Patents by Inventor David K. Vail

David K. Vail 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: 20030111991
    Abstract: A system and method for remote regulation of a switching power converter operating relative to a second ground is disclosed where a control signal is produced by comparing the line voltage relative to a first ground with a reference voltage relative to the first ground to produce a first error signal relative to the first ground, translating the first error signal to a second error signal relative to a second ground, and applying the second error signal to the switching power converter to thereby regulate the switching power converter as a function of the line voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Mertindale, David K. Vail
  • Patent number: 6580256
    Abstract: A system and method for remote regulation of a switching power converter operating relative to a second ground is disclosed where a control signal is produced by comparing the line voltage relative to a first ground with a reference voltage relative to the first ground to produce a first error signal relative to the first ground, translating the first error signal to a second error signal relative to a second ground, and applying the second error signal to the switching power converter to thereby regulate the switching power converter as a function of the line voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: W. Kenneth Martindale, David K. Vail
  • Patent number: 6390672
    Abstract: A space vehicle includes a temperature sensitive oscillator carried by a housing. The temperature sensitive oscillator includes a radiation hardened inverting gain circuit, such as a comparator, able to withstand radiation in an ambient space environment, and a thermistor connected to the radiation hardened inverting gain circuit so that an output frequency of the temperature sensitive oscillator varies based upon a temperature of the thermistor. Also, a frequency counter is preferably connected to the temperature sensitive oscillator for generating a digital output signal representative of a sensed temperature. The sensed temperature may be used by one or more electronic circuits connected to the frequency counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David K. Vail, Thornton Hinshaw
  • Patent number: 5990830
    Abstract: A "just in time" pipelined signal processing architecture for a phased array antenna simultaneously updates the weights of all phase control elements of the antenna with reduced wiring complexity and fast beam steering updates. Signal propagation paths between a pipelined communication link--through subarray control processors distributed along the pipeline link--and phase control elements of the antenna array are provided with respectively different serial pipelined transport delays. These delays are such that all phase control signals produced by the subarray control processors are applied simultaneously to their associated subsets of antenna phase control elements. The use of serial (FIFO) delays to equalize pipeline and weight processing latency allows each subarray controller to process and forward serial beam vector data at the same data rate at which it is received from an upstream host processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David K. Vail, Mark D. Fisher, Stephen S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 4978633
    Abstract: A variable die size gate array architecture is realizable by forming in a semiconductor substrate an array of circuit devices separated from one another by a network of routing channels. Through the selective interconnection of the routing channels and the circuit devices a prescribed signal processing function may be implemented. The array of circuit devices includes gate supercells each of which is configurable to perform a respective signal processing operation, and input/output supercells each of which is configurable to effectively perform input/output interfacing between the gate supercells and signal terminals external to the array. The gate supercells and the input/output supercells are intermingled with one another in the array in accordance with a prescribed two-dimensional distribution pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David F. Seefeldt, Michael J. Iacoponi, David K. Vail, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4864381
    Abstract: A variable die size gate array architecture is realizable by forming in a semiconductor substrate an array of circuit devices separated from one another by a network of routing channels. Through the selective interconnection of the routing channels and the circuit devices a prescribed signal processing function may be implemented. The array of circuit devices includes gate supercells each of which is configurable to perform a respective signal processing operation, and input/output supercells each of which is configurable to effectively perform input/output interfacing between the gate supercells and signal terminals external to the array. The gate supercells and the input/output supercells are intermingled with one another in the array in accordance with a prescribed two-dimensional distribution pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David F. Seefeldt, Michael J. Iacoponi, David K. Vail, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4559613
    Abstract: A high-resolution digital pulse to digital pulse divider circuit directly synthesizes precise frequencies having low phase noise content and phase continuity when frequency changes occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: John W. Murphy, David K. Vail
  • Patent number: 4468784
    Abstract: A mixer-driver circuit in a code correlator of a spread-spectrum communications system simultaneously multiplies an input RF signal with two phase-offset digitally encoded bit streams. A double-balanced mixer is driven with the difference of the digital signals; the mixer is either inverting, noninverting, or off. Matched ECL bistables which reclock the phase-offset bit streams, and a load current steering circuit coupled to the bistables together provide a balanced, differential drive current to the mixer which switches state faster than the bistables alone. In another embodiment, a single bistable receiving an encoded bit stream differentially drives the mixer in a biphase circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1984
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Paul G. Jagnow, David K. Vail
  • Patent number: 4448543
    Abstract: An electronic time-of-day clock having a low-power time source and compensation circuits selectively operable responsive to pulses output from the low-power time source when system primary power is off or disabled, and responsive to a relatively highly accurate time-pulse generator when primary power is enabled. The time-of-day clock compensates continuously in real-time for errors in the output of the low-power time source caused by variations in the ambient temperature of the device; when primary power is enabled, the output of the low-power time source is further compensated by comparing the output thereof with the output of the high-accuracy frequency standard and storing accumulated error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: David K. Vail
  • Patent number: 4385401
    Abstract: A mixer-driver circuit in a code correlator of a spread-spectrum communications system simultaneously multiplies an input RF signal with two phase-offset digitally encoded bit streams. A double-balanced mixer is driven with the difference of the digital signals; the mixer is either inverting, noninverting, or off. Matched ECL bistables which reclock the phase-offset bit streams, and a load current steering circuit coupled to the bistables together provide a balanced, differential drive current to the mixer which switches state faster than the bistables alone. In another embodiment, a single bistable receiving an encoded bit stream differentially drives the mixer in a biphase circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Paul G. Jagnow, David K. Vail