, the medical ultrasonic treatment device having: an ultrasonic vibration generator with a plurality of piezoelectric elements to which an electric voltage can be applied, and a circuit board to supply the plurality of piezoelectric elements with the electric voltage. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a corresponding medical ultrasonic treatment device is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: W&H Dentalwerk Bürmoos GmbH
    Inventors: Theresa Auer, Andreas Brandstaetter, Rainer Schroeck, Wilhelm Brugger
  • Patent number: 11478821
    Abstract: A vibration generating device 90 includes: a housing 30 in a rectangular shape as viewed in a first direction, the housing 30 comprising: a first support portion 31 extending along a first side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and; a second support portion 32 extending along a second side opposite to the first side in the second direction; a panel 60 supported by the first support portion and the second support portion; and a piezoelectric element 11 attached to the panel in such a manner as to be shifted in the second direction toward the first side with respect to a central portion of the panel, wherein a width in the second direction of a portion of the panel supported by the first support portion is larger than a width in the second direction of a portion of the panel supported by the second support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hamada, Yukihiro Matsui, Fumihisa Ito, Takashi Tomita
  • Patent number: 11465177
    Abstract: A PMUT ultrasound transducer includes a number of PMUT transmitting elements in a membrane layer. Behind each PMUT transmitting element is a cavity in the membrane layer. The cavities are partially or completely filled with a damping material to reduce ringing of the PMUT transmitting elements. Suitable damping materials include polymers, e.g., soft epoxies, benzocyclobutene or polyimide that are dispersed into the cavities or a phase changing material such as Parylene that precipitates out of a gas phase as a polymer when cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
    Inventors: Gregg Frey, Wei Li
  • Patent number: 11469364
    Abstract: A displacement sensor having a rectangular shaped elastic member. A piezoelectric element is attached to a first main face of the elastic member. The piezoelectric element has a rectangular-shaped piezoelectric sheet and electrodes on both main faces of the piezoelectric sheet. The piezoelectric sheet is made of poly-L-lactic acid and is at least uniaxially-stretched. The piezoelectric element is attached so that the uniaxial-stretching direction of the piezoelectric sheet is 45° relative to a long-side direction of the elastic member. When the elastic member is bent along the long-side direction, the piezoelectric sheet is stretched along the long-side direction, and the piezoelectric element generates voltage of predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masamichi Ando, Hideki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11463024
    Abstract: A power generation device is provided. A weight may vibrate in one direction as an axial direction in response to an external vibration. A beam may be arranged in at least one side with respect to the weight in the axial direction of the weight, and vibrate together with the weight. A piezoelectric element may be mounted on the beam. A guide may include a hollow guiding a movement of the weight in the axial direction. A stopper may be included in the weight. The stopper may restrict an amount of the movement of the weight in the axial direction within a predetermined amount. A stopper wall may stop the movement of the weight in the axial direction by contacting with the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoichiro Suzuki, Akira Takaoka, Takatoshi Sekizawa, Hiroki Kuwano
  • Patent number: 11450799
    Abstract: The invention provides a micron-scale monocrystal film. The micron-scale monocrystal film includes 1) a substrate layer, and 2) a micron-scale monocrystal film layer located on the substrate layer, wherein a transition layer is interposed between the substrate layer and micron-scale monocrystal film layer, and the transition layer may include a first transition layer disposed adjacent to the substrate layer and a second transition layer disposed adjacent to the micron monocrystal film layer, wherein the transition layer may include H and an element from at least one kind of plasma gas used during the plasma bonding of the substrate layer and the micron-scale monocrystal film layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Jinan Jingzheng Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiuquan Zhang, Houbin Zhu, Wen Hu, Juting Luo, Hui Hu, Yangyang Li
  • Patent number: 11437561
    Abstract: An acoustic resonator comprises a substrate, a resonant portion disposed on the substrate and in which a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode are stacked, a protective layer disposed on an upper portion of the resonant portion, and a hydrophobic layer formed on the protective layer, and the protective layer comprises a first protective layer stacked on the second electrode and a second protective layer stacked on the first protective layer, wherein a density of the second protective layer is higher than a density of the first protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae Kyung Lee, Jong Beom Kim, Min Jae Ahn, Jin Suk Son
  • Patent number: 11437563
    Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes an acoustic wave generator, a support portion, a protective member, and at least one element embedded in the protective member. The acoustic wave generator is disposed on a surface of a substrate. The support portion is disposed on the substrate along a circumference of the acoustic wave generator. The protective member is coupled to the support portion and disposed to be spaced apart from the acoustic wave generator by an interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Wook Park, Jae Hyun Jung, Seong Hun Na
  • Patent number: 11434891
    Abstract: A vibration device includes a top plate elastic body, a cylindrical body that includes a first end portion and a second end portion and is coupled with the top plate elastic body to retain the top plate elastic body on a side of the first end portion. The cylindrical body includes on a side of the second end portion, a ring-shaped flange portion extended outward in a radial direction of the cylindrical body, and a piezoelectric element fixed to the ring-shaped flange portion to cause the cylindrical body to vibrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumi Fujimoto, Chikahiro Horiguchi, Kenji Nishiyama, Yasuhiro Kuratani, Shinichiro Ichiguchi, Hitoshi Sakaguchi