Patents by Inventor Norman O. Fonteneau

Norman O. Fonteneau 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: 6729191
    Abstract: An inductive flowmeter for measuring the flow velocity of a conductive fluid has an electrical circuit that advantageously utilizes minimal analog components, and hence has advantages over conventional systems. The circuit has an evaluation channel that measures a differential voltage induced across the fluid as it flows through a region having a magnetic field, and has a reference channel that provides a voltage indicative of the strength of the magnetic field. The differential voltage and the reference voltage are each digitized over the same time interval, and a programmable controller calculates a ratio of the digitized voltages to provide the flow velocity of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: The Foxboro Company
    Inventor: Norman O. Fonteneau
  • Patent number: 5895864
    Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter has a tube for supporting fluid flow and a circuit for indicating when the tube is empty. The circuit includes an amplifier connected to two electrodes in the tube and a variable resistor. The amplifier produces an oscillating signal when the tube is empty.The circuit is calibrated for a particular fluid by finding a range of resistances for the variable resistor at which the circuit provides an accurate indication that the tube is empty, and storing information in the processor indicating a resistance in the range for the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: The Foxboro Company
    Inventors: Shiquan Wang, Peter B. Lewis, Norman O. Fonteneau, Vincent W. Devore
  • Patent number: 5576497
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the resolution and accuracy of flow measurements made by vortex flowmeters through the use of an adaptive filter. A vortex sensor signal is conditioned by a bandpass filter whose corner frequencies are dynamically altered as a function of the measured frequency of the vortex sensor signal. When the change in frequency is relatively small, the filters' corner frequencies are set to track the frequency signal in accordance with a specified bandwidth thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio. For large frequency changes, a new frequency signal is searched for thereby avoiding tracking erroneous noise signals. Furthermore, compensation for additional or missed vortex pulses is made thereby generating a more accurate vortex frequency measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: The Foxboro Company
    Inventors: James H. Vignos, M. Charles Cheney, Michael G. Drainville, Norman O. Fonteneau, Joseph J. Lewicke
  • Patent number: 4160942
    Abstract: A trajectory calculator receiving data indicating initial values of golf ball flight angle, velocity and spin, calculates the apparent elevation and deflection angles at which the golf ball would be seen by an observer at the launch point. An optical object projector projects an image representing the golf ball on a screen. The size of the image decreases with time to yield the apparent perspective size decrease with range. An optional exerciser console enables input of changeable environmental quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Francis deS. Lynch, William Gobush, Paul F. Sullivan, Randall W. Moore, Steven L. Haas, Norman O. Fonteneau, John W. Jepson
  • Patent number: 4148096
    Abstract: An improved light emitter assembly for use in biomechanical electro-optical systems is disclosed. The device comprises a curved rigid or semi-rigid body to which at least three spaced light emitting diodes are affixed. The body is preferably cylindrical or hemispherical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Haas, Norman O. Fonteneau, Randall W. Moore
  • Patent number: 4137566
    Abstract: A measurement system obtains and stores digital data on the positions of golf club and significant human body parts during a golf club swing. An interactive display allows later display of the measured performance for use in instruction or review. A coordinate transformer allows the viewing of a displayed simulated golfer from any aspect and at variable speeds and stop action. A generator such as an alphanumeric or graphic generator displays suggested display options, graphics, informative labels, and alphanumeric tabular data. Permanent copies of any displayed picture can be made for later home study.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1979
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Steven L. Haas, Norman O. Fonteneau, Paul F. Sullivan, Hoyt C. Hottel, Jr., Robert A. Brown, William Gobush, John W. Jepson, Francis deS. Lynch
  • Patent number: 3969611
    Abstract: A thermocouple circuit has dissimilar conductors joined to form a conventional temperature transducer located in a zone to be monitored or controlled. The opposite ends of these conductors are connected to similar metal leads in a capsule located in a stable oven to form a reference junction. The oven also houses an inexpensive integrated circuit operational amplifier which is electrically connected to the similar metal leads to yield a high gain output signal proportional to the weak thermal e.m.f. in the dissimilar conductors. This signal is compared to a preset reference voltage level and the difference signal converted to a temperature correction signal which is in binary form. The oven, the operational amplifier, and the binary signal producing circuitry are all driven by a power source which has as its reference or common potential an isolated voltage level tapped off the shielded secondary winding of an otherwise conventional transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1973
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1976
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Norman O. Fonteneau