Patents Examined by Xin Y Zhong
  • Patent number: 10561341
    Abstract: An impact detection device for detecting impacts to a body part of a user and various supporting systems are discussed. In an example, an impact detect device can include a circuit board, a component having a first section and a second section, a battery, and a molding for housing the circuit boat, the battery and the component. The circuit board can include impact detection circuitry including at least two sensors and a communication circuit. A zone of reduced rigidity can connect the first and second sections of the component, with the circuit board secured to the first section. The battery can be secured to the second section of the component allowing for flex relative to the circuit board. The molding can be shaped and dimensioned for mounting to a body part of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: BlackBox Biometrics, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Borkholder, Matthew Kenyon, Ryan Ramplin, Michael H. Ostertag, Kim Sherman, Matthew Wellman, Micah Harrison
  • Patent number: 10557864
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a base substrate provided with a first recess part, and a sensor part located on the first recess part and swingably supported in a depth direction of the first recess part by a support part, wherein the sensor part is sectioned into a first part and a second part by the support part, includes a movable electrode part in the first part and the second part, a through hole is provided at least at an end side in the second part larger in mass than the first part, and the base substrate includes a fixed electrode part in a position opposed to the movable electrode part in the first recessed part, and a second recess part deeper than the first recess part is provided in a position opposed to the end side of the sensor part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 10551192
    Abstract: An inertial sensor having a simple configuration by vacuum sealing a resonator which detects acceleration and exploits a resonance vibration using a high Q value MEMS device. The sensor includes: a detecting proof mass and beam which detects acceleration; a driving electrode which excites the detecting proof mass and beam; a resonant frequency tuning electrode which changes the resonant frequency of the detecting proof mass and beam; and a detecting circuit which applies voltage to the resonant frequency tuning electrode for changing the resonant frequency to cancel a change of the resonant frequency of the detecting proof mass and beam when the acceleration is applied to the detecting proof mass and beam during the vibration of the detecting proof mass and beam by the voltage applied to the detecting proof mass and beam, and outputs the acceleration based on a value of the voltage applied to resonant frequency tuning electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Maeda, Heewon Jeong, Masahide Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10542963
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ultrasound phantom for a focused ultrasound wave. More specifically, the present invention provides an ultrasound phantom which mimics a body so as to correspond to a speed of sound in the body, in which agarose, sucrose, polydiacetylene vesicle, and distilled water are mixed, and a specific part onto which an ultrasound wave is irradiated by a focused ultrasound transducer is gradually discolored in accordance with a temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
    Inventors: Se Hwa Kim, Yong Tae Kim, Dong Hee Ma
  • Patent number: 10545041
    Abstract: A method of determining at least one point of entry of smoke into a smoke detection system, the system having a sampling pipe network including at least one sampling pipe and a plurality of sampling inlets through which an air sample can enter the at least one sampling pipe of the smoke detection system for analysis by a particle detector, said method including: determining a volume of sample air that has passed through at least part of the smoke detection system since a predetermined event or a value corresponding to said volume; and determining through which sampling inlet of the plurality of sampling inlets the smoke entered the smoke detection system based, at least in part, on the determined volume or value. Systems for implementing such a method and related methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Xtralis Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kemal Ajay, Ron Knox, Brian Alexander, Karl Boettger, Rajiv Kumar Singh, Thor North, Stephen James Pattinson, Peter Massingberd-Mundy
  • Patent number: 10539054
    Abstract: Apparatuses are disclosed for machine fluid monitoring/sampling comprising a transparent sight glass attachable to a machine such that machine fluid is transferable to the sight glass. The sight glass may have an open first end, a closed second end, a sidewall, and an inside surface and an outside surface extending from the open first end to the closed second end and at least partially surrounding a cavity for the machine fluid, and one or more remote sensing ports. The one or more remote sensing ports may have a wall, an inner face, and an outer face, and may be positioned between the open first end and the closed second end of the sight glass. The material of the one or more remote sensing ports may be shaped to reduce distortion and/or increase visibility of the machine fluid relative to portions of the sight glass bordering the remote sensing ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Luneta, LLC
    Inventors: James Chester Fitch, Thomas Chester Fitch, Michael Anthony Ramsey
  • Patent number: 10533921
    Abstract: A test stand for characterization of a tunable mass damper may include (a) a support base including a stop member, (b) a test plate coupled to the support base, with the test plate configured to move relative to the support base and to fixedly carry a tunable mass damper, (c) a spring coupled to the support base and the test plate, (d) a lever configured to be releasably coupled to the test plate and to move the test plate relative to the support base against the urging of the spring, and (e) a latch mechanism configured to release the test plate from the lever when the test plate is at a predetermined position relative to the support base. The motion of the test plate, after the test plate has been released by the latch mechanism, may be halted by the stop member of the support base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Bryan D. McGranahan
  • Patent number: 10520526
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor device with a compound folded tether is disclosed. The compound folded tether connects a movable proof mass to a substrate, and includes folds composed of multiple short segments aligned with each other to form a longer composite segment having multiple breaks along its length. The use of multiple short segments to create a longer composite segment of the folded tether provides the tether with increased stiffness without altering the fundamental resonance frequency of the tether. The increased stiffness can beneficially lower the occurrence of stiction. Moreover, such a tether configuration provides larger separation between the tether's fundamental resonance frequency and higher order resonant mode frequencies, meaning that the higher order modes may be suppressed in typical operation of the MEMS sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Jianglong Zhang
  • Patent number: 10502651
    Abstract: Systems and methods for in-situ leak detection and endpoint detection of wafer dry etch or chamber clean in chambers, e.g., vacuum chambers used in semiconductor processing. A mini environment is created and a sensor, such as an SPOES sensor, can be used in the mini-environment to perform leak detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: INFICON, INC.
    Inventor: Chenglong Yang
  • Patent number: 10495542
    Abstract: A monitoring system for a multiple-walled fluid system with a first walled region including a flowing or stagnant fluid and at least one second walled region at least partially surrounding the first walled region. The first walled region and the at least one second walled region forming the multiple-walled fluid system, the first walled region being in fluid communication with the at least one second walled region, the at least one second walled region also being in fluid communication with the ambient environment. A data processing device for monitoring at least one pressure difference between a pressure in at least one a control volume and at least one second pressure in the at least one second walled region, a first control volume in fluid connection with the first walled region and the ambient environment. The at least one pressure difference indicating the status of the multiple-walled fluid system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventor: Paul Julian Wells
  • Patent number: 10495618
    Abstract: A multi-channel particle and/or gas detector including an array of detector elements held in a housing structure, the structure configured to provide each detector element with an inlet and an outlet, wherein each inlet, detector element and outlet form a dedicated detector channel which operatively communicates with a sampling tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Xtralis Global
    Inventor: Alasdair James Williamson
  • Patent number: 10481135
    Abstract: A device and method for the separation, detection, and identification of multiple individual components in a sample where the separation device is gas chromatograph or a microchip separation device. The chromatograph or microchip separation and detection device has a detector including a two dimensional or substantially two dimensional sensor material sensitive to and has a property change (such as a change in resistance) when the surface of the two dimensional or substantially two dimensional sensor material is exposed to a component of a sample in amounts as low as 10?21 grams of component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Joshua Halpern
  • Patent number: 10466208
    Abstract: A device and method for performing ultrasound scanning of a substantially cylindrical object, the device comprising a cuff adapted to fit around a circumference of the object, a carrier mounted slidably on the cuff and adapted to traverse the circumference of the object, an ultrasound probe mounted on the carrier and positioned to scan the circumference of the object as the carrier traverses the circumference of the object, a carrier motor mounted on the cuff or the carrier and used to drive the movement of the carrier about the circumference of the object, and one or more data connections providing control information for the carrier motor and the ultrasound probe and receiving scanning data from the ultrasound probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Ontario Power Generation Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Ten Grotenhuis, Andrew Hong, Zhenxiang Chen, Matt Madill, Shaddy Shokralla, Benedict Cheng Chuen Wong, Scott Preston, Alexander Sakuta
  • Patent number: 10458832
    Abstract: A method for the functional diagnosis of an electromechanical fill state measuring device in which a displacement element on a measuring wire is lowered into a filling material in a container such that in an equilibrium state, the weight of the displacement element minus a displacement element buoyancy, which depends upon at least one equilibrium volume, is determined to be equal to a resulting weight of the displacement element. The resulting weight is specified, and the specified resulting weight is kept constant by correspondingly changing the length of the measuring wire in the equilibrium state. The fill state of the filling material is ascertained using the length of the lowered measuring wire. In order to diagnose a function, the specified value of the equilibrium volume of the displacement element is changed, and the resulting change in the length of the measuring wire is ascertained on the basis of the constant equilibrium state of the resulting weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER SE+CO.KG
    Inventors: Yoichi Kamei, Andreas Kaiser, Dietmar Spanke
  • Patent number: 10458878
    Abstract: Provided are a position determination device and the like which determine vibration measurement positions for specifying a leak position. A position determination device 100 includes a feature amount extraction unit which extracts feature amounts relating to detected pipe vibrations respectively on the basis of the pipe vibrations detected by a plurality of detection units, and a measurement position determination unit which determines measurement positions of at least two of the detection units on the basis of the feature amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Inoue, Masatake Takahashi, Shin Tominaga, Junichiro Mataga
  • Patent number: 10444195
    Abstract: A method of detecting near surface inconsistencies in a structure is presented. A pulsed laser beam is directed towards the structure. Wide-band ultrasonic signals are formed in the structure when radiation of the pulsed laser beam is absorbed by the structure. The wide-band ultrasonic signals are detected to form data. The data is processed to identify a frequency associated with the near surface inconsistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Jill Paisley Bingham
  • Patent number: 10436588
    Abstract: A vibrating-mass gyroscope system includes a substantially planar vibrating-mass including opposite first and second surfaces and electrodes that extend longitudinally in a periodic pattern across the first and/or second surfaces. The electrodes include sets of drive and sense electrodes that are capacitively coupled to respective matching sets of drive and sense electrodes associated with a housing and which are separated from and facing the respective first and second surfaces. A gyroscope controller generates a drive signal provided to one of the array of drive electrodes and the substantially matching array of drive electrodes to provide for in-plane periodic oscillatory motion of the vibrating-mass, and generates a force-rebalance signal that is provided to one of the array of sense electrodes and the substantially matching array of sense electrodes to calculate rotation of the vibrating-mass gyroscope system about an input axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Robert E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 10436619
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a flow rate sensor for determining a flow rate of a liquid within a tube, the flow rate sensor comprising at least one coil arranged in the vicinity of the tube in such a manner that an eddy current in the liquid due to the liquid's flowing affects an impedance of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GMBH
    Inventor: Christian Nessel
  • Patent number: 10429361
    Abstract: A multi-dimensional liquid analysis system includes a flow splitter for separating mobile phase outflow from a first dimension liquid analysis system into first and second liquid split outlet flows. Volumetric flow rate control of the split outlet flows is provided by a flow control pump which withdraws one of the split outlet flows from the flow splitter at a controlled withdrawal flow rate to define the other split outlet flow rate as the difference between the outflow rate from the first dimension system and the withdrawal flow rate. In this manner, accurate and consistent flow division can be accomplished, which is particularly useful for multi-dimensional liquid analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Carl W. Sims, Peter W. Carr, Marcelo Roberto Filgueira, Klaus Witt
  • Patent number: 10428365
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a system for estimating the time related contamination of the sterile filed during surgical procedures. More specifically, the present invention employs the use of multiple settle plates on settle plate holders with a protective covers to hold the settle plate to prevent direct contact between the settle plate and surgical equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Inventor: John Harp