Patents by Inventor James C. Sprout

James C. Sprout 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: 6713986
    Abstract: A speed controller for a single phase motor such as a permanent split capacitor motor allows the motor to be operated at a first speed, n1, and a lower speed, n2. High speed motor operation is produced by passing a single phase AC current through both the main and auxiliary windings of the motor. For low speed operation, the controller passes first and second reduced frequency AC waveforms through the motor's auxiliary and main windings, respectively. The first waveform bypasses the motor's auxiliary winding capacitor and is phase shifted 90 degrees from the second AC waveform. A split source capable of generating an AC signal and its inverted signal can be used by the controller to generate the reduced frequency waveforms. Specifically, the controller uses selected half cycles from each split source signal to produce the reduced frequency waveforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Energy Savers International
    Inventors: Tumkur S. Jayadev, James C. Sprout
  • Patent number: 5742131
    Abstract: A control circuit for controlling the light output level of a dimmable fluorescent light ballast such as the Mark VII ballast manufactured by Advance Transformer, Inc. The circuit operates from power supplied by the Mark VII ballast through a 300 to 500 microamp DC current loop. The control circuit includes a photo sensor that detects the level of ambient light in a room, and in response to the detected light level, the circuit sets a voltage level from 2 and 10 volts between the two output leads for the current loop on the ballast. At 2 volts, the light is at its dimmest level, which is 20 percent of its maximum brightness, while at 10 volts, the light is at the 100 percent level. Between 2 and 10 volts, the light's brightness is set on a linear scale between 20 and 100 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: The Watt Stopper
    Inventors: James C. Sprout, Jerome M. Mix
  • Patent number: 5455487
    Abstract: A device for controlling power to an electrical load. The device has two components: a portable desktop detector unit and a wall-mounted receiver unit. The desktop detector detects the presence of a human in a room and the ambient light level and sends signals to the receiver unit to supply power to or withhold power from an electrical load such as a fluorescent light and to adjust the brightness of the light. Since the detector is portable, it can be positioned and repositioned at different locations in a room to maximize its ability to detect the presence of a human and to sense the level of ambient light in various room locations. Each detector and receiver pair have matching addresses so that a receiver will operate an electrical load only in response to its mated detector, thus allowing multiple devices to be used to control multiple lights without interfering with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: The Watt Stopper
    Inventors: Jerome M. Mix, Charles C. Hu, James C. Sprout
  • Patent number: 5406173
    Abstract: A device for controlling the level of light in an area or room. The device includes a sensor that detects whether the room is occupied, a light meter that detects the level of ambient light entering the room, and circuitry that controls the lights in the room in response to the sensor and light meter. The controlling circuitry increases the light level in the room when the room is occupied and the light meter senses that the ambient light level is not above a particular level. When the room is unoccupied for a brief period of time, the device increases or decreases the light level of the room by controlling lights accordingly, in response to the level of light sensed by the light meter. And finally, when the room is unoccupied for an extended period of time, the device turns power off to all the lights in the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: The Watt Stopper
    Inventors: Jerome M. Mix, Charles C. Hu, James C. Sprout, Kenneth A. McCuen
  • Patent number: 5402040
    Abstract: A control circuit for controlling the light output level of a dimmable fluorescent light ballast such as the Mark VII ballast manufactured by Advance Transformer, Inc. The circuit operates from power supplied by the Mark VII ballast through a 300 to 500 microamp DC current loop. The control circuit includes a photo sensor that detects the level of ambient light in a room, and in response to the detected light level, the circuit sets a voltage level from 2 and 10 volts between the two output leads for the current loop on the ballast. At 2 volts, the light is at its dimmest level, which is 20 percent of its maximum brightness, while at 10 volts, the light is at the 100 percent level. Between 2 and 10 volts, the light's brightness is set on a linear scale between 20 and 100 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Watt Stopper
    Inventor: James C. Sprout
  • Patent number: 5007081
    Abstract: In the present invention, a speech activated telephone is disclosed. The speech activated phone stores a plurality of spoken words, the telephone number and the alphanumeric word associated with each spoken word. The telephone automatically dials the telephone number in response to inputted spoken word, matching the stored spoken word. In addition, the telephone number and alphanumeric text for the matched spoken word is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1991
    Assignee: Origin Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Schmuckal, Mitchell S. Phillips, Francis P. Keiper, III, James C. Sprout, Ronald H. Fried
  • Patent number: 4994787
    Abstract: A sensor for monitoring the status of an alarm system is disclosed. The sensor includes a base station at the location of the alarm system and arranged to respond to an alarm condition. When an alarm occurs, the base station latches the alarm condition and retains it until it is manually reset. A remote station includes a transceiver for interrogating the base station to determine whether an alarm condition has occurred. The remote unit may also be used to arm or disarm the alarm system, and to operate other controllable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Robert W. Kratt
    Inventors: Robert W. Kratt, James C. Sprout
  • Patent number: 4372690
    Abstract: In a thermal radiation measuring arrangement, a thermal radiation detector is located at the focal point of a collecting mirror, upon which incident thermal radiation from a surface, such as a building wall, is directed. The thermal radiation detector may be, for example, a thermopile, and provides an output signal having a magnitude proportional to the amount of thermal radiation which it receives. The temperature detection means detects the temperature of the thermal radiation detector and, for example, may detect the cold junction of the thermopile. In a first operating condition, a signal summing means receives the output signal from the thermal radiation detector and the temperature detection means and provides a third output signal proportional to the sum of these first and second output signals. In a second operating condition, a signal biasing means is connected into the signal summing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Linear Corporation
    Inventors: Herbert L. Berman, James C. Sprout