Patents by Inventor Franck Vial

Franck Vial has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12189882
    Abstract: A force sensor includes at least one cavity defining at least two surfaces having different orientations. On each of said surfaces is disposed at least one respective detection structure sensitive to a pressure exerted on the corresponding surface. A resiliently deformable medium at least partially fills the cavity by coming into contact with the surfaces and defines a detection surface, on which a force to be detected is likely to be exerted. The application of this force is likely to generate stresses on each detection structure due to the transmission of forces by the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine Aloui, Franck Vial
  • Patent number: 11782527
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for recording a track comprising: a utensil comprising a tip and equipped with a magnetic object; a device for locating the magnetic object configured to determine an estimated reference position on a writing surface; and a matrix-array touch sensor configured to define a set of M pixels, among N pixels, at least partially encircling the estimated reference position, and to detect the contact of the tip on the writing surface on the basis of the electrical signals generated by said set of M pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignees: ADVANCED MAGNETIC INTERACTION, AMI, COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine Aloui, Franck Vial, Sebastien Brulais, Laure Peris Y Saborit, Jean-Marie Dupre La Tour, Tristan Hautson, Myrna Jaillet-Casillas, Simon Thomas
  • Publication number: 20230026597
    Abstract: Matrix pressure sensor with neural network, and calibration method Matrix pressure sensor (1), comprising: a matrix (2) of tactile pixels (10) at least some of which have a reciprocal crosstalk effect between them, a neural network (30) for processing an image (IP_MES) of the response from the sensor and providing a corrected image (IP_COR), this network having been trained from an augmented database (BDAUG) comprising: real homogeneous pressing data measured by applying a homogeneous pressure (PR) to at least some of the pixels, better still to all of the pixels of the matrix, and additional partial pressing data produced through simulation by applying binary masks (MAS) to the real homogeneous pressing data, so as to simulate partial pressing without a crosstalk effect with the pixels situated outside partial pressing areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Adrien BARDET, Franck VIAL, Saifeddine ALOUI
  • Publication number: 20220397967
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for recording a track comprising: a utensil comprising a tip and equipped with a magnetic object; a device for locating the magnetic object configured to determine an estimated reference position on a writing surface; and a matrix-array touch sensor configured to define a set of M pixels, among N pixels, at least partially encircling the estimated reference position, and to detect the contact of the tip on the writing surface on the basis of the electrical signals generated by said set of M pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicants: ADVANCED MAGNETIC INTERACTION, AMI, COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine ALOUI, Franck VIAL, Sebastien BRULAIS, Laure PERIS Y SABORIT, Jean-Marie DUPRE LA TOUR, Tristan HAUTSON, Myrna JAILLET-CASILLAS, Simon THOMAS
  • Patent number: 11480422
    Abstract: A method for estimating an angular deviation between a reference axis of a magnetic object and a magnetic axis co-linear to a magnetic moment of the magnetic object, including: a) positioning the magnetic object facing at least one magnetometer; b) rotating the magnetic object about the reference axis; c) measuring, during the rotating, the magnetic field, using the magnetomenter; and d) estimating the angular deviation from the magnetic field measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine Aloui, Franck Vial
  • Publication number: 20220187971
    Abstract: A force sensor includes at least one cavity defining at least two surfaces having different orientations. On each of said surfaces is disposed at least one respective detection structure sensitive to a pressure exerted on the corresponding surface. A resiliently deformable medium at least partially fills the cavity by coming into contact with the surfaces and defines a detection surface, on which a force to be detected is likely to be exerted. The application of this force is likely to generate stresses on each detection structure due to the transmission of forces by the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine ALOUI, Franck VIAL
  • Patent number: 11251648
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery of electric accumulators from the electric power supplied by an electric generator, wherein the battery is charged to a first maximum state of charge in a first operating mode and to a second maximum state of charge, lower than the first maximum state of charge, in a second operating mode, the method including switching from the second operating mode to the first operating mode when a criterion using the battery temperature or the ratio of a first quantity representative of the available power which may be supplied by the electric generator to a second quantity representative of the power consumed from the battery is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, BUBENDORFF SA
    Inventors: Henri Zara, Thomas Fritsch, Franck Vial, Franck Al Shakarchi
  • Patent number: 11035909
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a network of magnetometers (C1, Ci) including the displacement of a magnet holder tool (10) above the network, and solving an optimisation problem to determine a localisation of the magnetometers in the network. This localisation minimises based on an optimisation criterion, the difference between a real attribute (D, m1, m2) of the magnet holder tool and an estimate of the attribute determined without knowledge of the displacement, starting from the localisation and measurements made by the magnetometers in the network during the displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Franck Vial, Saifeddine Aloui
  • Publication number: 20190317159
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a network of magnetometers (C1, Ci) including the displacement of a magnet holder tool (10) above the network, and solving an optimisation problem to determine a localisation of the magnetometers in the network. This localisation minimises based on an optimisation criterion, the difference between a real attribute (D, m1, m2) of the magnet holder tool and an estimate of the attribute determined without knowledge of the displacement, starting from the localisation and measurements made by the magnetometers in the network during the displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Franck Vial, Saifeddine Aloui
  • Publication number: 20190301848
    Abstract: A method for estimating an angular deviation between a reference axis of a magnetic object and a magnetic axis co-linear to a magnetic moment of the magnetic object, including: a) positioning the magnetic object facing at least one magnetometer; b) rotating the magnetic object about the reference axis; c) measuring, during the rotating, the magnetic field, using the magnetomenter; and d) estimating the angular deviation from the magnetic field measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicants: ISKN, COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Saifeddine ALOUI, Franck VIAL, Jean-Marie DUPRE LA TOUR, Guilhem SAUVAGNAC, Tristan HAUTSON
  • Publication number: 20180175662
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery of electric accumulators from the electric power supplied by an electric generator, wherein the battery is charged to a first maximum state of charge in a first operating mode and to a second maximum state of charge, lower than the first maximum state of charge, in a second operating mode, the method including switching from the second operating mode to the first operating mode when a criterion using the battery temperature or the ratio of a first quantity representative of the available power which may be supplied by the electric generator to a second quantity representative of the power consumed from the battery is fulfilled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Henri ZARA, Thomas FRITSCH, Franck VIAL, Franck AL SHAKARCHI
  • Publication number: 20170201121
    Abstract: A method of charging a battery of electric accumulators from the electric energy supplied by an electric generator, wherein the battery is chary to a first maximum state-of-charge in a first operating mode and to a second maximum state-of-charge, lower than the first maximum state-of-charge, in a second operating mode. The method includes switching from the first mode to the second mode when a first condition relative to the day length, or to the variation of the day length, is fulfilled and comprises switching from the second mode to the first mode when second conditions are fulfilled, the second conditions including determining that the day length becomes shorter than a first duration threshold and determining that a criterion determined from the environmental conditions of the electric generator or of the battery is fulfilled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Henri ZARA, Franck VIAL, Jean-Marie KLEIN, Jean-Baptiste DESMOULIERE, Thomas FRITSCH
  • Patent number: 8476897
    Abstract: A method for localizing a person in surroundings equipped with fixed electrical appliances includes measuring an electromagnetic field radiated by one or more of these fixed electrical appliances with a magnetometer carried by the person, identifying a fixed appliance operating near the magnetometer by comparing the measured field with pre-recorded magnetic signatures. Each pre-recorded magnetic signature is associated with an electrical appliance present in the surroundings. The person is then localized at least in part based on pre-recorded items of information that correspond to localization, in the surroundings, of the fixed electrical appliance as identified by its magnetic signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Francois Favre-Reguillon, Roland Blanpain, Franck Vial
  • Patent number: 8390274
    Abstract: This method for determining a person's activity in surroundings equipped with electrical appliances that are switchable, in response to a command from the person, between an ‘on’ mode and an ‘off’ mode, wherein the method comprises: the measuring of the magnetic field produced by one of the electrical appliances by means of a magnetometer carried by the person, the identifying of the electrical appliance in ‘on’ mode in proximity to the magnetometer by comparing the measured magnetic field with the pre-recorded magnetic signatures of these electrical appliances in ‘on’ mode, and the determining of the activity of the person on the basis of a pre-recorded activity identifier associated with the electrical appliance identified as being in ‘on’ mode on the basis of its magnetic signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Francois Favre-Reguillon, Roland Blanpain, Franck Vial
  • Patent number: 8224618
    Abstract: A method of reconstructing, in two dimensions, a path of a living being or of an object moving, by a repetitive movement, in a plane or a two-dimensional surface or along a plane or a two-dimensional surface, including: measuring at least two variable components of the projection of the terrestrial magnetic field on at least two axes of a biaxial or triaxial magnetometer connected to or situated on the living being or object, measuring the period, or frequency, of a signal corresponding to the measurement of at least one of the variable components along one of the axes of the magnetometer, measuring the heading, or direction, of the movement, from at least two field measurements along at least two axes of the magnetometer, and reconstituting the path from the measurements of period or frequency and of heading or direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Viviane Cattin, Franck Vial, Marie-Cecile Maillot
  • Patent number: 8044338
    Abstract: A device for counting the number of rotations of an object in a system, in which a storage means carries counting data designed to represent the number of rotations counted. The counting data is used for conditionally resetting the storage means if and only if two separate conditions are fulfilled, where at least of one of the conditions is the reception of information from an external device, thereby insuring that the counting data represents the number of rotations counted from a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Franck Vial, Marc Beranger
  • Patent number: 7916019
    Abstract: The main object of the present invention is a device for detecting a relative position of a first element (12, 14) having a main mechanical function and a second element, including an electric circuit (4) the opening and closing of which respectively correspond to a first and a second position of the first and second elements with respect to each other, wherein at least the first element is part of the electric circuit (4). An object of the present invention is also a monitoring installation comprising such detecting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat A l'Energie Atomique, Etablissement Public A Caractere Industriel Et Commercial
    Inventors: Franck Vial, Laurent Jouanet, Marc Beranger, Roland Blanpain, Gerard Evreux, Dominique Jacquin
  • Publication number: 20110062947
    Abstract: This method for localizing a person in surroundings equipped with fixed electrical appliances comprises: the measuring of an electromagnetic field radiated by one or more of these fixed electrical appliances by means of a magnetometer carried by the person to be localized, the identifying of the fixed electrical appliance operating in proximity to the magnetometer by comparing the measured magnetic field with pre-recorded magnetic signatures, each pre-recorded magnetic signature being associated with a respective electrical appliance present in the surroundings, and localizing the person from pre-recorded items of information on the localization in the surroundings of the fixed electrical appliance identified by its magnetic signature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: Commissariat a I'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Francois Favre-Reguillon, Roland Blanpain, Franck Vial
  • Publication number: 20110063074
    Abstract: This method for determining a person's activity in surroundings equipped with electrical appliances that are switchable, in response to a command from the person, between an ‘on’ mode and an ‘off’ mode, wherein the method comprises: the measuring of the magnetic field produced by one of the electrical appliances by means of a magnetometer carried by the person, the identifying of the electrical appliance in ‘on’ mode in proximity to the magnetometer by comparing the measured magnetic field with the pre-recorded magnetic signatures of these electrical appliances in ‘on’ mode, and the determining of the activity of the person on the basis of a pre-recorded activity identifier associated with the electrical appliance identified as being in ‘on’ mode on the basis of its magnetic signature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: Commissariat a I'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Francois Favre-Reguillon, Roland Blanpain, Franck Vial
  • Publication number: 20100082288
    Abstract: A method of reconstructing, in two dimensions, a path of a living being or of an object moving, by a repetitive movement, in a plane or a two-dimensional surface or along a plane or a two-dimensional surface, including: measuring at least two variable components of the projection of the terrestrial magnetic field on at least two axes of a biaxial or triaxial magnetometer connected to or situated on the living being or object, measuring the period, or frequency, of a signal corresponding to the measurement of at least one of the variable components along one of the axes of the magnetometer, measuring the heading, or direction, of the movement, from at least two field measurements along at least two axes of the magnetometer, and reconstituting the path from the measurements of period or frequency and of heading or direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Viviane Cattin, Franck Vial, Marie-Cecile Maillot