Gen-probe, Inc.

Other

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

Measurement Specialties, Incorporated

Delmhorst Instrument Co.

Telegram Communications Corp.

Bernard Roy Katz

Michael J Keating

John J Kotlarik

James H Lipscomb

Mieczyslaw Wroblewski

Stone Klengler

Larry Jurik

Karl E Geisel

Michael Yaron

Anna Jurik

Edward P Gianella

Stephen A Bauman

A moisture sensing apparatus includes an oscillator for supplying an AC signal to a driven ring of a sensor having a pad inside the ring, and a ground plate around the ring. An amplifier forms part of a temperature-compensated, precision rectifier, and is connected to the pad. A first diode connected to the output of the amplifier in a feedback loop of the amplifier, where the amplifier nullifies temperature variation effects upon the diode, and supplies a rectified signal which is a function of moisture content of material in contact with the sensor. A second diodes is connected between the amplifier output and other input of the amplifier. The sensor has a rounded configuration to avoid electrostatic field fringing effects, and a passive impedance with both resistive and capacitive members is connected in parallel with the sensor to provide a functional baseline for the rectified signal.

Capacitive moisture sensor

A sensor for detecting contact of a fluid delivery probe with a fluid surface and for detecting fluid flow through the probe includes a first electrode disposed along a fluid flow path of the probe upstream from a distal tip of the probe and a second electrode longitudinally spaced and electrically isolated from the first electrode and disposed at the distal tip of the probe. An oscillating signal is transmitted through the first electrode, and at least a portion of the signal is received through the second electrode. Through changes in the received signal due to the distal tip of the probe coming into contact with a fluid surface or due to fluid flow through the conduit between the first and second electrodes, fluid surface contact and fluid flow can be detected. A pressure sensor can be employed to monitor internal fluid pressure within the fluid conduit of the fluid delivery probe as a secondary, redundant mechanism for detecting fluid flow through the conduit.

Method of detecting a fluid surface

Fluid dispense verification system

Fluid transfer system

A sensor for detecting contact of a fluid delivery probe with a fluid surface and for detecting fluid flow through the probe includes a first electrode disposed along a fluid flow path of the probe upstream from a distal tip of the probe and a second electrode longitudinally spaced and electrically isolated from the first electrode and disposed at the distal tip of the probe. An oscillating signal is transmitted through the first electrode, and at least a portion of the signal is received through the second electrode. Through changes in the received signal due to the distal tip of the probe coming into contact with a fluid surface or due to fluid flow through the conduit between the first and second electrodes, fluid surface contact and fluid flow can be detected. A pressure sensor can be employed to monitor internal fluid pressure within the fluid conduit of the fluid delivery probe as a secondary, redundant device for detecting fluid flow through the conduit.

Method of detecting fluid flow through a conduit

A sensing and indicating device is mounted at a fixed location and uses transmitted and reflected acoustic or electrical energy to determine the distance between the sensor and an approaching vehicle. The sensor provides visual and/or audible indication of the distance between the vehicle and the sensor. The driver of the vehicle uses that displayed or audible information to locate the vehicle within a defined space or envelope, e.g., within a garage. The sensor and indicator may also be located laterally with respect to the vehicle so that the distance between the vehicle side and the sensor can be determined whereby the vehicle can be located laterally within the defined space or envelope. The device remains active at all times, precluding any need for manual intervention to activate it, without compromising power consumption. A distance dependent means for dynamic desensitization of the receiver subsystem is provided so as to ignore reflection artifacts from irrelevant off-axis objects close to the sensor and to avoid false triggering due to ringing within the sensor. The distance dependence of the desensitization is implemented by using an exponentially decaying reference signal as a dynamic detection amplitude threshold for comparison against the amplitude of received echo signals for a predetermined period of time after exciting the sensor with a transmit pulse. Shortened transmit excitation burst times are also used when measuring at close ranges to reduce sensor ring time.

Method and apparatus for guided parking of a vehicle using ultrasonic

A sensing and indicating device is mounted at a fixed location to determine the distance between the sensor and an approaching vehicle. The sensor provides visual and/or audible indication of the distance between the vehicle and the sensor. The driver of the vehicle uses that displayed or audible information to locate the vehicle within a defined space or envelope, e.g., within a garage. The sensor and indicator may also be located laterally with respect to the vehicle so that the distance between the vehicle side and the sensor can be determined whereby the vehicle can be located laterally within the defined space or envelope.

Apparatus and methods for parking a vehicle using position detection

In a system and a method for measuring the rate at which powdered material flows from a container wherein a first analog signal representing the weight of the container is produced, the analog signal is differentiated to obtain a second signal corresponding to the flow rate and the second signal is passed through an adaptive filter. The adaptive filter includes a first low pass filter having a first time constant for producing a third signal and a second low-pass filter to produce a fourth signal. The time constant of the second filter is varied between a minimum equal to the time constant of the first filter and a maximum equal to a preselected multiple of the time constant of the first filter by comparing the absolute value of the difference between the third and fourth signals to a preselected deadband and effecting the maximum time constant when the absolute value of the difference is less than the deadband and the minimum time constant when the absolute value of the difference is greater than the deadband. A combination signal is provided from the fourth signal during the time when the absolute value of the difference is less than the deadband and the third signal during the time when the absolute value of the difference is greater than the deadband. The combination signal is scaled to indicate the powdered material flow rate.

Measurement of flow rate of powder from a hopper

The video amplifier circuit comprises a complementary symmetrical arrangement of a first and second solid state transistor element with the video input source coupled through a level shifting circuit to the first element and through a DC level shifting circuit to the second element and with means provided for operating each element in a clamped mode approaching saturation. Additional circuit modifications include means for modulating the video input signal with a high frequency signal to cause continuous gray scale variation.

Wide bandwidth video amplifier

An electronic organ has a tone generating system for producing tones corresponding to notes of a musical scale. The tones and combinations thereof are selectable to provide different characteristics or 'voices' which duplicate the various voices which are selectable on a pipe organ. The character of each such voice is determined by a single generator. The character of the output tone on a per manual basis is alterable by substituting or combining the outputs of different generators. The signal produced in this manner is sampled at a rate which translates it to an audio frequency.

Growing community of inventors

Rockaway, NJ, United States of America

Bernard Roy Katz