Thermal measuring and testing inventions 12/08

20080317087 - Calibrating method of current detection type thermocouple or the like, calibration method of offset of operational amplifier, current detection type thermocouple, infrared sensor and infrared detector: To calibrate a thermocouple, a calibrating thermocouple, made of the same thermocouple material as a detecting thermocouple, is used. An absolute thermoelectric power Ero, of the calibrating thermocouple is determined in advance, and the detecting thermocouple is assumed to have the same Ero. An internal resistance rs of the detecting... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080317086 - Self-calibrating digital thermal sensors: Methods and apparatus relating to calibration of digital thermal sensors after manufacturing are described. In one embodiment, a temperature value sensed by a digital thermal sensor may be calibrated based on a temperature value sensed by a thermal diode. The thermal diode and the digital thermal sensor may be on... Agent: Caven & Aghevli C/o Intellevate, LLC

20080317088 - Fixed-point cell, fixed-point temperature realizing apparatus, and method of thermometer calibration: A fixed-point cell is provided which can provide a fixed-point in a wide temperature range by changing the fixed-point material. During the use of the fixed-point cell, the fixed-point material can be prevented from being contaminated, and the crucible of the cell can be prevented from being cracked. The fixed-point... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080317089 - Apparatus, method, and system for measuring water activity and weight: An apparatus configured to determine water activity and weight of a sample. The apparatus may comprise a chamber configured to at least partially enclose a sample. The apparatus may also comprise a sensor configured to measure water activity of a sample in the chamber. Additionally, the apparatus may comprise a... Agent: Holland & Hart LLP

20080317090 - Method and apparatus for thermographic nondestructive evaluation of an object: A method and system for determining thermal diffusivity and porosity of an article are provided. The method comprises heating a surface of the article, capturing image data corresponding to an evolution of lateral heat flow from the surface of the article, applying a thermal time of flight analysis on the... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080317091 - Scale detection on water heating elements: A method of determining the presence of scale on a water heating element (12), the method comprising comparing signals indicative of heating element temperature to determine whether the compared signals indicate a temperature decrease (44) greater than a predetermined value during a predetermined time interval and determining the presence of... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080317092 - Sensors and temperature measurement apparatus: In general, a sensor for measuring a temperature of an air stream includes a sensing element for detecting temperature. The sensor also includes connection lines connected to the sensing element. The connection lines are configured to allow the air stream to circulate through the connection lines, capture heat of the... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080317093 - Sensor arrangement for temperature measurement: In a sensor arrangement for measuring the temperature of a surface with a temperature sensor provided on a circuit substrate, which is attached on a front side of a tongue-shaped projection of said circuit substrates and can be positioned in the direct proximity to said surface spaced apart from said... Agent: Walter A. Hackler, Ph.d. Patent Law Office

20080317094 - Temperature vector analyzer: The present invention discloses a temperature vector analyzer, which comprises the following elements: a temperature detection device further comprising a plurality of infrared sensors; a temperature-vector display panel; a microprocessor receiving infrared-radiating heat source temperatures detected by the plurality of infrared sensors, calculating the vector components of the infrared-radiating heat... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20080317095 - Fluid level indication system and technique: A technique that is usable with a well includes changing the temperature of a local environment of a distributed temperature sensor, which is deployed in a region of the well and using the sensor to acquire measurements of a temperature versus depth profile. The region contains at least two different... Agent: Schlumberger Reservoir Completions

20080317096 - Disposable thermometer probe sheath and fabrication method thereof: A disposable thermometer probe sheath includes a bottom piece and a plastic cover film sealed onto the bottom piece. The plastic cover film comprising an upper plastic sheet film and a lower plastic sheet film, each of which has a front edge provided with an opening, a rear edge provided... Agent: Reed Smith LLP

20080317097 - Temperature sensor and semiconductor memory device using the same: A temperature sensor comprises a pulse signal generating unit for generating a first pulse signal having an enable section, a width of which is adjusted according to a reference voltage having a temperature characteristic, an oscillator for generating a second pulse signal of a predetermined period in the enable section... Agent: Cooper & Dunham, LLP

20080310476 - Thermographic method and device for determining the damaged state of a part: Disclosed is a method for determining the degree to which parts, especially parts that are exposed to loads (11) which change over time, are damaged. According to the invention, the part (10) is actively excited (20). A sector of the surface of the excited part (10) is recorded by means... Agent: Salter & Michaelson The Heritage Building

20080310477 - Filled hotwire elements and sensors for thermal conductivity detectors: Hotwire elements for thermal conductivity detectors, consisting of one or two individual nickel filaments with more than 200 ohm resistance at 20° C. and finer than 5 micrometers coating of polytetrafluoroethylene, wound with homogeneously distributed interspaces into a filled up to at most ⅔ of its volume gas-permeable spherical or... Agent: Michael Coblenz

20080310478 - Method and apparatus for synchronized pressure and temperature determination in a high-pressure container by means of ultrasonic transit time measurement: Pressure and temperature inside a high-pressure container (common rail) are measured by means an ultrasonic emitter or an ultrasonic receiver which can detect the pressure inside the high-pressure container in a medium on the basis of the transit time of a pressure pulse. To this end, the ultrasonic receiver receives... Agent: Ronald E. Greigg Greigg & Greigg P.l.l.c.

20080304539 - Electromagnetically heating a conductive medium in a composite aircraft component: Nondestructive examination is performed on a composite aircraft component including a composite body and a conductive medium. The conductive medium is substantially more conductive than the composite body. The nondestructive examination includes applying an electromagnetic field that penetrates the composite body and heats the conductive medium, and creating a thermal... Agent: Hugh P. Gortler

20080304540 - System and method for thermal analysis using variable thermal resistance: A thermal measurement apparatus and method for performing heat flux differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is disclosed. A variable thermal resistor is used to couple a measurement assembly to a heat sink in the thermal measurement apparatus, such that samples can be rapidly heated and rapidly cooled. The apparatus can be... Agent: Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP

20080304542 - Infrared heated differential scanning calorimeter: A heat flux differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is disclosed. The DSC can be configured with a highly conductive sample assembly enclosure. The enclosure can include a high emissivity coating. In one embodiment, the enclosure extends along a longitudinal direction that is about the same as that of an infrared lamp... Agent: Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP

20080304541 - Ranking fragment types with calorimetry: Test and reference groups of samples can be provided and concurrently combined and output signals can be provided. Each sample can have a volume not exceeding approximately 100 microliters, and each group can be provided in a region, such as in a cell of an array calorimeter. Each test group... Agent: Leading Edge Law Group, PLC/xerox-parc

20080304543 - Temperature measuring apparatus and temperature measuring method: A temperature measuring apparatus includes a light source, a first splitter, a second splitter, a reference beam reflector, an optical path length adjuster, a reference beam transmitting member, a first to an nth measuring beam transmitting member and a photodetector. The temperature measuring apparatus further includes an attenuator that attenuates... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080304544 - Vacuum sensor: A micro mechanical vacuum sensor for determining the pressure within a cavity of a micro mechanical device is provided. The sensor comprises a substrate, at least one electrically conductive support member connected to the substrate, and a thermally resistive layer supported by the at least one support member and spaced... Agent: Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, LLC

20080304545 - Systems and methods for determining a temperature of a ferroelectric sensor: Systems and methods for determining a temperature of a ferroelectric sensor are provided. The ferroelectric sensor has operational characteristics defined by a polarization versus voltage hysteresis loop. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes applying a symmetrical periodic voltage waveform to the ferroelectric sensor so as to induce the ferroelectric... Agent: Delphi Technologies, Inc.

20080304546 - System to calibrate on-die temperature sensor: A system may include biasing of diodes of a temperature sensor disposed in an integrated circuit die using a current from an off-die current source, generation of a voltage based on the current and a temperature of the integrated circuit die, and determination of a first temperature based on the... Agent: Buckley, Maschoff & Talwalkar LLC

20080304547 - Temperature measuring device: There is provided a temperature measuring device capable of achieving cost reduction even in the case where the same is a multichannel temperature measuring device. The temperature-measuring device comprises a thermocouple having two dissimilar metal wires, ends thereof, on one-side, being joined with each other, and the other ends thereof,... Agent: Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

20080298426 - Method and apparatus for monitoring the formation of deposits in furnaces: Method and apparatus for monitoring formation of deposits of solid particles from flue gas onto furnace walls formed of welded-together tubes through which cooling medium flows. For the entire surface of the walls, the exact surface temperature is detected with infrared cameras, offset by 90° relative to one another, via... Agent: Robert W. Becker & Associates

20080298427 - Device comprising a piezoelectric resonator element, method for producing the same and method for outputting a signal depending on a resonant frequency: The invention relates to a device (31) which comprises at least one piezoacoustic resonator element (2) having a piezoelectric layer (32) and two electrodes that are electrically contacted to the piezoelectric layer (32). The piezoacoustic resonator element (2) is configured in such a manner that, when a voltage is applied... Agent: Young & Thompson

20080298428 - Temperature monitor for bus structure flex connector: A temperature monitor for monitoring plural locations on an electrical bus structure. The temperature monitor includes an infrared sensor for receiving infrared energy from a plurality of discrete predetermined locations on the bus structure, a first member defining a stationary first mask, a second member defining a rotating second mask,... Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20080298429 - Thermal tympanic thermometer: A tympanic thermometer includes a thermally conductive nozzle extending from a distal end of the thermometer. A base of a sensor can is thermally connected to the nozzle to define a path of conductive heat transfer from the nozzle to the base of the can thereby minimizing a thermal gradient... Agent: Tyco Healthcare - Edward S. Jarmolowicz

20080298430 - Temperature measurement tube: A temperature measurement tube is composite and comprises a rigid shaft (1), which is cooled so as to shield it from corrosion and from the melt, and an end-fitting (15) housing a thermocouple (9) on the end of the tube and constructed from a noble metal, which is resistant to... Agent: Thelen LLP

20080298431 - Temperature sensor: A temperature sensing device is mounted to a structure of a building and senses temperature within a building space of the building. The temperature sensing device includes a housing. The housing includes a front surface that faces the building space when the temperature sensing device is mounted to the structure.... Agent: Foley & Lardner LLP