By Distance And Time Measurement Patents (Class 702/149)
  • Patent number: 11852738
    Abstract: A method and system for providing location information to a mobile device includes providing an apparatus with a beacon. The apparatus stores identification information associated with the apparatus, and obtains information describing the correspondence between location information and apparatus identification information to determine the location of the apparatus from the stored identification information. The apparatus transmits the location information to the beacon which transmits the information to the mobile device. In addition, information defining movement of a mobile device through a navigation zone includes an array of beacons that are in communication with each other. The mobile device is provided at a first location in the navigation zone and communicates with a first beacon to indicate its proximity to the first beacon. The device moves through the zone to other locations and communicates with another beacon in proximity to the second location to indicate its proximity to the second beacon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
    Inventor: Peter M. Hillier
  • Patent number: 11315371
    Abstract: A transportation vehicle having: a keyless access system for the electronically controlled locking and unlocking of at least one vehicle door of the transportation vehicle and a UWB system having at least one UWB transceiver to transmit and receive UWB pulses via at least one antenna. In the transportation vehicle, the UWB system is used for a positioning method based on transit time measurements for determining the position of a second UWB system for controlling the keyless access system and for controlling the control unit for payload transmission with a third transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Jork Leiterer, Robert Dreyer
  • Patent number: 11010996
    Abstract: A system includes a transmitter, a receiver and a control module. The transmitter transmits a RF signal from one of a vehicle and a portable access device to the other one of the vehicle and the portable access device. The receiver receives a response signal from one of the vehicle and the portable access device in response to the RF signal. The control module: converts the response signal to in-phase and quadrature-phase signals; based on the RF, in-phase signal and quadrature-phase signals; detects a range extension type relay attack performed by an attacking device to obtain at least one of access to or operational control of the vehicle; where the RF signal is relayed via the attacking device from the vehicle to the portable access device or the response signal is relayed via the attacking device from the portable access device to the vehicle; and performs a countermeasure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond Michael Stitt, John Videtich, Yuki Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 10903107
    Abstract: A semiconductor process transport apparatus including a drive section with at least one motor, an articulated arm coupled to the drive section for driving articulation motion, a machine controller coupled to the drive section to control the at least one motor moving the articulated arm from one location to a different location, and an adapter pendant having a machine controller interface coupling the adapter pendant for input/output with the machine controller, the adapter pendant having another interface, configured for connecting a fungible smart mobile device having predetermined resident user operable device functionality characteristics, wherein the other interface has a connectivity configuration so mating of the fungible smart mobile device with the other interface automatically enables configuration of at least one of the resident user operable device functionality characteristics to define an input/output to the machine controller effecting input commands and output signals for motion control of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana L. Atwood, Jairo Moura
  • Patent number: 10903100
    Abstract: A measuring device includes sensor electrodes provided along a periphery of a base substrate such that a sum A of shortest distances from the sensor electrodes to an inner peripheral surface of a focus ring becomes a constant value, the sum A satisfying ? i = 1 N ? a C i = A the number of the sensor electrodes, Ci: measurement values and “a”: constant). A method of obtaining the amount of deviation of the central position of the measuring device in a region surrounded by the focus ring from the center of the region, includes: calculating the measurement values Ci using the measuring device; calculating the constant “a” using the measurement values Ci; calculating distances from the sensor electrodes to the inner peripheral surface of the focus ring using the constant “a” and the measurement values Ci; and calculating the amount of deviation of the central position of the measuring device based on the calculated distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kippei Sugita, Daisuke Kawano
  • Patent number: 10758163
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assistance device intended for a person (1) suffering from motor disorders of neurological origin, comprising: an accelerometer suitable for being worn by the person to measure accelerations; and storage means storing a plurality of previously defined alert acceleration threshold values; and means (5) for emitting an auditory stimulation perceptible to the person wearing the accelerometer; and calculation means configured to perform the following steps: a) determine a posture of the person from the measured accelerations; b) compare the accelerations measured by said accelerometer in the first direction in relation to at least one anticipatory acceleration threshold value associated with said posture; c) command the emission of an auditory stimulation as a function of the crossing of said anticipatory acceleration threshold value associated with said posture for a determined time associated with said anticipatory acceleration threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RESILIENT INNOVATION
    Inventors: Sébastien Teissier, Jordan Miron
  • Patent number: 10712725
    Abstract: Provided is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process, the process including: acquiring transfer times of straight transfer paths for a hand of a vertical articulated robot having at least four controlled axes; calculating a vector of each of the straight transfer paths; comparing a direction of a vector of a target path for which a transfer time is to be estimated with a direction of the vector of each of the straight transfer paths, and identifying, among the straight transfer paths, a transfer path most similar in vector direction to the target path; and estimating a transfer time of the target path, in accordance with a scalar quantity of a vector of an identified transfer path, a scalar quantity of the vector of the target path, and a transfer time of the identified transfer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Masuda, Yukio Ozaki
  • Patent number: 10604161
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and method to provide driving assistance to safely overtake a vehicle are disclosed herein. In accordance with an embodiment, an electronic control unit used in a first vehicle is configured to detect a second vehicle in front of the first vehicle. A first position associated with the first vehicle and a second position associated with the detected second vehicle is determined for a first time instance. It may be determined whether a lateral distance between the determined first position and the determined second position is below a pre-defined threshold distance. A first alert is generated when the determined lateral distance is below the pre-defined threshold distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manish Gupta, Ramesha Chelur Ramachandra Sastry, Pramod Chintalapoodi, Sho Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10362940
    Abstract: A system includes one or more sensors to detect activities of a mobile object; and a processor coupled to the sensor and the wireless transceiver to classify sequences of motions into groups of similar postures each represented by a model and to apply the models to identify an activity of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Empire IP LLC
    Inventor: Bao Tran
  • Patent number: 10302469
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for determining, recommending, and applying a calibration parameter to collected activity data. In one embodiment, calibration parameter is estimated based on physical aspects of the user and automatically applied to collected data. In another embodiment, the calibration parameter is determined based on secondary data which is more precise than the data which is collected. The calibration factor based on the more precise data may comprise a recommended calibration factor, yet the user may be enabled to select any calibration factor he/she prefers via an interactive display. In one specific variant, the activity comprises a walk or run activity of the user, and the calibration parameter comprises the user's specific stride length. In another variant, the user selects a calibration factor by reviewing a list of previous activity against that same activity after calibration given a particular calibration factor is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventors: Abhi Bhatt, Eric Boam, Evan Torchin, Daniel Sargeant, Mayank Arora, John Arnold, Jr., John Martin, Christopher Green, Nimesh Desai, Breyna Fries
  • Patent number: 10297164
    Abstract: A system includes a shoe and a pod. The pod is disposed at the shoe and includes a positioning component and an altimeter. The positioning component determines a first geodetic location of the shoe at a first time, whereas the altimeter determines a first elevation of the shoe at the first time. The first positioning component additionally determines a second geodetic location of the shoe at a second time and generate shoe distance data based on the first geodetic location and the second geodetic location. The altimeter additionally determines a second elevation of the shoe at the second time. The positioning component additionally determines a total distance traveled based on the shoe distance data, the first elevation and the second elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Oleson, F. Grant Kovach, Nathan Dau, Angela Nelligan
  • Patent number: 10043529
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for echo suppression of an input audio signal. A multimedia system and a remote control unit are configured to adaptively and dynamically preform calibration processes for obtaining sets of echo suppression parameters. The sets of echo suppression parameters are used to generate an audio signal from an input audio. When rendered by a speaker, the generated audio signal produces echo-suppressed sound of the input audio signal at one of more locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignees: Hisense USA Corp., Hisense Electric Co., Ltd., Hisense International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wenjie Wang
  • Patent number: 9579794
    Abstract: An articulated robot comprises a control unit including: a track information storage unit which stores track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point; a setting unit which sets a current position and a target position of an arm distal end as the start point and the end point; and an operation command generation unit which generates an operation command based on track information corresponding to a combination of the set start point and the set end point (corresponding track information). If the corresponding track information is not stored but related track information corresponding to a combination of a start point and an end point having a predetermined relationship with a combination of the set start point and the set end point is stored in the track information storage unit, the operation command generation unit generates the operation command based on the related track information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SINFONIA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji Masui, Toru Saeki
  • Patent number: 9486701
    Abstract: A computer-controlled video entertainment system providing user-related input data to said system. The invention provides an rich input sensor device having direct access to an IP-based network, in particular to the Internet, for transmitting sensor signals or data derived thereof as user-related input data via the IP-based network to a remote computing device or server, preferably to a cloud of servers, which then process these input data for controlling the running entertainment program. The sensor device can be made simple, since it is mainly designed to detect user activities and to generate sensor signals which are directly transmitted as input data to the remote computer(s) or server(s). The sensor device can directly communicate with any IP-based computing device (gaming server or the like) being installed remotely and having powerful hardware and software to process the received input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Crytek GmbH
    Inventor: Cevat Yerli
  • Patent number: 9400163
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a length of material, comprises at least one processor configured to: receive a signal indicating manual designation of a point along the length of material as a first end point; receive at least one signal from at least one distance measuring device associated with a timber-working head, the signal indicating the distance between the first end point and a second end point on the length of material; and determine the actual length of material to be processed. An associated method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Brett James Kaye
  • Patent number: 9037304
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fluid delivery machine configured to deliver fluid on a worksite is disclosed. In the method, operation of a power source of the fluid delivery machine is controlled with a control module. Fluid delivery on the worksite is also controlled by the control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Peter William Anderton, Khanh Tu Ngo, Apostolis Kouvelis, Marcin Domink Blaszkowski
  • Patent number: 9020782
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling of ski vibration consisting an accelerator/actuator sub-system attached to the ski and a adaptive vibration control application residing in the user smart-phone and communicating with the accelerometer/actuator sub-system over Bluetooth radio interface is disclosed. The adaptive vibration control application extracts vibration frequencies and amplitudes from signal received from an accelerometer, separates such frequencies according to their types—bending or torsional, and after thresholding and scaling by the ski calibration parameters and by the user desired ski response, apply such signal to the control loop and consequently to the actuators to provide vibration dampening force. In one embodiment, such actuators are attached to the ski, while in another embodiment such actuators are embedded into the ski.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: IPComm
    Inventors: Stanislaw Czaja, Grzegorz Staszczuk, Muhammad Afsar
  • Patent number: 8988033
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a main axis 30 to which a touch probe 17 is attached, a motor 15 that rotationally drives the main axis 30, a rotation angle position detector 16 that detects a rotation angle position of the motor 15, and a control device 20. The control device, when a measurement mode command for performing measurement of a workpiece by the touch probe 17 is input, multiplies a d-axis current command value Idc by a d-axis current correction coefficient K that is less than 1 to reduce the d-axis current command value Idc to a d-axis current command correction value Idc?, using a d-axis current command correction section 4. Thus, in the machine tool, small rotation vibrations of the main axis, generated when rotating the main axis to which the probe is attached and performing measurements of a workpiece, can be suppressed to thereby increase the measurement accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: OKUMA Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Shibata, Tomohisa Kameyama
  • Patent number: 8990048
    Abstract: System for adaptive control and release of ski bindings comprising a smart-phone based application performing calculation of forces applied to the ski-binding system by analyzing acceleration vectors received from accelerometers embedded in the bindings, then instantaneously releasing both bindings if one or more of the predefined safety thresholds was exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: IPComm
    Inventors: Stanislaw Czaja, Andrzej Bachleda-Curus, Ilona Stawski, Muhammad Afsar
  • Patent number: 8949070
    Abstract: A method or apparatus for monitoring human activity using an inertial sensor is described. The method includes monitoring accelerations, and identifying a current user activity from a plurality of user activities based on the accelerations. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of user activities is associated with one of a plurality of types of periodic human motions that are detectable by the portable electronic device, and wherein the identification of the current user activity is made based on detecting two or more instances of the periodic human motion associated with the user activity. The method further includes counting periodic human motions appropriate to the current user activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Richard Kahn, Arthur Kinsolving, Mark Andrew Christensen, Brian Y. Lee, David Vogel
  • Patent number: 8935052
    Abstract: In a method for controlling at least one door of a vehicle, a movement of a mobile identification signal generator, assigned to the vehicle, relative to the vehicle is sensed as a function of time. A future position of the mobile identification signal generator is estimated at a future time based on the position, the speed of movement and the direction of movement of the mobile identification signal generator at the current time, and furthermore an unlocking condition is detected if the future position of the mobile identification signal generator is within a predetermined range. Finally, the at least one door is unlocked and/or opened based on the unlocking condition. As a result of the estimation of the position of an identification signal generator with respect to a next position measuring point, the reaction time and the susceptibility to faults of an access arrangement can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Hermann
  • Patent number: 8884636
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sensor that can accurately detect displacement and prevents the phenomenon of a contact section between a shaft member and a sliding element receiver being shifted. The sensor comprising: a case having a through hole; a resistance substrate fixed at an inside of said case; a shaft member having a first end portion which is one end of the shaft member placed within said case and a second end portion which is other end of the shaft member exposed to an outside of said case from said through hole, said shaft member being placed at said through hole in a movable manner in an axial direction; and a sliding element receiver having a bearing end contacting with said second end portion of said shaft member, and attached with a brush sliding together with said resistance substrate, said sliding element receiver being capable of moving relatively against said resistance substrate with said shaft member. A hemispherical end face is formed at said first end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Eagle Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Nitta
  • Publication number: 20140324382
    Abstract: A system and method of processing one or more sensor logs includes receiving a sensor log an identifying a set of entries in the sensor log having a predefined sequence of sensor identifiers. The set of entries may define a velocity event. The method can also provide for calculating an in-home gait velocity for the velocity event. In one example, the method also provides for identifying another set of entries in the sensor log having a sensor identifier that corresponds to a dwell sensor mounted in a doorway, wherein the other set of entries define a dwell event. The method may also provide for calculating an in-home dwell time for the dwell event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Barry R. Greene, Adrian Burns
  • Patent number: 8862430
    Abstract: There is provided a method for estimating a position of a mobile node in a wireless sensor network. The method includes estimating a frequency offset between anchor nodes and estimating a difference between times when ranging frames from a mobile node are received by two anchor node, without use of a separate synchronization unit, such as a network synchronized clock supply unit that supplies a network synchronized clock via a cable, in a wireless sensor network, unlike a conventional method of estimating Time of Flight (TOF) using Two-Way Ranging (TWR) and Symmetric Double Sided-TWR (SDS-TWR) schemes. The estimated receiving time difference is directly applied to a Time Difference Of Arrival (TDOA) algorithm in order to estimate the position of the mobile node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Yoon Seok Nam, Jae Doo Huh, Kwang Roh Park
  • Publication number: 20140222368
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a processor configured to select a type of an object subject to measurement; calculate a first distance to the object, based on output of a first sensor configured to detect passing of the object; calculate a second distance to the object, based on output of a second sensor configured to detect passing of the object; obtain based on the first distance, a first time point at which the object passes the first sensor; obtain based on the second distance, a second time point at which the object passes the second sensor; and calculate based on the first and second time points and a distance between the first and second sensors, a velocity of the object. The processor drives the first and second sensors at measurement time intervals corresponding to the type, and causes the first and the second sensors to detect the passing of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Kouichirou KASAMA
  • Publication number: 20140195192
    Abstract: The information processing apparatus includes an absolute position acquiring unit that acquires an absolute position of a user, an acquiring unit that acquires first values according to physical movement of the user who walks, a function specifying unit that assumes a function showing a relation between the first values and second values showing a pace or a walking speed of the user, calculates coefficients included in the function based on the first values and the absolute position, and specifies the function, a calculating unit that calculates the second values corresponding to the first values using the function, and a learning unit that learns a correspondence relation between a walking tempo of the user and the second values using the calculated second values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masato Kimishima
  • Patent number: 8756026
    Abstract: A process for monitoring a machine including moving pieces, a lubrication system and an electromagnetic sensor fitted with a magnet and two electrodes is disclosed. The sensor is capable of collecting particles present in the lubrication system between the electrodes. The monitoring process includes a step for obtaining measurements of resistance between the electrodes of the sensor, taken during an operating period of the machine; a step for determining from said measurements a first autoregressive mathematical model characterizing the resistance; a step for comparison between the first model and a predetermined reference model; and a step for working out an opinion on maintenance of the machine as a function of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Xavier Flandrois, Jean-Rémi André Masse, Maurice Georges Vernochet
  • Patent number: 8738319
    Abstract: A sensor system for a host vehicle may detect whether another in-path vehicle is turning. The sensor system may include a transmitter, a receiver and a controller. Signals may be emitted by the transmitter over a detection area. The emitted signals may reflect off an object vehicle in the detection area and be received by the receiver. The receiver may include a number of channels, each corresponding to a different region of the detection area. The sensor system may determine whether the in-path vehicle is turning and in what direction based on the reflected signals received at each channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wilford Trent Yopp, Peter Gyumyeong Joh
  • Patent number: 8718968
    Abstract: A system includes memory that stores pre-determined high voltage circuit breaker contact travel distance information and a processor that estimates a travel curve for at least one of a closed, an open or a combination of closed and open operations for the contacts based on both one or more travel distances of the stored travel distance information and one or more time values corresponding to state transitions of switches between closed and open states, wherein the switches are affixed to the contacts so as to transition between closed and open states as the contacts move between closed and open positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Anton F. Poeltl
  • Patent number: 8655375
    Abstract: A present location of a user is periodically determined. The present location of the user is compared to a previous location of the user. A determination is made as to whether the present location is within a specified distance of the previous location. If the present location is within the specified distance of the previous location, a determination is made as to whether the user has been at the present location for a specified time period. If the user has been at the present location for the specified time period, the present location is stored in a location database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Service Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Aceves, Sergio A. Fernandez, Carolina Tamayo Figueroa
  • Patent number: 8612181
    Abstract: This invention allows for remote monitoring of the skier/skiing performance. The system consists of a various MEMS sensors embedded in skier clothing and equipment. These sensors measure instantaneous changes in acceleration in x/y/z axis and changes in earth magnetic field—relative to the skier position, to provide six degree of freedom in calculation of skier position as well as moments applied to the ski edge and forces experiences by the skier body. These sensors communicate with the monitoring application residing in the user wireless terminal (call phone) over the PAN wireless network. The instantaneous measurements are analyzed either locally or remotely and when the system is configured in an active mode, a corrective response to the MEMS actuators embedded in the ski or ski bindings may be send does changing the parameters of the run or provide enhanced safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: IPComm
    Inventors: Stanislaw Czaja, Andrzej Bachleda-Curus, Tadeusz Nanowski, Ilona Stawski, Marty Czaja
  • Patent number: 8597572
    Abstract: Provided are an automatic analyzing method and apparatus for a microfludic system. The apparatus includes means for recognizing a disc or chip in the microfludic system, performs an operation and detection by automatically loading a DB according to a recognized type, and perform quantization of a test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-hyeon Kim, Yoon-kyoung Cho, Jeong-gun Lee
  • Patent number: 8589115
    Abstract: A system and a method for estimating a torque and a rotational speed of a motor are disclosed. The system includes a sound receiving device, a feature extraction device, and an artificial neural network module. In the method, at first, a plurality of training data are provided, wherein the training data includes a plurality of history sound feature values of the motor and history torque values or history rotation values corresponding thereto. Thereafter, an artificial neural network stored in the artificial neural network module is trained by the history data to obtain a motor model of the motor. Then, a motor sound signal made by the motor in a working state is received. Thereafter, sound feature values of the motor sound signal are extracted. Thereafter, the rotational speed value and the torque value are computed by the motor model in accordance with the at least one sound feature value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: National Cheng Kung University
    Inventors: Fei-Bin Hsiao, Chung-Neng Huang
  • Patent number: 8583402
    Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to an activity monitoring system including a portable activity monitoring device comprising a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user's body, a motion sensor, disposed in the housing, to generate data which is representative of the user's motion, and an altitude sensor, disposed in the housing, to generate data which is representative of the change in the user's altitude. The system further includes a display to output data which is representative of a badge, wherein the badge is representative of an achievement computed using motion and/or altitude sensor data. The monitoring device may also include a physiological sensor to generate data which is representative of a user's physiological condition. Here, the display outputs data which is representative of a badge wherein the badge is representative of a physiological achievement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventors: Shelten Gee Jao Yuen, James Park, Eric Nathan Friedman
  • Publication number: 20130275080
    Abstract: In a method for measuring a speed of a vehicle, the method starts a first motion sensor to sense a first position of the vehicle controls a first camera to capture a first image of the vehicle, and records a first time. A license plate number of the vehicle is identified from the first image, and a length of the vehicle is obtained from a database according to the license plate number. The method starts a second motion sensor to sense a second position of the vehicle controls a second camera to capture a second image of the vehicle, and records a second time. The method calculates a moving distance of the vehicle according to the first and the second position and the length of the vehicle, and calculates a speed of the vehicle according to the moving distance, the first time and the second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., GDS SOFTWARE (SHENZHEN) CO.,LTD
    Inventors: CHI-CHIH WANG, BING-YU HE, PO-WEI HUNG, YAO-FENG LI
  • Publication number: 20130211775
    Abstract: Method and system for determining the speed of a walking or running person from a foot motion. The method comprises providing (1) a pressure sensor between the foot and the ground, which sensor may be placed on or in an insole of a shoe. The pressure sensor is configured for transmitting pressure data to a communication unit (9). The method further comprises a step of determining a centre of pressure gait line (3) and calculating the centre of pressure speed (4) from the gait line. In addition, the method comprises the step of detecting whether the person is walking or running (5). Another step (6) is obtaining a correlation between the speed of a person and the centre of pressure speed. As a final step (7) of the method the speed of the person is deduced from the correlation. The system comprises a human interface for control and to inform the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurweten schappelijk Onderzoek TNO
    Inventor: Andrew Statham
  • Publication number: 20130197837
    Abstract: A method for determining the movement time curve of an electromagnetically driven armature of an actuator that has a coil may include: (a) applying to the coil a control signal dimensioned such that the armature undergoes only a partial deviation from the armature starting position without reaching an end position defined by a stop, and reaches, the armature starting position again after reaching a turnaround position, wherein the deviation of the armature over time is described at least approximately by a section of a parabola at least between the turnaround position and the starting position, (b) determining the time at which the armature reaches the armature starting position again, (c) determining the speed with which the armature reaches the armature starting position again, and (d) ascertaining the movement time curve of the armature using a mathematical equation that describes the parabola based on the detected time and the detected speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventor: Gerd Rösel
  • Publication number: 20130197857
    Abstract: A system is provided that is configured to be transported, carried or worn by a user, such as a portable personal training device or sports watch. The system comprises a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver arranged to obtain the location and/or speed of the user and a pedometer for counting steps made by the user. Data from the GNSS receiver is used to calibrate the pedometer each time the user is determined to travel a distance greater than a predefined distance value during a period of time in which signals obtained by the GNSS receiver meet the one or more accuracy and/or reliability criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Ping-Han Lu, Ying-Lin Lai
  • Patent number: 8489354
    Abstract: A method for verifying the speed of a vehicle having at least a front axle and a rear axle, using sensors separated by a distance. The presence of the vehicle is sensed and an image of the vehicle is recorded to enable the vehicle to be identified. The sensors are triggered to emit signals which are received by the system to enable the speed of the vehicle to be determined. The signals are also used to determine a wheel base measurement for the vehicle. The determined wheel base measurement is compared to an actual wheel base measurement of the vehicle being sensed and any discrepancy between them is taken to be indicative of potential errors in the speed of the vehicle determined by the method. In one embodiment, the a database is provided, the database containing data relating to various vehicle types associated with vehicle specifications including a validated wheel base measurement for each vehicle type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Inventors: Adrian Onea, Ricardo John Fiusco
  • Patent number: 8443296
    Abstract: A progress displaying system and the method thereof are provided. The system and the method thereof are applicable to mileage calculating devices. By generating progress displaying graphs during mileage calculations according to the moving speeds and completed percentages at different time points, and continuously showing progress displaying graphs until the completed percentage is completely fulfilled, the system and the method thereof can achieve the goal of vividly reflecting user's current status during the progress display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Inventec Corporation
    Inventors: Chaucer Chiu, Frances Dai
  • Patent number: 8406918
    Abstract: A disk carrier for teaching disk positioning in a substrate changing system. The disk carrier composed of a panel having a disk opening configured to receive a disk and a plurality of beam sensors disposed around the disk opening to project beams parallel to a surface of the disk when secured within the disk opening. The plurality of beam sensors may be composed of at least one beam sensor on each of a front side and rear side of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: WD Media, LLC
    Inventors: Yi Chun Tan, Huat Seng Khor, Eang Keong Tan, Chun Beng Ang, Chay Hoon Tang
  • Publication number: 20120323523
    Abstract: To include a pulse counting unit, a pulse timing unit, an overflow detection unit that holds a detected matter in an overflow register, a capture unit that holds an output of the pulse counting unit in a pulse counting register and holds an output of the pulse timing unit in a pulse timing register, and a computation unit (frequency calculation unit) that reads the pulse counting register, the pulse timing register, and the overflow register to calculate a frequency computation value, and when the pulse timing unit has overflowed, the computation unit adds a predetermined constant acquired by a period of a capture clock a period of a timing clock to pulse timing data at the previous interrupt to obtain pulse timing data acquired by a period of time from the last pulse edge a period of the timing clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: Mitsubhishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20120303315
    Abstract: Device for measuring speed of oblong products moving along feed direction and emitting radiations, in particular rolled metal products in rolling line, including two radiation sensors, disposed reciprocally at close distance respectively defining an optical observation window, at pre-arranged distance from each other. Each window covers the image of an advancing product determinate portion equal to relative window width, irrespective of portion's movements transverse to feed direction. Sensors observe the presented product portion, on each occasion, in correspondence with associated windows consecutively along feed direction, and measure continuously intensity of radiation from the product portion in correspondence with the windows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: DANIELI AUTOMATION SPA
    Inventor: Ferruccio Della Vedova
  • Patent number: 8321171
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of networked nodes spatially distributed within a monitored area and adapted to interact with a mobile entity entering and moving through the area, the plurality of nodes including at least one area entrance node adapted to detect the mobile entity upon entering the monitored area, and a transaction node for accomplishing a transaction with the mobile entity; a transaction processing center in communication relationship with the nodes for processing data required for the transaction and for providing the data to the transaction node. A node selection unit is adapted to dynamically select the transaction node among the plurality of nodes based on an estimation of the speed of movement of the mobile entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Claudio Borean, Valter Bella, Roberta Giannantonio
  • Publication number: 20120265366
    Abstract: A dynamic method to accurately determine the mass of a vehicle which deforms on acceleration and is subject to low frequency noise is disclosed. Only the greater than zero hertz frequencies of the signals are processed. Both signals are squelched during periods of high jerk to reduce the error between true mass and apparent mass. For a single body or combination vehicle such as a semi-rig with a propulsive body of known mass a reference for matched or Wiener filtering is constructed from the noisy signals to filter low frequency noise. A towing vehicle with a fifth wheel mounted on a dedicated load sensing apparatus can, therefore, determine the weight of any semi-trailer towed on any terrain of any inclination and any changing inclination with the greatest precision in the shortest possible time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventor: Bret E. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8244494
    Abstract: A method for determining a distance between a first piece and a second piece includes measuring, at the first or second piece, a first signal at a first frequency, and measuring, at the first or second piece, a second signal at a second frequency. The second frequency is different from the first frequency. The distance is determined based on the measured first and second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hypertherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Garg, William J. Connally
  • Patent number: 8229697
    Abstract: A method and a device are described for determining the rotational direction and/or rotational speed of a rotatable body on the basis of a sine signal and cosine signal, which is assignable to the rotational direction and/or rotational speed of the rotatable body and are output by a sensor, having at least one of the following steps: recording a sine signal and cosine signal, which is assignable to the rotational direction and/or rotational speed, at a point in time; determining a phase value from the sine signal and cosine signal; recording sine signals and cosine signals, which is assignable to the rotational direction and/or rotational speed, at points in time; determining phase values from the corresponding sine signals and cosine signals; calculating phase differences from the phase values and the phase value; and determining the rotational direction and/or rotational speed from the phase differences on the basis of a Vernier method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Wenzler
  • Patent number: 8195422
    Abstract: First and second devices having clocks which may have different clock rates. Obtaining a measure of the distance of propagation of a signal passing between the devices involves transmitting a first signal 12 from the first device to the second device. After a turnaround time TAT, a second signal 14 is transmitted from the second device to the first device. Any error in the clocks may lead to an error in the measurement of the turnaround time TAT. One device contains circuitry to calculate the ratio of the clock rates of the first and second devices, either by adjusting frequency divider ratios until there is LO frequency match, or by determining the offset frequency of an envelope of a mixed signal. The ratio of the clock rates is used to compensate the turnaround time TAT, to mitigate error. The accurate distance measurement can be used to determine if a relay attack has taken place in a vehicle security system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Martin S. Wilcox, Adam S. Leitch
  • Patent number: 8170831
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and a method for measuring a dimension of a circular object. First to third sensors arranged in a straight line are disposed above a track to respectively measure time instants when the circular object moves past the first to third sensors. The dimension of the circular object is calculated according to distances between the first and second sensors and between the second and third sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventor: Maw-Yuan Liou
  • Patent number: 8152693
    Abstract: A method for providing an exercise goal using an exercise data device, the method including: receiving input indicating a selected exercise goal; obtaining exercise goal data relating to the selected exercise goal; obtaining a current performance measurement related to exercise performance of a user of the exercise data device, the current performance measurement including a current distance and a current time measurement; calculating a current progress indicator using the current performance measurement and the exercise goal data; and providing the current progress indicator to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Marja-Leena Nurmela, Heini Tuorila, Dominick Reed