Patents Examined by Vincent Q. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10502662
    Abstract: A method of examining a wheel or rim on site is provided using an eddy current array probe in electronic communication with a computer, the computer having a processor and a memory, the memory to provide instructions to the processor. The method involves standardizing the eddy current array probe with a reference standard, adjusting the eddy current array probe with a lift off screw to provide a suitable distance between the probe and a surface of the wheel or rim, scanning the wheel or rim with an alternating current, sending a data set to the computer, the computer analyzing the data set, and the computer displaying a three-dimensional image of the data set on a user interface. This method is particularly developed for off road vehicles at mining sites or any off road vehicle wheels and rims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: OTR RIM CERTIFICATON, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Shumka, Jason Shumka
  • Patent number: 10495702
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a first film, a first sensor portion, a driving portion, and a processor. The first sensor portion is provided at the first film. The first sensor portion includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer. The second magnetic layer is provided between the first film and the first magnetic layer. The first intermediate layer is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The driving portion causes the first film to deform at a first frequency. The processor outputs a third signal based on a first signal and a second signal. The first signal relates to the first frequency. The second signal is output from the first sensor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Higashi, Michiko Hara, Tomohiko Nagata, Shiori Kaji, Yoshihiko Fuji, Akiko Yuzawa, Kenji Otsu, Kazuaki Okamoto, Shotaro Baba
  • Patent number: 10495668
    Abstract: An evaluation apparatus for a semiconductor device includes: a chuck stage that has a surface on which a plurality of probe holes are formed and sucks a semiconductor device; and a plurality of in-chuck probes that have first ends which are inserted into the respective probe holes, and second ends which protrude from the surface of the chuck stage, and come into contact with an arrangement surface of the semiconductor device arranged in the chuck stage, wherein a height protruding from the surface of the chuck stage of at least one of the in-chuck probes is different from a height protruding from the surface of the chuck stage of the other in-chuck probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takaya Noguchi, Akira Okada
  • Patent number: 10488451
    Abstract: A method for operating an inductive conductivity measuring device that has a transmitting coil with an input and a receiving coil, the transmitting coil and the receiving coil being inductively coupled to one another by an electrically conductive medium. An electrical preset alternating signal is generated and fed to the input of the transmitting coil. The method for operating an inductive conductivity measuring device is improved in that a frequency of a preset alternating signal is varied in a frequency interval, in the frequency interval, a frequency-dependent minimum input impedance at the input of the transmitting coil is determined using a response alternating signal, a minimum frequency of the response alternating signal is determined at the minimum input impedance at the input of the transmitting coil, and a conductivity of the medium is determined using the minimum frequency of the response alternating signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: KROHNE MESSTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Holger Glasmachers, Philipp Mertmann
  • Patent number: 10479304
    Abstract: A capacitive detection device and capacitive detection system for use in a vehicle interior includes at least one electrically conductive wire, at least partially attached to a component of the vehicle interior, and at least one electrically conductive layer that is arranged in close proximity to the at least one electrically conductive wire, compared to a potential minimum distance to a vehicle occupant, wherein a galvanic connection between the at least one electrically conductive layer and the at least one electrically conductive wire is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A.
    Inventor: Frank Althaus
  • Patent number: 10481235
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes sequence control circuitry and processing circuitry. The sequence control circuitry conducts, on a subject, first imaging and second imaging that is subsequent to the first imaging. The processing circuitry estimates, based on a magnetic resonance image related to the first imaging and an imaging condition set with regard to the second imaging, information about an image quality in a case in which the second imaging is conducted. The processing circuitry presents, on a display, an estimation result, superimposing the estimation result on the magnetic resonance image. The processing circuitry receives a designation operation on the magnetic resonance image from an operator, and changes a setting of the imaging condition related to the second imaging based on the designation operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Nitta, Kensuke Shinoda
  • Patent number: 10476521
    Abstract: A circuit, system, and method for converting self capacitance to a digital value may include a pair of charge transfer circuits, each including a switch network, a sensor capacitor or modulation capacitor, and an integration capacitor may be coupled to a comparator to produce a data signal representative of the capacitance of the sensor capacitor of one of the charge transfer circuits. The data signal may be used to indicate a capacitance value of the self capacitance through conversion by a circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Andriy Maharyta
  • Patent number: 10473696
    Abstract: A Rogowski coil in a sensor unit has voltage induced by a conductor surrounded by the Rogowski coil. The voltage is integrated to represent current which is converted to digital data representing current in the conductor and sent wirelessly to a multimeter. The sensor unit may receive control signals from the multimeter and a remote control apparatus. A plurality of sensor units may be networked and controlled by the remote control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Carl-Robert Bannister, David Lawrence Epperson, Clark N. Huber
  • Patent number: 10473602
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method for configuring and generating a non-adiabatic saturation pulse for use in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging. One such method configures the pulse by adjusting one or more of pulse amplitude modulation or phase cycling. The modified pulse is transmitted into a fluid such that a substantially uniform nuclear spin saturation or nuclear spin inversion echo response is received from the fluid. A wait time between the pulse transmission and the echo response that indicates that spin equilibrium has been achieved is substantially equal to a T1 time. The wait time is an indication of the characteristics of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Chang S. Shin, Mark Cheiron Butler
  • Patent number: 10466291
    Abstract: A signal processing unit for testing an electronic device under test includes a test chamber for accommodating the device under test, the test chamber including first electrical contacts, and a main housing including a receiving portion for receiving the test chamber, and including second electrical contacts that contact the first electrical contacts of the test chamber in an inserted stated of the test chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: RaajaGuru Mylsamy
  • Patent number: 10459005
    Abstract: An evaluation apparatus for a semiconductor device includes: a chuck stage that has a surface on which a plurality of probe holes are formed and sucks a semiconductor device; and a plurality of in-chuck probes that have first ends which are inserted into the respective probe holes, and second ends which protrude from the surface of the chuck stage, and come into contact with an arrangement surface of the semiconductor device arranged in the chuck stage, wherein a height protruding from the surface of the chuck stage of at least one of the in-chuck probes is different from a height protruding from the surface of the chuck stage of the other in-chuck probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takaya Noguchi, Akira Okada
  • Patent number: 10458813
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor is disclosed that includes at least one magneto-resistive spin-valve sensor element configured to sense a first magnetic field component H1, and at least one AMR sensor element configured to sense a second magnetic field component H2 which is perpendicular to the first magnetic field component H1. In one example the at least one magneto-resistive spin-valve sensor element is a tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) or giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensor, and in one example the AMR sensor element includes an antiferromagnetic layer coupled to a ferromagnetic layer generating a bias magnetization for the AMR sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Raberg
  • Patent number: 10459006
    Abstract: Probe systems and methods are disclosed herein. The methods include directly measuring a distance between a first manipulated assembly and a second manipulated assembly, contacting first and second probes with first and second contact locations, providing a test signal to an electrical structure, and receiving a resultant signal from the electrical structure. The methods further include characterizing at least one of a probe system and the electrical structure based upon the distance. In one embodiment, the probe systems include a measurement device configured to directly measure a distance between a first manipulated assembly and a second manipulated assembly. In another embodiment, the probe systems include a probe head assembly including a platen, a manipulator operatively attached to the platen, a vector network analyzer (VNA) extender operatively attached to the manipulator, and a probe operatively attached to the VNA extender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: FormFactor Beaverton, Inc.
    Inventors: Gavin Neil Fisher, Thomas Reiner Thaerigen, Peter McCann, Rodney Jones, Koby L. Duckworth
  • Patent number: 10444291
    Abstract: A method determines a potential of an anode and/or a potential of a cathode in a battery cell. The method measures a current flowing through the battery cell, determines a charge transfer resistance of the battery cell, ascertains a charge transfer resistance of the anode and a charge transfer resistance of the cathode, ascertains a depth of discharge, ascertains an anode residual voltage and a cathode residual voltage from the depth of discharge from an idle voltage, ascertains an anode excess potential from the charge transfer resistance of the anode and the current and ascertains a cathode excess potential from the charge transfer resistance of the cathode and the current. The method ascertains the potential of the anode from the anode residual voltage and the anode excess potential and ascertains the potential of the cathode from the cathode residual potential and the cathode excess potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Olivier Cois, Thomas Dufaux, Andre Boehm
  • Patent number: 10422666
    Abstract: An electronic position encoder comprises a scale including a periodic scale pattern along a measuring axis direction having a scale period Ps, and a detector portion comprising a first group of sensing elements, a second group of sensing elements, and a signal processing configuration. The second group of sensing elements is located at a group position which is equal to K2*Ps+PS/M relative to the first group of sensing elements along the measuring axis direction, where K2 and M are integers. The signal processing configuration independently acquires a first set of detector signals from the first group of sensing elements, and a second set of detector signals from the second group of sensing elements, and determines a relative position between the detector portion and the scale pattern based on the first set of detector signals and the second set of detector signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Ted Staton Cook
  • Patent number: 10424961
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for identifying a battery type and/or a battery user. Measuring circuitry may be used to collect battery parameters that may be analyzed by control circuitry to create an adaptive charge profile that is applied to a battery by charging circuitry. Battery parameters may be recorded in a battery use signature. Logic may be used to process a battery use signature and identify a single user across multiple battery operated devices and/or discriminate between multiple users of a device. In some cases, battery use signature may be used to identify battery information including the make, model, and lot from which the battery was manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Qnovo Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Maluf, Fred Berkowitz
  • Patent number: 10422662
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor is disclosed that includes at least one magneto-resistive spin-valve sensor element configured to sense a first magnetic field component H1, and at least one AMR sensor element configured to sense a second magnetic field component H2 which is perpendicular to the first magnetic field component H1. In one example the at least one magneto-resistive spin-valve sensor element is a tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) or giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensor, and in one example the AMR sensor element includes an antiferromagnetic layer coupled to a ferromagnetic layer generating a bias magnetization for the AMR sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Raberg
  • Patent number: 10416223
    Abstract: Provided is a ground fault detection device including a detection capacitor, a positive electrode power supply side resistor, a negative electrode power supply side resistor, a positive electrode ground side resistor, a negative electrode ground side resistor, a positive electrode side twin relay selectively switching a connection point of one end of the detection capacitor; a negative electrode side twin relay selectively switching a connection point of the another end of the detection capacitor, and a controller controlling switching of the positive electrode side twin relay and the negative electrode side twin relay, and calculating an insulation resistance of the system provided with the high-voltage battery based on a charging voltage of the detection capacitor, and determines there is a possibility that a sticking fault has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10416331
    Abstract: A capacitive sensor for locating the presence of an individual and/or of an object is provided including: a first layer including at least one first electrode extending in a first direction; a second layer having at least one second electrode extending in a second direction; in which the first direction is different from the second direction, and in which the first layer is electrically insulated from the second layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: BOSTIK SA
    Inventors: Jessie Casimiro, Philippe Mabire, Julien Haffner, Cedric Margo, Yacine Oussar, Stephane Hole
  • Patent number: 10408874
    Abstract: A light source device includes a light source that generates incoherent light, and an optical amplifier having gain characteristics indicating a gain at each wavelength, which receives the incoherent light output by the light source as input light, and outputs amplified light obtained by amplifying the input light, and a central wavelength of an intensity distribution indicating an intensity at each wavelength of the input light is a wavelength longer than a central wavelength of the gain characteristics indicating a gain at each wavelength of the optical amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Nakamura, Mitsunori Nishizawa