Patents Examined by Rodney T. Frank
  • Patent number: 12270797
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a first flow channel connected to a gas release channel of a gas chromatograph that sends at least a volatile component separated by the gas chromatograph into the mouth of an evaluator; a container that stores a non-gaseous flowable specimen having fluidity; and a second flow channel that sends the flowable specimen into the mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Soda Aromatic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takagaki, Kenzo Kasai, Hanna Ochi
  • Patent number: 12264950
    Abstract: Devices and methods for mass flow verification are provided. A mass flow verifier includes a chamber configured to receive a fluid, a critical flow nozzle upstream of the chamber, a chamber valve, a downstream valve, and a bypass valve. The chamber valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the critical flow nozzle to the chamber. The downstream valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the chamber to a downstream location. The bypass valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the critical flow nozzle to a dump location. The mass flow verifier further includes a controller configured to verify flow rate of the fluid based on a rate of rise in pressure of the fluid as detected by a pressure sensor in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Junhua Ding, Michael L'Bassi
  • Patent number: 12247861
    Abstract: A wireless flow rate apparatus measures flow rate in a fluid-conductive conduit and includes: the fluid conductive conduit comprising a non-rigid wall; a wireless sensor network including a flow sensor that detects vibrations of the fluid-conductive conduit, produces a sensor signal; and a wireless node that receives the sensor signal and wirelessly communicates the sensor signal; a base station that wirelessly receives the sensor signal; and a flow rate analyzer that receives the sensor signal from the base station and determines the flow rate of fluid in the fluid-conductive conduit from the sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
    Inventors: Christopher Uriah Brown, Gregory William Vogl, Wai Cheong Tam
  • Patent number: 12235175
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a supporting member, a membrane and a jacket that define a sensor space in which a measuring element is arranged. A liquid fills the sensor space and surrounds the measuring element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Kistler Holding AG
    Inventors: Michael Tester, Michael Mueller, Peter Charles Tack, Christof Sonderegger
  • Patent number: 12235145
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an assembly comprising a pressure tapping line having a first end and a second end. A pressure measuring device registers a pressure within the pressure tapping line and the pressure tapping line is adapted to be connected using the first end to a vapor conveying pipe or tube. The pressure measuring device is adapted to be connected to the second end of the pressure tapping line and the pressure tapping line has a sectionally bent trap adapted to contain a condensate of the vapor. The assembly is adapted to be applied outside and includes a wind protector to lessen atmospherically related air movements at least in the region of the trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Rainer Höcker, Daniel Kessler
  • Patent number: 12228395
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for substrate position calibration for substrate supports in substrate processing systems are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for positioning a substrate on a substrate support includes: obtaining a plurality of backside pressure values corresponding to a plurality of different substrate positions on a substrate support by repeatedly placing a substrate in a position on the substrate support, and vacuum chucking the substrate to the substrate support and measuring a backside pressure; and analyzing the plurality of backside pressure values to determine a calibrated substrate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Matsushita, Aravind Kamath, Jallepally Ravi, Cheng-Hsiung Tsai, Hiroyuki Takahama
  • Patent number: 12228404
    Abstract: A dynamically balanced 3-axis gyroscope architecture is provided. Various embodiments described herein can facilitate providing linear and angular momentum balanced 3-axis gyroscope architectures for better offset stability, vibration rejection, and lower part-to-part coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Doruk Senkal, Robert Hennessy, Houri Johari-Galle, Joseph Seeger
  • Patent number: 12216180
    Abstract: A method and a device for performing diagnostics on an exhaust gas sensor includes a series circuit of a Nernst cell and a first other cell. The exhaust gas sensor has a first, a second, and a third connection where a voltage drop can be measured between the first connection and the second connection by the Nernst cell and a voltage drop between the second connection and the third connection can be measured by the first other cell. The diagnostic method has steps for feeding a direct or alternating current into the first, second, and third connections; for directly or indirectly sensing an electrical voltage potential at at least one of the first, second, and third connections; and for evaluating the voltage potential sensed to diagnose a short circuit or an open circuit in the Nernst cell and/or in the first other cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Ekkehart-Peter Wagner
  • Patent number: 12196589
    Abstract: A thermoresistive micro sensor device includes a semiconductor chip; a through hole, which runs through the semiconductor chip from an upper side to a lower side; electrically conductive structures, wherein the middle section of each of the electrically conductive structures spans over the through hole at the upper side of the semiconductor chip; an electrically insulating arrangement for electrically insulating the electrically conductive structures and the semiconductor chip from each other, wherein the through hole runs through the electrically insulating arrangement; and a contact arrangement including contacts, wherein each of the contacts is electrically connected to one of the first end sections or one of the second end sections, so that electrical energy is fed to at least one of the electrically conductive structures to heat the respective electrically conductive structure, and so that an electrical resistance of one of the electrically conductive structures is measured at the contact arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Martin Seidl, Christian Bretthauer, Wolfgang Klein, Ulrich Krumbein, David Tumpold
  • Patent number: 12188802
    Abstract: A flow measurement system is provided, which is configured to receive multiple flow rates; retrieve multiple physical properties for multiple pure gases; estimate multiple physical properties for a gas mixture; estimate multiple flow parameters for multiple channels of a flow splitter using a mathematical model, multiple physical properties for the gas mixture, and multiple pressure values from pressure sensors of multiple channels; and estimate multiple flow splits using multiple flow parameters for the multiple channels of the flow splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Esteban Daniel Gonzalez, Andrew Wayne Price, Walfredo Cantorna Publico, III, Maximilian Martin Gundlach
  • Patent number: 12173604
    Abstract: Systems and methods for extracting and analyzing formation fluids from solids circulated out of a subterranean formation are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: providing a sample of formation solids that have been separated from a fluid circulated in at least a portion of a well bore penetrating a portion of a subterranean formation at a well site; performing a solvent extraction on the sample of formation solids using one or more solvents at an elevated pressure at the well site, wherein at least a portion of one or more formation fluids residing in the formation solids is extracted into the one or more solvents to produce an extracted fluid; and analyzing the extracted fluid at the well site to determine the composition of the extracted fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Jones, Ian D. C. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 12174212
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter comprises a transformer circuit configured to receive and analyze vibration measurement signals to determine mass flow measurement values which represent a mass flow of a fluid and to determine characteristic number values for at least one sensor characteristic number, which characterizes and/or is based on at least one harmonic component of at least one of the vibration measurement signals, wherein each vibration measurement signal includes a useful component, having a frequency corresponding to a drive frequency with an amplitude based on a respective magnetic flux through a respective vibration sensor of the flow meter, and a harmonic component having a frequency corresponding to a whole-number multiple of the drive frequency and an amplitude based on the respective magnetic flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Robert Lalla, Rémy Scherrer
  • Patent number: 12169162
    Abstract: An anthropomorphic test device includes a pelvis member. The pelvis member has a foam core and includes an abdomen region defining a first cavity and a pair of thigh regions extending from the abdomen region. The pelvis member also includes a buttock region positioned below the abdomen region and rearward of the pair of thigh regions. The buttock region defines a buttock cavity separate from the first cavity with the buttock region also defining at least one vent port. The buttock cavity compresses from an open condition to a collapsed condition when the anthropomorphic test device is placed onto a surface for approximating a force applied by a body weight of a human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Humanetics Innovative Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhenwen Jerry Wang
  • Patent number: 12131107
    Abstract: A device and a method for early monitoring of gas intrusion based on pressure wave propagation are provided in the present disclosure. The technical solution is as follows. The lower end of the liquid storage tank is connected to the simulated wellbore through a liquid injection pipeline, a centrifugal pump, a pressure-stabilizing water tank, and a mass flowmeter. One end of the gas storage tank is connected to a screw air compressor, while the other end is connected to the simulated wellbore through an injection pipeline and a micro-orifice flowmeter. The gas-liquid mixer is provided at the upper end of the simulated wellbore, with the pressure-disturbing device connected below it. Multiple pressure sensors are provided at the middle of the simulated wellbore and connected to the computer via wires and an oscilloscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM (EAST CHINA)
    Inventors: Bangtang Yin, Yuhang Pang, Tianbao Ding, Baojiang Sun, Zhiyuan Wang, Shujie Liu, Zhiming Yin, Meipeng Ren
  • Patent number: 12111105
    Abstract: A batch sample preparation apparatus (10) for preparing a geological sample for analysis is described and claimed. The apparatus (10) comprises a dryer (12) having a drying (chamber 52), a sample inlet (20) and at least one sample outlet (22), (24) communicating with the drying chamber (52), to a comminution device (14) in selective fluid communication via valves (26), (28) with the dryer (12) to selectively receive dried sample. The apparatus (10) has a source of fluid (74) introduced at the dryer (12) so that sample material may be transported from the dryer (12) to the comminution device (14) by fluid flow, which fluid flow also extracts the sample material from the comminution device (14) for collection and subsequent analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: REFLEX INSTRUMENTS ASIA PACIFIC PTY LTD
    Inventors: Fredrick Allan Blaine, Amir Mokaramian, Ben Stanley Douglas Blakeway
  • Patent number: 12104940
    Abstract: A vibronic measurement sensor includes two measuring tubes for conveying the medium and two temperature sensors, each arranged on a surface portion of the measuring tubes, respectively, wherein: centroids of the two surface portions relative to an intersection line between a longitudinal plane of symmetry and the transverse plane of symmetry of the sensor are rotationally symmetrical to one another; the first centroid lies in a first section plane running perpendicular to a measuring tube center line of the first measuring tube, wherein an intersection point of the measuring tube center line with the first intersection plane is defined; and the first centroid is arranged relative to the intersection point of the measuring tube center line such that a measurement accuracy of the sensor is largely independent of the installation position, even when inhomogeneous temperature distributions are formed over measuring tube cross-sections at low Reynolds numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Vivek Kumar, Josef Hubensteiner, Mattia Alioli
  • Patent number: 12092653
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for detecting functional state of a microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor is described. The method includes monitoring an input common-mode feedback (ICMFB) voltage generated by an ICMFB circuit coupled to the MEMS sensor through a plurality of nodes. The method also includes determining, using the monitored ICMFB voltage, whether all of the plurality of nodes of the MEMS sensor are electrically connected to the ICMFB circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Davy Choi, Yamu Hu, Deyou Fang
  • Patent number: 12084928
    Abstract: The flow of well mud being pumped by a drilling rig pump into a wellbore is sensed by monitoring at least one signal from at least one sensor of drilling mud, determining a total well drilling pump mud output rate, and determining an apparent annular mud rate based on the at least one signal and the total pump drilling rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Inventor: H. Udo Zeidler
  • Patent number: 12087457
    Abstract: A multi-loop natural circulation experimental device under six-degree-of-freedom motion conditions and a method therefor are provided. The device includes: a six-degree-of-freedom motion simulation platform; a multi-loop main circulation loop including a serpentine pre-heater, an experimental section, two sleeve-type condensers, and a pressurized circulating pump, a voltage stabilizer and related equipment; and a cooling water system including a sleeve condenser, a plate heat exchanger, a cooling tower, a cooling fan, a cooling water tank and related equipment; and an electric heating system including a DC power supply, a low voltage power controller and a transformer. The present invention also provides an experimental method of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: XianJiaotongUniversity
    Inventors: Wenxi Tian, Zhixian Lai, Mingjun Wang, Chong Chen, Zhiming Zhu, Jing Zhang, Suizheng Qiu, Guanghui Su
  • Patent number: 12072272
    Abstract: A method for determining a relation between an initial saturation and a residual saturation in a first fluid in a porous sample, comprising the following steps saturating a porous sample with a second fluid; measuring a local volume of the second fluid in the porous sample; establishing a steady state profile of a saturation in the first fluid in the porous sample; generating a rise of a capillary ascension flow of the second fluid through the porous sample; during the capillary ascension flow, simultaneously measuring a local volume of the second fluid; and determining the relation between the initial saturation and the residual saturation based on the measured local volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOTALENERGIES ONETECH
    Inventors: Pierre Faurissoux, Benjamin Nicot, Bruno Lalanne, Moeata Lutui-Tefuka