Patents Examined by Angela Brooks
  • Patent number: 10910816
    Abstract: A reclosing fault protection device detects a partial bypass state. Upon detecting the partial bypass state, the fault protection device implements a ground trip delay operating state. The ground trip delay operating state provides a delayed ground trip response characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher McCarthy, Raymond P. O'Leary
  • Patent number: 9709870
    Abstract: An electronic paper device includes a ground plane, a charge receiving layer, and a porous stand off layer disposed over the charge receiving layer. An active layer is interposed between the ground plane and the charge receiving layer, the active layer including a plurality of microcapsules containing charged pigments. A system for writing information to electronic paper is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Napoleon Leoni, Omer Gila, Henryk Birecki, Richard Fotland
  • Patent number: 9570901
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a number of sensors structured to detect an arc flash from an uncontrolled arcing fault, and a trigger circuit, responsive to the detected arc flash, structured to trigger a triggering mechanism and cause a breakdown of a number of gaps within a low voltage arc flash switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: EATON CORPORATION
    Inventors: John J. Shea, Mark A. Juds, Christian Ruempler
  • Patent number: 9561608
    Abstract: A sensor unit with a sensing surface molded properly on an outer surface of a sensor receiving part is provided. The sensor unit includes a resin casing formed with an annular fixing member, and a sensor receiving part formed in the casing for receiving a sensor housed. A sensing surface that faces a target object is formed within the sensor receiving part. A resin charging position in molding the casing is set to a position deviated circumferentially from a central position in a width of the sensing surface. In particular, resin is charged into the fixing member from a gate arranged on an extending line of a first through-bore formed in a position corresponding to the charging position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Kawasaki, Kazuhiro Adachi, Kyoichi Okamura
  • Patent number: 9562751
    Abstract: A portable exothermic welding ignition controller includes a housing configured to receive a portion of a portable power tool battery. A circuit board is positioned within the housing and configured for electrical coupling to the portable power tool battery. An actuator is operatively engageable with the circuit board for selectively discharging power from the portable power tool battery to a connection terminal electrically coupled to the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Harger, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Harger, William Steve Marcomb
  • Patent number: 9543184
    Abstract: The present invention is an electrostatic chuck including a ceramic base body and an adsorption electrode provided inside of or on the lower surface of the ceramic base body and having a portion where a Mn content is 1×10?4% by mass or less in a region from the upper surface of the ceramic base body to the adsorption electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ono
  • Patent number: 9520708
    Abstract: A protection circuit includes a control circuit coupled to a first power-supply wire applied with a first power-supply voltage. The control circuit generates a control voltage in accordance with the first power-supply voltage and an input voltage. A voltage limitation circuit is coupled between a first node applied with the input voltage and a second power-supply wire applied with a second power-supply voltage. The voltage limitation circuit includes a variable resistance unit having a resistance value that changes according to the control voltage. When the first power-supply voltage is not supplied to the protection circuit and the input voltage is larger than a first voltage, the control circuit generates the control voltage such that the resistance value of the variable resistance unit is smaller than that in a case where the input voltage is equal to or less than the first voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventor: Tunehiko Moriuchi
  • Patent number: 9513326
    Abstract: A Ship Board Ground Monitor System measures an antistatic bond between a ship and a loading-off-loading facility during operation and an earth ground while in the process of loading or unloading flammable materials. The system ensures that a maximum adjustable, preset resistance between the ship transport and safety ground is not exceeded. Should this resistance be exceeded, the control apparatus within the system will activate audible and visual annunciation and provide a contact output, which may be used to disable pumping systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Juan Andujar
  • Patent number: 9501074
    Abstract: A circuit includes a comparator that monitors a transient with respect to a predetermined threshold at the output of a voltage regulator and generates a compensation signal if the transient exceeds the predetermined threshold. A dynamic current pull-down block is triggered from the compensation signal of the comparator and operative with an output stage of the voltage regulator to mitigate the transient at the output of the voltage regulator by concurrently activating a plurality of current pull-down switches during the transient and sequentially deactivating each current pull-down switch of the plurality of current pull-down switches after its predetermined deactivation delay for each current pull-down switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Donghwi Kim, Patrick Michael Teterud
  • Patent number: 9490622
    Abstract: An over-current protection device is provided. A first end of a first resistor is coupled to a voltage input terminal and a second end of the first resistor is coupled to a control terminal of an electronic switch. A detecting pin of a control chip is coupled to the second end of the first resistor and an input pin of the control chip is coupled to the first end of the first resistor. A control pin of the control chip is coupled to a control terminal of the electronic switch. The voltage output terminal is coupled to a first terminal of the electronic switch. The control chip compares a preset current value saved therein with a detecting current passing through the first resistor. If the detecting current is greater than the preset current value, there is no voltage output from the voltage output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ShenZhen Treasure City Technology Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Tian, Kang Wu
  • Patent number: 9490628
    Abstract: A fault current limiter is provided. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fault current limiter includes a switch whose contact point is opened when a fault current occurs; a current limiting element configured to limit the fault current when the fault current occurs; and a diode being serial-connected to the current limiting element, wherein a breakdown voltage of the diode is higher than a voltage drop by an impedance of the switch when a normal current flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Wook Sim, Gyeong Ho Lee, Hae Yong Park
  • Patent number: 9484733
    Abstract: A power control module including first port for receiving supply voltage from host power supply, second port for providing output voltage to power one or more data storage device components, isolation circuit coupled to first and second ports, driver including output coupled to control terminal of isolation circuit, voltage booster including input for receiving supply voltage and output for providing boost voltage to supply terminal of driver, voltage limiter operable to limit boost voltage to a limited boost voltage, and control circuitry coupled to drive input and operable to cause the isolation circuit to be in closed state during normal operating mode by causing the driver to apply limited boost voltage to the control terminal of the isolation circuit, thereby enabling the isolation circuit to provide over-voltage protection to one or more data storage device components by limiting output voltage at second port to less than the limited boost voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Ferris, John R. Agness
  • Patent number: 9466972
    Abstract: A high-voltage gate driver circuit configured to drive a high-side power switch and a low-side power switch includes an active dv/dt triggered ESD protection circuit coupled between a protected node and a power rail node. The active dv/dt triggered ESD protection circuit includes a dv/dt circuit controlling an ESD protection transistor connected between the protected node and the power rail node. The ESD protection transistor is turned on when an ESD event occurs at the protected node to conduct ESD current from the protected node to the power rail node. The dv/dt circuit is charged up after a time constant to disable the ESD protection transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventor: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy
  • Patent number: 9461459
    Abstract: The invention relates to a safety system comprising a safety unit having an output and a safety input, a bus line and at least one safety related participant. The bus line and the safety related participant form a test signal path having a forward path and a return path. The safety related participant comprises an interconnection module with a test signal input and a test signal output and a protective device integrated in the test signal path by means of the interconnection module. The protective device comprises two switches which are respectively connected to the interconnection module via a forward line and a return line of the interconnection line for the formation of a first and a second electric switching path. The interconnection module comprises a test circuit for the two switching paths with a controlled current source, a controlled current sink and a current direction element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Stephan Henneberger
  • Patent number: 9450396
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a DC current interruption system able to open a DC line with inductive behavior, comprising a primary mechanical breaker (S0), a secondary mechanical breaker (S1) and an electronic overvoltage protection circuit (B1, B2) comprising at least one transistor. The DC current interruption system of the invention furthermore comprises an electronic opening system (72, 76) comprising a passive circuit able to auto-bias the electronic protection circuit (B1, B2) upon the opening of said primary mechanical breaker (S0), so as to trigger a switching of said at least one transistor (M1, M2, IG1) making it possible to limit the voltage and the current in the DC line, total interruption of said DC line being obtained by subsequent opening of said secondary mechanical breaker (S1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: MERSEN FRANCE SB SAS
    Inventors: Franck Sarrus, Florent Balboni, Dominique Tournier
  • Patent number: 9431387
    Abstract: A device comprising an electrostatic discharge protection structure, an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) having a floating gate, and a sensing layer located above the floating gate. The device is configured such that the electrical impedance from the sensing layer to the electrostatic discharge protection structure is less than the electrical impedance from the sensing layer to the floating gate. The device can be fabricated in a standard CMOS process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: DNAE GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventors: David Garner, Hua Bai
  • Patent number: 9431819
    Abstract: An electrical network configured to suppress voltage transients is disclosed. The network includes a capacitor and an electrical impedance in parallel with a diode. The capacitor is in series with the parallel connected diode and electrical impedance, and the electrical network is configured to suppress voltage transients occurring across the series combination of the capacitor and the parallel connected diode and electrical impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: DRS Power & Control Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Harper, Jeffery Fischer, Ian Wallace
  • Patent number: 9424984
    Abstract: A combination capacitor and inductor employ a common volume for energy-storing electrical and magnetic fields thereby reducing the bulk of these components with respect to separate components of comparable value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventor: Daniel Ludois
  • Patent number: 9425011
    Abstract: Provided is a system for soft switching of an electromechanical relay in a lighting control system using a sensor to detect a specified non-zero position in the electrical input waveform. Following this non-zero position, an adaptive time delay is applied before activation of the relay coil. An error detection circuit measures a time error between relay operation and the zero electrical input condition. This error signal is used to update the adaptive time delay for future relay operations. Using such a procedure has been shown to limit electrical stress on the relay, and therefore lengthen its life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jason Creighton, David Christopher Shilling
  • Patent number: 9407091
    Abstract: A connection device with electrostatic discharge protection includes a first interface including a plurality of signal pins for electrically connecting to a first electronic device, a second interface including a plurality of signal pins for electrically connecting to a second electronic device, a driving circuit coupled to a first signal pin of the plurality of signal pins of the first interface for generating a control signal according to a signal of the first signal pin, and a switch circuit coupled to the first interface, the second interface, and the driving circuit for controlling a conduction situation between the plurality of signal pins of the first interface and the plurality of signal pins of the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Janhong Guo