Separate Pick-up Patents (Class 324/207.17)
  • Patent number: 11927518
    Abstract: A method for determining a rate of sedimentation or of creaming of a mixture in suspension, including an application of a sample of the mixture in suspension to a photonic microresonator, an application of a first optical signal at the input of the photonic microresonator carrying the sample of the mixture in suspension, an acquisition and a recording of a second optical signal, delivered at the output of the microresonator carrying the sample of the mixture in suspension, and a determination of information representing a rate of sedimentation or of creaming of the mixture from the recorded second signal, by successive iterations of spectral analysis of the second optical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: UNIVERSITE DE RENNES 1, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)
    Inventors: Bruno Beche, Hervé Lhermite, Véronique Vie, Lucas Garnier
  • Patent number: 11920959
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a displacement sensor. A displacement sensor according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a coil structure consisting of wound coil, a shield member formed to surround an outer periphery of the coil structure and a housing, wherein the housing comprises an upper side wall part surrounding an outer periphery of the shield member and a lower side wall part formed to extend from the upper side wall part, wherein an inner circumferential surface of the lower side wall part is protruded toward the inside of the housing more than an inner circumferential surface of the upper side wall part, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the lower side wall part may include a depressed region formed to be depressed into the inside of the housing by a predetermined depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seongki Baek, Kiwook Lee, Sena Jeong
  • Patent number: 11920958
    Abstract: A sensor front-end is presented for processing a measurement signal from a sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit is configured to receive a stimulus signal from an evaluation unit of the sensor front-end, generate the measurement signal from the stimulus signal by altering an amplitude of the stimulus signal based on a measurement parameter, and provide the measurement signal to the evaluation unit. The sensor front-end comprises the evaluation unit that is configured to generate a simulated measurement signal from the stimulus signal by controlling an amplitude of the stimulus signal based on a predetermined control variable, to generate a simulated output signal based on the stimulus signal and the simulated measurement signal, and to determine an error condition based on a comparison of the simulated output signal and the predetermined control variable or a signal derived from the predetermined control variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Matteo Colombo
  • Patent number: 11904335
    Abstract: Location systems and methods for locating paint and other markings on a surface are disclosed. A paint marking stick may include a magnetic field sonde that is actuated in conjunction with dispensing of paint or other markers, where the sonde generates a magnetic field signal in conjunction with dispensing of paint or placement of a marker. A corresponding utility locator may receive the sonde magnetic field dipole signal and determine and store positional information and type information associated with the paint or other marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SeeScan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, James F. Kleyn, Jan Soukup
  • Patent number: 11892510
    Abstract: Provided is an inspection device for a rotating electric machine, including: a storage unit configured to store tendency information indicating a relationship among a position of damage that occurs in an inspection target portion being a range to be inspected of a rotor included in a rotating electric machine, a scale of the damage, and an amount of deformation that occurs in a measurement target portion set on an outer surface of the rotor; a measurement unit configured to measure the amount of deformation that has occurred in the measurement target portion; and a damage estimating unit configured to estimate the position and the scale of the damage that has occurred in the measurement target portion based on the tendency information and the amount of deformation in the measurement target portion, which has been measured by the measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiko Hana, Masao Akiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11831208
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate with an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic field in reaction to an input signal fed in, and with a pickup coil arrangement configured to generate an output signal in reaction to a magnetic field. The excitation coil includes one or more turns arranged around the pickup coil arrangement in a ring-shaped manner in a plan view of the substrate plane. The device further includes a chip package comprising at least one electrical connection connected to the pickup coil arrangement by means of a signal-carrying conductor. In accordance with the concept described herein, the chip package is positioned on the substrate in such a way that the signal-carrying conductor and the one or more turns of the excitation coil do not overlap in a plan view of the substrate plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 11828627
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to obtain increased performance and differentiation for an inductive position sensor through improvements to the sense element and target design are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a sense element includes a transmit coil, a first receive coil that includes a first plurality of arrayed loops, wherein two or more of the first plurality of arrayed loops are at least one of phase blended and amplitude arrayed, and a second receive coil that includes a second plurality of arrayed loops, wherein two or more of the second plurality of arrayed loops are at least one of phase blended and amplitude arrayed, and wherein the first receive coil and the second receive coil are phase shifted. The sense element coils are arrayed in several geometries and layouts, and the coil and target geometry are manipulated to compensate for inherent errors in the fundamental design of an inductive position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: James M. Maloof
  • Patent number: 11801003
    Abstract: At least one magnetic field actuator is configured for generating an actuated magnetic field that at least partially cancels an outside magnetic field, thereby yielding a total residual magnetic field. A plurality of magnetometers are configured for taking measurements of the total residual magnetic field. The magnetometers include a plurality of coarse magnetometers and a plurality of fine magnetometers. A processor is configured for acquiring the total residual magnetic field measurements from the coarse magnetometers, estimating the total residual magnetic field at the fine magnetometers based on total residual magnetic field measurements acquired from the plurality of coarse magnetometers, and controlling the actuated magnetic field at least partially based on the total residual magnetic field estimates at the fine magnetometers in a manner that suppresses the total residual magnetic field at the fine magnetometers to a baseline level, such that at least one of the fine magnetometers is in-range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: HI LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Shapiro, Ricardo Jimenez-Martinez, Julian Kates-Harbeck, Zachary Bednarke, Jamu Alford
  • Patent number: 11761794
    Abstract: A shaft monitoring system includes a rotatable shaft having a target element coupled thereto that rotates along with the shaft. A proximity sensor is located adjacent to the target element. The proximity sensor measures an inductance of the target element based on one or both of a volume of the target element and a distance between the target element and the proximity sensor, and generates a proximity sensor output signal based on the measured inductance. A signal processing system determines at least one of a position of the shaft, a rotational speed of the shaft, and a rotational direction of the shaft based on the proximity sensor output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gordon Elliott Winer, Shihab T. A. Muhammed
  • Patent number: 11740069
    Abstract: An improved inductive sensor determines angular positions for rotating objects, such as rotors of synchronous electric motors. The inductive sensor includes an arcuate transmitter coil, one or more receiver coils, and a conductive target configured to rotate with the rotating object, relative to the transmitter coil and the receiver coil(s). The conductive target includes a plurality of lobes and individual of the lobes is split into multiple lobe portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Inventors: James M. Maloof, Patrick F. McGrath
  • Patent number: 11730549
    Abstract: A method for detecting a position and an operating state of an active surgical instrument. The active surgical instrument emits or influences/modifies at least one electromagnetic field in an active operating state. The method includes the steps of positioning a first sensor in order to detect the electromagnetic field emitted or influenced by the active surgical instrument is the active operating state at a known position, detecting the electromagnetic field emitted or influenced by the active surgical instrument in the active operating state by means of the first sensor, generating an output signal by means of the first sensor, the output signal indicating the detection of the electromagnetic field emitted or influenced by the active surgical instrument by means of the first sensor, and ascertaining the position and operating state of the active surgical instrument on the basis of the output signal and the known position of the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Dirk Mucha
  • Patent number: 11698275
    Abstract: In one example implementation, a rotary position sensor can include a first member and a second member, one of the first and second members having a transmit aerial and a receive aerial and the other of the first and second members having an intermediate coupling element. The receive aerial has at least one receive conductive winding arranged to form a first set of current loops and a second set of current loops. The intermediate coupling element comprises a conductive material arranged in a pattern. The pattern of the intermediate coupling element and the layout of the first and second set of current loops are mutually arranged such that any electromotive force induced in the first set of current loops by a background magnetic field is substantially balanced by an electromotive force induced in the second set of current loops by the background magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne) GmbH
    Inventors: David Witts, Timothy Biggs, Paul Smith, Peter Constantinou
  • Patent number: 11692887
    Abstract: A torque sensor can be configured to detect the positions of rotor targets relative to the position of respective receiver structures. A torque sensor can include an oscillator circuit coupled to an excitation coil. The oscillator circuit can be configured to generate a periodic voltage signal and energize the excitation coil with the periodic voltage signal. The inductive torque sensor can include a stator circuit board including receivers with receiver structures that are periodically repeated. The inductive torque sensor can include rotor targets coupled to respective rotors, the rotor targets can be configured to affect the strength of the inductive coupling between the excitation coil and the respective receivers. The inductive torque sensor can include processing circuitry configured to provide signals associated with positions of the rotor targets relative to their respective receiver structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components (Werne) GmbH
    Inventors: David Witts, Paul Smith
  • Patent number: 11692852
    Abstract: A position sensor is provided. The position sensor includes a target and a segment sensor element. The segment sensor element defines a circumferential direction and a radial direction. The segment sensor element includes a transmit coil. The segment sensor element includes a plurality of receive coils positioned within a space defined by the transmit coil. The plurality of receive coils are offset relative to one another. The shape of each of the plurality of receive coils corresponds to a periodic waveform having a radial width that varies along the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the shape of at least one receive coil of the plurality of receive coils is distorted along at least one of the radial direction or the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA AVX COMPONENTS (WERNE) GMBH
    Inventors: Timothy Biggs, David Witts
  • Patent number: 11686601
    Abstract: A sensor system and method of operating the sensor system can include an indicator that is operable in resonance, the indicator being connected to a movable element of an actuator, and a sensor including sensor windings arranged in direct proximity to the indicator and external to a closed housing. The sensor can receive a position or an angle of the indicator, and can measure the position or the angle of the movable element inside the actuator through the closed housing based on inductive resonance facilitated by the indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Kamp, Thomas Lampe, Tobias Fechtel, Mathias Grewe
  • Patent number: 11662225
    Abstract: An inductive sensor device has a coil arrangement and sensor electronics for determining a longitudinal position of an at least partially electrically conductive and/or magnetically polarizable object moveable at a distance from a device end face along a device sensitive axis. The arrangement has a substantially planar exciting coil for producing an alternating magnetic field for inducing eddy currents and/or magnetic polarization in the object and a first substantially planar receiving coil substantially parallel to and overlapping the exciting coil. The coils are substantially parallel to the end face. The sensor electronics determine at least one parameter of an exciting coil electrical signal, which is variable owing to an inductive backward effect of the object, at least one parameter of a voltage inducible in the at least first receiving coil based on this effect, and the longitudinal position from the determined signal parameter and the determined voltage parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltan Kantor, Attila Szabó
  • Patent number: 11656101
    Abstract: A redundant angular position sensor comprising a first angular position sensor including a first excitation coil, a first sensing coil and a second sensing coil and a second angular position sensor. The second angular position sensor including a second excitation coil, a third sensing coil and a fourth sensing coil. Each of the first, second, third and fourth sensing coils comprising a respective clockwise winding portion and a respective counter-clockwise winding portion. The redundant angular position sensor further comprises a rotatable inductive coupling element positioned in overlying relation to the sensing coils and separated from the sensing coils by a gap, wherein the rotatable inductive coupling element comprises four, substantially evenly radially spaced, sector apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ganesh Shaga
  • Patent number: 11624633
    Abstract: An inductive sensing-based user interface device which includes a conductive barrier with at least one aperture, a magnetic flux modifier attached to a rotary member on one side of the barrier and an inductive structure on an opposed side of the barrier aligned with the aperture, magnetically coupled to the flux modifier, wherein a change in sensed inductance is used to determine rotational input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: AZOTEQ HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventors: Frederick Johannes Bruwer, Douw Gerbrandt Van Der Merwe, Daniel Barend Rademeyer, Regardt Busch, Jakobus Daniel Van Wyk
  • Patent number: 11598626
    Abstract: An inductive angle sensor includes an inductive target arrangement with k-fold symmetry and a first pickup coil arrangement with k-fold symmetry and a second pickup coil arrangement with k-fold symmetry. A combination apparatus is designed to combine signals of the first pickup coil arrangement with signals of the second pickup coil arrangement and, on the basis thereof, to ascertain an angle-error-compensated rotation angle. The single pickup coils of the first and second pickup coil arrangements are each rotationally offset about the axis of rotation R by a geometric offset angle ? relative to one another. Additionally, the entire first pickup coil arrangement is rotationally offset relative to the entire second pickup coil arrangement about the axis of rotation R by a geometric offset angle ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 11592319
    Abstract: An inductive angle sensor for determining a rotational position of a rotor relative to a stator includes an exciter coil, at least one pickup coil arrangement having an m-fold symmetry and at least one conductive target having an m-fold symmetry. The exciter coil may excite the conductive target which, in turn, may induce an induced signal in the pickup coil arrangement. A signal analysis device may determine the rotational position of the rotor based on the induced signal. The inductive angle sensor may comprise a second pickup coil arrangement having an n-fold symmetry and a second conductive target having an n-fold symmetry. The exciter coil may excite the second conductive target which, in turn, may induce a second induced signal in the second pickup coil arrangement. The signal analysis device may determine the rotational position of the rotor based on the two induced signals according to a Vernier principle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 11586870
    Abstract: A Usage, Condition and Location System (UCLS) tag is provided, which is an active RFID tag that, in addition to location, is configured to determine the usage state and operating condition of a device. The UCLS tag includes sensors that measure physical activity of the associated equipment (vibration, magnetic activity, temperature, etc.). Algorithms may use the information obtained from the UCLS tags to map the measured sensor data to a contextual usage state and operating condition of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: EMANATE WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sugar, Neil R. Diener, Yohannes Tesfai, Chandra Vaidyanathan
  • Patent number: 11579331
    Abstract: Buried utility locator systems, including a camera, for detecting buried utilities and determining information therefrom based on sensing electromagnetic emissions from the buried utilities are disclosed. Images and/or video captured by the camera are stored in association with the determined information in a non-transitory memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Paul G. Stuart, David A. Cox, Ray Merewether, Dawn E. Shaffer, Ryan B. Levin, Michael J. Martin
  • Patent number: 11543529
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for implementing a technique for adaptively assigning weighting factors to position and orientation determinations in an electromagnetic or hybrid tracking system having multiple transmitters or multiple receivers. The apparatus may reduce the impact of eddy current distortion to the position and orientation determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: ALKEN Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Higgins, Keith M. Hanf, Allan G. Rodgers, Jr., Allan G. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 11543269
    Abstract: A magnetostrictive position measuring method determines a time of flight of a magnetostrictive response transmitted through a waveguide. The magnetostrictive response is generated using a target magnet in response to a magnetostrictive excitation. In the method, an electrical response signal containing an indicator of the magnetostrictive response is digitally sampled at a sampling rate to obtain a plurality of samples. An amplitude of each of the plurality of samples within a target frequency range is determined through an analysis of the plurality of samples in a frequency domain. A peak sample from the plurality of samples in the frequency domain corresponding to the magnetostrictive response is identified. The time of flight and a position of the target magnet along the waveguide is determined based on the peak sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Temposonics GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Frank Kraehe, Aleksey Minin, Arnold F. Sprecher
  • Patent number: 11543268
    Abstract: A rotary position sensor is includes a static portion that comprises a first board and a second board and a rotatable portion that comprises a third board. The second board comprises a first planar coil; and the third board comprises a second planar coil as well as means for generating luminance. The first board comprises means for receiving the generated luminance and the first planar coil of the second board is configured to transmit power to said second planar coil of said third board via inductance. The power received by said second planar coil is configured to supply a current to said means for generating luminance; and said means for generating luminance is configured to emit a luminance signal which has a luminance level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventor: Arnaud Bouchet
  • Patent number: 11543231
    Abstract: An inductive angle sensor is provided with a stator with an excitation oscillating circuit and a pickup coil arrangement and also with a rotor which is arranged rotatably with respect to the stator and comprises an inductive target arrangement. The excitation oscillating circuit can be energizable with an alternating current, in order to induce an induction current in the target arrangement, and the target arrangement can be designed to generate a magnetic field in reaction to the induction current, which magnetic field in turn generates induction signals in the pickup coil arrangement. The angle sensor further comprises a circuit that is designed to derive an induction strength signal representing the signal strength of the induction signals from the induction signals and to ascertain the spatial clearance between the rotor and the stator on the basis of the induction strength signal, and to generate a corresponding clearance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Udo Ausserlechner
  • Patent number: 11536590
    Abstract: An offset correction device includes: an amplitude adjuster that adjusts an amplitude of a detection signal output from an encoder by adjusting a gain of the detection signal so that the amplitude is within a predetermined range; an offset corrector that corrects an offset of an amplitude center of the detection signal; and a storage that stores a relationship between the gain and an offset amount in advance, wherein the offset corrector refers to the relationship stored in the storage when the amplitude adjuster changes the gain, obtains the offset amount corresponding to the changed gain, and corrects the offset based on the obtained offset amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corp.
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Naoki Kobayashi, Hiroatsu Mori
  • Patent number: 11525701
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an inductive position sensor configured to determine a position of a target device. The inductive position sensor comprises at least two coils for determining the position. At least two of the at least two coils for determining the position at least partially overlap. At least one coil of the at least two at least partially overlapping coils is a transmitter coil and at least one of the at least two coils is a receiver coil. At least one of the at least two coils has N2+R portions substantially equally distributed over N substantially parallel planes, N being an integer larger than or equal to two and R an integer larger than or equal to zero. For each of the at least two coils the portions distributed over the N substantially parallel planes are substantially identical, so that mutual inductance between the at least two coils is substantially unaffected by misalignments between the N substantially parallel planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Lorenzo Lugani, Wolfram Kluge
  • Patent number: 11512982
    Abstract: A measuring arrangement for distance or angle measurement and a corresponding measuring method are described. In accordance with one example, the measuring arrangement comprises a scale having magnetization which varies along a measuring direction and which brings about a correspondingly varying magnetic field. The measuring device furthermore comprises at least one scanning head which is permeated by the varying magnetic field depending on the relative position with respect to the scale in the measuring direction. The scanning head comprises the following: at least one ferromagnetic film having, on account of the magneto impedance effect, a local electrical impedance that is dependent on the magnetic field and varies along the measuring direction, and at least one sensor unit configured to generate at least two phase-shifted sensor signals which are dependent on the local electrical impedance of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventors: Victor Vasiloiu, Paul Tutzu
  • Patent number: 11486813
    Abstract: Method and system for determining a confinement size in a porous media, including subjecting the media to a substantially uniform static magnetic field, applying a magnetic resonance pulse sequence to the media, detecting magnetic resonance signals from the media, determining non-ground eigenvalues from the magnetic resonance relaxation spectrum, and determining a confinement size of the media from the eigenvalues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Armin Afrough, Bruce J. Balcom, Laura Romero-Zerón
  • Patent number: 11480446
    Abstract: A device rotates at least one static magnetic field about an axis, producing a rotating magnetic dipole field, and is movable in relation to the surface of the ground. The field is periodically sensed using a receiver to produce a receiver output responsive to the field. A positional relationship between the receiver and the device is monitored using the output. In one aspect, changing the positional relationship, by moving the device nearer to a boring tool which supports the receiver, causes an increase in accuracy of depth determination. In another aspect, determination of an actual overhead position of the boring tool, and its application, are described. Use of a plurality of measurements over at least one-half revolution of each magnet is disclosed. Establishing a surface radial direction toward a boring tool and resolution of multi-valued parameters is described. Calibration techniques, as well as a three transmitter configuration are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Merlin Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Rudolf Zeller, Guenter W. Brune, Albert W. Chau, John E. Mercer
  • Patent number: 11473564
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a pitch system of a wind turbine includes monitoring, via one or more first sensors, at least one electrical condition of the pitch system. The method also includes monitoring, via one or more second sensors, at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system. Further, the method includes receiving, via a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more first and second sensors, sensor signals representing the at least one electrical condition and the at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system. Thus, the method includes determining, via the controller, a bearing condition of a pitch bearing of the pitch system based on the at least one electrical condition and the at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lijun He, Liwei Hao, John Mihok
  • Patent number: 11460698
    Abstract: Head-mounted augmented reality (AR) devices can track pose of a wearer's head to provide a three-dimensional virtual representation of objects in the wearer's environment. An electromagnetic (EM) tracking system can track head or body pose. A handheld user input device can include an EM emitter that generates an EM field, and the head-mounted AR device can include an EM sensor that senses the EM field. EM information from the sensor can be analyzed to determine location and/or orientation of the sensor and thereby the wearer's pose. The EM emitter and sensor may utilize time division multiplexing (TDM) or dynamic frequency tuning to operate at multiple frequencies. Voltage gain control may be implemented in the transmitter, rather than the sensor, allowing smaller and lighter weight sensor designs. The EM sensor can implement noise cancellation to reduce the level of EM interference generated by nearby audio speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Bucknor, Christopher Lopez, Michael Janusz Woods, Aly H. M. Aly, James William Palmer, Evan Francis Rynk
  • Patent number: 11454810
    Abstract: A method of reducing a chance of interference between operations of two electromagnetic systems (e.g., AR/VR systems) is provided. The method includes determining one or more first frequencies at which a first electromagnetic system is operating, identifying one or more second frequencies that do not interfere with the determined one or more first frequencies, and setting a second electromagnetic system to operate at the identified one or more second frequencies. Each of the first and the second electromagnetic systems includes a respective magnetic transmitter configured to generate magnetic fields, and a respective magnetic sensor configured to generate signals based on characteristics of the magnetic fields received at the magnetic sensor (e.g., from the respective magnetic transmitter).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Northern Digital Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Koole, Marc Cameron, Joel McCartney
  • Patent number: 11444209
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor includes a lead frame, a semiconductor die, a conductive coil, a mandrel, and a non-conductive mold material. The lead frame has a first surface, a second opposing surface, at least one slot, and a plurality of leads. The semiconductor die has a first surface in which a magnetic field sensing element is disposed and a second opposing surface attached to the first surface of the lead frame. The conductive coil is secured to the second surface of the lead frame and configured to operate as a back bias magnet to provide a magnetic field used to detect movement of a target. The coil is would around the mandrel and the mandrel is comprised of a ferromagnetic material. The non-conductive mold material encloses the die, the conductive coil, the mandrel, and at least a portion of the lead frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Ravi Vig, William P. Taylor, Paul A. David, P. Karl Scheller, Andreas P. Friedrich
  • Patent number: 11421975
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement for an absolute measuring position detection system based on a magnetic code object has a substantially linear arrangement of magnetic field sensors, wherein a bit pattern encoded on a single-track magnetic code object having a uniform bit length is readable by the magnetic field sensors. In the case of a position detection system having the sensor arrangement, the values of magnetic bits are detected in the range of a detected bit sequence and the position of each 0?1 and 1?0 bit transition along a longitudinal axis of a code object is determined from the detected bit values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltan Kantor, Attila Szabó, Kolos Károly
  • Patent number: 11402440
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for trimming a magnetic field sensor having a first magnetic field sensing element. The trimming includes the use of a curve for normalized sensitivity of the first magnetic field sensing element derived from a first curve corresponding to current through a coil in a first direction at a first time. This produces a field affecting the first magnetic field sensing element versus an external field. The trimming further includes a second curve corresponding to current through the coil in a second direction opposite to the first direction at a second time to produce a field affecting the first magnetic field sensing element versus an external field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Virag V. Chaware, Jesse Lapomardo, David J. Haas
  • Patent number: 11395703
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electromagnetic distortion detection are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes an electromagnetic (EM) sensor configured to generate an EM sensor signal in response to detection of the EM field. The system may also include a processor configured to calculate a baseline value of a metric indicative of a position of the EM sensor at a first time and calculate an updated value of the metric during a time period after the first time. The processor may be further configured to determine that a difference between the updated value and the baseline value is greater than a threshold value and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: David Burdick Berman, Christopher K. Sramek, Hedyeh Rafii-Tari, Prasanth Jeevan, Nicolas E. Robert
  • Patent number: 11391556
    Abstract: A system and method for performing synchronization of a magnetic field transmitter and receiver to resolve received signal phase ambiguity based upon the phases of the magnetic fields. Three orthogonal field frequencies are selected. A Fourier transform extracts the sine and cosine of the received signal, which provides the received signal phases and results in a complex signal matrix (“Sigmat”). A search is made for a phase rotation of the frequencies to achieve convergence of the Sigmat at a point it is real-valued; the search may be limited by aligning the Sigmat such that the major element becomes real-valued and rotating the other two frequencies. The correct phase is the one in which the Sigmat has a positive determinant and minimizes any remaining imaginary portion. A transmitter and receiver may be calibrated to account for any analog phase shift. Distortion of the magnetic field may also be detected and corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PENUMBRA, INC.
    Inventors: Oded Y. Zur, Ron Barak, Michael D. Collins, Alejandro Santiago Diaz, Ran Bar-On, Cameron J. Mahon
  • Patent number: 11340095
    Abstract: An object is to respectively excite transmission coils with different voltages using a single power supply with low power consumption in an electromagnetic induction type encoder. A detection head of an encoder includes a voltage adjustment circuit and a plurality of excitation circuits. The excitation circuit includes a resonant circuit that includes a driving capacitor and a transmission coil connected in series and generates an alternate-current magnetic field inducing currents in scale coils disposed in a plurality of scale tracks on a scale by connecting both ends of the resonant circuit in a state in which the driving capacitor is charged. The voltage adjustment circuit includes a first transformer capacitor and controls a charging voltage of the driving capacitor in a single excitation circuit using the charged first transformer capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Kawatoko, Toshihiro Hasegawa, Tomohiro Tahara, Akio Kawai
  • Patent number: 11308472
    Abstract: Temporarily provisioning functionality to a personal device in a multi-device point-of-sale (POS) system is described. In an example, a personal device can be determined to be within a range of a POS system of a merchant. The POS system can include a merchant-facing device and a customer-facing device that is coupled to the merchant-facing device. Functionality can be provisioned to the personal device that (i) configures the personal device to present a customer user interface (UI) via a display of the personal device to enable a customer operating the personal device to interact with the merchant and (ii) enables the personal device to interact with at least one of the merchant-facing device or the customer-facing device. Responsive to determining an occurrence of an event, the functionality can be de-provisioned from the personal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Block, Inc.
    Inventors: Sara Sanchez-Llorens, Todor Ristov, Elise Hurwitz, Arnaud Ponchon, Evan Doyle, Isreal Blagdan, Christine Lin, Imran Khan
  • Patent number: 11287286
    Abstract: A pitch compensated inductive position encoder includes a scale comprising first and second tracks including periodic patterns having a wavelength W, a detector, and signal processing. The second track pattern may be shifted along the measuring direction by a pattern offset STO relative to the first track pattern. In the detector, first-track and second-track field generating coil portions generate fields in first and second interior areas aligned with the first and second pattern tracks, respectively. First and second sensing coil configurations that are aligned with the first and second tracks, respectively, are offset relative to one another by STO+/?0.5*W along the measuring direction. In various embodiments, the first and second sensing coil configurations may have the same sequence of individual coil polarities if the generated field polarities are different, and may have inverted or opposite sequences if the generated field polarities are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Ted Staton Cook
  • Patent number: 11262219
    Abstract: An inductive absolute position sensor has a scale with planar conducting features on a pattern repeating every spatial period TC along a measuring path and a reading head with planar windings: multipolar sine and cosine sense windings of spatial period TF=TC/M, M an integer, a unipolar first drive winding surrounding the sense windings and a multipolar second drive winding of spatial period TC/N along the measuring path, with N=M±1. An electronic circuit makes a first mode measurement using the first drive winding and a second mode measurement using the second drive winding. The absolute position in a range TC is computed from both modes' measurements. The sensor may be as compact as the incremental sensor it replaces, as the scale pattern and second drive winding needed for making it absolute do not need extra space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: hemy8 SA
    Inventor: Hans Ulrich Meyer
  • Patent number: 11237649
    Abstract: Circuits for controlling magnetic-based tracking systems are described. These systems may be used in virtual reality applications, for example to track in real-time the location of one or more body parts. The systems use a beacon emitting mutually orthogonal magnetic fields. On the receiver side, one or more sensors disposed on different parts of a body receive the magnetic fields. The beacon includes switching amplifiers for driving the magnetic field emitters. Being binary, these amplifiers may be controlled by binary signals. The circuits may exhibit a resonant frequency response, and may be operated off-resonance, thus providing for a better control of the magnetic fields amplitude. As a result, however, fluctuations in the envelop of the magnetic fields due to the presence of a beating tone may arise. These fluctuations may be shortened by gradually activating the drivers for the magnetic field emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: MEDIATEK Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir A. Muratov, Da-shan Shiu, William Plumb, Philip Frank Tustin
  • Patent number: 11204264
    Abstract: An inductive sensor device has a scale with scale elements that provide a field pattern in at least one line extending in a measuring direction. The inductive sensor device contains at least one receive circuit with at least one receive coil. The receive coil and the scale are moveable relative to each other in the measuring direction. The receive coil extends from a first end to a second end in the measuring direction. It has a first end section directly adjacent to the first end and a second end section directly adjacent to the second end, and middle section. Each of the sections contains at least one loop of the receive coil. In the end sections the loop area decreases from loop to loop from the loop next to the middle section toward the respective end. Such a loop design compensates for misalignments between the receive coil and the scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Sagentia Limited
    Inventor: Ross Jones
  • Patent number: 11196416
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inductive proximity switch. The object of the invention to present a very simplified inductive position sensor, which can be reliably used for detecting a zero crossing of its output voltage when a target moves by will be solved by an inductive proximity switch comprising a transmitter coil, a receiver coil, an integrated circuit for excitation of the transmitter coil and a signal processing unit for processing a received signal from the receiver coil, wherein an oscillator excites a resonant circuit comprising the transmitter coil and a parallel capacitor for inducing a voltage in the receiver coil, wherein the receiver coil comprises two symmetrical segments with opposite orientation that are connected in series, wherein the transmitter coil surrounds the segments of the receiver coil or the transmitter coil is surrounded by the segments of the receiver coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Erhard Müsch
  • Patent number: 11181395
    Abstract: An electronic position encoder includes a scale and detector. The detector includes a field generating coil (FGC) having elongated portions (EPs) bounding a generated field area (GFA) aligned with sensing windings, to provide position signals responsive to the scale interacting with the generated field. Sensing elements and EPs are fabricated in “front” layers of the detector. A transverse conductor portion (TCP) fabricated in a “rear” layer connects the EP of the FGC via feedthroughs. A shield region in a layer between the front and rear layers intercepts at least a majority of a projection of the TCP toward the front layers to eliminate undesirable signal effects. The FGC feedthroughs generate GFC feedthrough stray fields. Feedthrough pairs that connect sensing winding signals to rear layers of the detector are specially configured to mitigate undesirable signal effects that may otherwise result from their coupling to the GFC feedthrough stray fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Ted Staton Cook
  • Patent number: 11169008
    Abstract: An electronic position encoder includes a scale and detector. The detector includes a field generating coil (FGC) having elongated portion configurations (EPCs) bounding a generated field area (GFA) aligned with sensing elements in a sensing area, to provide position signals responsive to the scale interacting with the generated field. Sensing elements and EPCs are fabricated in “front” layers of the detector portion. The EPCs include end gradient arrangements (EGAs) configured to reduce field strength in the generated field area as a function of position along the x-axis direction for positions approaching the end of the GFA. A shielded transverse conductor portion (TCP) fabricated in a “rear” layer connects the EPCs and/or EGAs of the FGC via feedthroughs. A conductive shield region (CSR) configuration in a CSR layer between the front and rear layers intercepts at least a majority of a projection of the TCP toward the front layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Ted Staton Cook
  • Patent number: 11169003
    Abstract: A scanning unit for determining a relative angular position of an angular scale that is rotatable about an axis relative to the scanning unit includes a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface and evaluation electronics. A detector assembly is disposed in a manner that enables scanning of the angular scale located opposite the first surface of the circuit board. A housing body includes: slots extending circumferentially about the axis; lands in each case extending axially between two of the slots such that the housing body is axially flexible but torsionally and radially rigid; and a bottom disposed axially between the slots and the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Gregor Rosenegger, Andreas Mitterer, Christian Funk, Erich Strasser
  • Patent number: 11145971
    Abstract: An antenna has a rotating magnetic dipole and a rotating electric dipole having parallel axes of rotation, but orthogonal magnetic and electric vectors. The rotational frequency defines the RF carrier to create the electric and magnetic fields necessary to generate the Poynting vector in the immediate vicinity of the antenna. Because there is no energy required to maintain the fields of a permanent magnet or electret, the only power input is that overcoming mechanical friction, and eddy current and hysteretic losses in adjacent conducting structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: David W. Cripe