Frequency Patents (Class 702/75)
  • Patent number: 8108165
    Abstract: A system and method for acquiring phasors outside of the frequency tracking range for power protective relays. As the frequency of a power system varies from the rated frequency, phasors calculated from such samples include errors. A frequency tracking range is used to sample the signal waveform at a rate corresponding to the frequency when the frequency is within the frequency tracking range. When the frequency is outside of the frequency tracking range, the signal waveform is sampled at a rate corresponding with the maximum or minimum of the frequency tracking range depending on whether the frequency exceeds or falls below the frequency tracking range. The difference between the frequency and the minimum or maximum of the frequency tracking range is used to correct the measured phasors to result in accurate phasors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Gabriel Benmouyal
  • Patent number: 8108164
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining the time course of the fundamental frequency of harmonic signals, wherein the input signal is split into different frequency channels by band pass filters. Distances between crossings of different orders are determined, and a histogram of all these distance values for each instant in time is calculated. The distance values build a peak at the distance corresponding to the fundamental frequency. An example application of this technique is separation of acoustic sound sources in monaural recordings based on their underlying fundamental frequency. Application of these techniques, however, is not limited to the field of acoustics. These techniques can also be applied to other signals such as those originating from pressure sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Joublin, Martin Heckmann
  • Patent number: 8099250
    Abstract: A method of determining parameter values used in impedance analysis of a subject. The method includes using a processing system to determine a number of impedance measurements at a corresponding number of frequencies. The impedance measurements are used to determine estimates of parameter values, with the estimates being used to determine theoretical impedance values based on the parameter value estimates. The theoretical impedance values are compared to the measured impedance values to allow a modification direction to be determined for at least one of the parameter value estimates. This is then used to modify at least one parameter value estimate, with the parameter values being determined at least in part from one or more modified parameter value estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Impedimed Limited
    Inventors: Tim Essex, Leigh Cordwin Ward
  • Patent number: 8095326
    Abstract: A method to predict a state of a power system and a device to perform the method are presented, where the method includes the step of performing a Fast Fourier Transform on samples of a periodic waveform signal in order to determine a frequency spectrum of the signal, where the signal was derived from at least one measurable electric quantity of the power system and is representative for the state of the power system. Frequencies and related complex amplitudes at selected peaks in the frequency spectrum are determined and stored together with a time stamp. Afterwards, a predicted value of the periodic waveform signal in the time domain is determined at a prediction time by calculating a sum of sinusoidal signals at the prediction time, where each of the sinusoidal signals is characterized by one of the determined frequencies and its related complex amplitude as well as the time stamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Bertil Berggren, Tord Bengtsson, Stefan Roxenborg
  • Publication number: 20120004877
    Abstract: A signal evaluating device comprises: a binarizing portion for binarizing an input signal; a run length measuring portion for measuring the run length of the input signal during the evaluating interval, using the output of the binarizing means as the input; and a validity evaluating portion for evaluating whether or not the input signal is valid, from the degree of matching of a run length frequency distribution, obtained from the measurement results by the run length measuring portion, and a geometric distribution. The validity evaluating portion evaluates whether or not an input signal is valid through a ratio of the total frequency during the evaluation interval to Nsamp/2, or a ratio of the frequency of a class 1 during the evaluating interval to Nsamp/4, where Nsamp is the total of the sampling clocks for measuring the run length during the evaluating interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: YAMATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ueno
  • Patent number: 8073656
    Abstract: A method for improving bandwidth of an oscilloscope involves, in preferred embodiments, the use of frequency up-conversion and down-conversion techniques. In an illustrative embodiment the technique involves separating an input signal into a high frequency content and a low frequency content, down-converting the high frequency content in the analog domain so that it may be processed by the oscilloscope's analog front end, digitizing the low frequency content and the down-converted high frequency content, and forming a digital representation of the received analog signal from the digitized low frequency content and high frequency content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: LeCroy Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Pupalaikis, David C. Graef
  • Patent number: 8060334
    Abstract: An aircraft Ice Detection pitot-static tube is described which uses sensors integrated into the pitot-static tube to determine when and where the pitot-static tube is icing up. Temperature, thermal conductivity and impedance sensor measurements are combined with a mathematical transfer of the impedance sensor output into the complex dielectric plane to identify that the material accreating on the exterior and interior of the pitot-static tube is ice and only ice. Identification of ice realized when the trace in complex dielectric space has a distinctive semi-circular form, which only ice exhibits, with measured values in agreement with reference laboratory data stored in the onboard computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Inventor: Philip Onni Jarvinen
  • Patent number: 8032319
    Abstract: Methods for signal processing employ instantaneous frequency analysis through quadrature genometric measurement of streaming signal data. Such methods may include the analysis of any composite analog periodic signal, including but not limited to audio, video, radio, seismic, light, radar, sonar, EKG, where signal data is streaming, stationary or non-stationary, and represents either linear or non-linear processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hal Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hal Hansen, Stephen R. Lindsey, Christopher E. Spencer, James Bryant Hansen, Richard C. Lindsey, Karl G. Merkley
  • Patent number: 8032850
    Abstract: A design structure for a circuit for measuring the absolute duty cycle of a signal, is provided. A non-inverted path from a signal source is selected and various DCC circuit setting indices are cycled through until a divider, coupled to the output of the DCC circuit, fails. A first minimum pulse width at which the divider fails is then determined based on the index value of the DCC circuit at the time of the failure. An inverted path from the signal source is selected and the various DCC circuit setting indices are cycled through again until the divider fails. A second minimum pulse width at which the divider fails is then determined based on the index value of the DCC circuit at the time of this second failure. The duty cycle is then calculated based on a difference of the first and second minimum pulse width values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Boerstler, Eskinder Hailu, Masaaki Kaneko, Jieming Qi, Bin Wan
  • Patent number: 8031017
    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: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Mosalikanti, Nasser A. Kurd, Timothy M. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20110231128
    Abstract: A test apparatus that judges pass/fail of a signal under measurement, comprising a frequency counter that repeatedly performs a counting step of counting the number of pulses of a reference signal whose period is known and the number of pulses of the signal under measurement in parallel within the same measurement period; an average period calculating section that calculates, for each counting step, an average period of the signal under measurement within the measurement period, based on a period of the reference signal and a ratio between the number of pulses of the signal under measurement and the number of pulses of the reference signal counted within the same measurement period; a noise calculating section that calculates spread of the average periods calculated by the average period calculating section; and a judging section that judges pass/fail of the signal under measurement based on the spread of the average periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakatsu SUDA, Yusuke HAYASE
  • Patent number: 8024143
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining a mains frequency from a voltage signal which has a particularly high proportion of harmonics includes stipulating a sample frequency for a sample collection, polling a voltage signal at equidistant times during periods of the sample oscillation. A discrete Fourier transform may be used to calculate two phases, and a phase interval between these two phases is used to infer the mains frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rainer Hauser
  • Patent number: 8024120
    Abstract: A method of estimating an instantaneous frequency of a component of interest in a complex primary signal via a complex Phase Locked Loop (PLL). A complex incident signal including a complex exponential evaluated at a synthesis frequency is calculated according to a complex Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) function. A complex mixed signal is calculated according to a function that includes multiplying the complex primary signal by a representation of the complex incident signal. A complex baseband signal is calculated according to a function that includes filtering the complex mixed signal such that the bandwidth of the complex baseband signal is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the complex mixed signal. A residual frequency of the complex baseband signal is calculated via a complex Phase Discriminator (PD). The synthesis frequency is modified according to a function that includes the synthesis frequency and the residual frequency, such that the residual frequency is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Inventor: Larry A. Turner
  • Patent number: 8023575
    Abstract: A wireless communications apparatus that it is useable as a spectrum analyzer and as a wireless receiver. The wireless communications apparatus has a radio circuit that is configured to receive EM radiation. Signal processing logic receives signals from the radio circuit based on the EM radiation. The signal processing logic has a receiver operational mode that processes the signals in accordance with a communication protocol and outputs data encoded in the signals to a host processor. The signal processing logic has a spectrum analyzer operational mode that generates frequency domain data and passes the frequency domain data to the host processor. The frequency domain data describe strength versus frequency of the EM radiation. The host processes the data in accordance with the configuration currently in use. Therefore, the wireless communications apparatus operates as a receiver in one operational mode and as a real-time spectrum analyzer in another operational mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Bandspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben Jones, Ming Ding, John “Jack” Morton
  • Patent number: 8000917
    Abstract: A periodic broadband signal can be used to determine the S21 measurement for a channel by stimulating the channel across a spectrum of interest. The channel response to such broadband signal can be measured from undersampled data captured at the receiver. The Fourier transform of the broadband signal as received, divided by the Fourier transform of broadband signal as transmitted, constitutes the S21. A physically contiguous IC can integrate both a receiver circuit, at which S21 is to be measured, along with an undersampler for sampling the received broadband signal. To maximize signal to noise, a pattern for the broadband signal can be selected to maximize the minimum power across the spectrum of interest. A pattern generator for the broadband signal can be integrated on the same physically contiguous IC with a multiplexer that can select either the pattern generator, or a typical source of data, for transmission into the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Synopsys Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Lee Sonntag
  • Patent number: 7996169
    Abstract: The invention related to a method and circuit that is used to compensate for S-parameters of a passive circuit which do not satisfy passivity. The method includes the following steps: (1) getting S-parameters which do not satisfy passivity, these S-parameters being composed of an S-parameter matrix S; (2) computing matrix [S×S?], wherein matrix S? is a complex conjugate transposed matrix of the S-parameter matrix S; (3) computing the eigenvalues of the matrix [S×S?], and choosing an eigenvalue ? whose real part real(?) is the biggest; (4) computing a compensating value ?, the compensating value ? being equal to real(?)1/2×(1+?), wherein the ? is a very small positive number; and (5) dividing each of the S-parameters by the compensating value ? to get the compensated S-parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsu Lin, Jeng-Da Wu, Chih-Hang Chao
  • Publication number: 20110191048
    Abstract: A method and a system for a comprehensive analysis of low frequency oscillation. The method includes: firstly, initiating a wide area measurement system WAMS (71) to perform real-time monitoring; transmitting real-time low frequency oscillation information to a dynamic early-warning system (72) periodically; then converting the low frequency oscillation information received by the dynamic early-warning system (72) into an input file for stability calculation with small disturbance, and performing related calculation; finally, transmitting the calculated result back to the wide area measurement system WAMS (71) and a human-machine system interface for output. The system includes: the wide area measurement system WAMS (71), the dynamic early-warning system (72), a system for stability calculation with small disturbance (73) and an output system (74).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Yaozhong Xin, Fang Li, Jingtao Wu, Hongzhu Tao, Jianfeng Yan, Gang Duan, Fang Tian, Yu Dong, Wei Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110184681
    Abstract: Methods, device and systems for identifying or fingerprinting an intact bottle of wine are provided. Such methods are useful in authenticating a bottle of wine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: Matthew P. Augustine, Stephen J. Harley, Victor Lim, Paul Stucky
  • Publication number: 20110184678
    Abstract: Automated systems and methods for characterizing light-emitting devices as a function of the electrical and temperature properties of the device are disclosed. The system includes a thermal stack assembly operatively connected to a temperature control system and that operably supports and controls the temperature of the light-emitting device. A power supply provides varying amounts of electrical power to the light-emitting device. A control computer controls the power supply and the temperature control system based on a user-defined electrical and temperature profiles. A light processor optically analyzes light from the light-emitting device as its electrical and temperature properties are varied. The control computer receives and processes electrical signals from the light processor and outputs one or more optical characterizations as a function of electrical and temperature properties of the light-emitting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: RAND W. LEE, MATTHEW G. PIATT, DAVID P. BAJORINS, KRIS YOUNG, CHACE H. FADLOVICH
  • Patent number: 7983865
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus for operation supplies a drive signal of a resonant frequency to a surgical instrument to drive the instrument. A recognition section recognizes a surgical instrument connected to the power supply apparatus. A setting section sets a frequency scanning condition according to the surgical instrument recognized by the recognition section. A scanning section scans for the resonant frequency of the surgical instrument on the basis of the frequency scanning condition set by the setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Koh Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7979220
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the power damping compliance of a power generation unit comprises a measurement unit that is configured to be coupled to a power generation unit to identify the voltage, current, and frequency values associated with power output therefrom. A processing system maintaining a model-based filter processes the voltage, current, and, frequency values to estimate the total amount of damping provided by the power generation unit. The estimated total damping is compared to prior historical values maintained in a database using various statistical techniques to determine if a power system stabilizer (PSS) provided by the power generation unit is being operated in a manner complying with predetermined guidelines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Ernst Scholtz, Reynaldo F. Nuqui
  • Patent number: 7966108
    Abstract: A method of checking the operating characteristics of an electronic unit (1) fitted on a wheel (2) of a vehicle (3) and adapted to transmit, to a central processing unit (7), data frames representative of operating parameters of the wheel according to a procedure for transmitting streams (A) of frames (a) consisting in ordering n successive transmissions of each data frame. This checking method consists in analyzing, on the transmission of each stream of data frames, the number m of data frames actually acquired by the central processing unit (7), so as to deduce from the successive analyses a reception ratio Tr representative of the ratios ?m/?n, and in ordering the transmission, by the central processing unit (7), of a preventive indication when the reception ratio Tr becomes less than a predetermined reception threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive France
    Inventor: Olivier Costes
  • Patent number: 7957938
    Abstract: A method of digitizing an analog signal is provided, comprising the steps of separating the analog signal spanning a frequency range into a plurality of frequency bands, and then translating at least one of the signals to a lower frequency band in accordance with a local oscillator and digitizing the at least one translated signal with digitizing elements having a frequency range less than the analog signal frequency range. A fixed relationship of the phase of the local oscillator and a repetitive signal generated in accordance with a writing to a circular buffer of the digitized representation of the at least one of the plurality of frequency bands is then defined. Signals corresponding to the other of the plurality of frequency bands are digitized and written to corresponding circular buffers. Finally, a digital representation of the analog signal is formed from the digitized signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: LeCroy Corporation
    Inventors: Francois LaMarche, Laxmikant Joshi, Anirudh Kailash Sureka
  • Publication number: 20110130993
    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: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Seibel, Russel J. Kerkman, Carlos Daniel Rodriguez-Valdez
  • Patent number: 7953566
    Abstract: A calculation method of electromagnetic interference reduction through spectrum diffusion that is for reducing the electromagnetic interference, in which, when a center frequency of a measurement bandwidth is changed so that a spectrum having the maximum amplitude is included in the measurement bandwidth, of a plurality of spectra generated from the frequency spectrum of an electromagnetic interference signal through the spectrum diffusion, the amplitudes of all spectra included in the measurement bandwidth are added up and the maximum total sum of the amplitudes is divided by the amplitude of the electromagnetic interference signal, hence to estimate the electromagnetic interference reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Yoshinaga
  • Publication number: 20110125438
    Abstract: A signal analyzer includes a sampling unit, a filter unit coupled to the sampling unit, a computing unit coupled to the filter unit, and an output unit coupled to the computing unit. The sampling unit is operable to sample a time domain signal from a target system according to a predetermined sampling frequency to obtain a sampling signal. The filter unit is configured to perform filter processing upon the sampling signal so as to filter out harmonic frequency components from the sampling signal, thereby obtaining a fundamental frequency signal having a plurality of sample points. The computing unit is operable to compute a signal parameter set for each of temporally adjacent pairs of the sample points of the fundamental frequency signal. The output unit is configured to output information about dynamic behavior of the target system based upon the signal parameter sets computed by the computing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: I SHOU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Rong-Ching Wu, Ching-Tai Chiang, Jong-Ian Tsai
  • Patent number: 7948420
    Abstract: A digital relay and concomitant method comprising employing an analog-to-digital converter, and via control logic providing oversampled output of the converter to determine likely digital values corresponding to the output, and wherein the control logic substantially eliminates aliasing resulting from waveform transients in input to the converter, and wherein no anti-aliasing filter is employed providing the input. Also, a digital relay and concomitant method comprising employing an analog-to-digital converter, and via control logic providing oversampled output of the converter to determine via Fourier transform likely digital values corresponding to the output, and wherein the control logic substantially eliminates aliasing resulting from waveform transients in input to the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Arrowhead Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Sukumar Brahma, Phillip De Leon, Rajesh Kavasseri
  • Patent number: 7949488
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that monitor movement of a person, or of a vehicle ridden by the person, to determine speed, distance traveled and/or airtime of the person or vehicle. Accelerometer-based sensors, pressure sensors or Doppler sensors may be employed in these systems and methods. A liquid crystal display may attach to the person to display speed, distance traveled and/or airtime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Flentov, Dennis M. Darcy, Curtis A. Vock
  • Publication number: 20110115497
    Abstract: A wireless sensor having a primary passive electrical resonant circuit that has an intrinsic electrical property that is variable in response to a characteristic of a patient and a secondary passive electrical resonant circuit. In one aspect, the primary passive resonant circuit can be positioned into a tuned position in response to the actuation of the secondary passive electrical resonant circuit. In a further aspect, in the tuned position, the primary passive electrical resonant circuit, in response to an energizing signal produced by an ex-vivo source of RF energy, is configured to generate a sensor signal characterized by a resonant frequency that is indicative of the characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventor: FLORENT CROS
  • Patent number: 7945407
    Abstract: Sets of time domain data of respective frequency bands from Fd-1 to Fd-n of a periodic input signal Fs are acquired. Sets of the time domain data of the common frequency band are extracted from the sets of the time domain data of the frequency bands Fd-1 and Fd-2 in the acquired frequency bands. Correlativity between the sets of the time domain data of the common frequency band is determined while shifting time relationship between the sets each other to identify the sets of time domain data having correspondence relationship. The sets of the time domain data having the correspondence relationship in the time domain data of the adjacent frequency band Fd-1 and Fd-2 are converted to the sets of the frequency domain data respectively, and the sets of the frequency domain data are combined to produce one set of combined frequency domain data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc
    Inventors: Miyake Kenichi, Hiroyuki Yamagaki, Kuniharu Hori
  • Publication number: 20110106499
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an operational status of a semiconductor equipment includes an audio frequency signal receiving unit and an analysis and determination unit. The audio frequency signal receiving unit is used for receiving an audio frequency signal from the semiconductor equipment while the semiconductor equipment is working. The analysis and determination unit is used for analyzing the audio frequency signal to determine statuses of components of the semiconductor equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Yu-Chang Huang, Chia-Wei Fan
  • Patent number: 7937231
    Abstract: The present invention describes an order tracking system (200) and method (100) for tracking at least one order from mechanical and/or acoustic vibrations generated by a periodic excitation process of a physical system. The order tracking system (200) comprises a means for obtaining (212) a mechanical and/or acoustic vibration data of a physical system and a means for obtaining (214) system reference data. It further comprises a means for combining (224) the mechanical and/or acoustic vibration data with the system reference data and a means for applying (226) a digital FIR filter to at least the mechanical and/or acoustic vibration data for deriving based thereon at least one order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: LMS International NV
    Inventors: Karl Hans Bert Janssens, Pieter Frans Van Vlierberghe, Herman Van Der Auweraer
  • Patent number: 7936162
    Abstract: In a method of detecting a repetition frequency of a measured signal, in order to detect the waveform repetition frequency of the measured signal with high accuracy even in the presence of a frequency fluctuation in the measured signal, the repetition frequency of the measured signal acquired by the conventional method is used as a provisional repetition frequency, and the frequency change amount of the specified signal obtained in the case where the measured signal is sampled sequentially with a sampling frequency greatly changed from the provisional sampling frequency to generate a frequency fold at the time of sampling is detected. Based on the detected frequency change amount of the specified signal and the change amount of the sample number indicating how many times the frequency fold has occurred in the process, the error contained in the sampling number with a frequency fluctuation contained in the measured signal is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Anritsu Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Tsuda
  • Patent number: 7930119
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for analyzing an AC voltage signal with a transformation which transforms the signal from a representation in the time-domain to a representation in the frequency-domain. This transformation can be a fast Fourier transform, a discrete Fourier transform or a Laplace transform. By selecting a second higher sampling frequency which is an integer multiple of a first sampling frequency, the zero crossings of the AC voltage signal can be accurately determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Robert Bösnecker
  • Patent number: 7930259
    Abstract: A nondestructive inspection apparatus includes a sensor unit for detecting vibrations transmitted through a test object from a vibration generator and a signal input unit for extracting a target signal from an electric signal outputted from the sensor unit. An amount of characteristics extracting unit is also included for extracting multiple frequency components from the test signal as an amount of characteristics. Further, a decision unit has a competitive learning neural network for determining whether the amount of the characteristics belongs to a category, wherein the competitive learning neural network has been trained by using training samples belong to the category representing an internal state of the test object, wherein distributions of membership degrees of the training samples are set in the decision unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Hashimoto, Hidekazu Himezawa
  • Patent number: 7930127
    Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing otherwise independent oscillators private to I2C Bus slave devices. An I2C Bus master device is capable of issuing two new general call commands, MEASURE PULSE and RESET PRESCALE. The I2C Bus slave devices respond to the MEASURE PULSE command by returning a digital count related to the number of ticks its local, private oscillator cycles through during a signal pulse on the I2C Bus. All such I2C Bus slave devices measure the same signal pulse on the I2C Bus, so the differences in the digital measurements returned during the MEASURE PULSE command are proportional to their respective oscillator frequencies. The various digital measurements returned are used to calculate appropriate oscillator prescale factors that will harmonize the final product frequencies of all of the local oscillators on all of the I2C Bus slave devices in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Jay Richard Lory, Alma Stephenson Anderson
  • Patent number: 7917331
    Abstract: A deterministic component identifying apparatus identifies a distribution shape of a deterministic component included in a probability density function supplied thereto. The apparatus includes a standard deviation calculating section that calculates a standard deviation of the probability density function, a spectrum calculating section that calculates a spectrum of the probability density function, a null frequency detecting section that detects a null frequency of the spectrum, and a ratio calculating section that calculates a ratio between a top portion and a bottom portion of a distribution of the deterministic component, based on the standard deviation of the probability density function and the null frequency of the spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Ichiyama, Masahiro Ishida, Takahiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7908103
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of signal processing is provided. The method includes generating one or more masking signals based upon a computed Fourier transform of a received signal. The method further includes determining one or more intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) of the received signal by performing a masking-signal-based empirical mode decomposition (EMD) using the at least one masking signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Inventors: Nilanjan Senroy, Siddharth Suryanarayanan
  • Patent number: 7908033
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that performs vibration testing in a computer system. The system starts by generating a vibration at a predetermined frequency in a computer system. The system then determines if the computer system has a resonance at the predetermined frequency. If so, the system adjusts an operating parameter of at least one computer system component to prevent the computer system component from vibrating at or near a resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenny C. Gross, Aleksey M. Urmanov
  • Patent number: 7901358
    Abstract: A system for acquiring an ultrasound signal comprises a signal processing unit adapted for acquiring a received ultrasound signal from an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of elements. The system is adapted to receive ultrasound signals having a frequency of at least 20 megahertz (MHz) with a transducer having a field of view of at least 5.0 millimeters (mm) at a frame rate of at least 20 frames per second (fps). The signal processing can further produce an ultrasound image from the acquired ultrasound signal. The transducer can be a linear array transducer, a phased array transducer, a two-dimensional (2-D) array transducer, or a curved array transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: VisualSonics Inc., Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
    Inventors: James Mehi, Ronald E. Daigle, Laurence C. Brasfield, Brian Starkoski, Jerrold Wen, Kai Wen Liu, Lauren S. Pflugrath, F. Stuart Foster, Desmond Hirson
  • Patent number: 7899633
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sensing instrument capable to detect a substance existing in a very small quantity, such as environmental pollutants, instantly with a high degree of precision. As a specific means for solving the problem, a frequency signal from a crystal oscillator is sampled using a frequency signal from a reference clock generating part, the sampling value is outputted in a digital signal, quadrature detection is conducted with the digital signal for a frequency signal corresponding to the output signal, the rotational vector rotating at a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the frequency signal and the frequency of a sinusoidal wave used for the quadrature detection is taken out, and the variation of the frequency is detected by detecting the velocity of the rotational vector based on the respective sampling values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignees: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd., DSP Technology Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuo Tsukamoto, Kazuo Akaike, Tsukasa Kobata
  • Patent number: 7888633
    Abstract: The invention relates to mass spectrometers in which ion clouds are stored in two spatial directions by radial forces while oscillating largely harmonically at a mass-specific frequency in a third spatial direction perpendicular to the other two, in a potential minimum, the shape of which is as close to a parabola as possible. Analysis of the oscillation frequencies of these ion clouds, preferably by a Fourier analysis, leads via a frequency spectrum to a mass spectrum. The frequency spectrum is analyzed to identify false signals in the frequency spectrum as harmonics and eliminating them where necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Franzen, Karsten Michelmann
  • Patent number: 7890280
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a physical property as a function of position. A data series including data point from one or more channels is obtained by frequency modulation continuous wave. A number of data points correspond to Nda different values of frequency of modulation. One or more processing steps are performed including at least part of said primary data series to obtain at least one secondary data series comprising N (N>Nda) data points from the values of frequency of modulation. The secondary data series from frequency domain is transformed to obtain at least one back scattering curve in space domain, and optionally the back scattering curve(s) to one or more physical properties as a function of position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: LIOS Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Fomme
  • Patent number: 7885774
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring and analyzing power flow parameters in RF-based excitation systems for semi-conductor plasma generators. A measuring probe (8) is connected to an RF transmission line for receiving and measuring voltage (10) and current signals (12) from the transmission line (4). A high-speed sampling process converts the measured RF voltage and current signals into digital signals. The digital signals are then processed so as to reveal fundamental and harmonic amplitude and phase information corresponding to the original RF signals. Multiple measuring probes may be inserted in the power transmission path to measure two-port parameters, and the networked probes may be interrogated to determine input impedance, output impedance, insertion loss, internal dissipation, power flow efficiency, scattering, and the effect of plasma non-linearity on the RF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Bird Technologies Group Inc.
    Inventor: John D. Swank
  • Publication number: 20110022342
    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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicants: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V., NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Ashish Vijay Pandharipande, Hongming Yang, Johan Paul Marie Gerard Linnartz
  • Publication number: 20110022341
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement apparatus that measures a characteristic of an AD converter, comprising a signal supplying section that supplies the AD converter with an analog input signal having a prescribed waveform; an acquiring section that acquires a digital output signal output by the AD converter as a result of sampling the analog input signal; a measured histogram generating section that generates a histogram of the digital output signal; and a range calculating section that calculates at least one of an analog value corresponding to a lower limit and an analog value corresponding to an upper limit of a prescribed digital range, based on at least one of (i) a frequency corresponding to digital values, in a measured histogram obtained by measuring the digital output signal, that are less than or equal to the digital range and (ii) a frequency corresponding to digital values in the measured histogram that are greater than or equal to the digital range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji ASAMI
  • Publication number: 20110015886
    Abstract: A sensor interface system interfaces a collection of one or more sensors that can sense chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) materials. The system includes one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces for communicating with one or more sensors including: chemical sensors, biological sensors, radiation sensors, nuclear sensors, and explosives sensors. A processor is configured to receive and process signals from the one or more digital and/or analog sensor interfaces, and when the one or more sensors include a radiation sensor and/or nuclear sensor, the processor differentiates between gamma pulses and neutron pulses, by: receiving a signal from an output of a neutron detector; analyzing a pulse shape of the signal; differentiating the pulse shape between gamma pulses and neutron pulses; and determining that the pulse shape of the signal is one of a gamma pulse and a neutron pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: Innovative AmericanTechnology Inc.
    Inventor: DAVID L. FRANK
  • Patent number: 7873491
    Abstract: In an AC magnetic tracker one or more multi-axis field sources, each operating at a different frequency, or frequency set, are detected and tracked in three-dimensional space, even when wireless or otherwise not physically connected to the tracking system. Multiple sources can be tracked simultaneously as they each operate with their own unique detectable set of parameters. The invention not only provides the ability to uniquely identify one or more sources by their frequencies, but also to synchronize with these frequencies in order to measure signals that then allow tracking the position and orientation (P&O) of the source(s). Further, these sources need not be present at the time of system start-up but can come and go while being detected, discriminated and tracked. It also should be noted that application of such systems in multiples with more sensors not synchronized to a source or sources also could be employed to give the reverse appearance of a known source phase and incoherency with the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Alken, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Higgins, Herbert R. Jones, Jr., Allan G. Rodgers
  • Publication number: 20110004430
    Abstract: A distortion compensation method includes determining an undisturbed phase for at least one of a first position indication signal and a second position indication signal. The method includes determining an undisturbed ratio that relates the amplitude of the first position indication signal at a first frequency to the amplitude of the second position indication signal at a second frequency. The method also includes determining a disturbed amplitude of the position indication signal and adjusting a position indication based on the disturbed amplitude and phase, the undisturbed amplitude ratio, and the undisturbed phase. The method further comprises determining a relationship between the eddy current phase of the first position indication signal and the second position indication signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: John M. Nieminen, Stefan R. Kirsch
  • Publication number: 20100327936
    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: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Praveen Mosalikanti, Nasser A. Kurd, Timothy M. Wilson