Patents Examined by Raul Rios Russo
  • Patent number: 8957670
    Abstract: A stroke amount detection device includes a yoke, a magnetic flux generation section, and a magnetism detection section. The yoke has a protruding section that protrudes to outside the yoke. The magnetic flux generation section is located in the yoke. The magnetism detection section is disposed between the magnetic flux generation section and the protruding section. The magnetism detection section is disposed at a fixed position with respect to the magnetic flux generation section. The magnetism detection section outputs a signal in accordance with a magnetic flux density generated due to a relative movement of the yoke with respect to the magnetism detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Akitoshi Mizutani, Hitomi Honda, Yoshiyuki Kono
  • Patent number: 8952686
    Abstract: A system includes a magnetoresistive (MR) bridge circuit, a magnetic field sensor, and an adjustable load. The MR bridge circuit receives a supply voltage and generates an output voltage that indicates a strength/direction of a magnetic field. The MR bridge circuit includes first and second MR elements connected in series between a supply node and a ground node, and third and fourth MR elements connected in series between the supply node and the ground node. The output voltage is generated between a first node that is common to the first and second MR elements and a second node that is common to the third and fourth MR elements. The sensor generates signals based on the strength/direction of the magnetic field. The adjustable load is connected in parallel with one of the MR elements, and has a resistance that is controlled based on the signals generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Perry A. Holman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8941375
    Abstract: A contactless detection apparatus has a first magnet ring, a second magnet ring, a first magnetic sensor, a second magnetic sensor and a controller. The two magnet rings are respectively mounted on two ends of a torsion shaft. When the torsion shaft rotates, the controller detects the magnetic fields of the two magnet rings through the two magnetic sensors. The controller calculates a twisting torque exerted on the torsion shaft and a rotational angle of the torsion shaft according to the detected magnetic fields at the same time. The detection apparatus of the invention has simple structure. The magnetic fields of both magnet rings do not interfere with each other, such that the detection result of the invention is accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
    Inventors: Chau-Chih Yu, Tsung-Hua Hsu, Jin-Yan Hsu, Chih-Jung Yeh
  • Patent number: 8941384
    Abstract: A high-frequency data and/or power transmission system suitable for downhole use including signal/power couplers, transmission line segments and signal repeaters. Signals and power are/is transmitted between couplers and/or between couplers and repeaters by means of electromagnetic resonance coupling. In at least a portion of the system, the transmission line segments form parallel data paths and the repeaters provide crossover capability between the data/power paths, thereby significantly improving reliability. The invention also includes methods of transmitting data and/or distributing high-frequency power through a downhole transmission system including multiple data/power paths and multiple crossovers wherein a fault location in one data/power path is bypassed by routing data and/or power to a parallel data/power path by means of electromagnetic resonance coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Martin Scientific LLC
    Inventor: Manfred G. Prammer
  • Patent number: 8941378
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a plurality of magnetoresistive elements that are formed by stacking a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer on a substrate and that exhibit a magnetoresistive effect and a soft magnetic member that converts a vertical magnetic field component into a horizontal magnetic field component. The soft magnetic member is formed of a plurality of first and second soft magnetic portions respectively extending in an X1-X2 direction and a Y1-Y2 direction, combined together in the shape of a lattice. The magnetoresistive elements have a sensitivity direction in the Y2 direction and include a magnetoresistive element located on a Y1 side portion side of the first soft magnetic portion and a magnetoresistive element located on a Y2 side portion side of the first soft magnetic portion, respectively receiving horizontal magnetic field components from the Y1 direction and Y2 direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Obana, Shinji Sugihara, Hideto Ando
  • Patent number: 8941373
    Abstract: A current sensor comprising a primary conductor for conducting a current that is to be measured, at least two magnetic field probes for measuring magnetic fields, and a magnetic core, which has a closed ring structure having three or more corners that encloses the primary conductor, wherein each magnetic field probe is arranged on the magnetic core or in recesses in the magnetic core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Friedrich Lenhard, Sebastian Kudimow
  • Patent number: 8933689
    Abstract: A device for measuring an electric quantity such as electric current flowing in an electric equipment unit, which device is in a case fitted on a mounting support, and having pass-through holes and terminals separated by insulating material, their number corresponding to the number of phases of the equipment unit, the holesto permit a conductor to pass therethrough, to be electrically connected to strips of terminals of the equipment unit the opposite end to electric contact strips of a load-side or line-side apparatus from the equipment unit and, for at least one terminal of the device, a magnetic core at least partially surrounding such terminal with an air-gap around which a secondary measuring coil is wound between two end portions of the magnetic core which define the air-gap, the coil(s) delivering a signal representative of the current flowing in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
    Inventors: Vivien Moliton, Sébastien Buffat
  • Patent number: 8933705
    Abstract: An electronic circuit with a plurality of connections for a plurality of sensor elements is provided, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to detect, with at least one multiplexing method, the presence of an object in at least one observation area of the sensor elements and to distinguish between the sensor elements. Also a method for determining the position of at least one object situated in at least one observation area of sensor elements relative to the sensor elements is provided, whereby with a multiplexing method an electric variable for each sensor element is detected, which is indicative for the presence of the object in the respective observation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH II & Co. KG
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens
  • Patent number: 8917109
    Abstract: A pulse width estimation method, applied between an integrated circuit and a circuit system for generating a reference pulse with a predetermined pulse width, includes steps for the following: generating an under-test pulse with an under-test pulse width by the integrated circuit; delivering the under-test and reference pulses to the integrated circuit for multiplying the under-test pulse width and the predetermined pulse width thereof by a timing gain and thereby obtaining a gained under-test pulse and a gained reference pulse, respectively; providing, by the integrated circuit, a count pulse for sampling the gained under-test pulse and the gained reference pulse and thereby obtaining a first count number and a second count number, respectively; and estimating the under-test pulse width by using the predetermined pulse width, the first count number and the second count number. A pulse width estimation device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shi-Wen Chen, Yung-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 8912792
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for rotor angle measurement in an electrical generator. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may comprise control logic configured to generate a reference signal and to generate a rotational position signal based upon an indicator of a rotational position of a rotor in an electrical generator. The control logic may further be configured to detect a relative shift between the reference signal and the rotational position signal and to determine the rotational position of the rotor based upon the relative shift. A power angle of the electrical generator may be calculated based upon the rotational position of the rotor. According to certain embodiments, the control logic may further be configured to generate a control instruction to reduce the power angle in response to determining that the power angle exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Seeley, Charles L. Ramiller
  • Patent number: 8912787
    Abstract: A high voltage detection device comprises a probe comprising an electrode for sensing a high voltage electrical line. The electrode is connected in series with a resistor. A meter comprises a housing enclosing a control for measuring parameters of line voltage. The control comprises an input module for connection to the probe to develop a voltage signal. A signal processing module receives the voltage signal and determines parameters of line voltage and drives an audio module. The audio module provides an audio output representing the determined parameters of line voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Adishesha Cs, Edukondalu Yarlagadda, Michael D. Berg
  • Patent number: 8907667
    Abstract: A generator having at least four coils wound around each of the winding axes, these four coils being spaced out from one another to cancel at least the first derivative up to the seventh derivative of the magnetic field generated by these coils, in parallel to the winding axis, at a central point when they are powered by the same current, and the circumference of each coil is a circle, the diameter of this circle being equal within 2% of the diameter of a circle defined by the intersection between a sphere centered on the central point and a plane, perpendicular to the winding axis of this coil, passing through this coil, the sphere being the same for all the coils wound around the same winding axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Philippe Klein, Christian Jeandey
  • Patent number: 8896316
    Abstract: In a device having capacitive loads in which a plurality of capacitive loads are connected in parallel, power is supplied from an AC power source to a load group comprising the plurality of capacitive loads, the load group is divided into a plurality of small load groups, and a current detecting sensor for detecting a current which flows in at least one small load group at a side which is closer to the load side than a branch point at which the load group is divided into the plurality of small load groups and a current abnormality detecting part for determining an abnormality of a load by a current detecting signal which is detected by the current detecting sensor are equipped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubshi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Kurahashi, Takashi Kumagai, Taichiro Tamida, Hajime Nakatani, Daisuke Takauchi
  • Patent number: 8884607
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a current measuring apparatus and associated networking apparatus, the current measuring apparatus comprising: a consumer unit comprising at least one interrupting device operative to interrupt a mains electricity supply when an excess current flows, such as a fuse box, a mains current circuit in the mains electricity supply path; and a measurement circuit that is operative to measure a voltage drop across the mains current circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Ephraim David Hurwitz, Dale Stubbs
  • Patent number: 8860433
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, apparatus, and methods for a self-contained timing and jitter measurement. In various embodiments, a device may include a first clock signal generator operative to provide a first clock signal to a transmitter of a transceiver, where the first clock signal operates at a first frequency. The device may further include a second clock signal generator operative to provide a second clock signal to a receiver of the transceiver, where the second clock signal operates at a second frequency, and where the receiver samples an output of the transmitter at a sampling rate determined by the second frequency. In some embodiments, the device may further include a logic circuit operative to receive an output signal from the receiver and further operative to determine an indication of jitter based on the received output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Victor A. Chang, Bozidar Krsnik
  • Patent number: 8860439
    Abstract: A particulate matter detection element includes a capacitance component disposed in parallel with a detected resistance RSEN. A direct current-power source that supplies a direct current (IDC) for particulate matter detection, and an alternating-current power source that supplies an alternating current (IAC) for disconnection detection are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takehito Kimata, Mikiyasu Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8860418
    Abstract: An open ended coaxial probe is disclosed that can be used to measure the dielectric properties of solids. According to some embodiments, the probe is specially designed to make good contact with solids having flat or non-flat surfaces. This design relies on forcing a good contact between the solid surface with both the center conductor and outer conductor of the coaxial probe. A method is also described in which the coaxial probe is used to monitor the dielectric permittivity of cylindrical samples such as rock cores drilled from a well. Also described are methods of using the coaxial probe to provide a continuous log of the dielectric permittivity of a rock core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Mohammed Badri, Reza Taherian
  • Patent number: 8854044
    Abstract: A formation core analysis system can include an inner barrel and a toroidal electromagnetic antenna which transmits electromagnetic signals into a formation core when the core is received in the inner barrel. Another formation core analysis system can include an inner barrel and multiple longitudinally spaced apart electrodes which electrically contact a formation core when the core is received in the inner barrel. A speed of displacement of the core into the inner barrel may be indicated by differences between measurements taken via the electrodes as the core displaces into the inner barrel. A method of measuring resistivity of a formation core as the core is being cut can include transmitting electromagnetic signals into the core from a toroidal electromagnetic antenna as the core is being cut by a coring bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Haliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Bittar, Gary E. Weaver
  • Patent number: 8854067
    Abstract: Methods and structures are described for determining contact resistivities and Schottky barrier heights for conductors deposited on semiconductor wafers that can be combined with combinatorial processing, allowing thereby numerous processing conditions and materials to be tested concurrently. Methods for using multi-ring as well as single-ring CTLM structures to cancel parasitic resistance are also described, as well as structures and processes for inline monitoring of properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Intermolecular, Inc., GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Inc.
    Inventors: Amol Joshi, Charlene Chen, John Foster, Zhendong Hong, Olov Karlsson, Bei Li, Dipankar Pramanik, Usha Raghuram, Mark Victor Raymond, Jingang Su, Bin Yang
  • Patent number: 8841903
    Abstract: A metal detection apparatus that uses one or more operating frequencies. The metal detection apparatus comprises, among other things, a transmitter unit that provides transmitter signals to a transmitter coil that is coupled to a receiver coil, which is connected to the input of a receiver unit. The transmitter unit comprises a frequency generator that provides an operating frequency to the input of an amplifier stage, whose output is connected via a transformer to the transmitter coil. The amplifier stage is connected to a first tap and the transmitter coil is connected to a second tap of the same transformer winding of the transformer. A resonant circuit is formed that is tuned to the operating frequency, and can be tuned optimally and independently of other parts of the transmitter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Safeline Limited
    Inventor: David Gregory Lyon