With Pulse Or Digital Processing Circuit Component Patents (Class 33/366.14)
  • Patent number: 11524571
    Abstract: A liquid level detecting apparatus of a tank for a vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a main detecting part that detects the liquid level of the liquid in a tank to output a liquid level detection signal corresponding to the liquid level and an auxiliary floater assembly that has an auxiliary floater provided to float on the liquid surface of the liquid in the tank. A gyro sensor is mounted to the auxiliary floater, and an angle detection signal corresponding to an inclined angle of the tank is output by the gyro sensor. A controller determines a final liquid level value by correcting a liquid level value obtained from the liquid level detection signal based on the angle detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kee Hoon Moon, Jong Gyun Kim
  • Patent number: 10539084
    Abstract: A vehicle safety rollover device utilizing a circular arc level for detecting vehicle rollover is disclosed. Upon detection, the device automatically shuts-off power to an ignition system and notifies for shut-down of the electrical system of the vehicle. The circular arc level is capable of measuring gravitational norm deviation while remaining impervious to the effects of acceleration, deceleration, impact, and centripetal forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Inventors: Carl M. Clark, Randall S. Lynn
  • Patent number: 9938805
    Abstract: A system for controlling a speed of a pump jack system having a variable speed prime mover includes a sensor attached to the pump jack system. The sensor is capable of detecting an absolute position of a first component of the pump jack system relative to a second component of the pump jack system and configured to send a signal proportional to the sensed absolute position and/or velocity and/or acceleration. The system includes process circuitry configured to accept the signal and perform a calculation related to absolute position and/or velocity and/or acceleration of the first component relative to the second component. The system includes a controller that is configured to receive the signal from the process circuitry and configured to send a signal to the prime mover to adjust a rotational speed of the prime mover and the position of the first component relative to the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Bernard Suprick, John Matthew Hankinson, John William Balding, Michael Stephen Wardle
  • Patent number: 9856129
    Abstract: Described herein is a fuel authorization program that vehicles enrolled in the fuel authorization program to provide fuel tank sensor data in each fuel authorization request, so that an amount of fuel authorized will be limited to the amount needed to fill the vehicle's fuel tank, reducing a likelihood that fuel will be diverted. In at least some embodiments, the fuel authorization controller at the vehicle automatically uses the fuel tank sensor data and known tank size to include in a fuel authorization request sent to a fuel vendor data defining how much fuel is required to fill the vehicle fuel tanks. In at least some embodiments, the fuel vendor consults data from a source other than the vehicle (such as records maintained by the fuel authorization program) to determine how large the vehicles fuel tanks are, and to calculate how much fuel is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Zonar Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Charles King, Rick Fadler, Charles Michael McQuade
  • Patent number: 9600098
    Abstract: A scroll wheel assembly for computer input device having a housing. The scroll wheel assembly includes a housing and an engagable scroll wheel. The scroll wheel is rotatable with a shaft to preferably cause vertical scrolling of an image on a display. The scroll wheel is laterally tiltable relative to the housing and the shaft. A sensor is preferably positioned within the housing for sensing tilting of the rotatable member. In response to sensed tilting movement of the rotatable member, the image is horizontally scrolled, preferably in the direction of the lateral movement. The computer input device having the rotatable member may take the form of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball device, or another type of computer input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: David D. Bohn
  • Patent number: 9074885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid capacitive micro inclinometer, comprising a pair of differential electrodes and a common electrode, all formed in the same plane in a sealed chamber. Immersing liquid is filled in the sealed chamber. The shape of the differential electrodes forms a sector of a circular plane. The inclinometer may further integrate a reading circuit. The present invention also discloses preparation method for the invented inclinometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: SAGATEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Hsiang Chen, Cheng-Szu Chen, Bo-Ting Chen
  • Patent number: 8167087
    Abstract: A safety device for measuring and indicating the level of a ladder having rungs extending between a pair of elongated ladder rails, the safety device comprising a housing dimensioned to be inserted into one of the rungs of the ladder, an electronic sensor disposed in the housing, a controller disposed in the housing, which is in electronical communication with the sensor, at least one indicator, and a power supply for supplying power to the device. The electronic sensor measures the inclination of the ladder to produce a measured inclination which the controller compares to a stored predetermined level value to produce a comparison signal. The at least one indicator receives the comparison signal and indicates to the user the comparison signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Inventors: Peter Simeonov, Hongwei Hsiao, John Powers
  • Patent number: 7964806
    Abstract: An electronic scale having a measuring sensor (1 . . . 16), a digital signal processing unit (18), a digital display (19), a bubble level (20), which includes a container (21) that is partially filled with a liquid (22) while forming a gas bubble (23), and circuit component or program routine in the digital signal processing unit (18) for detecting a displacement of the gas bubble (23). An additional circuit component or program routine detects the diameter of the gas bubble (23). The diameter of the gas bubble changes due to vertical vibrations of the scale. The signal from the measuring sensor (1 . . . 16) falsified by vibrations can thus be corrected by the digital signal processing unit (18) by calculation, making use of the diameter signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Sartorius AG
    Inventors: Gerd Freydank, Winfried Graf, Christian Oldendorf
  • Publication number: 20090119938
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an integral digital clinometer. The integral digital clinometer includes at least one acceleration sensor; an Analog-to-Digital (AfD) converter for converting detected signals from the acceleration sensor into digital signals; computing means for processing the digital signals in order to obtain an inclination value of a measurement line or a measurement plane with respect to a reference line or plane; display means for displaying the inclination value; power supply means; and a housing configured to accommodate the acceleration sensor, the A/D converter, the computing means and the power supply means, mounted so that display of the display means is visible, and configured to have a mounting portion supported along the measurement line or the measurement plane. The integral digital clinometer can be used as the ball marker of a golf green by miniaturizing the structure thereof and forming a lower disk base portion and a pin portion at the center of the disk base portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventor: Ci-Moo Song
  • Patent number: 7493702
    Abstract: A tilt control method includes a tilt control step for automatic control of the tilt (?) of a tilt device (1) by at least one electronic tilt sensor (2) based on gravitational force (G) and by a tilt control device (5), and a sensor test step which is carried out automatically at a test initiation signal, and in case of a malfunction, supplies an error signal (?) which prevents the tilt control step from being carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellshaft
    Inventors: Reinhard Waibel, Sasha Lukic, Heinz Kousek, Manfred Ammann
  • Patent number: 7325321
    Abstract: The method and the device serve to monitor the alignment of a measuring instrument, specifically a balance. To perform this function, the monitoring device is equipped with an inclination sensor based on the principle of a spirit level, with a container filled with a fluid in which a bubble is formed. According to the invention, the position of the bubble is measured optically by means of a radiating element that is arranged on one side of the bubble and serves to emit a radiation, and a sensor element that is arranged on the opposite side of the bubble and serves to receive the radiation. The radiating element, preferably a light-emitting diode, and the sensor element, preferably a photodiode, together define the sensor axis (sx) on which the bubble is centered as long as the sensor axis runs parallel to the axis of the gravity force. Furthermore, the sensor element is flanked by at least two reference elements that are likewise receiving the radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo AG
    Inventors: Hansruedi Künzi, Roger Leisinger
  • Patent number: 7182148
    Abstract: A tool has a housing; a display unit attached to the housing; and a motion detection unit operably coupled to the housing and to the display unit, wherein the motion detection unit is configured to detect linear and rotational motion of the housing, to generate a first display signal indicative of the linear motion of the housing and to provide the first display signal to the display unit, and to generate a second display signal indicative of the rotational motion of the housing and to provide the second display signal to the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Inventor: William Szieff
  • Patent number: 6349477
    Abstract: An inclinometer utilizing synchronous demodulation for high resolution and electronic offset adjustment provides a wide dynamic range without any moving components. A device encompassing a tiltmeter and accompanying electronic circuitry provides quasi-leveled tilt sensors that detect highly resolved tilt change without signal saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Steven L. Hunter