Patents by Inventor Rick L. Barnett

Rick L. Barnett 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: 9083242
    Abstract: An interleaved LLC converter, a method of operating an LLC converter and a power supply are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the LLC converter includes: (1) a plurality of LLC power channels, with each of the plurality having an independent power input and (2) a compensation controller configured to actively adjust the independent power inputs to substantially match output voltage and current levels for a given load condition and a common operating frequency of the plurality of LLC power channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Raghothama Reddy
  • Publication number: 20120153730
    Abstract: An interleaved LLC converter, a method of operating an LLC converter and a power supply are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the LLC converter includes: (1) a plurality of LLC power channels, with each of the plurality having an independent power input and (2) a compensation controller configured to actively adjust the independent power inputs to substantially match output voltage and current levels for a given load condition and a common operating frequency of the plurality of LLC power channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Lineage Power Corporation
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Raghothama Reddy
  • Publication number: 20090003018
    Abstract: A direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter control systems and related methods are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment provides a control circuit configured to modulate the duty cycles of a first switching device and a second switching device, and is further configured to compensate for a voltage drift at a monitoring node by varying the modulation for at least one of the switching devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Barry O. Blair, Rick L. Barnett, Donald Marabell, Kalyan Siddabatula
  • Patent number: 7239968
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring and adjusting angular speed or rotational frequency of a fan as well as wear. As a result of being able to monitor the angular speed or rotational frequency of a fan, a prediction of both wear and failure can be made. Due largely to increasing internal friction related to the amount of wear, the energy required to operate a fan at a given angular speed or rotational frequency varies. Hence, an algorithm and certain devices can be employed to make wear and failure predictions of either an mechanical or electrical fan based on energy consumption relative to an angular speed or rotational frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Valere Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory H. Fasullo, Rick L. Barnett
  • Patent number: 6690589
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus that equally distributes current from a rectifier circuit to a plurality of power factor correction circuit units by equal current magnitudes and lower component count advantages of peak current sensing with the lower harmonic distortion advantages of average current sensing. The output of a single average current sensing correction circuit in a master controller is logically compared with the output of a peak current sensing circuit in each of a plurality of interleaved master and slave controller units to produce a difference signal used to operate the switch in the switch leg of each controller unit to reduce emi, harmonic distortion and increase power factor toward an in phase condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Valere Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Barry Olen Blair, Gregory H. Fasullo, Donald Marabell, Andrew Marsh
  • Publication number: 20030161167
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus that equally distributes current from a rectifier circuit to a plurality of power factor correction circuit units by equal current magnitudes and lower component count advantages of peak current sensing with the lower harmonic distortion advantages of average current sensing. The output of a single average current sensing correction circuit in a master controller is logically compared with the output of a peak current sensing circuit in each of a plurality of interleaved master and slave controller units to produce a difference signal used to operate the switch in the switch leg of each controller unit to reduce emi, harmonic distortion and increase power factor toward an in phase condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Barry Olen Blair, Gregory H. Fasullo, Donald Marabell, Andrew Marsh
  • Patent number: 6020735
    Abstract: An internal diode detection circuit for a device under test (DUT), a method of operating and a test fixture employing the same. In one embodiment, the internal diode detection circuit includes a source of electrical power that applies a reverse bias voltage to the DUT. The internal diode detection circuit also includes a current indicator, series-coupled to the DUT, that generates a signal when a current flows through the DUT. The signal indicates a presence of an internal diode in the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Rick L. Barnett, Frank H. Chavez, Jin He, Anthony J. Scocca