Patents Examined by Thang Le
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Patent number: 9909910Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring a signal processor or processing module configured at least to: receive signaling containing information about electrical responses to a transiting flow perturbation in at least three planes of a fluid flowing in a pipe, tank, cell or vessel sensed using a tomographic processing technique; and determine a flow rate of the fluid flowing in the pipe, tank, cell or vessel using a combined tomography and SONAR-based algorithm and signal processing technique, based at least partly on the signaling received.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: CiDRA Corporate Services Inc.Inventor: Alan D. Kersey
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Patent number: 9910085Abstract: A laminate bond strength detection apparatus is provided. The laminate bond strength detection apparatus includes first circuit elements affixable to a printed circuit board (PCB), a housing having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatched from that of the PCB, second circuit elements affixable to the housing and configured to be laminated to a surface of the PCB, connectors and circuitry. The connectors respectively connect pairs of the first and second circuit elements and are breakable during CTE mismatch inducing heat processing resulting in the corresponding second circuit element becoming delaminated from the surface. The circuitry is coupled to the first and second circuit elements and configured to determine a number of broken connectors following the heat processing and to calculate a laminate bond strength of the PCB from the number of broken connectors.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2016Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Stephen M. Hugo, Theron L. Lewis
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Patent number: 9910450Abstract: An example provides an apparatus for determining an attribute of an adapter based on a ratio of voltage divider outputs. The apparatus may include a first analog-to-digital converter to provide a first digital signal corresponding to a first output voltage of a first voltage divider connected between a power node and a ground node, the first voltage divider formed, at least in part, when the apparatus is operatively coupled to the adapter. The apparatus may include a second analog-to-digital converter to provide a second digital signal corresponding to a second output voltage of a second voltage divider connected between the power node and the ground node. The attribute of the adapter may be determined based on a ratio of the output voltages.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2013Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Thomas Sawyers, Jon G Lloyd
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Patent number: 9910103Abstract: A power supply unit (PSU) performs a PSU fault diagnosis using a PSU fault detection module. The PSU fault detection module detects a diagnostic trigger event and initiates a series of checks of selected sub-systems. The PSU fault detection module determines whether the trigger event occurred while the PSU was connected within an information handling system (IHS) or physically removed from the IHS. If the trigger event occurred while the PSU was connected within an information handling system (IHS), the PSU fault detection module electrically isolates the PSU from the IHS using an ORing device, which blocks current flowing into the PSU. The PSU fault detection module determines whether a short circuit exists within the electrically isolated PSU. If a short circuit is identified, the PSU fault detection module determines that the PSU is not functioning properly and provides a notification of a malfunction of the PSU.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.Inventors: Mehran Mirjafari, Mark Muccini, Scott Michael Ramsey, Wei Chen, Bhavesh Govindbhai Patel
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Patent number: 9910109Abstract: A method and system for determining a whole-body averaged specific absorption ratio (SARwb) in a person comprises positioning an exposimeter on the person's body and providing a chamber forming an electromagnetic (EM) cavity and comprising a radiofrequency emitter and receiver; determining a first reverberation time of decay of EM power and a free-space incident power density in the chamber when the person is absent, and determining, a second reverberation time of decay of EM power in the chamber and a reference received power, received by the exposimeter, when the person is present in the chamber; and determining an absorption cross section of the person taking the first and second reverberation time and a volume of the chamber into account, determining a calibration factor relating a received power on the exposimeter to the SARwb, measuring a received power using the exposimeter, and determining the SARwb by applying the calibration factor.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2017Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: UNIVERSITEIT GENTInventors: Arno Thielens, Wout Joseph, Luc Martens
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Patent number: 9910004Abstract: A capacitively operating apparatus (100) has a container, a probe (3) movable into and/or out of the container, an input signal generator connectable to the probe (3) to provide an input signal (sin(t)) which produces at least one output signal (sout(t) in the probe (3), and a measuring apparatus (M) connectable to the probe (3) to tap the output signal (sout(t)) from the probe (3), and wherein the probe (3) is periodically chargeable and dischargeable, the output signal (sout(t)) corresponds to the time progression of a charging/discharging curve which is produced by the periodic charging and discharging of the probe (3). The apparatus (100) also includes a circuit module (10, 11) with two comparators for providing a first comparator output signal (PWM1) and a second comparator output signal (PWM2) from the output signal (sout(t)) and to correlate them with one another.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2016Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: TECAN TRADING AGInventors: Markus Schoeni, Philipp Ott, Lars Kamm, Paul Zbinden
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Patent number: 9903690Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating a conducted electrical weapon (“CEW”) to provide a predetermined amount of current for each pulse of the stimulus signal. Providing the predetermined amount of current, close thereto, increases the effectiveness of the stimulus signal in impeding locomotion of a human or animal target. The calibration process enables a CEW to calibrate the amount of charge in a pulse of the stimulus signal in the environmental conditions where the tester operates and also in the field where the environmental conditions may be different from the environmental conditions during calibration.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2016Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: TASER INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Magne H. Nerheim, Valerie Renee Barry Barber-Axthelm, Eric Heindel Goodchild, Siddharth Heroor
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Patent number: 9901282Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for multi-phase flow decomposition using electrical capacitance imaging techniques. The present invention provides a system and method to obtain permittivity distributions at a plurality of frequency markers using volume tomography image reconstruction to determine volume fraction of each phase and to produce images of the volume fraction for each phase.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2016Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: TECH4IMAGING LLCInventor: Qussai Marashdeh
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Patent number: 9904743Abstract: A method and a corresponding system for analyzing process variation and parasitic resistance-capacitance (RC) elements in an interconnect structure of an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. First descriptions of parasitic RC elements in an interconnect structure of an IC are generated. The first descriptions describe the parasitic RC elements respectively at a typical process corner and a peripheral process corner. Sensitivity values are generated at the peripheral process corner from the first descriptions. The sensitivity values respectively quantify how sensitive the parasitic RC elements are to process variation. The sensitivity values are combined into a second description of the parasitic RC elements that describes the parasitic RC elements as a function of a process variation parameter. Simulation is performed on the second description by repeatedly simulating the second description with different values for the process variation parameter.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Te-Yu Liu, Cheng Hsiao, Chia-Yi Chen, Wen-Cheng Huang, Ke-Wei Su, Ke-Ying Su, Ping-Hung Yuh
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Patent number: 9897324Abstract: An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield for gas cooktops is disclosed herein. The EMI shield protects electromagnetic fields output by a high voltage spark ignition system from interfering with sensitive low voltage controls for the cooktop. Accordingly, the low voltage controls and similar elements are mounted on one side of the EMI shield and the high voltage spark ignition system, burners, and similar elements are mounted on another side of the EMI shield. In order to connect elements on each side of the EMI shield as may be necessary (e.g., electrical wires and gas tubing), the EMI shield can have a plurality of small openings. The EMI shield may also provide a mount for controls and/or a user interface for displaying information and controlling the cooktop.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2014Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.Inventors: George P. Lewis, Jr., Gerry McAfee, Brian Martin, Michael Padgett
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Patent number: 9891257Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium are provided. One system includes a transmit antenna, at least one receive antenna, and a controller configured to operate the transmit antenna and the at least one receive antenna to acquire coupled signal information from a device under test. The system also includes a processor configured to approximate a shape of a structure within the device under test using changes in resonance determined from the coupled reflected signal information and caused by different materials forming the structure.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.Inventor: Fengyu Ge
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Patent number: 9880200Abstract: Non-contact measurement of one or more electrical response characteristics of a p-n junction includes illuminating a surface of the p-n junction with light of a first intensity having a modulation or pulsed characteristic sufficient to establish a steady-state condition in a junction photovoltage (JPV) of the p-n junction, measuring a first JPV from the p-n junction within the illumination area, illuminating the surface of the p-n junction with light of an additional intensity, measuring an additional photovoltage from the portion of the p-n junction within the illumination area, determining a photocurrent density of the p-n junction at the first intensity. The non-contact measurement further includes determining the forward voltage, the saturation current density, the ideality factor or one or more I-V curves with the measured first photovoltage, the measured additional photovoltage and/or the determined photocurrent density of the p-n junction.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Vladimir N. Faifer, Ian Sierra Gabriel Kelly-Morgan
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Patent number: 9880025Abstract: A sensor for sensing an angular orientation of a magnet producing a magnetic field includes a sensing unit having N?2 magnetic field sensing devices MFSD; a scanning circuit for repeatedly sequentially probing at least two of the MFSDs and concatenating signals outputted by the respective MFSDs for obtaining a magnetic signal; a magnet-signal output for outputting the magnetic signal; and a reference output for outputting a reference signal independent of the magnetic field. The sensor includes a first signal processing unit SPU1 and a second signal processing unit which are identically constructed, each having an input and an output; a phase detection unit PDU having a first input PDU1 and a second input PDU2, for deriving phase differences between inputted signals, and for outputting a signal related to the angular orientation.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2014Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: MPS TECH SWITZERLAND SARLInventors: Pavel Kejik, Serge Reymond
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Patent number: 9874605Abstract: To electrically connect a device under test mounted on a device holder and a socket of a test apparatus with accuracy. Provided is a device holder that retains a device, the device holder including: an inner unit that mounts the device; and an outer unit that retains the inner unit such that the inner unit is relatively movable, wherein the inner unit switches whether to lock the outer unit relative to the inner unit or to release the lock. Also, the inner unit and the outer unit of the device holder are provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: ADVANTEST CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsunori Aizawa, Yuya Yamada
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Patent number: 9874604Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a first node coupled to a first pad to which a first voltage having a first voltage level is inputted; a second node coupled to a second pad to which a second voltage having a second voltage level is inputted; an internal voltage generation unit suitable for shifting a voltage level of the first node to generate an internal voltage having the second voltage level, and outputting the internal voltage to third and fourth nodes; a first internal circuit suitable for operating by employing a voltage of the second node; and a node coupling unit that electrically couples the second node to the third node during a test operation, and electrically separates the second node and the third node during a normal operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.Inventors: Min-Su Kim, Jin-Su Park
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Patent number: 9869566Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a back bias magnet to generate a DC magnetic field. First and second magnetic field sensing elements of the magnetic field sensor are disposed proximate to at least one ferromagnetic surface of a ferromagnetic target object. The first and second magnetic field sensing elements generate first and second electronic signals, respectively, in response to first and second sensed magnetic fields corresponding to the DC magnetic field but influenced by the at least one ferromagnetic surface. The magnetic field sensor generates a difference signal that is a difference of amplitudes of the first and second electronic signals. The difference signal is indicative of a rotation measurement of an absolute relative rotation of the ferromagnetic target object and the magnetic field sensor about a rotation axis.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLCInventors: Simon Tima, Yannick Vuillermet, Andreas P. Friedrich, Thomas Kerdraon
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Patent number: 9863999Abstract: A circuit for inspecting a semiconductor device includes: the semiconductor device that is an object to be inspected and includes a diode; a protection element that is connected in series with the semiconductor device and includes a protection diode having higher breakdown resistance than the diode; a switch that includes a switching element connected in series with the semiconductor device and the protection element; and a coil that provides a loop path together with the semiconductor device and the protection element when the switching element is turned off. Even when the semiconductor device including the diode is broken, an inspection device is restricted from being damaged.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Masanori Miyata, Takafumi Arakawa
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Patent number: 9864894Abstract: A fingerprint sensing circuit, system, and method is disclosed. The fingerprint sensor maybe include a plurality of inputs coupled to a plurality of fingerprint sensing electrodes and to an analog front end. The analog front end may be configured to generate at least one digital value in response to a capacitance of at least one of the plurality of fingerprint sensing electrodes. Additionally, the analog front end may include a quadrature demodulation circuit to generate at least one demodulated value for processing by a channel engine. The channel engine may generate a capacitance result value that is based, in part, on the demodulated value and is stored in a memory.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2017Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Viktor Kremin, Paul M. Walsh, Kaveh Hosseini, Jaskarn Singh Johal, Erhan Hancioglu, Onur Ozbek
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Patent number: 9863788Abstract: Embodiments relate to a position sensor comprising a magnetic target. The magnetic target includes a magnetic multipole configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field has three mutually-perpendicular components at a first region. Sensor elements can be configured to measure these field components at the first region. In embodiments, comparing the amplitudes of the components can be used to determine a global position, and the instantaneous values of these components can be used to determine a local position.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2014Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventor: Udo Ausserlechner
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Patent number: 9857417Abstract: A climate chamber for measuring electronic circuits, having a housing that includes an interior space and an opening. The interior space is at least thermally insulated from the surroundings by the housing. Two movable jaws each have an end face. An interior space in a region of an opening is distanced from the surroundings according to the thickness of the jaws, and the jaws each comprise a thermal insulation layer, and each jaw has a front side facing the surroundings and a back side facing the interior space. The two jaws are spaced apart by a clear width being formed between the two end faces, so that the circuits disposed on a carrier can be introduced into the climate chamber and in a second state, the opening for the protection of the interior space is sealed against ambient conditions.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: TDK-Micronas GmbHInventor: Johannes Gutmann