Patents Examined by Zannatul Ferdous
  • Patent number: 11500002
    Abstract: A method for determining an electrical variable of a component of part of a vehicle electrical system including at least one external current and an electrical impedance unit. A measuring unit is configured to generate a plurality of current and voltage values for each of at least two different operating points of the impedance unit. The method includes: providing the current values of the impedance unit at a first operating point and at least one second operating point; providing the voltage values of the impedance unit at a first operating point and at least one second operating point; corresponding current and voltage values being associated with one another; determining the at least one electrical variable of the component based on a parameter estimation method and an electrical model of the part of the vehicle electrical system and at least part of the corresponding current and voltage values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Suelzle, Juergen Motz, Patrick Lueckel, Quang-Minh Le
  • Patent number: 11495837
    Abstract: The present application relates to a porous body quality inspection apparatus and a method for inspecting quality of a porous body, and according to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a porous body quality inspection apparatus comprising a contact resistance measuring part of a porous body with a gas diffusion layer, a pressurizing part for pressurizing a pressure-sensitive discoloration base material on the porous body, an image mapping part for calculating a contact area between the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material and the porous body, a transporting part for transporting the porous body and the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material, and an operation part for performing an operation of an interfacial contact resistance between the porous body and the gas diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Hye Mi Jung, Kyung Mun Kang, Jae Choon Yang
  • Patent number: 11493573
    Abstract: A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor device is disclosed that includes four or more TMR resistors. The TMR sensor device comprises a first TMR resistor comprising a first TMR film, a second TMR resistor comprising a second TMR film different than the first TMR film, a third TMR resistor comprising the second TMR film, and a fourth TMR resistor comprising the first TMR film. The first, second, third, and fourth TMR resistors are disposed in the same plane. The first TMR film comprises a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of the reference layer orthogonal to a free layer. The second TMR film comprises a double synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of the reference layer orthogonal to the magnetization of a free layer, but opposite to the magnetization direction of the reference layer of the first TMR film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Hu, Yung-Hung Wang, Ann Lorraine Carvajal, Ming Mao, Chen-Jung Chien, Yuankai Zheng, Ronghui Zhou, Dujiang Wan, Carlos Corona, Daniele Mauri, Ming Jiang
  • Patent number: 11486847
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining the water cut or the amount of water in fluids. The apparatus is inserted into a production logging tool that is lowered into the well. The apparatus includes a conductive winding which is configured as a first electrode. The winding includes a thin insulation coating or layer. The body of the tool is configured as a ground electrode. The primary electrode and the ground electrode are configured to form a capacitance sensor that generates a signal related to the dielectric permittivity of a fluid flowing between the primary electrode and the ground electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SPARTEK SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Mathew G. Schmidt, Wai-Ming Tam, Troy M. Thiele, Kenton M. Smith, Guang Cai Meng
  • Patent number: 11486840
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining, by electrical tomography, vertical profile of an electrical property of interest of material(s) in a target volume comprises a measurement probe to be positioned at a plurality of different measurement levels in a target volume and comprising a plurality of measurement elements each having an interface surface. Each interface surface has a size, shape, and rotational position. A measurement path is formed between two interface surfaces as dependent on the sizes, shapes, and rotational positions of the two interface surfaces, and the distance between the two interface surfaces. The locations, rotational positions, shapes, and sizes of the interface surfaces are selected to provide at least two different measurement paths differing from each other in one or more of said sizes of, shapes of, rotational positions of, and distances between the associated interface surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Rocsole Ltd.
    Inventors: Pasi Laakkonen, Anssi Lehikoinen, Mika Mononen, Arto Voutilainen
  • Patent number: 11486742
    Abstract: A system includes an encoder magnet, a magnetic field sensor, and a shield structure. The encoder magnet is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation and is configured to produce a measurement magnetic field. The magnetic field sensor is axially displaced away from the encoder magnet and is configured to detect the measurement magnetic field. The shield structure at least partially surrounds both of the encoder magnet and the magnetic field sensor for shielding against stray magnetic fields. The shield structure attaches to a secondary structure. The shield structure and the encoder magnet may be coupled via the secondary structure so that they are commonly rotational. Alternatively, the sensor package and the shield structure are coupled via the secondary structure so that they are nonrotational relative to the encoder magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Stephan Marauska, Thomas Hain, Berkan Zorlubas, Bernd Offermann, Dennis Helmboldt
  • Patent number: 11480585
    Abstract: A feedback device is coupled to rotate with a rotating component of an aircraft engine. The feedback device comprises a body having cavities defined therein and circumferentially spaced thereabout, each cavity configured to receive therein a position marker, the body made of a non-ferromagnetic material and the position markers comprising a ferromagnetic material. A sealing member is configured to be secured to the body for retaining the position markers within the cavities. At least one sensor is positioned adjacent the feedback device and configured for producing, as the feedback device rotates about a longitudinal axis with the rotating component, at least one sensor signal in response to detecting passage of the position markers. A processing unit is communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to determine a rotational speed of the rotating component from the at least one sensor signal received from the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, Nick Stina
  • Patent number: 11476083
    Abstract: An electrical device for electrically measuring a sample during electron microscope imaging includes: a chip through which a slit is defined, the chip having at least one peripheral edge, the slit having an open end at the at least one peripheral edge; an electrically conductive first contact on the chip; and an electrically conductive second contact on the chip; wherein the slit is at least partially positioned between the first contacts and second contact. An electrically conductive first wire may extend along the chip electrically connected to the first contact; and an electrically conductive second wire may extend along the chip electrically connected to the second contact. The first wire and second wire may diverge from each other in extending along the chip away from the slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PROTOCHIPS, INC.
    Inventors: John Damiano, Jr., Hessam Ghassemi, Ian Patrick Wellenius, Rémy Berthier
  • Patent number: 11474122
    Abstract: A wheel speed sensor comprises a body, the body being overmolded and having a head zone and a coil zone. The wheel speed sensor also includes a cylindrical metallic canister fitted on the coil zone of the body, wherein the head zone has an equal or smaller diameter than the cylindrical metallic canister. The wheel speed sensor also comprises a cable, wherein the cable extends from the head zone. The wheel speed sensor is sized to be blindly insertable entirely through a bore in an associated mounting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventors: Nianqing Zhou, Daniel P. Zula, Jon D. Intagliata, Timothy J. Frashure, Joseph M. Macnamara
  • Patent number: 11474133
    Abstract: It is disclosed an insulation impedance detection circuit and detection method of a photovoltaic inverter system. The photovoltaic inverter system includes one or more input circuits and an inverter circuit, each of the input circuit electrically coupled to the inverter circuit through a positive bus and a negative bus, with a first equivalent impedance Rp between the positive bus and a protective earth point and a second equivalent impedance Rn between the negative bus and the protective earth point. The detection circuit includes: a bus voltage sampling circuit coupled to the positive bus and the negative bus for generating a first bus voltage and a second bus voltage; a protective earth voltage sampling circuit coupled to the protective earth point for generating a first protective earth voltage and a second protective earth voltage; and a controller for calculating an equivalent insulation impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yuxi Wang, Xuancai Zhu, Weiyi Zheng, Bingwen Weng
  • Patent number: 11474144
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus including an illumination light source, a sensing probe and a processing device is provided. The illumination light source emits an illumination beam to simultaneously irradiate the plurality of light-emitting diode. The sensing probe is configured to measure a charge distribution, an electric field distribution, or a voltage distribution on the plurality of light-emitting diodes simultaneously irradiated by the illumination beam. The processing device determines a plurality of electro-optical characteristics of the plurality of light-emitting diodes through the charge distribution, the electric field distribution, or the voltage distribution on the plurality of light-emitting diodes simultaneously irradiated by the illumination beam. Moreover, a method of for inspecting light-emitting diodes is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yan-Rung Lin, Chung-Lun Kuo, Chih-Hsiang Liu, Shie-Chang Jeng
  • Patent number: 11474062
    Abstract: A method of assessing the effect of a production chemical on the stability of a water and oil emulsion, the emulsion comprising the production chemical, is provided. The method comprises: applying a potential difference across the emulsion at a detection site; measuring a current flowing through the emulsion due to the applied potential difference; and using this measured current to assess the effect of the production chemical. The step of using the measured current to assess the effect of the production chemical may comprise determining, based on the measured current, whether a critical potential of the emulsion has been reached or exceeded. The emulsion may be a crude oil emulsion. It may be a water-in-oil emulsion. The production chemical may be an emulsion breaker. Also provided is an apparatus for assessing the effect of a production chemical on a water and oil emulsion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Equinor Energy AS
    Inventors: Børre Tore Børresen, Morten Tande, Ketil Pettersen
  • Patent number: 11467012
    Abstract: Recalibrating a micromechanical sensor. The sensor is assigned a signal processing device for correcting the sensor signal on the basis of at least one previously determined initial trim value that is selected such that, given a defined sensor excitation, a production-related deviation of the sensor signal from a target sensor signal is compensated. The method for recalibrating the sensor includes: applying a defined electrical test excitation signal to the sensor structure, acquiring the corresponding sensor response signal, ascertaining a trim correction value for the at least one initial trim value on the basis of a previously determined relation between the sensor response signal and the trim correction value, and determining at least one current trim value for correcting the sensor signal, the determination of the at least one current trim value taking place on the basis of the at least one initial trim value and the ascertained trim correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andrea Visconti, Matthias Meier, Ruslan Khalilyulin, Thomas Zebrowski, Wolfram Geiger
  • Patent number: 11448676
    Abstract: Sensing the electric or strain field experienced by a sample containing a crystal host comprising of solid state defects under a zero-bias magnetic field can yield a very sensitive measurement. Sensing is based on the spin states of the solid-state defects. Upon absorption of suitable microwave (and optical) radiation, the solid-state defects emit fluorescence associated with hyperfine transitions. The fluorescence is sensitive to electric and/or strain fields and is used to determine the magnitude and/or direction of the field of interest. The present apparatus is configured to control and modulate the assembly of individual components to maintain a zero-bias magnetic field, generate an Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR) spectrum (with or without optical excitation) using appropriate microwave radiation, detect signals based on the hyperfine state transitions that are sensitive to electric/strain fields, and to quantify the magnitude and direction of the field of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Danielle Ann Braje, Edward H. Chen, Phillip R. Hemmer
  • Patent number: 11441955
    Abstract: Disclosed is a monitoring milk meter, which is able to monitor the livestock being milked, as well as general procedures performed in the milking farm, such as the CIP procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: AFIMILK AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE LTD.
    Inventors: Niv Pinsky, Ehud Golan, Itamar Cohen
  • Patent number: 11442027
    Abstract: Novel microwave devices capable of monitoring pest activity or moisture content in grain. A planar active microwave resonator with a regenerative element is placed in proximity to the grain to be tested, for example by immersion within in a bulk grain store to monitor moisture levels or pest activity therein, mounting within a sample container to monitor moisture levels or pest activity in a smaller volume of grain sampled from a grain store or shipment, or exposure to individual sample kernels for detecting internal pests therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: University of Manitoba
    Inventors: Alex Reimer, Yongsheng Gui, Can-Ming Hu, Fuji Jian, Paul Fields, Digvir Jayas
  • Patent number: 11443990
    Abstract: In some examples, a device includes a power structure and a sensing structure that is electrically isolated from the power structure. The device also includes processing circuitry configured to determine whether the sensing structure includes a prognostic health indicator, wherein the prognostic health indicator is indicative of a health of the power structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Sergio De Gasperi, Michael Nelhiebel, Alexander Mayer, Dieter Haerle, Andrea Baschirotto
  • Patent number: 11442074
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor module includes an axially polarized back-bias magnet having a body that radially extends from a magnet center axis and a bore extending along the magnet center axis. The magnet generates a radial bias magnetic in-plane field about a magnetization axis in a sensor plane. The magnetic field has a magnetic flux density of substantially zero along the extension of the magnetization axis and at a perimeter of a zero-field closed loop located in the sensor plane. The magnetic sensor module includes a shim polepiece mechanically coupled to an end of the axially polarized back-bias magnet. The shim polepiece includes a second bore centered on a polepiece center axis that is aligned with the magnet center axis. The second bore extends through the shim polepiece along the polepiece center axis and is congruent with the first bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventor: Gernot Binder
  • Patent number: 11435306
    Abstract: A method of determining moisture content in an emulsified asphalt-aggregate system is disclosed. The method includes: placing a first electrode in an emulsified asphalt-aggregate system (Mixture) at a first depth, placing a second electrode in the Mixture at a second depth, applying an alternating current (AC) signal between the first electrode and the second electrode, measuring impedance, determining the frequency which yields the minimum measured impedance, recording the minimum measured impedance, repeating the above steps at a predetermined time interval until the recorded minimum impedance is about 10 times of the first recorded minimum impedance, and alerting a user that the Mixture has sufficiently cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: John Ernest Haddock, William Jason Weiss, Miguel Angel Montoya Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 11428758
    Abstract: A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor device is disclosed that includes one or more TMR resistors. The TMR sensor device comprises a first TMR resistor comprising a first TMR film, a second TMR resistor comprising a second TMR film different than the first TMR film, a third TMR resistor comprising the second TMR film, and a fourth TMR resistor comprising the first TMR film. The first and fourth TMR resistors are disposed in a first plane while the second and third TMR resistors are disposed in a second plane different than the first plane. The first TMR film comprises a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of a reference layer orthogonal to a magnetization direction a free layer. The second TMR film comprises a double synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of a reference layer orthogonal to a magnetization direction of a free layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Hu, Yung-Hung Wang, Ming Mao, Daniele Mauri, Ming Jiang