Patents Examined by Melissa Koval
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Patent number: 10551461Abstract: A method of parallel magnetic resonance imaging of a body, comprising:—acquiring a set of elementary magnetic resonance images of said body from respective receiving antennas having known or estimated sensibility maps and noise covariance matrices, said elementary images being under-sampled in k-space; and performing regularized reconstruction of a magnetic resonance image of said body; wherein said step of performing regularized reconstruction of a magnetic resonance image is unsupervised and carried out in a discrete frame space. A method of performing dynamical and parallel magnetic resonance imaging of a body, comprising:—acquiring a set of time series of elementary magnetic resonance images of said body from respective receiving antennas having known or estimated sensibility maps and noise covariance matrices, said elementary images being under-sampled in k-space; and performing regularized reconstruction of a time series of magnetic resonance images of said body.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2011Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies AlternativesInventors: Lotfi Chaari, Sebastien Meriaux, Philippe Ciuciu, Jean-Christophe Pesquet
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Patent number: 10379172Abstract: A mobile robot includes a body movable over a surface within an environment, a calibration coil carried on the body and configured to produce a calibration magnetic field, a sensor circuit carried on the body and responsive to the calibration magnetic field, and a controller carried on the body and in communication with the sensor circuit. The sensor circuit is configured to generate calibration signals based on the calibration magnetic field. The controller is configured to calibrate the sensor circuit as a function of the calibration signals, thereby resulting in a calibrated sensor circuit configured to detect a transmitter magnetic field within the environment and to generate detection signals based on the transmitter magnetic field. The controller is configured to estimate a pose of the mobile robot as a function of the detection signals.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Alexander D. Kleiner, Nikolai Romanov, Frederic D. Hook
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Patent number: 10309992Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to a measurement system that calculates a current in a conductor based on an odd-order spatial derivative function of signals representing magnetic-field strengths within a hole in the conductor. In an illustrative embodiment, the odd-order spatial derivative function may generate an output signal representing a spatial derivative of the in-hole magnetic field greater than the first-order. The three or more magnetic-field sensors may be configured to align on the hole's axis when inserted into the hole. When inserted into the hole, the sensors may be aligned on an axis perpendicular to a direction of current flow and be responsive to a magnetic-field directed perpendicular to both the direction of current flow and the aligned axis. Some embodiments may advantageously provide a precise measurement indicative an electrical current in the electrical conductor while substantially rejecting a stray magnetic field originating from an adjacent electrical conductor.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2014Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Andy Peczalski, Bharat B. Pant
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Patent number: 10295584Abstract: An energy storage system may include battery packs, such that one terminal of the battery packs is electrically coupled to a resistor representative of an isolation resistance of the battery system. The system may include a semiconductor relay switch, a plurality of resistors configured to electrically couple to the battery packs via the semiconductor relay switch, a gain field-effect transistor (FET) configured to electrically short at least one resistor of the plurality of resistors, and a control system. The control system may send a first command to the semiconductor switch to close, acquire a first voltage waveform, send a second command to the semiconductor switch to open, send a third command to the gain FET to close, send a fourth command to the semiconductor switch to close, acquire a second voltage waveform, and determine the isolation resistance based on the first voltage waveform and the second voltage waveform.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2016Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology CompanyInventors: Ronald J. Dulle, Mark R. Johnson
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Patent number: 10267873Abstract: An apparatus for operation in a magnetic particle imaging mode for influencing and/or detecting magnetic particles in a field of view, and for operation in a magnetic resonance imaging mode, includes a selector having a selection field signal generator and selection field coils, a driver having a drive field signal generator and drive field coils for changing the position in space of the two sub-zones in the field of view by a magnetic drive field so that the magnetization of magnetic particles changes locally, and a focuser having a focus field signal generator and a focus field coil unit for changing the position in space of the field of view by a magnetic focus field.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2011Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Bernhard Gleich, Juergen Erwin Rahmer
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Patent number: 10241158Abstract: A system for determining an orientation of a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material is disclosed. The system includes the NV diamond material having a plurality of NV centers, a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field, a radio frequency (RF) excitation source that provides RF excitation, an optical excitation source that provides optical excitation, an optical detector that receives an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material, and a controller. The controller controls the magnetic field generator to generate a control magnetic field and controls the magnetic field generator to successively generate calibration magnetic fields. The controller successively receives light detection signals from the optical detector, stores measurement values based on the successively received light detection signals, and calculates an orientation of the NV diamond material based on the stored measurement values.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONInventors: Arul Manickam, Peter G. Kaup, John B. Stetson, Jr.
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Patent number: 10241155Abstract: A method for inspecting a constituent unit cell to be stacked in an all-solid secondary battery of the present disclosure includes (A) measuring an open-circuit voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of a constituent unit cell before a short-circuiting step is performed, (B) temporarily short-circuiting the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the constituent unit cell, (C) measuring an open-circuit voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the constituent unit cell after a given time has elapsed since the end of step (B), and (D) judging the constituent unit cell to be unusable when the open-circuit voltage measured in step (C) is less than a threshold value. A method for manufacturing an all-solid secondary battery of the present disclosure includes stacking a plurality of constituent unit cells excluding constituent unit cells judged to be unusable by the above inspection method.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yuji Yamashita
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Patent number: 10241066Abstract: A microfluidic sensing device comprises a channel and an impedance sensor within the channel. The impedance sensor comprises a local ground and an electrode within the channel. The local ground and the electrode are to form an electric field region that is elongated along the channel.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2014Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Nicholas Matthew Cooper McGuinness, Melinda M. Valencia, Manish Giri, Chantelle Elizabeth Domingue, Jeremy Sells, Matthew David Smith
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Patent number: 10228412Abstract: A purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of suppressing an electric discharge during evaluation. A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor base body having an element region and a terminal region; a plurality of electrode pads disposed in an area that is in the element region of the semiconductor base body and is separated from the terminal region, an insulating protection film having an opening provided above each of the electrode pads; and a plurality of conductive layers disposed on the protection film and electrically connected to the plurality of electrode pads, respectively, through the opening. In a planar view, each of the conductive layers is extended to the terminal region or the vicinity of the terminal region.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2014Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Hajime Akiyama, Akira Okada, Kinya Yamashita
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Patent number: 10228339Abstract: While stripping an electrical cable in a stripping device of a cable-processing system, detection by an electrically conductive cutting device with a sensor circuit takes place if contact with a conductor occurs. By connecting the sensor circuit to the cutting device a measuring capacitance is developed. Before incising the electrical cable, a capacitance value of the measurement capacitance is determined during a first measurement cycle in which a charge equalization is carried out between the measurement capacitance and a reference capacitance. A parameter is determined in a further measurement cycle in which a charge equalization is again carried out between the measurement capacitance and the reference capacitance, wherein, relative to the first capacitance, the parameter displays a change in the capacitance after incising into the electrical cable. A signal is produced, if the change is greater than an established threshold value, indicating contact with the conductor.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2013Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: KOMAX HOLDING AGInventor: Benno Zemp
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Patent number: 10228414Abstract: Sensor devices and methods are provided where a test signal is applied to a capacitive sensor. Furthermore, a bias voltage is applied to the capacitive sensor via a high impedance component. A path for applying the test signal excludes the high impedance component. Using this testing signal, in some implementations a capacity imbalance of the capacitive sensor may be detected.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2016Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Cesare Buffa, Richard Gaggl
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Patent number: 10222441Abstract: During operation, a system may apply an external magnetic field and an RF pulse sequence to a sample. Then, the system may measure at least a component of a magnetization associated with the sample, such as MR signals of one or more types of nuclei in the sample. Moreover, the system may calculate at least a predicted component of the magnetization for voxels associated with the sample based on the measured component of the magnetization, a forward model, the external magnetic field and the RF pulse sequence. Next, the system may solve an inverse problem by iteratively modifying the parameters associated with the voxels in the forward model until a difference between the predicted component of the magnetization and the measured component of the magnetization is less than a predefined value. Note that the calculations may be performed concurrently with the measurements and may not involve performing a Fourier transform.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2016Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Q Bio, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Howard Kaditz, Athanasios Polymeridis, Jorge Fernandez Villena
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Patent number: 10222506Abstract: A technique generates seismic data that may be analyzed. A combination sensor is operated and deployed in a borehole to obtain orientation data, such as data related to the local magnetic field and a log of the magnetic field direction in the borehole. Following the combination sensor, at least one multi-component seismic source is deployed downhole into the borehole. The at least one multi-component seismic source comprises sensors, such as an inclinometer and a magnetometer. Data from the combination sensor and from the at least one multi-component seismic source is processed to determine an absolute orientation of the at least one multi-component seismic source.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Clement Kostov, Martin G. Luling, Mark Puckett
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Patent number: 10224676Abstract: A shielded connection line for a magnetic resonance tomography system includes a signal conductor, a shield for the signal conductor, and a plug-in connector. The plug-in connector has a large number of connection contacts that are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix and are electrically insulated from each other in the plug-in connector. The signal conductor is in galvanic contact with a first connection contact, and three second connection contacts adjacent to the first connection contact and surrounding the first connection contact are galvanically connected to the shield.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2017Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbHInventors: Martin Hemmerlein, Wolfgang Kraus, Thomas Kundner
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Patent number: 10215720Abstract: The present device relates to a sensor capable of detecting changes in the electromagnetic field it generates when in proximity to either conductive or nonconductive materials. This occurs by way of oscillating a transmit coil with an electro motive force at a resonant frequency thus creating an electromagnetic field. The magnetic field passes through a target of either conductive or nonconductive material and is then intercepted by a receive coil which likewise oscillates at a resonant frequency, which when in proximity to the transmit coil and transmit coils resonant frequency produces an enhanced signal by way of the interaction of the respective resonant frequencies and receive coil output.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2016Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Inventor: Kevin D. McGushion
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Patent number: 10215831Abstract: In a first method and magnetic resonance apparatus to determine a resonance frequency deviation given an excitation of a slice of a volume segment within an examination subject, by a slice selection gradient is activated along one direction, an RF excitation pulse is irradiated in order to excite nuclear spins in the slice, a readout gradient is activated along the direction of the slice selection gradient, and MR data are read out while the readout gradient is activated. Image points within an MR image reconstructed using the MR data are identified, that exhibit a signal intensity that is greater than a predetermined threshold, in order to determine one of the image points that has a maximum separation in the direction between this image point and the slice. The resonance frequency deviation is determined depending on the amplitude of the slice selection gradient, the amplitude of the readout gradient and the maximum separation. The slice selection gradient and the readout gradient have opposite polarity.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2014Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Theresa Bachschmidt, Mathias Nittka
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Patent number: 10215686Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a corrosion resistance evaluation method and evaluation device that make it possible to estimate crevice corrosion depth and pitting depth in a short period of time. A corrosion resistance evaluation method according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface potential of a metal under evaluation is measured in a state in which the metal is immersed in a usage-environment liquid, the surface potential distribution of the metal is determined, the surface potential differences in the microstructure of the metal are calculated on the basis of the surface potential distribution, and the corrosion rate of crevice corrosion and corrosion rate of pitting are predicted using the maximum surface potential difference from among the calculated surface potential differences as an evaluation index for corrosion evaluation.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2013Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Kyoko Hombo, Kenya Ohashi, Masahiro Itoh, Mitsuharu Ikeda, Takeshi Fukuma, Naritaka Kobayashi, Shoichiro Ogata
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Patent number: 10215822Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processor, and a memory that stores processor-executable instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to give a sample value to at least a part of sampling positions having no sample value in first k-space data so as to create a second k-space data, the first k-space data having a sample value at a part of sampling positions on a k-space. The instructions cause the processor to create a first image from the first k-space data and a second image from the second k-space data. The instructions cause the processor to derive weighting factors for the first image and the second image. The instructions cause the processor to calculate a magnetic resonance image by performing weighted addition using the weighting factors on the first image and the second image.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventor: Hidenori Takeshima
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Patent number: 10215789Abstract: A device for monitoring a high-voltage contactor in a vehicle having a coil with an anchor, the coil is energized with a coil current or a coil voltage to switch the high-voltage contactor, and the high-voltage contactor is switched by a motion of the anchor, thus also changing the inductivity of the coil includes an interface for reading in a measurement value function for the generated coil voltage and/or for the generated coil current during the switching cycle of the high-voltage contactor; an analysis device for determining a motion information representing a travel distance of the anchor based on the measurement value function; and a comparison device for comparing the motion information with a threshold value information.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Lisa Draexlmaier GmbHInventor: Daniel Rosenow
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Patent number: 10215732Abstract: A dielectric barrier discharge ionization detector includes: a discharging section for generating plasma from argon-containing gas by electric discharge, including a dielectric tube on the outer wall of which a high-voltage electrode connected to AC power source as well as upstream-side and downstream-side ground electrodes and are circumferentially formed; and a charge-collecting section for ionizing sample-gas components by the plasma and detecting ion current formed by ionized components. The dielectric tube is made of a material whose resistivity is 1.0×1013 ?cm or lower. Furthermore, the detector satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the upstream-side ground electrode is longer than a ground electrode length which allows creeping discharge between the high-voltage electrode and a tube-line tip member; or the downstream-side ground electrode is longer than a ground electrode length which allows creeping discharge between the high-voltage electrode and the charge-collecting section.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Shimadzu CorporationInventor: Kei Shinada