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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7936175 | Full function test for in situ test of sensors and amplifiers The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for in situ test of transducers comprising sensing elements and associated conditioning preamplifiers. The invention makes it possible to evaluate the characteristics of the complete transducer by means of hig... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7768276 | Systems and methods for identifying problems with PZT elements of micro-actuators Systems and methods for identifying problems with PZT elements of micro-actuators are provided. In certain example embodiments, a voltage (e.g., a sine voltage) may be applied to a reference unit causing it as well as a test unit to vibrate. Characteristics of the r... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7564251 | Method for identifying analog measuring sensors and associated assembly Individual measuring sensors each have a different specific signal type and must therefore be appropriately connected to the analog measuring inputs. An adjustable voltage with adjustable current limitation, or an adjustable current with adjustable voltage clamping ... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7525324 | Inspection method, inspection apparatus, and polarization method for piezoelectric element A method for inspecting a piezoelectric element includes first-inspection-signal application step of applying to the piezoelectric element a first inspection signal Vp(1) having a first predetermined voltage waveform; first-characteristic-value measurement st... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7331231 | Apparatus and method for measuring micro mass using oscillation circuit A micro mass measuring apparatus includes a cantilever on which a subject is attached, a piezoelectric element formed on the cantilever, an oscillation circuit for actively vibrating the cantilever and providing a varied resonance frequency by the subject, and a fre... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7282834 | Micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) tuning using focused ion beams A method for tuning an electro-mechanical device such as a MEMS device is disclosed. The method comprises operating a MEMS device in a depressurized system and using FIB micromachining to remove a portion of the MEMS device. Additionally, a method for tuning a plura... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7277253 | Storage device A storage device configured to load and unload a head against a storage medium, includes a latch mechanism configured to latch the unloaded head, a head moving mechanism configured to move the head, a measuring part configured to measure an unlatch force necessary f... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7262867 | Device to determine the thickness of a conductive layer The device comprises at least a measuring head (7) with a transmitter (7A) and a receiver (7B). The head comprises means to measure the thickness through surface resistivity and optical means to measure said thickness by measuring the transparen... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7183568 | Piezoelectric array with strain dependant conducting elements and method therefor A structure (and method) for a piezoelectric device, including a layer of piezoelectric material. A nanotube structure is mounted such that a change of shape of the piezoelectric material causes a change in a stress in the nanotube structure. ... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7159463 | Sensitive and selective method and device for the detection of trace amounts of a substance A piezoelectric crystal element and a sensor utilizing the same are presented for use in a sensor device for identifying at least one foreign material from environment. The crystal element comprises at least one crystal resonator in the form of an inverted mesa stru... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7132942 | Method and apparatus for detecting a target material in a sample by pre-screening the sample for piezoelectric resonance A method and apparatus for screening samples to determine which samples include a target material. Generally, the samples are pre-screened to determine which of the samples have a piezoelectric resonance when irradiated with an electric field, to thereby indicate th... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7124654 | Method for determining a microactuator range of movement A spin stand testing system is used to determine a positioning range of a microactuator disposed on a head gimbal assembly. The microactuator is configured to laterally translate a read sensor of a head of the head gimbal assembly through the positioning range. The ... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7126252 | Control method of piezoelectric actuator, position control equipment, and disk device A position control device has a piezoelectric actuator, a power supply for applying voltage to the piezoelectric actuator, a position control unit, and a reverse low voltage control unit. The position control unit identifies a position control state in which positio... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7113051 | Frequency characterization of quartz crystals Techniques for determining a frequency profile of a quartz crystal in real time. Quartz crystals are subjected to a series of temperature cycles at various temperature rates and the crystal frequencies, crystal temperature parameters, and the temperature rates are m... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7109643 | Actuator The actuator is capable of greatly deforming a flexible sheet member. The actuator comprises: a flexible sheet member being made of a polymer material; and a pair of electrodes being respectively provided on both faces of the sheet member, the electrodes being made ... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104139 | System and method for load sensing using piezoelectric effect System and method for measuring static load by using a piezoelectric load sensor with a feedback technique to compensate for the signal loss due to charge leakage, and therefore ensures measurement accuracy. The system is integrated with other structure, objects and... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7097662 | In-vivo orthopedic implant diagnostic device for sensing load, wear, and infection A device for providing in vivo diagnostics of loads, wear, and infection in orthopedic implants having at least one load sensor associated with the implant, at least one temperature sensor associated with the implant, at least one vibration sensor associated with th... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7053533 | Piezoelectric resonator element of cyrstallographic point group 32 A piezoelectric resonator element of crystallographic point group 32, which can be operated as a thickness shear resonator contacting a carrier medium includes a singly rorated Y-cut (S1,S2) that is essentially rotated through an angle φabout the crys... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7040139 | Sensor arrangement A chemical sensing system has: an interrogation unit operable to wirelessly transmit an interrogation signal and wirelessly receive a response; an environmentally sealed container for holding a chemical analyte; a sensor array unit in fluid communication with the an... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7042228 | Transducer in-situ testing apparatus and method The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for a measurement system for the testing of transducers, and more particularly to the testing of piezoelectric transducers. The measurement system includes a transducer, a feedback amplifier coupled to the... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7019509 | Digital envelope detector A digital envelope detector (consisting of both hardware and software) that provides accurate measurements of changes of peak values of an AC signal (these peak values constitute the envelope of a signal). Such accurate envelope measurements are required, e.g., to o... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7015702 | Method for evaluating a measuring signal and corresponding circuit arrangement In order to measure the current in a shunt, the voltage drop in the resistor of said shunt is evaluated as a measurement of the current. Normally, galvanic separation of the measuring device is required for high-potential shunts. A digital measuring signal provides ... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7016825 | Method and apparatus for predicting the failure of a component The invention provides a method and apparatus for predicting the failure of a component using a probabilistic model of a material's microstructural-based response to fatigue. The method predicts the component failure by a computer simulation of multiple incarnations... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7002283 | Ultrasonic transducer assembly The invention provides an ultrasonic transducer assembly for a bonding apparatus, comprising a bonding tool mounted to an amplifying horn secured between first and second ultrasonic-generating means. A method of forming a transducer for a bonding apparatus is also p... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6998615 | Method for evaluating piezoelectric fields In a method of evaluating a piezoelectric field, non-destructive spectrometry of piezoelectric fields is performed in a semiconductor heterojunction using a technique different from PR spectroscopy. In the method, at first, first and second absorption spectra are me... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6975123 | Method and apparatus for calibrating piezoelectric driver in dual actuator disk drive A method and apparatus are disclosed which are operable to determine a capacitance associated with at least one piezoelectric element in an dual actuator disk drive. The capacitance information is used to adjust a driver used to drive the piezoelectric element. Capa... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6972553 | Sensor readout circuit A sensor readout circuit which provides a frequency signal output including a phase detector circuit responsive to an output signal from a sensor and an input signal to the sensor and configured to detect the phase difference between the input signal and the output ... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6965272 | Worldwide marketing logistics network including strategically located centers for frequency programming crystal oscillators to customer specification A worldwide logistics network includes a processing center for receiving customer orders for crystal oscillators over communications links, processing the orders, and generating work orders that are selectively disseminated over communications links to programming c... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6959484 | System for vibration control A vibration control system comprising an actuator, and a sensor useful for controlling vibrations in systems for fabricating electronics equipment. The actuator may comprise one or more plates or elements of electro-active material bonded to an electroded sheet.... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6956384 | Linear displacement transducer with improved accuracy The present invention relates to a linear displacement transducer with improved accuracy, in which stable contact is achieved by forming contacts coming into contact with resistors in a elastic linear contact type, rather than a conventional point contact type, usin... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6937034 | Absolute value calculating element for converting AC signals into DC signals A sensor element formed of PZT is overlapped onto an actuator formed of electrostrictive elements, and both members are pinched between a rigid body that is not deformed. By impressing an alternating-current signal to the actuator, the sensor element is deformed in ... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6936471 | Instrument for high throughput measurement of material physical properties and method of using same An apparatus and method for screening combinatorial libraries of materials by measuring the response of individual library members to mechanical perturbations is described. The apparatus generally includes a sample holder for containing the library members, an array... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6922118 | Micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) tuning using focused ion beams A method for tuning an electro-mechanical device such as a MEMS device is disclosed. The method comprises operating a MEMS device in a depressurized system and using FIB micromachining to remove a portion of the MEMS device. Additionally, a method for tuning a plura... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6890486 | MIP/QCM sensors for high sensitivity-fast sensing of small molecules in solution The present invention relates to quartz crystal microbalance sensors using molecular imprinting polymerization technology, providing for continuous on-line monitoring of water-borne organic contaminants. ... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6880213 | Method for screening piezoelectric transformer apparatus A method for quickly screening piezoelectric transformer apparatuses having low mechanical strength and latent defects is performed by connecting a load impedance to a generator of a piezoelectric transformer apparatus and applying a stress signal to an actuator to ... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6870377 | Method for detecting piezoelectric element failures in head suspensions Method and apparatus for detecting failure in a piezoelectric element on a head suspension for a disk drive by clamping one end of the suspension, mechanically displacing and rapidly releasing the other end of the suspension, monitoring the electrical output of a pi... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6861854 | Peizoelectric microactuator and sensor failure detection in disk drives A test device and method for testing one of a disk drive microactuator and a disk drive sensor that includes two piezoelectric elements. The test device includes a signal generator, signal analyzer, and a user interface. The test device is operational to provide a r... | 03/01/2005 |
| 6771083 | Poole-frenkel piezoconductive element and sensor A new class of highly sensitive piezoconductive strain sensor elements and sensors has been invented. The new elements function under conditions such that electrical conductivity is dominated by Poole-Frenkel transport. A substantial piezoconductive effect appears i... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6691387 | Method of using a two-dimensional transducer array A method of manufacturing a two-dimensional ultrasound transducer array is provided in which the transducer array is formed by a plurality of transducer elements sequentially arranged in the azimuth direction and each transducer element has a non-uniform ... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6680620 | Method for timed measurements of the voltage across a device in the charging circuit of a piezoelectric element A method for timed measurement of a voltage across a device in a charging circuit of a piezoelectric element. The voltage across the device is sensed and read at a predefined time in synchronization with an injection event of the at least one piezoelectri... | 01/20/2004 |
