Patents Examined by Patrick J Assouad
-
Patent number: 7540672Abstract: A digital still camera module includes an image sensor package (2) and a lens barrel (30) mounted on the image sensor package. The image sensor package includes a substrate (20), an image sensor chip (22), and a cover (28). The substrate defines a receiving chamber (203) therein. The image sensor chip mounted in the receiving chamber of the substrate. The cover, which is transparent and has a smaller profile than that of the substrate, is secured to the top portion of the substrate thereby sealing the receiving chamber. The top portion of the substrate has an uncovered section (29) at a periphery of the cover. The lens barrel includes at least one lens (31) received therein. The lens barrel is securely attached to the uncovered section of the top portion of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2005Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: Altus Technology Inc.Inventors: Steven Webster, Ying-Cheng Wu, Kun-Hsieh Liu, Po-Chih Hsu
-
Patent number: 7537377Abstract: A method for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover and an internal computer. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices and heat sink, clamped together. The sample block temperature is changed exclusively by the thermoelectric devices controlled by the computer. The control software includes calibration diagnostics which permit variation in the performance of thermoelectric coolers from instrument to instrument to be compensated for such that all instruments perform identically. The block heat sink assembly can be changed to another of the same or different design. The assembly carries the necessary information required to characterize its own performance in an on-board memory device, allowing the assembly to be interchangeable among instruments while retaining its precision operating characteristics. The instrument monitors the thermoelectric devices and warns of changes in resistance that may result in failure.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2005Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Applied Biosystems, LLCInventors: John G. Atwood, Adrian Fawcett, Keith S. Ferrara, Paul M. Hetherington, Richard W. Noreiks, Douglas E. Olsen, John R. Widomski, Charles M. Wittmer
-
Patent number: 7534032Abstract: A sensor assembly is disclosed for determining the temperature state in an area of a heating surface heated by a heat source and disposed between the heat source and the heating surface in parallel relationship to the heating surface. The sensor assembly includes a first sensor having a carrier and a temperature-dependent resistor web which is attached to the carrier and confronts the heating surface and which is electrically contacted at a contact zone outside a temperature-measuring zone, and a second sensor having a carrier and a temperature-dependent resistor web which is attached to the carrier and electrically contacted at a contact zone outside the temperature-measuring zone and which confronts the heat source.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2006Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Electrovac AGInventors: Josef Reithofer, Christian Auradnik
-
Patent number: 7524107Abstract: A thermostat circuit is arranged for dual purpose operation to save pins in a small package. The circuit includes a temperature sensor circuit, a trip-point reference circuit, a switching circuit, an amplifier circuit, and a comparator circuit. The trip-point reference circuit provides a reference voltage that corresponds to a desired trip-point level. The temperature sensor circuit provides a sense voltage that corresponds to temperature. During a normal operating mode the sense voltage is coupled to the input of the amplifier circuit via the switching circuit, while during a test mode the reference voltage is coupled to an input of the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit buffers a voltage to one output pin. The comparator circuit compares the reference voltage to the sense voltage to provide a trip-point detection voltage for another output pin. An input pin is provided for selection of either a test mode or a non-test mode.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2006Date of Patent: April 28, 2009Assignee: National Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Perry Scott Lorenz
-
Patent number: 7525315Abstract: A combined resistivity tool incorporating both induction/propagation antennas and lateral resistivity antennas disposed in recesses of downhole tubulars, in which a lateral resistivity antenna includes an insulating base layer disposed in the recess; a toroidal antenna disposed over the insulating base layer; and a shield disposed over the recess.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2004Date of Patent: April 28, 2009Assignee: Schlumberger Technology CorporationInventors: Mark A. Fredette, James Stephen Hall, Mark T. Frey, Dominique Dion
-
Patent number: 7520668Abstract: A multi function thermometer is provided which operates to display temperatures sensed by one or more temperature sensors. The thermometer comprises a thermometer housing and a temperature probe engaged to the housing, the probe being translatable between a first stowed position and a second deployed position. An infrared temperature reader element is also engaged to the housing, and operative to sense the temperature of objects remote from the housing, within a field of view of the infrared reader element. A temperature display is connected to the retractable probe and to the infrared temperature reader element. The display is operative to display temperatures sensed by the retractable probe and/or the infrared reader element.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2007Date of Patent: April 21, 2009Assignee: Innova Electronics CorporationInventor: Ieon Chen
-
Patent number: 7517144Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of determining the temperature in a system, said system comprising a molecular heater fraction and a molecular thermometer fraction, and to an integrated system for temperature determination and temporally and spatially resolved thermal profile detection, and to uses of such system.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignees: Sony Deutschland GmbH, Max-Planck-Gesel. zur Foerderung der Wissen. E.V.Inventors: Tzenka Miteva, Gabriele Nelles, Akio Yasuda, Stanislav Balouchev, John Lupton
-
Patent number: 7517147Abstract: Disclosed is a structure for guiding the installation of a thermowell for temperature sensor, which is used to measure the axial temperature inside a fixed-bed catalyst reaction tube when it is filled with a catalyst, at a predetermined location in the reaction tube. In addition, a method for installing a thermowell for temperature sensor is provided. The method includes the steps of installing a structure for guiding the installation of a thermowell for temperature sensor in a reaction tube and fixing the thermowell for temperature sensor while filling the reaction tube with a catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.Inventors: Sung Soo Park, Kyoung Su Ha, Jun Seok Ko, Seong Pil Kang, Se Won Baek, Eun Ju Kim
-
Patent number: 7518359Abstract: A non-planar part has a non-planar surface such as an edge, and may contain an anomaly such as a crack. The non-planar part is inspected using an eddy current technique. The method includes providing the non-planar part having the non-planar surface thereon, driving an eddy current probe at two or more frequencies, measuring an eddy current response signal of the non-planar part at each frequency, and performing a multifrequency phase analysis on the eddy current response signals.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Changting Wang, Ui Suh
-
Patent number: 7507025Abstract: An infrared thermometer has an elongate housing extending along an axis with an actuator at one housing end, the actuator being actuated by engagement along the axis. The housing further includes an opening at one end and a temperature sensor operatively associated with the opening. The temperature sensor can be advanced from a retracted position within the housing to an extended position operatively associated with the opening for sensing the temperature of an object. As the sensor moves between the retracted and the extended position, the sensor changes from a dormant state to a sensing state.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2006Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Inventor: Wayne R Lumpkin
-
Patent number: 7507019Abstract: A method for calibrating a thermometer is disclosed. The thermometer comprises a primary temperature sensor for determining the temperature of a target. The thermometer also comprises a reference temperature sensor positioned proximate to the primary temperature sensor and being responsive to an extraneous temperature affecting the primary temperature sensor. One calibration method calibrates the reference temperature sensor. This calibration can utilize a non-electrically conductive liquid bath for temperature control. Another calibration method calibrates the reference temperature sensor and the primary temperature sensor.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2006Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Assignee: Covidien AGInventor: Jeffrey E. Price
-
Patent number: 7507021Abstract: An electronic thermometer includes an automatic activating system for automatically configuring the thermometer between an active state (broadly, the thermometer is turned on) and a non-active state (broadly, the thermometer is turned off). In general the activating system includes a solid-state activating sensor, such as a Hall-effect sensor, in a housing of the thermometer and a magnet in a probe of the thermometer for activating the sensor when the probe is received in a probe well.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2006Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LPInventors: Denis Y. Yerlikaya, Jeffrey E. Price
-
Patent number: 7505680Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an imaging optical system, an image sensor, an image signal processing section and a light-amount characteristic giving section. The imaging optical system has a distortion in such a way as to form an image whose center part is stretched, and whose peripheral part is squeezed. The image sensor has a light reception surface at which a subject image is formed through the imaging optical system, and converts the formed subject image into image signals. The image signal processing section performs an image processing for correcting the image signals with respect to the distortion. The light-amount characteristic giving section gives the subject image a characteristic in which the amount of light at a center part of the subject image formed at the light-reception surface of the image sensor is larger than that at a peripheral part of the subject image.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2006Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Toshio Niwa
-
Patent number: 7496290Abstract: A multipoint autofocus system in which a pair of object images, obtained by pupil-division of an object light bundle in each detection area, are projected onto different zones of a sensor and are converted into image signals, so that a defocus amount can be determined based on the image signals, the multipoint autofocus system including intersecting detection areas whose detection areas partly overlap and a plurality of sensor arrays of the sensor corresponding to respective the intersecting detection areas; and a selection device for selecting a defocus amount whose absolute value is smallest out of defocus amounts obtained by each sensor array of the intersecting detection areas.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2005Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: Hoya CorporationInventor: Masahiro Nakata
-
Patent number: 7492149Abstract: A circuit configuration for processing a signal of a sensor includes an amplifier for amplifying the signal of the sensor. This signal has switch-over points between different signal states. The circuit configuration is constructed in such a manner that the amplifier and the sensor operate continuously in a chopper mode. Furthermore, a control loop is provided for determining offset components in the signal of the sensor and for removing the offset components from the signal of the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2003Date of Patent: February 17, 2009Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Mario Motz, Dieter Draxelmayr
-
Patent number: 7482812Abstract: A loop antenna useful, for example, in investigation of earth formations. Embodiments of the invention provide a loop antenna circuit comprising a loop antenna disposed to generate, in response to an electromagnetic wave, a pick-up signal on an output node. Loop antenna circuit further includes a tuning network coupled to the loop antenna. The tuning network is disposed to provide simultaneous tuning at a plurality of interrogation frequencies. Further embodiments include a preamplifier circuit coupled to the loop antenna. The preamplifier circuit is disposed to receive the pick-up signal on an input node and provide a high impedance load to the loop antenna for a first of the plurality of interrogation frequencies to reduce the secondary radiation from the loop antenna to below a predetermined value at the said first interrogation frequency.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2006Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignee: PathFinder Energy Services, Inc.Inventor: Robert A Moore
-
Patent number: 7476020Abstract: A method, a laboratory device and the use of both are provided for simulating the dynamic temperature behavior of at least one part of a process plant, particularly an industrial reactor. The method provides a temperature profile and/or temperature setpoints at given time intervals for controlling the laboratory device. The temperature profile and/or temperature setpoints are derived from a mathematical model that describes the dynamic temperature behavior of at least one part of the process plant. The temperature profile and/or the temperature setpoints are used by a program for controlling the laboratory device.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2006Date of Patent: January 13, 2009Assignee: Mettler - Toledo AGInventors: Benoit Zufferey, Francis Stoessel, Urs Groth
-
Patent number: 7471081Abstract: A slider tester includes a driving unit that rotates a test medium, a set plate that detachably supports a slider as a single body, and an investigating apparatus that is electrically connected to the slider supported by the set plate and investigates the characteristics of the slider. A movable support part 30 that tiltably supports the slider is provided on the set plate. There is also provided a pressing mechanism that elastically presses the slider via the movable support part toward a surface of the medium to dispose the slider floating over the surface of the medium. The pressing mechanism includes an elastic body 56 composed of a plate spring that contacts the movable support part and elastically presses the movable support part.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Norio Kainuma, Kenji Kobae, Hidehiko Kira, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Shuichi Takeuchi, Takayoshi Matsumura, Hirokazu Yamanishi, Shinji Hiraoka, Yoshiaki Yanagida
-
Patent number: 7471894Abstract: A correction filter used in the exposure for forming a phosphor screen includes three kinds of correction filters consisting of a grading filter, a monochroic local correction filter and a multi-color local correction filter. With the use of three kinds of correction filters, it is possible to improve the whiteness uniformity which may be degraded due to the wall thickness difference at the center and a peripheral portion of a panel portion of a flat-face-type color cathode ray tube.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.Inventors: Yoichi Ito, Satoshi Muto
-
Patent number: 7444074Abstract: An autofocus lens apparatus is disclosed which is capable of changing a focus target area in position and size without degrading the operability of manual focusing when taking images with an autofocus function. The autofocus lens apparatus comprises an operating member which is placed outside a lens barrel and movable to change the focus target area, a detector which detects the movement of the operating member, and a controller which changes at least one of the position and size of the focus target area on the basis of a signal from the detector.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2006Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Gou Shibasaki