Frequency Patents (Class 702/75)
  • Patent number: 8849587
    Abstract: A method for determining the health of a transformer through vibration measurement is disclosed. A vibratory signal, in the form of a physical mechanical vibration or auditory signal, is received at a sensor. The vibratory signal is converted into a frequency representation of the signal to derive its harmonics. Based on the power level for the harmonics in the vibratory signal, the harmonic current ratios in the transformer are calculated. The harmonic current ratios are summed together to quantify the health of the transformer. This value is called a K-factor, and is a quantification of the health of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Inventors: Neal Fredrick Lightle, John Francis Jansen
  • Patent number: 8843329
    Abstract: A method for filling level measuring includes generating an echo curve. The echo curve is analyzed by at least one analysis method selected from analysis methods including analyzing the echo curve by at least two parallel tasks or is analyzed by comparing the echo curve with a spurious-echo curve at the IF-level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG
    Inventors: Karl Griessbaum, Josef Fehrenbach, Thomas Deck, Winfried Rauer, Martin Gaiser
  • Publication number: 20140278171
    Abstract: A method for reducing noise from an electrical signal includes: obtaining a sampling rate for the electrical signal. The sampling rate is a rate at which voltage readings are obtained for the electrical signal. Each voltage reading comprises a data component and a noise component. A time interval is determined from the sampling rate. A number of voltage readings are obtained. Each voltage reading is obtained one time interval of time after a previous voltage reading is obtained. At each time interval: a voltage reading is obtained; the obtained voltage reading is applied to a low-pass filter; a noise value is obtained from the low-pass filter; and the noise value is subtracted from the voltage reading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Robert James Kahlke, Steven D. Baker
  • Patent number: 8831909
    Abstract: Step detection and step length estimation techniques include detecting salient points in sensor data of one or more sensors. A step frequency is estimated based on a time interval between the detected salient points. A step length of the step may then be computed based on a nonlinear combination of the estimated step frequency and a function of the sensor data, and/or a step model. Alternatively, the step length of the step may be computed based on a combination of a nonlinear function of the estimated step frequency and a (linear or nonlinear) function of the sensor data, and/or a step model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Fan Li, Chunshui Zhao, Feng Zhao
  • Patent number: 8825421
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking an electronic signal corresponding to an operating frequency of an electronic component are provided. A method may include sampling the signal to determine previous and current time samples of the signal. A frequency of interest in the signal may also be pre-warped to decrease adverse warping effects resulting from processing signals having relatively higher operating frequencies. The previous and current time samples of the signals, along with the pre-warped frequency of interest, may be input into a digital tracking filter. The digital tracking filter may be configured to execute one or more algorithms on the previous and current time samples and the pre-warped frequency of interest to estimate a current operating frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Seibel, Russel J. Kerkman, Carlos Daniel Rodriquez-Valdez
  • Publication number: 20140225451
    Abstract: A method of detecting whether a receiver coil is near a transmit coil in a wireless power transfer system (WPTS), the method involving: applying a pseudo-random signal to the transmit coil; while the pseudo-random signal is being applied to the transmit coil, recording one or more signals produced within the WPTS in response to the applied pseudo-random signal; by using the one or more recorded signals, generating a dynamic system model for some aspect of the WPTS; and using the generated dynamic system model in combination with stored training data to determine whether an object having characteristics distinguishing the object as a receiver coil is near the transmit coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Nucleus Scientific Inc.
    Inventors: Serge R. Lafontaine, Ian W. Hunter
  • Publication number: 20140229133
    Abstract: Parameters of a three phase mixture of sinusoids with harmonic distortion are estimated by first acquiring samples of the signal for no more than a quarter cycle of the signal, a classifier is applied to the samples to obtain noise and signal parameters. Then, initial parameters are estimated to obtain final parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Zafer Sahinoglu, Zhu Chen
  • Patent number: 8798950
    Abstract: A system for controlling an ultrasonic transducer utilizes an indication of the relative phase of the voltage on the transducer and the current passing through the transducer to control the relative phase to a value that has been preselected to correspond to resonance of an electromechanical system that includes the ultrasonic transducer. In one example application, the system includes a waveform generator that produces an oscillating signal, and the frequency of the oscillating signal is adjustable under control of the control processor. The control processor adjusts the frequency of the oscillating signal according to a proportional control law at least some of the time, and according to a proportional-integral control law at least some of the time. The control processor may also control the amplitude of the oscillation of the ultrasonic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Neven Nikolic, Manja Kircanski, Nenad Kircanski, Amir M. Sadri, Milija Timotijevic, Zhiliang Xu
  • Patent number: 8791689
    Abstract: Disclosed is a probe for an oscilloscope comprising a multi-stage transistor amplifier that acts as an impedance transformer. Said amplifier is a d.c.-coupled emitter follower circuit that is composed of bipolar transistors or a d.c.-coupled source follower circuit which is composed of field effect transistors and the successive amplifier elements of which are dimensioned and tuned to each other in such a way that the resulting offset direct voltage between the input and the output is minimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Peschke, Alexander Schild
  • Patent number: 8762087
    Abstract: This invention places plural ring oscillators on a semiconductor chip during manufacture. The respective oscillation frequencies of these ring oscillators are measured. The semiconductor chip is assigned a grade dependent upon the measured frequencies. The ring oscillators are disposed proximate to critical paths on the semiconductor chip and employ circuit types to model the critical path operation under as many the manufacturing variations as possible. A linearly fitted model of ring oscillator frequencies to critical path delays is constructed during characterization after manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mayur Joshi, Anthony M. Hill, Jose L. Flores
  • Patent number: 8762097
    Abstract: In one aspect, a data processing system includes a virtual temperature sensor to provide system temperature for different system configurations, and a controller coupled to the sensor to control operations of the data processing system according to the virtual temperature. The virtual temperature sensor typically derives the temperature of a particular configuration of the data processing system using mathematical models or one or more operating parameters of the data processing system. In one example, the mathematical models include a characterization table which provides the measured temperature data from various system configurations. These measurements are performed with temperature sensors positioned in ideal locations for different configuration, and are preprocessed to provide the virtual temperature computation. The characterization table also includes thermal characteristics, such as thermal time constant and thermal resistance, of the critical components at multiple thermal control states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy John Millet
  • Patent number: 8744025
    Abstract: Methods, systems and other embodiments associated with pre-processing a signal for spectral analysis are presented. A system for pre-processing a digital input signal includes a digital down converter (DDC), an interpolator, and a series of down samplers. The DDC modulates the digital input signal to create a down converted signal. The interpolator re-samples the down converted signal to produce a re-sampled signal. The series of down samplers produces down sampled signals. The multiplexer selects one of the digital input signal, the down converted signal, and the down sampled signals and routes the selected signal to an output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Lowdermilk, Dragan Vuletic, Fredric J. Harris, Michael Tammen
  • Patent number: 8718961
    Abstract: A frequency measurement device includes: a counter section that counts a supplied pulse stream signal to be measured at a predetermined time interval and outputs a stream of count values corresponding to the frequency of the signal to be measured; and a low-pass filter section that performs a filtering process on the stream of count values, the low-pass filter section including moving average filters in multiple stages, and an output of at least one moving average filter among the moving average filters in multiple stages is downsampled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masayoshi Todorokihara
  • Patent number: 8718987
    Abstract: Provided is a circuit simulation model that can suitably represent capacitor characteristics, thereby realizing accurate circuit design and circuit analysis. A SPICE model is constituted of a capacitor unit in which a capacitor is replaced with a linear voltage dependent current source, a low-pass filter unit that has a function of extracting a DC bias voltage, a calculation circuit unit that is configured by combining an adder, a multiplier, and the like to perform a calculation of a circuit equation derived from an equivalent circuit for a capacitor such as an idealized C circuit model, an RC circuit model, or the like, and a linear voltage dependent voltage source that applies a total voltage applied across the capacitor to the calculation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiangying Wu
  • Patent number: 8712693
    Abstract: A method for measuring an enhanced electromagnetic field response, especially in a submarine environment, for the purposes of subsurface data acquisition and processing. An electromagnetic field is applied to subterranean strata at two or more different frequencies, a response at each frequency is detected, and the responses at different frequencies are resolved. The differences in the phase and/or amplitude of the responses are analyzed and the nature of the strata is determined. The same method can be used to determine the hydrocarbon content of a reservoir via the use of a borehole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA
    Inventor: Frank Agnar Maao
  • Patent number: 8694274
    Abstract: In summary, the invention relates to a device, a system, a method and a computer program for spectrum sensing. A detection procedure for detecting a signal of interest or an event by using a plurality of sensing devices capable of communicating with a central unit is proposed. The sensing devices can compute soft detection metrics and communicate this information to a central unit, where the information may be used to make a final detection decision using a certain specified rule. The signaling overhead of the proposed approach can be of the same order as that of a hard signaling approach. However, the proposed approach may achieve a better detection performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V., NXP Semiconductor Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ashish Vijay Pandharipande, Hongming Yang, Johan Paul Marie Gerard Linnartz
  • Patent number: 8674680
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for fast impedance measurement of a biological object having dynamically varying in time parameters, wherein a titlet shaped pulse is introduced into the object and a voltage response signal is measured and analyzed by a processing unit for estimating the impedance of the object. The titlet pulse has a start frequency substantially in one end of the frequency range of interest and a stop frequency substantially in the other end of the frequency range of interest and a duration of the titlet pulse is one cycle or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Tallinn University of Technology OÜ Eliko Tehnoloogia Arenduskeskus
    Inventors: Mart Minn, Toivo Paavle, Raul Land, Paul Annus, Toomas Parve
  • Patent number: 8676526
    Abstract: Meter electronics (20) for processing sensor signals in a flow meter and for computing mass flow rate, density or volume flow rate includes an interface (201) for receiving a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal and a processing system (203) in communication with the interface (201) and configured to generate a ninety degree phase shift from the first sensor signal with a Hilbert transform and compute a phase difference from the ninety degree phase shift, the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal. A frequency is computed from the first sensor signal and the ninety degree phase shift. A second ninety degree phase shift can be generated from the second sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark James Bell, Richard L. Maginnis, Craig B. McAnally
  • Patent number: 8660848
    Abstract: In the method of these teachings for detection of physical phenomena from or analysis of physical signals, an improved Empirical Mode Decomposition method decomposes physical signals representative of a physical phenomenon into components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventor: Mayer Humi
  • Publication number: 20140052399
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for identifying or verifying frequencies are disclosed herein. A frequency verification circuit comprises: an input port for receiving an input signal; a phase frequency difference detector for determining a difference in phase and frequency between the input signal and a feedback signal and for providing a control signal based on the detected difference; a voltage controlled crystal oscillator for producing an output signal based on the control signal; and a feedback loop including a feedback divider for frequency dividing the output signal by a factor R to produce the feedback signal, the feedback divider being programmable to a plurality of values of the factor R to correspond to a plurality of different test frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: NANOWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Charles William Tremlett NICHOLLS, Walid HAMDANE
  • Patent number: 8649989
    Abstract: Embodiments of this invention provide enhanced triggering capabilities such as frequency and phase triggering in a test and measurement instrument, such as a Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) or oscilloscope. A test and measurement instrument can include input terminals to receive RF signals, an ADC to digitize the RF signals, a digital downconverter to produce I and Q baseband component information, and a power detector to determine a power level using the I and Q information. A comparator compares the power level received from the power detector with a user-definable power threshold, and produces a logic signal for enabling one or more phase or frequency demodulators. The one or more demodulators produce IQ-based time-domain traces derived from the I and Q component information when the power level determined by the power detector exceeds the power threshold. Trigger circuitry is configured to trigger on an event responsive to a delayed trigger enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred K. Hillman, Jr., Marcus K. Da Silva, Kathryn A. Engholm, Kenneth P. Dobyns
  • Publication number: 20140032143
    Abstract: Provided are a system frequency measurement method, synchrophasor measurement method and device. The synchrophasor measurement method comprises: sampling voltage and current signals based on an absolute time reference; removing out-of-band interference in the sampled voltage and current signals; first-resampling at least one of the voltage and current signals with the out-of-band interference being removed based on an estimated system frequency; calculating phasor for the signals obtained from the first resampling and updating the estimated system frequency; for a reporting timing, second-resampling the voltage and current signals with the out-of-band interference being removed based on the updated estimated system frequency; and calculating synchrophasor of the voltage and current signals obtained from the second resampling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
    Inventor: Shanshan LUO
  • Publication number: 20130338954
    Abstract: An alternating-current electrical quantity measuring apparatus calculates, as a frequency coefficient, a value obtained by normalizing, with a differential voltage instantaneous value at intermediate time, a mean value of a sum of differential voltage instantaneous values at times other than the intermediate time among differential voltage instantaneous value data at three points each representing an inter-point distance between voltage instantaneous value data at adjacent two points in voltage instantaneous value data at continuous at least four points obtained by sampling an alternating voltage set as a measurement target at a sampling frequency twice or more as high as a frequency of the alternating voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kempei Seki
  • Publication number: 20130332097
    Abstract: A computer-readable-recording-medium stored a program for causing a computer to execute: judging, for each of elements of a plurality of scattering parameters, whether a difference between a first-area in a plane containing an axis representing frequency and an axis representing the element, and a second-area in the plane is within a permissible range, the first-area being surrounded by a first-element-value series of the element that is defined in advance for a plurality of first-frequencies, the second-area being surrounded by a second-element-value series that is obtained by performing interpolation calculation from the first-element-value series for a plurality of second frequencies which are different from the plurality of first-frequencies and which are provided at regular intervals; and determining, by performing the judging for one interval or a plurality of intervals, an interval so that the difference falls within the permissible range for all of the elements of the plurality of scattering parameter
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kumiko TERAMAE, Yoshiyuki Iwakura, Tsunaki Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8594961
    Abstract: The condition of a structure using remote interrogation of a multi-state passive wireless antenna sensor that has a known resonant frequency when mounted on the structure. The passive wireless antenna sensor is connected to a remotely operated switching circuit that includes a photocell. An interrogation system transmits a series of radio frequency signals with sweeping frequencies around the known resonant frequency to the passive wireless antenna sensor, while simultaneously pulsing a laser to switch the passive wireless antenna sensor between a first state and a second state in which it is exposed to open-circuit or short-circuit conditions. A signal is reflected from the passive wireless antenna sensor in each of the first and second states, and a resonant frequency of the passive wireless antenna sensor is determined by normalizing the received signals to isolate the antenna mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Haiying Huang, Srikar Deshmukh
  • Patent number: 8593132
    Abstract: A parameter calculating apparatus includes a signal generator that generates at least two input signals which each contain different frequency components; a signal inputting unit that inputs the input signals generated by the signal generator to respective ports of a test object at the same time; a frequency component deconstructing unit that deconstructs an output signal which is obtained by synthesizing the input signals input by the signal inputting unit and output from an output port into the frequency components; and a parameter calculator that calculates parameters which indicate transfer coefficients among ports of the test object based on output values of the frequency components obtained via the deconstruction performed by the frequency component deconstructing unit and on input values of the frequency components of the input signals input at the same time to a plurality of ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Toshiro Sato
  • Patent number: 8588703
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for splitting a wide band input signal and overlaying multiple frequency bands on each path associated with one or more digitizers. All frequencies from the split signal on each path can be fed to a mixer. The local oscillator of each mixer receives a sum of signals, which can each be set to any arbitrary frequency, as long as an associated matrix determinant of coefficients is non-zero. Each oscillator signal is multiplied by a coefficient, which can represent phase and magnitude, prior to summing the oscillator signals together. Each mixer mixes a combined signal with the input, thereby generating a set of multiple overlaid frequency bands. The digitized signals are processed to substantially reconstruct the original input signal. Thus, the wide band input signal is digitized using multiple individual digitizers. In particular, a system can support two wide band signals using four digitizers of narrower bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Pickerd, Kan Tan
  • Patent number: 8582675
    Abstract: A pre-channelized spectrum analyzer utilizes a channelizer as a preprocessor for parallel-configured low-resolution spectrum analyzers so as to perform as a high resolution spectrum analyzer. The pre-channelized spectrum analyzer has a polyphase filter that channelizes a signal input and an IFFT that generates filter bank outputs derived from the channelized signal. Spectrum analyzers are in communications with the filter bank outputs so as to generate a spectral decomposition of a subset of those outputs. The spectrum analyzers each perform a window and an FFT function on a corresponding one of the filter bank subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Inventor: Fredric J. Harris
  • Patent number: 8566053
    Abstract: A method for estimating and tracking locally oscillating signals. The method comprises the steps of taking measurements of an input signal that approximately preserve the inner products among signals in a class of signals of interest and computing an estimate of parameters of the input signal from its inner products with other signals. The step of taking measurements may be linear and approximately preserve inner products, or may be non-linear and approximately preserves inner products. Further, the step of taking measurements is nonadaptive and may comprise compressive sensing. In turn, the compressive sensing may comprise projection using one of a random matrix, a pseudorandom matrix, a sparse matrix and a code matrix. The step of tracking said signal of interest with a phase-locked loop may comprise, for example, operating on compressively sampled data or by operating on compressively sampled frequency modulated data, tracking phase and frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Richard G. Baraniuk, Petros T. Boufounos, Stephen R. Schnelle, Mark A. Davenport, Jason N. Laska
  • Publication number: 20130253843
    Abstract: Methods and systems for sensing properties of an object or entity utilize non-resistive contact sensors alone or in combination with other sensors. The sensor data is utilized for detecting and visualizing properties of one or more biological or non-biological objects or entities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: RESCON LTD
    Inventors: Thomas Andrew Dawson, Laura Gilbert
  • Patent number: 8532207
    Abstract: A method for distinguishing a signal of interest from one or more interference signals in a received analog signal comprises receiving an analog signal at a radio front end, and transmitting the received analog signal to an analog-to-digital converter to sample data in the received analog signal and output a digital signal. A sub-channel Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is performed on the digital signal, and sub-channel FFT bin magnitudes are averaged over a set period of time to determine a shape of the received signal. The shape of the received signal is compared to one or more signal reference patterns by computing a metric for the shape of the received signal, and computing a metric for the one more signal reference patterns. The computed metrics are then compared to a predetermined threshold value to determine the presence, or lack thereof, of a signal of interest in the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Colin S. Hanson, Benjamin J. Winstead
  • Patent number: 8527214
    Abstract: A mechanical seal monitoring system and method that measure the wear of seal faces of a mechanical seal where the mechanical seal seals a rotating machine portion from another portion of the machine. The system preferably uses a wear probe movable relative to a rotating seal component so that the wear probe can contact the rotating component. The wear of the seal is preferably determined by the relative movement that is required for the wear probe to contact the rotating component. Preferably, stress waves induced by the rubbing between the probe and the rotating component are detected by a stress-wave sensor, processed by a signal processor, and either displayed to the user numerically or reported to a monitoring computer. A signal intensity comparison method is preferably used to make the detection process insensitive to background noise generated by sources other than the contact of the wear probe and the rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Inventor: Michael N. Horak
  • Patent number: 8514919
    Abstract: Systems and other embodiments associated with synthetic instrumentation are presented. A reconfigurable synthetic instrumentation unit comprises an input module, with dual input/output ports and conditioning logic to condition an input signal. An RF down converter selectively down converts the conditioned input signal. A sampled RF down converter selectively samples the conditioned input signal. A pair of narrowband A/D converters are configured to convert one of the conditioned signal, the down converted signal and the sampled signal to produce a narrowband digital signal. A pair of broadband A/D converters convert at least one of the conditioned signal, the down converted signal and the sampled signal to produce a broadband digital signal. Signal processing logic selectively performs digital signal processing on the broadband digital signal or the narrow band digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems National Security Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Estrada, Dana C. Ford, Tae S. Kim, Robert W. Lowdermilk, Dragan Vuletic
  • Patent number: 8502612
    Abstract: Described herein is the method and apparatus for determining frequency of an oscillator coupled with one or more analog devices, and for determining within-die or across-die variations in an analog property associated with the one or more analog devices, the determining based on the oscillator frequency. The analog property includes output signal swing, bandwidth, offset, gain, and delay line linearity and range. The one or more analog devices include input-output (I/O) buffer, analog amplifier, and delay line. The method further comprises updating a simulation model file based on the determining of the within-die and/or across-die variations of the analog property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Mosalikanti, Nasser A. Kurd, Timothy M. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8504209
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that controls a device that generates vibrations in a computer system. During operation, a critical vibration frequency is determined for the computer system. Next, a keep-out zone is generated based on the critical vibration frequency, wherein the keep-out zone specifies a range of frequencies to be avoided. Then, the device is controlled based on the keep-out zone to reduce vibrations generated by the device in the keep-out zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Aleksey M. Urmanov, Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan
  • Publication number: 20130191062
    Abstract: A machine-implemented method for computerized digital signal processing obtains a digital signal from data storage or from conversion of an analog signal and determines, from the digital signal, Measuring Matrices (MM). Each measuring matrix has a plurality of cells, each cell having an amplitude corresponding to the signal energy in a frequency bin for a time slice. Cells in each measuring matrix having maximum amplitudes within a time slice are identified as maximum cells. Maxima that coincide in time and frequency are identified and a correlated maxima matrix (PMM) is constructed showing the coinciding maxima and the adjacent marked maxima are linked into partial chains. If only one MM is constructed, multiple types of maxima are identified to generate the (PMM). The partial chains are isolated by parameters for a single domain or multiple domains to identify partial chains and possible separation of complex compound waveforms in the digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Paul Reed Smith Guitars Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Paul Reed Smith, Shane G. W. Morriso, F. Michael Slay, Ernestine M. Smith
  • Patent number: 8487608
    Abstract: In a system for measuring at least one high-frequency signal, comprising at least one broadband probe and at least one measuring apparatus, each broadband probe and each measuring apparatus comprise a high-frequency connection for transmitting a high-frequency signal, and each measuring apparatus, or instead of a measuring apparatus each signal processing unit, comprises power supply connections for supplying power to each of the broadband probes, and comprise data signal connections for transmitting communication data between the measuring apparatus or signal processing unit and the broadband probe head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Peschke, Toralf Bratfisch, Christian Benisch
  • Patent number: 8489351
    Abstract: A system and methods for determining points for an algorithm to calculate the frequency of a waveform measured from a monitoring device. Data points are measured from the waveform. A last point of interest from the previous cycle of the waveform is referenced. Four points of interest at equally spaced phase angles from the current cycle of the waveform are determined by calculating the average of the data points around each of the respective equally spaced phase angles of the current cycle of the waveform. The average value of the points of interest in the current cycle is subtracted from the four points of interest and the last point of interest from the previous cycle to compensate for DC bias. A frequency of the waveform is determined based on the determined four points of interest of the current cycle and the last point of interest from the previous cycle. The correction factor for determining sample frequency may be reduced for subsequent cycles in order to increase stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. Carter, Kurt H. Copley
  • Patent number: 8483976
    Abstract: The degree of tire wear is estimated with constancy and accuracy even when the road surface becomes rough during a vehicular run. The deformation speeds Vtf and Vtk of the tread of the tire are obtained respectively by calculating the levels of peaks Pf and Pk at contact edges appearing in the differentiated waveform of radial acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor 11 installed on the inner surface in the inner liner region of the tire. An average standardized deformation velocity Vnt is calculated as the average of the absolute values of leading-edge-side standardized deformation speed Vntf and trailing-edge-side standardized deformation speed Vntk, which are obtained by standardizing the Vtf and Vtk using the rotation time Tr of the tire. At the same time, an extra-contact-patch vibration level v of the tread is detected from the radial acceleration having passed through a bandpass filter 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Bridgestone
    Inventor: Hiroshi Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8473232
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus is capable of separately measuring at least one of the purely resistive component and the reactance component of a measured circuit. The measuring apparatus applies an AC voltage to the measured circuit and detects a current flowing in the measured circuit. When doing so, a first detection signal whose amplitude changes in accordance with an amplitude of a real component of the current and a second detection signal whose amplitude changes in accordance with an amplitude of an imaginary component are generated. The at least one of a purely resistive component and a reactance component of the measured circuit is then calculated using the first detection signal and the second detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Hioko Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Imaizumi, Sadanori Miyajima, Toshiki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8473234
    Abstract: A method for detecting changes in a building structure of a first wind turbine is provided. A reference value representing the eigenfrequency of the first wind turbine is monitored over time, whereby substantial changes in the reference value are used as an indication of changes in the building structure. Further, a detection assembly for such detections is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dan Frederiksen, Hans Laurberg
  • Patent number: 8467985
    Abstract: A method and system of automatically correlating data measured by monitoring devices that monitor first and second electrical grids. The second electrical grid producing alternating current signals that are electrically isolated from alternating current signals produced by the first electrical grid. An example power monitoring device includes a controller, a first monitoring device interface and a second monitoring device interface. The first monitoring device interface is coupled to a first monitoring device in the first electrical grid and the second monitoring device interface is coupled to a second monitoring device in the second electrical grid. A first counter stores data counts of occurrences from the first electrical grid. A second counter stores data counts of occurrences from the second electrical grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA Inc.
    Inventor: Jon A. Bickel
  • Publication number: 20130124125
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking an electronic signal corresponding to an operating frequency of an electronic component are provided. A method may include sampling the signal to determine previous and current time samples of the signal. A frequency of interest in the signal may also be pre-warped to decrease adverse warping effects resulting from processing signals having relatively higher operating frequencies. The previous and current time samples of the signals, along with the pre-warped frequency of interest, may be input into a digital tracking filter. The digital tracking filter may be configured to execute one or more algorithms on the previous and current time samples and the pre-warped frequency of interest to estimate a current operating frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
  • Patent number: 8442779
    Abstract: A method for identifying a degraded fan measures acoustic data from an operating datacenter fan. A motor rotation frequency and a vane passing frequency are determined from the acoustic data. Amplitudes of the frequencies are determined from the acoustic data. If the amplitude of the motor rotation frequency is greater than the amplitude of the vane passing frequency, then it is determined that the fan is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramakrishna C. Dhanekula, Kenneth C. Gross
  • Publication number: 20130116957
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a fine frequency offset estimation method and apparatus. The method comprises: calculating a first accumulated estimation value corresponding to a first multiframe state according to a phase relevant value of a subframe and a phase of a subframe in the first multiframe state; calculating a second accumulated estimation value corresponding to a second multiframe state according to the phase relevant value of the subframe and a phase of a subframe in the second multiframe state; determining that a decision result of a multiframe state is the first multiframe state or the second multiframe state according to the first accumulated estimation value and the second accumulated estimation value; and performing a fine frequency offset estimation according to the decision result of the multiframe state. The apparatus disclosed in the disclosure is less coupled with other modules, has excellent performance in various environments, and realizes the unbiased estimation of timing offset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Ning Qiu, Qiang Li, Wenqi Zeng, Tiankun Yu, Zhong Wei Liu, Yannan Xing, Lihong Liang, Liwen Li, Feng Lin, Jintao Chu, Xinhua Chen
  • Patent number: 8428898
    Abstract: A method of filtering a signal sampled by a sampler, for example, in an equivalent time oscilloscope includes applying a correction to an actual frequency response of the sampler, with respect to a reference frequency response, to a first frequency range of the sampled signal, and transitioning across a second frequency range of the sampled signal from the correction applied to the first frequency range to no correction of the actual frequency response of the sampler, the second frequency range being higher than the first frequency range. The method further includes compensating in a third frequency range of the sampled signal for excess gain incurred while applying the correction and transitioning from the correction to no correction in the first and second frequency ranges, respectively, so that statistics of asynchronous components of the sampled signal are preserved, the third frequency range being higher than the second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Marlin E. Viss
  • Patent number: 8407020
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining frequency and slope of a linear frequency modulated signal. Windowed signal data is collected and used for formulating a search surface function which can be calculated recursively. The function is divided into parts. Part values are calculated at an underspecified number of points corresponding to the number of parts. The search surface function part values are interpolated at values between frequency values. An interpolation geometry is chosen and then the function part values are interpolated at values between frequency values and slopes. Function parts are added together giving a restored search surface function. The frequency and slope values can be searched to find the values that maximize the search surface function. Other embodiments result in faster execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Paul M. Baggenstoss
  • Patent number: 8392133
    Abstract: Using a mechanical shaker test the shear wavespeed in a plate is estimated by applying a cyclical point force to the plate, measuring normal velocity of waves caused by the force, transforming temporal domain measurements with a Fourier transform into a frequency domain, transforming spatial domain measurements into a {kx,ky} wavevector domain spectra using Fourier transforms, determining propagation wavenumbers for given Lamb waves from peaks within the {kx,ky} spectra, and determining shear wavespeed by applying a Newton-Raphson gradient method using the propagation wavenumbers to Raleigh-Lamb dispersion curve equations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Andrew J. Hull, Benjamin A. Cray
  • Patent number: 8386202
    Abstract: A communication device, for connecting one or more electrical appliances to a remote service centre, comprises a control unit (AMC), means (PLG) for connecting the device (HG) to an alternating voltage electric mains network (Vac) and means (SK) for supplying the alternating mains voltage (Vac) to a power supply line of an electric appliance. The device (HG) further comprises first communication means (CSA), prearranged for receiving information possibly generated by the electric appliance and transmitted through the power supply line thereof, second communication means (ZB), prearranged for establishing a connection with a local area network (HN1) and third communication means (GGM), prearranged for establishing a connection with a further communication network, different from the local network (HN1), to which the remote service center is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Indesit Company S.p.A.
    Inventors: Valerio Aisa, Fabrizio Concettoni, Silvio Corrias
  • Patent number: 8352204
    Abstract: Methods of rapidly measuring an impedance spectrum of an energy storage device in-situ over a limited number of logarithmically distributed frequencies are described. An energy storage device is excited with a known input signal, and a response is measured to ascertain the impedance spectrum. An excitation signal is a limited time duration sum-of-sines consisting of a select number of frequencies. In one embodiment, magnitude and phase of each frequency of interest within the sum-of-sines is identified when the selected frequencies and sample rate are logarithmic integer steps greater than two. This technique requires a measurement with a duration of one period of the lowest frequency. In another embodiment, where selected frequencies are distributed in octave steps, the impedance spectrum can be determined using a captured time record that is reduced to a half-period of the lowest frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Jon P. Christophersen, Chester G. Motloch