Patents Examined by Reena Aurora
  • Patent number: 11435717
    Abstract: A measuring device for a spindle or for a rotary table includes at least two first and second position sensing elements and a scale element, having a first and second graduations and being rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to the position sensing elements. The first graduation includes regular structures arranged in parallel next to one another along a first direction, having a directional component in the circumferential direction. The second graduation includes regular structures arranged in parallel next to one another along a second direction, having a directional component in the axial direction. The first position sensing elements are offset from one another in the circumferential direction, and are able to scan the first graduation so that the position of the scale element in a plane having an orthogonal orientation to the axis of rotation is determinable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventor: Johann Mitterreiter
  • Patent number: 11422205
    Abstract: A system for determining a stuck point of a pipe positioned within a wellbore includes a tubular housing and a sensor array positioned within the tubular housing. The system also includes ferromagnetic flux collectors and flux concentrators on either side of the sensor array. The flux collectors collect a magnetic flux that has been written to a portion of pipe. The flux concentrators intensify the flux to improve measurements of the flux that are acquired by the sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: James David Ratcliffe, Andrew Smith, Jim Andrew Gulliver, Sushant Dutta
  • Patent number: 11408721
    Abstract: A rotation angle detection device, including: a rotor; a stator including one bias magnetic field generation portion (BMFGP) and magnetic detection elements; and a rotation angle calculation processor calculating a rotation angle of the rotor from detection signals of the detection elements, wherein a surface of the rotor has convex and concave portions (CCPs), which change in “x” (“x”?1) cycles for a mechanical angle of 360, and a shape of the CCPs make the detection elements possible to obtain a sine wave, and wherein “a” (“a”?2) detection elements are arranged along a circumferential direction of the stator at equal intervals for one cycle of the CCPs—so as to be opposed to the surface of the rotor, and the BMFGP extends in the circumferential direction for one cycle of the CCPs so as to overlap with the “a” detection elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Nishizawa, Yoshihiro Miyama, Tatsuo Nishimura, Hideaki Arita, Masaya Inoue
  • Patent number: 11397224
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a radial magnetoresistance element including plural magnetic sensing parts arranged radially from one point, an annular or polygonal magnetoresistance element arranged so as to surround the radial magnetoresistance elements, and at least one half-bridge circuit including the radial magnetoresistance element and the annular or polygonal magnetoresistance element. The radial magnetoresistance element may include a first magnetoresistance element including plural first magnetic sensing parts and a second magnetoresistance element including plural second magnetic sensing parts. The annular or polygonal magnetoresistance element may include an annular or polygonal third magnetoresistance element surrounding the first and second magnetoresistance elements and an annular or polygonal fourth magnetoresistance element surrounding the third magnetoresistance element. Two half-bridge circuits including the first to fourth magnetoresistance elements may be installed in the magnetic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Naoki Isobe
  • Patent number: 11391558
    Abstract: An integrated Hall sensor device for measuring a magnetic field is provided. The integrated Hall sensor device includes: a semiconductor chip; a first Hall sensor for generating a first magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a first component; a second Hall sensor for generating a second magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a second component of the magnetic field; a first stress sensor for generating a shear stress measurement signal dependent on mechanical stresses in the semiconductor chip; and an evaluation device for determining one or more properties of the magnetic field depending on the first magnetic field measurement signal, the second magnetic field measurement signal. and the first shear stress measurement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Inventors: Udo Ausserlechner, Richard Heinz, Benjamin Kollmitzer, Armin Satz
  • Patent number: 11385043
    Abstract: An angle sensor includes a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor. The first magnetic sensor includes first and second detectors, and first and second analog-to-digital converters for converting analog detection signals generated by the first and second detectors into digital detection signals. The second magnetic sensor includes third and fourth detectors, and third and fourth analog-to-digital converters for converting analog detection signals generated by the third and fourth detectors into digital detection signals. The first to fourth analog-to-digital converters perform sampling at the same sampling time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichirou Mochizuki, Masanori Sakai
  • Patent number: 11385075
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for an orientation insensitive speed sensor. Magnetic field sensing elements can be located on a circle, for example, to generate first and second channel signals which can be combined to generate an output signal. The location of the magnetic field sensing elements reduces the effects of stray fields. Embodiments can include true power own state processing to determine target position during start up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Andrea Foletto, Yannick Vuillermet, Florian Kulla
  • Patent number: 11378417
    Abstract: A rotation detecting device includes a member to be detected, and a sensor section arranged opposite the member to be detected. The sensor section includes two magnetic sensors, each including a detecting portion to detect a magnetic field produced from the member to be detected, with the detecting portions of the sensors being arranged in such a manner as to overlap each other in an opposite arrangement direction of the sensor section and the member to be detected, and a housing provided to cover the sensors together, and including an opposite surface to the member to be detected. The detecting portion of one of the sensors, which is arranged in a side of the sensor section close to the member to be detected, is arranged in such a manner as to be inclined with respect to the opposite surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Imahori, Kazuhiko Tomita
  • Patent number: 11378421
    Abstract: A system for determining an absolute position of a device includes a high resolution track, a sensor and processing unit associated with the high resolution track, a reference track having a plurality of pole pairs arranged to define a plurality of single-track Gray code segments, and an array of Hall effect sensors associated with the reference track to output a reference signal to the sensor and processing unit indicative of the coarse absolute position of the device over the Gray code segments. A third track has at least one pole pair. At least one sensor associated with the third track outputs a signal used to determine a location within one of the plurality of Gray code segments. The sensor and processing unit combines the third track signal, the reference signal, and the position of the device over the high resolution track to determine an initial, fine absolute position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Alfred John Santos, Mark E. LaCroix, Lei Wang
  • Patent number: 11378381
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor has a magnet (M1) that produces a magnetic field with a magnetic field axis (f), has a magnet axis (a) and is held in a component (4) that can move about at least one axis and has a component axis (b). Also a method for mounting a magnet (M1) of a magnetic field sensor. The magnet (M1) is held in the component (4) in such a manner that the magnetic field axis (f) coincides, as closely as possible, with the component axis (b). A deviation of the magnetic field axis (f) from the magnet axis (a) is measured, and the angle of deviation (?) is corrected during the mounting of the magnet (M1) in the component (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Julian Stratmann, Michael Klank, Stefan Krahn
  • Patent number: 11378629
    Abstract: Improved magnetic resonance imaging systems, methods and software are described including a low field strength main magnet, a gradient coil assembly, an RF coil system, and a control system configured for the acquisition and processing of magnetic resonance imaging data from a patient while utilizing a sparse sampling imaging technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: VIEWRAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: James F. Dempsey
  • Patent number: 11371824
    Abstract: The described techniques address the issues associated with conventional OoS sensor systems by mounting a magnetized ring onto a rotatable shaft for which an angular position is to be measured. Specific sensor configurations are disclosed regarding each magnetic sensor's position with respect to one another and each magnetic sensor's position with respect to the rotatable shaft. The described configurations provide a stray-field robust solution due to the specific magnetic sensor configurations such that, when stray fields are present, pairs of magnetic sensors are exposed to essentially the same stray field components, which thus cancel one another. Thus, the angle of the rotatable shaft as a function of the measured strength of the magnetic field components at any time instant can be calculated even in the present of stray magnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Gernot Binder, Benjamin Kollmitzer, Peter Slama
  • Patent number: 11371862
    Abstract: Angular position sensor system comprising: a cylindrical magnet rotatable about a rotation axis; and an angular position sensor device comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of magnetic sensitive elements configured for measuring a first magnetic field component in a first direction and a second magnetic field component in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a processing circuit configured for calculating the angular position; the sensor device being oriented such that the first direction is oriented in a circumferential direction, and the second direction is either parallel or orthogonal to the rotation axis; the sensor device being located at a predefined position where a magnitude of a third magnetic field component orthogonal to the first and second magnetic field component is negligible over the 360° angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Dupre, Lionel Tombez, Gael Close, Yves Bidaux, David Goyvaerts
  • Patent number: 11359907
    Abstract: A position sensing arrangement for sensing the position of a revolute joint of an articulated structure. The position sensing arrangement comprises a disc and a magnetic sensor assembly. The disc comprises a first magnetic ring with m magnetic pole pairs, and a second magnetic ring with n magnetic pole pairs, where m and n are co-prime, and a mounting arrangement by which the disc is mountable to a magnetisation jig during manufacture and the articulated structure during operation, the mounting arrangement permitting the disc to be mounted to the magnetisation jig and articulated structure in a single orientation only. The magnetic sensor assembly comprises a first magnetic sensor array for detecting the magnetic pole pairs of the first magnetic ring, and a second magnetic sensor array for detecting the magnetic pole pairs of the second magnetic ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CMR Surgical Limited
    Inventors: Edward John Mottram, Paul Christopher Roberts
  • Patent number: 11359938
    Abstract: An exemplary encoder assembly includes a substrate, a first encoder, and a second encoder. The substrate has two or more position sensors, each position sensor being configured for detecting a rotary position of a shaft or other rotating element of a machine. The first encoder includes at least one first position sensor of the two or more position sensors. The at least one first position sensor is disposed on the substrate for off-axis alignment with the shaft or other rotating element of the machine. The second encoder includes a second position sensor of the two or more position sensors, the second position sensor being disposed on the substrate for on-axis or off-axis alignment with the shaft or other rotating element of the machine. Each position sensor is configured to detect different or common signal types, and a signal type of the second position sensor excludes optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Brian Coyne, Yuki Katoh
  • Patent number: 11353526
    Abstract: A rotational angle detection device includes a magnet with n pole pairs (where n?3) provided to be integrally rotatable with a rotating body; magnetic detection parts including first and second magnetic detection parts; a corrected signal generation part generating first and second corrected signals; and a rotational angle detection part detecting the rotational angle of the rotating body based on the first and second corrected signals. The waveform of the first and second detection signals have a phase difference of 90° from each other. The corrected signal generation part adds the first sensor signals and adds the second sensor signals. The region at the perimeter of the magnet includes first through nth regions, and at least two of the first and second magnetic sensor parts are positioned in different regions from each other among the first through nth regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Antoku, Hiroyuki Hirano, Teiichiro Oka
  • Patent number: 11353341
    Abstract: A detection device which detects a state of a moving member such as an origin position of the moving member in a short time, is provided with a dog which includes the multiple slits, in which at least one of a separation distance between adjacent slits and a width of the slits themselves is formed in multiple kinds, a sensor which detects the presence or absence of the slits, a count position acquisition section which acquires a count start position and a count end position corresponding to the separation distance between the adjacent slits or the width of the slits themselves based on detection results of the sensor, and a state detection section which acquires a count value increase or decrease number from the count start position to the count end position and detects a state of the moving member based on the acquired count value increase or decrease number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideaki Nomura, Joji Isozumi
  • Patent number: 11353338
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a novel inductive rotational position sensor that includes a sensor module having transmitting and receiving coils formed on a printed circuit board with a signal processor located in a center area enclosed by the transmitting and receiving coils. This arrangement permits a more compact sensor module. The entire sensor module can be positioned inside a cavity, which has a diameter generally the same as the diameter of the rotational element whose position is being sensed. The arrangement also permits a coupler to be formed on the end of the target. The sensor is concentric with the transfer case shaft and an annulus bore of a transfer case. The sensor is non-contacting and has no movable parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KSR IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan W. Elliott, James Kent Hartford, Buri Sen
  • Patent number: 11353912
    Abstract: A joystick assembly for use with a device including a joystick surface and a first magnet having north and south magnetic poles includes a second magnet having north and south magnetic poles and a movable elongated shaft having first and second opposing ends arranged along a major axis of the shaft. The first end of the shaft is coupled to the second magnet such that movement of the shaft results in movement of the second magnet relative to the first magnet such that a line between centers of the north and south magnetic poles of the second magnet is movable relative to a line between the north and south magnetic poles of the first magnet. An attraction of the second magnet to the first magnet results in a restoring force upon the shaft, and the shaft and the second magnet are removable from the joystick surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Ali Husain Yusuf Sirohiwala, William P. Taylor, Katherine Shamberger
  • Patent number: 11346875
    Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods for determining a processing parameter of a processing operation. Embodiments include a diagnostic substrate for determining processing parameters of a processing operation. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate comprises a substrate, a circuit layer over the substrate, and a capping layer over the circuit layer. In an embodiment, a micro resonator sensor is in the circuit layer and the capping layer. In an embodiment, the micro resonator sensor comprises, a resonating body and one or more electrodes for inducing resonance in the resonating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuang-Chia Lin, Upendra Ummethala