Patents by Inventor G. Kirk Farley

G. Kirk Farley 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).

  • Magnetic steering wheel movement sensing device
    Patent number: 6424265
    Abstract: A steering wheel movement detection device has a magnetic flux source and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor is mounted on the steering column and the magnetic flux source is attached to the steering shaft or steering wheel and moves in accordance therewith. The magnetic flux source has lines or bands of varying magnetic flux. The magnetic sensing device is mounted adjacent and opposing the magnetic flux source so that when the steering wheel moves varying magnetic flux impinges upon the magnetic sensing device. The magnetic sensing device forms the inductive component of a resonant LC tank circuit and the frequency of that circuit varies in accordance with the flux impinging on the sensing device. A microcontroller integrates or averages the varying frequency signal over brief periods of time and when the average frequency does not have sufficient deviations an alarm signal is produced. A speaker is driven by the alarm signal to signal the driver to a state of alertness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Inventors: G. Kirk Farley, Charles D. Angert
  • Magnetic steering wheel movement sensing device
    Publication number: 20010000432
    Abstract: A steering wheel movement detection device has a magnetic flux source and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor is mounted on the steering column and the magnetic flux source is attached to the steering shaft or steering wheel and moves in accordance therewith. The magnetic flux source has lines or bands of varying magnetic flux. The magnetic sensing device is mounted adjacent and opposing the magnetic flux source so that when the steering wheel moves varying magnetic flux impinges upon the magnetic sensing device. The magnetic sensing device forms the inductive component of a resonant LC tank circuit and the frequency of that circuit varies in accordance with the flux impinging on the sensing device. A microcontroller integrates or averages the varying frequency signal over brief periods of time and when the average frequency does not have sufficient deviations an alarm signal is produced. A speaker is driven by the alarm signal to signal the driver to a state of alertness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Publication date: April 26, 2001
    Inventors: G. Kirk Farley, Charles D. Angert
  • Magnetic steering wheel movement sensing device
    Patent number: 6198397
    Abstract: A steering wheel movement detection device has a magnetic flux source and a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor is mounted on the steering column and the magnetic flux source is attached to the steering shaft or steering wheel and moves in accordance therewith. The magnetic flux source has lines or bands of varying magnetic flux. The magnetic sensing device is mounted adjacent and opposing the magnetic flux source so that when the steering wheel moves varying magnetic flux impinges upon the magnetic sensing device. The magnetic sensing device forms the inductive component of a resonant LC tank circuit and the frequency of that circuit varies in accordance with the flux impinging on the sensing device. A microcontroller integrates or averages the varying frequency signal over brief periods of time and when the average frequency does not have sufficient deviations an alarm signal is produced. A speaker is driven by the alarm signal to signal the driver to a state of alertness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventors: Charles D. Angert, G. Kirk Farley