Patents by Inventor Jin-Chen Liu

Jin-Chen Liu 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).

  • Publication number: 20210025798
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for ascertaining a transpiration rate of an object, in particular of a plant leaf or a plant needle. The method comprises the steps of ascertaining a first temperature difference between the temperatures on the surface of the object and on the surface of a reference body as well as a second temperature difference between the temperatures on the surface of the object or on the surface of the reference body and a respective measurement point (M1, M2) spaced apart therefrom, so as to finally calculate therefrom the transpiration rate of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Jin-Chen Liu, Michael Martin Goisser
  • Patent number: 10605752
    Abstract: A method and a device for measuring a transition rate between a first phase of a material and a second phase of the material wherein the material is solid or liquid in the first phase and gaseous in the second phase. A thermopile which includes a plurality of conductor transitions at an interface area between the first and second phases. The thermopile has a first portion which includes every second one of the conductor transitions, and a second portion that includes the remaining conductor transitions. In addition, the method includes measuring a thermoelectric voltage that is applied on the thermopile and that represents a temperature difference between the first and second portions of the thermopile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Inventor: Jin-Chen Liu
  • Publication number: 20170160216
    Abstract: A method and a device for measuring a transition rate between a first phase of a material and a second phase of the material wherein the material is solid or liquid in the first phase and gaseous in the second phase. A thermopile which includes a plurality of conductor transitions at an interface area between the first and second phases. The thermopile has a first portion which includes every second one of the conductor transitions, and a second portion that includes the remaining conductor transitions. In addition, the method includes measuring a thermoelectric voltage that is applied on the thermopile and that represents a temperature difference between the first and second portions of the thermopile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: Jin-Chen LIU
  • Patent number: 5898310
    Abstract: A measuring instrument for measuring the matrix potential in a soil, has a measuring cell with a housing that includes at least in certain sections thereof, material permitting the moisture of the soil to penetrate into the interior of the housing, at least two electrodes which are arranged in said housing in spaced relationship with each other and a dielectric which fills the space between said electrodes and the inner wall of the housing, a measurement evaluation circuit which detects the water content in the dielectric of the measuring cell by measurement of changes of permittivity of the dielectric and determines, on the basis of said water content and on the basis of a known relationship between the water content and the matrix potential of the dielectric used, the matrix potential prevailing in the dielectric, and which displays said matrix potential as a measuring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Inventor: Jin-Chen Liu