Patents by Inventor Barry F. Waltman

Barry F. Waltman 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: 8885308
    Abstract: Control circuitry handles inrush current, and may provide under voltage and/or over voltage monitoring and handling, as well as remote enable handling. The circuitry may advantageously employ a sense capacitor in parallel with an input capacitor (e.g., bulk input filter capacitor), and a current mirror to produce a signal proportional to input current. A clamp circuit may control a series pass device to regulate current in response to the proportional signal, or to interrupt current flow in response to an under voltage or over voltage condition or receipt of a signal indicative of a disable state. An enable signal may be summed into a comparator that handles under voltage condition determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Rodney Alan Hughes, Reid Adriance, Bertrand Nkei, Jay Allen Kuehny
  • Patent number: 8829868
    Abstract: A power converter provides current limit/current share functionality, allowing use in a point-of-load architecture and/or in parallel with one or more other power converters. An inner current control loop may sense output current over only a portion of a duty cycle, for example at a low side active switch. The resulting signal is compensated, and may be level shifted, for example via a resistor divider network, and supplied to a current control amplifier. An outer voltage control loop may sense output voltage, and provide a voltage error signal from a voltage error amplifier to the resistor divider network. Power converters are operable as masters or slaves, and include sense input and trim input terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Crane Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Reid Adriance, Jay Allen Kuehny, Stefan Jon Kristjansson
  • Publication number: 20130021008
    Abstract: A switch mode power converter provides high efficiency at light and no load conditions by utilizing a variable inductance swinging choke at the output of a synchronous rectifier. The use of the swinging choke with a synchronous rectifier eliminates power inefficiencies caused by currents that circulate from the output capacitance to the input capacitance during no load conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Robert Jay Hume, Barry F. Waltman, Stefan Jon Kristjansson, Jay Allen Kuehny, Yan Lu, Bertrand Nkei
  • Publication number: 20130021009
    Abstract: A power converter provides current limit/current share functionality, allowing use in a point-of-load architecture and/or in parallel with one or more other power converters. An inner current control loop may sense output current over only a portion of a duty cycle, for example at a low side active switch. The resulting signal is compensated, and may be level shifted, for example via a resistor divider network, and supplied to a current control amplifier. An outer voltage control loop may sense output voltage, and provide a voltage error signal from a voltage error amplifier to the resistor divider network. Power converters are operable as masters or slaves, and include sense input and trim input terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Reid Adriance, Jay Allen Kuehny, Stefan Jon Kristjansson
  • Publication number: 20130021702
    Abstract: Control circuitry handles inrush current, and may provide under voltage and/or over voltage monitoring and handling, as well as remote enable handling. The circuitry may advantageously employ a sense capacitor in parallel with an input capacitor (e.g., bulk input filter capacitor), and a current mirror to produce a signal proportional to input current. A clamp circuit may control a series pass device to regulate current in response to the proportional signal, or to interrupt current flow in response to an under voltage or over voltage condition or receipt of a signal indicative of a disable state. An enable signal may be summed into a comparator that handles under voltage condition determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Rodney Alan Hughes, Reid Adriance, Bertrand Nkei, Jay Allen Kuehny
  • Patent number: 6968230
    Abstract: A circuit for generating both a biphasic defibrillation waveform and an external pacing waveform in an external defibrillator is provided. The output circuit of the device utilizes one or more SCR switches for applying energy to a patient. In one embodiment, the output circuit is in the form of an H-bridge, with three SCR legs and one IGBT leg. A drive circuit for one of the SCR legs is provided such that the SCR may be continuously driven on for either a high energy biphasic defibrillation pulse or a low energy pacing pulse. In one embodiment, the output circuit conducts the pacing waveform through a combination of one upper leg SCR of the H-bridge and a current source. The current source is configured to bypass a lower leg SCR of the H-bridge. The output circuit is capable of conducting pacing currents of as low as 10 mA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp
    Inventor: Barry F. Waltman
  • Patent number: 6963773
    Abstract: An external defibrillator with an output circuit having four legs arrayed in the form of an “H” (an “H-bridge”) is disclosed. The output circuit is designed to be able to conduct a range of defibrillation pulse energies, from below 50 joules to above 200 joules. Each leg of the output circuit contains a solid-state switch. By selectively switching on pairs of switches in the H-bridge, a biphasic defibrillation pulse may be applied to a patient. The switches in three of the legs of the H-bridge output circuit are preferably SCR switches, while the fourth leg includes an IGBT switch. In one embodiment, a single power switch is utilized in each of the legs of the H-bridge output circuit, and are included in a single integrated module or package. The use of single semiconductor switches in an integrated surface mountable module or package simplifies the assembly and manufacturing of the defibrillator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: MedTronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Joseph L. Sullivan, Lawrence A. Borschowa, Richard C. Nova
  • Patent number: 6839590
    Abstract: Techniques are described for charging an energy storage device, such as the high-voltage energy storage capacitors of an external defibrillation device, using an average current mode control technique. By controlling the average current in a transformer, energy may be stored rapidly and at controlled energy levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Corp.
    Inventor: Barry F. Waltman
  • Publication number: 20040068301
    Abstract: An external defibrillator with an output circuit having four legs arrayed in the form of an “H” (an “H-bridge”) is disclosed. The output circuit is designed to be able to conduct a range of defibrillation pulse energies, from below 50 joules to above 200 joules. Each leg of the output circuit contains a solid-state switch. By selectively switching on pairs of switches in the H-bridge, a biphasic defibrillation pulse may be applied to a patient. The switches in three of the legs of the H-bridge output circuit are preferably SCR switches, while the fourth leg includes an IGBT switch. In one embodiment, a single power switch is utilized in each of the legs of the H-bridge output circuit, and are included in a single integrated module or package. The use of single semiconductor switches in an integrated surface mountable module or package simplifies the assembly and manufacturing of the defibrillator device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicant: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Barry F. Waltman, Joseph L. Sullivan, Lawrence A. Borschowa, Richard C. Nova
  • Publication number: 20040002736
    Abstract: A circuit for generating both a biphasic defibrillation waveform and an external pacing waveform in an external defibrillator is provided. The output circuit of the device utilizes one or more SCR switches for applying energy to a patient. In one embodiment, the output circuit is in the form of an H-bridge, with three SCR legs and one IGBT leg. A drive circuit for one of the SCR legs is provided such that the SCR may be continuously driven on for either a high energy biphasic defibrillation pulse or a low energy pacing pulse. In one embodiment, the output circuit conducts the pacing waveform through a combination of one upper leg SCR of the H-bridge and a current source. The current source is configured to bypass a lower leg SCR of the H-bridge. The output circuit is capable of conducting pacing currents of as low as 10 mA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp..
    Inventor: Barry F. Waltman
  • Publication number: 20030078620
    Abstract: Techniques are described for charging an energy storage device, such as the high-voltage energy storage capacitors of an external defibrillation device, using an average current mode control technique. By controlling the average current in a transformer, energy may be stored rapidly and at controlled energy levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: Barry F. Waltman