Patents by Inventor Brian Thomas Pier

Brian Thomas Pier 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: 8837097
    Abstract: A protection apparatus is for a direct current electrical generating apparatus. The protection apparatus includes a first terminal; a second terminal; a third terminal; a fourth terminal; at least one current sensor structured to sense current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; a voltage sensor structured to sense a voltage between the first terminal and the third terminal; at least one switch structured to interrupt the current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; and a processor cooperating with the at least one current sensor, the voltage sensor and the at least one switch, and being structured to provide feed forward fault protection for the direct current electrical generating apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph C. Zuercher, Birger Pahl, Charles J. Luebke, Brian Thomas Pier, Jerome K. Hastings, Vijay Bhavaraju
  • Patent number: 8218274
    Abstract: A direct current arc fault circuit interrupter includes separable contacts and a trip circuit to trip open the contacts. The trip circuit includes a number of alternating current sensors structured to sense a current flowing through the separable contacts, a number of filter circuits cooperating with the AC current sensors to output a number of AC signals, a number of peak detectors cooperating with the filter circuits to output a number of peak current signals, and a processor cooperating with at least the peak detectors. The processor inputs the number of peak current signals as a plurality of peak current signals or inputs the number of peak current signals and determines the plurality of peak current signals. The processor also determines if the peak current signals exceed corresponding predetermined thresholds for a predetermined time, and responsively causes the contacts to trip open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Jerome K. Hastings, Joseph C. Zuercher, Birger Pahl, Brian Thomas Pier, Edward T. Gisske
  • Publication number: 20110301772
    Abstract: A protection apparatus is for a direct current electrical generating apparatus. The protection apparatus includes a first terminal; a second terminal; a third terminal; a fourth terminal; at least one current sensor structured to sense current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; a voltage sensor structured to sense a voltage between the first terminal and the third terminal; at least one switch structured to interrupt the current flowing between the first and second terminals or between the third and fourth terminals; and a processor cooperating with the at least one current sensor, the voltage sensor and the at least one switch, and being structured to provide feed forward fault protection for the direct current electrical generating apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: JOSEPH C. ZUERCHER, BIRGER PAHL, CHARLES J. LUEBKE, BRIAN THOMAS PIER, JEROME K. HASTINGS, VIJAY BHAVARAJU
  • Publication number: 20110141644
    Abstract: A direct current arc fault circuit interrupter includes separable contacts and a trip circuit to trip open the contacts. The trip circuit includes a number of alternating current sensors structured to sense a current flowing through the separable contacts, a number of filter circuits cooperating with the AC current sensors to output a number of AC signals, a number of peak detectors cooperating with the filter circuits to output a number of peak current signals, and a processor cooperating with at least the peak detectors. The processor inputs the number of peak current signals as a plurality of peak current signals or inputs the number of peak current signals and determines the plurality of peak current signals. The processor also determines if the peak current signals exceed corresponding predetermined thresholds for a predetermined time, and responsively causes the contacts to trip open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Jerome K. Hastings, Joseph C. Zuercher, Birger Pahl, Brian Thomas Pier, Edward T. Gisske
  • Patent number: 7667482
    Abstract: An apparatus for a power bus includes an inductive power harvesting unit structured to provide a first power output arising from current flowing in the power bus, an energy storage unit structured to store energy from the first power output and to provide a second power output, and a selector structured to select one of the first and second power outputs and to provide a third power output from the selected one. A processor is powered from the third power output of the selector. The selector is further structured to normally provide the third power output from the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit. The processor is structured to determine that the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit is inadequate and to cause the selector to provide the third power output from the second power output of the energy storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Deborah K. Mort, Carlos H. Rentel, Brian Thomas Pier
  • Publication number: 20090079417
    Abstract: An apparatus for a power bus includes an inductive power harvesting unit structured to provide a first power output arising from current flowing in the power bus, an energy storage unit structured to store energy from the first power output and to provide a second power output, and a selector structured to select one of the first and second power outputs and to provide a third power output from the selected one. A processor is powered from the third power output of the selector. The selector is further structured to normally provide the third power output from the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit. The processor is structured to determine that the first power output of the inductive power harvesting unit is inadequate and to cause the selector to provide the third power output from the second power output of the energy storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: DEBORAH K. MORT, Carlos H. Rentel, Brian Thomas Pier