Patents Examined by Mark A Shabman
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Patent number: 10876879Abstract: A aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion, a liquid pressure sensor within the liquid storage portion, and a control unit that is in communication with the pressure sensor. The aerosol-generating system further includes an atmospheric pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The atmospheric pressure sensor is configured to sense the atmospheric pressure of the environment. The control unit is configured to receive the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor. The control unit is further configured to determine the fill level of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate based on a comparison of the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Guillaume Colotte, Stephane Bilat
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Patent number: 10876935Abstract: A water sampling system having multiple collection channels configured to collect multiple samples of a fluid as the fluid flow rate and level changes with respect to time. The system is designed to connect to and sample urban storm water runoff outfalls, pipes and drains.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: 2NDNature Software Inc.Inventors: Nicole Beck, Krista McDonald, Raph Townsend, Robb Kraft
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Patent number: 10866135Abstract: Mass flow verification systems and apparatus verify mass flow rates of mass flow controllers (MFCs) based on pressure decay principles. Embodiments include a location for coupling a calibrated gas flow standard or a MFC to be tested in a line to receive a gas flow from a gas supply; a control volume serially coupled to the location in the line to receive the gas flow; a flow restrictor serially coupled to the control volume; a pump serially coupled to the flow restrictor; and a controller adapted to allow the gas supply to flow gas through the mass flow control verification system to achieve a stable pressure in the control volume, terminate the gas flow from the gas supply, and measure a rate of pressure decay in the control volume over time. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Zhiyuan Ye, Justin Hough, Marcel E. Josephson
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Patent number: 10864778Abstract: A tyre condition monitoring system comprising a sensing unit adapted for approximation to a tyre to take a measurement of, or at least from which can be derived, tread depth, the sensing unit being adapted for deployment by manual approximation to a tyre and to store and/or transmit measurement data from one or more or all of a set of tyres on a vehicle as well as for mechanical approximation to a tyre for continuing and/or programmed measurement.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2015Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Pre-Chasm Research Ltd.Inventor: Anthony David George Rhoades
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Patent number: 10859594Abstract: A detector for a bicycle that includes a magnet, which generates a generated magnetic field, and a magnetic field sensor. The mutual position of the magnet and of the sensor is fixed, and the sensor is immersed in the generated magnetic field. A length of a path intended for a non-diamagnetic movable element is immersed in the generated magnetic field; if in said path length there is at least one actual portion of the movable element, the sensor detects the magnetic field perturbed by the actual portion of the movable element. Bicycle equipment and a bicycle derailleur are also described.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2017Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Campagnolo S.r.l.Inventor: Federico Miglioranza
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Patent number: 10859472Abstract: The present document relates to a piston corer for acquiring a soil sample. The piston corer comprises a sample reception cylinder for taking in and retaining the soil sample, and which comprises a piston. The piston is moveable over a piston stroke inside the sample reception cylinder. An intake opening at a first end of the sample reception cylinder allows to receive the soil sample upon penetration of the ground, and the piston is configured to move in a direction away from the intake opening during taking in of the soil sample towards an end position of the piston stroke. The piston corer further comprises an activator cooperating with a valve arranged for closing of the intake opening upon activation. The activator is configured for activating a closing action of the valve in response to the piston reaching the end position of the piston stroke. The document further relates to a method of acquiring a soil sample using such a piston corer.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Inventors: Peter Nicolaas Looijen, Adrianus Petrus Maria Brabander
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Patent number: 10852135Abstract: A device includes a proof mass of a sensor, capacitive elements, an electrode circuitry, a time multiplexing circuitry, a sense circuitry, and a force feedback circuitry. The proof mass moves from a first position to a second position responsive to an external actuation. The capacitive elements change capacitive charge in response thereto. The electrode circuitry coupled to the capacitive elements generates a charge signal. The time multiplexing circuitry pass the charge signal during a sensing time period and prevents the charge signal from passing through during a forcing time period. The sense circuitry generates a sensed signal from the charge signal. The force feedback circuitry applies a charge associated with the sensed signal to the electrode circuitry during the forcing time period. The electrode circuitry applies the charge received from the force feedback circuitry to the capacitive elements, moving the proof mass from the second position to another position.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.Inventors: Alireza Shirvani, Michael Perrott
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Patent number: 10845331Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein may include a method for operating an internal combustion engine having probe measuring a gas concentration of a gas mixture, said probe comprising a pump electrode, comprising: controlling a first pump current at the pump electrode to provide a resulting first pump voltage; controlling a second pump current at the pump electrode to provide a resulting second pump voltage, wherein the second pump voltage is greater than the first pump voltage; calculating an aging factor for the probe on the basis of the first pump current and the second pump current; and adapting operation of the internal combustion engine based on a characteristic of the probe corresponding to the calculated aging factor.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBHInventor: Hong Zhang
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Patent number: 10845376Abstract: An aspect of the present invention more reliably prevents a false detection of lifting of the electronic device, in an information processing device mounted on an electronic device. A first lifting determination section (64A) determines that a mobile terminal (1) has been lifted, in a case where the following conditions (i) and (ii) are satisfied after a manner of change in acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor (11) over time has satisfied a predetermined acceleration condition: (i) a standstill determination section (63) determines that the mobile terminal (1) is in a standstill state; and (ii) a result of detection by a proximity sensor (14) indicates a transition from proximity to non-proximity within a predetermined time range, the predetermined time range being set with reference to a standstill determination completion time point at which the standstill determination section (63) has completed determination.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tohru Kashiwagi, Masatoshi Noma
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Patent number: 10840430Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a sensing device that includes a base structure having a proof mass that is positioned in proximity to a cavity of an organic substrate, a piezoelectric material in contact with a first electrode of the base structure, and a second electrode in contact with the piezoelectric material. The proof mass deflects in response to application of an external force or acceleration and this deflection causes a stress in the piezoelectric material which generates a voltage differential between the first and second electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2016Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Feras Eid, Sasha N. Oster, Georgios C. Dogiamis, Shawna M. Liff, Adel A. Elsherbini, Thomas L. Sounart, Johanna M. Swan
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Patent number: 10837952Abstract: A bearing lubrication system includes a lubricant distributor configured to perform a lubrication operation by moving lubricant toward an interior of a housing of a bearing, at least one sensor configured to measure at least one condition of the bearing and to produce a signal indicative of the at least one measured condition and a controller configured to produce a transient detection signal, a signal indicative of a second derivative of the measurement signal, for example, and to determine whether an absolute value of the transient detection signal exceeds a threshold value during a given time period after the lubrication operation and to output a failure signal indicative of a lubrication failure in response to a determination that the absolute value of the transient detection signal does not exceed the threshold value during the given time period. Also a method of operating a bearing lubrication system.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKFInventors: Andreas Clemens Van der Ham, Jeroen Bongaerts, Gert-Jan Scheers
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Patent number: 10828694Abstract: A casting device in which refrigerant is pressure-fed to a cooling passage formed in a die, leakage of refrigerant in the die can be reliably detected in a short time without a significant modification applied to the conventional device. A casting device includes a pressure-feed device that pressure-feeds refrigerant to a cooling passage formed in a die, and a release agent coating applicator that applies a release agent to the die, and further includes a unit that mixes a fluorescent agent into the refrigerant (fluorescent agent tank), a unit that irradiates the die surface of the die with black light while the refrigerant containing the fluorescent agent mixed therein is pressure-fed to the die, and an imaging device that captures an image of the die surface. The imaging device is integrally assembled with the release agent coating applicator.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2016Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MEC INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD., MEIWA E-TEC CO., LTD., NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Daisuke Serino, Fumio Kawahara, Yuzo Matsuda, Tetsushi Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Kawahara, Sakayuki Ishikawa, Takuto Takahashi, Naoshi Sakaguchi, Hiroyuki Kayaba, Takahiro Michimoto
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Patent number: 10823634Abstract: A method for detecting a leak in a fluid line, having at least the following steps: closing the fluid line with a valve to create a pressure chamber in the fluid line; determining a first pressure drop in the pressure chamber; opening the valve after completing the determination of the first pressure drop; closing the fluid line with the valve to create the pressure chamber in the fluid line again; determining a second pressure drop in the pressure chamber; and comparing the first pressure drop with the second pressure drop. Also, a water meter is provided with a valve, a flow sensor, and a pressure sensor, which are connected in a data-carrying manner to a controller, wherein the controller is set up to carry out the method according to the invention.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2018Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Grohe AGInventors: Achim Mielke, Matthias Thesseling, Heiko Schoenbeck
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Patent number: 10813275Abstract: The present disclosure describes an agricultural product distribution system having first and second product meters configured to meter first and second amounts of agricultural product from a product tank over first and second periods of time, respectively. The system also includes first and second motors coupled to the first and second product meters, respectively, and configured to turn the first and second product meters a first number of turns and a second number of turns, respectively, over the first and second periods of time to meter the first and second amounts of agricultural product. Further, the system includes a controller configured to receive inputs indicative of the first amount of agricultural product, the first number of turns, the second amount of agricultural product, and the second number of turns and to compare the signals to determine first and second calibration rate of the first and second product meters.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.Inventors: Dennis W. Chahley, Gordon Anthony Engel, Jack Donald Turner, Dennis George Thompson, Gregory Jacob Erker, Trevor Lawrence Kowalchuk, Anthony Charles Rapley
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Patent number: 10816434Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide same results of leak judgments even if conditions such as temperature and pressure vary as long as sizes of sealing defects are same. A leak device 5 that generates regular leakage under regular temperature and pressure is made communicable with a test path 19 through which a test pressure is provided. A device actual measurement leak value of the leak device 5 is actually measured by a leakage measuring instrument 33. An object actual measurement leak value of a test object 9 is actually measured by the leakage measuring instrument 33. The object actual measurement leak value is converted into a regular-conditions-converted leak value based on the device actual measurement leak value and a leakage is judged based on the regular-conditions-converted leak value.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2016Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: FUKUDA CO., LTD.Inventors: Satsuo Fukushima, Yusuke Mochizuki, Masakazu Ito
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Patent number: 10809109Abstract: A fluid line system comprises fluid lines (100, 200, 300, 400). Each of the two fluid lines (100, 400) has in each case one lumen (100*; 400*) which is enclosed by a wall, and extends from a flow opening (100a; 400a), located in a respective first line end (100+; 400+), of the respective fluid line both to a flow opening (100b; 400b) which is located in a line end (100#; 400#) of said fluid line (100; 400) and also as far as a flow opening (100c; 400c) which, spaced apart from said flow opening (100b; 400b), is likewise located in each case in the line end (100#; 400#) of said fluid line (100; 400).Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2017Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER FLOWTEC AGInventors: Natalie Schlachter, Marc Werner
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Patent number: 10794812Abstract: Techniques for determining a rock wettability alteration include circulating a first brine fluid into a test cell that includes a rock sample and a hydrocarbon fluid disposed on a surface of the rock sample, the first brine fluid having a property at a first value; contacting the rock sample and the hydrocarbon fluid with the first brine fluid; measuring a first contact angle between the rock sample and the hydrocarbon fluid in contact with the first brine fluid; at least partially displacing the first brine fluid with a second brine fluid in the test cell, the second brine fluid having the property at a second value; contacting the rock sample and the hydrocarbon fluid with the second brine fluid; measuring a second contact angle between the rock sample and the hydrocarbon fluid in contact with the second brine fluid; and determining a wettability alteration of the rock sample based on at least one of the measured first or second contact angles.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Ahmed Gmira, Mohammed AlGeer
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Patent number: 10798492Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided wherein a sensor which comprises at least two electrodes and a movable part is alternately biased with at least two different voltages.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Christoph Bernhard Wurzinger, Jose Luis Ceballos
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Patent number: 10794806Abstract: A system for preparing a test sample includes a vial holder, a needle trap connected to the vial holder, and a sample preparation station. The vial holder includes a vial chamber configured to hold a vial, a purge gas needle, and a needle trap heater. The needle trap includes a needle with the needle trap heater surrounding a distal end portion of the needle. A packing bed is disposed in the needle at the distal end portion. The sample preparation station includes a housing and a vial heater assembly including a vial heater and defining a cavity. The vial holder is configured to be received in the cavity in an installed position with the vial heater surrounding at least a portion of the vial.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: PERKINELMER HEALTH SCIENCES, INC.Inventors: Nathan L. Porter, Anthony David Rands
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Patent number: 10794793Abstract: There is provided a leak detection device configured to check tightness of an object to be tested by a tracer gas, the device including a sniffing probe configured to be connected to a leak detector and/or a spray blower configured to be connected to a source of the tracer gas; and a glove to which the sniffing probe and/or the spray blower is attached. There is also provided a module for detection of leaks, including the device configured to check the checking the tightness of the object to be tested by the tracer gas.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2016Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: PFEIFFER VACUUMInventors: Pascal Jourdan, Laurent Ducimetiere