Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Zepke

Bruce E. Zepke 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: 7479861
    Abstract: Fixtures (27) at a doorway of a landing are formed integrally with a frame (17). Power is provided by an inductive coupler (32) having a core (70) and primary (75). The core is thin ferrite and extend significantly beyond the coils in the plane the coils are wound, to provide en extremely low resistance path for the efficient transfer of AC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Bruce E. Zepke, William A. Veronesi, Joseph Zacchio, Paul A. Stucky, Dennis W. Bellamy, Christian M. Netter, Alberto Vecchiotti, Adriana H. Bacellar, Luiz F. Bacellar, Deborah C. Haas
  • Patent number: 6629583
    Abstract: Fixture for an Elevator System A fixture using an electrophoretic display system is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which enable simplification of the wiring system for the elevator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Mary Ann T. Valk, Bruce E. Zepke, Wei-Quan Ng
  • Publication number: 20030116385
    Abstract: A fixture using an electrophoretic display system is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which enable simplification of the wiring system for the elevator system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Mary Ann T. Valk, Bruce E. Zepke, Wei-Quan Ng
  • Patent number: 5984051
    Abstract: Remote control devices borne by potential passengers are alerted to initiate a request for elevator service by beacons in the building. The beacon alert message includes a tag identifying the floor on which the beacon is located and a position on the floor at which the beacon is located. The floor description tags prevent transmissions of the remote device from being recognized on floors other than the floor on which the device was alerted by a beacon, whereby transmission power of the remote devices may be quite high to assure reception anywhere on the floor, while being ignored on adjacent floors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Robert G. Morgan, David Crenella, Bruce E. Zepke, Harold Terry, Eric K. Jamieson
  • Patent number: 5711480
    Abstract: Communication between the various elements of HVAC systems is effected by means of low-cost, low-power, narrow-band AM SAW-stabilized transmitters 21, 27, 39, 86 and receivers 18, 28, 47, 89. A residential embodiment (FIG. 1) transmits temperature information from each room of the house to a master control 24, which is used to control the HVAC demand and to control the damper in the corresponding room. In a first commercial building embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3), thermostat/transceiver 61-66 assemblies transmit not only demand and control information from the corresponding thermostat 78 (with switches), but relay information transmitted from other thermostat/transceiver assemblies, whereby messages are retransmitted from one floor to the next to overcome the high attenuation of commercial building construction in reaching rooftop HVAC systems 71-76. In a second commercial building embodiment (FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce E. Zepke, Merrill R. Lucia, Charles R. Winston, Jr., Earl D. Hasselmark, Taeyoung Park
  • Patent number: 5381692
    Abstract: A bearing assembly monitoring system provides continuous, real time monitoring of the operating condition of a powertrain support bearing assembly and real time alarm signals indicative of degradation and/or impending catastrophic failure thereof. One embodiment of the monitoring system includes a vibration sensing device, first and second primary temperature sensing devices, an ambient temperature sensing device, vibration and temperature signal processing subcircuits, and an alarm subsystem. The vibration sensing device monitors complex vibration signals emanating from the bearing assembly and provides signals corresponding thereto. The vibration signal processing circuit filters such complex vibration signals to provide a predetermined bandwidth thereof that are converted to stabilized DC voltage signals which are compared to reference voltages corresponding to higher than normal and excessive vibration levels. Exceedance of such reference voltages generates a corresponding vibration alarm signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher L. Winslow, John A. Roncallo, William C. Boyce, Robert T. Bonitz, Bruce E. Zepke, Michael W. Hawman
  • Patent number: 5267016
    Abstract: A laser diode distance measurement device includes a laser diode 10 which emits light 20 to a lens 22 which provides focussed light 24 incident on a target 26. The light 24 is reflected from the target 26 back to the laser diode 10 which causes the laser diode 10 to emit a light 28 which exhibits intensity pulses (due to coherent interference) related to the distance L to the target 26. A photodetector 30 provides a feedback signal indicative of the intensity of the light 28 to a distance measurement circuit 18. The laser diode 10 is driven by an up-ramp signal that reduces electronic processing and at a frequency that reduces speckle noise. The distance measurement circuit 18 blanks-out a portion of the feedback signal during discontinuities of the laser diode drive signal to minimize associated noise from distorting the distance measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Richard A. Meinzer, Bruce E. Zepke
  • Patent number: 5257090
    Abstract: A laser diode distance measurement device includes a laser diode assembly 10, comprising a laser diode and photodiode, which emits light 17 to a lens 19 which provides collimated light 20 incident on a float 22 which is covered with reflective tape on its top surface 24. The light 20 is reflected from the float 22 back to the laser diode assembly 10 which causes the assembly 10 to provide a signal having magnitude pulses (due to coherent interference) on a line 15 to a liquid level measurement circuit 14 related to the distance L to the float 22. Use of the collimated beam 20 and reflective tape on the float 22 minimizes speckle while providing adequate optical intensity feedback. The laser assembly 10 is driven by a sawtooth waveform signal that reduces electronic processing. The distance measurement circuit 14 blanks-out the feedback signal during discontinuities of the laser diode drive signal to minimize associated noise from distorting the distance measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Richard A. Meinzer, Bruce E. Zepke
  • Patent number: 4799243
    Abstract: An arrangement for detecting the passage of living beings through a surveillance region into and out of a controlled-access space includes at least one pyroelectric detector device that includes two detector elements which have active areas that are directly exposed to thermal radiation from the surveillance region and convert the thermal radiation energy received thereby into electrical signals with opposite polaritites. The detector elements are situated in succession in the direction of passage into the controlled-access space. The surveillance region is optically subdivided into two surveillance zones arranged in succession as considered in the passage direction, for instance by a mask that masks an intervening zone situated between the surveillance zones to prevent thermal radiation from the intervening zone from reaching either one of the detector elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventor: Bruce E. Zepke