Patents Examined by Vinh Nguyen
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Patent number: 9752918Abstract: A system for estimating a flowable substrate level in a storage unit is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a transmitter and a conductor that extend downwardly into a grain storage bin, which cycles through a range of frequencies in order to determine the resonant frequency of the conductor which changes depending on the amount of grain in the bin.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Extron CompanyInventor: Randall G. Honeck
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Patent number: 9746497Abstract: When a through hole is formed in a primary conductor, a measurement target current partially becomes a bypass current that flows around the through hole. Only a magnetic field component in the X-axis direction is generated from the current that flows through a portion without the influence of the through hole. However, the bypass current generates a magnetic field component in the Y-axis direction at the tilt portion. A magnetic detection element having a magnetic field detection sensitivity only in the Y-axis direction is installed near the through hole such that the magnetic field detection direction is set in the Y-axis direction, thereby detecting the magnetic field component and measuring the current amount without the influence of a neighboring current.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2012Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masahiro Kawase
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Patent number: 9739807Abstract: Two cylindrical capacitors of different values are created in series within a single dielectric resin body to form a capacitive voltage divider for a Medium Voltage sensor. By eliminating temperature variance both capacitors' permittivity is the same, and consistent measurements may be achieved. A first capacitor in the picofarad capacitance range is formed by a rod-shaped central primary conductor, one layer of a wrapped foil capacitor as a second conductor, and the resin body as a dielectric. The wrapped foil capacitor provides a second capacitor in the nanofarad capacitance range and is also embedded within the resin body. The resin body provides a dielectric material almost impervious to ambient changes in operating range and allows for a compact design. A precision resistor can be added in parallel to the first and second capacitors to damp transients and increase the transformation ratio.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.Inventor: Eduardo Barba Jimenez
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Patent number: 9741453Abstract: There is provided a prober chuck capable of carrying out low leakage evaluation on a magnetic memory under environment in which a magnetic field is applied. A prober chuck 1 for a magnetic memory retains a wafer W having a magnetic memory formed thereon. The chuck 1 includes: a chuck top 10 that is made of a conductive material and has a wafer W placed thereon; an insulating layer 11 that is made of an insulating material and is adapted to support the bottom surface of the chuck top 10; and a guard layer 12 that is made of a conductive material and is arranged under the insulating layer 11, the guard layer being insulated from the chuck top 10 via the insulating layer 11. All of the members constituting the chuck 1 including the chuck top 10 and the guard layer 12 are made of a non-magnetic material.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2014Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: TOEI SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Tomokazu Yamashiro, Hiroyuki Kenju, Ryoichi Utsumi, Shigeyuki Sato
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Patent number: 9739845Abstract: A method for testing a signal path of a first IC formed as a monolithically integrated circuit on a semiconductor body together with a magnetic field sensor and has a signal output and a power supply connection and a test mode state and a normal operating state. A power supply of the first IC is switched off, and a signal output is connected with a reference potential, and the power supply of the first IC is switched on and the signal output is disconnected from the reference potential. Subsequently in a test mode state, a self-test is performed in the first IC and a test pattern is configured at the signal output or at the power supply connection and the test pattern is evaluated by the control unit for testing of the signal path.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: TDK-Micronas GmbHInventors: David Muthers, Joachim Ritter, Michael Wagner, Markus Von Ehr, Thomas Kauter
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Patent number: 9739803Abstract: A digital multimeter stores multiple sequential measurements of physical or electrical parameters. Each of the sequential measurements has a name including an automatically generated descriptor. The descriptor for each sequential measurement may indicate a relative position of the measurement within the sequence. For instance, the descriptor may indicate whether the measurement was obtained before or after other measurements in the sequence.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2016Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Fluke CorporationInventors: Anthony C. Garland, Jeffrey Meyer, Bradey Honsinger, Joseph Ferrante, John Gilbert
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Patent number: 9733202Abstract: A wireless sensor array communication system includes a plurality of wireless sensors each including a resonant circuit that is excited by an RF pulse so as to provide a resonant energy proportional to a measurand being monitored. A transceiver of an interrogator system transmits RF pulses to each of the sensors to excite the resonant circuits therein and receives RF signals transmitted from each of the sensors that are indicative of the resonant energy provided by the resonant circuit. A magnet-gradient coil arrangement of the interrogator system generates a magnetic field and selectively applies magnetic field gradients along a number of axes, such that a frequency and phase of the resonant energy provided by the resonant circuit of each wireless sensor is altered responsive thereto, with the altered frequency and phase of the resonant energy being a function of a location of the respective wireless sensor within the magnetic field.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Daniel White Sexton
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Patent number: 9735064Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting VC defects and determining the exact shorting locations based on charging dynamics induced by scan direction variation are provided. Embodiments include providing a substrate having at least a partially formed device thereon, the partially formed device having at least a word-line, a share contact, and a bit-line; performing a first EBI on the at least partially formed device in a single direction; classifying defects by ADC based on the first EBI inspection; selecting DOI among the classified defects for further review; performing a second EBI on the DOI in a first, second, third, and fourth direction; comparing a result of the first direction against a result of the second direction and/or a result of the third direction against a result of the fourth direction; and determining a shorting location for each DOI based on the one or more comparisons.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.Inventors: Ming Lei, Byoung-Gi Min
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Patent number: 9733300Abstract: A printed circuit arrangement employs a printed circuit board having a corrosion test circuit provided with at least two conductive pads which are located proximate to each other in a measuring area. The arrangement uses a measuring device to identify corrosion on other defects in the circuit board including short circuits and/or line cuts. One pad is an excitation pad, being connected to an excitation signal source, and the other pad is a response pad, whereby the measuring device is connected at least to the response pad.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Jukka Korpela, Mikko Vaskela
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Patent number: 9726519Abstract: The embodiments described herein include systems with a variable reluctance sensor (VRS) interface and methods of their operation. Embodiments of VRS interfaces include a clearing signal generator configured to generate a clearing signal corresponding with the timing of a noise event. The clearing signal may be configured to clear a post-processing circuit.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2014Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: NXP USA, INC.Inventors: Mike R. Garrard, William E. Edwards
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Patent number: 9720013Abstract: A method of testing a semiconductor structure is provided, including providing at least a semiconductor structure having an interposer and a semiconductor element disposed on the interposer; disposing the semiconductor structure on a carrier having a supporting portion, with the interposer being supported by the supporting portion; and performing a test process. The semiconductor structure has been tested for its electrical performance prior to packaging, thereby eliminating the necessity for a conductive pathway to pass through an inner circuit of an package substrate. Therefore, the testing process is accelerated and the time is save.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2013Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.Inventors: Pin-Cheng Huang, Yi-Che Lai
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Patent number: 9720126Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to acquire a first signal from a first magnetometer at least partially disposed within a Helmholtz coil, to acquire a second signal from a second magnetometer having a sensitivity at least one thousand times less than the first magnetometer, to process the second signal to determine a drive signal, to drive the Helmholtz coil using the drive signal so as to null an ambient Earth magnetic field surrounding the first magnetometer, and to process the first signal as one of a down hole location signal or a down hole telemetry signal, the location signal to determine a range to a sub-surface object, and the telemetry signal to provide data from down hole drilling operations. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2012Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.Inventor: Paul F. Rodney
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Patent number: 9702929Abstract: A judgment unit judges the pass/fail of DUTs. A power supply circuit has changeable characteristics, and supplies a power supply signal to the DUTs. A condition setting unit performs a pilot test before a main test for the DUTs, and acquires a test condition to be used in the main test. The condition setting unit executes: (a) measuring a first device characteristic value for each of multiple pilot samples sampled from among the DUTs while emulating a power supply characteristic close to what is used in a user environment in which the DUT is actually used; (b) measuring a predetermined second device characteristic value for each of the multiple pilot sample devices while emulating a power supply characteristic close to what is used in a tester environment in which the main test is performed; and (c) determining the test condition based on the first and second device characteristic values.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2013Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignees: ADVANTEST CORPORATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYOInventors: Masahiro Ishida, Satoshi Komatsu, Kunihiro Asada, Toru Nakura
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Patent number: 9702930Abstract: A wafer probing system includes a probe card assembly having a plurality of individual probe structures configured make contact with a semiconductor wafer mounted on a motor driven wafer chuck, with each probe structure configured with a pressure sensing unit integrated therewith; and a controller configured to drive the probe card assembly with one or more piezoelectric driver units response to feedback from the pressure sensing units of the individual probe structures.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2016Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Robert D. Edwards, Oleg Gluschenkov, Louis V. Medina, Tso-Hui Ting, Ping-Chuan Wang, Yongchun Xin
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Patent number: 9696370Abstract: Provided is a probe station system which can measure thermal distribution and thermographic images. More particularly, a probe station is provided which can detect an electrical characteristics change according to the supply of heat to an element, for example a thermoelectric element to measure the characteristics of the element. The probe station for the simultaneous measurement of thermal and electrical characteristics of a thermoelectric element includes: a chamber, a base, a platform, a probe unit, a heat source, and an infrared image detection unit and the thermographic image and the voltage signal of the element are synchronized in real time.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATIONInventors: Sangsig Kim, Kyoungah Cho, Jinyong Choi, Jonggoo Lee
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Patent number: 9696356Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for testing an acoustic probe having transducing elements for converting between acoustic and electrical signals. An electrical signal is generated at a frequency with a testing device capable of generating electrical signals over a range of frequencies. The electrical signal is transmitted to at least some of the transducing elements to measure a complex impedance and thereby evaluate a performance of the transducing elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2016Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Ginther, John Timms, G. Wayne Moore, James Gessert
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Patent number: 9696363Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method of operating an arc fault detection system, an arc fault detection system, and a system. An embodiment is a method of operating an arc fault detection system coupled to a power line, the method including determining one or more arc fault detection windows in power line signals on the power line, the power line signals comprising a communication signal and an alternating current (AC) power signal. The method further includes receiving the power line signals from the power line during the one or more arc fault detection windows, and performing arc fault detection processing on the received power line signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2013Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Oleg Logvinov, Roberto Cappelletti, Mauro Conti
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Patent number: 9678106Abstract: The terminals of a device under test (DUT) are temporarily electrically connected to corresponding contact pads on a load board by a series of electrically conductive pin pairs. The pin pairs are held in place by an interposer membrane with a top facing the device under test, a bottom facing the load board, and a vertically resilient, non-conductive member between the top and bottom contact plates. Each pin pair includes a top and bottom pin, which extend beyond the top and bottom contact plates, respectively, toward the device under test and the load board, respectively. The bottom pins has a lower contact surface which includes an arcuate portion or ridge which increases contact pressure and ablates oxides by the rocking action of ridge when the DUT in inserted.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2016Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Johnstech International CorporationInventors: John E. Nelson, Jeffrey C. Sherry, Brian Warwick, Gary W. Michalko
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Patent number: 9671371Abstract: A technique facilitates anomaly recognition and tracking in a variety of components, such as tubular components. The technique comprises sensing for anomalies in the component, and storing detected anomalies in a storage medium. The detected anomalies are matched with stored digital descriptions of anomalies. The stored digital descriptions may be anomalies of similar types and/or anomalies detected on the specific component being tested. The detected anomalies are ranked according to similarities with respect to the stored digital descriptions.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2014Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Zhanke Liu, Shunfeng Zheng, Mirjam Zwanenburg
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Patent number: 9671487Abstract: A track test load device includes an inductor assembly with simulated track inductors simulating a rail track, a connector assembly for connecting the inductor assembly to a constant warning time device, and a multi-way-switch-assembly with a multi-way-switch with multiple switch positions. The multi-way-switch assembly is operably coupled between the inductor assembly and the connector assembly, wherein a switch position of the multi-way-switch corresponds to an operating mode of the track test load device. Furthermore, a track test load system and a method for testing a constant warning time device are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.Inventors: Brian Harp, Jay Yocum