Patents Examined by J M Saint Surin
  • Patent number: 9568355
    Abstract: A detection, analysis, and correction of unwanted frequencies is provided. The elimination of a wolf tone may be done through either correction of surface instability or dynamic frequency correction by a signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: FIRST PRINCIPLES, INC.
    Inventor: Keith A. Raniere
  • Patent number: 9566023
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an earphone apparatus adapted for use in audiometry examinations. The earphone apparatus comprises a housing and a receiver having an acoustic output adapted to connect with an audio signal source. The earphone apparatus can also include a circuit board with an electrical equalization network connected to the receiver. A coupling can be connected to the acoustic output of the receiver. A sound tube can be connected to the acoustic output and extends out from the housing to an ear piece. The earphone also includes a resonance cancellation assembly comprising a damping chamber and a tubing section acoustically connecting the damping chamber to the coupling. The damping chamber can provide an acoustic compliance to the sound delivered by the receiver. The earphone can also comprise an electrical connector with a protector that is adapted to connect with a female connector delivering electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: ETYMOTIC RESEARCH, INC.
    Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Charles J. Aldous, Viorel Drambarean, Donald Wilson, Jonathan K. Stewart
  • Patent number: 9557302
    Abstract: An ultrasound inspection roller provided with a wheel, a sensing system and a support for holding the sensing system inside the wheel, a wedge connected to the ultrasound sensing system at one end and provided with a curved profile at its other end facing the wheel, adapted to the curvilinear shape of the wheel, and a liquid of a density higher than 9.9*102 kg/mm3 placed inside the wheel such that the sensory system, the wheel and the wedge are acoustically coupled. The roller allows the early detection of problems during manufacturing of composites and the performance of corrective measures in real time, and assures a good coupling between the transducers and the material to be inspected in dry conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.L.
    Inventors: Carlos De Miguel Giraldo, Gildas Lambert, Oscar Martinez, Luis Elvira, David Romero, Luis Gomez Ullate, Francisco Montero
  • Patent number: 9557303
    Abstract: A computer with a proper program generates a phased array sequence of signals. In a pulser with delays, the signals are fed through a multiplexor into multiple water wedges that are attached to a valve being tested. For a sequential operation of the valves from the open to the closed position, ultrasonic signals are transmitted through the fluid contained in the valve and reflected back through piezo-electric crystals to the multiplexor. By summation and merger of the signals, an image can be developed of the operation of the valve to determine if the valve is operating properly. By comparing the signals received with a known standard for that type valve, proper operation, or lack thereof, of the valve under test can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: IHI Southwest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse R. Delgado, Hector Diaz
  • Patent number: 9551693
    Abstract: A photoacoustic wave measurement device includes: (a) a pulsed-light outputter that outputs a pulsed light; (b) an arrangement member disposed between a pulsed-light output end of the pulsed-light outputter and a measurement object, the arrangement member being adapted to allow the pulsed light to pass therethrough; and (c) a photoacoustic wave detector that receives a photoacoustic wave generated by the measurement object by the pulsed light and that converts the photoacoustic wave into an electric signal, the photoacoustic wave measurement device being adapted to receive the electric signal from a photoacoustic wave sensor in which the photoacoustic wave detector is farther from the measurement object than the pulsed-light output end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taiichiro Ida, Yasushi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 9551629
    Abstract: A method and a system for acquiring a vibratory signal for troubleshooting a rotary motor, including: an input receiving a temporal vibratory signal of the motor and at least one current rotational speed of at least one shaft of the motor, and a sampling mechanism sampling the temporal vibratory signal in real time with at least one sampling signal synchronised with the at least one current rotational speed thus generating a corresponding synchronous vibratory signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventor: Geoffroy Nicq
  • Patent number: 9546869
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes a pair of first and second drive vibrating arms that extend in opposite directions from a base portion; a first weight that is spaced from a tip of at least one of the first and second drive vibrating arms toward the base portion and is provided in a first region of the at least one of the drive vibrating arms; and a second weight that is provided in a second region that is a region between a tip of the first weight and the tip of the at least one of the drive vibrating arms. When an area of the first region is represented as A1, a mass of the first weight is represented as B1, an area of the second region is represented as A2, and a mass of the second weight is represented as B2, B1/A1>B2/A2 is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Yamaguchi, Seiichiro Ogura, Takayuki Kikuchi, Ryuta Nishizawa, Seiji Osawa
  • Patent number: 9541447
    Abstract: There is disclosed a sensor assembly and a method of sensing. The sensor assembly is for sensing a property associated with a structure of interest. The sensor assembly includes an elongate member constructed and arranged so as to be capable of assuming a structure-engaging form in which it is resiliently biased such that the member can engage with and grip the structure along at least part of the length of the member, and, at least one sensor supported by the elongate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: RTL MATERIALS LIMITED
    Inventor: Andrew James Daton-Lovett
  • Patent number: 9534949
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10) comprising a substrate (12), and a membrane (14) disposed above a total membrane area (Atotal), wherein a cavity (20) is formed between the membrane (14) and the substrate (12), the membrane comprising a hole (15) and an edge portion (14a) surrounding the hole (15). The cell (10) further comprises a stress layer (17) on the membrane (14), the stress layer (17) having a predetermined stress value with respect to the membrane (14), the stress layer (17) being adapted to provide a bending moment on the membrane (14) in a direction towards the substrate (12) such that the edge portion (14a) of the membrane (14) is collapsed to the substrate (12). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Dirksen, Ronald Dekker, Vincent Adrianus Henneken, Adriaan Leeuwestein, Bout Marcelis, John Douglas Fraser
  • Patent number: 9535041
    Abstract: A sonic speed measurement device in which reliability is enhanced while the amount of calculation is minimized is provided. A propagation path postulation component postulates the sonic speed through bone, and calculates propagation paths up until ultrasonic waves transmitted from a wave transmitter are received by oscillators. A postulated propagation time calculator calculates the propagation time it takes for the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the wave transmitter to be received by the oscillators, based on the propagation paths. A Fourier transform component subjects I signals and Q signals of signals outputted by the oscillators to Fourier transform to generate Fourier transform data. A phase shifter shifts the phase of the Fourier transform data for the oscillators in a frequency region according to the propagation time. A sonic speed derivation component determines the validity of the postulated sonic speed based on the Fourier transform data shifted by the phase shifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Dorian Cretin
  • Patent number: 9528964
    Abstract: A method of detecting a state of a coated gel coated on an ultrasound probe includes coating a gel on the ultrasound probe, scanning and generating a scanned image, dividing the scanned image into a strong echo area and a weak echo area, and detecting signal variation in the strong echo area of the scanned image to determine the state of the coated gel coated on the ultrasound probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventor: Tang-Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 9528965
    Abstract: A system and method for inspecting a part to be monitored that is arranged inside a mechanical member, said part to be monitored including a plane wall and a curved wall presenting an angle between them. The system comprises a probe endoscope (20) carrying a head (30), said head (30) presenting a plane face (31) that is suitable for being pressed against said plane wall, said head (30) having an ultrasound probe (35) and at least one magnet (36) flush with said plane face (31), said head (30) having a curved face (32) that is perpendicular to the plane face (31) and that matches the shape of the curved wall of the part to be monitored, the plane face (31) and the curved face (32) forming an L-shaped structure that is suitable for being held against the part to be monitored via each magnet (36), while allowing said part to be monitored to rotate relative to said head (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventors: Philippe Beck, Andre Jean Baixas, Sebastien Bernier, Eric Biletta, Olivier Molinas
  • Patent number: 9518959
    Abstract: A method includes: transmitting, via a signal generator, an electrical driving signal, the electrical driving signal having a mean square error; transmitting, via a wave generating component, a Lamb wave, the Lamb wave having many different modes; estimating, via an estimating component, a propagation parameter associated with the Lamb wave; and estimating, via an estimating component, a thickness of a material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rakesh Malladi, Anand G. Dabak, Nitish Krishna Murthy
  • Patent number: 9518863
    Abstract: An acoustic wave element includes a piezoelectric substrate, an excitation electrode configured to excite and output a main acoustic wave on the piezoelectric substrate, a receiving electrode configured to receive the main acoustic wave, a propagation path configured to allow the main acoustic wave to propagate along the piezoelectric substrate between the excitation electrode and the receiving electrode, and a sensing portion configured to react to an object substance. The propagation path is configured to allow the main acoustic wave to pass plural times through the sensing portion along the propagation path. This acoustic wave element has high sensitivity to the object substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Tsuzuki, Kazunori Nishimura, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Tomohiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 9513156
    Abstract: A system (100) for determining a property of an object (106) comprises an inducing arrangement (102), a detector (104) and a processor. The inducing arrangement (102) is configured to generate an impulse of fluid and for directing the impulse of fluid towards the object to induce a physical vibration of the object (106). The inducing arrangement (102) does not contact the object 106 when inducing the physical vibration of the object (106). The detector (104) is configured to detect the physical vibration of the object (106). The detector (104) does not contact the object 106 when detecting the physical vibration of the object (106). The processor is coupled to the detector (104) for determining the property of the object (106) based on at least the detected physical vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR PLANT AND FOOD RESEA
    Inventors: Peter Niven Schaare, Roderick Munro McDonald, Vincent Andrew McGlone
  • Patent number: 9513263
    Abstract: An ultrasonic measuring apparatus includes an ultrasonic transducer device having a substrate and an ultrasonic transducer element array that is arranged on the substrate, a first channel terminal group arranged at one edge portion of the ultrasonic transducer element array in a first direction, a second channel terminal group arranged at the other edge portion of the ultrasonic transducer element array in the first direction, a first flexible substrate provided on the one edge portion side and having arranged thereon a first wiring group that is connected to the first channel terminal group, a first integrated circuit apparatus that is mounted on the first flexible substrate and performs at least one of signal transmission to the first channel terminal group and signal reception from the first channel terminal group, a second flexible substrate provided on the other edge portion side and having arranged thereon a second wiring group that is connected to the second channel terminal group, and a second integra
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kogo Endo
  • Patent number: 9500559
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods related to damping testing are disclosed. For example, some embodiments may contain a testing platform supported on wheels and moveable by hydraulic cylinders, and two fasteners for fastening the testing sample, one fixed on the testing platform and the other moveable along the testing platform by another hydraulic cylinder, and may be used for the damping testing of slender structures such as umbilicals and flexibles used in oil and gas underwater field development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: DMAR Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiming Huang, Dagang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9500546
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing measurements of an acoustic wave, the acoustic wave being within a member (12) made of a composite material and caused by an impact to the member (12), the method comprising: analyzing the measurements to detect an initial acoustic wave feature; analyzing the measurements to detect the presence of further acoustic wave features, the further features occurring after the initial feature; if there are no further acoustic wave features, determining that the impact to the member (12) has not changed the structure of the member (12); if there are further features, determining a value of a function of the further acoustic wave features; if the determined value satisfies certain criteria, determining that the impact has changed the structure of the member (12); and if the determined value does not satisfy the criteria, determining that the impact has not changed the structure of the member (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Ian James Read, Ryan Nichols John, William Neil MacPherson
  • Patent number: 9494493
    Abstract: The state of a flame in a gas turbine combustor is acoustically monitored using a single dynamic pressure sensor within the combustor. A dynamic pressure sensor output signal is received from the single sensor and is processed to determine a flame status. The signal is processed by performing an autocorrelation operation to identify time-separated portions of the signal and to determine that the time-separated portions of the signal include portions indicative of acoustic oscillations emitted by the flame in the gas turbine engine combustor and received directly by the single acoustic sensor, and portions indicative of reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Heiko Claussen, Nancy H. Ulerich, Zainul Momin, Patrick Ronald Flohr
  • Patent number: 9488573
    Abstract: An imaging system for an object such as human or animal tissue applies acoustic vibrations localized in two or three dimensions and simultaneously illuminates the object with an illuminating electromagnetic wave. The acoustic vibration comprises a carrier wave that is amplitude modulated by an AM waveform. The carrier wave is selected to provide the localization of the acoustic vibration, whereas the AM waveform includes a frequency component selected to provide a vibration of the object of greater magnitude than the carrier wave. To detect a Doppler component shifted by the frequency of said frequency component of the AM waveform, a signal processing apparatus comprises a phase locked-loop locked to the EM frequency, producing a frequency-demodulated signal comprising the set of the Doppler components, and a lock-in amplifier configured to extract a signal at a reference frequency equal to the frequency of a frequency component of the AM waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ISIS INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventors: David John Edwards, Pithawat Vachirimon