Patents by Inventor Gregory Harris Smith

Gregory Harris Smith 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).

  • Patent number: 11309880
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provides a low-complexity solution and current protection for a current driver that provide current pulses to pyrotechnic initiators. The current drivers include current limiters that prevent high current transients during a current pulse. Further, a duration of the current pulse is controlled based on a thermal limit of the current driver to prevent thermal damage to the current driver. One embodiment comprises an apparatus that includes a control circuit and a current driver. The current driver is electrically couplable to a pyrotechnic initiator. The current driver includes a power switch circuit electrically coupled to a supply rail that supplies a current to a high side of the pyrotechnic initiator in response to receiving a drive signal from the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gregory Harris Smith, Kenneth A. Seidner
  • Publication number: 20190190510
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provides a low-complexity solution and current protection for a current driver that provide current pulses to pyrotechnic initiators. The current drivers include current limiters that prevent high current transients during a current pulse. Further, a duration of the current pulse is controlled based on a thermal limit of the current driver to prevent thermal damage to the current driver. One embodiment comprises an apparatus that includes a control circuit and a current driver. The current driver is electrically couplable to a pyrotechnic initiator. The current driver includes a power switch circuit electrically coupled to a supply rail that supplies a current to a high side of the pyrotechnic initiator in response to receiving a drive signal from the control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Gregory Harris Smith, Kenneth A. Seidner
  • Patent number: 9250051
    Abstract: Technologies for sequentially initiating squibs in one or more release mechanisms in order to reduce delay between successive squibs are provided. A squib initiation sequencer is configured to initiate squibs of one or more release mechanisms in a pre-programmed sequence. The squib initiation sequencer is further configured to detect when the initiation of each squib in the sequence is complete, and immediately move to the next sequential step without waiting the entire maximum initiation time per the squib manufacturer's specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gregory Harris Smith, Son T. Vo, Randall Wayne Watkins, William L. Moon