By Thermoelements Connected In Series Opposition Patents (Class 374/113)
  • Patent number: 11047440
    Abstract: Various systems, devices, and methods for detecting and/or responding to the temperature of brakes are disclosed. Certain embodiments relate to inhibiting or preventing the overheating of the brakes of such vehicles, such as could occur when a hot runner condition is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ITT Italia S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Serra, Daniele Donzelli, Mattia Solari, Marco Terranova
  • Patent number: 10591363
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to generating a temperature measurement signal based upon a weighted average of signals generated by a resistive temperature detector (RTD) and a thermocouple device. The thermocouple device includes first and second thermocouple junctions. The first thermocouple junction is thermally coupled to the RTD, and the second thermocouple junction is thermally isolated from the RTD. The thermocouple is configured to generate a signal indicative of a difference between first and second thermocouple junctions, which is substantially equal to the difference between the RTD and the second thermocouple junction due to the thermal coupling configuration. The RTD generates a signal indicative of a temperature of the RTD. A weighted sum of the first and second signals is indicative of a temperature of the second thermocouple junction, which responds rapidly to temperature fluctuations, due to its having a relatively small thermal mass compared with the RTD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Richard William Phillips, Chansay Em
  • Patent number: 10488274
    Abstract: Acoustic ambient temperature and humidity sensing based on determination of sound velocity is described, in addition to sensors, algorithms, devices, systems, and methods therefor. An exemplary embodiment employs sound velocity in the determination of ambient temperature and humidity. Provided implementations include determinations of sound velocity based on time of flight of a coded acoustic signal and/or based on resonance frequency of a Helmholtz resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Xiang Li, Omid Oliaei, Julius Ming-Lin Tsai, Baris Cagdaser, Martin Lim
  • Patent number: 10120021
    Abstract: Systems and methods detect abnormal conditions in electrical circuits by providing thermal imaging combined with non-contact measurements of current and voltage. Such systems may be implemented in a single test device, or in wired combinations, or in wireless communication implementations with multiple test devices and/or accessories, or in combination with one or more additional devices, such as a mobile phone, tablet, personal computer (PC), cloud-based server, etc. A thermal imaging tool that includes an infrared sensor may first discover and image one or more thermal anomalies in an object, such as an electrical circuit. One or more non-contact current or voltage sensors may be used to measure current and/or voltage, which allows for determination of the power loss at the measured location. The power loss may be used to determine an estimation of the abnormal resistive power losses in a circuit, as well as the costs associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Luis R. Silva, Michael D. Stuart
  • Patent number: 9311759
    Abstract: A method for improving fuel economy on a passenger jet aircraft comprises automatically receiving a communication from the aircraft to a ground station comprising at least one subsystem operating parameter measured during the current flight, detecting whether the operating parameter meets predetermined criteria and, if the criteria are met, automatically sending a communication to indicate the aircraft's status for a next flight. If the criteria are not met, a status of the aircraft is automatically changed and a communication is sent. Other methods and systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Alaska Airlines, Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn Shelley, Kevin Collins, George A. Molnar, Steve Lovas, Joseph E. Gockowski, III
  • Patent number: 9127597
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for a sensor system for detecting, characterizing, monitoring, and analyzing data. According to some embodiments disclosed herein, a monitoring system is configured to obtain data from a sensor system. The sensor system includes two or more sensors and can indicate an operating state detected at a monitored structure by the sensors. The monitoring system also obtains operational data including a threshold value for the sensors and an expected value for the sensors. The monitoring system is configured to adjust the thresholds based, at least partially, upon the operational data to obtain an adjusted threshold value, and to compare the data value to the adjusted threshold. The monitoring system can determine if the monitored structure is operating in an alarm condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kathryn A. Masiello, Robert Steven Wright, Jeffrey Lynn Duce, Bradley J. Mitchell, Joseph A. Marshall, IV
  • Patent number: 9098097
    Abstract: An integrated circuit die includes multiple temperature sensor units each for measuring the temperature of respective regions of a semiconductor substrate of the integrated circuit die. The temperature sensor units are each coupled to a multiplexer by respective groups of signal lines. The signal lines include resistance compensation areas for maintaining a particular ratio of resistances of the signal lines of each group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Aswani Aditya Kumar Tadinada, Tanmoy Sen
  • Patent number: 7862229
    Abstract: A system, device, and method for minimizing x-axis and/or y-axis offset shift due to internally produced as well as externally produced on chip temperature imbalances. At least one temperature gradient canceling device is disposed on a substrate including a temperature gradient sensitive device having at least one pair of sensors. Voltage signals generated by the temperature gradient canceling devices can be combined with voltage signals generated by each of the pair of sensors to account for the offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Memsic, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Dribinsky, Gregory P. Pucci, Yongyao Cai, Mathew Varghese, Gary J. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6679625
    Abstract: A scanning heat flow probe for making quantitative measurements of heat flow through a device under test is provided. In one embodiment the scanning heat flow probe includes an electric current conductor in a cantilever beam connected to a probe tip and coupled to two voltmeter leads. The probe also includes two thermocouple junctions in the cantilever beam electrically isolated from the electric current conductor and the two voltmeter leads. Heat flow is derived quantitatively using only voltage and current measurements. In other forms, the invention relates to the calibration of scanning heat flow probes through a method involving interconnected probes, and relates to the minimization of heat flow measurement uncertainty by probe structure design practices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Alan Cordes, David R. DiMilia, James Patrick Doyle, Matthew James Farinelli, Snigdha Ghoshal, Uttam Shyamalindu Ghoshal, Chandler Todd McDowell, Li Shi
  • Patent number: 6293455
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement for measuring the cooling rate and thermal gradient between the top and bottom surfaces of a printed circuit board. Moreover, it is intended to facilitate control over the temperature gradient which is encountered between the top and bottom of the PCB so as to prevent warpage thereof during the formation of solder joints in a reflow solder oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David V. Caletka, Kevin Knadle, Charles G. Woychik
  • Patent number: 5484206
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for sensing a cold junction temperature, wherein two sensors are located near the cold junction temperature, the temperatures at the two sensors are measured, the heat flow between the two sensors and one of the two sensors and the cold junction is constrained to be equal, and the thermal impedances between each of the two sensors and the cold junction is maintained constant. The cold junction temperature is a weighted difference of the two temperatures at the two sensors and the weighting factor depends on the ratio of the thermal impedance between the two sensors and the thermal impedance between the first sensor and the cold junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Inventor: John Houldsworth
  • Patent number: 4986232
    Abstract: An arrangement for the recognition of misfirings of internal combustion engines with externally supplied ignition in which for the recognition of misfirings, the cylinders are combined into two groups and an ignition system of its own is coordinated to each group; a thermo-element is thereby arranged in the exhaust tract of a cylinder of each group. A pair of thermo-elements is series-connected in opposite polarity and the resulting thermo-voltage at the free ends is monitored by means of two threshold circuits. From the amount and sign of the resulting thermo-voltage, a defective ignition system can be determined and the corresponding cylinder group can be turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Axel Richter, Patric Lardy, Ulrich Schempp, Herbert Glueck
  • Patent number: 4648246
    Abstract: The interior of two metallic bellows is in fluid connection through capillary tubes with temperature sensors. The temperature sensors are located in places whose relative temperature difference should be determined. In the presence of a temperature difference two springs, each fixed between one of the two metallic bellows and a reference indicator, are pressed together whereby the reference indicator is displaced from its neutral position. The magnitude of this displacement is a measure of the temperature difference and is used by means of switching or recording mechanisms to activate a measuring, controlling, regulating or recording process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Inventor: Jakob Huber
  • Patent number: 4583867
    Abstract: A device, for assuring selective commutation of one or the other of two electric measuring circuits to a single electric exploitation circuit as a function of the temperature gradient present between two distinct points of reference, has a first thermocouple placed at the first point of reference; a second thermocouple placed at a second point of reference, connected in opposition to the first thermocouple in order to deliver a differential electro-motive force (.DELTA.e) of which the value and the sign are a function of the value and sense of the gradient; and commutation means sensitive to this electro-motive force and fed solely by the energy produced by the two thermocouples. The commutation means includes a relay fed by the differential electro-motive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Inventor: Georges Gautheret