45858 results about "Inductor" patented technology

An optical-based sensor for detecting the presence or amount of an analyte using both indicator and reference channels. The sensor has a sensor body with a source of radiation embedded therein. Radiation emitted by the source interacts with indicator membrane indicator molecules proximate the surface of the body. At least one optical characteristic of these indicator molecules varies with analyte concentration. For example, the level of fluorescence of fluorescent indicator molecules or the amount of light absorbed by light-absorbing indicator molecules can vary as a function of analyte concentration. In addition, radiation emitted by the source also interacts with reference membrane indicator molecules proximate the surface of the body. Radiation (e.g., light) emitted or reflected by these indicator molecules enters and is internally reflected in the sensor body. Photosensitive elements within the sensor body generate both indicator channel and reference channel signals to provide an accurate indication of the concentration of the analyte. Preferred embodiments are totally self-contained and are sized and shaped for use in vivo in a human being. Such embodiments preferably include a power source, e.g. an inductor, which powers the source of radiation using external means, as well as a transmitter, e.g. an inductor, to transmit to external pickup means the signal representing the level of analyte.

A compact, hand-held device for wireless powering, interrogation and data retrieval from at least one implanted sensor. The hand-held device includes an antenna for powering an implanted sensor and for receiving data from the implanted sensor to the hand-held device for at least one of storage, display or analysis. The hand-held device establishes electromagnetic coupling with a low radiating radio frequency power inductor in the implanted sensor at a predefined separation and the antenna geometry allows for the antenna to power, interrogate and retrieve data from the implanted sensor without strapping the hand-held device to a human body housing the implanted sensor The hand-held device optionally allows for activation of the implanted sensor only during interrogation and data retrieval.

The present invention is a system for providing power from solar cells whereby each cell or cell array is allowed to produce its maximum available power and converted by an operatively connected DC/DC converter. Each cell or cell array has its own DC/DC converter. In one form the system for providing power from solar cells includes one or more solar generators wherein each of said solar generators has one to nine solar cells; a maximum power tracker operatively associated with each solar generator, each of said maximum power tracker includes a buck type DC/DC converter without an output inductor, each of said maximum power trackers are operatively connected in series with each other; an inductor operatively connected to the series connected maximum power trackers; and means for providing electrical power from the inductor to load means, wherein each of said maximum power trackers is controlled so that the operatively associated solar generator operates at its maximum power point to extract maximum available power.

The present invention generally provides a method for processing a surface of a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber that has a sputtering target that has separately biasable sections, regions or zones to improve the deposition uniformity. In general, aspects of the present invention can be used for flat panel display processing, semiconductor processing, solar cell processing, or any other substrate processing. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one or more DC or RF power sources. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one power source and one or more resistive, capacitive and/or inductive elements. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more ports that are adapted deliver a processing gas to the processing region of the PVD chamber. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more magnetron assemblies positioned adjacent to one or more of the target sections.

The present invention generally provides an apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber that has a sputtering target that has separately biasable sections, regions or zones to improve the deposition uniformity. In general, aspects of the present invention can be used for flat panel display processing, semiconductor processing, solar cell processing, or any other substrate processing. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one or more DC or RF power sources. In one aspect, each of the target sections of the multizone target assembly are biased at a different cathodic biases by use of one power source and one or more resistive, capacitive and/or inductive elements. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more ports that are adapted deliver a processing gas to the processing region of the PVD chamber. In one aspect, the processing chamber contains a multizone target assembly that has one or more magnetron assemblies positioned adjacent to one or more of the target sections.

A wireless device is disclosed that includes an antenna system comprising at least one inductive element and two or more capacitive elements. A switching component configured to change a circuit configuration of the capacitive elements. A controller configured to transmit a signal using the antenna system and to receive a response from a first device, to determine a communications protocol associated with the first device and to change a configuration of the antenna system in response to the detected communications protocol by actuating the switching component.

An apparatus, method and system are provided for power conversion to supply power to a load such as a plurality of light emitting diodes. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a first power converter stage having a first power switch and a first inductive element; a second power converter stage having a second power switch and a second inductive element; a plurality of sensors; and a controller. The second power converter stage provides an output current to the load. The controller is adapted to use a sensed input voltage to determine a switching period, and is further adapted to turn the first and second power switches into an on-state at a frequency substantially corresponding to the switching period while maintaining a switching duty cycle within a predetermined range.

A medical device-powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver including a load is configured to power the medical device using electrical power, and a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed within the medical device and configured to be coupled to the load, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator, the area circumscribed by the inductive element of at least one of the electromagnetic resonators can be varied to improve performance.

A multi-mode multi-coupling multi-protocol wireless power transmitter (WPT) and its embodiments transmit power to a wireless power receiver (WPR) in a power transfer mode (PTM) and a wireless power protocol (WPP) of the WPR. A first circuit of the WPT includes inductors or capacitors emanating power via a magnetic field or electric field PTM respectively. The WPT sequentially parses a test condition to identify a PTM, a power coupling linkage (PCL) between the WPT and the WPR, and a WPP of the WPR. The WPT identifies a match if the PTM of the first circuit and the WPP of the switch network, the variable matching circuit, a modulator/demodulator block or an out-of-band communication block, and a control logic circuit of the WPT match the PTM and the WPP of the WPR to transmit power to the WPR based on the match.

A programmable power (PPSE) switching element including a front power transistor, a main switching transistor, and at least one reverse current blocking transistor in series, a gate of each of which is connected to a gate driver; an inductor and a shunt resistor connected in series with the transistors; a charge storage capacitor connected between ground and a junction located between the inductor and the shunt resistor; a high-speed NPN transistor, a collector of which is connected to the front power transistor and an emitter of which is connected to an output of the main switching transistor via the shunt resistor; a current measurement element in parallel to the shunt resistor; a voltage amplifier; and a high-speed MCU.

This invention relates to a power module for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle including an integrated converter having a rectifier changing AC to DC, a DC/DC converter changing from a first voltage to a second voltage, and a battery storing electrical energy. The integrated converter operates in three modes 1) AC plug-in charging mode, 2) boost mode supplying power from the battery to the electrical bus and 3) buck mode supplying power from the electrical bus to the battery. The integrated converter utilizes the same single inductor during each of the three operating modes to reduce cost and weight of the system.

Implantable medical devices (IMDS) having RF telemetry capabilities for uplink transmitting patient data and downlink receiving programming commands to and from an external programmer having an improved RF module configured to occupy small spaces within the IMD housing to further effect the miniaturization thereof. An RF module formed of an RF module substrate and at least one IC chip and discrete components has a volume and dimensions that are optimally minimized to reduce its volumetric form factor. Miniaturization techniques include: (1) integrating inductors into one or more IC chips mounted to the RF module substrate; (2) mounting each IC chip into a well of the RF module substrate and using short bonding wires to electrically connect bond pads of the RF module substrate and the IC chip; and (3) surface mounting discrete capacitors over IC chips to reduce space taken up on the RF module substrate. The integrated inductors are preferably fabricated as planar spiral wound conductive traces formed of high conductive metals to reduce trace height and width while maintaining low resistance, thereby reducing parasitic capacitances between adjacent trace side walls and with a ground plane of the IC chip. The spiral winding preferably is square or rectangular, but having truncated turns to eliminate 90° angles that cause point-to-point parasitic capacitances. The planar spiral wound conductive traces are further preferably suspended over the ground plane of the RF module substrate by micromachining underlying substrate material away to thereby reduce parasitic capacitances.

An inductive power transfer device is provided for recharging cordless appliances. The device includes a plurality of inductors arranged in an array and connected with a power supply via switches which are selectively operable to activate the respective inductors. The inductors serve as the primary coil of a transformer. The secondary coil of the transformer is arranged in the appliance. When the appliance is arranged proximate to the power transfer device with the respective coils in alignment, power is inductively transferred from the device to the appliance via the transformer.

The invention relates to an MR imaging method for representing and determining the position of a medical device inserted in an examination object, and to a medical device used in the method. In accordance with the invention, the device (11) comprises at least one passive oscillating circuit with an inductor (2a, 2b) and a capacitor (3a, 3b). The resonance frequency of this circuit substantially corresponds to the resonance frequency of the injected high-frequency radiation from the MR system. In this way, in a locally limited area situated inside or around the device, a modified signal answer is generated which is represented with spatial resolution.

A bank or credit card issuing authority provided consolidated membership/rewards card has standard credit card features including cardholder's name, card number, expiration date, secret code and a permanently coded permanent magnetic strip. The card has a programmable second magnetic strip with inductors directly below the strip energized by a CPU in the card recording a merchant provided loyalty or discount number. The cardholder selects a merchant from a list displayed card screen by pressing up and down buttons and a ‘go’ button to program the second magnetic strip. A USB connector associated with the card is used for uploading merchant data from a personal computer and transmitting the card discount number to a USB enabled cash register. The cash register provides eligible discounts for purchases upon receipt of the card discount number by swiping the second magnetic strip or by establishing USB connectivity. Payment is made using the permanent magnetic strip of the card or by other payment means. Discounts and membership rewards are thereby provided to a cardholder without need for carrying a plurality of merchant issued membership/rewards cards. Credit card functionality facilitates immediate payment for the purchases made.

A feedthrough terminal assembly for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) includes a plurality of leadwires extending from electronic circuitry of the AIMD, and a lossy ferrite inductor through which the leadwires extend in non-conductive relation for increasing the impedance of the leadwires at selected RF frequencies and reducing magnetic flux core saturation of the lossy ferrite inductor through phase cancellation of signals carried by the leadwires. A process is also provided for filtering electromagnetic interference (EMI) in an implanted leadwire extending from an AIMD into body fluids or tissue, wherein the leadwire is subjected to occasional high-power electromagnetic fields such as those produced by medical diagnostic equipment including magnetic resonance imaging.

The present invention relates to regulated power supplies or ballasts integrated with an LED light source. The invention provides a power factor correction scheme producing a greater circuit power factor and improved frequency spectrum characteristics, in which a voltage corresponding to the instantaneous inductor current is sampled and compared to a scaled sample of the rectified input AC line voltage. The line voltage sample modulates the inductor peak charge current in the envelope of the rectified AC voltage waveform. This drives the LED output voltage at a frequency of twice the input line voltage frequency, such that no flicker is perceived in the light output because the persistence in LED phosphor assists in averaging the flux output.

A novel integrated rectifier and boost converter circuit architecture is disclosed. The rectifier architecture includes a plurality of identical half-bridge rectifiers connected to receiving antennas to convert wireless AC power into DC power. The integrated rectifier may be coupled in series with a charging inductor in a boost converter. The inductor may discharge upon operation of two micro-controller-driven switching transistors using predetermined threshold and timing scheme to turn on/off. The rectifier architecture may provide high power densities, improve efficiency at larger load currents, and may be enabled in an integrated circuit with eight RF signal inputs, eight half-bridge rectifiers, and eight DC outputs ganged together as single feed into the boost converter. The rectifier circuit topology may include a comparator driven by the boost controller with a proprietary algorithm which suits control for a maximum power point tracking functionality, and an external micro-controller for additional control of the boost converter.

Disclosed is an energy conversion apparatus. An energy conversion apparatus may comprise a control part controlling a length of a first time duration in which input current is inputted and accumulated, a length of a second time duration in which the accumulated current is provided to a load, and a length of a third time duration in which inverse current flows; and a DC-to-DC converter including an inductor, a output capacitor, and at least one switching element, wherein the input current is accumulated during the first time duration by switching the at least one switching element according to a control of the control part so as to perform input impedance matching, and the DC-to-DC convert provides a current corresponding to a difference between the accumulated current provided during the second time duration and the inverse current flowing from the output capacitor during the third time duration to the load.

A method and device for providing communications via one or more underground power lines is provided. Underground power lines may comprise a plurality of segments disposed in series with each other and carrying a power having a voltage greater than one thousand volts on an internal conductor, and wherein each segment is coaxial in structure and includes a neutral conductor. In one embodiment, the device may comprise a first inductor having a first end connected to a first node and a second end connected to ground, a second inductor having a first end connected a second node and a second end connected to ground, and a transformer having a first winding having a first end and a second end. The first node may be connected to a neutral conductor of a first segment of the power line and to the first end of the first winding of said transformer. The second node may be connected to a neutral conductor of a second segment of the power line and to the second end of the first winding of said transformer. The transformer comprises a second winding configured to be communicatively coupled to a communication device.