Patents by Inventor Robert S. Wrathall

Robert S. Wrathall 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: 4319181
    Abstract: A solid state current sensing circuit which is useful in a power supply has bipolar as well as CMOS transistors. The bipolar transistors serve as output transistors and have lateral collectors as well as substrate collectors. The lateral collectors of the bipolar transistors are used to sense a portion of the current carried by the substrate collectors. The lateral collectors are connected to a current mirror which provides an output indication of when the output current exceeds a predetermined amount. The entire circuit can be integrated on a single chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1982
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Wrathall
  • Patent number: 4231332
    Abstract: A digital spark and dwell ignition control system is disclosed. Maximum advance and reference sensors are utilized to determine positions of maximum and minimum possible advance for spark ignition with respect to the position of the engine crankshaft. For each maximum advance sensor pulse a main counter starts sequentially counting clock pulses wherein the maximum count obtained by the counter is related to engine crankshaft speed. The count of the main counter is utilized by a dwell circuit to determine the time prior to the maximum advance pulse at which spark coil excitation should occur. The main counter count also determines several inputs to a read only memory (ROM) circuit whose output controls a rate multiplier. The rate multiplier receives input clock signals and provides selective frequency division for these clock signals in accordance with the ROM output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1980
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Wrathall