Patents by Inventor Brian Andrew Bernal

Brian Andrew Bernal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6756906
    Abstract: A self-contained smoke detector system has internal self-diagnostic capabilities and accepts a replacement smoke intake canopy (14) without a need for recalibration. The system includes a microprocessor-based self-diagnostic circuit (200) that periodically checks sensitivity of the optical sensor electronics (24, 28) to smoke obscuration level. By setting tolerance limits on the amount of change in voltage measured in clean air, the system can provide an indication of when it has become either under-sensitive or over-sensitive to the ambient smoke obscuration level. An algorithm implemented in software stored in system memory (204) determines whether and provides an indication that for a time (such as 27 hours) the clean air voltage has strayed outside established sensitivity tolerance limits. The replaceable canopy is specially designed with multiple pegs (80) having multi-faceted surfaces (110, 112, 114).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Andrew Bernal, Robert Gerard Fischette, Kirk Rodney Johnson, Douglas Henry Marman
  • Publication number: 20030001746
    Abstract: A self-contained smoke detector system has internal self-diagnostic capabilities and accepts a replacement smoke intake canopy (14) without a need for recalibration. The system includes a microprocessor-based self-diagnostic circuit (200) that periodically checks sensitivity of the optical sensor electronics (24, 28) to smoke obscuration level. By setting tolerance limits on the amount of change in voltage measured in clean air, the system can provide an indication of when it has become either under-sensitive or over-sensitive to the ambient smoke obscuration level. An algorithm implemented in software stored in system memory (204) determines whether and provides an indication that for a time (such as 27 hours) the clean air voltage has strayed outside established sensitivity tolerance limits. The replaceable canopy is specially designed with multiple pegs (80) having multi-faceted surfaces (110, 112, 114).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Brian Andrew Bernal, Robert Gerard Fischette, Kirk Rodney Johnson, Douglas Henry Marman
  • Patent number: 6396405
    Abstract: A self-contained smoke detector system has internal self-diagnostic capabilities and accepts a replacement smoke intake canopy (14) without a need for recalibration. The system includes a microprocessor-based self-diagnostic circuit (200) that periodically checks sensitivity of the optical sensor electronics (24, 28) to smoke obscuration level. By setting tolerance limits on the amount of change in voltage measured in clean air, the system can provide an indication of when it has become either under-sensitive or over-sensitive to the ambient smoke obscuration level. An algorithm implemented in software stored in system memory (204) determines whether and provides an indication that for a time (such as 27 hours) the clean air voltage has strayed outside established sensitivity tolerance limits. The replaceable canopy is specially designed with multiple pegs (80) having multi-faceted surfaces (110, 112, 114).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Andrew Bernal, Robert Gerard Fischette, Kirk Rodney Johnson, Douglas Henry Marman
  • Patent number: 5936533
    Abstract: A self-contained smoke detector system has internal self-diagnostic capabilities and accepts a replacement smoke intake canopy (14) without a need for recalibration. The system includes a microprocessor-based self-diagnostic circuit (200) that periodically checks sensitivity of the optical sensor electronics (24, 28) to smoke obscuration level. By setting tolerance limits on the amount of change in voltage measured in clean air, the system can provide an indication of when it has become either under-sensitive or over-sensitive to the ambient smoke obscuration level. An algorithm implemented in software stored in system memory (204) determines whether and provides an indication that for a time (such as 27 hours) the clean air voltage has strayed outside established sensitivity tolerance limits. The replaceable canopy is specially designed with multiple pegs (80) having multi-faceted surfaces (110, 112, 114).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: SLC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Andrew Bernal, Robert Gerard Fischette, Kirk Rodney Johnson, Douglas Henry Marman
  • Patent number: 5821866
    Abstract: A self-contained smoke detector system has internal self-diagnostic capabilities and accepts a replacement smoke intake canopy (14) without a need for recalibration. The system includes a microprocessor-based self-diagnostic circuit (200) that periodically checks sensitivity of the optical sensor electronics (24, 28) to smoke obscuration level. By setting tolerance limits on the amount of change in voltage measured in clean air, the system can provide an indication of when it has become either under-sensitive or over-sensitive to the ambient smoke obscuration level. An algorithm implemented in software stored in system memory (204) determines whether and provides an indication that for a time (such as 27 hours) the clean air voltage has strayed outside established sensitivity tolerance limits. The replaceable canopy is specially designed with multiple pegs (80) having multi-faceted surfaces (110, 112, 114).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: SLC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Andrew Bernal, Robert Gerard Fischette, Kirk Rodney Johnson, Douglas Henry Marman