The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2007
Filed:
May. 12, 2006
Leonid Matsiev, San Jose, CA (US);
James Bennett, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Daniel M. Pinkas, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Mikhail Spitkovsky, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Oleg Kolosov, San Jose, CA (US);
Shenheng Guan, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Mark Uhrich, Redwood City, CA (US);
G. Cameron Dales, Saratoga, CA (US);
John F. Varni, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Blake Walker, Eugene, OR (US);
Vladimir Gammer, San Francisco, CA (US);
Dave Padowitz, Mountain View, CA (US);
Eric Low, Berkeley, CA (US);
Leonid Matsiev, San Jose, CA (US);
James Bennett, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Daniel M. Pinkas, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Mikhail Spitkovsky, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Oleg Kolosov, San Jose, CA (US);
Shenheng Guan, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Mark Uhrich, Redwood City, CA (US);
G. Cameron Dales, Saratoga, CA (US);
John F. Varni, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Blake Walker, Eugene, OR (US);
Vladimir Gammer, San Francisco, CA (US);
Dave Padowitz, Mountain View, CA (US);
Eric Low, Berkeley, CA (US);
Visyx Technologies, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A sensor for sensing one or more properties of a vehicle fluid has a tuning fork resonator adapted to contact the fluid. The tuning fork resonator comprises two tines and is operable to oscillate so that the two tines move in opposite phase at a frequency of less than 1 MHz while contacting the fluid to generate a resonator response indicative of one or more properties of the fluid. In another aspect, a sensor includes a substrate and a flexural resonator on the substrate and adapted to contact the fluid. Circuitry for operation of the resonator is on the substrate. The resonator is adapted to receive an input signal and to oscillate while contacting the fluid to generate a resonator response indicative of one or more properties of the fluid. One suitable application for the invention is monitoring the condition of a vehicle engine oil.