Patents by Inventor Leopold J. Johnson

Leopold J. Johnson 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: 5999077
    Abstract: A voltage controlled variable inductor provides a rapidly variable inducte for high power frequency dependent circuit applications. Continuously variable inductance values having a high Q factor are obtainable with the application of only a minimal amount of control power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell E. Hammond, Edward F. Rynne, Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5815384
    Abstract: The present invention provides a transformer which uses bi-directional syronous rectification to transform the voltage of an input signal from one voltage level to another. The invention provides a transformer which requires less core volume, and hence mass, than conventional transformers, and includes a rectifier for transforming a first time varying input signal, such as a sinusoid or saw tooth signal, into a full-wave rectified voltage signal. A synchronous switch control generates first and second control signals in response to sampling the first time varying voltage signal. A floating drive buffer generates third control signals in response to receiving the second control signals. An AC switching stage transforms the full-wave rectified voltage signal into a first and second series of voltage pulses in response to receiving the first control signals. Each of the first and second series of voltage pulses has a pulse period, T, and a pulse width, .omega..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of American as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell E. Hammond, Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5719545
    Abstract: A superconducting transformer comprises a superconducting primary layer arranged to conduct an externally supplied primary electric current around a primary core to establish a magnetic flux through the primary core. The superconducting primary layer is formed on a primary substrate of electrically insulating, non-magnetic material. A superconducting secondary layer is arranged to conduct a secondary electric current around a secondary core. The superconducting secondary layer is formed on a secondary substrate of electrically insulating, non-magnetic material. The primary and secondary cores are made of a non-saturating material. The secondary electric current is generated by stacking the layers to couple the magnetic flux from the primary core to the secondary core. Superconducting vias are formed through the primary, isolation, and secondary layers for making external connections to the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5666047
    Abstract: A dielectric power transformer comprises a tuning inductor having a nonmatic core connected in parallel with a capacitive voltage divider. The dielectric power transformer transforms the voltage of an alternating current power source connected across the inductor into a voltage across a load connected to the capacitive voltage divider. The dielectric power transformer has a resonant frequency substantially equal to the frequency of the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Leopold J. Johnson, Russell E. Hammond
  • Patent number: 5426409
    Abstract: A current controlled variable inductor comprises a magnetically saturable E" core having outer limbs each joined to a center limb by connecting limbs. A staggered series of flux bridges and air gaps are formed into alternating sides of the outer limbs. A bias winding on the center limb magnetically couples a direct current into the core to vary the inductance of a signal winding on the outer limbs. A secondary winding magnetically couples an output voltage from the core for application of the inductor as a tunable transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5329245
    Abstract: The invention provides a high power, low distortion, high efficiency ampler design incorporating a high efficiency switching amplifier used in conjunction with a linear difference amplifier. The high efficiency switching amplifier, typically of full or half bridge design, is designed to generate a high efficiency, arbitrarily formed, wave portion such as a square wave. The high efficiency waveform is scaled down and is compared to a desired reference, such as a sinusoid. The output of the comparison is the analog difference (mathematical subtraction) between the reference waveform and the scaled-down switch amplifier output wave. This "difference" signal is then used to drive the linear difference amplifier which simply scales the signal linearly. The two power signals, one from the switching amplifier and the other from the linear difference amplifier, are then summed magnetically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Russell E. Hammond, Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5126714
    Abstract: An integrated circuit transformer (58) which is constructed in a laminar hion is disclosed. The present invention includes a bottom plate (10) with cores (14) protruding from its upper surface (13) and a top plate (16) with several feed through holes (18). Both plates (10, 16) are made from high permeability magnetic material. Interposed between the top and bottom plates (10, 16) are at least one primary (19) and at least one secondary (40). The primary (19) has feed through holes (22), vertically aligned with the feed through holes (18) in the top (16), holes (20) to allow the cores (14) to protrude through, and tabs (26, 28) for connecting to the input circuit. The primary (19) is made of a laminate clad with an electrical conductor. The circuit which conducts the current around the cores is fabricated by etching special patterns of insulative gaps (24) into the electrical conductor. The secondary (40) has holes (42) to allow the cores (14) to protrude through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5063487
    Abstract: A polyphase transformer design is presented in which transformer output pors are accurately constructed in both voltage magnitude and relative phase angle. The design incorporates both main and auxiliary transformers that are used in unison to produce the accurately constructed phasors. The main transformer permits rough phasor adjustment to be made with the auxiliary transform permitting phasor fine tuning. Such a design is particularly suitable in transformer approaches that require output phases that are of a number not evenly divisible by three.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secrectary of the Navy
    Inventors: Leopold J. Johnson, Russell E. Hammond
  • Patent number: 5034697
    Abstract: A magnetic amplifier switch is connected to a transmitter and antenna of a LF transmitting system. The transmitter is operable to produce a signal which is modulated to first and second frequencies, for example "mark" and "space" frequencies, at different times. The magnetic switch is connected with inductors which are also connected with the transmitter and antenna. Opening and closing of the magnetic amplifier switch changes the inductance of the antenna such that the antenna is automatically tuned to resonance at the one or the other of the modulated frequencies being transmitted at a given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4693119
    Abstract: A lithium battery is provided with an energy monitor that continuously inates the energy remaining in the battery. An electrolytic coulometer is connected in series with the battery and has a cantilevered cathode which increases its mass in proportion to the total amount of current that flows from the battery. Since the mass of the cathode and hence its resonant frequency changes in proportion to the total current, a mechanical transducer in contact with the electrolytic coulometer causes the cantilevered cathode to resonate at different frequencies which is monitored to provide a continuous reading of remaining battery energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4449068
    Abstract: A sonar compensation transformer is added to a sonar transceiver circuit to btain calibrated optimum performance from a sonar transducer using ceramic rings by slightly modifying the voltage of the transducer while at the same time allowing the transmit circuit to operate without appreciable change.The sonar compensation transformer is an improvement upon a conventional sonar transceiver circuit containing a transformer winding connected in series with a diode switch with the outer bounding connections of the transformer winding and the diode switch connected to the transducer element while the connection to the sonar transceiver is from a connection tapped into the winding of the sonar transformer and the connection from the outer bound of the diode switch. The sonar compensation transformer is connected in with a primary winding placed in parallel with the diode switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Leopold J. Johnson, David L. Carson
  • Patent number: 4374186
    Abstract: A battery cell and battery are disclosed in which a cathode layer and an de layer are separated by a nonconducting ion permeable membrane and are sandwiched between a pair of conducting polymer layers. The conducting polymer layers and the ion permeable membrane from two distinct compartments in which the cathode and anode of the cell, respectively are positioned. A liquid electrolyte is sealed in each compartment. The ion permeable membrane allows passage through it of selected ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Joseph F. McCartney, Thomas E. Jones, Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4117588
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing three dimensional integrated circuits from compatible co-fireable materials by extruding batched co-fireable materials to form blocks of specified cross-sections, selecting and stacking cross-section of various widths from different blocks in a specified manner to form the desired circuit and placing the stack in a furnace having a predetermined temperature time profile to properly sinter each of the materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4008427
    Abstract: An electronic power supply using pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage reguion provides a regulated output for a wide range of input voltages. Thus, the invention apparatus is very versatile and many different types of equipment may be interchangeably used with it. The apparatus employs a control switch to change the level of voltage regulation and the turns ratio of the primary winding of the power supply output transformer, thereby obtaining increased tolerance to input voltage change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1975
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leopold J. Johnson