Patents Issued in October 25, 2016
  • Patent number: 9476934
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting a wiring board having an opposing electrode facing an upper face of the wiring board, a capacitance meter electrically connected to the opposing electrode and the multi-layer wiring, and measuring capacitance between the opposing electrode and the multi-layer wiring, ground, a switch box that is connected to the ground wirings, the opposing electrode, and the ground, and switches to select between a first connection state, in which all the ground wirings are electrically connected to the opposing electrode, and a second connection state, in which one ground wiring is electrically connected to the ground. A control unit extracts a capacitance value by calculating difference between a first capacitance and a second capacitance, wherein capacitance in units of layers of the multi-layer wiring are measured based on the capacitance value extracted by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICS
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Fukami
  • Patent number: 9476935
    Abstract: The operation of electrical appliances receiving electrical power from an electrical system may be indirectly monitored using monitoring units engaged with outlets on branch circuits of the electrical system. Electrical systems providing power to appliances to be monitored in accordance with the present invention may comprise split phase alternating current systems, tri-phase systems, or any other type of electrical system. Known loads may be applied to calibrate the monitoring system. The monitoring system may measure the power consumption of appliances operating on the electrical system and/or detect possible fault conditions. Fault conditions may be detected by comparing obtained voltage or power signatures of appliances to expected voltage or power signatures. Expected voltage or power signatures may be obtained, for example, using historical data, a database providing typical voltage or power signatures, or through other means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald Byron Kabler, Robert Leon Lutes, Alain Charles Briançon, Curtis Scott Crawford, Christopher Allen Giacoponello, Jerald Frederic Johnson, Victor Andres Jara-Olivares, Marc Anthony Epard, Steven Jeffrey Goldberg, John Berns Lancaster
  • Patent number: 9476936
    Abstract: The IC test system provides a system and method for thermal management of test pins. A test pin array (22) in a pin guide (24) is mounted in a retainer (20) which is located between an IC wafer (12) which contains IC devices to be tested (DUT) and a load board (40) which provides pathways to test signals to the DUT. On the other side of the load board is a contact plate (50) which together with the retainer straddles the load board. Leg extensions (36) pass through the load board apertures (42) and provide a thermal circuit from the contact plate to the retainer and to the pin array. On the upper side of the contact plate is a cooling/heating system with a thermal electric peltier device (62) and a further heat exchanger (64) as needed. Holes (44) are provided in the legs (36) to provide a supply of dry air to the wafer and pin array to minimize condensation as a result of cooling effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Johnstech International Corporation
    Inventors: David Johnson, Jeffrey Sherry, Harlan Faller, Brian Warwick, Sarosh Patel, John Bucher, Jay Drescher
  • Patent number: 9476937
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) operable in functional and debug modes includes a debug enable circuit, a pad control register, a debug circuit, a pad configuration register, and an input/output (IO) pad. The debug circuit receives a functional signal from a circuit monitoring circuit, a reference signal, a debug control signal from the debug enable circuit, and pull-enable control and pull-type select control signals from the pad control register, and generates pull-enable and pull-type select signals. The pad configuration register receives the pull-enable and pull-type select signals and configures the IO pad in one of logic low, logic high, and high impedance states. When the IO pad is in either of the logic high and low states longer than a predetermined time period, then the IO pad indicates that the IC is held in a reset phase of a reset sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Garima Sharda, Sunny Gupta, Akshay K. Pathak, Nidhi Sinha
  • Patent number: 9476938
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a plurality of devices connected in series with one another, each of the devices comprising a test enable pin for receiving a test enable signal that indicates enablement of a test mode, and a test output pin for outputting a test output signal in the test mode, and a controller coupled to the devices and comprising an additional test output pin for outputting a test channel output signal, wherein a failure of at least one of the test output signals and the test channel output signal indicates the existence of one or more potential defects associated with the plurality of devices and the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Novachips Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Beom Pyeon, Young-Goan Kim
  • Patent number: 9476939
    Abstract: Rising and falling edges captured by a digital acquisition device appear to chatter on the X-axis by two or more sampling bin boundaries as live acquisition continually updates. This leads to a confusing display of limited usefulness. Averaging of multiple edges eliminates chatter while at the same time increases timing accuracy of the edges beyond the abilities of the base acquisition system. An object of the invention is to display a waveform for an averaged digital signal converted from an analog signal received by a signal processing instrument. A plurality of data acquisitions is stored in memory, and for each data acquisition, a number of rising and falling edges are identified. Each rising and falling edge is counted in each data acquisition. From these counted edges, an average waveform is calculated from the plurality of data acquisitions. The average waveform is displayed as an improved representation of the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TEKTRONIX, INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan D. Clem
  • Patent number: 9476940
    Abstract: A boundary scan chain for stacked memory. An embodiment of a memory device includes a system element and a memory stack including one or more memory die layers, each memory die layer including input-output (I/O) cells and a boundary scan chain for the I/O cells. A boundary scan chain of a memory die layer includes a scan chain portion for each of the I/O cells, the scan chain portion for an I/O cell including a first scan logic multiplexer a scan logic latch, an input of the scan logic latch being coupled with an output of the first scan logic multiplexer, and a decoder to provide command signals to the boundary scan chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9476941
    Abstract: A Scan-BIST architecture is adapted into a low power Scan-BIST architecture. A generator 102, compactor 106, and controller 110 remain the same as in the known art. The changes between the known art Scan-BIST architecture and the low power Scan-BIST architecture involve modification of the known scan path into scan path 502, to insert scan paths A 506, B 508 and C 510, and the insertion of an adaptor circuit 504 in the control path 114 between controller 110 and scan path 502.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Lee D. Whetsel
  • Patent number: 9476942
    Abstract: Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present disclosure describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Lee D. Whetsel
  • Patent number: 9476943
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining the status of a solenoid. A method includes measuring a plurality of parameters associated with a current conducting through the solenoid. The measured parameters are compared to predetermined reference parameters to determine the status of the solenoid. A system includes a sensor configured to measure a plurality of parameters associated with a current conducting through the solenoid. The system includes a control module configured to receive the measured parameters and operable to compare the measured parameters to predetermined reference parameters to determine the status of the solenoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
    Inventors: Yuh-Jing Ho, Stephen Lawrence Dillier
  • Patent number: 9476944
    Abstract: A continuity tester that has particular application for inspecting the insulation on the stator windings in an electric machine. The continuity tester includes a power supply, a brush having conductive bristles, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. One terminal of the power supply is electrically coupled to the brush and another terminal of the power supply is electrically coupled to the A/D converter and the stator being tested. The conductive brush is selectively positioned against the exposed windings of the stator, and if an electrical circuit is formed as a result of loss of insulation, the potential at the input of the A/D converter drops, which can be detected. In one embodiment, the conductive brush is a manual brush that is moved across the stator windings, and in alternate embodiments the conductive brush is specially configured to be positioned against the conductive windings in an automated process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Perry, John D. Campbell
  • Patent number: 9476945
    Abstract: In various implementations, a condition of a motor may be monitored based at least partially on time required to achieve a change in speed. A notification may be transmitted based on the condition of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Lennox Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Powell, Randall L. Lisbona
  • Patent number: 9476946
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a state-of-charge (SOC) of a battery, where the system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor provides a measurement signal that can track changes of a nominal volume of the battery by either measuring a size or pressure of the battery, where the nominal volume is the volume that the electrolyte, anode, cathode and current collectors would occupy if unconstrained. The controller is programmed to use a function to estimate the SOC from the measurement signal. The function can be established after constructing and finding a repeatable charging and discharging curve of the battery that graphs the measurement signal compared to the SOC of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Harald Schlag, Christoph Klunker, Matthias Hampel
  • Patent number: 9476947
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for ascertaining permissible operating parameters of a battery. For this purpose, operating parameters of the battery are measured, and further relevant operating parameters of the battery are determined from the measured operating parameters. Furthermore, at least one of the determined operating parameters is compared with a predefined comparison range. If the at least one operating parameter lies within the predefined comparison range, the permissible operating range of the at least one operating parameter is determined using a mathematical model of the battery. However, if the at least one battery parameter lies outside the predefined comparison range, the permissible operating range of the at least one operating parameter is determined using previously stored battery data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Andre Boehm, Christoph Brochhaus
  • Patent number: 9476948
    Abstract: A linear magnetic sensor shield system comprises first and second shield parts. The system may include first and second field sensor assemblies, each having field sensors disposed therein. The first shield part may be disposed adjacent to a first side of the first field sensor assembly, and the second shield part may be disposed adjacent to a second side of the second field sensor assembly. The shield parts may be formed of mu metal or a mu metal and steel composite, by of example. A torque transmitting device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: David T. Stark, Daniel J. Smith, Thomas A. Perry, Thomas Wolfgang Nehl
  • Patent number: 9476949
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided with a substrate including a main surface and a back surface that face in opposite directions to each other in a thickness direction, and first, second and third direction sensor elements having different detection reference axes from each other. The substrate is formed with a recessed portion that is recessed from the main surface toward the back surface side. The first direction sensor element is disposed at least partially within the recessed portion. The second direction sensor element is disposed so as to overlap with the main surface as viewed in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taro Nishioka, Mamoru Yamagami
  • Patent number: 9476950
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring instrument for time-variable magnetix fluxes, or flux gradients, to electrical resistance elements, and to a measuring system comprising a measuring instrument or electrical resistance element according to the invention. The core component of the measuring instrument is a flux transformer composed of a base material which has a phase transition to the superconducting state. According to the invention, even when the base material is in the superconducting state, this flux transformer comprises at least one load region having electrical resistance that is other than zero for dissipating the electric energy in the conductor loop thereof. For this purpose, according to the invention the conductor loop and the magnetic field source are disposed in one plane and are typically photolithographically structured. The resistance elements according to the invention, having resistance values of ?10?4?, are used as core components in the measuring instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Mikhail Faley, Ulrich Poppe, Robert L. Fagaly
  • Patent number: 9476951
    Abstract: An RF DC SQUID based magnetometer capable of sensing coherent magnetic fields up to 200 MHz and higher is developed which overcomes frequency limitations associated with noise signals due to transmission line delays between the SQUID circuit and readout electronics. The bandwidth limitations are overcome by superimposing the RF flux on the modulation flux to produce at the SQUID output a binary phase modulated RF voltage, which is processed to lock the static flux, and to control modulation regime by producing an AC bias for the RF flux. RF readout electronics based on a double lock-in technique (sequential demodulation of the RF SQUID voltage at the modulation flux frequency ?m and the RF flux frequency ?RF), yields a signal proportional to the product of amplitude and phase cosine of RF flux with linear dynamic range up to five orders in magnitude if compared to DC SQUID operated in traditional flux-locked loop regime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Neocera, LLC
    Inventors: Antonio Orozco, Vladimir V. Talanov, Alfred Benjamin Cawthorne, III, Nesco Mario Lettsome, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9476952
    Abstract: A structure for measuring iron loss of a motor stator core is provided. The structure includes an auxiliary core whose both end surfaces in a longitudinal direction come in contact with inner end surfaces of two adjacent stator teeth among a plurality of stator teeth in a radial direction in order to measure iron loss of a stator core in which a plurality of slots and the plurality of stator teeth are alternately formed on an inner circumferential surface of a stator yoke in a circumferential direction. A pair of excitation windings is provided at portions of the auxiliary core in the longitudinal direction spaced-apart from each other. A B-coil that is a sensor coil is provided at the auxiliary core so as to be positioned inside any one excitation winding of the pair of excitation windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, Chungbuk National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Young Jin Seo, Myeong Kyu Jung, Dongyeon Han, Shin Gyu Kim, Chang-Seop Koh, Kwang-Young Jeong, Chan-Hyuk Park, Hee-Sung Yoon
  • Patent number: 9476953
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting at least one material under test (MUT) is presented. A Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) measurement system includes a waveform generator configured to generate a continuous wave (CW) input signal comprising one or more frequencies. An RF shielded chamber receives the at least one MUT that is carried by a person walking through the chamber. A probe within the chamber illuminates the MUT with the CW signal and simultaneously receives possible NQR emissions from the at least one MUT. A bridge circuit is utilized to cancel the strong excitation CW signal from the generator which would otherwise mask the weak NQR emissions from the MUT that are received and detected by the measurement system. A detector can then detect the MUT based, at least in part, on the resonance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Zank, David H. Herlihy, Eldon M. Sutphin, Roland A. Gilbert, Paul E. Gili
  • Patent number: 9476954
    Abstract: In a method, a magnetic resonance system, and a computer-readable storage medium to generate magnetic resonance measurement data of an imaging area of an examination subject, the imaging area being located in a measurement volume of the magnetic resonance system, by operation of the magnetic resonance system, during the acquisition of the magnetic resonance measurement data, at least one additional nonlinear gradient is switched in addition to the gradients for spatial coding, and k-space is read out according to a random pattern, less densely than is required by the Nyquist condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Popescu
  • Patent number: 9476955
    Abstract: In a method and a control device for operation of a magnetic resonance tomography system to generate image data, multiple of slices in an examination subject are initially excited at a first time interval by a respective RF slice excitation pulse of a series of spatially selective slice excitation pulses. An RF refocusing pulse is then emitted at a second time interval after the first excitation pulse or after the last excitation pulse of the series of RF slice excitation pulses. At least one additional RF refocusing pulse is emitted at a third time interval after a preceding RF refocusing pulse. The third time interval is twice as long as the second time interval. The width of the RF refocusing pulses is selected to generate a number of chronologically separate echo signals per RF refocusing pulse for simultaneous refocusing of all excited slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Alto Stemmer
  • Patent number: 9476956
    Abstract: In order to improve image quality, a technique for obtaining information for eliminating distortions of the k-space in the readout direction and the phase encoding direction caused by the waveform distortion of the gradient magnetic field pulse is provided. A pulse sequence for the main scan is used to repeatedly measure echoes with changing the time integral value of the dephasing pulse for the readout gradient magnetic field. In the above measurement, the phase encoding pulse is not made zero, but two-dimensional data are measured in the same manner as that of the main scan. By using the measured two-dimensional data, correction information for eliminating distortions of the k-space in the readout direction and the phase encoding direction caused by the waveform distortion of the gradient magnetic field pulse is calculated in each of the readout direction and the phase encoding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yo Taniguchi, Suguru Yokosawa, Yoshitaka Bito
  • Patent number: 9476957
    Abstract: A method of MRI entails recording and storing MR signals from an object to produce an old set of data. A further measurement of the object is then initiated at a later time to record new MR data, whereby k-space is undersampled in the further measurement. The old data are corrected for changes in the new position of the object, for changes in the sensitivity and exact spatial positioning of the receiver coils as well as for changes in the actual field shimming. The old and new data are then combined to create a new, high resolution image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg
    Inventors: Guobin Li, Kuan Jin Lee, Maxim Zaitsev, Juergen Hennig, Julius Dragonu
  • Patent number: 9476958
    Abstract: In a method to determine the actual flip angle in magnetic resonance tomography with continuous table feed, at least one echo signal is generated by a pulse sequence from which an actual flip angle is produced with at least one RF pulse of the sequence, and a gradient scheme is used in the direction of the continuous travel of the examination subject, the gradient scheme being designed such that its first moment disappears at the points in time of each echo signals used for the determination of the flip angle. Such a pulse sequence is also used in a method for adjustment of the transmitter voltage for RF pulses given continuous travel of the examination subject in a magnetic resonance apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Alto Stemmer
  • Patent number: 9476959
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, method and/or computer readable medium is configured to effect MR imaging with reduced ghosting artifacts by operations including determining spatially varying signal magnitude differences associated with first and second parts of a reference MR data, and reconstructing a diagnostic image based upon a first and a second parts of main scan data and the determined spatially varying signal magnitude differences. The first parts of the reference data and main scan data is acquired using a first readout gradient, and the second parts of the reference data and main scan data is acquired using a second readout gradient that is different from the first readout gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wayne R. Dannels
  • Patent number: 9476960
    Abstract: An accessory for use with a test and measurement instrument. The accessory includes an input to receive a signal from a device under test, a calibration unit configured to apply a calibration or compensation signal internal to the accessory, and an output to output the signal from the device under test or the calibration or compensation signal to a test and measurement instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Mende, Richard A. Booman
  • Patent number: 9476961
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for correcting an impedance measured by a sensor included in a wearable device are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the methods includes: measuring, from an image including the wearable device and arms of a user, a first angle between a straight line connecting a left elbow joint of the user and a camera device for photographing the image and a straight line connecting the left elbow joint and the wearable device, a second angle between a straight line connecting the left elbow joint and the wearable device and a straight line connecting the wearable device and a right elbow joint of the user, a third angle between a straight line connecting the right elbow joint and the wearable device and a straight line connecting the right elbow joint and the camera device, and a fourth angle between a straight line connecting the right elbow joint and the camera device and a straight line connecting the left elbow joint and the camera device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaemin Kang, Sangyun Park, Hyoyoung Jeong, Seongho Cho
  • Patent number: 9476962
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a receiver for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) verification of a target aircraft including a first input for receiving flight tracking information from a target aircraft that indicates positional information of the target aircraft. The receiver further includes a second input for receiving positional and heading information indicating the location and orientation of a multi-element array antenna configured to be attached to the receiver, and a processing module that generates a measured bearing derived from angle of arrival data, and an expected bearing of the target aircraft derived from the indicated positional information of the target aircraft and the positional and heading information defining the receiver location and orientation. A comparator compares the expected bearing to the measured bearing and verifies the ADS-B flight tracking information of the target aircraft and outputs an indication of authenticity based on the verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Timothy Allen Murphy, William Matthew Harris
  • Patent number: 9476963
    Abstract: A method for locating a transmitter using a receiver which include, but are not limited to the steps of transmitting a plurality of distinctive and orthogonally polarized signals from a transmitter; receiving the transmitted signals at a pair of separated antennas; demodulating the distinctive orthogonal signals received at each of the pair of separated antennas; and determining a direction to the transmitter from the signals received at the pair of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Inventors: David Cyganski, R. James Duckworth
  • Patent number: 9476964
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile device generates sensor data configured to describe a geographic position of a mobile device. A list of events is defined according to position data and time data. The geographic position of the mobile device is compared to positions in the list of events of interest and a current time is compared to time data in the list of events of interest. The comparison determines whether events in the list are in range of the mobile device. One or more nearby events in range of the mobile device at the current time or a future time are selected. A command is generated to capture an image of the nearby events using a camera coupled to the mobile device. The captured images may be used to update navigation or map database, provide community or weather data to other users, social media functions, or other features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Matei Nicolae Stroila, Ole Henry Dorum
  • Patent number: 9476965
    Abstract: Embodiments allow a station to determine its location and report the location to a access point or other network entity. The station obtains agreement with an access point, group of access points, or other network entity to provide its location to a designated accuracy level and the access point(s) agree to provide services such as access to a location service, the access point(s) location to a designated positional accuracy, etc. The station measures its position and induces an error in its reported location. The induced error prevents an exact location of the station from being determined by the access point(s) or others, thus preserving the privacy of the station. The location reported by the station may be absolute (e.g., geographic coordinates) or relative to a landmark, location, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan Segev
  • Patent number: 9476966
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided which may be implemented in various devices having one or more computing platforms to obtain signaling characteristics for one or more transmitting devices. The signaling characteristics may, for example, be based, at least in part, on one or more signals received by a receiving device from the transmitting device(s), and may comprise at least a received signal strength measurement and a propagation time measurement. Such methods and apparatuses may further be implemented to determine whether a mobile station is to use or not use positioning data for one or more transmitting device(s) in a positioning function based, at least in part, on the received signal strength measurement and the propagation time measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Vinay Sridhara, Behrooz Khorashadi, Saumitra Mohan Das
  • Patent number: 9476967
    Abstract: A method of kinematic ranging for finding the range R of a jammer moving on a trajectory involves measuring the bearing of the jammer and the rate of change thereof using an airborne detector radar at a first position (24), causing the airborne detector radar to carry out a manoeuvre such that is it displaced in the horizontal plane by a displacement having orthogonal components ?x, ?y, and measuring the bearing of the jammer at a second position subsequent to the manoeuvre. By making an appropriate choice for the components ?x, ?y, the range R may be found with a desired relative range accuracy, and the error in R may be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Nagel, Wilhelm Gruener, Christian Kulig
  • Patent number: 9476968
    Abstract: A method of detecting optical subsystem failures includes emitting a pulsed light beam from a laser through a window. A reflection signal indicative of a portion of the beam reflected by the window is compared to an expected signal to monitor for degradation of an optical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Kaare J. Anderson, Mark D. Ray
  • Patent number: 9476969
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to ultrasound device circuitry as may form part of a single substrate ultrasound device having integrated ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasound device circuitry may facilitate the generation of ultrasound waveforms in a manner that is power- and data-efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Butterfly Network, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Rothberg, Tyler S. Ralston, Nevada J. Sanchez, Andrew J. Casper
  • Patent number: 9476970
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the features described may be used alone or in combination in order to improve the safety, use, driver experience, and performance of these vehicles. In particular, the disclosure includes a system and method of determining a vehicle's location based on a comparison of images captured from the vehicle with a database of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel Fairfield, Christopher Paul Urmson, Michael Steven Montemerlo
  • Patent number: 9476971
    Abstract: A radar includes an antennal structure, with means for transmitting an impulse signal in a band centered on F1 according to a repetition period centered on a recurrence period Tr1 and pulse width T1, with means for receiving signals by the antenna in frequency band ?F, with a unit for processing the signals received on a set of N distance bins. The signals received are transmitted by another radar in a frequency band centered on F2 where F2?F1??F, according to a repetition period centered on a period Tr2 and pulse width T2. The signals transmitted by the two radars are asynchronous. The method comprises: slaving frequency F1 to frequency F2, by measuring the power received integrated over the N distance bins and over several recurrences, determination of period Tr2 and T2 and slaving the period centered on Tr1 to a period centered on Tr2 with Tr1=k*Tr2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Pascal Cornic, Daniel Jahan, Patrick Garrec
  • Patent number: 9476972
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for processing a radar signal, including: a transmitting unit which irradiates a plurality of baseband signals as a plurality of division band penetration signals to a target object based on a channel frequency; a receiving unit which receives a plurality of reflection signals reflected from the target object to integrate the received reflection signals as an integration band response signal; and a control unit which sets the channel frequency so that at least some bands of adjacent division band penetration signals among the plurality of division band penetration signals are overlapped with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Dong Kyoo Kim
  • Patent number: 9476973
    Abstract: A radar assembly for linear and nonlinear radar transmission and reception comprising a signal generator; at least one filter operatively connected to the signal generator; a transmitter operatively connected to the at least one filter for transmitting radar signals; a receiver operative to receiving received signals comprising linear and nonlinear responses from the reflected transmitted signals; the receiver comprising a first channel for processing the linear response of the received signal; a second channel for the processing the nonlinear response of the received signal; at least one switch operative to select one of the first or second channels; at least one high pass filter operatively connected to the second channel to attenuate the linear response; at least one amplifier to amplify the nonlinear response; and at least one display operatively connected to both the first and second channels for displaying both linear and nonlinear responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Gregory J Mazzaro, Kelly D. Sherbondy, DaHan Liao
  • Patent number: 9476974
    Abstract: A method for measuring the position of a surface of a vehicle on a roadway comprising the following steps: transmitting and receiving radar beams at transmitting and receiving positions in various primary transmitting and primary receiving directions and converting these beams into received signals; selecting the received signal having the greatest signal strength; and determining the aforementioned position from the transmitting and receiving positions and the primary transmitting and primary receiving directions of the received signal having the greatest signal strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventor: Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 9476975
    Abstract: Described herein is a passive wireless resonating non-linear sensor that is typically based on a ferroelectric varactor. The sensor replies its data at an intermodulation frequency when a reader device illuminates it at two closely-located frequencies. Furthermore, described herein is a general intermodulation read-out principle for passive wireless sensors. A sensor utilizes a mixing element, such as a varactor and it can be equipped with a capacitive, inductive, or resistive sensor element. When the sensor is illuminated with signals with two frequencies it replies the sensor data at an intermodulation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Ville Viikari, Heikki Seppä, Tomi Mattila, Ari Alastalo, Mark Allen, Timo Varpula
  • Patent number: 9476976
    Abstract: In an object recognition apparatus or a vehicle equipped with the same, a first target area, for judging whether or not a target object is to be treated as a target of a behavior supporting action, is set as one portion of a first detection region, and a second target area, for judging whether or not the target object is to be treated as the target of the behavior supporting action, is set as one portion of a second detection region. If the position of a first peripheral object such as a radar target exists within the first target area and the position of a second peripheral object such as a camera target exists within the second target area, the target object is treated as the target of the behavior supporting action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kijima, Yoji Sasabuchi, Takuya Kashiki
  • Patent number: 9476977
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a meteorological observation system using vehicles. The meteorological observation system using vehicles includes a meteorological observation device embedded in each of the vehicles and configured to periodically detect surrounding weather information and to photograph weather conditions, the vehicle configured to run on a road using radar devices for detecting the front and right and left sides of the vehicle, that is, sensors for supporting driving and prevent a collision, and to provide mobility to the meteorological observation device, a meteorological server configured to collect pieces of the weather information from the meteorological observation devices moving in respective areas through wireless communication and to provide the pieces of weather information to a meteorological observation center, the meteorological observation center configured to use information, received from the meteorological server, as statistical data or meteorological observation and forecast data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Sang Hun Lim, Dong Ryul Lee
  • Patent number: 9476978
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photosensor unit with a structure which is simple and does not lower the detection accuracy. Provided is a photosensor unit configured such that reflected light of detection light emitted from one or more light emitting elements 2 housed in a unit case 1 to the outside of the unit case 1 is detected with a light receiving element 4 mounted on a mounting board 3, the reflected light being reflected from a detection region set on the outside of the unit case 1. A passage space for the reflected light inside the unit case 1 is separated from the other space in the unit case 1 by a partition member 6 placed on the mounting board 3 with an annular packing 5 therebetween which surrounds the light receiving element 4 and is made of an elastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ALPHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 9476979
    Abstract: A method is for evaluating a coverage factor of a photon emission cone of a time of flight sensor. The method may include the steps of assigning a reference curve to the sensory providing a photon flux intensity as a function of time of flight; and acquiring a time of flight and a corresponding flux intensity with the sensor. The method may also include reading the intensity provided by the reference curve for the acquired time of flight, and providing an indication of the coverage factor based on the ratio between the acquired intensity and the read intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
    Inventors: Marc Drader, Jeremie Teyssier
  • Patent number: 9476980
    Abstract: Through discrimination of the scattered signal polarization state, a lidar system measures a distance through semi-transparent media by the reception of scattered signals from a first surface and scattered signals from a second surface. Combined and overlapped light signals scattered from the two surface signals can be separated by exploiting their differing polarization characteristics. This removes the traditional laser and detector pulse width limitations that determine the system's operational bandwidth, translating relative depth measurements into the conditions of single surface timing measurements and achieving sub-pulse width resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Thayer, Steven Mitchell, Matthew Hayman
  • Patent number: 9476981
    Abstract: An optical phased array formed of a large number of nanophotonic antenna elements can be used to project complex images into the far field. These nanophotonic phased arrays, including the nanophotonic antenna elements and waveguides, can be formed on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Directional couplers evanescently couple light from the waveguides to the nanophotonic antenna elements, which emit the light as beams with phases and amplitudes selected so that the emitted beams interfere in the far field to produce the desired pattern. In some cases, each antenna in the phased array may be optically coupled to a corresponding variable delay line, such as a thermo-optically tuned waveguide or a liquid-filled cell, which can be used to vary the phase of the antenna's output (and the resulting far-field interference pattern).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Ami Yaacobi, Michael R. Watts
  • Patent number: 9476982
    Abstract: A marker system includes at least one emitter. The emitter(s) emit light responsive to a flow of electrical current there through. The marker system includes a device for acquiring an incoming signal and a circuit for processing the incoming signal. The circuit for processing the incoming signal monitors the device for acquiring the incoming signal to determine if the incoming signal includes any of a plurality of incoming Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and/or munitions-targeting signals. The circuit emits one of a plurality of responses by sending electrical current selectively through the emitter(s) and/or other feedback devices based upon which of the plurality of incoming Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and/or munitions-targeting signals is detected by the means for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Arcachon Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Gary Leegate, Marcia Baldwin, Jamey Marcus Caldwell
  • Patent number: 9476983
    Abstract: A system and method for fusing the outputs from multiple LiDAR sensors on a vehicle that includes cueing the fusion process in response to an object being detected by a radar sensor and/or a vision system. The method includes providing object files for objects detected by the LiDAR sensors at a previous sample time, where the object files identify the position, orientation and velocity of the detected objects. The method projects object models in the object files from the previous sample time to provide predicted object models. The method also includes receiving a plurality of scan returns from objects detected in the field-of-view of the sensors at a current sample time and constructing a point cloud from the scan returns. The method then segments the scan points in the point cloud into predicted scan clusters, where each cluster identifies an object detected by the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Shuqing Zeng