Patents Examined by Peter J. Macchiarolo
  • Patent number: 11906488
    Abstract: Analysis of residual stress in materials is often done in static conditions in a laboratory. Accurate systems and methods for performing these analyses in a dynamic, non-laboratory environment are notoriously difficult and can be very inaccurate. A method using a portable, field deployable apparatus having greater accuracy than currently available is disclosed whereby accurate and repeatable residual stress analysis may be implemented in non-laboratory environments leading to greatly improved diagnostics, maintenance and life limit prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HILL ENGINEERING, LLC
    Inventors: Adrian T. DeWald, Michael R. Hill, Eric Summer, Brett Watanabe, Teresa Wong
  • Patent number: 11906383
    Abstract: A micromechanical sensor device and a corresponding manufacturing method are described. The micromechanical sensor device is fitted with a substrate including a front side and a rear side; a micromechanical sensor chip including a sensor area attached to the front side of the substrate; and a capping unit attached to the front side of the substrate, which is formed at least partially by an ASIC chip. The capping unit surrounds the micromechanical sensor chip in such a way that a cavity closed toward the front side of the substrate is formed between the sensor area of the micromechanical sensor chip and the ASIC chip. A mold package is formed above the capping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Pinter, Nico Greiner
  • Patent number: 11906343
    Abstract: A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: BNSF Railway Company
    Inventors: Darrell Robert Krueger, Corey D. Wills
  • Patent number: 11898943
    Abstract: A stress sensor includes: a substrate, having a face and a recess, open to the face; and a sensor chip of semiconductor material, housed in the recess and bonded to the substrate, the sensor chip being provided with a plurality of sensing components of piezoresistive material. The substrate has a thickness which is less by at least one order of magnitude with respect to a main dimension of the face. Further, the sensor chip has a thickness which is less by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the thickness of the substrate, and a Young's module of the substrate and a Young's module of the sensor chip are of the same order of magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.L.
    Inventor: Santo Alessandro Smerzi
  • Patent number: 11900776
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for a lid of an aspirating smoke detector device are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include an aspirating smoke detector device, comprising a plurality of light pipes, a cover including a plurality of apertures to interface with the plurality of light pipes, a housing including a housing inlet and a housing outlet, and a reversible lid connectable to the cover in a first lid orientation and a second lid orientation, where when the cover and the housing are in a first device orientation, the reversible lid is to connect to the cover in the first lid orientation and when the cover and the housing are in a second device orientation, the reversible lid is to connect to the cover in the second lid orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Gianluca Pace, Erika Simeoni, Mauro Miheli
  • Patent number: 11898888
    Abstract: A radiometric measuring device for determining a mass flow of a bulk material on a conveyor belt including, at least one detector which is configured to detect at least part of radiation of at least one radiation source the emits the radiation in a direction of the bulk material on the conveyor belt, the radiation having at least partially passed through the bulk material and the conveyor belt, at least one evaluation circuit which is configured to determine the mass flow of the bulk material based on the detected radiation; at least one storage means which is set up to store at least one measured value equation, the measured value equation mapping a relationship between the detected radiation and the mass flow, at least one electronic calculation means which is set up to determine, based on at least one calibration measurement without bulk material on the conveyor belt, a correction equation with which the measured value equation is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: VEGA GRIESHABER KG
    Inventors: Robert Laun, Natalie Waldecker
  • Patent number: 11893871
    Abstract: A multi-sensor gas detector includes circuitry to evaluate if the detector is in compliance with predetermined safety requirements. Where the detector is in compliance, then a confidence indicator is intermittently activated at a predetermined frequency. Where the detector is out of compliance, the indicator is not activated providing indicia that the detector needs maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Shane Lee McEwen, Phillip W. Benson, Clive W. Kennard, Arun Bhargava
  • Patent number: 11884114
    Abstract: A method for determining the loading of a tire (1) mounted on a vehicle (9) and running along the ground, said tire (1) being equipped with a sensor (10), comprises: acquisition, by the sensor (10), of a measurement signal representative of the change in curvature of the tire (1) during running, determination, from the measurement signal, of measurement data comprising a first parameter representative of a length of a contact patch (6) in contact with the ground (7) during a revolution of the wheel bearing the tire, and determination of the loading of the tire (1) as a function of the first parameter, of the internal pressure of the tire, and of a firmness factor representative of a condition of firmness of the ground, which is derived from measurements taken while the tire is rolling over said ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Pierre Nizet, Antoine Paturle
  • Patent number: 11885641
    Abstract: An elastically supported electrode substrate for detecting unbalanced mass of a resonant gyroscope includes an outer frame and an inner structure. A connection part configured to be connected to an anchor of a resonator is arranged at the center of the inner structure, and electrodes are distributed on the inner structure. The inner structure is connected inside the outer frame through elastic beams, and the inner structure has torsional and/or translational resonant modes inside the outer frame. The resonant frequency of the inner structure approaches resonant frequency of an operating mode of the resonator. Since the resonant frequency of the elastically supported electrode substrate approaches the resonant frequency of the operating mode of the resonator, the vibration displacement induced by the unbalanced mass of the elastically supported electrode substrate can be significantly magnified to improve the detection sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yan Shi, Dingbang Xiao, Kun Lu, Xiang Xi, Xuezhong Wu, Yulie Wu, Yongmeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11879801
    Abstract: A controller for an environmental sensor provides digital environmental measurement values from analog environmental measurements performed by analog circuitry, the digital environmental measurement values lying in a global scale range. The controller subjects the global scale range to a subdivision into scale subranges that are proper subranges of the global scale range. The controller selects, among the scale subranges, one scale subrange in which an analog environmental measurement is to be performed, selects an offset information and a gain information that are associated with the selected scale subrange and that are indicative of an offset and a gain to be applied by the analog circuitry to perform an analog environmental measurement in the selected scale subrange, and to provide the offset information and the gain information to the analog circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesbauer, Alessandro Caspani, Christian Jenkner, Athanasios Kollias
  • Patent number: 11874257
    Abstract: A mass spectrometry device includes a vacuum container in which an ionizer, a mass separator and a detector are arranged, and includes an opening-closing portion that is provided at the vacuum container and switches between a locked state of being locked in a close state and an unlocked state by a difference in pressure between inside and outside of the vacuum container, and a cooling gas introducer that introduces a cooling gas for cooling the ionizer into the vacuum container such that the opening-closing portion is kept in the locked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Kageyama, Takeshi Uchida, Masaru Nishiguchi, Manabu Shimomura
  • Patent number: 11874159
    Abstract: Ultrasonic sensor (1) includes piezoelectric element (7), first acoustic matching layer (2), and second acoustic matching layer (5) which are laminated and bonded together, piezoelectric element (7) having a rectangular bonding surface. First acoustic matching layer (2), which is adjacent to piezoelectric element (7), is bonded to piezoelectric element (7) using thermoplastic resin injected from a thickness direction of first acoustic matching layer (2) in a manner that a flow direction of the thermoplastic resin matches a longitudinal direction of piezoelectric element (7). With this configuration, ultrasonic sensor (1) that exhibits excellent temperature characteristics against such as thermal shock is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoki Masuda, Yudai Ishizaki, Hidetomo Nagahara
  • Patent number: 11874199
    Abstract: A device for testing a sample via a gas stream that includes an opening, a generator for generating a gas stream in the device along at least one flow path, at least one pressure sensor, and a mass flowmeter configured to measure the mass flow rate of the gas stream along each flow path. The flow path including an exhaust path terminating at the opening, and the gas stream generator configured to exhaust a leakage gas along the exhaust path. The pressure sensor includes an exhaust pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the leakage gas along the exhaust path, and the mass flowmeter is configured to measure a parameter representing the mass flow rate of the leakage gas along the exhaust path. A calculation device determines the size of a leak hole, based on a measurement of the parameter representing the mass flow rate along the exhaust path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ANEOLIA
    Inventors: Thierry Gosse, Philippe Lacarrere, Eric Schaller
  • Patent number: 11874179
    Abstract: There is disclosed a handheld air flow velocity measurement probe that includes a bridge circuit assembly having an airflow velocity sensor that is a resistance temperature detector (RTD) and a digitally controlled resistive element to dynamically adjust and maintain the resistance of the velocity sensor within the overheat temperature predefined range. The velocity measurement also uses a separate temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the air or gas flow. A humidity sensor is also included remote from the other sensors to measure humidity in the gas flow to be measured. All of the above described components are housed at a probe tip instead of a base as in most standard handheld probes and the digital interface at the probe tip allows the user to replace a bulky, expensive telescoping antenna with stackable extender scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: TSI, Incorporated
    Inventors: Frederick R. Quant, Jugal Agarwal, Siva Iyer
  • Patent number: 11867546
    Abstract: A system includes upstream process equipment and downstream process equipment. The upstream process equipment is configured to transmit a predetermined fluid to the downstream process equipment. A manually operated valve fluidly couples the upstream process equipment to the downstream process equipment. A removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter is coupled to piping downstream from the manually operated valve. A control system is coupled to the manually operated valve and the removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter. The control system determines an optimum time and speed to actuate the manually operated valve using a predictive model based on a valve size of the manually operated valve, a valve age of the manually operated valve, fluid type, a criticality index of the manually operated valve, a measured flow rate from the removable ultrasonic wireless flow meter, and corresponding coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Mishal Alsaiari, Abdulaziz Moshaweh, Mohammed A. Batouq
  • Patent number: 11867658
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oxygen probe for a furnace. The oxygen probe includes an elongate outer conductor and an inner conductor within the outer conductor. An oxygen sensor is in electrical connection with the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The oxygen probe further includes a seal arrangement for receiving the inner conductor and maintaining a seal to a reference chamber during movement of the conductors owing to heat from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ceramic Oxide Fabricators Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Peter Crowhurst
  • Patent number: 11860065
    Abstract: A method for leak testing includes a leak testing step and a reference leak step. In the leak testing step, a hollow work 20 as a test object is encapsulated in a work capsule 11. A test pressure is supplied to the work capsule 11 through a path 2a connected to the work capsule. A variation of pressure inside the work capsule 11 is detected in a condition in which the path 2a is shut-off, and a judgment is made whether a leakage through the work is generated based on the detected output. In the reference leak step, a reference leak device 30 having a known pinhole 31a is mounted on a work 20? for reference leakage that is same as the work 20 as the test object. The work 20? for reference leakage is encapsulated in the work capsule 11. The test pressure is supplied to the work capsule 11 via the path 2a, and a reference leakage is generated in the work 20? for reference leakage via the reference leak device 30 in a condition in which the path 2a is shut-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUKUDA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mao Hirata, Tsutomu Hara, Naoto Izumo, Masaharu Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11860137
    Abstract: Described is a method for detecting the presence of natural hydrocarbon compounds in drilling cuttings. The method includes introducing a chemical standard to an oil-based drilling fluid, producing a tagged drilling fluid. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) is used to determine a concentration of hydrocarbon compounds in the tagged drilling fluid, which corresponds to a first hydrocarbon signal. The tagged drilling fluid is circulated in a borehole during drilling, and the drilling cuttings mixed with the tagged drilling fluid are recovered. Hydrocarbon compounds are then extracted from the drilling cuttings. GC-MS is used to determine a concentration of hydrocarbon compounds present in the drilling cuttings that were mixed with the tagged drilling fluid, which corresponds to a second hydrocarbon signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Ibrahim Atwah
  • Patent number: 11860011
    Abstract: A magnetic insertion meter is disclosed herein. Disclosed insertion meters include in some examples, a sensor head tube cylinder having a textured front surface and at least two electrodes. Disclosed insertion meters include a textured front surface adapted to move the separation point of a fluid flowing over the sensor head tube towards the upstream surface as compared to the same sensor head tube without the textured front surface. Methods of measuring flow are also disclosed herein using example magnetic insertion meters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ONICON INC.
    Inventors: William S. Valentine, Michael Upham, Kevin Holler, Adam Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11857775
    Abstract: A fluid flow system and a method for detecting air bubble and liquid are provided. The fluid flow system comprises a force sensor configured to monitor at least one of an air bubble or an occlusion in a flow tube. The fluid flow system comprises a controller to execute the method. The controller is configured to monitor an output signal of a force sensor of the fluid flow system, and the output signal comprises an Alternating Current (AC) component and a Direct Current (DC) component, and detect a change in the output signal to a new output signal based on a number of transitions to the new output signal, and a time duration of the new output signal. The controller compares the change in the output signal with one of a predefined number of transitions or a predefined time and determines a new threshold when the change in the output signal exceeds one of the predefined number of transitions or the predefined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Kuna V S R Kishore, Abhishek Joshi, Kumaran S Narasimhan, Kaligaselvi Lenin, Manjunatha Hm, Varun Thakurta, Sudheer Beligere Sreeramu