Patents Examined by Marc S. Hoff
  • Patent number: 7184917
    Abstract: A method for integrating test modules in a modular test system is disclosed. The method includes controlling at least one test module and its corresponding device under test (DUT) with a controller, establishing a standard module control interface between a vendor-supplied test module and the modular test system with a module control framework, installing the vendor-supplied test module and a corresponding vendor-supplied control software module, where the vendor-supplied control software module is organized into a plurality of vendor-supplied module control components, configuring the modular test system based on the module control framework and the plurality of vendor-supplied module control components, and accessing the vendor-supplied test module in accordance with the plurality of vendor-supplied module control components using the module control framework.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Advantest America R&D Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Ankan Pramanick, Mark Elston, Toshiaki Adachi
  • Patent number: 7184915
    Abstract: A distributed, hierarchical built-in self-test (BIST) architecture for testing the operation of one or more memory modules is described. As described, the architecture includes three tiers of abstraction: a centralized BIST controller, a set of sequencers, and a set of memory interfaces coupled to memory modules. The BIST controller stores a set of commands that generically define an algorithm for testing the memory modules without regard to the physical characteristics or timing requirements of the memory modules. The sequencers receive the commands and generate sequences of memory operations in accordance with the timing requirements of the various memory modules. The memory interfaces apply the memory operations to the memory module in accordance with physical characteristics of the memory module, e.g., by translating address and data signals based on the row-column arrangement of the memory modules to achieve bit patterns described by the commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Qualcomm, Incorporated
    Inventors: David W. Hansquine, Roberto F. Averbuj
  • Patent number: 7184899
    Abstract: Provided is an electrical test device having multi-meter functionality and being adapted to provide current sourcing to an electrical system for selective measurement of a plurality of parameters. The electrical test device comprises a conductor probe element, a power supply, a processor and a display device. The power supply is interconnected between an external power source and a probe element. The processor is connected to the probe element and is configured to provide an input signal to the electrical system and receive an output signal in response thereto. The output signal is representative of at least one of the parameters of the electrical system. The display device is configured to display reading the output signal which is representative of the parameter. The electrical device is configured to allow for selective powering of the electrical system upon energization of the probe element during measurement of the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Power Probe, Inc
    Inventor: Randy Cruz
  • Patent number: 7184916
    Abstract: A memory daughter card (MDC) is described, having a very high-speed serial interface and an on-card MDC test engine that allows one MDC to be directly connected to another MDC for testing purposes. In some embodiments, a control interface allows the test engine to be programmed and controlled by a test controller on a test fixture that allows simultaneous testing of a single MDC or one or more pairs of MDCs, one MDC in a pair (e.g., the “golden” MDC) testing the other MDC of that pair. Other methods are also described, wherein one MDC executes a series of reads and writes and other commands to another MDC to test at least some of the other card's functions, or wherein one port executes a series of test commands to another port on the same MDC to test at least some of the card's functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Cray Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Resnick, Gerald A. Schwoerer, Kelly J. Marquardt, Alan M. Grossmeier, Michael L. Steinberger, Van L. Snyder, Roger A. Bethard
  • Patent number: 7184922
    Abstract: A measurement device operable to communicate with a computer system via files. The computer system may receive one or more files created by the measurement device, where the files include measurement data generated by the measurement device and may utilize the files to perform a measurement application. The measurement device may also be operable to receive a configuration file from the computer system and configure or control itself according to commands or settings therein. In one embodiment the measurement device may appear to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device, and the files created by the measurement device may appear as files stored on a USB Mass Storage device. Thus, the computer system may communicate with the measurement device to obtain the measurement data files in the same standard manner in which it would obtain files stored on any other USB Mass Storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy H. Ousley, Mike Muecke, Robert Watzlavick
  • Patent number: 7184935
    Abstract: Metrics for a computer resource are collected. A signature representing a state of the computer resource from the metrics are determined by determining raw values for each of the metrics and generating a vector from at least some of the raw values for the metrics, where generating the vector further comprises generating models for possible system states of the computer resource, determining a model that closely matches a state of the computer resource, determining key metrics for the model, and determining a vector of values from the key metrics. An annotation that describes the state of the computer resource is received and associated with the signature. The signature and the associated annotation are stored such that they are searchable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ira Cohen, Moises Goldszmidt
  • Patent number: 7184930
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosis system for diagnosing a presence or absence of an abnormality of a bearing unit for a railway vehicle axle, comprises a sensing/processing portion for outputting a signal generated from the bearing unit as an electric signal, a calculating/processing portion for making an abnormality diagnosis of the bearing unit based on an output of the sensing/processing portion, a result outputting portion for outputting a decision result of the calculating/processing portion, and a controlling/processing portion for feeding back a control signal to a control system of the railway vehicle based on the decision result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Miyasaka, Hirotoshi Aramaki, Yasushi Mutou, Juntaro Sahara
  • Patent number: 7181370
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise obtaining and analyzing data from at least one discrete machine, automatically determining relationships related to the data, taking corrective action to improve machine operation and/or maintenance, automatically and heuristically predicting a failure associated with the machine and/or recommending preventative maintenance in advance of the failure, and/or automating and analyzing mining shovels, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Furem, Daniel W. Robertson, Gopal Madhavarao
  • Patent number: 7181360
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for generating a test plan for a communication device under test. The test plan defines test tools, test methodologies, test configurations, and algorithms for executing the test. A user input is received to define the communication device under test. Next, a knowledge database is searched to identify test plan parameters for the communication device under test. Thereafter, the test plan parameters and the user input are analyzed to identify the test plan. A system and computer readable medium having program instructions for generating a test plan for a communication device under test are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Spirent Communications
    Inventors: Fred Nikolac, Roy Chua
  • Patent number: 7177775
    Abstract: A testable digital delay line that uses XOR gates as delay elements is provided. The use of XOR gates enables independent control of each input to the multiplexer. With test inputs that enable each delay element, the multiplexer inputs can be assigned any value during test, thus giving the delay line very robust pattern fault coverage. The XOR gate may consist of three current limiting inverters. A reference voltage generator generates constant voltages between a source voltage, bias voltages, and ground. These constant voltages decide the amount of current through the current limiting inverters. Selecting a different set of reference voltages programs a different current flowing in the current limiting inverters. This programmable current causes a programmable unit delay to be introduced by each XOR gate delay element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mohit Kapur, Seongwon Kim
  • Patent number: 7177772
    Abstract: A method for measuring noise parameters includes generating a noise signal at a noise source. The noise signal includes a first input signal at a first frequency and a second input signal at a second frequency. The first input signal and the second input signal are modulated onto a carrier to generate a modulated signal. The modulated signal is attenuated to a desired power level and applied to a device under test to obtain a noise measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry P. Largey, Dale A. Heaton, Lianrui Zang
  • Patent number: 7174261
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing the current in a power line of a power system and systems incorporating the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus may comprise an enclosure providing a window operable to permit the passage of the power line therethrough. The apparatus may further comprise an active current transformer set within the enclosure and operative to produce a scaled version of the current. The apparatus may further comprise an amplifier coupled with the active current transformer and operative to reduce the phase shift and ratio error between the current and the scaled version of the current. The apparatus may further comprise a powering current transformer set within the enclosure and operative to receive power from the power line on a primary winding and deliver power on a secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Power Measurement Ltd.
    Inventors: Colin N. Gunn, Martin A. Hancock, J. Bradford Forth, Simon H. Lightbody, Jason Sheppard, Brian R. Kingham
  • Patent number: 7174272
    Abstract: A method for detecting an element is disclosed and which includes the steps of providing a gamma-ray spectrum which depicts, at least in part, a test region having boundaries, and which has a small amount of the element to be detected; providing a calculation which detects the small amount of the element to be detected; and providing a moving window and performing the calculation within the moving window, and over a range of possible window boundaries within the test region to determine the location of the optimal test region within the gamma-ray spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Larry G. Blackwood, Edward L. Reber, Kenneth W. Rohde
  • Patent number: 7174278
    Abstract: A controller of each liquid chromatograph includes: a management information collector for collecting and retaining management information on each section included in the liquid chromatograph; a first terminal for transmitting/receiving the information in the management information collector to/from an external device, the first terminal including a network interface for managing analyzers as a first interface; an analyzer controller for controlling an analysis operation of the liquid chromatograph and collecting/retaining analysis information; and a second terminal for transmitting/receiving the information in the analyzer controller to/from a PC as an external device, the second terminal provided separately from the first terminal and including a control interface for controlling analyzers provided separately from the network interface for managing analyzers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Osaka
  • Patent number: 7174276
    Abstract: The invention provides a system and a method of electronically tracking a history of engineering change orders (ECOs) associated with a manufactured device. The device has at least one electronic component thereon. The method comprises, generally, storing in an electronic storage device associated with the device, the history of ECOs and updating the history of ECOs when a new ECO is associated with the device to indicate whether the new ECO was implemented on the device. The system utilizes the method and has an electronic storage device associated with the device and a data element stored therein. The contents thereof indicate the history of ECOs for the device and allow modification thereto to indicate whether a new ECO was implemented thereon. An ECO history enables a determination to be made of compatibilities between hardware and software elements and between hardware and firmware elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Sheldon Keith John Swansen, Kenneth Glenn MacQueen
  • Patent number: 7171340
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for analyzing time series data. Statistical techniques are performed upon candidate autoregressive components and regressor components using the time series data. Autoregressive and regressor components are included in a predictive model based upon the autoregressive and regressor components' significance levels as determined by the statistical techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventor: John C. Brocklebank
  • Patent number: 7171321
    Abstract: Systems and methods for strobe signal timing calibration and control in strobe-based memory systems are provided below. These strobe-offset control systems and methods receive a strobe signal from a memory device and in turn automatically generate separate per-bit strobe signals for use in receiving data on each data line of a memory system. The systems/methods generate the optimal per-bit strobe signals by automatically calibrating per-bit offset timing between data signals of individual data bits and corresponding strobe signals. The strobe-offset control system effectively removes the detected phase difference between the data signal and the strobe signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Scott C. Best
  • Patent number: 7171318
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer program for measuring the current leakage in a Low Pass Filter (LPF) capacitor of a Phased Locked Loop (PLL). As a result of thinner and thinner film capacitors in Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, leakage current, which causes a PLL to drift out of phase lock, has become an increasingly difficult problem. To overcome the leakage current problems, knowing the leakage current of an LPF capacitor is important to implement the correction circuitry. In the present invention, an external interface and a time interface analyzer are used to charge the LPF capacitor and measure the output frequency of the PLL's Voltage Controlled Oscillator. Because of the change in the output frequency, the leakage current can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David William Boerstler, Eskinder Hailu, Kazuhiko Miki
  • Patent number: 7171336
    Abstract: A method for operating a measuring instrument is capable of performing multiple diagnostic functions. For this, a process control is provided for the execution of the diagnostic functions in a manner whereby the normal measuring operation of the measuring instrument is interrupted, a first diagnostic function is performed during that interruption, the normal measuring operation is resumed after completion of the first diagnostic function, the normal measuring operation is again interrupted, and during that later interruption of the normal measuring operation a second diagnostic function is performed. In this fashion, even numerous diagnostic functions can be easily and efficiently integrated into the operation of a measuring instrument such as a magnetoinductive flowmeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Krohne A.G.
    Inventor: Helmut Brockhaus
  • Patent number: 7167804
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring energy consumption includes an input circuit and a processing circuit. The input circuit is operable to generate a first digital signal representative of a line voltage waveform and a second digital signal representative of a line current waveform. The processing circuit is operable to generate energy consumption data based on the first digital signal and the second digital signal. The processing circuit is further operable to generate a first pulse waveform having a plurality of output pulses based on the energy consumption data, each output pulse corresponding to a quantity of energy consumed, the first pulse waveform having a select one of a plurality of modes. The processing circuit is further operable to provide the first pulse waveform to a meter output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Andrew Fridholm, David Allan Stenberg, John Voisine