Patents by Inventor Bart F. Spriester

Bart F. Spriester 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: 6455788
    Abstract: A bypass switch (155) for use in an electronic device (125) includes a substrate (205) on which first, second, and third terminals (215, 220, 235) are mounted and an electrically conductive primary element (250), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to a bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the first terminal (215) at its first end and to the second terminal (220) at its second end. The switch (155) also includes an electrically conductive bypass element (255), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to the bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the third terminal (235) at its first end and vertically aligned, at its second end, with the second end of the primary element (250). A switch actuator (225) is mechanically coupled to the bypass element (255), extends through the substrate (205), and has an actuating surface (290) accessible at a top surface, opposite the bottom surface, of the substrate (205).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Hughes, Joel P. Jenkins, William G. Mahoney, Bart F. Spriester, Joshua C. Yi
  • Publication number: 20010033109
    Abstract: A bypass switch (155) for use in an electronic device (125) includes a substrate (205) on which first, second, and third terminals (215, 220, 235) are mounted and an electrically conductive primary element (250), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to a bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the first terminal (215) at its first end and to the second terminal (220) at its second end. The switch (155) also includes an electrically conductive bypass element (255), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to the bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the third terminal (235) at its first end and vertically aligned, at its second end, with the second end of the primary element (250). A switch actuator (225) is mechanically coupled to the bypass element (255), extends through the substrate (205), and has an actuating surface (290) accessible at a top surface, opposite the bottom surface, of the substrate (205).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Hughes, Joel P. Jenkins, William G. Mahoney, Bart F. Spriester, Joshua C. Yi
  • Patent number: 6294846
    Abstract: A bypass switch (155) for use in an electronic device (125) includes a substrate (205) on which first, second, and third terminals (215, 220, 235) are mounted and an electrically conductive primary element (250), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to a bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the first terminal (215) at its first end and to the second terminal (220) at its second end. The switch (155) also includes an electrically conductive bypass element (255), having first and second opposing ends, mounted to the bottom surface of the substrate (205) and electrically coupled to the third terminal (235) at its first end and vertically aligned, at its second end, with the second end of the primary element (250). A switch actuator (225) is mechanically coupled to the bypass element (255), extends through the substrate (205), and has an actuating surface (290) accessible at a top surface, opposite the bottom surface, of the substrate (205).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Hughes, Joel P. Jenkins, William G. Mahoney, Bart F. Spriester, Joshua C. Yi
  • Patent number: 6130703
    Abstract: A tap (125) for use in a cable television system (100) includes an incoming port (202) for receiving an incoming signal from a head end section (105) and at least first and second outgoing subscriber ports (225, 230) for transmitting outgoing signals to system subscribers. The first and second subscriber ports (225, 230) can be enabled or disabled, depending upon whether cable service is to be provided from a particular port. The tap (125) also includes light sources (250, 260) located on the body of the tap (125) to indicate statuses, i.e., enabled or disabled, of the subscriber ports (225, 230).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart F. Spriester, Sou-Pen Su, Joel P. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 5920239
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tap off unit for use in a multiple dwelling unit. The tap off unit includes a housing having an input terminal and an output terminal for interposing the tap off unit in a cable signal line, a plurality of taps disposed within the housing, with each tap having a faceplate including associated signal coupling circuitry, and a circuitry board disposed within the housing. The circuitry board distributes a signal from the cable signal line to each of the plurality of taps within the housing and the plurality of taps are connected in parallel such that one of the plurality of taps may be removed without disruption of the signal to the remaining taps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory K. Hardy, Mark A. Palazzo, Bart F. Spriester
  • Patent number: 5483208
    Abstract: An RF Choke and tap having improved insertion loss, amplitude modulated distortion of video and audio carrier signals at CATV frequencies. The RF choke includes a 20 AWG magnetic wire wound on a ferrite rod. The magnetic field effects of the choke are optimized by selecting the choke winding pattern, rod core material and positioning of a resistor between selected windings. The wire is wound by placing two groups of the 4 tightly wound wires adjacent the ends of the rod. A group of 3 very loosely wound wires is separated from the wound wires and placed between the groups of 4 tightly wound wires. A resistor is electrically connected to a first wire in one of the groups of tightly wound wires and connected to a first wire in the group of the loosely wound wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventor: Bart F. Spriester
  • Patent number: H1879
    Abstract: A cable television system (100) includes a head end section (105) for generating a cable signal; a communication medium (110, 117), such as fiber optic cable and coaxial cable, coupled to the head end section (105) for routing the cable signal through the cable television system (100), and cable taps (200) coupled to the communication medium (110, 117) for receiving the cable signal and providing subscriber drops to subscribers of the cable television system (100). As the cable signal is routed through the system (100), the signal levels of the signal decrease, and higher frequencies are attenuated more rapidly than are lower frequencies of the signal. Therefore, taps (200) of the cable television system (100) include equalizer circuits (212) for attenuating lower frequencies of the cable signal to provide relatively flat signal levels at the subscriber drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart F. Spriester, Robert S. Collmus, Robert C. Loveless, Jr.