Patents by Inventor Kenneth R. Dutton

Kenneth R. Dutton 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: 9825641
    Abstract: A reconfigurable sensor monitoring system includes software tunable filters, each of which is programmable to condition one type of analog signal. A processor coupled to the software tunable filters receives each type of analog signal so-conditioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Dean C. Alhorn, Kenneth R. Dutton, David E. Howard, Dennis A. Smith
  • Patent number: 9632491
    Abstract: A reconfigurable drive current system includes drive stages, each of which includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor in a totem pole configuration. A current monitor is coupled to an output of each drive stage. Input channels are provided to receive input signals. A processor is coupled to the input channels and to each current monitor for generating at least one drive signal using at least one of the input signals and current measured by at least one of the current monitors. A pulse width modulation generator is coupled to the processor and each drive stage for varying the drive signals as a function of time prior to being supplied to at least one of the drive stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Dean C. Alhorn, Kenneth R. Dutton, David E. Howard, Dennis A. Smith
  • Patent number: 8098060
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some implementations determine the amplitude of an amplitude modulated signal, modulated by the position of an object being sensed. In some aspects, the apparatus accepts an excitation signal and the amplitude modulated signal and divides the amplitude modulated by the excitation signal to produce an output signal that is proportional to the position of the object being sensed. In other aspects, the division is performed only when the excitation signal is non-zero, such as close to the peaks in the excitation signal. In other aspects, the excitation signal and amplitude modulated signal are degraded due to an air gap and the degraded signals are used to correct for amplitude fluctuations due to the air gap, and produce an output signal, tolerant of the air gaps, that is proportional to the position of the object being sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: David E. Howard, Dean C. Alhorn, Dennis A. Smith, Kenneth R. Dutton
  • Patent number: 7081730
    Abstract: A motor controller system uses a rotary sensor with a plurality of signal conditioning units, coupled to the rotary sensor. Each of these units, which is associated with a particular range of motor output shaft rotation rates, generate a feedback signal indicative of the position of the motor's output shaft. A controller (i) converts a selected motor output shaft rotation rate to a corresponding incremental amount of rotational movement for a selected fixed time period, (ii) selects, at periodic completions of the selected fixed time period, the feedback signal from one of the signal conditioning units for which the particular range of motor output shaft rotation rates associated therewith encompasses the selected motor output shaft rotation rate, and (iii) generates a motor drive signal based on a difference between the incremental amount of rotational movement and the feedback signal from the selected one of the signal conditioning units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: David E. Howard, Dean C. Alhorn, Dennis A. Smith, Kenneth R. Dutton, Mitchell Scott Paulson