Patents by Inventor David Lawton

David Lawton 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: 20120206844
    Abstract: Solid state power controllers are described that include a switch controlled by a microcontroller and communication contacts. In one aspect of the invention, the microcontroller is galvanically isolated from the communication contacts using magnetoresistive isolation. In another aspect of the invention a number of solid state power controllers are connected to an external microcontroller to form a power distribution array. In addition, messages exchanged between the external microcontroller and the solid state power controllers can be used to configure the solid state power controllers and provide a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Farshid Tofigh, Otmar Kruppa, Imtiaz Khan, Iraj Ghahramani, David Lawton, Kent Policky
  • Patent number: 8190934
    Abstract: Solid state power controllers in various configurations are provided. One such solid state power controller includes a power connector, a load connector and at least one communication connector, a solid state switch electrically connectable between the power connector and the load connector, where the switch includes an input, a microcontroller coupled to the input of the solid state switch, and current sensing circuitry coupled to the microcontroller and configured to sense a current flowing through the solid state switch, the current sensing circuitry including an amplifier having an offset error, where the current sensing circuitry is configured to generate a signal indicative of the current flowing through the solid state switch, and bias the generated signal to a predetermined level to substantially eliminate the offset error in the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Leach International Corporation
    Inventors: Farshid Tofigh, Otmar Kruppa, Imtiaz Khan, Iraj Ghahramani, David Lawton, Kent Policky
  • Publication number: 20100214703
    Abstract: Solid state power controllers are described that include a switch controlled by a microcontroller and communication contacts. In one aspect of the invention, the microcontroller is galvanically isolated from the communication contacts using magnetoresistive isolation. In another aspect of the invention a number of solid state power controllers are connected to an external microcontroller to form a power distribution array. In addition, messages exchanged between the external microcontroller and the solid state power controllers can be used to configure the solid state power controllers and provide a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Farshid Tofigh, Otmar Kruppa, Imtiaz Khan, Iraj Ghahramani, David Lawton, Kent Policky
  • Patent number: 7747879
    Abstract: Solid state power controllers are described that include a switch controlled by a microcontroller and communication contacts. In one aspect of the invention, the microcontroller is galvanically isolated from the communication contacts using magnetoresistive isolation. In another aspect of the invention a number of solid state power controllers are connected to an external microcontroller to form a power distribution array. In addition, messages exchanged between the external microcontroller and the solid state power controllers can be used to configure the solid state power controllers and provide a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Leach International Corporation
    Inventors: Farshid Tofigh, Otmar Kruppa, Imtiaz Khan, Iraj Ghahramani, David Lawton, Kent Policky
  • Publication number: 20060200688
    Abstract: Solid state power controllers are described that include a switch controlled by a microcontroller and communication contacts. In one aspect of the invention, the microcontroller is galvanically isolated from the communication contacts using magnetoresistive isolation. In another aspect of the invention a number of solid state power controllers are connected to an external microcontroller to form a power distribution array. In addition, messages exchanged between the external microcontroller and the solid state power controllers can be used to configure the solid state power controllers and provide a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Farshid Tofigh, Otmar Kruppa, Imtiaz Khan, Iraj Ghahramani, David Lawton, Kent Policky
  • Patent number: 6032121
    Abstract: A proactive planning methodology and system. The invention reconceptualizes current (delimited) calendar-based planning approaches, where planning is done at fixed or arbitrary times, in favor of a proactive planning methodology which can use information about real time changes in input data used for planning, for determining when a revised plan should be generated. The proactive planning methodology may determine, inter alia, that immediate planning is necessary, or it may schedule the generation of a new plan at some time in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brenda Lynn Dietrich, Thomas O'Leary, Russell Alan Rushmeier, David Lawton Shannon, Robert Wang