Patents by Inventor Kim VITKUS

Kim VITKUS 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: 9282518
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preserving the life of a transport refrigeration system power source are provided. The method can include determining whether a control unit of the transport refrigeration system is off. Also, the method can include measuring an input voltage of a network coordinator when the control unit is off. Further the method can include instructing one or more parasitic electronic devices of the transport refrigeration mode to operate in a hibernation mode when the input voltage of the transport refrigeration system power source remains below a voltage threshold value for a time period and the control unit is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: THERMO KING CORPORATION, INVENSYS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Lee Sanders, Mark Daniel Leasure, Kim Vitkus, Mark Johnson
  • Patent number: 9144026
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein are directed to setup of a transport refrigeration system and providing transport refrigeration system diagnostic information to a user. In particular, interfaces on a wireless end node and a network coordinator of a wireless communication system are configured to provide setup and diagnostic functionality of the wireless communication system to a user with limited expertise in wireless communication systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignees: THERMO KING CORPORATION, INVENSYS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Lee Sanders, Mark Daniel Leasure, Kim Vitkus, Mark Johnson, Steve Pasek
  • Patent number: 9060337
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preserving the life of a power source of a wireless end node of a wireless communication system for use in a mobile environment are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes wirelessly transmitting a wireless end node acknowledgment message to a network coordinator during a normal operation mode of the wireless end node. The method also includes the wireless end node monitoring for a network coordinator acknowledgment message from a network coordinator in response to the wireless end node acknowledgement message during the normal operation mode of the wireless end node. Also, the method includes incrementing a missed acknowledgment counter value stored in a memory storage of the wireless end node when the network coordinator acknowledgment message is not received. Further, the method includes increasing a time period of a sleep timer of the wireless end node when the missed acknowledgment counter value equals a missed acknowledgment threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignees: THERMO KING CORPORATION, INVENSYS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Lee Sanders, Mark Daniel Leasure, Kim Vitkus, Mark Johnson, Steve Pasek
  • Publication number: 20130285441
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preserving the life of a transport refrigeration system power source are provided. The method can include determining whether a control unit of the transport refrigeration system is off. Also, the method can include measuring an input voltage of a network coordinator when the control unit is off. Further the method can include instructing one or more parasitic electronic devices of the transport refrigeration mode to operate in a hibernation mode when the input voltage of the transport refrigeration system power source remains below a voltage threshold value for a time period and the control unit is off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Russell Lee SANDERS, Mark Daniel LEASURE, Kim VITKUS, Mark JOHNSON
  • Publication number: 20130279386
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preserving the life of a power source of a wireless end node of a wireless communication system for use in a mobile environment are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes wirelessly transmitting a wireless end node acknowledgment message to a network coordinator during a normal operation mode of the wireless end node. The method also includes the wireless end node monitoring for a network coordinator acknowledgment message from a network coordinator in response to the wireless end node acknowledgement message during the normal operation mode of the wireless end node. Also, the method includes incrementing a missed acknowledgment counter value stored in a memory storage of the wireless end node when the network coordinator acknowledgment message is not received. Further, the method includes increasing a time period of a sleep timer of the wireless end node when the missed acknowledgment counter value equals a missed acknowledgment threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Russell Lee SANDERS, Mark Daniel LEASURE, Kim VITKUS, Mark JOHNSON, Steve PASEK
  • Publication number: 20130247594
    Abstract: Systems and methods for handling discrete sensor information in a transport refrigeration system are provided. In one embodiment, a wireless control system for a transport refrigeration system is provided. The wireless control system includes two or more wireless end nodes and a network coordinator. Each of the wireless end nodes is configured to monitor a property of the transport refrigeration system. The network coordinator is configured to manage, command, direct and regulate the behavior of the wireless end nodes. Also, the network coordinator includes a sensor to zone coordinator that is configured to combine sensor data received by the two or more wireless end nodes to control a single transport refrigeration system function of the transport refrigeration system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicants: ROBERTSHAW CONTROLS COMPANY, THERMO KING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Russell Lee SANDERS, Mark Daniel LEASURE, Kim VITKUS, Mark JOHNSON