For Excitation Patents (Class 324/603)
  • Patent number: 11860202
    Abstract: Devices, methods and systems for meter setup verification are provided. In one aspect, a device is provided including a communication interface and at least one processor. The communication interface receives a wiring setup configuration of at least one electronic power meter and at least one measured and/or calculated parameter from the at least one electronic power meter. The at least one processor determines if the at least one electronic power meter is wired correctly based on the wiring setup configuration of the at least one electronic power meter and the at least one measured and/or calculated parameter from the at least one electronic power meter. The device may be implemented in a separate client device or in the at least one electronic power meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: EI ELECTRONICS LLC
    Inventor: Erran Kagan
  • Patent number: 11709219
    Abstract: A method of calibration is described that simplifies the measurement of battery impedance conducted in-situ while determining battery state-of-health. A single shunt measurement with a known Sum of Sines (SOS) current, at the desired frequency spread and known root mean squared (RMS) current is used to create a calibration archive. A calibration selected from this archive is used to calibrate an impedance measurement made on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Dynexus Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison
  • Patent number: 11567111
    Abstract: A measurement device providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user on a remote terminal comprising at least one first processor; and at least one first memory including one or more first sequences of instructions to perform the steps of transmitting a GUI displaying a at least one of a first, a second, a third, and a fourth image in response to at least one of a voltage characteristic, a current characteristic, and a load characteristic obtained from the user through the GUI on the remote terminal. Then, the measurement device stores in a memory the at least one of the voltage characteristic, the current characteristic, and the load characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SETRA SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Christopher Beishline, Been-Chyuan Lin, Thomas Huntington Lish, Jeffrey Alan Herb
  • Patent number: 11379072
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a pulse signal output circuit providing a pulse signal for a transmission electrode of an electrode pair, a current converter converting a first current generated on the reception electrode to a second current, a current-controlled oscillator outputting an oscillation signal having a frequency depending on the second current, and a counter counting a number of oscillating times of the oscillation signal per a predetermined period; wherein the current converter comprises a first constant current source and output a combined current of the first constant current of the first constant current source and the first current as the second current in response to the pulse signal, so that the semiconductor device suppresses an increase circuit size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiro Araki
  • Patent number: 11293960
    Abstract: The present application relates to apparatus (400, 500) for measuring an impedance of an electrical load (300) that is configured to be coupled to a controlled current source (200). The apparatus (400, 500) comprises a first coupling node (402) configured to be coupled to a first terminal (302) of the load (300) and a second coupling node (404) configured to be coupled to a second terminal (304) of the load (300). The apparatus further comprises a transformer (406) having a primary winding (408) and a secondary winding (410) and a capacitance (412) connected in series between a first terminal (414) of the secondary winding (410) and the first coupling node (402). A second terminal (416) of the secondary winding (410) is connected to the second coupling node (404).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S., INC.
    Inventors: Petri J. Maki-Ontto, Lauri Juhani Salmia, Aapo Aapro
  • Patent number: 11187749
    Abstract: A test equipment is provided for over the air tests on a device under test, in particular a user equipment, having a shielded space, at least one signal antenna for transmitting and receiving cellular signals arranged in the shielded space, and a plurality of noise antennas arranged in the shielded space linked in an array configured to create Additive White Gaussian Noise. The noise antennas are equally distributed in three dimensions within the shielded space. Further, a method for testing a device under test is shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Adrian Cardalda-Garcia, Bledar Karajani, Niels Petrovic, Edwin Menzel, Heinz Mellein, Johannes Koebele, Jochen Oster, Vincent Abadie, Jens Wappler
  • Patent number: 11029348
    Abstract: Measurement circuitry is disclosed that is configured to be coupled to a load through a transmission line. A first AC signal having a frequency ?1 is applied to the transmission line and a first input impedance of the transmission line is measured. A second AC signal having a frequency ?2 is applied to the transmission line and a second input impedance of the transmission line is measured, wherein the frequency ?2 is different than the frequency ?1. A third AC signal having a frequency ? is applied to the transmission line and a third input impedance of the transmission line is measured, wherein the frequency ? is different than the frequency ?1 and different than the frequency ?2. A resistance of the load is measured based on the measured first input impedance, the measured second input impedance, and the measured third input impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergey G. Muchiyev, Yaw Shing Tang, Cliff C. Zhang
  • Patent number: 10979039
    Abstract: A gate drive circuit includes a driver for driving a gate of a switching element, a peak voltage detector, and a drive capacity calculator. The peak voltage detector detects a peak voltage at a main terminal of the switching element when the switching element is OFF. The drive capacity calculator calculates a voltage difference value between the detected peak voltage and an allowable voltage value at the main terminal of the switching element, where the allowable voltage is based on the specifications of the switching element. The drive capacity calculator changes a drive capacity of the driver to gradually decrease the difference between the detected peak voltage and the allowable voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamamoto, Akimasa Niwa
  • Patent number: 10926548
    Abstract: An example printing cartridge includes a fluid container, a plurality of capacitor plates to detect fluid in the fluid container, each of the capacitor plates associated with a respective fluid level, and a shift register to capture fluid level information from the plurality of capacitor plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daryl E. Anderson, James Michael Gardner, Scott A. Linn, Michael W. Cumbie, Berkeley Fisher
  • Patent number: 10512415
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for multi-phase flow decomposition using electrical capacitance imaging techniques. The present invention provides a system and method to obtain permittivity distributions at a plurality of frequency markers using volume tomography image reconstruction to determine volume fraction of each phase and to produce images of the volume fraction for each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Tech4Imaging LLC
    Inventor: Qussai Marashdeh
  • Patent number: 10466030
    Abstract: A method for determining a length of a span of electrically conductive material, comprising a first voltage measurement across the entire span, and a second voltage measurement across a constant-length segment of the span. The dual measurements allow the calculation of the span length in a manner that is robust to many disturbances including ambient temperature, material temperature, and material stress and fatigue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Auburn University
    Inventors: Austin R. Gurley, David G. Beale, Royall M. Broughton
  • Patent number: 10436873
    Abstract: A method of calibration is described that simplifies the measurement of battery impedance conducted in-situ while determining battery state-of-health. A single shunt measurement with a known Sum of Sines (SOS) current, at the desired frequency spread and known root mean squared (RMS) current is used to create a calibration archive. A calibration selected from this archive is used to calibrate an impedance measurement made on the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignees: Dynexus Technology, Inc., Montana Technological University
    Inventors: John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison
  • Patent number: 10281422
    Abstract: A system and method for Displacement Current Phase Tomography. The present system invention obtains a linear relationship between mutual displacement current from a sensor (output current of the measuring electrode terminals) and the area (or volume) of an object to be imaged in the imaging domain. The system uses capacitance sensors and utilizes the phase of the measured current, in addition to the amplitude, to reconstruct an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: TECH4IMAGING LLC, OHIO STATE INNOVATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Qussai Mohammad Marashdeh, Geoffrey A. Legg, Christopher Edward Zuccarelli, Fernando Teixeira, Cagdas Gunes, Burak Gurlek, Shah Chowdhury, Benjamin Straiton, Joshua Sines
  • Patent number: 10241147
    Abstract: A method and circuit for measuring impedance of a sense-only capacitive sensor operated in loading mode. The method carried out by the circuit includes the steps of: combining a plurality of synchronized output signals; applying low-pass filtering to the summed output signals to generate a sinusoidal test signal; applying the sinusoidal test signal to a sensor signal voltage divider circuit and to a reference voltage divider circuit; determining amplitude and relative phase, with respect to the sinusoidal test signal, of a sensor voltage signal and a reference voltage signal; obtaining a difference voltage signal by subtracting the reference voltage signal from the sensor voltage signal; and feeding the difference voltage signal to a vector demodulator unit for obtaining a real part and an imaginary part of the complex impedance of the capacitive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
    Inventor: Laurent Lamesch
  • Patent number: 10175824
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe input devices that include receivers for sampling capacitive sensing signals that perform continuous-time demodulation. An input device is provided that includes a plurality of sensor electrodes in a sensing region of the input device and a processing system coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes and configured to generate a first measurement of a capacitive sensing signal acquired using a first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes during a first time period, that comprises effects of a first modulated signal driven onto at least one of the plurality of sensor electrodes, the first measurement generated at a first sensing frequency based on a clock signal; periodically dither the clock signal; and adjust a demodulation frequency based on the dithered clock signal to generate a second measurement of the capacitive sensing signal during a second time period at the first sensing frequency based on the dithered clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Petr Shepelev, Steve Chikin Lo
  • Patent number: 10126350
    Abstract: A system and method of detecting dampener resistor degradation and failure are provided. The method includes determining a normal operating admittance value of a filter that includes a dampener resistor, injecting a voltage signal with a frequency value at least one order of magnitude different from a filter resonant peak, receiving an admittance output in response the injected voltage signal, and comparing the admittance output with the normal operating admittance value to determine the presence of dampener resistor degradation and failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huazhen Chai, Dwight D. Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10092212
    Abstract: A post processing system for electrical impedance tomography (EIT) images includes a processing device and a post processing device, and the post processing device is coupled to the processing device. The processing device is configured to generate a first EIT image through a solving method based on the measuring data. The measuring data is measured by an electrical impedance tomography instrument. The post processing device is configured to receive the first EIT image and post-process the first EIT image through a neural network algorithm to generate a second EIT image. The neural network algorithm is a feed forward neural network, a recurrent neural network, a convolutional neural network or a deep neural network, and an accuracy of the second electrical impedance tomography image is higher than an accuracy of the first electrical impedance tomography image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Charles Tak-Ming Choi
  • Patent number: 9859999
    Abstract: A system for measuring the attenuation of electromagnetic shielding of an infrastructure as a function of the frequency, including a transmitter of a white noise signal with a constant power over a frequency band between a minimum frequency and a maximum frequency, a signal receiver, the transmitter and the receiver being capable of sending a signal and receiving a signal across the infrastructure, the receiver including a filter module capable of applying sliding filter on the received signal between the minimum frequency and the maximum frequency, and a double synchronous detection module capable of double synchronous detection on a signal output by the filter module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Joly, Sylvain Jonniau, Matthieu Werquin, Nicolas Vellas, Christophe Gaquiere, Benjamin Choteau
  • Patent number: 9590760
    Abstract: An electronic analog memory system includes at least one analog programmable delay module configured to receive an input radio frequency pulse. The analog programmable delay module generates a time delayed output signal in response to applying at least one time delay to the input radio frequency pulse. A switching module is configured to selectively deliver the time delayed output signal to an output of the electronic analog memory system. The electronic analog memory system further includes an activity detector module configured to determine the amplitude of the input radio frequency pulse. The activity detector module also controls the switching module to deliver the time delayed output signal to the output in response to the at least one amplitude exceeding an amplitude threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter B. Schulte, Jr., John P. Gianvittorio, Harry B. Marr
  • Patent number: 9417845
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for producing programmable probability distribution function of pseudo-random numbers that can be utilized for filtering (dropping and passing) neuron spikes. The present disclosure provides a simpler, smaller, and lower-power circuit than that typically used. It can be programmed to produce any of a variety of non-uniformly distributed sequences of numbers. These sequences can approximate true probabilistic distributions, but maintain sufficient pseudo-randomness to still be considered random in a probabilistic sense. This circuit can be an integral part of a filter block within an ASIC chip emulating an artificial nervous system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Aaron Douglass Lamb
  • Patent number: 9285411
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying an electrical noise propagation path through an object, such as an automotive vehicle, from a source of periodic electrical noise. An electrical noise sensor is positioned at a selected area on the object which generates an output signal representative of the magnitude of the electrical noise. A trigger generator generates a trigger signal in synchronism with a source of periodic electrical noise and that trigger signal is connected as an input signal to measurement equipment connected to the sensor to initiate electrical noise reading by the sensor. A recorder then records the output from the sensor. The electrical noise sensor is moved to different areas on the object to determine the electrical noise propagation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Tsuchie, Hua Zeng, Masayoshi Takahashi, Hiroki Funato
  • Patent number: 9170224
    Abstract: A method for operating a sensor, including simultaneously exciting a first set of electrodes and sensing an output of each electrode of a second set of electrodes, storing output data corresponding to the output of each electrode of the second set of electrodes in a memory storage device, shifting at least one electrode from the first set of electrodes to the second set of electrodes and at least one electrode from the second set of electrodes to the first set of electrodes, and repeating the simultaneously exciting and sensing, the storing, and the shifting until an output data has been stored for each possible pair of electrodes in the first and second set of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignees: The University of Connecticut, United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Zhaoyan Fan, Robert X. Gao, Jeffery A. Lovett, Lance L. Smith
  • Patent number: 9143313
    Abstract: A frequency sweep signal generator in which the frequency error is small even when the control values and the oscillating frequencies have a non-linear relation. The frequency sweep signal generator includes a variable frequency oscillator that changes an oscillating frequency according to a change of an input control value, and a first controller that generates a first control value so that the oscillating frequency within a predetermined frequency sweeping range is output. The first controller controls an increment of the first control value to be output to the variable frequency oscillator per unit time so that, when a change of the oscillating frequency with respect to the increment of the first control value is non-linear, the oscillating frequency is changed linearly with respect to a passage of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Kitsunezuka
  • Patent number: 9059803
    Abstract: A mechanism is described for facilitating optical testing of a device under test (DUT) using a testing mechanism having multiple testing paths according to one embodiment. A method of embodiments of the invention may include facilitating, via a loopback path, optical testing of the DUT in a loopback configuration. The loopback configuration may allow for looping between one or more transmitters and one or more receivers of the DUT. The method may further include facilitating, via a spectral path, spectral measurements relating to the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abram M. Detofsky, Chukwunenye S. Nnebe, Brett D. Grossman
  • Patent number: 9030212
    Abstract: Target sensor comprising: sensor probe having a resonance frequency that changes as the separation of the sensor probe and a target changes. Oscillator arranged to apply a radio frequency (RF) signal to the sensor probe, the oscillator having: control circuitry configured to regulate the frequency of the RF signal applied to the sensor probe to below the resonance frequency of the sensor probe. Detector arranged to detect an electrical characteristic of the oscillator that varies with the impedance of the sensor probe indicating an interaction of the sensor probe with the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Salunda Limited
    Inventors: Alexy Davison Karenowska, Peter Wherritt, Martin Roy Harrison, John Francis Gregg
  • Patent number: 9000776
    Abstract: A method for estimating the characteristic impedance of a structure comprising the following steps: providing a current probe comprising a magnetic core having an aperture therein and a primary winding wrapped around the core; measuring, with a calibrated vector network analyzer (VNA), the impedance (Zop) of the current probe while in an open configuration wherein nothing but air occupies the aperture and the current probe is isolated from a ground; measuring, with the VNA, the impedance (Zsh) of the current probe while in a short configuration, wherein the current probe is electrically shorted; measuring, with the VNA, the impedance (Zin) of the current probe while the current probe is mounted to the structure such that the structure extends through the aperture; and calculating an estimated characteristic impedance (Z?mast) of the structure according to the following equation: Z?mast=(Zin?Zsh)(Zop?Zsh)/(Zop?Zin).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Daniel W. Tam, Randall A. Reeves, John H. Meloling
  • Patent number: 8970225
    Abstract: A circuit for exciting at least one DC sensor is provided in which the circuit has a digital regulation controller connected to a main system and to a regulation loop. The main system has a DAC connected to the sensor via a non-inverted amplified path and via an inverted amplified path in order to send sensor excitation signals including a DC component in differential mode. The regulation system includes an ADC connected to the amplified paths. The circuit includes a monitoring system that is connected to the controller in parallel with the converter in order to send signals as a function of an AC component of the signals taken from the amplified paths. The digital controller is arranged to inject a sinewave in common mode into the excitation signals and to analyze signals output by the monitoring system and signals output by the ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sagem Defense Securite
    Inventors: Nicolas Geneste, Gwenaël Esteve
  • Patent number: 8823399
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of capacitive buttons and detecting and differentiating touches from different size conductive objects on the capacitive buttons. One apparatus includes a capacitance-sensing circuit coupled to a capacitive button. The capacitive button includes a first sense element and a second sense element. The capacitance-sensing circuit is operative to measure signals from the first sense element and the second sense element with a sensing parameter (also referred to as tuning properties) set to a first value. The signals correspond to capacitances of the first sense element and second sense element. An inner perimeter of the first sense element is disposed to surround (at least in part) an outer perimeter of the second sense element. The apparatus further includes processing logic coupled to the capacitance-sensing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Vibheesh Bharathan
  • Publication number: 20140218047
    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: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: HAI-QING ZHOU
  • Publication number: 20140203818
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for monitoring excitable cells, such as cardiomyocytes, on microelectrode arrays that couple the electro-stimulation of excitable cells to induce or regulate cardiomyocyte beating and the simultaneous measurement of impedance and extracellular recording to assess changes in cardiomyocyte beating, viability, morphology or electrophysical properties in response to a plurality of treatments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: ACEA Biosciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaobo Wang, Wei Ouyang, Nan Li, Tianxing Wang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Xiao Xu, Yama A. Abassi
  • Publication number: 20140091811
    Abstract: A method for multivariable measurements using a single-chip impedance analyzer includes providing a sensor, exposing the sensor to an environmental parameter, determining a complex impedance of the sensor over a measured spectral frequency range of the sensor, and monitoring at least three spectral parameters of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Radislav Alexandrovich Potyrailo, Jeffrey Michael Ashe, Sm Shajed Hasan, Naresh Kesavan Rao, Krishnakumar Sundaresan
  • Publication number: 20140095102
    Abstract: An impedance analyzer is provided. The analyzer includes a signal excitation generator comprising a digital to analog converter, where a transfer function of the digital to analog converter from digital to analog is programmable. The impedance analyzer further includes a receiver comprising a low noise amplifier (LNA) and an analog to digital converter (ADC), where the LNA is a current to voltage converter; where the programmable digital to analog transfer function is implemented by a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) and a voltage mode digital to analog converter, or a digital phase locked loop (PLL), or both. Further, a multivariable sensor node having an impedance analyzer is provided. Furthermore, a multivariable sensor network having a plurality of multivariable sensor nodes is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Radislav Alexandrovich Potyrailo, Jeffrey Michael Ashe, Sm Shajed Hasan, Naresh Kesavan Rao, Krishnakumar Sundaresan
  • Publication number: 20140049266
    Abstract: A capacitive sensor includes a transmit electrode configured to provide an alternating electric field to a sensor; one or more receive electrodes for detecting variations in the alternating electric field; and an adaptive frequency adjustment unit configured to adjust an operating frequency of the alternating electric field responsive to detection of a noise measure, such as noise power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Axel Heim, Martin Hoch
  • Patent number: 8653830
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for evaluating a material are described. Embodiments typically involve use of an impedance measurement sensor to measure the impedance of a sample of the material under at least two different states of illumination. The states of illumination may include (a) substantially no optical stimulation, (b) substantial optical stimulation, (c) optical stimulation at a first wavelength of light, (d) optical stimulation at a second wavelength of light, (e) a first level of light intensity, and (f) a second level of light intensity. Typically a difference in impedance between the impedance of the sample at the two states of illumination is measured to determine a characteristic of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Lonnie C. Maxey, James E. Parks, II, Samuel A. Lewis, Sr., William P Partridge, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140015544
    Abstract: A detection circuit for a capacitive sensor includes a drive signal generator for applying drive signal to a sensor common terminal, a sense amplifier having input terminals respectively connected to sensor detection terminals, and a controller for controlling input common-mode voltage of the sense amplifier to predetermined voltage. The controller includes a feedback amplifier for outputting feedback voltage according to difference between the common-mode and predetermined voltages, a pair of first feedback capacitors having one ends respectively connected to the detection terminals and another ends connected together, a second feedback capacitor having one end connected to the other ends, and a voltage switcher for applying first preset voltage to the other ends during first level of the drive signal and for applying second preset voltage to the other ends and the predetermined voltage to another end of the second feedback capacitor during second level of the drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventor: Tomohiro NEZUKA
  • Patent number: 8615210
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for power measurement in a communication system. In an aspect, a method is provided for power measurement. The method includes selecting between a signal decoding mode and a power measurement mode, decoding an input signal if the signal decoding mode is selected, and calculating a power measurement associated with the input signal if the power measurement mode is selected. In another aspect, an apparatus is provided for power measurement. The apparatus includes means for selecting between an active mode and a power measurement mode, means for decoding an input signal if the active mode is selected, and means for calculating a power measurement associated with the input signal if the power measurement mode is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ashok Mantravadi, Phani Bhushan Avadhanam, Vinay Murthy
  • Publication number: 20130285672
    Abstract: A sensing system is disclosed that uses at least one conductive plate and associated electronic circuitry to provide an output that is indicative of an object's position in relation to the at least one conductive plate. The sensing system is provided with a high impedance drive signal that varies as a result of the location of an object relative to the at least one conductive plate. The electronic circuitry receives a high impedance drive signal value as an input and a processor uses the value to calculate a digital output indicative of the object's position. The high impedance drive signal value is monitored over time enabling the objects position, displacement, pressure, movement, impact and energy to be determined. This data is output to a display and may also be transmitted to a person located remotely from the object being monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Brian Keith RUSSELL, Paul Benjamin Mallinson, Stephen Christopher Kent, Christopher Michael Solomon
  • Patent number: 8508238
    Abstract: An electrode array, a system and a method for reconstructing the distribution of electrical properties within a multi-material object. One embodiment includes electrodes arranged along a three-dimensional helical path to provide one or more helical arrays and circuitry to measure signals for calculating a conductivity or admittivity distribution representative of the interior of the structure. Image data may be obtained which is representative of the multi-material region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sakethraman Mahalingam, Manoj Kumar Koyithitta Meethal, Prafull Sharma, Rajesh Veera Venkata Lakshmi Langoju, Wrichik Basu, Parama Ghoshal
  • Publication number: 20130187665
    Abstract: The invention relates to a disaggregation apparatus for identifying an appliance in an electrical network (2) comprising multiple appliances (3, 4, 5). A voltage meter (7) measures a first change in a mains voltage (V) delivered to the appliances of the electrical network, while an operational state of an appliance is modified, and a second change in the mains voltage, while a switchable load is switched. An appliance determination unit (9) determines the appliance, of which the operational state has been changed, based on the measured first change in the mains voltage, the measured second change in the mains voltage and the resistance of the switchable load. Thus, an appliance can be determined without detecting switching flickers in very short time durations, i.e. high sampling rates and continuous monitoring are not necessarily required. This reduces the technical efforts of the disaggregation apparatus for performing the disaggregation function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Ronald Rietman, Alessio Filippi, Ashish Vijay Pandharipande, Ying Wang, Paul Anthony Shrubsole
  • Publication number: 20130173180
    Abstract: A monitoring unit (100) that determines parameters (p1, p2) of an attribute (P) of a liquid substance flowing (F) through a dielectric conduit (110) includes plural coil members (121, 122) encircling the dielectric conduit (110) that subjects a flow of the liquid substance to plural different electromagnetic fields (B(f)), and under influence thereof measuring circuitry registers corresponding impedance measures (z(f)) of the liquid substance. A processor (130) derives the parameters (p1, p2) of the attribute (P) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f)).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: DELAVAL HOLDING AB
    Inventors: Uzi Birk, David Livshits, Rotem Rabinovich
  • Publication number: 20130085365
    Abstract: An electrical capacitance tomography sensor comprised of a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, where each electrode is further comprised of a plurality of capacitance segments. Each of the capacitance segments of each electrode can be individually addressed to focus the electric field intensity or sensitivity to desired regions of the electrodes and the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: The Ohio State University
  • Publication number: 20130076373
    Abstract: Target sensor comprising: sensor probe having a resonance frequency that changes as the separation of the sensor probe and a target changes. Oscillator arranged to apply a radio frequency (RF) signal to the sensor probe, the oscillator having: control circuitry configured to regulate the frequency of the RF signal applied to the sensor probe to below the resonance frequency of the sensor probe. Detector arranged to detect an electrical characteristic of the oscillator that varies with the impedance of the sensor probe indicating an interaction of the sensor probe with the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: Oxford RF Sensors Limited
    Inventor: Oxford RF Sensors Limited
  • Patent number: 8322236
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus having a measurement voltage input with at least one input contact for an input voltage of a measuring element and a method for detecting moisture on the measurement voltage input of such a measuring apparatus are provided, wherein the measuring apparatus includes a supplemental voltage source, which delivers at least one supplemental voltage and is connected with a supplemental contact arranged in the region of the at least one input contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft für Mess-und Regeltechnik mbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Herman Straub, Martin Lohmann, Stephan Buschnakowski, Jorg Uhle
  • Publication number: 20120286800
    Abstract: A capacitance sensing circuit may include a switching circuit configured to generate a sensor current by charging and discharging a capacitive sensor electrode, and a current mirror that generates a mirror current based on the sensor current. Based on the mirror current, a measurement circuit generates an output signal representative of a capacitance of the capacitive sensor electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andriy Maharyta, Andriy Ryshtun
  • Publication number: 20120262186
    Abstract: Real-time battery impedance spectrum is acquired using a one-time record. Fast Summation Transformation (FST) is a parallel method of acquiring a real-time battery impedance spectrum using a one-time record that enables battery diagnostics. An excitation current to a battery is a sum of equal amplitude sine waves of frequencies that are octave harmonics spread over a range of interest. A sample frequency is also octave and harmonically related to all frequencies in the sum. A time profile of this sampled signal has a duration that is a few periods of the lowest frequency. A voltage response of the battery, average deleted, is an impedance of the battery in a time domain. Since the excitation frequencies are known and octave and harmonically related, a simple algorithm, FST, processes the time profile by rectifying relative to sine and cosine of each frequency. Another algorithm yields real and imaginary components for each frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventors: John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Jon P. Christophersen, Chester G. Motloch
  • Publication number: 20120249162
    Abstract: A method for altering an impedance of a conductive pathway on a microelectronic package includes applying a magnetic field to the conductive pathway. The microelectronic package may be, for example, a printed circuit board. The method also includes controlling a magnitude of the magnetic field at the conductive pathway for altering the impedance of the conductive pathway. The magnetic field may be applied by, for example, an electromagnet or a permanent magnet. A magnetic field may also be applied for simulating crosstalk effects on a conductive pathway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bradley D. Herrman, Bhyrav M. Mutnury, Terence Rodrigues
  • Publication number: 20120182025
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for evaluating a material are described. Embodiments typically involve use of an impedance measurement sensor to measure the impedance of a sample of the material under at least two different states of illumination. The states of illumination may include (a) substantially no optical stimulation, (b) substantial optical stimulation, (c) optical stimulation at a first wavelength of light, (d) optical stimulation at a second wavelength of light, (e) a first level of light intensity, and (f) a second level of light intensity. Typically a difference in impedance between the impedance of the sample at the two states of illumination is measured to determine a characteristic of the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Lonnie C. Maxey, James E. Parks, II, Samuel A. Lewis, SR., William P Partridge, JR.
  • Patent number: 8164496
    Abstract: In a compensator for compensating mismatches, and in methods for such compensation, the compensator compensates for mismatches in output signals of a system with mismatches during normal operation of the system with mismatches. The compensator comprises: a mismatch estimator that monitors at least two mismatched signals output by the system with mismatches during normal operation and that generates matching parameters indicating an amount of mismatch between the at least two mismatched signals, the mismatch estimator updating the matching parameters during normal operation of the system with mismatches, and a mismatch equalizer that compensates mismatches in the mismatched signals output by the system with mismatches during normal operation of the system with mismatches in response to the matching parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventor: Scott R. Velazquez
  • Patent number: 8150643
    Abstract: Real-time battery impedance spectrum is acquired using a one-time record. Fast Summation Transformation (FST) is a parallel method of acquiring a real-time battery impedance spectrum using a one-time record that enables battery diagnostics. An excitation current to a battery is a sum of equal amplitude sine waves of frequencies that are octave harmonics spread over a range of interest. A sample frequency is also octave and harmonically related to all frequencies in the sum. The time profile of this signal has a duration that is a few periods of the lowest frequency. The voltage response of the battery, average deleted, is the impedance of the battery in the time domain. Since the excitation frequencies are known and octave and harmonically related, a simple algorithm, FST, processes the time record by rectifying relative to the sine and cosine of each frequency. Another algorithm yields real and imaginary components for each frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignees: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, Qualtech Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Jon P. Christophersen
  • Publication number: 20120038368
    Abstract: An electrode array, a system and a method for reconstructing the distribution of electrical properties within a multi-material object. One embodiment includes electrodes arranged along a three-dimensional helical path to provide one or more helical arrays and circuitry to measure signals for calculating a conductivity or admittivity distribution representative of the interior of the structure. Image data may be obtained which is representative of the multi-material region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Sakethraman Mahalingam, Manoj Kumar Koyithitta Meethal, Prafull Sharma, Rajesh Veera Venkata Lakshmi Langoju, Wrichik Basu, Parama Ghoshal