Electrical Connectors Patents (Class 324/538)
  • Patent number: 10247680
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring a material includes at least one transmitter for transmitting a first signal and a second signal. A variable reflector reflects a portion of the first signal at a first reflecting property to produce a first reflected signal, the portion of the first signal having traveled through the material. The variable reflector also reflects a portion of the second signal at a second reflecting property to produce a second reflected signal, the portion of the second signal having traveled through the material. A receiver receives the first received signal and the second received signal, the first received signal includes the first reflected signal having traveled through the material and the second received signal includes the second reflected signal having traveled through the material. The first reflected signal and the second reflected signal providing an indication of at least one property of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: SENSORS & SOFTWARE INC.
    Inventors: Peter Annan, David Redman
  • Patent number: 10247796
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. The system includes a magnet assembly, a controller, and a marker. The magnet assembly defines a bore within which an object is disposed. The controller communicates with the magnet assembly. The marker is disposed on the object and emits a rapidly decaying magnetic resonance signal after being excited by a short-TE sequence scan executed by the controller via the magnet assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Gaspar Delso
  • Patent number: 10228392
    Abstract: A contact probe of a testing head of a testing apparatus of electronic devices comprises respective end portions adapted to contact respective contact pads and a body essentially extended in a longitudinal direction between the end portions, at least one end portion comprising an insert made of a first conductive material having a hardness being greater than a second conductive material making the contact probe which is supported by a section of the end portion, the section being made of the second conductive material and being shaped in a complementary way with respect to the insert and having respective abutting surfaces facing and adhering to respective abutting surfaces of the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TECHNOPROBE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Roberto Crippa, Giuseppe Crippa, Raffaele Vallauri
  • Patent number: 10208772
    Abstract: A position-determining actuator includes a rod, a barrel, a wave detector, and a controller. The barrel at least partially surrounds a piston of the rod so as to define a cap-side void and allow the rod to telescope relative to the barrel. The wave detector is associated with the cap-side void and configured to read fluid pressure of a hydraulic fluid disposed in the cap-side void. The controller is configured to receive, from the wave detector, a pressure reading from within the cap-side void; analyze the pressure reading to determine an extension standing wave; and analyze the extension standing wave to determine an extension dimension of the cap-side void.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Altec Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron Beck
  • Patent number: 10203356
    Abstract: A portable measurement device includes an elongated body, a stationary portion fixedly mounted to a distal end, and a movable jaw movably mounted to the distal end and movable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the movable jaw and the stationary portion form a closed loop with an inner diameter of less than or equal to 10 mm. Alternatively, at least one of the movable jaw and the stationary portion has a cross-sectional diameter of less than or equal to 5 mm. In the open position, the movable jaw and the stationary portion define a gap allowing a wire under test to pass therethrough into the loop. A switch drives the movable jaw between the closed and open positions. A measurement circuit electrically coupled to the stationary portion and the movable jaw to receive and measure a sensing current generated by the closed loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Fang Li, Wei Huang, Shounan Luo
  • Patent number: 10198336
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of pins coupled to a controller to receive a plurality of module statuses corresponding to slot locations of the enclosure at various proximity tiers relative to the module. The controller is to check a first pin of the plurality of pins to identify whether a first proximity tier relative to the module is occupied, regardless of a slot location of the module in the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventor: Benjamin Thomas Gaide
  • Patent number: 10191099
    Abstract: A semiconductor test device includes an actuator holding a radiation source and adjusting a distance between the radiation source and a sample, and a controller controlling an operation of the actuator and calculating a soft error rate (SER) of the sample based on the distance between the radiation source and the sample. The controller calculates a first distance between the radiation source and the sample at which the SER of the sample becomes zero, and calculates a metal-to-dielectric ratio of the sample based on the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Soon-Young Lee, Sang-Woo Pae
  • Patent number: 10184909
    Abstract: Methods, structures, and apparatus that are able to detect the presence of a connection to a device contact of an electronic device and are also able to detect the presence of contamination at the device contact. A host device includes a connection detection circuit and a contamination detection circuit connected to the device contact. The connection detection circuit includes a pull-up resistor that is pulled down by a pull-down resistor in an accessory device following a connection. The contamination detection circuit includes a current source to provide a current at the device contact and measurement circuitry to measure a resulting voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vishal Gupta, Timothy M. Johnson, Nilay D. Jani, Yehonatan Perez
  • Patent number: 10180164
    Abstract: A resolver for a rotation position detection device comprises a rotor portion having a resin gear having a hole formed at a center portion thereof through which a stationary shaft passes, and a rotor core connected to the resin gear; and a stator portion having the stationary shaft, an excitation wiring and a detection wiring, a back core, and a resin housing, wherein the excitation wiring and the detection wiring are arranged around the stationary shaft at a constant distance from the stationary shaft in a diameter direction, the back core is adjacent to or in contact with the stationary shaft, and the resin gear has a shape whose central portion projects in the shaft direction so as to be in contact with the back core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: OKUMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Shibata, Yasunori Kawakami
  • Patent number: 10175309
    Abstract: An electromagnetic impedance sensing device includes a first substrate, a first patterned conductive layer, a second substrate, a second patterned conductive layer, a magneto-conductive wire and an encapsulation layer. The first substrate has a first surface, and the first patterned conductive layer is formed on the first surface. The second substrate has a second surface facing to the first surface, and the second patterned conductive layer is formed on the second surface and electrically contacted to the first patterned conductive layer. The first and second patterned conductive layers are physically integrated to define an accommodation space allowing the magneto-conductive wire passing there through. The magneto-conductive wire is encapsulated by the encapsulation layer to make the magneto-conductive wire electrically isolated from the first and second patterned conductive layers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: PROLIFIC TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hung-Ta Li, Po-Feng Lee
  • Patent number: 10175267
    Abstract: A current measurement circuit for measuring a current consumption of a circuit system includes a plurality of current measurement units and a current-to-voltage (I-V) converter. Each of the current measurement units includes an impedance unit and a voltage-to-current (V-I) converter. The impedance unit includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The V-I converter, coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal of the impedance unit, includes an output terminal and an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA). The plurality of output terminals of the plurality of V-I converters of the plurality of current measurement units are coupled to a first node. The I-V converter is coupled to the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: NOVATEK Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Min-Hung Hu, Hsi-Ming Chen, Chao-Wei Su, Ying-Chieh Yen
  • Patent number: 10156863
    Abstract: A control system for controlling operation of an appliance includes a first signal source configured to produce an alternating current (AC) signal, a second signal source configured to produce a second signal, and a controller. The controller includes a processor, a memory device, a first input pin coupled to the first signal source to receive the AC signal, a second input pin coupled to the second signal source to receive the second signal, and an analog to digital (A/D) converter. The A/D converter is coupled to the first input pin and the memory device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to sample the second signal at the second input pin only when the first signal has a value of about zero volts at the first input pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: John Broker
  • Patent number: 10132860
    Abstract: A method for stress testing a device under test (DUT) having a plurality of pins includes generating a stress test pattern which independently stresses each pin of the plurality of pins, wherein the stress test pattern includes a plurality of test vector, and applying each test vector to the plurality of pins for a predetermined amount of time. The method further includes, after applying all the test vectors of the stress test pattern, applying a programmable load to each pin independently and after applying each programmable load, comparing an output voltage of each pin to a predetermined voltage range to form an output vector for each pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Kenneth Glaeser, Mickey Mitchell Bowers
  • Patent number: 10126328
    Abstract: An electrical test fixture includes a printed wiring board (PWB) and a pair of cable connectors for connecting to a device to be tested. The test fixture includes jacks for a digital multi meter and a multi meter bus on the PWB. On/off switches on the PWB correspond to circuit elements in the device to be tested. The cable connecters are connected to the PWB using contact pins and flexible stranded wires crimped to the contact pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: John Parkes
  • Patent number: 10126338
    Abstract: A method for determining power consumption levels of an appliance includes reducing a power consumption of the appliance to a minimum value; measuring a first voltage value at an internal terminal of the appliance; increasing the power consumption of the appliance to a factory default value; measuring a second voltage value at the internal terminal of the appliance; computing a supply wire resistance based on the measured first and second voltage values; and determining a maximum allowable power consumption value of the appliance based on the computed supply wire resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Advanced Digital Broadcast S.A.
    Inventor: Dariusz Cichonski
  • Patent number: 10101374
    Abstract: An electrostatic distribution measuring instrument includes a sensing module and a control module. The sensing module includes a plurality of electrostatic sensing elements electrically insulated from each other. The plurality of electrostatic sensing elements is single walled carbon nanotubes or few-walled carbon nanotubes. The control module is coupled to the sensing module and configured to measure a resistance variation ?R of the sensing module and convert the resistance variation ?R into a static electricity potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xin-He Wang, Dong-Qi Li, Jiang-Tao Wang, Wen-Yun Wu, Yu-Jun He, Peng Liu, Qing-Yu Zhao, Kai-Li Jiang, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 10078101
    Abstract: A testing device for wafer level testing of IC circuits is disclosed. An upper and lower pin (22, 62) are configured to slide relatively to each other and are held in electrically biased contact by an elastomer (80). To prevent rotation of the pins in the pin guide, a walled recess in the bottom of the pin guide engages flanges on the pins. In another embodiment, the pin guide maintains rotational alignment by being fitted around the pin profile or having projections abutting the pin. The pin guide (12) is maintained in alignment with the retainer 14 by establishing a registration corner (506) and driving the guide into the corner by elastomers in at least one diagonally opposite corner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Johnstech International Corporation
    Inventors: Jathan Edwards, Charles Marks, Brian Halvorson
  • Patent number: 10078108
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides test structures, fabrication methods thereof and test methods thereof. An exemplary test structure includes a substrate having a to-be-tested region having at least one fin and a peripheral region having at least one fin surrounding the to-be-tested region; an insulation layer covering portions of side surfaces of the fins; at least one first gate structure covering side and top surfaces of the fin in the to-be-tested region; second gate structures covering side and top surfaces of the fins in the peripheral region; source/drain regions formed in portions of the fins between adjacent second gate structures and portions of the fins between the first gate structure and adjacent second gate structures; and a plurality of first conductive structures formed between adjacent second gate structures in the peripheral region. The plurality of first conductive structures cross over and are on source/drain regions of at least two fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yong Li
  • Patent number: 10060172
    Abstract: A variable resistance conductive rubber sensor and method of detecting an object/human touch therewith is provided. The sensor has a sensor body constructed from electrically conductive rubber. The sensor body extends between opposite first and second ends. A first wire is operably connected to the first end and a second wire may be operably connected to the second end, with the first and second wires being brought into electrical communication with one another by the intermediately extending electrically conductive rubber of the sensor body. A microcontroller is operably connected to the sensor body to detect the presence of an applied force or human touch on the sensor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Kurt Matthew Schatz, Samuel R. Baruco, J. R. Scott Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10054626
    Abstract: A failure rate calculation device calculates the failure rate of a wire harness of which each of a plurality of electrical wires is connected with connectors via relay points, the device including: a storage unit which stores electrical wire-connector connection information in which each of the plurality of electrical wires and the connectors are associated with each other and in which type information on each of the electrical wires and type information on each of the connectors are associated with each other, and failure rate information in which the type information belonging to the electrical wire-connector connection information and failure rate factors, associated with the type information, are associated with each other; and a processing unit which, when the wire harness is specified, checks the electrical wire-connector connection information and the failure rate information against each other and calculates a failure rate in the wire harness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Toyama, Yoshihiro Nakayama
  • Patent number: 10054614
    Abstract: A test lead assembly includes a first test lead having a first cable extending between a distal end and a proximal end, a first test probe attached to the distal end and a first plug attached to the proximal end; a second test lead having a second cable extending between a distal end and a proximal end, a second test probe attached to the distal end, and a second plug attached to the proximal end; and a fastener member for repeatedly releasably engaging at least a portion of the first cable with at least a portion of the second cable along a length of the first and second cables. The test lead assembly and a measurement device incorporating the test lead assembly can avoid or at least reduce knotting of the test leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Hua Qiu, Duanjun Lu, Jinbo He
  • Patent number: 10041977
    Abstract: A voltage detecting probe includes a first shield with an insertion concave formed at a front end; a second shield that has a base end of the first shield inserted thereinto; and a detection electrode formed of a conductive cylindrical member, covered with an insulating covering, and housed inside the first shield. The first shield or detection electrode moves along an axis when an operation lever is moved. When the insulating covering on the front end contacts a measured wire inserted into the insertion concave, the detection electrode and wire become capacitively coupled. The operation lever includes a pillar portion inserted through a guide hole in the second shield and connected to the first shield or detection electrode. A third shield, which is attached to the pillar portion, moves with the operation lever, and shields the guide hole, is disposed inside and/or outside the second shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: HIOKI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shin Kasai
  • Patent number: 10040638
    Abstract: A transport apparatus for transporting containers in a container-processing installation. The transport apparatus includes a transport track, a plurality of transport elements for transporting one or more containers, wherein the plurality of transport elements is movably arranged on the transport track, at least one special element, which is movably arranged on the transport track and is different from the plurality of transport elements, and an open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit. The transport track, the plurality of transport elements, and the special element are designed in such a way that the plurality of transport elements and the special element can be guided along the transport track in such a way that the plurality of transport elements and the special element are individually controllable by the open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Konrad Senn
  • Patent number: 10012686
    Abstract: A probe includes a self-aligning connector set, a moveable probe tip, a cable, a housing, and a spring. When the probe tip is pressed to a test point on a device-under-test, the probe tip moves within the housing to cause a first connector and a second connector of the self-aligning connector set to be connected through an adapter of the self-aligning connector set, thereby establishing a signal path through the probe. The first connector, second connector, and adapter are structured so that their respective ground conductors become connected prior to their respective signal conductors becoming connected. Electro-static charge present at the test point is safely discharged through a resistor to ground before the signal path through the probe is established, thereby preventing damage to the probe and connected host instrument. When the probe tip is removed from the device-under-test, the spring forces a disconnection of the first and second connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventor: John B. Rettig
  • Patent number: 10001541
    Abstract: A wheeled object (e.g., a human-propelled cart such as a shopping cart) can include a navigation system that uses dead reckoning to determine the position of the wheeled object. The navigation system can include a magnetometer and an accelerometer and may be disposed on a handle of the wheeled object. Examples of a system for calibrating the magnetometer and accelerometer during manufacture as well as during installation on the wheeled object are disclosed. The calibration includes calibrating for the soft iron distortion induced at the navigation system by the ferromagnetic shopping cart handle (or other ferromagnetic portions of the cart such as the frame) and hard iron distortions induced by nearby magnetic sources (e.g., a permanent magnet in an audio speaker). The calibration system can include a plurality of Helmholtz or Maxwell coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter
  • Patent number: 9970980
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a gate drive circuit; an output transistor, and a gate coupled to the gate drive circuit; a normally-on transistor including a load path coupled to the gate drive circuit and to the gate of the output transistor; and a pull-up device, where the output transistor is configured to provide a test leakage current in a test mode when a measurement voltage is applied to a current test node coupled to the gate of the output transistor and a turn-off voltage is applied to the gate of the normally-on transistor; and the gate drive circuit is configured to provide a gate drive voltage to the gate of the output transistor in a nominal operation mode when a voltage of the gate of the normally-on transistor is pulled-up to a voltage of the pull-up node via the pull-up device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Emanuele Bodano
  • Patent number: 9964584
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a display device including a light-emitting pixel and a drive transistor that drives the light-emitting pixel using current, includes: (a) placing the display device in a light-emitting state; (b) placing the display device in a no-light-emitting state after (a); (c) leaving the display device in the non-light-emitting state for a predetermined period; (d) placing the display device in the light-emitting state again after (c); and (e) start measuring luminance of the display device at a start of (d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: JOLED INC.
    Inventor: Yuki Kishi
  • Patent number: 9967983
    Abstract: An electrical connector arrangement includes a storage device coupled to a connector housing. The storage device is configured to store physical layer information pertaining to the electrical connector arrangement. The storage device also has contacts that enable the physical layer information to be read from the storage device by a media reading interface. A connector assembly includes at least one receptacle assembly; a printed circuit board; and a media reading interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Joseph C. Coffey, Loren J. Mattson
  • Patent number: 9947254
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel. The array test circuit (200) comprises a test control unit including a N type thin film transistor and a P type thin film transistor, wherein one thin film transistor is employed to be the output thin film transistor, and the other thin film transistor is employed to be the voltage stabilization thin film transistor. When the liquid crystal display panel is in the normal display state, the test control signal (ATEN) controls the output thin film transistor to be deactivated and controls the voltage stabilization thin film transistor to be activated so that the voltage difference of the gate and the source of the output thin film transistor is zero. Thus, the leakages on the data lines in the active display area (100) are consistent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shijuan Yi, Mang Zhao
  • Patent number: 9934341
    Abstract: A first open path in a microprocessor design is identified. At least one modification to a design of that first open path is simulated. An updated arrival time at a pin is calculated based on the simulated modification or modifications. An updated path time is then calculated based on the updated arrival time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Berry, Chris A. Cavitt, Adam P. Matheny, Jose L. Neves, Jesse P. Surprise, Michael H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9928322
    Abstract: A first open path in a microprocessor design is identified. At least one modification to a design of that first open path is simulated. An updated arrival time at a pin is calculated based on the simulated modification or modifications. An updated path time is then calculated based on the updated arrival time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Berry, Chris A. Cavitt, Adam P. Matheny, Jose L. Neves, Jesse P. Surprise, Michael H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9880216
    Abstract: A locking confirmation device of multiple electrode contacts includes an electrode, a terminal bolt, a sensing unit and a positioning bolt. The electrode includes an electrode thread and a positioning thread. The terminal bolt is used for locking a conductor and the electrode thread. The terminal bolt includes a positioning recess. The sensing unit includes an insulated cover, a first contact, a second contact, an elastic member and an voltage signal input connector. When the elastic member is extruded, a circuit is formed for returning a voltage signal of a node of the electrode. The positioning bolt is used for fixing a detection sensor assembly on the positioning thread. When a head portion of the positioning bolt is received within the positioning recess, the terminal bolt is led to a locking state by the head portion of the positioning bolt. Therefore, a fault of an electricity system is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ALEEES ECO ARK (CAYMAN) CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Antzu Yang, Anthony Antao Yang, Gordon Ching Chen
  • Patent number: 9829507
    Abstract: Reliability of an electrical test of a semiconductor wafer is improved. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a step of performing an electrical test of a semiconductor element by allowing contact portions (tips) of a force terminal (contact terminal) and a sense terminal (contact terminal) held by a probe card (first card) to come into contact with an electrode terminal of a semiconductor wafer. In the step of performing the electrical test, the contact portions of the force terminal and the sense terminal move in a direction away from each other after coming into contact with the first electrode terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9722413
    Abstract: A ground-resistance detection device, which is coupled to a power system including a first power line, a second power line, and a protective earth, includes a ground-resistance detection circuit and a controller. The ground-resistance detection circuit includes a first input node and a second input node. The first input node is coupled to either the first power line or the second power line. The second input node is coupled to a ground terminal. The ground-resistance detection circuit generates a DC output voltage according to the voltage of the first input node, the voltage of the second input node, and the DC reference voltage. The controller determines the ground resistance between the protective earth and the ground terminal according to the DC reference voltage and the DC output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Ming-Whang Wang
  • Patent number: 9709619
    Abstract: A printed wiring board includes: a laminated body that has a plurality of wiring layers laminated therein; a first through hole that electrically connects two or more wiring layers with each other; and a second through hole that has strength to expansion and contraction of the laminated body less than in the first through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeo Iriguchi, Naoki Nakamura, Shigeru Sugino, Takahide Mukoyama, Ryo Kanai, Nobuo Taketomi, Kiyoyuki Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 9678134
    Abstract: A method for maintaining a contact of a connection jig for connecting between a target object to be subjected to an electrical test and a testing apparatus configured to conduct the electrical test on the target object includes: detecting a change in voltage upon supply of power for the electrical test to a test point on the target object through the contact; and issuing maintenance information indicating the contact is abnormal, upon detection of a portion where the voltage does not successively rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Nidec-Read Corporation
    Inventor: Munehiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9668356
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjusting circuit operation in response to physical orientation of an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to a host site via direct soldering or a socket. The IC can be installed in a correct orientation or rotated and installed in an incorrect orientation. The IC may have a square, substantially symmetric footprint and the incorrect orientation may correspond to 90 or 180 degree rotation of the IC from the correct orientation. The orientations may be discerned by sensing electrical characteristics of the installed IC. For example, the IC may ground a detection line when installed in the correct orientation, while the detection line may be floating when the IC is installed in an incorrect orientation. The IC may be switchably connected to other components such as a power supply only when it is detected as being installed in the correct orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Sierra Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish Syal, Paul David Newman
  • Patent number: 9581636
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and system configured to monitor devices that are physically connected over a data network, said system comprising at least one scanner configured to monitor said data network and to determine devices that are physically connected over said data network, said at least one scanner being connected to at least one panel over said data network, wherein at least one terminal of each panel is connected to an electronic circuitry, which comprises one or more electronic components, for enabling said at least one scanner to determine changes in one of voltage or current level over at least one of said one or more electronic components, said changes occurring due to connecting or disconnecting devices over said data network, thereby enabling said at least one scanner to monitor devices that are physically connected over said data network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: HCS KABLOLAMA SISTEMLERI SANAYI VE TICARET A.S.
    Inventor: Shay Yossef
  • Patent number: 9569991
    Abstract: Checking failures in transistors including driving transistors, switching transistors, and sampling transistors before light emitting elements are formed in a display device. I-V characteristics including threshold voltage of the driving transistor 10C in one pixel circuit can be detected. In a pixel circuit, the sampling transistor 10A and switching transistor 10D are made conductive and the signal potential is given to the gate electrode of the driving transistor 10C from the signal line DTCm. At this time, the current which flows between the drain electrode and source electrode of driving transistor 10C flows through the switching transistor 10D and a reference potential line Vref_r to a test point, and is measured by a current measuring device connected to the test point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC
    Inventors: Yuichi Maekawa, Koichi Miwa
  • Patent number: 9568533
    Abstract: A controller area network (CAN) includes a CAN bus with a CAN-H wire, a CAN-L wire, a pair of CAN bus terminators located at opposite ends of the CAN bus, each terminator having a corresponding known terminator resistance value, a plurality of nodes including controllers wherein at least one of said controllers is a monitoring controller. The monitoring controller includes a detection control routine for detecting the presence of a wire-open fault on the CAN bus, including determining a CAN bus resistance, and determining a wire-open fault on the CAN bus based upon the determined CAN bus resistance and the terminator resistance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shengbing Jiang, Xinyu Du, Natalie Ann Wienckowski
  • Patent number: 9515503
    Abstract: A battery monitoring system includes a clock input terminal, a data input terminal, a communication control circuit receiving the clock signal and the data signal from the clock input terminal and the data input terminal, respectively, a main power regulator controlled by the communication control circuit to supply and stop supplying main power, a charge circuit charged by the clock signal, and a sub power regulator started by a charge voltage of the charge circuit to supply a sub power to the communication control circuit. The communication control circuit controls the main power regulator with the data signal when the sub power is received from the sub power regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masaaki Morikawa
  • Patent number: 9470729
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to determining parameters in a model of a transmission line. For determining the parameters, reflection coefficient defining data and the total capacitance of the transmission line are obtained. Further, true reflection coefficients obtained through the reflection coefficient defining data are applied in an objective function for the line. The objective function for the line is a sum of error signals and each error signal is the difference between a model value of a reflection coefficient and a corresponding true reflection coefficient. Further, the objective function is minimized by utilizing gradients of the objective function with respect to the transmission line parameters to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON
    Inventors: Fredrik Lindqvist, Per Ola Börjesson, Antoni Fertner
  • Patent number: 9410997
    Abstract: A crystal unit may include a crystal piece, an excitation electrode configured to excite the crystal piece, a case configured to accommodate the crystal piece, an external electrode formed in the case and configured to be electrically connected to the excitation electrode, and an antenna formed in the case and configured to be electrically connected to the external electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Masakazu Kishi, Masaru Itoh, Masayuki Itoh
  • Patent number: 9401312
    Abstract: A method of redirecting signal bits associated with or corresponding to defective TSVs of a TSV array to a row or a column of redundant TSVs in the TSV array using a 2:4 Decoder and 4:2 Encoder and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a TSV array between a bottom die and a top die of a 3D IC stack, the TSV array having a row and a column of redundant TSVs; identifying a defective TSV of the TSV array; determining whether to shift a signal bit associated with or corresponding to the defective TSV in a first and/or a second direction towards the row or the column of redundant TSVs; and shifting the signal bit in the first and/or the second direction until the signal bit has been redirected to the row or the column of redundant TSVs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Sukeshwar Kannan, Kaushal Kannan
  • Patent number: 9380357
    Abstract: An universal network interface device base module including an access module, a modem module electrically connected to the access module, a dividing structure placed between the access module and modem module, and a base plate, wherein the access module, modem module and dividing structure are mounted on the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: AFL Telecommunications LLC
    Inventors: Ted Lichoulas, Eddie Kimbrell, Ray Mouhot
  • Patent number: 9380371
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the performance of a determination of whether an earphone is mounted to a portable terminal, such as a portable terminal supporting a 3.5 mm earphone plug, are provided. An apparatus for recognizing whether the earphone is mounted to the portable terminal includes a common ground terminal and a switching terminal of an earphone plug receptacle for electrically connecting to each other and the same pole of an earphone plug when the earphone plug is mounted in the earphone plug receptacle, and an external output managing unit for generating an earphone mounting notification signal through a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol-Woong Park, You-Sung Lee, Il-Seob Baek, Jung-Eun Hwang, Jun-Ki Seo, Hyun-Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 9293853
    Abstract: The electric connector includes an electrically insulative housing forming therein a terminal space, with a terminal inserted into the terminal space. The terminal includes a sheath section, and an engagement section formed at the sheath section. A lance protrudes towards an axis of the terminal space in the housing, and the lance is engaged to and disengaged from the engagement section. A resilient support supports the lance such that the lance can be resiliently deformed in a direction away from the axis, and the housing has a path through which a jig can be inserted into the housing towards the lance. A pair of terminal supports situated horizontally face each other such that the jig inserted into the housing through the path is located therebetween, and make contact with the sheath section when the terminal is inserted into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: DAI-ICHI SEIKO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Endo, Sakai Yagi, Masaru Senmyou
  • Patent number: 9291644
    Abstract: A contactless measuring system having at least one test probe forming part of a coupling structure for the contactless decoupling of a signal running on a signal waveguide, wherein the signal waveguide is designed as a conductor of the electric circuit on a circuit board and as part of an electric circuit. To this end, at least one contact structure is configured and disposed on the circuit board such that said contact structure is galvanically separated from the signal waveguide, forms part of the coupling structure, is displaced completely within the near field of the signal waveguide, and has at least one contact point, which may be electrically contacted by a contact of the test probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. Kg.
    Inventor: Thomas Zelder
  • Patent number: 9141497
    Abstract: A load-testing circuit is used for simulating maximum standard load currents for different types of USB ports. The load-testing circuit includes a first electronic switch, a second electronic switch, and a current selection module including a plurality of current branch circuits. When one of the current branch circuits is activated, a voltage at a third terminal of the first electronic switch is supplied to a first terminal of the second electronic switch through the activated current branch circuit to turn on the second electronic switch. A current of the third terminal of the first electronic switch is approximately equal to a current of the activated current branch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: ShenZhen Goldsun Network Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hai-Qing Zhou
  • Patent number: 9112373
    Abstract: A vehicle interface is contemplated to be operable with an Electronic Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system and a vehicle charging system to facilitate vehicle charging related operations. The vehicle interface may include one or more switches and a charger controller configured to facilitate communications between the EVSE system and the vehicle charging system. The vehicle interface may be configured to adapted to common mode interference and other influences resulting from connections between the vehicle interface and EVSE being referenced to earth ground and connections between the vehicle interface and other vehicle electronics being reference to a vehicle chassis ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Youssef Ghabbour, Miguel Angel Acena