Patents Examined by Xin Zhong
  • Patent number: 8997569
    Abstract: A compound sensor includes a first unit including first and second oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in a driving direction and a detecting direction; a second unit including third and fourth oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in the driving direction and the detecting direction; a drive unit to drive the first through fourth oscillators so as to oscillate the first and second oscillators in opposite phase, and the third and fourth oscillators in opposite phase, and so as to oscillate the first and second unit in opposite phase; and a detection unit configured to detect displacements of the first through fourth oscillators in the detecting direction, wherein an acceleration, angular rate, angular acceleration and centrifugal force are independently detected by canceling unnecessary inertial force components from the displacements of the first through fourth oscillators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Narita, Hidehiko Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 8991270
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing a fluid of volume V includes a filter having a filter surface or area A, the filter being capable of allowing the fluid to flow through the filter surface. The fluid's volumetric flow density, averaged over the filter surface, is jmean. The apparatus further includes a scanner for scanning the filter surface with a scan rate B. The area A is optimized based on the volume V, the scan rate B and the volumetric flow density jmean to minimize the sum of filtering time and scanning time. Instead of one filter, at least two filters may be used each having a different area A. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for selecting one of the filters and placing the selected filter in an operating position, where the scanner scans the filter surface face of the selected filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Sjoerd Stallinga, Stefano Cattaneo
  • Patent number: 8978439
    Abstract: A vehicle sensor system consisting of video, radar, ultrasonic or laser sensors, oriented to obtain a 360 degree view around the vehicle for the purpose of developing a situation or scene awareness. The sensors may or may not have overlapping field of views, or support the same applications, but data will be shared by all. Orientation of the sensor to the vehicle body coordinates is critical in order to accurately assess threat and respond. This system describes methods based on measuring force and rotation on each sensor and computing a dynamic alignment to first each other, then second to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Eagle Harbor Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Alan Preston, David Olmstead
  • Patent number: 8955380
    Abstract: A micromechanical rotation rate sensor, in particular for use in motor vehicles, includes a substrate, at least one seismic mass, which is arranged in a sprung manner on the substrate, drive means for production of a periodic movement of the seismic mass, force detection means for detection of a Coriolis force, which acts on the seismic mass as a result of rotation about a rotation axis which is at right angles to the excitation direction, and measurement means, wherein the measurement means are designed for measurement of structural deviations of the rotation rate sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mirko Hattass, Benjamin Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8943890
    Abstract: One inertial sensor detects an acceleration in a driving direction as well as an angular rate about one axis and an acceleration in a detecting direction at the same time. A driving-direction acceleration detecting unit is provided to members vibrating in mass members on the left and right via an elastic body. In this manner, when an acceleration is applied in the driving direction, the mass members on the left and right normally vibrated with a same amplitude and in opposite phases have displacement amounts in a same phase, and the driving-direction acceleration detecting unit detects the displacement amounts in the same phase as a capacitance change, thereby detecting the acceleration in the driving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Heewon Jeong, Hiroshi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8939024
    Abstract: An angular velocity sensor includes a vibrator that vibrates with a drive signal; and a first-sensing-electrode on the vibrator that outputs a first signal containing a first-sense-component generated based on an angular velocity of the vibrator and a first-monitor-component generated based on a drive signal. The sensor includes a second-sensing-electrode on the vibrator that outputs a second signal containing a second-sense-component with a phase substantially the same as that of the first-sense-component and a second-monitor-component with a phase substantially opposite to that of the first-monitor-component; a first-signal-line one end of which is connected to the first-sensing-electrode; and a second-signal-line one end of which is connected to the second-sensing-electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8931336
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of measuring and inspecting a workpiece belonging to a gear pair, wherein the method is carried out on a gear cutting machine producing the workpiece, wherein a mating test piece mounted at the working head, in particular at the cutting head, is moved in the direction of the workpiece clamped in the workpiece mount of the machine table until the gear pair is in engagement and the corresponding working axial spacing is reached, the workpiece is driven via the drive movement of the mating test piece of the gear pair, the rotational position of the workpiece to be measured is recorded and the detected actual position is compared with a reference position and at least one value characterizing the rolling gear deviation of the workpiece is calculated while taking account of the comparison made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Oliver Winkel
  • Patent number: 8925384
    Abstract: A MEMS sensor (20, 86) includes a support structure (26) suspended above a surface (28) of a substrate (24) and connected to the substrate (24) via spring elements (30, 32, 34). A proof mass (36) is suspended above the substrate (24) and is connected to the support structure (26) via torsional elements (38). Electrodes (42, 44), spaced apart from the proof mass (36), are connected to the support structure (26) and are suspended above the substrate (24). Suspension of the electrodes (42, 44) and proof mass (36) above the surface (28) of the substrate (24) via the support structure (26) substantially physically isolates the elements from deformation of the underlying substrate (24). Additionally, connection via the spring elements (30, 32, 34) result in the MEMS sensor (22, 86) being less susceptible to movement of the support structure (26) due to this deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. McNeil, Gary G. Li, Lisa Z. Zhang, Yizhen Lin
  • Patent number: 8910521
    Abstract: Vibrating structure gyrometer with at least one tuning fork, produced by micro-machining from a thin plate, the said tuning fork comprising a pair of mobile inertial assemblies (EIM1, EIM2) linked by a coupling assembly (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Bernard Chaumet
  • Patent number: 8904864
    Abstract: AN electronic component includes at least one microcomponent which is contacted with, and fastened to, a support element. The support element includes a spring element which is configured for fastening the microcomponent, and the spring element is engaged in the support element with the aid of a detent in order to fasten the microcomponent to the support element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ronny Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8904888
    Abstract: A drinking simulator provides for testing of dental samples under three different condition sets simultaneously. A first tank provides chilled liquid to testing chambers at a first temperature range, a second tank provides heated liquid to testing chambers at a second temperature range and a third tank provides heated liquid to testing chambers at a third temperature range. Shower heads in each of the tanks are provided to shower dental samples with the provided liquid. A human machine interface allows for user control of multiple showering modes and liquid temperatures and additionally displays testing conditions to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS)
    Inventors: Saied Mostafa Moazzami, Berahman Sabzevari
  • Patent number: 8899113
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a tubular workpiece may include a probe assembly and a rotation mechanism. The probe assembly may include a transducer array positionable adjacent to an inner surface of the tubular workpiece. The probe assembly may generate transmitted sound waves and may receive reflected sound waves. The rotation mechanism may rotate the probe assembly relative to the tubular workpiece in a manner such that the transducer array passes over the inner surface in a circumferential direction during transmission of the transmitted sound waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Barry A. Fetzer, Navpreet S. Grewal, Peter Kuk-kyung Hwang, William R. Schell, Kate Brown Boudreau
  • Patent number: 8887569
    Abstract: Disclosed herein an inertial sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. An inertial sensor 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is configured to include a plate-shaped membrane 110, a mass body 120 that includes an adhesive part 123 disposed under a central portion 113 of the membrane 110 and provided at the central portion thereof and a patterning part 125 provided at an outer side of the adhesive part 123 and patterned to vertically penetrate therethrough, and a first adhesive layer 130 that is formed between the membrane 110 and the adhesive part 123 and is provided at an inner side of the patterning part 125. An area of the first adhesive layer 130 is narrow by isotropic etching using the patterning part 125 as a mask, thereby making it possible to improve sensitivity of the inertial sensor 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Woon Kim, Won Kyu Jeung
  • Patent number: 8881589
    Abstract: A float for displaying the fill level of a medium (3) in a container (2), wherein the float (1), in the intended use, is guided by the wall of the container (2, 4) and is suitable for reflecting electromagnetic waves emitted from a transmitter (5) toward a receiver (6). The float has improved electromagnetic wave reflecting characteristics regardless of whether or not the float is tilted in that, in the intended use, at least the end of the float facing the transmitter (5) is a reflector (20) for reflecting electromagnetic waves to the receiver (6) and that a field attenuation structure (8) is located behind the reflector (20) from the perspective of the transmitter (5) in such a manner that electromagnetic waves interacting with the field attenuation structure (8) are attenuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Vogt, Uwe Wegemann
  • Patent number: 8869597
    Abstract: A method for operating an apparatus which has an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is excited to oscillate by means of a first frequency sweep within a predetermined frequency band with successive, discrete exciter frequencies of increasing or decreasing frequency. A first exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the first frequency sweep, at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. The oscillatable unit is excited by means of a second frequency sweep, wherein the frequency band, compared with the first frequency sweep, is run through in the opposite direction. A second exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the second frequency sweep, the at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. From the first exciter frequency and the second exciter frequency, via formation of an average, a measuring frequency for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Brengartner, Martin Urban, Michael Siegel
  • Patent number: 8857261
    Abstract: A sensing device and a method of attaching the sensing device to a target object is disclosed. The substrate of the sensing device has one or more bonding material vias that allows the bonding material used to attach the substrate to the target object to flow from one side of the substrate to the other side of the substrate. The bonding material forms rivets to secure the substrate to the target object and to secure the layers of the substrate to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Harvey Krohn, Paul Aloysius Meyer, Nathan John Smith, Fred Timothy Matthews
  • Patent number: 8850867
    Abstract: A photoacoustic sensor, containing a resonance body, which at least partially delimits a space for receiving molecules to be detected, and a device for detecting an oscillation of the resonance body, including a device for optically detecting the location of at least one partial surface of the resonance body. A method for the photoacoustic detection of molecules in the gas phase and to a method for producing an optically integrated photoacoustic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schade, Michael Köhring, Tobias Schossig
  • Patent number: 8791807
    Abstract: Allocates identifiers of units of a tire pressure monitoring system to the positions of ABS-sensors which are each assigned to the wheels of the vehicle. The identifiers are contained in signals that are emitted by the units. Each unit, which is called a wheel electronic, has a pressure sensor, which is sensitive to the tire pressure of the wheel, a motion sensor, which provides information on the rotation speed of the wheel, a memory with the individual identifier of the wheel stored therein, and a transmitter, which transmits signals only containing information on the rotation speed of the respective wheel, to a receiver. An evaluation device receives the transmitted identifier and compares the information on the rotation speed of the wheel transmitted along with the identifier, with rotation speed information, which were acquired by the ABS sensors for the same time span and transferred to the evaluation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst GmbH & Co, KG
    Inventors: Ralf Kessler, Andreas Kraft, Markus Wagner, Jürgen Schönbeck, Peter Brand