Patents Examined by Sean Curtis
  • Patent number: 10502786
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes a switch detection system with a hardware controller having a power supply configured to generate a supply voltage. A first switch assembly includes an input terminal configured to receive the supply voltage. The first switch assembly includes a first switch configured to operate in a first plurality of switch states. A second switch assembly is connected in series with the first switch assembly and includes an output terminal connected to a voltage reference point. The second switch assembly includes a second switch configured to operate in a second plurality of switch states. Based on a voltage potential across the input terminal and the output terminal, the hardware controller determines the first plurality of switch states independently from the second plurality of switch states, and determines the second plurality of switch states independently from the first plurality of switch states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Nowicki, Wade G. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10495697
    Abstract: Provided are a magnetic sensor, which is capable of accurately determining abnormalities, such as disconnection and a short circuit, of wiring of a magnetic sensor device, and the magnetic sensor device. An output control circuit of the magnetic sensor includes a voltage divider circuit, which is connected to an output terminal of the magnetic sensor, and an amplifier, which is configured to control a gate voltage of a MOS transistor, which is connected to the output terminal of the magnetic sensor, so that a voltage of the voltage divider circuit and a reference voltage become equal to each other, with the result that an output voltage of the magnetic sensor is determined by the reference voltage and a voltage dividing ratio of the voltage divider circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: ABLIC INC.
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukai, Minoru Ariyama
  • Patent number: 10473732
    Abstract: A magnetometer provides a newly designed signal processing circuit that can reduce noise and increase the magnetic sensitivity by means of reducing the noise of GND electrode potential occurred at the timing when the pulse current passes through the magnetic wire. It is characterized by preparing a differential element with a neutral coil electrode, a differential sample holding circuit and a differential amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Magnedesign Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Honkura
  • Patent number: 10472936
    Abstract: A mineralogy composition of a formation of interest is determined using core samples or downhole measurements. A dry permittivity is determined for each identified mineral. A volumetric mixing law is employed using the determined mineralogy composition and the determined dry permitivities. An effective matrix permittivity is determined using results from the volumetric mixing law. Dielectric dispersion measurements of the subject formation are acquired using the core samples or the downhole measurements. A dielectric petrophysical model is produced using the dielectric dispersion measurements and the effective matrix permittivity. A water saturation is estimated based on the dielectric petrophysical model. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T2 measurements having short echo spacings are acquired. A NMR petrophysical model is generated based on the NMR T2 measurements. A total porosity is determined based on the generated NMR petrophysical model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Khaled Hadj-Sassi, Mohammed Badri
  • Patent number: 10473012
    Abstract: A battery management system for determining a lease rate for a rechargeable battery includes the rechargeable battery in communication with a database, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, a timer, a controller, and a memory in communication with the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Clean Train Propulsion
    Inventor: David Cook
  • Patent number: 10466309
    Abstract: A magnetic field measurement device includes an excitation circuit including an excitation coil that is coupled to a resonation control circuit. The excitation coil is wound around an amorphous soft magnetic core. The magnetic field measurement device includes a detection circuit including a detection coil that is wound around the amorphous soft magnetic core. The resonation control circuit is coupled to the excitation circuit and to the detection circuit to adjust a resonant frequency of the detection circuit responsive to temperature variations of the amorphous soft magnetic core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenquan Li, Randal Thomas Beste, Brian Roberson
  • Patent number: 10451699
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an image processing device includes memory circuitry configured to store a program; and processing circuitry configured, by executing the program, to extract an outer wall of a tubular structure by using a fat image obtained by a water/fat separation method of magnetic resonance imaging, and generate a tubular-structure wall image in which a wall of the tubular structure is distinguished, based on the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Wakai
  • Patent number: 10444554
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate, one line on the substrate, the one line extending from a peripheral region through a display region, pixels on the display region, the pixels being connected to the one line, an outer line on the peripheral region, the outer line being connected to the one line during a short circuit test process that detects a position of a short circuit defect, an electrostatic protection resistor on the peripheral region, the electrostatic protection resistor being connected to the outer line, a pad on the peripheral region, the pad being connected to the outer line through the electrostatic protection resistor, a short circuit test signal being applied to the pad during the short circuit test process, and a bypass line connecting a node between the pad and the electrostatic protection resistor to the outer line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyong-Tae Park
  • Patent number: 10436752
    Abstract: A particulate measurement apparatus comprises a control section, which provisionally determines in an anomaly determination process that a corona core wire is in a short anomaly state when a linear voltage is equal to or lower than a particular voltage value and increments a sensor anomaly counter CNS or a chassis anomaly counter. The control section determines that the corona core wire is in a short anomaly state when the count value of one of the anomaly counters is equal to or greater than a determination threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Inoue, Yuichi Goto, Ryosuke Noda
  • Patent number: 10436844
    Abstract: A synthetic test circuit for testing a submodule performance in a power compensator includes a submodule test unit which is an object of testing the submodule performance, a current source and a controller. The current source is connected to the submodule test unit to supply a voltage to the submodule test unit such that a charging voltage having a capacity set in the submodule test unit is stored in order to operate the submodule test unit. The controller is configured to perform control to perform a submodule performance test of the submodule test unit using the stored charging voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Ho Chung, Seung Taek Baek, Young Woo Kim, Jin Hee Lee, Eui Cheol Nho, Jae Hun Jung
  • Patent number: 10429430
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a capacitive sensor arrangement of a motor vehicle, a control unit being provided, the sensor arrangement having at least one electrode and a connection arrangement which is assigned to the electrode and has a connecting line and, on the latter, a connection on the electrode side and a connection on the control unit side, the electrode being controlled during a measurement routine by the control unit and the resulting distance values being determined on the basis of a measurement capacitance formed by the electrode with respect to a reference potential, the electrical connection state of the electrode being checked with respect to the connection to the control unit during a diagnostic routine by the control unit. It is proposed that the connection state is checked during the diagnostic routine by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Bamberg
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Detlef Russ
  • Patent number: 10429427
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (3) for determining (33) a state characteristic value (28) of a electric device (4) controlled by a temporally variable control signal (17). The at least one state characteristic value (28) is determined using the frequency of the temporally variable control signal (17) and/or the switching characteristics of the temporally variable control signal (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Danfoss Power Solutions GmbH & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Sven Fink, Matt Saterbak
  • Patent number: 10429178
    Abstract: An arrangement measures coordinates of a workpiece and/or machines the workpiece. The arrangement has a first part and a second part that can be moved relative to the first part. The relative mobility of the first and second parts is specified in addition to a possible mobility of a probe that is optionally additionally fixed to the arrangement. The mobility of the probe is specified by a deflection of the probe from a neutral position during a mechanical probing of the workpiece for the purpose of measuring the coordinates. A measuring body is arranged on the first or second part, and at least one sensor is arranged on the other part, i.e. on the second or first part. The sensor generates a measurement signal corresponding to a position of the measuring body and thus corresponding to the relative position of the first and second part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Held, Rainer Sagemueller, Dominik Seitz, Tobias Woletz
  • Patent number: 10429290
    Abstract: In a particulate measurement apparatus (300) of a particulate measurement system (10), a control section (600) provisionally determines in an anomaly determination process at S130 that a corona core wire (202) is in a wire-breakage anomaly state; namely, that the corona core wire (202) is broken, when a corona low-side current C1 is equal to or smaller than a current determination value C1min, and increments a wire-breakage anomaly counter CNB at S140. The control section (600) determines that the corona core wire (202) is in the wire-breakage anomaly state at S170 when the count value of the wire-breakage anomaly counter CNB is equal to or greater than a wire-breakage determination threshold Cth; namely, that the result of the determination at S160 is “Yes”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Inoue, Kaoru Hisada, Yuichi Goto
  • Patent number: 10424449
    Abstract: An abnormal operation of a movable contact is correctly detected. The abnormal operation of the movable contact (9) to the fixed contact (10) is detected based on at least one of a separation transient response signal of a coil current passed through the excitation coil (6) during the supply of a separation pulse signal and an attraction transient response signal of the coil current during the supply of an attraction pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Norikazu Nishio
  • Patent number: 10416201
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and an apparatus for estimating an RMS current (Ic,rms) of an intermediate circuit capacitor (CZWK) for a complete system of a battery (1), an inverter (9) and an N-phase electrical machine (6), wherein, in the complete system, the inverter (9) converts a DC power received from the battery (1) for the purpose of energizing the electrical machine with N phase currents, and wherein the RMS current (Ic,rms) of the intermediate circuit capacitor to be estimated is calculated according to a calculation rule which is supplied with predefined switching times (tLow,off, tHigh,off) of the N phases of the electrical machine, measured phase currents (ISu, ISv, ISw) of N-1 phases or N phases of the electrical machine and a predefined battery direct current (IBatt) as input variables. This makes it possible to exactly estimate the RMS current (Ic,rms) of an intermediate circuit capacitor for any desired pulse patterns for controlling the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Zimmermann, Christian Djonga, Michele Hirsch
  • Patent number: 10401438
    Abstract: Provided are a magnetic sensor, which is capable of accurately determining abnormalities, such as disconnection and a short circuit, of wiring of a magnetic sensor device, and the magnetic sensor device. An output control circuit of the magnetic sensor includes a voltage divider circuit, which is connected to an output terminal of the magnetic sensor, and an amplifier, which is configured to control a gate voltage of a MOS transistor, which is connected to the output terminal of the magnetic sensor, so that a voltage of the voltage divider circuit and a reference voltage become equal to each other, with the result that an output voltage of the magnetic sensor is determined by the reference voltage and a voltage dividing ratio of the voltage divider circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Ablic Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukai, Minoru Ariyama
  • Patent number: 10401446
    Abstract: A radio frequency coil unit (10) for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system, the radio frequency coil unit (10) comprising: at least one electrically insulating substrate (18); at least one radio frequency coil member (12) disposed at a first side (22) of the electrically insulating substrate (18); a first capacitor member (26) disposed at the first side (22) of the electrically insulating substrate (18) and galvanically connected to the at least one radio frequency coil member (12); a second capacitor member (28) disposed at a second side (24) of the electrically insulating substrate (18) which is opposite of the first side (22); wherein the first capacitor member (26) and the second capacitor member (28) at least partially overlap in a direction (20) perpendicular to a surface of the electrically insulating substrate (18); and wherein the at least one radio frequency coil member (12), the first capacitor member (26) and the second capacitor member (28) are part of a radio frequency resonance circuit hav
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Oliver Lips
  • Patent number: 10393908
    Abstract: A bobbin for holding inductive coils includes features that yield a smaller overall size and prevent irregular and asymmetric coil windings. The bobbin comprises a central hub and a single flange that extends from a middle circumference of the hub. The bobbin includes no end flanges at the ends of the central hub, reducing the height of the bobbin. The interface between the flange and the hub is a sharp corner with little or no radius, facilitating regular and symmetrical coil geometries. Coil assemblies can be attached to the respective two sides of the flange concentrically with the hub. Each coil assembly can be formed by winding a transmitter coil, then winding a receiver coil concentrically over the transmitter coil. Conductive pins that extend from the outer edge of the flange interface the coil lead wires to a printed circuit board of an inductive sensor or other device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto S. Santos, Yongyao Cai, Boeun Uy
  • Patent number: 10393688
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a functional element. The first electrode includes a porous body having holes in at least the vicinity of a surface of the first electrode, and includes a first metallic material in which either a first passivation film is formed on the surface or the first passivation film present on the surface is lost. The second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode includes a porous body having holes in at least the vicinity of a surface of the second electrode. The functional element is configured to measure a difference in electric potential between the first and second electrodes. A porosity of the first electrode and a porosity of the second electrode are different from each other. The sensor device is configured to measure a state of a site to be measured based on the difference in electric potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Juri Kato, Takao Miyazawa