With Signal Correction Or Processing Patents (Class 73/1.59)
  • Patent number: 11840445
    Abstract: A MEMS sensor including a diaphragm, a base surface area of the diaphragm being delimited with the aid of a peripheral wall structure, and the base surface area including at least two subareas, of which at least one of the subareas is deflectably situated, and the at least two subareas being separated from one another with the aid of at least one separating structure or being delimited by the latter. The separating structure includes at least one fluid through-opening for the passage of fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Hermes, Kerrin Doessel, Thomas Friedrich
  • Patent number: 11090987
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitor cap for monitoring and notifying tire pressure is disclosed. The tire pressure monitor cap comprises a housing and a pressure gauge provided in the housing. The pressure gauge comprises a pressure sensor used for measuring air pressure. The tire pressure monitor cap comprises a microprocessor provided in the housing. The microprocessor is communicatively coupled to the pressure sensor. The tire pressure monitor cap comprises a transceiver communicatively coupled to the microprocessor. The tire pressure monitor cap is coupled to a valve stem assembly. The valve stem assembly is provided in a tire. The pressure sensor monitors tire pressure and communicates to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to notify an electronic device or a dashboard via the transceiver when tire pressure reaches below a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventor: Travis Hampton
  • Patent number: 11009376
    Abstract: A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region. The technique is based on a two-part recognition, the first part being that a transient in atmospheric pressure attributed to a particular source, such as an entry door of a building opening and closing, is detectable in some environments while not being present in others. The second part of the recognition is that a correlation exists between i) the presence of a transient in the characterization of a pressure wave in the vicinity of a wireless terminal and ii) whether the wireless terminal is indoors or not. Transients in pressure waves are often present indoors but not outdoors. By accounting for the transients being detected or not being detected in the vicinity of the wireless terminal, the disclosed technique is able to estimate whether the wireless terminal is indoors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Arthur Blaha, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10900932
    Abstract: An example of a system comprises a volume filled with a gas, a gas excitation device configured to excite the gas inside the volume, a microphone configured to output a microphone signal on the basis of the gas excited by the gas excitation device, and a testing unit configured to take the microphone signal as a basis for testing a gas-tightness of the volume. An example of a photoacoustic sensor comprises a hermetically sealed sensor cell, a gas excitation device and a testing unit configured to take the microphone signal dependent on the thermally excited gas as a basis for testing a gas-tightness of the sensor cell. One example comprises a method for testing a gas-tightness of a volume filled with a gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Matthias Eberl, Franz Jost, Stefan Kolb
  • Patent number: 10876488
    Abstract: A failure diagnosis device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, which includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor, and an engine controller comprised of circuitry configured to execute a diagnosis module into which a signal of the sensor is inputted, to diagnose a failure of the sensor based on the signal. The diagnosis module includes a reading module configured to read the signal of the sensor within a specific crank angle range, a reference phase determining module configured to determine a reference phase that is a phase of a pressure change accompanying a volume change of the combustion chamber, and a failure determining module configured to determine that the sensor has failed, when the failure determining module determines a phase of the read signal of the sensor is delayed by an amount exceeding a predefined threshold from the determined reference phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji Fujiwara, Hidetoshi Hashimoto, Takuji Okumura, Shigeru Nakagawa, Yasushi Torii, Masayuki Kinoshita, Yuichiro Tsumura, Daisuke Tanaka, Taiki Maiguma
  • Patent number: 10690561
    Abstract: An example pressure sensor calibration apparatus includes a pressure chamber in which a first pressure sensor is to be disposed; one or more first sensors to determine a capacitance value from the first pressure sensor from a physical test performed on the first pressure sensor; the one or more first sensors to determine a first pull-in voltage value from a first electrical test performed on the first pressure sensor; a correlator to determine correlation coefficient values based on the capacitance value determined during the physical test on the first pressure sensor and the first pull-in voltage value determined during a first electrical test on the first pressure sensor; and a calibrator to determine calibration coefficient values to calibrate a second pressure sensor based on the correlation coefficient values and a second electrical test on the second pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mohammad Hadi Motieian Najar, Ira Oaktree Wygant
  • Patent number: 10602326
    Abstract: A technique for detecting the occurrence of an event, and for estimating other event-related information, by analyzing the barometric pressure in the vicinity of one or more wireless terminals. The disclosed detection technique is based on the recognition that the barometric sensor on various wireless terminals, such as smartphones, is capable of measuring very subtle changes in the atmospheric pressure. The disclosed detection technique is also based on the additional recognition of how some of the changes in the atmospheric pressure, as measured by a wireless terminal, correlate to various events that occur within a building or other defined area. For example, the disclosed technique can detect an entry door opening or closing by analyzing a resultant pressure wave having a particular transient that is perceptible by one or more wireless terminals in the area and analyzed by a detection engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Polaris Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerome Arthur Blaha, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10551271
    Abstract: Using a calibration sensor to calibrate an unstable sensor from a network of unstable sensors. Approaches for using a calibration sensor to calibrate the unstable sensor initially identify an unstable sensor in a geographic region to be calibrated by a calibration sensor using a model of environmental conditions for the geographic region, and then use the model to determine how to calibrate the unstable sensor using the calibration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: NextNav, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Dormody, Thomas Wolf
  • Patent number: 10254188
    Abstract: Techniques provided herein are directed toward adjusting the rate at which a mobile device's barometric pressure sensor takes measurements, based on whether movement is detected from motion sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and the like. Where movement is below a threshold (e.g., below a threshold speed or within a threshold distance), then the barometric pressure sensor can reduce the sampling rate to a rate that still enables the mobile device to account for changes in the weather. If movement is detected (e.g., greater than a threshold distance), then the sampling rate of the barometric pressure sensor increases (i.e., to a normal rate for determining vertical movement changes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sai Pradeep Venkatraman, Gengsheng Zhang, Arnold Gum
  • Patent number: 9841284
    Abstract: A navigation device includes a pressure sensor, a radio, a memory including program instructions, and a controller operably connected to the pressure sensor, the radio, and the memory and configured to execute the program instructions to (i) receive at least one signal from a reference beacon of a plurality of beacons, (ii) determine a reference relationship curve correction based upon the received at least one signal, and (iii) determine an altitude of the navigation device based upon the reference relationship curve correction, and a signal from the pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Marcellino Gemelli
  • Patent number: 9588006
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for calibrating a pressure sensor associated with a mobile device. Location information may be determined for the mobile device and used to obtain reference pressure information. The reference pressure information may then be used to calibrate the pressure sensor. Additionally, when the pressure sensor of the mobile device has been calibrated, output from the pressure sensor may be used as reference pressure information by another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Ardalan Heshmati, Karthik Katingari
  • Patent number: 9435277
    Abstract: The present application provides a calibration device for calibrating a crank angle of a calibrateable combustion engine, the calibrateable combustion engine and a method for calibrating. The calibration device is provided to determine a trigger wheel angle offset from a combustionless driving of the combustion engine in that an in-cylinder pressure profile is recorded, on the basis of which a trigger wheel angle offset is determined and stored at an offset memory of the combustion engine. The combustion engine is configured to determine a crank angle on the basis of a measured trigger wheel angle and the stored trigger wheel angle offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Robert Garrard, William E. Edwards, Alistair Paul Robertson
  • Patent number: 9389136
    Abstract: A calibration method of air pressure for a mobile device, a calibration device and a mobile device, where the calibration method includes acquiring self-location data of the mobile device; acquiring air pressure information from a web site or a web service according to the self-location data; performing calibration of air pressure for the mobile device by using the air pressure information. Through the embodiments of the present invention, dynamic calibration of air pressure is performed; furthermore, another barometer is not needed in the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 9285289
    Abstract: A MEMS pressure sensor (70) includes a sense cell (80), a test cell (82), and a seal structure (84). The test cell includes a test cavity (104), and the seal structure (84) is in communication with the test cavity, wherein the seal structure is configured to be breached to change an initial cavity pressure (51) within the test cavity (104) to ambient pressure (26). Calibration methodology (180) entails obtaining (184) a test signal (186) from the test cell prior to breaching the seal structure, and obtaining (194) another test signal (196) after the seal structure is breached. The test signals are used to calculate a sensitivity (200) of the test cell, the calculated sensitivity is used to estimate the sensitivity (204) of the sense cell, and the estimated sensitivity (204) can be used to calibrate the sense cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Chad S. Dawson, Peter T. Jones
  • Patent number: 9080938
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting an anode pressure sensor failure in a fuel cell system. The system and method include a controller that sets an initial minimum anode pressure sensor value and an initial maximum anode pressure sensor value. The controller determines a desired time interval for sampling anode pressure measurements and determines a total number of samples of anode pressure measurements to be collected by the controller from an anode pressure sensor. The controller also compares a pressure difference between the initial or a measured minimum anode pressure and the initial or a measured maximum anode pressure to a predetermined pressure difference threshold and sets a pressure sensor fault if the pressure difference between the initial or measured minimum anode pressure and the initial or maximum anode pressure is less than the predetermined pressure difference threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jun Cai, Daniel C. Di Fiore, Steven R. Falta, Sergio E. Garcia, Carol A. Galskoy
  • Publication number: 20150135798
    Abstract: In a method for ascertaining an offset of an output signal of an evaluation circuit integrated in a sensor, the output signal is supplied to a control unit which analyzes the output signal, and a reset of the evaluation circuit for the adjustment of the output signal to a base level is performed prior to each measuring operation of the sensor, and the control unit ascertains the offset of the output signal of the evaluation circuit upon an occurrence of a start signal output by the evaluation circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Harald Ryll
  • Patent number: 9021856
    Abstract: A device is provided for checking a flow pressure measurement probe as well as a probe comprising the device. The probe includes an internal volume and at least one orifice for communication with the outside of the volume. The device includes: an acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver that are intended to be connected to the internal volume so that the transmitter transmits an acoustic signal that propagates in the internal volume and so that the receiver picks up an observed acoustic signal; and, means for comparing the observed signal with a reference signal. The device may be a stand-alone device or may be integrated into the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Henri Leblond, Philippe Guichard, Jean-Philippe Pineau
  • Publication number: 20150052969
    Abstract: The present disclosure involves methods, systems and computer program products for calibrating a measuring device to ensure that its overall accuracy is improved. The method includes generating a profile of a first and second device. The profiles may be generated using one or more profiling scenarios. The method includes comparing a profile of the second device against a profile of the first device, automatically adjusting the profile of the second device such that it substantially matches the profile of the first device, and transferring the adjusted profile to the second device. The transferring of the adjusted profile to the second device causes the second device to provide substantially the same output as the first device in response to the same input parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: Keith Jenkins
  • Publication number: 20140331739
    Abstract: A technique for setting offset of a hydraulic pressure sensor which senses operation oil pressure is provided herein. In particular, ignition-off is detected and an ignition-off time point and remaining pressure of the object to be sensed are stored. The remaining pressure is sensed by the hydraulic pressure sensor at the ignition-off time point and stored accordingly. Additionally, whether an ignition is turned on or not after the ignition-off is also detected and an ignition-on time point is stored, when the ignition-on is detected after the ignition-off. A time lapse between the ignition-on from the ignition-off time point is then calculated along with the reduced pressure corresponding to the time lapse due to the time lapse. As a result, a value obtained by subtracting the reduced pressure from the remaining pressure of the hydraulic pressure sensor is set and applied as the offset of the hydraulic pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Seongwook Moon
  • Publication number: 20140238103
    Abstract: A pressure sensor may measure gas or liquid pressure. A chamber may have an inlet that receives the gas or liquid. A flexible diaphragm may be within the chamber that has a surface exposed to the gas or liquid after it flows through the inlet. A pressure sensor system may sense changes in the flexible diaphragm caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid. A pressure-insensitive sensor system may sense changes in the flexible diaphragm that are not caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid. The pressure-insensitive sensor system may be insensitive to changes in the flexible diaphragm caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: MKS INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Lei Gu, Paul D. Lucas, Stephen F. Bart, Phillip W. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8770009
    Abstract: An arrangement and method for providing compensation to a cyclical input signal is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a first detection unit (20) for detecting a first event in a cyclical output signal; a compensation signal generation unit (14) for generating a compensation signal; and a signal combination unit (8) for combining the compensation signal and the cyclical input signal to obtain the cyclical output signal. The compensation signal generation unit (14) is arranged to adjust the compensation signal at an instant which has a determined relationship with the detection of the first event. By adjusting the compensation signal at the right instant in a cycle of the cyclical output signal, the adjustment will not influence the further processing of the cyclical output signal. The method can be used to compensate the offset and sensitivity characteristics of a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Sensata Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Tiek, Paulus Thomas Gennissen
  • Publication number: 20140182353
    Abstract: A method and system to calibrate temperature and pressure in piezo resistive devices for non-linear sensors having two variables, where a piezo resistive device such as a piezo resistive transducer (PRT) used for example in a pressure sensor system is calibrated to calculate actual/ambient temperature and pressure even though the PRT impedance is unbalanced relative to pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Siddhartha Gopal Krishna, Chad S. Dawson, Vikram Varma
  • Publication number: 20140165692
    Abstract: An online method for reconfiguring pressure and position sensors in a hydraulic system is disclosed. In one step, a sensor drift condition, a recalibration request, or an unisolated fault condition is detected. In another step, a system pressure sensor or another sensor, such as a load-sense pressure sensor, is verified as a trusted master reference sensor. Another step includes measuring and recording a first pressure reading at the master reference sensor and first voltage readings associated with first, second, third, and fourth pressure slave sensors at a first pump pressure set point. Another step includes, repeating the previous step at a second pump pressure set point. A new gain and offset for each of the first, second, third, and fourth pressure sensors can be calculated based on a comparison of the recoded first and second pressure readings and the recorded first and second voltage readings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Berne Rannow
  • Patent number: 8701460
    Abstract: A method and system to calibrate temperature and pressure in piezo resistive devices for non-linear sensors having two variables, where a piezo resistive device such as a piezo resistive transducer (PRT) used for example in a pressure sensor system is calibrated to calculate actual/ambient temperature and pressure even though the PRT impedance is unbalanced relative to pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Siddhartha Gopal Krishna, Chad S. Dawson, Vikram Varma
  • Publication number: 20140102169
    Abstract: A calibration method of air pressure for a mobile device, a calibration device and a mobile device, where the calibration method includes acquiring self-location data of the mobile device; acquiring air pressure information from a web site or a web service according to the self-location data; performing calibration of air pressure for the mobile device by using the air pressure information. Through the embodiments of the present invention, dynamic calibration of air pressure is performed; furthermore, another barometer is not needed in the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: HUAWEI DEVICE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 8682601
    Abstract: The safety valve vibration analyzer includes: a set condition input unit in which set conditions of a physical model including a safety valve and an upstream pipe connected to the safety valve are inputted; a safety valve governing equation holder that holds a safety valve governing equations; a pipe governing equation holder that holds a pipe governing equation; a processing unit that derives a time variation of a valve lift by using the set conditions inputted, the safety valve governing equations, and the pipe governing equations; and a valve lifting force function holder that holds a valve lifting force function. The processing unit derives the time variation of the valve lift by applying the valve lifting force function to the equation of motion of the valve disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Chiyoda Corporation
    Inventor: Izuchi Hisao
  • Publication number: 20140007647
    Abstract: A method for correcting an offset for a pressure difference measured using a differential pressure sensor situated in an air duct. The offset is computed using an output signal of a pressure sensor, including: transferring the air duct into a predetermined operating situation in which a predetermined pressure difference is considered to be applied to the differential pressure sensor, measuring a level of the output signal in the predetermined operating situation, and computing the offset based on the measured level of the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Soenke MANNAL, Berthold BURK, Horst MUELLER, Michael BACHNER
  • Patent number: 8365894
    Abstract: A hydraulic system is presented with a hydraulic fluid, with a work element actuable by the fluid, with a fluid pump for the application of a fluid pressure to the fluid, with the fluid pump being operable to generate a reference depression in the system, and with a pressure sensor for the measurement of the fluid pressure which is in communication with a control unit which is designed to carry out a calibration of the pressure sensor with reference to the reference depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: MAGNA Powertrain AG & Co KG
    Inventor: Markus Kohlböck
  • Publication number: 20120247175
    Abstract: A method and system to calibrate temperature and pressure in piezo resistive devices for non-linear sensors having two variables, where a piezo resistive device such as a piezo resistive transducer (PRT) used for example in a pressure sensor system is calibrated to calculate actual/ambient temperature and pressure even though the PRT impedance is unbalanced relative to pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Siddhartha Gopal Krishna, Chad S. Dawson, Vikram Varma
  • Patent number: 8280650
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus enable sensing flow of a fluid inside a conduit with an array of pressure or strain sensors. Inputs for a curve fit routine include power correlation values at one of multiple trial velocities or speeds of sound and several steps on either side utilizing data obtained from the sensors. The velocity at which a curve fit routine returns a max curvature result corresponds to an estimate value that facilitates identification of a speed of sound in the fluid and/or a velocity of the flow. Furthermore, a directional quality compensation factor may apply to outputs from the curve fit routine to additionally aid in determining the velocity of the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Leslie W. Perry, Espen S. Johansen
  • Patent number: 8019563
    Abstract: A method for determining an exhaust gas temperature of an internal combustion engine, which is performed by measuring a lambda value of the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine and calculating a calculated exhaust gas temperature as a function of the measured lambda value, and comparing the calculated exhaust gas temperature with a measured exhaust gas temperature and adapting a function used for the calculation as a function of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eduard Moser, Florian Dencker
  • Patent number: 7987027
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing machine health information. In one embodiment, a machine may include a storage device that is configured to store collected machine health data. The storage device has a module that is configured to determine a data characteristic and a communication characteristic. The storage device is further configured to determine, based on the data characteristic and the communication characteristic, whether to transmit a set of machine health data to an off-board system. Further, the storage device is coupled to a transmitter that is configured to transmit the set of machine health data to the off-board system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jonny Ray Greiner, James Thomas McCarty, William Todd Hasty, Daniel Roy Hangartner
  • Patent number: 7913536
    Abstract: An arrangement and method for providing compensation to a cyclical input signal is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a first detection unit (20) for detecting a first event in a cyclical output signal; a compensation signal generation unit (14) for generating a compensation signal; and a signal combination unit (8) for combining the compensation signal and the cyclical input signal to obtain the cyclical output signal. The compensation signal generation unit (14) is arranged to adjust the compensation signal at an instant which has a determined relationship with the detection of the first event. By adjusting the compensation signal at the right instant in a cycle of the cyclical output signal, the adjustment will not influence the further processing of the cyclical output signal. The method can be used to compensate the offset and sensitivity characteristics of a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sensata Technologies Holland B.V.
    Inventors: Tim Tiek, Paulus Thomas Johannes Gennissen
  • Patent number: 7881884
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus enable sensing flow of a fluid inside a conduit with an array of pressure or strain sensors. Inputs for a curve fit routine include power correlation values at one of multiple trial velocities or speeds of sound and several steps on either side utilizing data obtained from the sensors. The velocity at which a curve fit routine returns a max curvature result corresponds to an estimate value that facilitates identification of a speed of sound in the fluid and/or a velocity of the flow. Furthermore, a directional quality compensation factor may apply to outputs from the curve fit routine to additionally aid in determining the velocity of the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Leslie W. Perry, Espen S. Johansen
  • Patent number: 7827845
    Abstract: A method for maintaining a medical device in a sterile atmosphere at a desired temperature during a calibration step is provided. The method includes packaging a medical device and temperature indicator in a sterile container such that the indicator is visible to a user. Next, heat can be applied to the container in order to stabilize the temperature of the container (as indicated by the encased temperature indicator) at room temperature. Once at room temperature, the device can be calibrated while remaining in the sterile atmosphere. A kit including such a container and a set of instructions is also provided. Like above, the container of the kit can include a sterile medical device and temperature indicator such that the device can be maintained in a sterile environment during calibration and/or zeroing. As such, the method and kit allow for increased precision and safety in performing medical procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Kraus
  • Patent number: 7805975
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a metabolic analyzer incorporating an oxygen analyzer and a NDIR carbon dioxide analyzer in the field that does not require the use of gas cylinders containing gases of known concentration is described. In calibrating the CO2 detector, at the time of factory setup, the detector output for a gas of a known concentration is measured and stored in the memory of the metabolic analyzer's microprocessor, as is the detector output voltage when the IR source is dimmed by a known percentage. Subsequently, in the field, CO2 levels in ambient air and cell pressure are measured at two different flow rates through the sample chamber and the IR source is again dimmed by the same percentage as had been used at the time of factory setup. Based upon the resulting readings, both the zeroing and span adjustment factors can be computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Medical Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: C. Peter Howard, Yu Chen, Michael G. Snow
  • Patent number: 7788963
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a system adapted to calibrate a determination of information related to one or more gaseous analytes in a body of gas being delivered to an objective by a gas source. In one embodiment the system comprises a partial pressure sensor, a total pressure monitor, a partial pressure module, and a calibration module. The partial pressure sensor generates an output signal related to the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas. The total pressure monitor determines the total pressure of the body of gas. The partial pressure module determines the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas according to a partial pressure function, wherein the partial pressure function describes the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas as a function of the output signal generated by the partial pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: RIC Investments, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph A. Orr
  • Patent number: 7730759
    Abstract: For calibrating a humidity sensor, the latter is used to measure the relative humidity (U1, U2) at each of two known gas pressure values (P1, P2), likewise to be measured if necessary. At the same time, other ambient conditions are kept constant. A correction value for correction of the measured values of the humidity sensor to be subtracted from the latter is then obtained from the formula: k=((P1/P2)*U2?U1)/(P1/P2?1). The humidity sensor is thus capable of calibration without measurement of the actual humidity value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Testo AG
    Inventors: Martin Rombach, Markus Langenbacher
  • Patent number: 7720625
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a measuring device, especially a flowmeter. The aim of the invention is to simplify inspection if the sensors have been correctly installed. For this purpose, the installation state is detected by the sensors themselves, i.e. by sensing a corresponding sensor value and comparing it with characteristic data. The result of comparison is electronically evaluated and automatically estimated whether the characteristic data obtained match the comparative data within at least a defined tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Keese, Harry Plotzki, Frank Buhl, Karl-Heinz Rackebrandt, Andreas Thöne, Jörg Herwig, Rolf Merte, Peter Riegler
  • Patent number: 7707868
    Abstract: A method for determining the operability of at least one pressure sensor of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in which the ambient pressure is first determined by the pressure sensor, and the ambient pressure determined by the pressure sensor is then compared to the ambient pressure determined by a reference pressure sensor not belonging to the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christof Thiel, Andreas Bethmann
  • Patent number: 7637141
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting a pressure value to account for an altitude-induced pressure effect. One method includes determining an average pressure value experienced at a first altitude, determining a ratio based on the average pressure value and a reference pressure value, determining a current pressure value experienced at the first altitude, and adjusting the current pressure value based on the ratio to obtain an altitude-adjusted pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Quartex, division of Primex, Inc.
    Inventor: Terrence J. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 7628054
    Abstract: A method and system for calibrating an analog sensor used in a digital measurement system is provided. The design comprises generating a precise pressure value set at multiple calibration points and supplying said precise pressure value set to an uncalibrated pressure sensor, detecting sensor changes for the uncalibrated pressure sensor based on each precise pressure value generated, polling an actual pressure reading associated with a sensor change for the uncalibrated pressure sensor for each calibration point, and establishing a mathematical relationship between measured value readings and actual pressure for the uncalibrated sensor. Establishing the mathematical relationship converts the uncalibrated sensor to a newly calibrated sensor. A known good sensor may be employed to enhance calibration reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Abraham Hajishah, David A. King, Michael J. Claus
  • Patent number: 7591165
    Abstract: A control circuit for scanning a pressure or force responsive sensor array is disclosed. Pressure or force sensors formed of an array of pressure or force responsive sensor elements can be used to acquire pressure or force measurements in response to an applied load. The control circuit can sample signals from the sensor elements to detect the pressure or force at one or more sensor elements of the sensor array. The circuit herein may provide for relatively faster scan rates. A user may define a subset or subsets of sensor elements of the sensor array to be scanned. Various methods and related circuitry for adjusting for sensor characteristics are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Tekscan Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Papakostas, Charles Malacaria, Boris Dubinsky
  • Publication number: 20090199615
    Abstract: A pressure transmitting device inspection system for a plant includes a gauge calibration terminal used for inspection of a pressure transmitting device of a plant, a determining unit which automatically downloads a gauge specification of the pressure transmitting device, monitors an applied pressure, automatically collects inspection data and automatically determines an inspection result, a remote server for gauge calibration which generates a result sheet based on the determination result, and a control unit for centrally controlling the gauge specification, the inspection result and an inspection history.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hisayoshi FUKAI
  • Patent number: 7542865
    Abstract: An abnormality determination device of a cylinder pressure sensor calculates a gain (sensing sensitivity coefficient) and an offset (bias) indicating an output characteristic of the cylinder pressure sensor. The device determines existence or nonexistence of an abnormality in the gain and the offset respectively. When the device determines that the abnormality exists, the device performs failsafe processing set in modes different from each other between the case of the abnormality in the gain and the case of the abnormality in the offset. As the failsafe processing in the case of the abnormality in the gain, the device performs processing for substantially prohibiting usage of a sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor in control (fuel injection timing control) by using an alternative value (specified value) instead of the sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Hoshi, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Youhei Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7496458
    Abstract: An electrical transducer has a sensor outputting a value corresponding to the quantity to be measured, an analog end stage connected downstream of the sensor, a processor circuit, and an analog measurement signal transmission path. The end stage converts the sensor output signal into an impressed output current related to the magnitude of the quantity measured, the electronic transducer being controlled with the processor circuit. The electrical transducer can be scaled by the user, has low inherent power consumption and ensures high response speed because the processor circuit in normal operation is shifted temporarily into a sleep mode, in the analog measurement signal transmission path an analog scaling unit is inserted, the output signal of the sensor and at least one analog setting value are supplied to the analog scaling unit, and the output signal of the analog scaling unit is supplied to the analog end stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: i f m electronic GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz Walter, Alfred Wagner
  • Publication number: 20080282806
    Abstract: A pressure sensor comprises a first pressure chamber containing fill fluid at a first pressure, a second pressure chamber containing fill fluid at a second pressure, a porous dielectric diaphragm having first and second major surfaces exposed to the first and second pressure chambers, and first and second electrodes positioned with respect to the first and second major surfaces. A method for sensing pressure is also disclosed, comprising applying first and second pressures to fill fluid in first and second pressure chambers of a pressure sensor having a porous dielectric diaphragm, and producing an output representative of a pressure differential between the pressures, as a function of surface charges on first and second major surfaces of the porous dielectric diaphragm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Rosemount Inc.
    Inventor: Swapan Chakraborty
  • Publication number: 20080184804
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for detecting a fault in a measurement device comprising a resonator and means for measuring a resonant frequency of the resonator. According to the invention, the device further includes means delivering information (S3) representative of the quality factor of the resonator (3) at the resonant frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: Thales
    Inventors: Bertrand Leverrier, Olivier Lefort
  • Patent number: 7331209
    Abstract: A method and system for correcting for the inertial error of a transducer as a function of frequency or effective mass coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: MTS Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Byron J. Saari, Steven C. Soderling
  • Patent number: 7260470
    Abstract: A method for calibrating at least two sensors for sensing a variable characterizing the combustion process in an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, operated in individual-cylinder fashion and having at least two cylinders, is provided. According to the present invention, at least one operating point of the internal combustion engine, at which an equalization of the at least two cylinders by at least one fuel quantity equalization method is performable with high accuracy, is determined. At the at least one operating point of the internal combustion engine, an equalization of the at least two cylinders is performed by the at least one fuel quantity equalization method. After the equalization of the at least two cylinders has been accomplished, at least one sensor parameter of the at least two sensors is mutually adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Damitz, Dirk Samuelsen, Ruediger Fehrmann, Matthias Schueler