Patents by Inventor John T. Douglass

John T. Douglass 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).

  • Performance optimization of a differential capacitance based motion sensor
    Patent number: 10006930
    Abstract: A system includes a capacitance sensor having an inertial proof mass disposed between a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure. A switching system is switchable between providing one of a positive charge pulse and a negative charge pulse to one of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure. A controller controls the switching of the switching circuit to provide one of the positive charge pulse or the negative charge pulse to the first electrode structure during a first portion of a charge cycle time period and to provide an opposite polarity charge pulse from that provided to the first electrode structure to the second electrode structure during a second portion of the charge cycle time period to generate an error signal with respect to the inertial proof mass of the capacitance sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Juergen Karl Peter Flamm, John T. Douglass, Richard P. Card, Jr.
  • PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION OF A DIFFERENTIAL CAPACITANCE BASED MOTION SENSOR
    Publication number: 20150346236
    Abstract: A system includes a capacitance sensor having an inertial proof mass disposed between a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure. A switching system is switchable between providing one of a positive charge pulse and a negative charge pulse to one of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure. A controller controls the switching of the switching circuit to provide one of the positive charge pulse or the negative charge pulse to the first electrode structure during a first portion of a charge cycle time period and to provide an opposite polarity charge pulse from that provided to the first electrode structure to the second electrode structure during a second portion of the charge cycle time period to generate an error signal with respect to the inertial proof mass of the capacitance sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JUERGEN KARL PETER FLAMM, John T. Douglass, Richard P. Card, JR.
  • Nuclear radiation hard high accuracy rotation sensor system
    Patent number: 6647785
    Abstract: A rotation sensing system includes a rotation sensor that produces a signal in response to an input rotation about a sensing axis. A servo system is arranged to rotate the rotation sensor at an angle about the sensing axis to null the signal from the rotation sensor such that the rotation sensor is substantially inertially stable. The rotation sensing system is mounted on a resolver arranged to measure the angle through which the servo system has rotated the rotation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Stewart, John T. Douglass, Stanley F. Wyse
  • Nuclear radiation hard high accuracy rotation sensor system
    Publication number: 20030019296
    Abstract: A rotation sensing system includes a rotation sensor that produces a signal in response to an input rotation about a sensing axis. A servo system is arranged to rotate the rotation sensor at an angle about the sensing axis to null the signal from the rotation sensor such that the rotation sensor is substantially inertially stable. The rotation sensing system is mounted on a resolver arranged to measure the angle through which the servo system has rotated the rotation sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Robert E. Stewart, John T. Douglass, Stanley F. Wyse