Patents by Inventor Brian Ross

Brian Ross 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: 6217474
    Abstract: A powertrain has a multi speed power transmission including a planetary gear arrangement with three simple planetary gear sets and six selectively engageable, fluid operated, friction torque transmitting mechanisms. A one-way torque transmitting mechanism is disposed in parallel drive relation with one of the friction torque transmitting mechanisms. The selective engagement of the friction torque transmitting mechanisms will establish seven forward drive ratios, a neutral condition and a reverse drive ratio. All of the forward ratio interchanges are single transition shifts and all of the single ratio skip shifts are single transition shifts. The seven forward drive ratios include four underdrive ratios, a direct drive ratio, and two overdrive ratios. The planetary gear arrangement can be controlled to establish six forward drive ratios with either one overdrive ratio and four underdrive ratios or two overdrive ratios and three underdrive ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Brian Ross, Michael Colby Sefcik
  • Patent number: 6206161
    Abstract: A fluid operated selectively engageable torque transmitter has a fluid operated piston that is pressurized to initiate engagement of a plurality of friction plates. The plates are alternately splined to an input member and an output member. One of the input or output members has a hub member threadably engaged therewith. The hub member has one set of plates and an apply plate splined thereto. Also connected with the threaded hub is a reaction plate. When the piston is lightly pressurized, the hub will traverse the input or output member on which it is threaded until the apply plate abuts a reaction surface on the member at which point the torque transmitter will be fully engaged. Upon a torque reversal, the threaded hub will traverse in the opposite direction to disengage the torque transmitter, thereby providing a direction sensitive mechanism. When the piston is fully pressurized, the torque transmitter will respond in a normal manner to transmit torque in both directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher Brian Ross
  • Patent number: 5857549
    Abstract: A torque transmitter has a plurality of friction plates alternately splined at the inner and outer peripheries. The plates are urged into frictional engagement by a piston and a lever spring to accommodate torque transmission between the splined components drivingly connected with the splined peripheries. The friction plates are disposed in radial alignment with the piston and the lever spring reacts against one of the friction plates. A fulcrum for the lever spring is disposed on one of the splined components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher Brian Ross
  • Patent number: 5761295
    Abstract: A telephone instrument creates spatially simulated sound signals from signals received from a telephone line. The monaural signals are separated to two left and right channels. In each channel, the signals are processed via a direct path, an early reflection path including a finite impulse response filter and a reverberant decay path including all-pass filter. In each channel, the outputs from the three paths are summed with different weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited
    Inventors: Michael Edmund Knappe, Brian Ross Shelton
  • Patent number: 5617861
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the concentration of metabolites in the brain using magnetic resonance spectrum techniques. The method comprising defining a volume within the brain, obtaining a magnetic resonance spectrum of the defined volume, suppressing the signal from water to reveal the spectra from metabolites, correcting the baseline, obtaining the magnetic resonance spectrum of an external standard, comparing the signal from the metabolites to the signal from the external standard and calculating the in vivo concentration of the metabolites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Huntington Medical Research Institutes
    Inventors: Brian Ross, Thomas Ernst, Roland Kreis
  • Patent number: 4088040
    Abstract: A cable actuating lever is disclosed wherein the lever is operable when shifted in any direction within a 360.degree. range. This mechanism is easily attached to the handle bars of bicycles, motorcycles, and similar vehicles where a readily accessible manual control means is required to actuate braking, clutchings or other mechanical operations.Due to its capability to flex in any direction, the danger of breakage, bending, or becoming inoperable by an impact force applied contrary to its normal operating direction is virtually eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1978
    Inventor: Brian Ross-Myring