Patents by Inventor Dave Needle

Dave Needle 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: 6509740
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining the location of a fault or another region of interest in an electrical conductor such as an electrical cable. A preselected electrical signal is applied to the electrical conductor and a reflected signal produced thereby is generated. The reflected signal is compared to a plurality of preselected voltage values and time values are recorded representing times at which the voltage of the reflected signal crosses the preselected voltage values. Mathematical algorithms are applied using the recorded time and voltage values first to locate a suspected knee region in the reflected signal, then to confirm the presence of the knee within the suspected knee region. The location of the knee in the reflected signal is then used to calculate the distance to the fault or other region of interest. A further series of time values is recorded within the suspected knee region and used to more precisely determine the true location of the knee in the reflected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Jovial Test Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Dave Needle, Stan F. Shepard