Patents by Inventor Daniel C. Cohen
Daniel C. Cohen 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).
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Publication number: 20110181108Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a UPS includes an input configured to be coupled to an AC power source, a DC power source, an output configured to receive power from at least one of the AC power source and the DC power source, a first switched receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a first electrical load and a second receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a second electrical load. According to some embodiments, the UPS also includes a control unit configurable to provide a first configuration associated with the first switched receptacle outlet, where the first configuration is employed by the control unit to control a connection of the first switched receptacle outlet to the output independent of the second receptacle outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATIONInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, Mark R. Melanson, James S. Spitaels
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Publication number: 20110169333Abstract: A power supply system includes an AC power line with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The UPS includes control circuitry that couples power conversion circuitry of the UPS to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable. The power supply system also includes a second UPS device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The second UPS includes a timer delay, such that the control circuitry is configured to couple power conversion circuitry to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable, and upon expiration of the timer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2011Publication date: July 14, 2011Applicant: AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATIONInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, James S. Spitaels, Mark R. Melanson
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Patent number: 7911083Abstract: A power supply system includes an AC power line with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The UPS includes control circuitry that couples power conversion circuitry of the UPS to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable. The power supply system also includes a second UPS device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The second UPS includes a timer delay, such that the control circuitry is configured to couple power conversion circuitry to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable, and upon expiration of the timer.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2008Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, James S. Spitaels, Mark R. Melanson
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Publication number: 20110066696Abstract: One aspect relates to a communication protocol for communicating between one or more entities, such as devices, hosts or any other system capable of communicating over a network. A protocol is provided that allows communication between entities without a priori knowledge of the communication protocol. In such a protocol, for example, information describing a data structure of the communication protocol is transferred between communicating entities. Further, an authentication protocol is provided for providing bidirectional authentication between communicating entities. In one specific example, the entities include a master device and a slave device coupled by a serial link. In another specific example, the communication protocol may be used for performing unbalanced transmission between communicating entities.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2010Publication date: March 17, 2011Applicant: AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATIONInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, James S. Spitaels, David A. Colucci, Matthew Fletcher Bush, C. Michael Hoff, Robert Joseph Backofen, Vishwas Mohaniraj Deokar
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Patent number: 7880438Abstract: An uninterruptible power supply system includes an input configured to couple to a power source, an output configured to couple to a system load, a battery, power circuitry coupled to the input, the output, and the battery, and configured to transfer power from the input to the output and to transfer power from the battery to the output, a test load, a test switch coupled to the battery and the test load and configured to selectively couple the battery to the test load, a voltage monitor coupled to the battery and configured to provide an indication of a voltage provided by the battery, and a processor coupled to the test switch and the voltage monitor and configured to effect a first partial-discharge test on the battery by actuating the test switch to couple the battery to the test load to partially discharge the battery, and by using information from the voltage monitor regarding the voltage provided by the battery at different times during the test before a complete discharge of the battery to determine aType: GrantFiled: June 7, 2007Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, William L. Owens
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Patent number: 7872450Abstract: A system includes an input configured to connect to a power source providing an input voltage, an output configured to connect to a load and to transfer power from the power source to the load, a battery selectively coupled to the input to receive current from the power source, a detector configured to indicate whether the input voltage drops more than a threshold amount, and a processor configured to regulate the selective coupling of the battery to the input to regulate a charging current supplied to the battery, the processor configured to regulate the selective coupling such that if a first charge current induces a drop in the input voltage beyond the threshold amount, then the processor will change the charging current to a second charge current that is lower than the first charge current.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2004Date of Patent: January 18, 2011Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, William L. Owens, Franklin Lee, James D. Orlando
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Publication number: 20100250162Abstract: A method of estimating battery lifetime includes monitoring a charge characteristic of a battery during a first time period, monitoring an operating condition of the battery, determining a first battery life value for the first time period based on the operating condition of the battery, the charge characteristic, and a duration of the first time period, determining an overall battery life value using the first battery life value and a second battery life value for a second time period, and estimating a remaining battery lifetime for the battery based on the overall battery life value.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2009Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Kevin White, Daniel C. Cohen
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Publication number: 20100250805Abstract: One aspect relates to a communication protocol for communicating between one or more entities, such as devices, hosts or any other system capable of communicating over a network. Another aspect relates to a system architecture that permits more than one slave system (e.g., a slave device) to be connected to a master system (e.g., a master device) in a communication system implementing a master/slave protocol. In one aspect, a pass-through device is provided that facilitates communication and authentication to one or more downstream slave devices. Yet another aspect relates to a star-based configuration of slave devices coupled to the master, and protocols for communicating and authenticating slave devices. Another aspect relates to a protocol that allows communication between entities without a priori knowledge of the communication protocol. In such a protocol, for example, information describing a data structure of the communication protocol is transferred between communicating entities.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2009Publication date: September 30, 2010Inventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, Mark R. Melanson, James S. Spitaels, Vishwas Mohaniraj Deokar
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Patent number: 7796589Abstract: One aspect relates to a communication protocol for communicating between one or more entities, such as devices, hosts or any other system capable of communicating over a network. A protocol is provided that allows communication between entities without a priori knowledge of the communication protocol. In such a protocol, for example, information describing a data structure of the communication protocol is transferred between communicating entities. Further, an authentication protocol is provided for providing bidirectional authentication between communicating entities. In one specific example, the entities include a master device and a slave device coupled by a serial link. In another specific example, the communication protocol may be used for performing unbalanced transmission between communicating entities.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2005Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, James S. Spitaels, David A. Colucci, Matthew Fletcher Bush, C. Michael Hoff, Robert Joseph Backofen, Vishwas Mohaniraj Deokar
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Patent number: 7786618Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a UPS includes an input configured to be coupled to an AC power source, a DC power source, an output configured to receive power from at least one of the AC power source and the DC power source, a first switched receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a first electrical load and a second receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a second electrical load. According to some embodiments, the UPS also includes a control unit configurable to provide a first configuration associated with the first switched receptacle outlet, where the first configuration is employed by the control unit to control a connection of the first switched receptacle outlet to the output independent of the second receptacle outlet.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2008Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, Mark R. Melanson, James S. Spitaels
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Publication number: 20100045107Abstract: A power supply system includes an AC power line with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The UPS includes control circuitry that couples power conversion circuitry of the UPS to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable. The power supply system also includes a second UPS device coupled to receive power from the AC power line. The second UPS includes a timer delay, such that the control circuitry is configured to couple power conversion circuitry to the AC power line when the available AC power is acceptable, and upon expiration of the timer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2008Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: American Power Conversion CorporationInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, James S. Spitaels, Mark R. Melanson
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Publication number: 20090251002Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a UPS includes an input configured to be coupled to an AC power source, a DC power source, an output configured to receive power from at least one of the AC power source and the DC power source, a first switched receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a first electrical load and a second receptacle outlet coupled to the output and configured to be coupled to a second electrical load. According to some embodiments, the UPS also includes a control unit configurable to provide a first configuration associated with the first switched receptacle outlet, where the first configuration is employed by the control unit to control a connection of the first switched receptacle outlet to the output independent of the second receptacle outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2008Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATIONInventors: Daniel C. Cohen, David A. Colucci, Mark R. Melanson, James S. Spitaels
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Patent number: 6639383Abstract: A system for controlling multiple energy storage devices in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the system generally includes a charger coupled to a direct current (DC) bus of the UPS system, and two or more energy storage circuits, each of which includes a power regulator coupled to the charger and coupled to the DC bus, at least one energy storage device coupled to the power regulator, and a processor coupled to the power regulator for controlling the charge and discharge of the at least one energy storage device. In another embodiment of the invention, digital communication between two or more controllers is accomplished over the DC bus through use of the Control Area Network (CAN) protocol.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2002Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: American Power ConversionInventors: James E. Nelson, C. Michael Hoff, Daniel C. Cohen, Philip C. Hopkins
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Publication number: 20030052644Abstract: A system for controlling multiple energy storage devices in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the system generally includes a charger coupled to a direct current (DC) bus of the UPS system, and two or more energy storage circuits, each of which includes a power regulator coupled to the charger and coupled to the DC bus, at least one energy storage device coupled to the power regulator, and a processor coupled to the power regulator for controlling the charge and discharge of the at least one energy storage device. In another embodiment of the invention, digital communication between two or more controllers is accomplished over the DC bus through use of the Control Area Network (CAN) protocol.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2002Publication date: March 20, 2003Inventors: James E. Nelson, C. Michael Hoff, Daniel C. Cohen, Philip C. Hopkins
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Patent number: 6424119Abstract: A system for controlling multiple energy storage devices in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the system generally includes a charger coupled to a direct current (DC) bus of the UPS system, and two or more energy storage circuits, each of which includes a power regulator coupled to the charger and coupled to the DC bus, at least one energy storage device coupled to the power regulator, and a processor coupled to the power regulator for controlling the charge and discharge of the at least one energy storage device. In another embodiment of the invention, digital communication between two or more controllers is accomplished over the DC bus through use of the Control Area Network (CAN) protocol.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2001Date of Patent: July 23, 2002Assignee: American Power ConversionInventors: James E. Nelson, C. Michael Hoff, Daniel C. Cohen, Philip C. Hopkins