Patents by Inventor Robert P. MacKenzie

Robert P. MacKenzie 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: 4731601
    Abstract: An apparatus for and method of testing the condition of a motor vehicle cranking system is disclosed in which the voltage at the battery terminal of the cranking motor is measured at one second intervals during cranking and compared to a set of predetermined minimum values stored in a computer lookup table according to the battery temperature and engine temperature during cranking. If a measured voltage is below a corresponding minimum voltage value, an indication is provided to the operator. The predetermined set of minimum values for each combination of measured battery and engine temperatures corresponds to the minimum voltages that would be provided at the measured temperatures by a cranking system capable of providing at least the minimum voltages down to and including the lowest design temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 15, 1988
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Nowakowski, Van V. Reisberg, Jr., Robert P. MacKenzie
  • Patent number: 4143396
    Abstract: A digital chrominance separating and processing system which minimizes the effects of the inherent incomplete separation of the chrominance and luminance signals at the color edges of a television picture, when attempting to reproduce both frames of a composite color television signal from a single field or frame. The system digitally conditions the chrominance signal extracted from the available field or frame, by pre-selecting the degree of de-saturation of the chrominance in the reconstituted color frames of the composite color television signal, in the region of the color edges. That is, the degree of chrominance saturation at the color edges is compromised in one reconstituted frame, but is improved in the next frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1979
    Assignee: Ampex Corporation
    Inventor: Robert P. MacKenzie