Patents by Inventor John A. Dickey

John A. Dickey 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: 9722336
    Abstract: A circuit board has a socket with at least one plated through-hole. A connector includes a housing that has first and second connector interfaces with, respectively, at least first and second connector contacts. The first connector interface opens into an interior of the housing such that there is a vapor path through the first connector interface and the interior of the housing to the second connector contact at the second connector interface. A resilient seal is located at the first connector interface. The first connector contact extends through the resilient seal and into the plated through-hole. The resilient seal intimately seals around the first connector contact and provides a barrier at the first connector interface into the vapor path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Cooney, John A. Dickey, Christian Miller, Kevin Case Fritz
  • Patent number: 9716385
    Abstract: A solid state power control (SSPC) controls flow of current from a power bus to an inductive load. The SSPC utilizes load sharing, in which a plurality of current supply paths are connected in parallel to control and share the flow of current between the power bus and the inductive load. Each current supply path includes a main power switching field effect transistor (FET); a balance resistor, and a secondary FET. The balance resistor is connected between the main FET and the load. The secondary FET shunts the balance resistor when the main FET is turned on, and allows current flow through the balance resistor during a turn-off time of the main FET. The balance resistor modulates gate-source voltage of the main FET in order to compensate for gate-source threshold differences among the main FETs that could lead to unequal current sharing during the turn-off period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Patent number: 9712156
    Abstract: A solid state power controller (SSPC) includes a main feed line, a load line, and a P-channel field effect transistor (PCFET) connecting between the main feed line and the load line and including an off state and an on state. The on state electrically connects the main feed line and the load line and the off state electrically disconnects the main feed line and the load line. The SSPC also includes a channel control operatively connected to the PCFET to control the PCFET between the off state and the on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Kevin C. Fritz
  • Patent number: 9713219
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) control system may include a LED control system for an aircraft. The LED control system may include an LED power controller, and a solid state power controller (SSPC) that includes a processor in communication with the LED power controller, where the LED power controller and the solid state power controller are integrated onto a single power module. The LED control system is configured to receive DC power from a power source, determine, via the processor, current flow through a series MOSFET element connecting to at least one LED, to control operational voltage across the at least one LED, and adjust, via the processor, a gate voltage of the series MOSFET element with the LED power controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Josh C. Swenson
  • Publication number: 20170202068
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) control system may include a LED control system for an aircraft. The LED control system may include an LED power controller, and a solid state power controller (SSPC) that includes a processor in communication with the LED power controller, where the LED power controller and the solid state power controller are integrated onto a single power module. The LED control system is configured to receive DC power from a power source, determine, via the processor, current flow through a series MOSFET element connecting to at least one LED, to control operational voltage across the at least one LED, and adjust, via the processor, a gate voltage of the series MOSFET element with the LED power controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Josh C. Swenson
  • Publication number: 20170163087
    Abstract: A power supply for providing power to a load includes an alternating current (AC) power supply having a positive output and a negative output connected to a common ground; a direct current (DC) power supply connected to a same common ground as the AC power supply; a rectifier connected to an output of the AC power supply and the common ground that converts AC power to DC power an provides to an output of the power supply; a connection control circuit coupled between the DC power supply and the output that connects the DC power supply to the output when the AC power supply is inactive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20170163030
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a lightning protection circuit configured for use in a solid state power controller (SSPC) having at least one feed line and a plurality of load lines. The lightning protection circuit includes a shared transient voltage suppressor and a transient isolator communicatively coupled to the shared transient voltage suppressor. The transient isolator is configured to be communicatively coupled to the at least one feed line and the plurality of load lines. When the transient isolator is communicatively coupled to and shared by the at least one feed line and the plurality of load lines, energy above a threshold on any one of the at least one feed line and the plurality of load lines is dissipated through the shared transient voltage suppressor. A single built-in-test (BIT) circuit is provided to detect dormant failures of the shared transient voltage suppressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Patent number: 9673618
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a solid-state power controller system is provided with channel protection features. The solid-state power controller system is configured to provide the ability to have sharing control over an individual SSPC channel that is operating in parallel with other SSPC channels. This can assist with the operation of secondary protection, protect the channel from exceeding its own trip curve, as well as assisting with thermal balance between the power dissipation of the channels in the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20170155244
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a transient protection circuit configured for use in a SSPC having a plurality of power channels. The transient protection circuit includes a shared transient voltage suppressor, and a shared protection line communicatively coupled to the shared transient voltage suppressor. The shared protection line is configured to be communicatively coupled to and shared by the plurality of power channels. When the shared protection line is communicatively coupled to and shared by the plurality of power channels, energy above a threshold on any one of the plurality of power channels is dissipated through the shared protection line and the shared transient voltage suppressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Donald G. Kilroy, Josh C. Swenson
  • Publication number: 20170085077
    Abstract: A solid-state power controller (SSPC) includes two or more SSPC channels for connecting a load to a feed bus. The SSPC channels include a disconnect switch and an enable switch having a terminal connected to a gate of the disconnect switch. A voltage clamping diode of the SSPC channel is connected to the gate of the enable switch, and is arranged to close the enable switch when a transient voltage applied to the SSPC channel when the transient voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage of the voltage clamping diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20170070056
    Abstract: A load balancing circuit comprising a first power source, a first field effect transistor (FET) device having a drain terminal connected to the first power source and a source terminal connected to a first node, a first resistor connected to the first node and a second node, a load connected to the second node, a second FET device having a drain terminal connected to the first node and a source terminal connected to the second node, a third FET device having a collector terminal connected to a gate terminal of the first FET device and an emitter terminal connected to the second node, and a second resistor connected to a base terminal of the third FET device and the first node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20170070046
    Abstract: A circuit comprises an alternating current (AC) feed line, a solid state power controller portion connected to the AC feed line, a load connected to the solid state power controller portion, a positive clamp rail, a negative clamp rail, a ground, a first diode connected to the AC feed line and the positive clamp rail, a second diode connected to the AC feed line and the negative clamp rail, a third diode connected to the load and the positive clamp rail, a fourth diode connected to the load and the negative clamp rail, a fifth diode connected to the positive clamp rail and the ground, a sixth diode connected to the negative clamp rail and the ground, and a capacitor connected to the positive clamp rail and the negative clamp rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Josh C. Swenson
  • Patent number: 9590520
    Abstract: A power control circuit includes a solid state power controller operable to connect an AC power source to a load. The solid state power controller includes a first switching device and a second switching device arranged serially. Each of the switching devices includes a diode, a controller controllably coupled to each of the first switching device and the second switching device, such that the controller is capable of controlling an on/off state of the first switching device and the second switching device. The controller further includes a non-transitory memory storing instructions for causing the controller to perform the steps of: switching off a first switching device having a diode aligned with a current polarity of an AC current flow prior to a first zero crossing, delaying a switching off of a second switching device until after the first zero crossing, and switching the second switching device off after the delay and before a second zero crossing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Patent number: 9572219
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a light-emitting diode (LED) that emits light having a hue that varies in response to variations in a voltage applied to the LED and an intensity that varies in response to variations in a duty cycle of the applied voltage. The lighting system includes a controller configured to receive a command signal having a periodic peak voltage and a periodic valley voltage. The controller includes a peak detector and a valley detector that detects the peak voltage and the valley voltage, respectively. The controller includes a pulse generator that generates a pulse stream having a pulse-voltage magnitude substantially equal to the detected peak voltage and a pulse-voltage duty cycle substantially equal to the ratio of the detected valley voltage to the detected peak voltage. The generated pulse stream is applied to the LED resulting in light emission of the controlled hue and of the controlled intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20160336754
    Abstract: A high power solid state power controller is provided. The power controller includes a first power bus, a second power bus, and a high power solid state switch unit electrically connected to the first power bus and the second power bus. The high power solid state switch unit includes a first solid state switch configured to operationally control power supplied between the first power bus and the second power bus and a controller configured to control the solid state switch and configured to control power supplied from the first power bus and the second power bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Gabriel Radulescu, John A. Dickey, Christian Miller, Jeffrey T. Wavering
  • Publication number: 20160327917
    Abstract: A system balances current flowing through a solid-state power controller system including at least two output channels connected in parallel. The system delivers a first current to a load via a first output channel to a load, and delivers a second current to the load via a second output channel connected in parallel with the first output channel. The system further determines a first strength of the first current and a second strength of the second current, and adjusts at least one of a first resistance of the first output channel and a second resistance of the second output channel such that the first current strength is substantially equal to the second current strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Josh C. Swenson, Donald G. Kilroy
  • Patent number: 9466444
    Abstract: A system for maintaining integrity of a switch contact includes a first resistor-capacitor circuit, a second resistor-capacitor circuit, and a control switch. The first resistor-capacitor circuit is connected to an output of the switch contact and includes a first resistor and a first capacitor. Upon closing of the switch contact, a first wetting current flows through the switch contact. The second resistor-capacitor circuit includes a second resistor and a second capacitor. The control switch is connected between the output of the switch contact and the second resistor-capacitor circuit and is selectively closable to generate a second wetting current through the switch contact. The control switch may be operated as needed to maintain the integrity of the mechanical switch contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20160294083
    Abstract: A circuit board has a socket with at least one plated through-hole. A connector includes a housing that has first and second connector interfaces with, respectively, at least first and second connector contacts. The first connector interface opens into an interior of the housing such that there is a vapor path through the first connector interface and the interior of the housing to the second connector contact at the second connector interface. A resilient seal is located at the first connector interface. The first connector contact extends through the resilient seal and into the plated through-hole. The resilient seal intimately seals around the first connector contact and provides a barrier at the first connector interface into the vapor path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Robert C. Cooney, John A. Dickey, Christian Miller, Kevin Case Fritz
  • Patent number: 9391059
    Abstract: A scalable solid-state power controller system is provided with channel protection features. A plurality of output channels may be combined to provide a combined channel output. The current provided at the combined channel output is sourced from the plurality of output channels and each channel is protected from faults such as overcurrent events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Publication number: 20160156348
    Abstract: A solid state power controller (SSPC) includes a main feed line, a load line, and a P-channel field effect transistor (PCFET) connecting between the main feed line and the load line and including an off state and an on state. The on state electrically connects the main feed line and the load line and the off state electrically disconnects the main feed line and the load line. The SSPC also includes a channel control operatively connected to the PCFET to control the PCFET between the off state and the on state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, Kevin C. Fritz