Patents Examined by Jacque M. Saint-Surin
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Patent number: 11971389Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-sonic inspection of a surface are described. An example system may include an inspection robot structured to move in a direction of travel on an inspection surface. The inspection robot may include a payload including a first ultrasonic (UT) phased array and a second UT phased array, the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array being arranged in a parallel configuration. The inspection robot may include a rastering device structured to move the payload in a direction of inspection, the direction of inspection being distinct from the direction of travel and the direction of inspection being distinct from the parallel configuration of the first UT phased array and the second UT phased array.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2022Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Chase David, Jose Aparicio, Juan Roberto Mendoza Mora, Kevin Y. Low, Troy Demmer, Edward A. Bryner, Scott Ashley Corl
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Patent number: 11971293Abstract: A shelf assembly for tracking the weight of non-homogeneous products stored thereupon in a refrigerator comprises a weighing base comprising opposing load-cell bases detachedly attachable to respective left and right internal walls of the refrigerator, a shelf frame or at least one beam member joining respective said opposing load-cell bases so as to form, in combination therewith, a rigid shelf frame, the rigid shelf frame being open to a vertical airflow over at least 25% of its horizontal surface area; a shelf open to a vertical airflow over at least 50% of its horizontal surface area; and a plurality of load cell assemblies fixedly attached to each of respective said opposing load-cell bases so as to mediate between the load-cell bases and the shelf. The shelf can be a wire-grid shelf.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: SHEKEL SCALES (2008) LTD.Inventor: Michael Trakhimovich
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Patent number: 11971292Abstract: The vibration strength of a linear feeder is changeable depending on whether an article is currently present at a downstream end of a trough of the linear feeder. When articles continue to be vibrationally transported, arriving continuously at the downstream end of the trough of the linear feeder, the vibration strength is set to a vibration strength suitable for discharge of the articles from the downstream end. When there is currently no article at the downstream end of the trough of the linear feeder, the vibration strength is set to a vibration strength suitable for transport of the articles to allow the articles that follow to swiftly arrive at the downstream end of the trough.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shinya Yokoyama
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Patent number: 11971388Abstract: A test device for a destruction-free test of rotationally symmetrical objects, in particular rotors of gas or steam turbines. The test device has at least three elongated skid bodies which extend in the circumferential direction and parallel to one another, which are interconnected, and which define contact surfaces for positioning on the circumferential surface of the object to be tested, wherein a test body receiving area for an ultrasonic test probe is provided at least on the center skid body.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2019Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Stefan Obermayr
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Patent number: 11965773Abstract: A torsion balance is provided which includes a twisting wire and a reflector. The twisting wire is a suspended carbon nanotube. The reflector is hung on the twisting wire. The reflector further includes a film, a first reflecting layer, and a second reflecting layer; and the film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the first reflecting layer is located on the first surface and the second reflecting layer is located on the second surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2021Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.Inventors: Lin Cong, Zi Yuan, Kai-Li Jiang, Shou-Shan Fan
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Patent number: 11944426Abstract: A load cell apparatus includes a base member, a cap member, a number of first members provided between the base member and the cap member and forming at least a portion of a support wall of the load cell apparatus, and a plurality of strain gauges directly coupled to the number of first members, the plurality of strain gauges being positioned to measure an axial load applied to the load cell in a direction extending from the cap member to the base member.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignees: University of Pittsburgh-Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, The United States Government as Represented by the Department of Veterans AffairsInventors: Jonathan L. Pearlman, Jonathan A. Duvall, Samuel T. Bucior
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Patent number: 11946795Abstract: A weighing assembly having first and second shelf brackets supporting first and second planar load cell assemblies, each planar load cell assembly having at least one load cell arrangement disposed on a metal load cell body, each load cell arrangement including first and second contiguous cutout windows passing through the load cell body, a pair of measuring beams disposed along opposite edges of the load cell body, a first flexure arrangement having a first pair of flexure beams, a loading element comprising a receiving element and extending from an innermost flexure base, and at least one strain gage, fixedly attached to a surface of the measuring beam.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SHEKEL SCALES (2008) LTD.Inventor: Michael Trakhimovich
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Patent number: 11946796Abstract: A method of generating feedback for a container load process includes: during a load process for a container at a load bay, controlling a sensor assembly disposed at the load bay to capture sensor data depicting an interior of the container; at a computing device connected to the sensor assembly, detecting, based on the sensor data, a wall of items placed in the container interior; determining, at the computing device from the sensor data: (i) a boundary attribute of the detected wall, and (ii) a composition attribute of the detected wall; comparing, at the computing device, (i) the boundary attribute to a boundary criterion, and (ii) the composition attribute to a composition criterion; and responsive to at least one of the boundary attribute not meeting the boundary criterion, or the composition attribute not meeting the composition attribute, generating an alert for transmission to a client computing device.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Zebra Technologies CorporationInventors: Seth David Silk, Andrew Ehlers, Nirav Shah, Peter S. Carberry, IV
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Patent number: 11938474Abstract: A pipette device comprises a pipette channel filled with compressible working gas, a pipette piston movable along the pipette path, a piston drive, which drives the pipette piston, a control device, a data memory connected to the control device for signal transmission, a pressure sensor which detects the pressure of the working gas and which is connected to the control device, a position sensor which detects a position of the pipette piston and which is connected to the control device. The control device is designed to determine a quality of a dispensing sequence on the basis of a target residual quantity value, which represents the target residual quantity of dosing liquid remaining in the pipette channel, of a working gas pressure and of an end position of the pipette piston, in each case after the end of the dispensing sequence, and to output the determined quality.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2019Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: HAMILTON BONADUZ AGInventor: Jonas Hilti
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Patent number: 11940420Abstract: A system and method for improved, non-intrusive material identification includes a vessel holding or transporting at least one quantity of a fluid. At least one acoustic transducer is positioned on an exterior surface of a sidewall of the vessel. At least one coupling layer is positioned between the at least one acoustic transducer and the exterior surface of the sidewall of the vessel, wherein the at least one coupling layer is formed, at least in part, from nanotubes, wherein the nanotubes improve a reflection of an acoustic signal emitted from the at least one acoustic transducer. A computerized device is in communication with the at least one acoustic signal. The computerized device has a processor and a memory, and determines a material identification of the quantity of fluid based on, at least in part, the reflection of the ultrasonic signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2023Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: PERCEPTIVE SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Lazar Bivolarsky, Joel D. Burcham, William Coleman, James M. Heim
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Patent number: 11940320Abstract: A load sensor compares generated values of load signals to predicted values of the load signals. Where an error between a generated value and a predicted value is less than a threshold, a value of zero is transmitted by the load sensor to an external systems, in an encoded stream of bits, and the error are used to calculate a predicated value of a next load signal, such that insubstantial changes in loading resulting in small errors are not transmitted to the external system. Where an error between the generated value and the predicted value exceeds the threshold, however, a value representative of the error is transmitted to the external system, in an encoded stream of bits. The external system processes the stream of bits to calculate the error, to determine that an item has been placed on a storage system or removed therefrom, or to identify the item.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Sarang Sandeep Bhadsavle, Alexander Eugene Choi, Graham Cyril Jordan, Paul Eugene Munger, Robert M. Riggs, Benjamin Hong Yee, Matthew Zimmer
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Patent number: 11940340Abstract: An apparatus is described. The apparatus may include a substrate and one or more sensors mounted to the substrate. The one or more sensors may be mounted to the substrate using adhesive material and one or more spot welds.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Hutchinson Technology IncorporatedInventors: Clark T. Olsen, Duane M. Jelkin
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Patent number: 11933660Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant weight sensor and the occupant presence sensor. The logic device is configured to receive occupant weight sensor signals from the occupant weight sensor and occupant presence sensor signals from the occupant presence sensor, determine an estimated occupant weight and an occupant presence response based, at least in part, on the occupant weight sensor signals and the occupant presence sensor signals, and determine an occupant classification status corresponding to the passenger seat based, at least in part, on the estimated occupant weight and/or the occupant presence response.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Tesla, Inc.Inventors: Akin Aina, Markell Baldwin, Bronson Aden, Zach Stuart
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Patent number: 11927570Abstract: According to one embodiment, an estimation device includes a processor. The processor accepts information. The information is acquired by each of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors transmitting an ultrasonic wave in a second direction toward a weld portion and receiving a reflected wave. The ultrasonic sensors are arranged in a first direction. The second direction crosses the first direction. The processor estimates a range of the weld portion in the second direction based on an intensity distribution of the reflected wave in the second direction. The processor calculates a centroid position of an intensity distribution of the reflected wave in the first direction for each of a plurality of points in the second direction, and estimates a range of the weld portion in the first direction based on a plurality of the centroid positions.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2022Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBAInventors: Masahiro Saito, Yasunori Chiba, Akira Ushijima, Toshiyuki Ono, Atsushi Matsumura
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Patent number: 11921085Abstract: Embodiments described herein utilize Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) scan data obtained during a process performed on a surface of a structure to update a location of an NDI scanner on the surface. A subsurface feature within the structure is detected based on the NDI scan data, which are correlated with pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature. A measured location of the NDI scanner on the surface is corrected based on the pre-defined position data for the subsurface feature.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2023Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Joseph Lawrence Hafenrichter, Gary E. Georgeson, James J. Troy
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Patent number: 11913909Abstract: Method is provided for determining the extent of defects, in particular of crack depths, in a test specimen. At least one transmitting transducer excites sound waves in the ultrasonic range, and the sound waves propagate in the form of a sound beam. The acoustic axis of the sound beam preferably forms an angle the normal to a surface of the test specimen facing the transmitting transducer. The sound waves couple into the test specimen obliquely and are reflected in particular in a V-shaped manner at a preferably outer interface of the test specimen. At least one receiving transducer spaced apart from the transmitting transducer receives the sound waves reflected at the interface of the test specimen. By means of an evaluation unit, an extent of a defect arranged within a sound path is determined from a reduction of the amplitude of the sound waves received by the receiving transducer.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: ROSEN Swiss AGInventors: Michael Esseling, Werner Thale
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Patent number: 11911327Abstract: A support platform supports a mattress. The support platform includes legs. Force sensors are coupled to the legs or to the support platform. The force sensors are configured to sense a force applied to each leg or support platform. A controller is configured to receive at least one force stream from at least one of the force sensors. The at least one force stream represents a force sensed by the force sensor. The controller is configured to, in responses to receiving the at least one force stream, determine a sleep parameter from the following group of sleep parameters: bed presence, weight, heart rate, respiration rate, and motions. The controller is configured to output at least one or more of those parameters to an end user.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Sleep Number CorporationInventors: Ramazan Demirli, Yuki Hino, Tyler Holmvik
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Patent number: 11913824Abstract: A combination weighing device is provided that discharges, from a hopper, an article oversupplied into and received by the hopper and that collects the article using the collection container. The combination weighing device includes an oversupplied article retainer disposed at a position on a discharge path for the article to be discharged from the hopper and collected by the collection container. The oversupplied article retainer has a collection chute and a blocking shutters and temporarily retains the article guided to flow downward using the collection chute and the blocking shutter.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Yamato Scale Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryo Suemichi, Naho Uno
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Patent number: 11898992Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for touch, force and/or thermal sensing by an ultrasonic transceiver chip. In some aspects, an ultrasonic transceiver sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a CMOS layer attached to the substrate; an array of piezoelectric transducers coupled to the CMOS layer to generate ultrasonic pulses; and a contact layer attached to the substrate on a side opposite the substrate for providing a surface for contact with an object, where an ultrasonic pulse generated by a piezoelectric transducer propagates through the substrate and the contact layer, such that when the object is in contact with the surface of the contact layer, a reflected ultrasonic pulse is produced and propagates through the contact layer and the substrate to be received at the array of piezoelectric transducers, and the CMOS layer receive and process outputs from the piezoelectric transducers produced in response to the received reflected ultrasonic pulses.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Cornell UniversityInventors: Amit Lal, Mamdouh Abdelmejeed, Justin Kuo
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Patent number: 11899030Abstract: A plate changer includes a casing that stores a sample plate and one or a plurality of first rack plates that each support the sample plate. One or a plurality of plate supporters that respectively support the one or plurality of first rack plates at different heights are provided in the casing. Each first rack plate is configured to be supportable on and removable from any of the one or plurality of plate supporters. The plate changer further includes a detector that detects whether the first rack plate is supported on each plate supporter.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2018Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATIONInventors: Kodai Imaeda, Takuya Sawada