Patents by Inventor Rujun JI

Rujun JI 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: 11933645
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) structured to be mounted to a motor, the sensor PCB including a plurality of capacitive sensors, the plurality of capacitive sensors having respective ones of a plurality of capacitances that independently change as a conductor moves relative to the sensor PCB in conjunction with a rotatable shaft of the motor during an operation of the motor, and a controller electrically coupled to the sensor PCB, the controller configured to determine a position of the rotatable shaft based on the plurality of capacitances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Jun Zhang, Lichang Cheng, Kangcheng Xu
  • Patent number: 11609252
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Patent number: 11519755
    Abstract: Example capacitive-sensing rotary encoders and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotary encoder structured to be mounted to a motor, the rotary encoder including a plurality of circumferential capacitive sensor arrays, each of the plurality of capacitive sensor arrays having an output representing a binary bit of a rotary encoder output, the rotary encoder output changing as a conductor rotates responsive to a rotatable shaft of the motor relative to the rotary encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Lichang Cheng, Jun Zhang, Rujun Ji
  • Publication number: 20210302209
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) structured to be mounted to a motor, the sensor PCB including a plurality of capacitive sensors, the plurality of capacitive sensors having respective ones of a plurality of capacitances that independently change as a conductor moves relative to the sensor PCB in conjunction with a rotatable shaft of the motor during an operation of the motor, and a controller electrically coupled to the sensor PCB, the controller configured to determine a position of the rotatable shaft based on the plurality of capacitances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Jun Zhang, Lichang Cheng, Kangcheng Xu
  • Patent number: 11060889
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) structured to be mounted to a motor, the sensor PCB including a plurality of capacitive sensors, the plurality of capacitive sensors having respective ones of a plurality of capacitances that independently change as a conductor moves relative to the sensor PCB in conjunction with a rotatable shaft of the motor during an operation of the motor, and a controller electrically coupled to the sensor PCB, the controller configured to determine a position of the rotatable shaft based on the plurality of capacitances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Jun Zhang, Lichang Cheng, Kangcheng Xu
  • Publication number: 20210102980
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Patent number: 10901016
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Publication number: 20200264015
    Abstract: Example capacitive-sensing rotary encoders and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotary encoder structured to be mounted to a motor, the rotary encoder including a plurality of circumferential capacitive sensor arrays, each of the plurality of capacitive sensor arrays having an output representing a binary bit of a rotary encoder output, the rotary encoder output changing as a conductor rotates responsive to a rotatable shaft of the motor relative to the rotary encoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Lichang CHENG, Jun ZHANG, Rujun JI
  • Patent number: 10684143
    Abstract: Example capacitive-sensing rotary encoders and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotary encoder structured to be mounted to a motor, the rotary encoder including a plurality of circumferential capacitive sensor arrays, each of the plurality of capacitive sensor arrays having an output representing a binary bit of a rotary encoder output, the rotary encoder output changing as a conductor rotates responsive to a rotatable shaft of the motor relative to the rotary encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Lichang Cheng, Jun Zhang, Rujun Ji
  • Publication number: 20200049746
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Patent number: 10488448
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Publication number: 20190072593
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Patent number: 10156598
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Publication number: 20180328760
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a position of a rotatable shaft of a motor includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) structured to be mounted to a motor, the sensor PCB including a plurality of capacitive sensors, the plurality of capacitive sensors having respective ones of a plurality of capacitances that independently change as a conductor moves relative to the sensor PCB in conjunction with a rotatable shaft of the motor during an operation of the motor, and a controller electrically coupled to the sensor PCB, the controller configured to determine a position of the rotatable shaft based on the plurality of capacitances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Rujun JI, Jun ZHANG, Lichang CHENG, Kangcheng XU
  • Publication number: 20180328762
    Abstract: Example capacitive-sensing rotary encoders and methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a rotary encoder structured to be mounted to a motor, the rotary encoder including a plurality of circumferential capacitive sensor arrays, each of the plurality of capacitive sensor arrays having an output representing a binary bit of a rotary encoder output, the rotary encoder output changing as a conductor rotates responsive to a rotatable shaft of the motor relative to the rotary encoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Lichang CHENG, Jun ZHANG, Rujun JI
  • Publication number: 20170269135
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Patent number: 9702912
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rujun Ji, Cong Deng
  • Publication number: 20160187400
    Abstract: An electric energy meter for a poly-phase electricity network includes a power transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, a first analog front end (AFE) unit is coupled to the secondary side of the power transformer, and a microcontroller coupled to the primary side of the power transformer. The first AFE unit is to be coupled to a first phase of the poly-phase electricity network. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a digitized request signal to, and to receive a measurement signal from, the first AFE unit via the power transformer. More specifically, the first AFE unit, upon receiving the digitized request signal, is to extract information from the digitized request signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Rujun JI, Cong DENG