British merchant Peter Durand invented the tin can in 1810.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8436628 | Door position sensor The present invention relates to a capacitive sensor system comprising a sensor circuit connected to a first (15) and a second (11) antenna, the first antenna (15) is arranged on a first object (10) and the second antenna (11) is a... | 05/07/2013 |
| 8310247 | Method of determining contact position in electronic apparatus A method of determining a contact position in an electronic apparatus including capacitance sensing circuits that output capacitance measuring signals and light sensing circuits that output light measuring signals includes acquiring the capacitance measuring signals... | 11/13/2012 |
| 8248085 | Motion sensor A motion sensor includes a base, a first capacitance electrode, and a second capacitance electrode. The first capacitance electrode is received within the base and includes first capacitance electrode sheets. The second capacitance electrode is received within the b... | 08/21/2012 |
| 8149000 | Detecting closure of an electronic device using capacitive sensors System and method for determining closure of an electronic device. The electronic device may include a top portion and a bottom portion, and may be connecting via a hinge or other closing mechanism. The top portion and/or the bottom portion may include one or more c... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8143906 | Temperature and pressure transducer Methods for making and systems employing pressure and temperature sensors are described. Embodiments include a capacitive element including a first conductor plate and a second conductor plate. Each plate includes a conductor layer formed on a substrate. In a pressu... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8120371 | Object position sensing apparatus An object position sensing apparatus including a substrate, a conductive crossbar, and a plurality of resistive elements coupled to the crossbar is described. The resistive elements are coupled to circuitry that can apply an excitation signal, such as a voltage chan... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8115497 | Pixel sensing circuit with common mode cancellation An improved biometric data sensing circuit, for example adapted for fingerprint sensing, uses a charge subtraction technique at the input of the circuit integrator to cancel the so called “common mode” signal from the circuit output. The result is an output sign... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8072228 | Angle measuring device An angle measuring device for optical angle measurement has a telescope body 5 which is rotatably mounted around at least one shaft (1, 2; 11), wherein the shaft (1, 2; 11) is rotatably mounted at least two bearing points 6, and the beari... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8049518 | Capacitive sensor system The present invention relates to a capacitive sensor system provided for a moving object 21.The system comprises an antenna device with a first 26 and a second portion 39 which are movable in relation to each other, the two portions 26,39... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8018237 | Broken piece detecting sensor To provide a broken piece detecting sensor assembly capable of stably detecting broken piece admixed in a fluid, which broken piece is made of material characterized by non-metal, non-magnetic and non-electroconductive characteristics such as ceramics. This broken p... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7990159 | Potential measurement apparatus and image forming apparatus A potential measurement apparatus for measuring a surface potential of an object of measurement detects a change in electric charge induced at a detection electrode due to electrostatic induction by changing a distance between the detection electrode and the object ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7956621 | Anti-capture method and apparatus for micromachined devices A MEMS device has a movable beam, a differential capacitor with a movable electrode that moves in response to the displacement of the movable beam and that is disposed between two stationary electrodes, and a voltage circuit for applying a first voltage to the first... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7863907 | Temperature and pressure transducer Methods for making and systems employing pressure and temperature sensors are described. Embodiments include a capacitive element including a first conductor plate and a second conductor plate. Each plate includes a conductor layer formed on a substrate. In a pressu... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7808254 | Micromechanical microwave power meter A micromechanical sensor for measuring millimetric wave or microwave power, which sensor comprises a wave line for conducting the millimetric or microwave power and a part arranged to move and a fixed electrode, in such a way that the capacitance (C) between the par... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7795881 | Capacitive physical quantity detection device A capacitive physical quantity detection device comprising a plurality of capacitive physical quantity sensors, wherein each sensor includes: a detection unit having a movable electrode and a fixed electrode; a C-V conversion circuit having a differential amplifier ... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7741858 | Capacitive switch of electric/electronic device A capacitive switch of an electric/electronic device is provided. The capacitive switch includes a plurality of contacts which are disposed at a front of a control panel; a plurality of capacitive sensors which are disposed at a rear of the control panel, respective... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7724000 | Method of automatically testing an electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor and electronic circuit for the implementation of the same A method for automatically testing an electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor having two capacitors is provided, wherein the common electrode of the capacitors moves relative to each fixed electrode. The electronic circuit includes a sensor interface that includ... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7710126 | Capacitance type sensor A capacitance type sensor good in operability and less in erroneous operation is provided. Switches SW1-SW4 are formed between a displacement electrode 40 and switch electrodes E11-E14 kept at a predetermined potential and grounded... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7705612 | Capacitance type sensor A capacitance type sensor good in operability and less in erroneous operation is provided. Switches SW1 to SW4 are formed between a displacement electrode 40 and switch electrodes E11 to E14 kept at a predetermined potential and gr... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7705611 | Sensor device, and portable communication terminal and electronic device using the sensor device A sensor device for detecting a positional relationship between a first member and a second member, includes a first charge-holding electrode provided on a surface of the first member and holding a charge, a second charge-holding electrode provided on the surface of... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7683634 | Micromachined capacitive sensor and linkage In accordance with the invention, a surface capacitive sensor is mechanically coupled to a conventional macrostructure actuator to measure the displacement of the actuator along a measurement axis with high accuracy. ... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7652486 | Capacitance detection circuit including voltage compensation function A capacitance detection circuit that compensates for the fluctuation of a reference voltage with a simple structure. A C-V circuit for a sensor element generates a detection signal by amplifying a capacitance change value of the sensor element by a predetermined gai... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7633301 | Track position sensor and method A low impedance sensor includes thin conductive electrodes on a dielectric substrate and detects proximity of a target metal object or structure moving along defined path such as a track. The sensor includes a first conductive electrode pad having a closed, continuo... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7554340 | Capacitive sensor A capacitive sensor includes an error compensating unit that, in an arrangement that a part of a fixed electrode as an edge portion and a part of a movable electrode as an edge portion are opposed to each other keeping a gap in a direction of shift of a detecting un... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7548074 | Micromechanical microwave power meter A micromechanical sensor for measuring millimetric wave or microwave power, which sensor includes a wave line for conducting the millimetric or microwave power and a moving part and a fixed electrode, in such a way that the capacitance (C) between the moving part an... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7532016 | Electronic interface circuit for a capacitive sensor for measuring a physical parameter, and method for activating the electronic circuit An electronic interface circuit of a capacitive sensor usable for measuring a physical parameter, wherein the sensor includes two differential mounted capacitors whose common electrode moves relative to each fixed electrode in order to alter capacitive value of each... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7521940 | Capacitive sensing isolation using reversed biased diodes A capacitive sensor is provided. The capacitive sensor includes a sensor/heat pad for outputting a sensing signal, a first diode coupled to a first node of the sensor/heat pad, a second diode coupled to a second node of the sensor/heat pad, a first transistor couple... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7489142 | Proximity sensor for X-ray apparatus A capacitive proximity sensor for use in object and position sensing and/or position control in respect of a swing arm of a medical imaging system. The sensor comprises, within a cover (18), an emitter electrode (10) and a sense electrode (9) bo... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7443174 | Electric field reciprocal displacement sensors “Electrical field (“E-field”) sensor systems that sense displacement or change in displacement of one body relative to another.” In general, the bodies 110, 112 are within an electrical field and displacement of a body causes a change in the E-field. ... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7432724 | Capacitive physical quantity sensor and method of diagnosing the same A capacitive sensor for detecting a physical quantity includes a movable electrode and a fixed electrode, and a controlling unit for applying a signal between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. The controlling unit includes an input terminal, an output t... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7420376 | Method of sensing absolute position of a structure using a capacitively coupled position encoder A method of sensing absolute position of a structure includes: generating a signal pattern to repetitively provide a changing voltage to each of two or more tracks of a sensor, capacitively coupling an electrode of the sensor to the tracks to determine a first elect... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420377 | Capacitive position sensor and sensing methodology A simple and robust variable coaxial capacitive sensor and detection method for monitoring the position of a rapidly reciprocating member such as a piston or displacer in a free piston Stirling engine. The coaxial capacitor of the present invention in a preferred em... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7400153 | Detector with capacitance sensor for detecting object being caught by door A detector for detecting an object that may be feared to or about to be caught by a closing door such as a slide door of a vehicle incorporates a capacitance sensor with a directionality characteristic in the direction of its detection surface. The detector has a ma... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7391223 | Insulation barrier for unshielded wire A sensor assembly has a plurality of sensing elements configured to be positioned within a seat of a vehicle. Each of the sensing elements include an output signal indicating the presence or absence of an occupant. The sensor assembly includes a cable with a plurali... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7378857 | Methods and apparatuses for detecting the level of a liquid in a container A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a container. The method includes applying a predetermined voltage to a level measuring electrode, disposed within the container, for a predetermined first period of time; then, discontinuing the application of the volt... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7378856 | Array sensor electronics Circuits and methods for detecting and amplifying sensor and sensor array (102, 104) output signals are presented. According to some aspects, a nonlinear feedback loop containing a sensor element provides a nonlinear transformation that compensates for a corr... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7375536 | Electric circuit for a capacitive sensor element An electric circuit for capacitive sensor elements of a touch switch can be designed as a switch capacitor circuit and van be provided with a micro controller. The sensor elements are provided in sensor branches with a charging capacitor. In addition, a reference br... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7373133 | Recharging method and apparatus The present invention provides apparatus and an associated method for remotely energizing power storage devices. Energization may preferably be effected through the use of RF energy from a base station, ambient energy or ultra-wide band energy. The remote station pr... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7372281 | Capacitance type sensor A displacement electrode cooperates with four switch electrodes on a substrate to form respective switches SW1 to SW4. When all of the switches SW1 to SW4 are on, no X- and Y-axial outputs are activated and only a Z-axial output is activa... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7368921 | Printed capacitive sensor The invention relates to a flexible, resilient capacitive sensor suitable for large-scale manufacturing. The sensor includes a dielectric, an electrically conductive detector and trace layer on the first side of the dielectric layer comprising a detector and trace, ... | 05/06/2008 |