Patents by Inventor Charles D. Hood

Charles D. Hood 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).

  • Publication number: 20100265643
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with attaching portions of equipment chassis to the remainder of the equipment are provided. An information handling system may include a housing, a cover configured to at least partially enclose the housing, and an engagement assembly fixedly coupled to the housing. The cover may include an open slot having an opening and a projection. The may have a bearing movable relative to the housing, the bearing configured, when moved, to pass through the opening to engage with the projection to couple the cover to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Matthew McGowan
  • Patent number: 7805868
    Abstract: A product badge coupled to a product, such as an information handling system, displays product information to align with a selected of plural product orientations by illuminating a first display material to present the product information in a first orientation associated with a first product orientation and a second display material to present the product information in a second orientation associated with a second product orientation. For instance, illumination by a backlight presents the product information in the first orientation by interacting with the first display material, and suspension of illumination by the backlight presents the product information in the second orientation by allowing reflective light to interact with the second display material. Selection of illumination is automatically or manually accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: David F. Hutchinson, Charles D. Hood, Randall T. Smith
  • Patent number: 7804222
    Abstract: For tuning a piezo electric fan, a controller measures a natural frequency of the piezo electric fan by applying a stress and measuring a response to the stress. A frequency of an alternating current (AC) input signal is adjusted by the controller to substantially match the natural frequency. The adjusted AC input having the natural frequency is provided to the piezo electric fan for improved efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Charles D. Hood
  • Publication number: 20100151737
    Abstract: A power adapter includes an adapter base defining a plug member channel between a first channel wall and a plurality of second channel walls that are oriented substantially perpendicularly to the first channel wall. A power member connector is located on the first channel wall. A ground member connector is located on at least one of the plurality of second channel walls. A plug member includes a plug base having a first plug wall and a plurality of second plug walls that are oriented substantially perpendicularly to the first plug wall, a power member located on the first plug wall, and a ground member is located on at least one of the second plug walls. The plug member is operable to be inserted into the plug member channel to engage the power member with the power member connector and the ground member with the ground member connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Donald L. Wallace, Christopher A. Torres
  • Publication number: 20090277617
    Abstract: A system comprising a fan tachometer module, a conversion module, and a pump tachometer module. The fan tachometer module is adapted to measure a speed of a cooling fan. The conversion module is in communication with the fan tachometer module, and is adapted to convert the speed of the cooling fan to a control voltage based on a predetermined ratio between the speed of the cooling fan and a speed of a cooling pump. The pump tachometer module is in communication with the conversion module, and is adapted to control the speed of the cooling pump based on the control voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Philip Grossman
  • Patent number: 7564683
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a motherboard includes a mounting boss and a boss backing. The mounting boss is alignable in a first orientation with a first hole spacing in the motherboard, and alignable in a second orientation with a second hole spacing in the motherboard. The boss backing is adapted to connect with the mounting boss in the first orientation through the motherboard having the first hole spacing, and adapted to connect with the mounting boss in the second orientation through the motherboard having the second hole spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Jason A. Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20090059513
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a motherboard includes a mounting boss and a boss backing. The mounting boss is alignable in a first orientation with a first hole spacing in the motherboard, and alignable in a second orientation with a second hole spacing in the motherboard. The boss backing is adapted to connect with the mounting boss in the first orientation through the motherboard having the first hole spacing, and adapted to connect with the mounting boss in the second orientation through the motherboard having the second hole spacing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Jason A. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 7440293
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a card in an information handling system provides a first riser card including a plurality of first connections. A second riser card is coupled to the first riser card by a plurality of connectors, the second riser card including a plurality of second connections. A first card slot extends from the first riser card and is electrically coupled to the plurality of first connections, and a second card slot extends from the first riser card and is electrically coupled to the plurality of second connections. The apparatus may be coupled to an information handling system in a chassis to provide for the mounting of cards in the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Ajay Kwatra, John Revell
  • Patent number: 7418274
    Abstract: A wireless LAN provided for mitigating the effects of signal fading that results from multipath propagation. The wireless LAN includes a number of portable clients that, in one embodiment, may be notebook computers. An access point, or hub, couples the clients to a wired network and/or to each other. Multipath effects are mitigated in one embodiment by continually varying the radiation pattern of a transmitting antenna system associated with the access point. In one alternative embodiment, the radiation pattern of a receiving antenna system is continually varied. Numerous approaches are provided to continually varying the radiation pattern of the respective antenna system, including, but not limited to, switching between two or more antennas in an array, adjusting the physical positioning of a single or multiple antennas, adjusting the effective length of the antenna, and adjusting the respective gain and/or phase of each of one or more of the signals coupled to antennas in an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Charles D. Hood, III
  • Publication number: 20080087024
    Abstract: A thermoelectric cooler assembly comprises a cold plate, a first thermoelectric cooler, and a second thermoelectric cooler. The cold plate has a first side and a second side. The first thermoelectric cooler is in thermal communication with the first side of the cold plate, and the second thermoelectric cooler is in thermal communication with the second side of the cold plate. A heat exchanger assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, Ioan Sauciuc, Mohammed Tantoush
  • Publication number: 20080090611
    Abstract: Wireless functionality is provided to desktop information handling systems by a module sized to fit as a storage drive bay component, such as a flexbay. The wireless functionality includes wireless personal area networking that supports peripherals, such as Ultra-Wideband or Bluetooth devices, or local area networking. An antenna for wireless processing components is disposed at the front portion of the module to provide optimal reception. A standardized information handling system interface is disposed at the rear of the module located to connect with the information handling system chassis. Additional functionality may alternatively be included in the module, such as a 12-in 1 card reader having interfaces at the front of the module to interact with memory cards or other devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Pratik M. Mehta, Alan E. Sicher, Charles D. Hood, Dennis Burrell
  • Patent number: 7299575
    Abstract: A product badge coupled to a product, such as an information handling system, displays product information to align with a selected of plural product orientations by illuminating a first display material to present the product information in a first orientation associated with a first product orientation and a second display material to present the product information in a second orientation associated with a second product orientation. For instance, illumination by a backlight presents the product information in the first orientation by interacting with the first display material, and suspension of illumination by the backlight presents the product information in the second orientation by allowing reflective light to interact with the second display material. Selection of illumination is automatically or manually accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: David F. Hutchinson, Charles D. Hood, Randall T. Smith
  • Patent number: 7289317
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a drive mounting system includes a drive chassis having a first wall and a second wall transverse to the first wall. A third wall is supported in the chassis and movable between a first position opposite the first wall and a second position opposite the second wall. A drive is mounted in the chassis in a first orientation supported by the first and third walls in response to the third wall being in the first position, and the drive is movable to a second orientation, transverse to the first orientation, supported by the second and third walls in response to the third wall being in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, Robert D. Hrehor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7272017
    Abstract: A card coupling apparatus includes a circuit board, a plurality of card connectors mounted on the circuit board, a system connector mounted to the circuit board, and a switch chip mounted to the circuit board and electrically coupled to the plurality of card connectors and the system connector. The card coupling apparatus may be coupled to an information handling system and a plurality of video cards may be coupled to the information handling system by coupling the plurality of video cards to the card coupling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Ajay Kwatra, Charles D. Hood
  • Patent number: 7200003
    Abstract: A drive mounting apparatus includes a drive chassis, a first support wall on the drive chassis including a first support structure and a second support wall on the drive chassis substantially transverse to the first support wall and including a second support structure. A repositionable third support wall including a third support structure is operable to be coupled to the drive chassis in a first position opposite the first support wall to provide support between the first support structure and the third support structure, and the third support wall is operable to be repositioned on the drive chassis and coupled to the drive chassis in a second position opposite the second support wall to provide support between the second support structure and the third support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, Robert D. Hrehor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6845158
    Abstract: A computer includes a body having a PC card slot formed therein. A headphone module includes a carrier removably mounted in the slot. A retractor member is mounted on the carrier. A flexible cord is extendibly and retractably connected to the retractor member. The cord includes at least one headphone connected to a first cord end and a connector connected to a second cord end opposite the first end. A headphone receptacle is provided on the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Scott B. Koester, Charles D. Hood, III
  • Patent number: 6837063
    Abstract: A system and method for power management of a computer with a vapor-cooled processor is disclosed. A dual mode cooling system for an information handling system includes a heat exchanger for receiving heat generated by the information handling system. The system further includes a condenser in communication with the heat exchanger such that the heat received at the heat exchanger is transferred to the condenser. The heat exchanger and the condenser are able to selectively operate in an active cooling mode and a passive cooling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Curtis L. Progl
  • Publication number: 20040213178
    Abstract: A wireless LAN provided for mitigating the effects of signal fading that results from multipath propagation. The wireless LAN includes a number of portable clients that, in one embodiment, may be notebook computers. An access point, or hub, couples the clients to a wired network and/or to each other. Multipath effects are mitigated in one embodiment by continually varying the radiation pattern of a transmitting antenna system associated with the access point. In one alternative embodiment, the radiation pattern of a receiving antenna system is continually varied. Numerous approaches are provided to continually varying the radiation pattern of the respective antenna system, including, but not limited to, switching between two or more antennas in an array, adjusting the physical positioning of a single or multiple antennas, adjusting the effective length of the antenna, and adjusting the respective gain and/or phase of each of one or more of the signals coupled to antennas in an array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Charles D. Hood
  • Patent number: 6778844
    Abstract: In a wireless LAN, a technique for mitigating the effects of signal fading that results from multipath propagation. The wireless LAN includes a number of portable clients that, in one embodiment, may be notebook computers. An access point, or hub, couples the clients to a wired network and/or to each other. Multipath effects are mitigated in one embodiment by continually varying the radiation pattern of a transmitting antenna system associated with the access point. In one embodiment, the radiation pattern of a receiving antenna system is continually varied. Numerous approaches are provided to continually vary the radiation pattern of the respective antenna system, including, but not limited to, switching between two or more antennas in an array, adjusting the physical positioning of a single or multiple antennas, adjusting the effective length of the antenna, and adjusting the respective gain and/or phase of each of one or more of the signals coupled to antennas in an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Charles D. Hood, III
  • Patent number: 6760219
    Abstract: The invention relates to a disc drive system which includes cushioning material positioned between the interior of disc drive housing and a disc drive. Such a system advantageously provides a removable disc drive system which isolates shocks from the disc drive. The disc drive system includes a housing bottom, a mounting plate coupled to the housing bottom, and a disc drive coupled to the mounting plate via cushioning pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Hood, III, Scott Bradley Koester