Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8093914 | Compensation circuit for a TX-RX capacitive sensor A capacitive sensor may include a transmit electrode and a receive electrode capacitively coupled with the transmit electrode. A capacitance sensing circuit senses a capacitance between the transmit and receive electrodes by applying a signal to the transmit electro... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8054090 | Noise handling in capacitive touch sensors In a capacitive sensor of the type having X electrodes which are driven and Y electrodes that are used as sense channels connected to charge measurement capacitors, signal measurements are made conventionally by driving the X electrodes to transfer successive packet... | 11/08/2011 |
| 7880481 | Capacitive sensor and measurement system A system includes a capacitive sensor including a first electrode and a second electrode. The system includes a measurement system configured to sense a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode and apply a first offset to the sensed capacitan... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7629797 | Resonance-induced sensitivity enhancement method for conductivity sensors Methods and systems for improving the sensitivity of a variety of conductivity sensing devices, in particular capacitively-coupled contactless conductivity detectors. A parallel inductor is added to the conductivity sensor. The sensor with the parallel inductor is o... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7378858 | Padé approximant based compensation for integrated sensor modules and the like Methods and systems using Pade' Approximant expansion ratios provide mappings between nonlinear sensors and a more linearized output domain. In one embodiment (a) a variable gain amplifier receives a supplied input signal, the amplifier has at least a first input te... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7367231 | Flexible guided wave level meter probe The invention is a level meter having a flexible probe. The flexible probe includes a flexible conductor and at least one flexible band shield member disposed in a substantially vertically parallel relationship with the conductor, where the conductor and the shield ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7332981 | Impedance matching apparatus for a plasma chamber comprising two separate storage units and three separate calculators An impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates a forward wave voltage Vfo and a reflected wave voltage Vro at an output terminal 3b, based on a forward wave voltage Vfi and a reflected wave voltage Vri at an input terminal 3a, on inf... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7292047 | High-frequency power source A high-frequency power source supplies high-frequency power to a load whose reflection characteristic for the power varies with time. The power source includes a frequency-variable power generator, a power detector for detecting the power into the load and the power... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7290435 | Method and apparatus for electronic cancellation of quadrature error Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting a rate of rotation. In one implementation, the method includes vibrating a proof mass at a pre-determined frequency in a drive axis. In response to a rotation, sensing an amount of deflection of the proof mass in an a... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7253680 | Amplifier system with current-mode servo feedback A system and method for compensating an amplifier apparatus for low frequency and/or DC components of an externally applied input signal as well as for any voltage offsets contributed by the amplifier circuitry. Band-limited servo feedback is applied to predetermine... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7250773 | Circuit for detecting difference in capacitance A circuit for detecting a difference in capacitance between a first capacitor and a second capacitor provided in a sensor includes an oscillator configured to generate an oscillating signal, a phase comparator coupled to the oscillator to output a signal responsive ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7235987 | Sensor device using pair of resistive sensor controlled beat oscillators A sensor device is disclosed that includes a sensor, in which a resistance value is changed in accordance with a change in an environment of the sensor. The sensor device also includes a beat oscillator having plural oscillators of different oscillating frequencies.... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7212015 | Capacitance sensor type measuring apparatus A measuring apparatus having a probe that faces a surface of a target and is configured to supply AC current to the surface, measuring a voltage drop through a space between the probe and the surface, and obtaining a distance between the probe and the surface in acc... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7199678 | Impedance matching apparatus for a plasma chamber comprising two separate storage units and calculators An impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates a forward wave voltage Vfo and a reflected wave voltage Vro at an output terminal 3b, based on a forward wave voltage Vfi and a reflected wave voltage Vri at an input terminal 3a, on inf... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7198867 | Electrochemical generation, storage and reaction of hydrogen and oxygen An electrolytic apparatus for using catalyst-coated hollow microspheres to produce gases, store them, and to make them available for later use. The apparatus uses catalyst-coated hollow microspheres in reversible electrochemical processes and reactions, such as thos... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7193827 | Single-sensor microcontroller-based approach for ground fault circuit interrupters A microcontroller-based temperature compensated circuit for ground-fault circuit interrupter to meet the requirements of UL 943 using a single sensor to detect both ground-fault and grounded-neutral fault conditions in both full-wave and half-wave AC power supplies ... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7155979 | Self-calibrating oversampling electromechanical modulator and self-calibration method An oversampling electromechanical modulator, including a micro-electromechanical sensor which has a first sensing capacitance and a second sensing capacitance and supplies an analog quantity correlated to the first sensing capacitance and to the second sensing capac... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7129714 | Capacitive measurement system Sensor circuits for the measurement of small variations in the value of a sensing capacitor. An alternating voltage excites the sensing capacitor a predetermined frequency whereby the voltage on the sensing capacitor reverses polarity. This voltage on the sensing ca... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7129712 | Attofarad capacitance measurement An electrical circuit for determining a capacitance is described. The electrical circuit includes a first device, a rectifying circuit and a feedback circuit. The first device has a first terminal and a second terminal. The first device has a first unknown capacitan... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7096732 | Semiconductor device with shielding A semiconductor device includes gaps formed in a semiconductor substrate to provide an inner portion movable in x and y directions. Drive electrodes vibrate the inner portion in the x direction, and detection electrodes detect movement in the y direction generated w... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7088153 | Data storage latch structure with micro-electromechanical switch Micro-electromechanical switches (MEMS) are configured to form a data storage latch to reduce power consumption, to reduce the space used in an integrated circuit, and to improve performance of the integrated circuit. MEMS are implemented at the wiring layer connect... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7078965 | Servo balancing among driver devices A method and apparatus for reducing imbalances among the outputs of a plurality of driver devices connected in a parallel configuration to drive a common load. One driver is designated as the master, and suitable servo circuitry is provided to each of the other slav... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7078916 | Linearity enhancement for capacitive sensors A method for enhancing the linearity of a differential capacitive sensor as a function of beam displacement. An ac-modulated feedback connection from a sensor output terminal to a movable beam electrode is provided through a fix-up capacitor. The output terminal sig... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7057395 | Method for diagnosing open defects on non-contacted nodes of an electronic device from measurements of capacitively coupled nodes A method and apparatus for diagnosing open defects on non-contacted nodes of an electrical device is presented. Actual and expected signal measurements are collected for various contacted nodes of the electrical device. Nodes whose actual measurements are out of ran... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7023220 | Method for measuring nm-scale tip-sample capacitance A method for measuring nm-scale tip-sample capacitance including (a) measuring a cantilever deflection and a change in probe-sample capacitance relative to a reference level as a function of a probe assembly height; (b) fitting out-of-contact data to a function; (c)... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7015715 | Hybrid gap measurement circuit Systems and methods are disclosed for measuring a distance (or gap) between substrates of a hybrid semiconductor. The measurements may be made during a hybridization process to, for example, provide alignment feedback during the hybridization process. The measuremen... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6966224 | Micromachined vibratory gyroscope with electrostatic coupling Micromachined vibratory gyroscope having two or more coplanar movable masses suspended over a planar substrate. Two perpendicular axes (x and y) are defined within the substrate plane, while a third, the z-axis or input axis, is defined to be perpendicular to the su... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6960917 | Methods and apparatus for diagnosing defect locations in electrical paths of connectors of circuit assemblies In a method for testing continuity of electrical paths through a connector, pairs of contacts of the connector are coupled via a first plurality of passive circuit components. The contacts are also coupled to a test sensor port via a second plurality of passive circ... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6943643 | Controllable two-phase network with amplitude compensation A controllable two-phase network for production of two output signals at two loads with identical load impedances from an input signal from a source containing a phase path for production of a first output signal, and an amplitude path for production of a second out... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6756790 | Impedance detection circuit, impedance detection device, and impedance detection method A second operational amplifier (11) of a core unit (1) shorts an inverting input terminal and an output terminal. A signal line (19) is connected to a non-inverting input terminal. A capacitive sensor (18) is connected to the signal line ... | 06/29/2004 |
| 6700392 | Digital measurement circuit and system using a grounded capacitive sensor A circuit and system for sensing and measuring the mutual capacitance between a sensor capacitor having one grounded lead and a target and providing a direct digital output of the measured capacitance is disclosed. The circuit and system includes a relaxa... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6674294 | Drive feedthrough nulling system The present invention relates to a system for nulling drive feedthrough error in a sensor having first and second drive electrodes which impart vibratory motion to first and second proof masses in response to first and second opposite phase drive signals,... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6621279 | Drive feedthrough nulling system The present invention relates to a method for nulling drive feedthrough error in a sensor having first and second drive electrodes which impart vibratory motion to first and second proof masses in response to first and second opposite phase drive signals,... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6445195 | Drive feedthrough nulling system The present invention relates to a system for nulling drive feedthrough error in a sensor having first and second drive electrodes which impart vibratory motion to first and second proof masses in response to first and second opposite phase drive signals,... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6411214 | Method for sensing electrical current A method is provided for sensing and measuring an electrical current. The current to be measured is applied to a deflectable member in a sensing module in the presence of a magnetic field. Deflection of the member is detected as an indication of the curre... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6374187 | Underground storage tank monitoring system and method An underground storage tank monitoring system and method uses special micropower impulse radar probes, with one such probe being inserted into each storage tank. The micropower impulse radar probes use flexible waveguides which extend downward to the tank... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6331780 | Static capacitance-to-voltage converter and converting method A static capacitance-to-voltage converter is capable of converting a static capacitance into a voltage without suffering from a stray capacitance formed between a signal and a shielding line or a stray capacitance formed between an exposed portion of the ... | 12/18/2001 |
| 6297647 | Crosstalk test unit and method of calibration A test unit for measuring crosstalk in twisted pair cable. The test unit has an output signal balance (OSB) circuit that compensates for parasitic capacitance at its output terminals. The OSB circuit has a voltage controlled capacitance connected in circu... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6208153 | System for fast piezoelectric-resonator parameter measurements Method and apparatus are described for speeding parameter measurements of piezoelectric-resonators. A large driving voltage is applied to the resonator until the resonator current reaches its desired steady-state value. Then the driving voltage is reduced... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6188322 | Method for sensing electrical current A method is provided for sensing and measuring an electrical current. The current to be measured is applied to a deflectable member in a sensing module in the presence of a magnetic field. Deflection of the member is detected as an indication of the curre... | 02/13/2001 |
