Patents by Inventor Brennen R. Waugh

Brennen R. Waugh 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: 8689917
    Abstract: A method of monitoring operation of an adjustable shutter adapted for cooling a powertrain in a vehicle includes commanding the shutter to adopt a position and assessing whether the shutter has adopted the commanded position. The method also includes generating a first signal if the shutter has adopted the commanded position, and commanding the shutter to perform a first retry to adopt the commanded position if the shutter has not adopted the commanded position. The method additionally includes generating a second signal if the shutter has adopted the commanded position on the first retry. A vehicle using a controller to perform such a method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Frederick P. Miesterfeld, Brennen R. Waugh, Eric R. Kolm
  • Publication number: 20120100790
    Abstract: A method of monitoring operation of an adjustable shutter adapted for cooling a powertrain in a vehicle includes commanding the shutter to adopt a position and assessing whether the shutter has adopted the commanded position. The method also includes generating a first signal if the shutter has adopted the commanded position, and commanding the shutter to perform a first retry to adopt the commanded position if the shutter has not adopted the commanded position. The method additionally includes generating a second signal if the shutter has adopted the commanded position on the first retry. A vehicle using a controller to perform such a method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Frederick P. Miesterfeld, Brennen R. Waugh, Eric R. Kolm
  • Publication number: 20120097464
    Abstract: A shutter system for controlling an airflow through a grille opening in a vehicle includes at least one louver. The shutter system also includes a mechanism configured to select a position for the at least one louver between and inclusive of fully-opened and fully-closed to control the airflow through the grille opening. The shutter system additionally includes a slave processor in operative communication with the mechanism and a master controller in bi-directional communication with the slave processor via a single wire. The master controller is adapted to control a selection of the position of the at least one louver by commanding the mechanism via the slave processor using solely the single wire. The slave processor is adapted to respond to the master controller using solely the single wire. A method of controlling operation of an adjustable shutter is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Brennen R. Waugh