Patents Issued in January 2, 2018
  • Patent number: 9857173
    Abstract: A combination tool includes a surveyor's rod having a tubular body and a hammer that is slidable within the tubular body using an external handle. The tubular body defines an opening to insert a nail to be hammered into a surface below the tubular body. A nail-loading device may be affixed adjacent to the tubular body. The nail-loading device has a tube for receiving a nail and a lever arm that can be pivoted away from the tube to receive a nail and then pivoted back to its resting position to force the nail into the tubular body through the opening in the tubular body. A hammer-stop may be affixed to the tubular body to form a physical stop to the downward movement of the hammer. A handle lock may be employed along with a rod-tip point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventor: Chad Everett Jernigan
  • Patent number: 9857174
    Abstract: A gyro sensor capable of suppressing influence of the same phase mode on a vibration mode includes a vibrating body, a first spring structure portion that extends in a direction along a first axis and is connected to the vibrating body, first and second vibrating portions that are disposed in parallel to each other in the direction along the first axis and are excited and vibrated in an opposite phase to each other, and a second spring structure portion that extends in the direction along the first axis and is connected to the first and second vibrating portions, in which a first spring constant K1 of the first spring structure portion is smaller than a second spring constant K2 from a middle point at which a length between both ends of the second spring structure portion is equally divided into two to one end of the second spring structure portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Furuhata
  • Patent number: 9857175
    Abstract: The invention relates to a micro-gyroscope for detecting motions relative to an X and/or Y and Z axis, particularly as a 3D, 5D, or 6D sensor. Sample masses are disposed uniformly about an anchor and can be driven radially relative to the central anchor. Anchor springs are disposed to attach the sample masses to a substrate, and these sample masses can be deflected both radially within and out of the X-Y plane. A sensor mass is disposed on one-of the sample masses by means of sensor springs, and the sensor springs allow deflection of the sensor mass within the plane of the sample mass, and orthogonal to the radial drive direction of the sample masses. Drive elements oscillate these sample masses in the X-Y plane, and sensor elements captures the defection of the sample masses due to the Coriolis forces generated when the substrate is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hanking Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Volker Kempe
  • Patent number: 9857176
    Abstract: The drift (°/h) for an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) means the variations on the voltage generated versus the zero angular (rotation) rate, while IFOG is not under influence of any angular rate effect. If the drift of an IFOG is predefined, the compensation of the drift can trivially be carried out by a subtraction process. However, with this invention, the necessity of the predefinition of the zero rotation rate voltage of the IFOG which belongs to the primary coil called “Gyro Coil” herein, is removed because the instantaneous variations on the zero rotation rate voltage of the IFOG can be monitored either periodically or whenever required with help of a secondary coil, called as “Monitor Coil”, which is able to be switched by a microcontroller controlled-MEMS fiber optic ON/OFF switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TUBITAK (TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU)
    Inventor: Oguz Celikel
  • Patent number: 9857177
    Abstract: A mapping service can expose a set of APIs or other interfaces that can enable information from third parties to be incorporated into a mapping application executing on various computing devices, as well as to enable the mapping data to be embedded in applications associated with the third parties. This information can relate to points of interest (POI) that can be provided on a map displayed through the mapping application. In some embodiments the POI can be selected based upon information known about the user, in order to personalize the POI displayed and enable the selection of POI to likely be more of interest to the user. In some embodiments, the user can also select to receive types of POI from the third party providers, which can be incorporated with the mapping data and, in at least some embodiments can still be selected based on information known about the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel S. Gigliotti, Ronald A. Kornfeld
  • Patent number: 9857178
    Abstract: A method describes the architecture of a vision-supported navigation system in a terrain using available topographical maps, which is based on already existing methods for detecting prominent terrain features. An offline process used in this case creates a feature database from existing topographical maps, which is subsequently used in an online process for recognizing features that have been seen. In this case, virtual reference images of the expected situation are created using computer graphical methods, which are analyzed using methods for feature extraction, and a feature catalog made up of vision-based feature vectors and the associated 3D coordinates of the localized features is derived from the same. These data are stored in a flight system in the form of a model database, for example, and enable navigation close to a reference trajectory and for a planned lighting situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus DS GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Ahrns, Christoph Haskamp
  • Patent number: 9857179
    Abstract: One example includes an inertial navigation system (INS). The INS includes a navigation controller configured to generate inertial data associated with motion of a vehicle based on at least one navigation sensor configured on the vehicle and based on magnetic anomaly data. The INS also includes a magnetic anomaly INS-aiding system comprising a plurality of magnetometers distributed in a respective plurality of locations on the vehicle. The magnetic anomaly INS-aiding system can be configured to generate the magnetic anomaly data based on magnetic field measurements of a fixed magnetic anomaly at each of the plurality of magnetometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Larsen, Michael D. Bulatowicz, A. Douglas Meyer, Dennis P. Bevan
  • Patent number: 9857180
    Abstract: A method of displaying a map on a device includes determining position information of a position on the map, displaying a graphical position indicator representing the position on the map, determining address information corresponding to the position on the map, and presenting the address information via a user interface of the device by displaying a street number on the map adjacent to the graphical position indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Ronald Anthony Dicke
  • Patent number: 9857181
    Abstract: A method for assessing operation of a navigation system onboard a vehicle is provided. The method determines a sensor-based lateral offset change using vehicle onboard sensor data; determines a second lateral offset change using navigation system data; computes a difference between the sensor-based lateral offset change and the second lateral offset change; performs secondary calculations using the difference to produce a result; and when the result is greater than a threshold error value, provides an error notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC.
    Inventors: Xiaofeng Frank Song, Xian Zhang, Dmitriy Feldman, Paul A. Adam
  • Patent number: 9857182
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device including a processor, a location determining device to determine a geographical location of the device and a communication device to wirelessly transmit data. In at least one embodiment, the processor is arranged to determine when the device is located in a vehicle which has vacated a parking place and, in response, to transmit a message via the communication device indicating a location of the parking place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Huijnen, Frederic Bruneteau, Jeroen Trum
  • Patent number: 9857183
    Abstract: A travel support device includes a planner, an information generator, and a traffic information obtaining unit. To each of a plurality of sections into which a travel route from the current location to the destination is divided, the planner is adapted to assign, based on a road load associated with each section, a travel mode among a first mode, in which a remaining energy charge of the battery of the vehicle is not maintained, and a second mode, in which the remaining energy charge of the battery is maintained. When traffic congestion information is acquired by the traffic information obtaining unit, the information generator is adapted to set a traffic congestion road load, which is a fixed road load, for a section in which the traffic congestion is occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9857184
    Abstract: A plan through a space having a near field and a far field is determined. Using a sensor device, measurements of the far field are obtained and stored in an electronic memory. A processor uses the measurements to determine the viability of each far field plan among a plurality of candidate far field plans. The processor also determines a flexibility score for each of the candidate far field plans and selects a composite plan comprising the viable far field plan having a highest flexibility score among the viable candidate far field plans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Invention, LLC
    Inventors: Adrian Kaehler, Kjerstin Williams, Mark E. Duttweiler
  • Patent number: 9857185
    Abstract: An approach for presenting a comparison of progress information associated with transport modes, routes, or a combination thereof is described. A transport comparison platform determines progress information for at least one device associated with at least one mode of transport, at least one route, or a combination thereof. The transport comparison platform determines other progress information associated with at least another mode of transport, at least another route, or a combination thereof. The transport comparison platform causes, at least in part, a presentation of a comparison of the progress information against the other progress information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: Jerome Beaurepaire
  • Patent number: 9857186
    Abstract: A computer system for controlling operation of a vehicle travelling from a starting location to a target location includes a memory and a semiconductor-based processor forming one or more logic circuits configured to generate a travel itinerary by selecting different highway segments on a map for the vehicle to drive over at respective speeds from the starting location to the target location subject to an arrival time deadline for arriving at the target location. Each of the highway segments has a distance that can be driven at the respective speed in less than a continuous driving time limit. The computer system sends the travel itinerary to a vehicle operator to drive the vehicle over the different highway segments with instructions to make a stop at the end of each highway segment to stay below the continuous driving time limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Wenjun Zhou, Wen-Syan Li
  • Patent number: 9857187
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a one-to-many route searching method comprising searching map data to select links to form a plurality of routes from a departure node according to a cost function, and determining an extent of each route according to an objective function, wherein the searching of the map data is performed to a search boundary based upon a cost of an unreachable node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOMTOM NAVIGATION B.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Profous, Johannes Robert Fischer, Andreas Menge
  • Patent number: 9857188
    Abstract: A transportation management system coordinates the transportation of riders by drivers integrated with the system. To provide control to the rider of the route used during a trip provided by a given driver, the transportation management system computes several alternative routing options between the trip's origin location and destination location. These alternative routing options may be computed according to the rider's preferences and/or based on different optimization functions that optimize various trip parameters, for example, cost, time, traffic, and distance. The rider selects one of the alternative routing options as the preferred route between the origin location and the destination location. The transportation management system automatically communicates the routing option selected by the rider to the driver without requiring the rider to personally tell the driver of her preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Christopher O'Hare, Maya Paritosh Choksi, Evelyn Kim
  • Patent number: 9857189
    Abstract: A navigation system for an electric vehicle includes an electrical energy storing device having a currently-available energy and a controller. The electric vehicle is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a preferred route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to obtain respective energy consumption for each of a plurality of routes based at least partially on a driving style profile of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Peggy Wang, Michael O. Harpster, Jr., Wenjing Yang, Eric Chen
  • Patent number: 9857190
    Abstract: In one embodiment a pickup location and a destination location associated with a subscriber to a first transportation service are accessed. A first route from the pickup location to the destination location is identified, the first route comprising a plurality of segments, wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments of the first route is to be serviced by a driver of the first transportation service using a first type of transportation vehicle, and wherein a second segment of the plurality of segments of the first route is to be serviced by a second transportation service using a second type of transportation vehicle. The driver of the first transportation service is directed to service the first segment of the plurality of segments of the first route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GT Gettaxi Limited
    Inventors: Sunny Marueli, Talmon Marco
  • Patent number: 9857191
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determination of an access path are disclosed. The access path may include any drivable route that is within a site, and is often, but not necessarily, exclusive of roads in a road network external to the site. In some cases, access paths may include a set of streets between two or more sites without necessarily including a drivable path within a site. Further, the systems and methods may calculate or determine minimum cost routes that include the access path. In some cases, the calculated route may be the minimum cost route that includes the access path, but not necessarily a minimum cost route to a site. In other words, in some cases, the selection of an access path serves as a constraint that supersedes the calculation of a minimum cost route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Telogis, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Mason, Mark Fryer, Michael Fried, Jeffrey Fiore, Rick Turek, Brad Llewellyn, Peter Lear, Victor Rehorst, Steven Ashley, Ben Burns
  • Patent number: 9857192
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a navigation system provides predictive natural guidance utilizing a mobile landmark based on location data. The location data may be a schedule. A controller receives data of a schedule of a mobile landmark. The location data could be collected in real time or estimated. The mobile landmark may be a vehicle or a celestial body. The controller correlates a route from an origin location to a destination location and the location of the mobile landmark. The controller generates a message based on the correlation. The message is output during presentation of the route and references the mobile landmark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Slusar, Ken Prchal
  • Patent number: 9857193
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for an application executing on a mobile device. The method renders an animated navigation presentation for output to an external display screen not part of the mobile device. The navigation presentation includes an animated map showing at least a portion of a route to a destination. The method simultaneously displays information regarding a maneuver along the route on a display screen of the mobile device without displaying a same animated map on the mobile device. In some embodiments, the displayed information regarding the maneuver comprises a graphical instruction and a text instruction for a next maneuver along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Emanuele Vulcano, Bradford A. Moore, Jorge Fino, Marcel van Os
  • Patent number: 9857194
    Abstract: A method performed by a computing system includes, with the computing system, providing a user with directions from a current location of the user to a destination, searching a database for a set of points of interest within a predefined distance from a route between the current location and the destination, the searching accounting for a deviation time value associated with each point of interest and a user received allotted time value, the allotted time value indicating a total amount of time the user has allotted for deviation from the route, the deviation time value indicating an estimated amount of time it takes to visit a corresponding point of interest, and presenting to the user, at least one point of interest with the corresponding visitation time value being less than the time deviation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: RED HAT, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Vecera, Jiri Pechanec
  • Patent number: 9857195
    Abstract: A request for geographic content is received from a client device. The request includes (i) an indication that a user invoked the digital mapping service in a vehicle and (ii) an identifier of the user. In response to the request, profile data for the user is automatically retrieved. The profile data includes indications of previous interactions of the user with a digital mapping service. Geographic content then is generated based on the indications of previous interactions in view of relevance of the previous interactions to an automotive context. The generated geographic content is provided to the client device for presentation in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Foster, Nicholas Julian Pelly, Michael Graham Woodward
  • Patent number: 9857196
    Abstract: At least one subsystem among the plurality of subsystems includes a managing section operable to manage individual event information for events occurring in a management target region of the at least one subsystem among the plurality of regions and adjacent event information for events occurring in a partial range from a boundary of the management target region among routes in an adjacent region that is adjacent to the management target region, and an event selecting section operable to select events about which the moving object is to be informed, from the individual event information and the adjacent event information managed by the at least one subsystem. Also provided is a method and computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machinces Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Gotoh, Tomohiro Miyahira, Taku Sasaki, Makoto Tanibayashi
  • Patent number: 9857197
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more client devices, techniques, and/or systems are provided for providing linear route conditions. A linear route condition interface, presented to a user, may comprise a linear route representation (e.g., represented by a horizontal or vertical bar) of a route from a starting location to a destination location. The linear route representation depicts a first road segment, populated with a traffic flow indicator, a second road segment, populated with a second traffic flow indicator, and/or any other number of road segments between the starting location and the destination location. Responsive to identifying user indication of interest for the first road segment, supplementary information about traffic conditions on the first road segment are presented to the user. Responsive to identifying user indication of interest for the second road segment, supplementary information about traffic conditions on the second road segment are presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: INRIX, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Scott Jensen Hetland
  • Patent number: 9857198
    Abstract: An inertial sensor system according to one embodiment having a platform with an x axis and a y axis, a rotational table that is free to rotate about the x axis, a rotational table gyroscope mounted onto the rotational table to measure p, q, and r rotation rates referenced to the rotational table and at least one platform gyroscope mounted off the rotational table, wherein the rotational table gyroscope and the platform gyroscope provide sense rotation used to process gyroscope biases that are used to correct measurements for the inertial sensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Frey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9857199
    Abstract: A multi-turn angular position sensor includes a fixed magnet non-rotationally coupled to a fixed structure. A shaft is configured to rotate multiple complete rotations from a reference position, where each complete rotation front the reference position in a rotational direction defines a unique rotation zone of the shaft. Rotatable magnets surround the shaft and are disposed between the shaft magnet and the fixed magnet and are configured to rotate a different number of angular degrees than the shaft magnet. One of the rotatable magnets is a zone sensor magnet that rotates no more than one complete rotation from the reference position. A rotational zone sensor supplies a zone sensor output signal that indicates the unique rotation zone of the shaft. A shaft rotation sensor supplies a shaft rotation output signal representative of a number of angular degrees that the shaft rotates within each unique rotation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kumaran Sena Narasimhan, Gregory Furlong, Joel Stolfus
  • Patent number: 9857200
    Abstract: A position detector includes a magnet disposed between first ends of first and second magnetic flux transmission parts and a magnet disposed between second ends of the first and second magnetic flux transmission parts. The position detector also includes a Hall IC that is positioned within a gap and moves relative to a rotating body. The Hall IC detects a density of the magnetic flux from the first and second magnetic flux transmission parts and outputs a signal according to the density of the magnetic flux passing therethrough in order to detect a position of a detection object. A minimum magnetic flux density position within the gap may be shifted to a position having the highest detection accuracy such that the position detection accuracy of the detection object is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoaki Kouno, Tetsuji Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9857201
    Abstract: An onboard detector includes a cable including an insulated wire including a center conductor and an insulation covering the center conductor and a sheath covering the insulated wire, a sensor including a sensor main body including a detecting element and a lead wire extending from the sensor main body and connected to the center conductor, and a fixing member to fix the sensor to the cable. The fixing member is configured to fix the insulated wire exposed from the sheath while being bent between the sheath and the lead wire. The insulated wire fixed while being bent allows the cable to be arranged such that an axial direction of the sheath inside the fixing member intersects with a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the lead wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Oeda, Yukio Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9857202
    Abstract: A sensor for motor includes: a detected plate mounted to a rotating shaft of a motor, the detected plate including a plurality of rod-shaped portions having different lengths from one another, the plurality of rod-shaped portions radially projecting from the rotating shaft; a detecting member configured to output a signal having a waveform that changes according to the rod-shaped portions passing through a front of the detecting member; and a movable member that holds the detecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SANYO DENKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takayoshi Seki
  • Patent number: 9857203
    Abstract: An n-th-harmonic error estimation unit that estimates the error component of an n-th harmonic included in a resolver angle ? and a subtraction unit that subtracts an n-th-harmonic estimated angle error from ? to output the corrected angle ?? are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: JAPAN AVIATION ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenichi Nakazato, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9857204
    Abstract: An apparatus for operating a resolver which includes at least one first receiver winding and an exciter winding, which are/can be associated with a rotor, and an evaluation device which determines an angular position of the rotor as a function of an induced voltage that is generated by the exciter winding and detected by the receiver winding. According to the invention, the first receiver winding is connected at a first end to an actuable switch by means of a first RC circuit, said switch connecting the RC circuit as required to a positive voltage source, and the first receiver winding is connected at a second end to a second actuable switch by means of a second RC circuit, said second switch connecting the second RC circuit as required to a negative voltage source, and to a control unit which simultaneously actuates the switches as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Kirschner, Edwin Eberlein
  • Patent number: 9857205
    Abstract: An encoder system includes a disc coupled to a hub, the disc including a sensible member. The encoder system also includes a sensor operable to cooperate with the sensible member to sense an operating parameter of the disc, and a base assembly movable relative to the hub. A portion of the sensor is coupled for co-movement with the base assembly and movable between a first position in which the portion of the sensor is a first axial distance from the disc and a second position in which the portion of the sensor is a second axial distance from the disc, the second axial distance falling within a desired operating range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Quantum Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd S. Martin
  • Patent number: 9857206
    Abstract: A waterproofing device installed on a distance sensor enables outdoor operations of a robot or operations in wet or adverse environments. The distance sensor includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver. The waterproofing device includes a protection member installed on the distance sensor, and covers installed on the protection member. The protection member includes sleeves aligning with the signal transmitter and the signal receiver. The cover includes a sieve plate covering one end of the sleeve to prevent liquid from entering into the sleeve and a drain plug to discharge any liquid incidentally entering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kai-Fan Lee, Yu-Wen Chen, Ya-Kuan Chuang, You-Yun Lee
  • Patent number: 9857207
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a displacement of a railroad includes a pair of rail fixing members 100 fixed to enclose a lower part of one rail 10, and installed to be spaced from each other; a lengthwise sensor casing 200a installed between the pair of rail fixing members 100; and an angle sensor installed at the lengthwise sensor casing 200a so as to measure a change of an angle between the pair of rail fixing members 100. With such a configuration, the present invention can be applied to a structure of railroad ties formed of a concrete material. Further, data can be obtained with high reliability, since a displacement of the rail is directly measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HOSEUNG E&C CO., LTD
    Inventor: Keun Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9857208
    Abstract: A measurement device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first controller configured to output a control signal and a second controller configured to perform a first control and then to perform a second control based on the control signal output from the first controller. The control signal designates both an input signal and a calibration signal to be converted into a digital input signal and a digital calibration signal, respectively. The input signal is input from an outside of the measurement device. The calibration signal is previously prepared. The first control is for selecting the input signal and converting the selected input signal into the digital input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Yao, Masakazu Hori, Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9857209
    Abstract: A measurement device for measuring an airflow volume and a ventilation resistance of a wind-blowing apparatus includes: a housing that includes an air duct with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet being configured to take in air, the air outlet being configured to send out the taken air; an opening member installed inside the air duct, the opening member including an opening allowing the air taken from the air inlet to pass therethrough; pressure sensors configured to measure air pressures before and after the air passes through the opening member in the air duct; and an opening member replacing mechanism that forms a part of the air duct, the opening member replacing mechanism being configured to allow the opening member to be replaceable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SANYO DENKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsumichi Ishihara, Takahisa Toda, Yo Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9857210
    Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for measuring the flow rate of a liquid through a conduit. The apparatus is based on a flow rate meter which is adapted to accurately measure the volumetric flow rate of a liquid using a simple, cost and energy effective, and accurate method using only one temperature sensor. The method is based on applying a pulse of thermal energy to the flowing liquid and measuring the temperature increase as a function of time and energy input. By comparing these measurements to a calibration table made by performing similar measurements for known flow rates, the rate of flow can be determined. One application, which will be described to illustrate the features of the method and apparatus of the invention, is measurement of the flow rate of urine excreted by a catheterized patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Renal Sense Ltd.
    Inventors: Jack Yehoshua Mantinband, Michael Adler
  • Patent number: 9857211
    Abstract: An air flow measuring device is adapted to be attached to a duct. The device includes a first housing, a second housing, and a flow sensor. The first housing defines a bypass flow passage which takes in a part of air flowing in the duct, and includes a hollow part and a recess. The bypass flow passage is formed in the hollow part. The recess is formed on an upper side of the hollow part in a vertical direction of the device, and at the recess, an outer surface of the first housing is recessed inward of the first housing. The second housing is formed through secondary formation with the first housing as a primary formed part. The first housing is held on a lower side of the second housing in the vertical direction. The flow sensor is disposed in the bypass flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akiyuki Sudou
  • Patent number: 9857212
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal airflow sensor with high detection accuracy. In achieving the above object, this invention provides a thermal flow sensor including: a flow rate detection element that has a diaphragm formed by processing a semiconductor substrate, a heating resistor provided on the diaphragm, and resistance temperature detectors installed upstream and downstream of the heating resistor; and a support member that adhesively holds the flow rate detection element with a sheet adhesive interposed therebetween. The support member includes a communicating hole of which one end has an opening to a cavity provided on the back side of the diaphragm. The sheet adhesive has a ventilating hole formed in an opening area of the communicating hole in the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Doi, Keiji Hanzawa, Noboru Tokuyasu
  • Patent number: 9857213
    Abstract: A liquid-level detection device for detecting a level of a liquid surface of liquid stored in a container, includes a rotatable body that rotates in accordance with the liquid surface, a fixation body having a main body part fixed to the container and a supporting part projecting from the main body part in an axial direction along a rotation axis of the rotatable body to rotatably support the rotatable body, a pair of magnet parts held by the rotatable body at arrangement positions with the rotation axis therebetween to generate a magnetic flux passing through the supporting part, and a detecting part having an element part disposed inside the supporting part to output a detection result according to a density of a magnetic flux passing through the element part. The rotatable body includes an exposed surface that is located outward of the supporting part and the pair of magnet parts in the axial direction and that is exposed into the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isao Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 9857214
    Abstract: Weighing system (FIG. 3, FIG. 6) to weigh items, parcels and the like, while they are moving, for example, on a conveyor. A servo amplifier (14) and servo controller (20) are arranged to drive a servo motor in a feedback (15) configuration, and acquire torque sensing signals (17) responsive to commanded acceleration of the conveyor while the item(s) are on board. Preferably, constant acceleration of the item(s) is realized during one or more measurement intervals, and mass is derived by a processor (30) based on the measurement data (FIG. 5). Other embodiments are described for weighing granular and slurry materials (FIG. 7) and for weighing multiple, potentially overlapping parcels in motion (FIG. 8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: VELOX ROBOTICS, LLC
    Inventor: Bryan J. Turner
  • Patent number: 9857215
    Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus includes a detector including m-number of probes to which a voltage is supplied and a current/voltage conversion circuit which converts a current into a voltage, a receiver processing electric signals from the probes, and a relay board respectively relaying power distribution lines between the electrical power source and the probes and signal wirings between the receiver and the probe, wherein the relay board receives input of signal wirings and power distribution lines from n-number (m?n) of probes among the m-number of probes, connects the signal wirings from the n-number of probes to the receiver, and connects, to the electrical power source side, the power distribution lines of a number that is fewer than the power distribution lines from the n-number of probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoto Abe
  • Patent number: 9857216
    Abstract: A minute object characteristics measuring apparatus is provided. The minute object characteristics measuring apparatus includes a holder, a cantilever, a measuring device, and a driver. The holder holds a minute object. The cantilever faces the minute object held by the holder. The measuring device measures a displacement of the cantilever. The driver drives one of the holder holding the minute object and the cantilever in a direction that the minute object held by the holder and the cantilever are brought close to or drawn away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daichi Yamaguchi, Shuusuke Someno
  • Patent number: 9857217
    Abstract: An opto-electronic integrated circuit includes an optical splitter (12, 13A, 13B) formed on a substrate, the optical splitter branching an input optical signal into N (N is an integer of 2 or more) optical signals, and outputting the optical signals, and N optical phase modulators (15A-15D) formed on the substrate for the respective optical signals output from the optical splitter, the optical phase modulators adjusting the phases of the optical signals based on a phase modulation characteristic in which the phase change amount changes depending on the wavelength of light, and output the optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION, NTT ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Wakatsuki, Tadao Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9857218
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter comprises a sensor management component (SMC) that facilitates accurately determining a desired switching state of a sensor and controlling the switching state of the sensor to reduce unwanted effects of ambient noise. The SMC samples pre-pulses, pulses, and post-pulses of a signal transmitted from a transmitter of the sensor, determines level of ambient noise associated with the signal based on levels of the pre-pulse sample and the post-pulse sample, and determines the pulse amplitude as a function of the pulse level and the levels of the pre-pulse and post-pulse samples to facilitate accurate state determinations for the sensor. The SMC can determine the state the sensor is to be in at a given time based on the number of good pulses received. The SMC can employ linear or non-linear filtering to remove spike or random noise to further facilitate accurate state determinations for the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederic Boutaud
  • Patent number: 9857219
    Abstract: A nucleic acid analysis device is provided that is capable of quickly detecting device abnormalities, and the like. This device is provided with a temperature control block (1) for holding a tube (10) that includes a sample, a photometer (6), and a device diagnosis unit. The photometer (6) is provided with an LED (11) for irradiating light toward the temperature control block (1) in a state in which the tube (10) is held and a fluorescence detector (20) for receiving light emitted by the sample in response to the irradiation of light from the LED (11). The device diagnosis unit causes the LED (11) to irradiate light toward the temperature control block (1) in a state in which the tube (10) is not held, causes the fluorescence detector (20) to detect the resulting scattered light, and diagnoses the photometer (6) on the basis of the intensity of the scattered light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Manami Nammoku, Kohshi Maeda, Takehiko Hosoiri, Yasunori Shoji
  • Patent number: 9857220
    Abstract: A photoelectric converter includes a photoelectric conversion portion (PD) which receives light from an object to generate charges, a transfer portion (MTX) which transfers the charges generated by the photoelectric conversion portion, a capacitance portion (Cfd, Cs) which accumulates the charges transferred from the transfer portion, a determination unit (109) which determines whether an accumulation of the charges in the capacitance portion is to be stopped based on a signal corresponding to a charge amount accumulated in the capacitance portion during a first time period, and a setting unit (ST) which sets a height of a potential barrier in the transfer portion (transfer channel region), and the setting unit changes the height of the potential barrier in the transfer portion between the first time period and a second time period different from the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Ichimiya
  • Patent number: 9857221
    Abstract: A spectral camera includes a wavelength variable interference filter, an imaging unit having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a two-dimensional array configuration, and a wavelength acquisition unit which acquires center wavelengths of light beams received by the light receiving elements in accordance with signal values output from the light receiving elements when reference light is received by the imaging unit. Light amounts of the reference light corresponding to different wavelength components in a certain wavelength range are uniform in a plane, and different signal values are acquired when light beams of the different wavelength components are received by the light receiving elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomonori Matsushita
  • Patent number: 9857222
    Abstract: A spectral camera for producing a spectral output is disclosed. The spectral camera has an objective lens for producing an image, a mosaic of filters for passing different bands of the optical spectrum, and a sensor array arranged to detect pixels of the image at the different bands passed by the filters, wherein for each of the pixels, the sensor array has a cluster of sensor elements for detecting the different bands, and the mosaic has a corresponding cluster of filters of different bands, integrated on the sensor element so that the image can be detected simultaneously at the different bands. Further, the filters are first order Fabry-Perot filters, which can give any desired passband to give high spectral definition. Cross talk can be reduced since there is no longer a parasitic cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Bert Geelen, Andy Lambrechts, Klaas Tack