Patents by Inventor James A. Hopkins

James A. Hopkins 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: 7758256
    Abstract: A field-installable optical connector for terminating an optical cable, said connector comprising: (a) a housing having a front and back orientation; (b) a rear body attached to the back of said connector housing; (c) a ferrule assembly disposed in said connector housing, said ferrule assembly comprising at least a ferrule adapted for receiving a fiber of said cable, and a clamping mechanism to the rear of said ferrule, said clamping mechanism comprising at least a platform defining a fiber-receiving channel for receiving said fiber, a first member adjacent to the fiber-receiving channel and having at least one cam surface, and a second member having a second cam surface, said first and second cam surfaces cooperating such that relative movement between said first and second members causes said first member to move toward said fiber-receiving channel; (d) an actuator operatively connected to said second member to cause said second member to move relative said first member upon axial movement of said actuator,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric James Hopkins, Douglas Harold Rohde, David Donald Erdman
  • Publication number: 20100080515
    Abstract: A field-installable optical connector for terminating an optical cable, said connector comprising: (a) a housing having a front and back orientation; (b) a rear body attached to the back of said connector housing; (c) a ferrule assembly disposed in said connector housing, said ferrule assembly comprising at least a ferrule adapted for receiving a fiber of said cable, and a clamping mechanism to the rear of said ferrule, said clamping mechanism comprising at least a platform defining a fiber-receiving channel for receiving said fiber, a first member adjacent to the fiber-receiving channel and having at least one cam surface, and a second member having a second cam surface, said first and second cam surfaces cooperating such that relative movement between said first and second members causes said first member to move toward said fiber-receiving channel; (d) an actuator operatively connected to said second member to cause said second member to move relative said first member upon axial movement of said actuator,
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: ERIC JAMES HOPKINS, Douglas Harold Rohde, David Donald Erdman
  • Patent number: 7571834
    Abstract: A magazine for holding a quantity of blind rivets ready for use in an automatic rivet setting tool. The rivets are connected together in spaced relation along the length of an elongated rivet carrying strip or ribbon of flexible material by having a distal portion of each mandrel inserted or pierced therethrough. The magazine includes longitudinal panels connected together in a preferably even, spaced, radially extending arrangement forming a spool. The longitudinal panels each define an outer distal longitudinal edge, all of which are preferably substantially parallel one to another and to a central spool axis. Each rivet carried on the flexible strip, when the flexible strip is spiral-wound around said longitudinal distal edges, is positioned in somewhat radially oriented fashion between adjacent longitudinal panels with the head of each rivet positioned inwardly toward the spool axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Sartam Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James Hopkins, Dallas B. Perkins
  • Publication number: 20090185779
    Abstract: A cap for a field-installable optical connector having a front and rear orientation, a housing, an axially-actuated clamping mechanism in the housing, and a ferrule assembly forward of the clamping mechanism and forwardly biased in the housing, the ferrule assembly comprising a holder and a ferrule extending from the holder, the cap comprising a front end defining a cavity for receiving the ferrule and having an outer surface defining at least part of a front-end geometry, a back end defining an opening through which the ferrule is received and a perimeter around the opening, the perimeter configured to contact the holder when the cap is pushed rearward in the housing, the front and back ends being unitary such that any rearward force on the front end is transferred to the back end and through the perimeter to the holder and a retention portion for contacting the housing to secure the cap to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Lawrence Gurreri, David Donald Erdman, Eric James Hopkins, Douglas Harold Rohde, Koen Verweyen, Daniel Daems
  • Patent number: 7553089
    Abstract: An optical connector which is suitable for connection to jacketed cable includes a housing and a ferrule assembly. The ferrule assembly includes a front portion having a first geometry, and the housing includes a receiving portion having a second geometry that mates with the first geometry to prevent rotation of the ferrule assembly relative to the housing. A spring biases the ferrule assembly forward to assist mating of the first and second geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Lawrence Gurreri, Douglas Harold Rohde, Eric James Hopkins, David Donald Erdman
  • Publication number: 20090000347
    Abstract: A rivet table connected to the nosepiece of a rivet setting apparatus. The rivet table includes an outer sleeve which controllably slides back and forth within the nosepiece and supports opposing jaws pivotally connected to the outer sleeve about spaced transverse pivot axes. The jaws pivot between a closed position and an open position, biased toward the closed position and define a flat transverse distal rivet head receiving surface, and a central mandrel-receiving aperture therebetween to slidably receive a rivet mandrel and to support the rivet head against said rivet head receiving surface during rivet setting. The jaws are momentarily forced into the open position by the mandrel moving laterally into the aperture and being carried on a flexible strip. The exposed surface of the rivet head is thereby substantially free of tool marks after being set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Sartam Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James Hopkins, Heath Perry, Dallas Perkins, James Lyngholm
  • Publication number: 20080238639
    Abstract: A testing device operable to test a tow vehicle's trailer light control system with the testing device operable to determine whether or not, subsequent to being operably connected to a tow trailer wiring harness of the tow vehicle, the tow vehicle's trailer light control system can transmit the required voltage to operate the light system of the tow trailer. The testing device further includes a housing which has disposed therein a plurality of test lights. A controller operable connects the test lights to a terminal assembly which is electrically coupled to the tow vehicle. The test lights are configured to illuminate subsequent to receiving the required voltage to operate a portion of the light system of a tow trailer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventor: James Hopkins
  • Patent number: 7388390
    Abstract: A testing apparatus is described with a housing, a power source, a carrier assembly, and a backbone connecting the carrier assembly to the power source. A resource board is disposed on the carrier assembly and is connected thereto, thereby receiving power from the power source through the carrier assembly. The resource board is adapted to perform a test on a device under test and to generate data reflecting results of the test on the device under test. A test pin assembly is disposed at one end of the resource board and is connectable with a loadboard. A controller operatively connects to the power supply, the carrier assembly, and the resource board. The controller is adapted to communicate with the resource board to execute instructions to test the device under test. The controller also receives the result data from the resource board, permitting analysis of the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Telco Testing Systems LLC
    Inventors: Roger Brueckner, Michael Costello, James Hopkins, Rudy Sterbenz
  • Patent number: 7370524
    Abstract: A control system and method for actively reducing vibration in a spindle housing caused by unbalance forces on a rotating spindle, by measuring the force-induced spindle-housing motion, determining control signals based on synchronous demodulation, and provide compensation for the measured displacement to cancel or otherwise reduce or attenuate the vibration. In particular, the synchronous demodulation technique is performed to recover a measured spindle housing displacement signal related only to the rotation of a machine tool spindle, and consequently rejects measured displacement not related to spindle motion or synchronous to a cycle of revolution. Furthermore, the controller actuates at least one voice-coil (VC) motor, to cancel the original force-induced motion, and adapts the magnitude of voice coil signal until this measured displacement signal is brought to a null. In order to adjust the signal to a null, it must have the correct phase relative to the spindle angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: David James Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20070271058
    Abstract: A testing apparatus is described with a housing, a power source, a carrier assembly, and a backbone connecting the carrier assembly to the power source. A resource board is disposed on the carrier assembly and is connected thereto, thereby receiving power from the power source through the carrier assembly. The resource board is adapted to perform a test on a device under test and to generate data reflecting results of the test on the device under test. A test pin assembly is disposed at one end of the resource board and is connectable with a loadboard. A controller operatively connects to the power supply, the carrier assembly, and the resource board. The controller is adapted to communicate with the resource board to execute instructions to test the device under test. The controller also receives the result data from the resource board, permitting analysis of the device under test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: TELCO TESTING SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Roger Brueckner, Michael Costello, James Hopkins, Rudolph Sterbenz
  • Patent number: 7262616
    Abstract: A testing apparatus is described with a housing, a power source, a carrier assembly, and a backbone connecting the carrier assembly to the power source. A resource board is disposed on the carrier assembly and is connected thereto, thereby receiving power from the power source through the carrier assembly. The resource board is adapted to perform a test on a device under test and to generate data reflecting results of the test on the device under test. A test pin assembly is disposed at one end of the resource board and is connectable with a loadboard. A controller operatively connects to the power supply, the carrier assembly, and the resource board. The controller is adapted to communicate with the resource board to execute instructions to test the device under test. The controller also receives the result data from the resource board, permitting analysis of the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Telco Testing Systems LLC
    Inventors: Roger Brueckner, Michael Costello, James Hopkins, Rudolph Sterbenz
  • Publication number: 20070159197
    Abstract: A testing apparatus is described with a housing, a power source, a carrier assembly, and a backbone connecting the carrier assembly to the power source. A resource board is disposed on the carrier assembly and is connected thereto, thereby receiving power from the power source through the carrier assembly. The resource board is adapted to perform a test on a device under test and to generate data reflecting results of the test on the device under test. A test pin assembly is disposed at one end of the resource board and is connectable with a loadboard. A controller operatively connects to the power supply, the carrier assembly, and the resource board. The controller is adapted to communicate with the resource board to execute instructions to test the device under test. The controller also receives the result data from the resource board, permitting analysis of the device under test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: Telco Testing Systems LLC
    Inventors: Roger Brueckner, Michael Costello, James Hopkins, Rudolph Sterbenz
  • Publication number: 20070125673
    Abstract: A magazine for holding a larger quantity of blind rivets ready for use in an automatic rivet setting tool. The rivets are connected in spaced relation along the length of an elongated flexible rivet carrying strip or ribbon by having a distal portion of each mandrel inserted or pierced through the carrying strip. The magazine preferably includes an upwardly tapering conical or truncated conical shaped support surface held for rotation about a preferably upright central spool axis on a support stand. The carrying strip is loaded with rivets and spiral-wound around and flat against the outer support surface with the head of each rivet extending away from the spool axis and the distal portion positioned against the outer surface so that each rivet is automatically positioned in an outwardly extending fashion from the support surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Sartam Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James Hopkins, James Lyngholm, Heath Perry, Dallas Perkins
  • Publication number: 20060250733
    Abstract: The present invention comprises using an electrode (107) arranged with a small gap or opening (108) placed in parallel with an electrically sensitive component (105) and housed with a gas inside an enclosure (100) to form a discharge gap. Such configurations may protect against low level voltage spikes, but in so doing, do not significantly add input capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventor: James Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20060102648
    Abstract: A magazine for holding a quantity of blind rivets ready for use in an automatic rivet setting tool. The rivets are connected together in spaced relation along the length of an elongated rivet carrying strip or ribbon of flexible material by having a distal portion of each mandrel inserted or pierced therethrough. The magazine includes longitudinal panels connected together in a preferably even, spaced, radially extending arrangement forming a spool. The longitudinal panels each define an outer distal longitudinal edge, all of which are preferably substantially parallel one to another and to a central spool axis. Each rivet carried on the flexible strip, when the flexible strip is spiral-wound around said longitudinal distal edges, is positioned in somewhat radially oriented fashion between adjacent longitudinal panels with the head of each rivet positioned inwardly toward the spool axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: Sartam Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas Perkins, James Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20050197997
    Abstract: A user interface is provided which allows a database associated with a template file to be populated and reviewed for accuracy. A template file is parsed to identify any tags therein. The user interface shows the tags identified in the template file and database entries for each of the identified tags. When populating the database, at least some of the database entries are initially blank. Database entries are inputted via the user interface for each of the tags having an initially blank entry. The user interface also shows any tags in the database that do not appear in the template file, thereby allowing a user to verify whether the template file is correct. Template files, when combined with data values in their respective databases, are used to create web pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: James Hopkins, Timothy Lee
  • Publication number: 20050197820
    Abstract: A plurality of resources are managed that are used in simulations. Resources are associated with two or more different resource sets. The resource sets are then associated with one or more different simulations. The resources may include electronic document images, application program components that execute from within other applications, animations, and web pages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Aaron Ehrensberger, Grace Reuss, James Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20050197819
    Abstract: A remote server-based application is executed offline on a local computer by providing a local computer with an application, an application server which executes the application, and an application server manager. The application server manager is used to manage the application server so as to start and stop the application server, thereby starting and stopping the application so that the locally executed application is experienced in the same manner as if the application was executed via a remote server. Multi-user capability of the application server is disabled. The application server manager may be a browser shell. The application may be a simulation engine and the application content may be simulation content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: James Hopkins, Kelly Voltz
  • Patent number: 6891735
    Abstract: An adapter using an electrically-conductive wall within the adapter to channel EMI emissions to ground. In a preferred embodiment, the adapter comprises: (a) an elongated housing having a first and second end and defining a first passageway extending axially from the first end toward the second end, and a second passageway extending axially from the second end toward the first end, each passageway configured to receive an optical connector plug; (b) an electrically-conductive wall traversing the adapter between the first and second passageways, the wall being sized to cover a substantial portion of the opening when the adapter is mounted to the chassis; and (c) at least one portion of the wall extending outside of the housing to electrically couple with the chassis of the computer system when the adapter is mounted to the chassis forming an electrically-conductive path between a point on the wall and the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Antonius Hultermans, Jacob Arie Elenbaas, Jeffrey Dean Shipe, Eric James Hopkins
  • Patent number: 6788846
    Abstract: A modular fiber management system that comprises: (a) a tray defining a set of first ports, a set of second ports, and paths interconnecting at least a portion of the first and second ports, the paths being configured to limit the bend radius of one or more fibers contained therein to no less than the minimum bend radius of the fibers; (b) one or more first connectors and one or more second connectors, each first connector being disposed in a first port, and each second connector being disposed in a second port, each connector having an x, y and z orientation such that the z axis is along the optical axis of the connector; (c) a plurality of fibers interconnecting at least a portion of the first and second connectors and lying in the paths, each fiber having a certain amount of slack between the first connector and the second connector; and (d) wherein each connector is limited in movement along its x y and z axes relative to the tray, each connector being limited in movement along its x and y axes by the por
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald Allan Hileman, Eric James Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Shipe