Patents by Inventor Michael G. Abernathy

Michael G. Abernathy 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: 10527896
    Abstract: Various circuits may benefit from suitable protection. For example, certain displays, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, may benefit from enclosures configured to protect driver circuits from high intensity radiated fields. A system can include a first protective conductive coating layer. The system can also include a first insulating layer on the first protective conductive layer. The system can further include a signal conductive layer on the insulating layer. The system can additionally include a driver layer mounted to the signal conductive layer. The system can also include a second insulating layer above the driver layer. The system can further include a second protective conductive coating layer on the second insulating layer. The system can additionally include one or a plurality of conductive elements disposed between the first protective conductive coating layer and the second protective conductive coating layer to form an enclosure around the driver layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: L3 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael G. Abernathy, Mark W. Fletcher, Sanjay Tripathi
  • Publication number: 20190179187
    Abstract: Various circuits may benefit from suitable protection. For example, certain displays, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays, may benefit from enclosures configured to protect driver circuits from high intensity radiated fields. A system can include a first protective conductive coating layer. The system can also include a first insulating layer on the first protective conductive layer. The system can further include a signal conductive layer on the insulating layer. The system can additionally include a driver layer mounted to the signal conductive layer. The system can also include a second insulating layer above the driver layer. The system can further include a second protective conductive coating layer on the second insulating layer. The system can additionally include one or a plurality of conductive elements disposed between the first protective conductive coating layer and the second protective conductive coating layer to form an enclosure around the driver layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: L3 Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Abernathy, Mark W. Fletcher, Sanjay Tripathi
  • Patent number: 10037723
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant LCD display system comprises an LCD panel and a first driver coupled to the LCD panel and including a first gate driver and a first source driver, the first driver including a first transient voltage suppressor. A second driver is also coupled to the LCD panel and includes a second gate driver and a second source driver, the second driver including a second transient voltage suppressor. One of the first and second drivers is operable to be active while the other is inactive, and vice versa, and the first and second drivers are isolated from one another. The first and second transient voltage suppressors are operable to prevent a back biasing voltage from leaking back through the inactive driver and thus the transient voltage suppressors are operative to prevent a back biasing voltage from shunting through the non-active driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: L3 COMMUNICATIONS CORP.
    Inventor: Michael G. Abernathy
  • Patent number: 10033557
    Abstract: Digital video signals are transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver via a digital video interface including shielded twisted pair cables that are surrounded by an over-braid shield. The over-braid shield is connected to a chassis ground at a transmitting end and the receiving end. An interface conveys the received signals to receiver processing circuitry. The interface is connected to an isolated ground, isolating the receiver processing circuitry. The twisted pairs are also connected to the isolated ground, such that a return current is forced back through the twisted pair cable shields rather than the over-braid shield. This reduces electromagnetic emissions and confines transients primarily to the over-braid shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael G. Abernathy, Nathaniel Flournoy Lovelace, III
  • Publication number: 20180075790
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant LCD display system comprises an LCD panel and a first driver coupled to the LCD panel and including a first gate driver and a first source driver, the first driver including a first transient voltage suppressor. A second driver is also coupled to the LCD panel and includes a second gate driver and a second source driver, the second driver including a second transient voltage suppressor. One of the first and second drivers is operable to be active while the other is inactive, and vice versa, and the first and second drivers are isolated from one another. The first and second transient voltage suppressors are operable to prevent a back biasing voltage from leaking back through the inactive driver and thus the transient voltage suppressors are operative to prevent a back biasing voltage from shunting through the non-active driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael G. ABERNATHY
  • Publication number: 20170295043
    Abstract: Digital video signals are transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver via a digital video interface including shielded twisted pair cables that are surrounded by an over-braid shield. The over-braid shield is connected to a chassis ground at a transmitting end and the receiving end. An interface conveys the received signals to receiver processing circuitry. The interface is connected to an isolated ground, isolating the receiver processing circuitry. The twisted pairs are also connected to the isolated ground, such that a return current is forced back through the twisted pair cable shields rather than the over-braid shield. This reduces electromagnetic emissions and confines transients primarily to the over-braid shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael G. ABERNATHY, Nathaniel Flournoy LOVELACE, III
  • Patent number: 5175515
    Abstract: An electrical system wherein the electrical conductive traces on the circuit boards are routed to achieve a balanced net to reduce noise caused by transmission line reflections. A trace is routed from the source terminal of the net to a balanced junction wherein if there are an odd number of load terminals, or loads, the balanced junction is located at one of the loads. The remaining loads are grouped into branches wherein each branch includes an equal number of loads. A trace is routed between each of the loads of each branch to serially connect the loads of each branch together, or, a trace is routed from a center one of the branch loads to each of the remaining branch loads, forming subbranches. In an alternate embodiment, a balanced subbranch is developed. The balanced load is connected to a pseudo-balanced load, which further receives an equal number of branches. The pseudo-balanced load is then connected to another pseudo-balanced load, which may also receive an equal number of branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Abernathy, Angie M. Fletcher, Paul Santeler, Roy E. Thomas, III
  • Patent number: 5166624
    Abstract: Method for determining the susceptibility of a protective device protected electronic assembly to electrostatic discharge events. The protective component is subjected to an electrostatic discharge event and the amount of kinetic energy transferred to the protective component during the electrostatic discharge event is determined. The susceptibility of the assembly to electrostatic discharge events is then determined based upon the amount of kinetic energy transferred to the protective component during the electrostatic discharge event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventor: Michael G. Abernathy