Patents by Inventor M. DuChesne Courtney

M. DuChesne Courtney 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: 5670949
    Abstract: A ceramic sensor comprising a thin film of Cu.sub.x Mn.sub.3-x O.sub.4 is provided that quantitatively measures the partial pressure of CO and hydrocarbon gases in a flowing system. The sensor is specific to both CO and hydrocarbon gases and is negligibly affected by the presence of the common automobile exhaust vapors NO and H.sub.2 O, within the operational temperature range from about 250.degree. to 450.degree. C. The CO/hydrocarbon sensor of the invention has other applications, such as monitoring CO and hydrocarbon levels in laboratories, mines, and industrial smoke stacks, and may be used in environments up to about 700.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Kevin W. Kirby, Hiroshi Kimura, M. Duchesne Courtney
  • Patent number: 5012153
    Abstract: A vacuum FET is designed to perform higher level functions such as logic AND, EXCLUSIVE OR (NOR), demultiplexing, or frequency multiplication with a single device. These higher level functions are accomplished by dividing the collector of the vacuum FET into multiple segments and by providing steering electrodes just above the emitter to deflect the field emission current to the various collector segments. The collector pattern, together with the configuration of the applied signals to the device, determines the higher order function performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Inventors: Gary M. Atkinson, M. DuChesne Courtney