Patents Examined by John Chapman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9322839
    Abstract: An inertial sensor having a body with an excitation coil and a first sensing coil extending along a first axis. A suspended mass includes a magnetic-field concentrator, in a position corresponding to the excitation coil, and configured for displacing by inertia in a plane along the first axis. A supply and sensing circuit is electrically coupled to the excitation coil and to the first sensing coil, and is configured for generating a time-variable flow of electric current that flows in the excitation coil so as to generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic-field concentrator to induce a voltage/current in the sensing coil. The integrated circuit is configured for measuring a value of the voltage/current induced in the first sensing coil so as to detect a quantity associated to the displacement of the suspended mass along the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giulio Ricotti, Alberto Pagani, Fulvio Vittorio Fontana, Ubaldo Mastromatteo
  • Patent number: 9315376
    Abstract: An inertial sensor for measuring information relating to rotation in three orthogonal axes, comprising a support and a vibrating sensitive element secured to the support; the sensitive element having a deformable frame and at least two deformable projections which extend in a plane (X-Y); wherein the inertial sensor extends in the same plane; the deformable frame and the at least two deformable projections have a plane of symmetry parallel to the plane; the at least two projections are rectilinear beams which have an approximately square cross section, are not collinear and are preferably approximately orthogonal to one another; each of the deformable beams being connected by only one end to the deformable frame at a location at which the amplitude of the primary vibration mode is at a maximum; and in that the sensor has a device for detecting each of the secondary vibration modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: ONERA (OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES)
    Inventors: Iannis Roland, Steve Masson, Olivier Ducloux
  • Patent number: 9303994
    Abstract: A planar Coriolis gyroscope includes at least two counter oscillating masses attached to a common rigid frame by one or more elastic members defining an excitation axis. The frame is attached to a support region by one or more additional elastic members which together with the masses define a Coriolis resonator. The Coriolis resonator responds to inertial rotation of the gyroscope and in conjunction with a position pickoff provides a signal indicative on the gyroscope inertial rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: YSENSORS LTD.
    Inventors: Yishay Netzer, Michael Girgel
  • Patent number: 9297413
    Abstract: A method for suppressing vibrations, the method having the steps of providing a first device having a first rotating shaft, and a second device having a second rotating shaft. The orbits of the first rotating shaft are measured are analyzed, and the misalignment and unbalance is determined. The first rotating shaft and the bearings are then displaced to eliminate vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Micro Turbine Technology B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius Cornelis Petrus Maria Backx, Maikel Marinus Wilhelmus Brands, Johan Cornelis Compter
  • Patent number: 9297825
    Abstract: A single-axis tilt-mode microelectromechanical accelerometer structure. The structure includes a substrate having a top surface defined by a first end and a second end. Coupled to the substrate is a first asymmetrically-shaped mass suspended above the substrate pivotable about a first pivot point on the substrate between the first end and the second end and a second asymmetrically-shaped mass suspended above the substrate pivotable about a second pivot point on the substrate between the first end and the second end. The structure also includes a first set of electrodes positioned on the substrate and below the first asymmetrically-shaped mass and a second set of electrodes positioned on the substrate and below the second asymmetrically-shaped mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Xin Zhang, Howard R. Samuels, Michael W. Judy
  • Patent number: 9279431
    Abstract: A method for detecting rotating stall in a compressor is disclosed herein. The method comprises measuring radial vibration of the rotor relative to the stator and generating a vibration measurement signal, calculating a frequency spectrum of the vibration measurement signal, identifying a plurality of frequency bandwidths of the frequency spectrum, neglecting one first frequency bandwidth of the plurality of frequency bandwidths if the rotation frequency of the rotor falls within the first frequency bandwidth, neglecting at least one second frequency bandwidth of the plurality of frequency bandwidths if the rotation frequency of the rotor falls below the second frequency bandwidth, determining the maximum magnitude of the spectrum in each of the non-neglected frequency bandwidths, and comparing each determined maximum magnitude and a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Nuovo Pignone S.P.A.
    Inventors: David Rossi, Daniele Galeotti
  • Patent number: 9279824
    Abstract: Accelerometers and associated techniques for detecting motion are described. For a resonant accelerometer, an externally-applied acceleration can cause a change in the electrical spring constant Ke of the electromechanical system. A resonant accelerometer can be driven to resonate in a bulk acoustic wave mode of vibration, which can have a high resonant frequency. Other accelerometers and associated techniques are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Farrokh Ayazi
  • Patent number: 9278847
    Abstract: An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and designed to be actuated in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass and a second sensing mass, suspended within, and coupled to, the driving mass via respective elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in said driving movement and to perform a respective detection movement in response to an angular velocity. In particular, the first and the second sensing masses are connected together via elastic coupling elements, configured to couple their modes of vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Cazzaniga, Luca Coronato, Giacomo Calcaterra
  • Patent number: 9273962
    Abstract: A physical quantity sensor includes: a substrate; first and second displacement members in a spatial plane on the substrate and having rotation shafts; fixed electrodes on the substrate opposed to the first and second displacement members; a support member supporting the rotation shafts; fixing members supporting the support member via a spring unit; and a driving unit oscillating the support member in an oscillation direction. Each of the first and second displacement members shifts perpendicularly to the spatial plane around an axis of the corresponding rotation shaft. Each rotation shaft is shifted in an opposite direction from the center of gravity of the corresponding displacement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Kanemoto
  • Patent number: 9274136
    Abstract: A multi-axis microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) is fabricated in a vacuum sealed single packaged device. An FM vibratory gyroscope and an FM resonant accelerometer both for generating FM output signals is fabricated in the silicon chip using MEMS. A signal processor is coupled to the an FM vibratory gyroscope and to the FM resonant accelerometer for receiving the FM gyroscopic output signals and the FM accelerometer output signals. The signal processor generates simultaneous and decoupled measurement of input acceleration, input rotation rate, and temperature and/or temperature distribution within the IMU, self-calibration of the biases and scale factors of the IMU and its support electronics against temperature variations and other common mode errors, and reduction of the cross axis sensitivity by reducing acceleration errors in the gyroscope and rotation errors in the accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Alexander A. Trusov, Sergei A. Zotov, Andrei M. Shkel
  • Patent number: 9267860
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tire balance measuring device capable of minimizing the influence exerted on a measured value due to an inclination of a lock shaft even when the lock shaft (fitted shaft) is inclined in a random direction at an angle created by a gap corresponding to a fitting allowance every time a tire is supplied with gas. The tire balance measuring device of this invention comprises a sensor for measuring the inclination of the lock shaft, and a computing unit for computing an amount of change in a unbalance of the tire from an output value received from the sensor after the tire is supplied with gas, and correcting a result of measuring a balance of the tire using the computed amount of change in the unbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Kanei, Maiko Nakayama, Michiya Kurohashi
  • Patent number: 9261530
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a weight portion having a recess section and a solid section, beam portions, a movable electrode provided on the opposite surface of the weight portion from an open surface of the recess section to extend over the recess section and the solid section, a first fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the recess section, and a second fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the solid section. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration using a change in capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes caused by rotation of the weight portion. The beam portions are shifted toward the recess section such that an angle between a perpendicular line extending from a gravity center position of the weight portion to the rotation axis and a surface of the movable electrode becomes equal to 45 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yosida, Nobuyuki Ibara, Hideki Ueda, Takeshi Okada, Takeshi Mori, Masatosi Nomura, Katumi Kakimoto, Yuji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9261529
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes an outer frame body, a heating element, a first temperature sensing element for temperature measurement and a second temperature sensing element for temperature measurement, and an operational amplifier. In the outer frame body, a fluid chamber capable of sealing a fluid inside thereof is formed. The heating element is formed on a circuit mounting surface which is a specific inner wall surface of a plurality of inner wall surfaces defining the fluid chamber. The first temperature sensing element and the second temperature sensing element are formed on the circuit mounting surface. The distance from the first temperature sensing element to the heating element is shorter than the distance from the second temperature sensing element to the heating element. The operational amplifier calculates a difference between a measurement result by the first temperature sensing element and a measurement result by the second temperature sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9261363
    Abstract: A yaw rate sensor includes a drive mass element which is situated above a surface of a substrate and is drivable to vibrate by a drive device along a first axis extending along the surface, having a detection mass element, which is deflectable under the influence of a Coriolis force along a second axis perpendicular to the surface, and having a detection device by which the deflection of the detection mass element along the second axis is detectable. Due to the arrangement of the second axis perpendicular to the surface, the yaw rate sensor may be integrated into a chip together with additional yaw rate sensors suitable for detection of rotations about axes of rotation in other directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Axel Franke, Marco Quander, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Kersten Kehr
  • Patent number: 9261490
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer arrangement for inspecting a pipe to fitting weld with restricted scanning access. A TOFD ultrasonic send transducer is mounted adjacent one end of a frame. A TOFD ultrasonic receive transducer is mounted on the frame and spaced linearly apart from and aligned with the TOFD send transducer. The TOFD send and receive transducers are each positioned at an angle that matches the external radius of curvature of the pipe. A phased array curved, wedge, send/receive transducer is mounted on the frame and spaced radially apart from the TOFD transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: J. RAY MCDERMOTT, S.A.
    Inventors: Dinesh Damodar Putsherry, Abraham Kurian, Jayadev Muraleedhara Panicker
  • Patent number: 9255908
    Abstract: According to a method by a frequency analysis of tap tones at the time when a tightness of a ripple member fixed by an elastic force has been tapped by a hammer or a method of detecting a response at the time when the ripple member has been vibrated, an enough precision cannot be obtained for a tightness estimation. A tapping force is applied to a plurality of positions on the member surface, thereby allowing a plurality of tap tones to be generated. Feature amounts are obtained from the plurality of tap tones. An average feature amount is obtained by averaging the feature amounts. The tightness of the ripple member is estimated from the average feature amount by using a correlation between the tightness of the ripple member and the average feature amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Tsutsui, Nobuaki Nakasu, Harumasa Tsuchiya, Keiji Suzuki, Mitsuru Onoda, Yasuaki Kageyama
  • Patent number: 9243908
    Abstract: A gyro sensor includes: a vibrating body; a first fixed drive electrode that is disposed, in plan view, on a first direction side crossing a driving vibration direction of the vibrating body and vibrates the vibrating body; a second fixed drive electrode that is disposed, in plan view, on the side opposite to the first direction side and vibrates the vibrating body; a fixed detection electrode that detects a signal changing according to angular velocity of the vibrating body; a first drive wiring that is connected with the first fixed drive electrode and extends toward one side in the driving vibration direction; a second drive wiring that is connected with the second fixed drive electrode and extends toward the one side in the driving vibration direction; and a detection wiring that is connected with the fixed detection electrode and extends toward the side opposite to the one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Kanemoto
  • Patent number: 9243970
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a rebalancing strategy for trim balancing one or more rotational components of a gas turbine. One or more noise, acoustics or vibrational signals may be received at a control device of an aircraft comprising the gas turbine engine while the aircraft is in operation. The one or more noise, acoustics or vibrational signals may be used for determining a rebalancing strategy for one or more unbalanced rotational components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Paraag Borwankar, Heather Grant, Enzo Macchia, Christopher McElvaine
  • Patent number: 9247664
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a substrate, a cover body which is placed on the substrate, a first cavity which is surrounded by the substrate and the cover body, and a second cavity which is surrounded by the substrate and the cover body, wherein an inner portion of the first cavity is sealed in a first air pressure atmosphere, and an inner portion of the second cavity is sealed in a second air pressure atmosphere which has a difference of air pressure with respect to the first air pressure atmosphere, a first through-hole, which communicates with the first cavity and is blocked by a seal member, is provided in at least one of the substrate and the cover body, and the first cavity and the second cavity are isolated from each other by a partition wall portion which is integrally provided to the cover body or the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Teruo Takizawa
  • Patent number: 9244094
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a weight portion having a recess section and a solid section, beam portions, a movable electrode provided on the opposite surface of the weight portion from an open surface of the recess section to extend over the recess section and the solid section, a first fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the recess section, and a second fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the solid section. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration using a change in capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes caused by rotation of the weight portion. The beam portions are shifted toward the recess section such that an angle between a perpendicular line extending from a gravity center position of the weight portion to the rotation axis and a surface of the movable electrode becomes equal to 45 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yosida, Nobuyuki Ibara, Hideki Ueda, Takeshi Okada, Takeshi Mori, Masatosi Nomura, Katumi Kakimoto, Yuji Suzuki