Patents Examined by Janice M Soto
  • Patent number: 9733135
    Abstract: A method and a device for automatically detecting an incorrect measurement of a total temperature on an aircraft. The detection device comprises several monitoring units configured to monitor the variations of the measured total temperature, provided by a temperature probe, and current values of the Mach number and of the altitude of the aircraft over a predetermined monitoring period of time, and a detection unit configured to detect an incorrect measurement of the total temperature when said monitoring units simultaneously detect particular conditions relative to said variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Julien Feau, Xavier Bousquet
  • Patent number: 9726550
    Abstract: Digital Thermometer of antimicrobial copper, meant for medical use, consisting externally of the body (1), the battery cover that is the removable part through which the battery is inserted into the thermometer (2), the power button i.e. ON-OFF button (3), the display (4) and the tip, that is the sensor for measuring temperature (5) and is characterized by the fact that the outer surface of these components except of the display, is made of antimicrobial copper, or bears antimicrobial copper. Due to the antimicrobial-bacteriostatic properties of copper and its alloys with antimicrobial properties, it is achieved naturally—without any further interference, i.e. without disinfectants use—the neutralization of pathogenic microbes that infest the thermometer body, therefore it is achieved limitation of their further dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Mekylon S.A.
    Inventor: Apostolos Karabinis
  • Patent number: 9709447
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for thermal energy metering by measuring the average temperature of fluid in a tank, such as a hot water storage tank. Average temperature is measured with an elongated temperature sensor wire that can span the vertical height of the tank. The sensor wire can be protected with a waterproofing jacket. The sensor wire can be coupled to a second substantially parallel wire. A processing unit measures temperature from changes in the resistance of the sensor wire and measures rates of change to allow the system to distinguish different sources of heat increase and/or decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: AQUANTA INC.
    Inventors: Arnoud Bruins Jan van Houten, Evan Fair Johnson
  • Patent number: 9689746
    Abstract: Provided is a measuring method capable of accurately measuring the surface temperature of a surface to be measured, uninfluenced by the emissivity distribution of the surface to be measured. A surface to be measured having an emissivity distribution, a radiometer that measures a radiance distribution of the surface to be measured, and an auxiliary heat source installed in a specular reflection position from the radiometer with respect to the surface to be measured are prepared, radiances of two places having different emissivities of the surface to be measured are measured at two different auxiliary-heat-source temperatures, a reflectance ratio of the two places having the different emissivities is calculated on the basis of two measured radiances of the two places having the different emissivities, and temperature of the surface to be measured is obtained using reflectance ratio and measured radiances of the two places having different emissivities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yoshiro Yamada, Juntaro Ishii
  • Patent number: 9677822
    Abstract: A temperature-forcing system, for controlling the temperature of an electronic device under test, comprising— a temperature-forcing head, including a face configured to be put in thermal contact with the device and an evaporator, in direct or indirect thermal contact with the face; and a refrigerant circulation subsystem, including a compressor, a condenser and a metering device; wherein the subsystem is configured to circulate a bi-phase refrigerant, in closed loop fashion, through the evaporator so that, during circulation, the refrigerant is maintained at high pressure between the compressor and the metering device and at low pressure while flowing through the evaporator. More specifically, in the disclosed system the refrigerant, while flowing through the evaporator at a low pressure, is operative to dissipate heat therefrom by evaporation and the evaporator or any part thereof is formed as a heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: M.D. Mechanical Devices Ltd.
    Inventors: Lior Yosef, Eyal Simhon
  • Patent number: 9625399
    Abstract: The application relates to a device based on the electrothermal method for determining thermal conductivity, which allows the examination of various phenomena, with a high level of reliability, through the study of the thermal behavior of materials. The device is constituted by a sample-carrying cylinder surrounded by a resistance element that creates a radial heat flow in the sample, a cooling system based on a spiral-form heat exchanger incorporated into the thermal device, means for the storage of a fluid and a data-storage device. Furthermore, the present application describes the use of the device in processes for determining the productive potential of the soil (“PPS”) and the examination of the nutritional quality of agro-ecological produce and foods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE
    Inventor: Orlando Zuñiga Escobar
  • Patent number: 9606003
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for measuring temperature of a measured area of a surface without contacting the surface. The thermometer apparatus has an optical system which generates a correlative image of an infrared energy detector sensitive area at an image distance from the thermometer. A limiting aperture, having a size and a shape corresponding to those of the generated image, is between a mirror and the generated image. The measured area of the surface is between the generated image and the thermometer in use. With such a configuration, little infrared energy that does not originate from the measured area strikes the detector. Consequently, the energy reaching the detector is limited such that the size of the measured area remains constant, regardless of changes in the thermometer's field of view attributable to differences in the distance between the surface and the thermometer. A scan-and-integrate mode for practicing the invention is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Inventor: Yonatan Gerlitz
  • Patent number: 9599584
    Abstract: Provided are methods, systems and devices for thermodynamically evaluating electrochemical systems and components thereof, including electrochemical cells such as batteries. The present systems and methods are capable of monitoring selected electrochemical cell conditions, such as temperature, open circuit voltage and/or composition, and carrying out measurements of a number of cell parameters, including open circuit voltage, time and temperature, with accuracies large enough to allow for precise determination of thermodynamic state functions and materials properties relating to the composition, phase, states of charge, health and safety and electrochemical properties of electrodes and electrolytes in an electrochemical cell. Thermodynamic measurement systems of the present invention are highly versatile and provide information for predicting a wide range of performance attributes for virtually any electrochemical system having an electrode pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (C.N.R.S.), NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Rachid Yazami, Cher Ming Tan
  • Patent number: 9568367
    Abstract: A method and a sensing device are provided. The sensing device may include: a thermal antenna that includes a resistive material and has a cross section that has dimensions that are of an order of a micron or of a sub-micron. The thermal antenna may receive electromagnetic radiation and directly convert it to heat. The sensing device may also include a supporting element, a thermal sensor arranged to generate detection signals responsive to a temperature of a sensed area of the thermal sensor, a holding element that may support and thermally isolate the thermal antenna and the thermal sensor and thermally isolate, and a readout circuit that may process the detection signals to provide information about the electromagnetic radiation that is directly converted to heat by the thermal antenna. The thermal antenna and the thermal sensor are spatially separated from the supporting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD.
    Inventors: Yael Nemirovsky, Dan Corcos, Shlomo Katz, Alexander Svetlitza, Madlena Dolgin
  • Patent number: 9557751
    Abstract: A sensor temperature control apparatus (1) includes switching device (51); energization control means S1 and S2 for controlling duty ratio DT to maintain sensor element section (3) at a target temperature; storage means (75) for storing a first duty ratio DT1 in advance; element temperature judgment means S3 for determining whether the temperature of the sensor element section falls within a first temperature range including the target temperature; and semi-shorted state detection means S4 to S6 for comparing a present duty ratio DT2 with the first duty ratio in a state in which the temperature of the sensor element section falls within the first temperature range, to thereby determine whether a semi-shorted first temperature range state has arisen in which only a portion of the current flowing through switching device flows through heater section (4) and the temperature of the sensor element section falls within the first temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomonori Uemura
  • Patent number: 9523734
    Abstract: A test apparatus includes a plurality of rails, a plurality of test zones and a movable test chamber. The test zones are located between the rails. The movable test chamber includes a passageway, at least one heat source and at least one pair of rolling balls. The heat source is used to heat the passageway. The pair of rolling balls is movably contained in two rails, so as to facilitate movement of the passageway to different test zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chao Xie, Chi-Lung Hsiao, Tzu-Chiang Chou, Ming Xia
  • Patent number: 9513240
    Abstract: MEMS-based calorimeter including two microchambers supported in a thin film substrate is provided. The thin film substrate includes a thermoelectric sensor configured to measure temperature differential between the two microchambers, and also includes a thermally stable and high strength polymeric diaphragm. Methods for fabricating the MEMS-based calorimeter, as well as methods of using the calorimeter to measure thermal properties of materials, such as biomolecules, or thermodynamic properties of chemical reactions or physical interactions, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Qiao Lin, Bin Wang
  • Patent number: 9506817
    Abstract: Temperature accuracy is improved, conversion gain is increased without increasing current density and parasitic resistance errors and other problems with conventional bandgap reference temperature sensors are eliminated by generating a signal proportional to temperature from four samples, where the signal is defined as a difference between a first difference and a second difference, the first difference comprising a difference between the second sample and the first sample, the second difference comprising a difference between the fourth sample and the third sample, and where the signal is defined to cancel parasitic components in the first, second, third and fourth samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC
    Inventor: Feng Qiu
  • Patent number: 9506819
    Abstract: A fast response temperature probe which may be used for a method for measuring an instantaneous temperature of a periodically changing fluid flow within a gas turbine is proposed. The temperature probe includes a substrate and a resistive element arranged at a surface of the substrate. Therein, at least at a surface of the substrate contacting the resistive element, the substrate comprises an insulating material having a thermal product of less than 1.5 kJ/(m2K sqrt(s)). The substrate or at least its surface is made from polyamide-imide such as for example fiber-reinforced Torlon© 5030. The temperature probe may allow measurements of instantaneous local temperatures of very fast fluctuations of more than 50 kHz at high spatial resolutions of, e.g., less than 0.5 mm2. The instantaneous temperature of a periodically changing fluid flow may be determined by correlating first and second sets of temperature measurements taking into account the periodicity of the periodically changing fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: BERNS ENGINEERING CONSULTING GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Rose, Björn Weigel, Christian Eichler, Stephan Staudacher
  • Patent number: 9509293
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for controlling chip performance, and relate to the field of communications technologies, which solves a problem in the prior art that a chip is reset or performance is greatly decreased as long as a temperature of the chip is higher than a preset threshold. The method includes: obtaining a working temperature of a chip; when the working temperature of the chip reaches one of multiple preset temperature thresholds, obtaining, according to preset correspondence between a temperature threshold and a chip performance control policy, a chip performance control policy that corresponds to the one of the multiple temperature thresholds; and controlling working of the chip according to the control policy. The present invention is applicable to an electronic device to which a chip is applied, such as a desktop computer or a notebook computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiangpeng Li, Yu Liu, Cong Yao
  • Patent number: 9488607
    Abstract: A multi-purpose, cylindrical thermal insulation test apparatus is used for testing insulation materials and systems of materials using a liquid boil-off calorimeter system for absolute measurement of the effective thermal conductivity (k-value) and heat flux of a specimen material at a fixed environmental condition (cold-side temperature, warm-side temperature, vacuum pressure level, and residual gas composition). An inner vessel receives liquid with a normal boiling point below ambient temperature, such as liquid nitrogen, enclosed within a vacuum chamber. A cold mass assembly, including upper and lower guard chambers and middle test vessel, is suspended from a lid of the vacuum canister. Each of the three chambers is filled and vented through a single feedthrough. All fluid and instrumentation feedthroughs are mounted and suspended from a top domed lid allowing easy removal of the cold mass. A lift mechanism allows manipulation of the cold mass assembly and insulation test article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: James E. Fesmire, Adam G. Dokos
  • Patent number: 9476772
    Abstract: A temperature sensor for use in an infrared detector the temperature sensor comprising: a first resistor associated with a first thermal path having a first thermal conductivity between the first resistor and a substrate and a first temperature coefficient of resistance; a second resistor associated with a second thermal path having a second thermal conductivity between the second resistor and the substrate and a second temperature coefficient of resistance, and a measurement circuit responsive to changes in the resistance of the first and second resistors to estimate changes in temperature, and wherein at least one of (a) the first and second thermal conductivities are different or (b) the first and second temperature coefficients of resistance are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: William Allan Lane, Paul Martin Lambkin
  • Patent number: 9417135
    Abstract: The temperature sensor includes a thermo-sensitive element, first and second electrode wires electrically connected to the thermo-sensitive element, first and second signal wires partially overlapped with and connected to the first and second electrode wires, respectively. The first and second electrode wires are made of a first metal material consisting primarily of Pt. The first and second signal wires are made of a second metal material containing Al and having a linear thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the first metal material. Each of an overlap portion of the first electrode wire and the first signal wire and an overlap portion of the second electrode wire and the second signal wire includes a junction part formed by melting and thereafter coagulating the first or second electrode wire and the first or second signal wire. The junction part includes an oxidation film containing Al formed on a surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuusuke Toudou, Tsunenobu Hori, Sotoo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9417140
    Abstract: A sensor assembly including a sensing element, a conductor connected to the sensing element, and an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft includes a proximal end and a distal end. An inner surface of the shaft defines a through-bore extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The through-bore is configured to receive the conductor therethrough. An outer surface of the shaft includes a proximal diameter at the proximal end and a distal diameter at the distal end. The proximal diameter is greater than the distal diameter and configured to dampen vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Denso International America, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Szczepanski
  • Patent number: 9404813
    Abstract: A temperature probe includes a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a tip disposed at the distal end. The probe also includes an infrared sensor configured to measure a temperature of a structure disposed proximate the shaft. The probe further includes a temperature sensor disposed distal to the infrared sensor. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a body cavity temperature of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: WELCH ALLYN, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Kinsley, David E. Quinn, John A. Lane, Michael J. Anson