Patents Examined by Jonathan Dunlap
  • Patent number: 10132702
    Abstract: Claw portions opposing a magnet are disposed on inner edges of a first yoke and a second yoke. Wall portions are disposed on outer edges of the first yoke and the second yoke so as to extend in an axial direction. A distal end of the wall portion and another distal end of the other wall portion are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction and disposed to oppose each other. A magnetic sensor is disposed between the distal ends in the axial direction. End faces oblique to the axial direction are disposed on the distal ends and a distance between the distal ends on a radially inner side is made shorter than a distance between the distal ends on a radially outer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nishiguchi, Ken Tanaka, Shigetoshi Fukaya, Toshiro Suzuki, Satoru Jinno
  • Patent number: 10132711
    Abstract: A system and a method for stability measurement and optimization are provided. For example, the method includes loading an object onto a tilting device that includes one or more sensor devices, collecting resting corner weight values from the one or more sensor devices, tilting the object using the tilting device, collecting tilted corner weight values from the one or more sensor devices while tilting the object using the tilting device, calculating, using a data processor of the tilting device, a center of gravity value based on the resting corner weight values, the tilted corner weight values, and dimensions of the object, generating, using the data processor, a tipping angle based on at least the center of gravity value and the dimensions of the object, and generating, using the data processor, a recommendation to adjust the tipping angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Clinton W. Erie, Jason S. Lee, Michael J. Macpherson, Ryan T. Paske
  • Patent number: 10126190
    Abstract: A capacitive force sensor 101 of the present invention includes a plurality of cells each including a lower electrode 104, a movable member that includes an upper electrode 107 and has flexibility, and a support 105b arranged to movably support the movable member and to form a gap 106 between the upper and the lower electrodes. The plural cells are grouped into elements each including one or more of the cells, and the one or more cells in a same element are electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Soeda, Yasuhiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 10124819
    Abstract: A rail vehicle wheel flat warning system comprising a first sensor, a second sensor and a controller. The first sensor may be located adjacent to a first side of a rail to provide data associated with a rail vehicle wheel passing over the first side of the rail. The second sensor may be located adjacent to the first side of the rail to provide data associated with the rail vehicle wheel passing over the first side of the rail. Furthermore, the controller may be in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor to receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller may determine a potential wheel deformity based on the data received from the first sensor and the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Subhankar Ghosh, Aditya Ramkrishna Karnik, Tapan Shah, Babu Ozhur Narayanan
  • Patent number: 10126460
    Abstract: In order to accurately identify a hold state of a mobile device held by a user while the user is moving, provided is a hold state change detection apparatus including an acquiring section that acquires an output signal of a sensor mounted in the mobile device held by the user; a change detecting section that detects a change in a hold state of the mobile device based on the output signal of the sensor; and a hold state judging section that judges the hold state based on the output signal of the sensor. During a prescribed time from the time when the change detecting section detects the change in the hold state, information indicating the hold state prior to the detection of the change in the hold state is output. Also provided is a hold state change detection method and program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shiro Kobayashi, Yuko Akagi, Masahiro Konda, Tsuyoshi Masuda
  • Patent number: 10119871
    Abstract: A pressure sensing system includes a circuit board, a case, a cover layer, a plurality of light emitters, and a photo detector. The circuit board has a top surface and a bottom surface. The case is located near the bottom surface of the circuit board. The distance between circuit board and the case decreases when the circuit board is subjected to a pressure. The cover layer covers a part of the top surface and a part of the bottom surface, wherein a part of the top surface which is not covered by the cover layer includes a plurality of first passing zone and a second passing zone, and a part of the bottom surface which is not covered by the cover layer includes a plurality of bottom passing zone. The light emitters are located on the first passing zone, respectively, and the photo detector is located on the second passing zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yu-Feng Kuo
  • Patent number: 10119872
    Abstract: A temperature interference-free sensing fiber monitoring apparatus and application method therefor including a vacuum cavity module, a composite material flat groove module and a port fiber-fixing module, wherein the vacuum cavity module is connected with the composite material flat groove module via an glue-injection square groove, and the port fiber-fixing module is connected with the vacuum cavity module via a foursquare plug body; a sensing fiber orderly passes through the composite material flat groove module, the vacuum cavity module and the port fiber-fixing module; the vacuum cavity module, the composite material flat groove module and the port fiber-fixing module are all fixed on a temperature interference-free base platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hohai University
    Inventors: Huaizhi Su, Meng Yang, Chongshi Gu, Zheng Fang
  • Patent number: 10113925
    Abstract: A multistage sensing device includes a substrate, a deformable unit, and a sensor unit. The deformable unit has a first body disposed on the substrate, and a second body disposed on the first body and opposite to the substrate. The sensor unit includes a first sensor element and a second sensor element that are disposed in the deformable unit. The first sensor element is disposed between the second sensor element and the substrate. The second sensor element is operable to measure deformation of the second body when an external force is applied to the deformable unit. The first sensor element is operable to measure deformation of the first body when the first body is deformed by the deformation of the second body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Wei-Cheng Lai, Wei-Leun Fang
  • Patent number: 10113921
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for cancelling noise from sensed magnetostriction-based strain measurements. A drive signal corresponds to a drive coil, and a sensed signal corresponds to a sensed coil. The drive signal is used to at least partially eliminate noise similar to the drive signal from the sensed signal to generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dan Tho Lu, Pekka Tapani Sipilä, Lysle Rollan Turnbeaugh
  • Patent number: 10107731
    Abstract: A method of operating a material testing apparatus comprises conducting a test by applying a fluctuating load to a material specimen at a variable test frequency, measuring the temperature of the specimen during application of the load, and varying the test frequency on the basis of the measured temperature whereby to prevent the specimen from exceeding a predetermined maximum temperature during the test. A corresponding material testing apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Steven R. Squires, Benjamin P. Jeppesen, Andrew J. Smith
  • Patent number: 10107698
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a variable current generating unit that sends a direct current of a value according to a control signal from one measurement node of a bridge circuit in which a change amount of a resistance value of a pressure-sensitive resistance element appears as a potential difference between measurement nodes, a potential difference determining unit that determines whether or not the potential difference has been generated, and a control unit that outputs the control signal to the variable current generating unit so that the variable current generating unit sends the direct current of a value that does not generate the potential difference based on a determination result of the potential difference determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Hirai, Siewling Lim
  • Patent number: 10107697
    Abstract: A strain gauge nozzle adapter that may be placed between a barrel end cap and a nozzle body of an injection molding system, the strain gauge nozzle adapter having a strain gauge pin that measures strain within the strain gauge nozzle adapter for use in approximating conditions within an injection molding system, such as pressure or the location of a melt flow front. The strain gauge nozzle adapter may include a plurality of strain gauge pins. An alternative material insert in the strain gauge nozzle adapter may surround a strain gauge pin to amplify meaningful measurements obtained by the strain gauge pin so that noise measurements do not compromise the accuracy of approximation of conditions within a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: IMFLUX INC.
    Inventors: Rick Alan Pollard, Bryan Keith Allen, Chow-Chi Huang, Gene Michael Altonen
  • Patent number: 10100662
    Abstract: A mechanical device is provided for amplifying relative displacement between first and second mechanical structures operatively connected to opposite sides of a bearing. The relative displacement is caused by a thrust load on the bearing. The device includes a first bracket portion attachable to the first mechanical structure. The device further includes a compliant mechanism which extends from the first bracket portion to make contact with the second mechanical structure. The compliant mechanism is configured such that a measurement end of the mechanism moves in response to relative displacement between the first and second mechanical structures. The compliant mechanism is further configured such that the movement of the measurement end amplifies the relative displacement. The device further includes a sensor which measures the mechanically amplified movement of the measurement end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Stephen Gallimore
  • Patent number: 10101253
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of surely detecting a crack in piezoelectric elements regardless of size of the crack. The method includes applying voltage to a first piezoelectric element of a pair of piezoelectric elements to cause deformation in the first piezoelectric element, forcibly deforming a second piezoelectric element of the pair of the piezoelectric elements to generate voltage from the second piezoelectric element according to the deformation of the first piezoelectric element, finding a transfer function of the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on values of the applied voltage and the generated voltage, and detecting presence or absence of a crack in the pair of the piezoelectric elements based on an objective value obtained from the found transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Arai
  • Patent number: 10092937
    Abstract: The measuring unit comprises a first carriage arranged to be connected to the bending machine and to be passed through by the workpiece under bending coming from the bending machine. The first carriage comprises: a main body; a pair of measure rollers; a first measuring device; a guide device; an elastic device; a second measuring device; and a positioning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: CTE SISTEMI S.R.L.
    Inventor: Marco Dani
  • Patent number: 10094720
    Abstract: A system includes a magnetostrictive sensor. The magnetostrictive sensor includes a driving coil configured to receive a first driving current and to emit a first magnetic flux portion through a target and a second magnetic flux portion. The magnetostrictive sensor also includes a first sensing coil configured to receive the first magnetic flux portion and to transmit a signal based at least in part on the received first magnetic flux portion. The received first magnetic flux portion is based at least in part on a force on the target. The magnetostrictive sensor includes a magnetic shield disposed between the driving coil and the first sensing coil. The magnetic shield is configured to reduce the second magnetic flux portion received by the first sensing coil. The magnetic shield includes a composite with a conductive material and an insulating material, a metamaterial, or a mesh structure, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pekka Tapani Sipila, Lam Arthur Campbell, Dan Tho Lu
  • Patent number: 10088376
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a contact pressure and a method of manufacturing the apparatus. The apparatus includes: a material layer configured to provide a light path along which incident light travels to a subject being in contact with the material layer; a spectrum analyzer configured to detect light emitted from the material layer and perform a light absorption spectrum analysis on the detected light to determine an intensity of the detected light; and a pressure calculator configured to determine the contact pressure of the subject based on the determined intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangkyu Kim, Joonhyung Lee, Seongho Cho
  • Patent number: 10088387
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a brake beam fatigue test stand, for simultaneously testing a fatigue strength of two brake beams, comprise: a base, and four upright columns vertical to the base and arranged on the base at intervals; a first tangential load actuator is mounted vertically between the first upright column and the second upright column, with simulated wheels being mounted on a front side and a rear side of a bottom of the actuator; a pressure load actuator is mounted vertically between the second upright column and the third upright column; a second tangential load actuator is mounted vertically between the third upright column and the fourth upright column, with simulated wheels being mounted on a front side and a rear side of a bottom of the actuator; the stiffness of the test stand in vertical and transverse directions is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG ROLLING STOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xing Jin, Yunkang Luo
  • Patent number: 10088378
    Abstract: Low cost transducer bonding tooling and techniques are provided which can be used to duplicate the quality of factory manufactured load indicating members, and to allow transducers to be attached to fasteners irrespective of their orientation. The bonding tooling and techniques can also be used to bond other small objects requiring precise placement and reliable bonding such as, for example, the bonding of identification labels to manufactured components or structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Innovation Plus, LLC
    Inventor: Ian E. Kibblewhite
  • Patent number: 10081388
    Abstract: Disclosed is a torque sensor connected with a first shaft and a second shaft, the torque sensor including a first case, a second case coupled with the first case, a third case coupled with the second case, a torque sensor module disposed between the first case and the second case and connected with the first shaft and the second shaft, and an angle sensor module disposed between the second case and the third case. The second case includes first fixing units formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the first fixing units are rotationally symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ho Min Choi