Patents by Inventor Bruce F. Whitney

Bruce F. Whitney 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: 4532418
    Abstract: Structure for and method of charging an electric vehicle at a parking location and facilitating billing for the charging energy utilized and the parking time. The structure includes a charging and parking meter at a parking space for receiving a charge card and into which a charging plug from an electric vehicle may be placed, structure for reading the charge card placed in the meter and for locking the plug in place, and a central processor unit for determining the charging energy used and parking time and for storing billing data relative thereto at a remote location, for periodic removal to facilitate billing. The method of the invention includes the steps of permitting charging of an electric vehicle at a parking location in response to use of a charge card and storing charging and parking information for subsequent retrieval to facilitate billing to the owner of the charge card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1985
    Assignee: The Detroit Edison Company
    Inventors: William G. Meese, Robert G. Pratt, Mitchell D. Charneski, Robert E. Brokenshire, Bruce F. Whitney
  • Patent number: 4420752
    Abstract: A system for monitoring at least one parameter of either an energized electrical power line conductor or at least one parameter adjacent to the power line conductor, on a real-time basis and transmitting signals indicative of the parameter to a remote location where the power line conductor itself is the transmission medium for transmitting the signals to the remote location. The transmitter is powered by either the electric or the electromagnetic field of the energized power line conductor and the transmitter receives induced energy from the conductor via a plurality of turns of wire wound around a mandrel, with the plurality of turns of wire formed as the secondary winding of a transformer, and with the mandrel being at the same electrical potential as the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: Murray W. Davis
    Inventors: Murray W. Davis, Matthew J. Diedzic, Robert F. Knapp, Bruce F. Whitney
  • Patent number: 4268818
    Abstract: Apparatus for directly monitoring the conductor temperature or other parameters of an energized electric power line conductor, or of the medium adjacent the conductor, on a real time basis, and transmitting a signal indicative of that parameter to a remote location such as to facilitate data processing by computer. The apparatus is powered by the electric or electromagnetic field of the electric power line conductor.Various embodiments are described for sensing the temperature or other parameter being monitored. Furthermore two techniques are described for transmitting the signal to a remote location. The first such technique is the use of air as the transmission medium and the second technique uses the power line conductor itself as the transmission medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignees: Murray W. Davis, Matthew J. Diedzic
    Inventors: Murray W. Davis, Matthew J. Diedzic, Robert F. Knapp, Bruce F. Whitney