Patents by Inventor Kenneth O'Brien

Kenneth O'Brien 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: 20240105429
    Abstract: A substrate support includes an edge ring, a heater element arranged within the edge ring, a ceramic layer, at least one heating element arranged within the ceramic layer, and a cable configured to provide power from a power source to the heater element and the at least one heating element. The cable includes a first plurality of wires connected to the heater element, a second plurality of wires connected to the at least one heating element, a filter module, and an isolation device connected only to the first plurality of wires between the filter module and the heater element. The first and second pluralities of wires are twisted together within the filter module. The isolation device is configured to compensate for a resonance frequency generated during operation of the heater element and the at least one heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Seyed Jafar JAFARIAN-TEHRANI, Kenneth Walter Finnegan, Sean O'Brien, Benson Q. Tong
  • Patent number: 9774954
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, an impedance detection circuit, method, and integrated circuit, comprising a ramp-up current generation circuit and an impedance determining circuit, wherein the ramp-up current generation circuit is configured to input a ramp-up current including n breaks to a port of a device where the ramp-up current generation circuit is disposed, to which port an external device is connected, and wherein the impedance determining circuit is configured to detect an impedance of the external device in each break time period of the ramp-up current input by the ramp-up current generation circuit until the impedance of the external device is acquired by detection in the last break time period of the n breaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Peng Zhu, Kenneth O'Brien, Jianing Zhou, Yongliang Li
  • Patent number: 9654089
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a detection circuit configured to receive an output of a window comparator over a range of input values and to measure a difference between first and second thresholds of the window comparator, and a trim circuit configured to adjust at least one of the first or second thresholds using the measured difference between the first and second thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gregory A. Maher, Kenneth O'Brien
  • Patent number: 9229833
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a connector configured to receive an electrical contact of an accessory device that is electrically coupled to a resistor of the accessory device, a current source configured to apply a specified current to the resistor to generate a resulting voltage, a comparator configured to receive and compare the resulting voltage to a reference voltage, and a controller configured to store an outcome of the comparison as a bit in a register, to adjust the applied current using the outcome of the comparison, and to determine a resistance value for the resistor using the bit stored in the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randall Wetzel, Kenneth P. Snowdon, Kenneth O'Brien
  • Publication number: 20150233859
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, an impedance detection circuit, method, and integrated circuit, comprising a ramp-up current generation circuit and an impedance determining circuit, wherein the ramp-up current generation circuit is configured to input a ramp-up current including n breaks to a port of a device where the ramp-up current generation circuit is disposed, to which port an external device is connected, and wherein the impedance determining circuit is configured to detect an impedance of the external device in each break time period of the ramp-up current input by the ramp-up current generation circuit until the impedance of the external device is acquired by detection in the last break time period of the n breaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Peng Zhu, Kenneth O'Brien, Jianing Zhou, Yongliang Li
  • Publication number: 20140343411
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an OCT imaging system having a variety of advantages. In particular, the OCT system of the present disclosure may provide a more intuitive interface, more efficient usage of controls, and a greater ability to view OCT imaging data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Kenneth O'Brien, James Houskeeper, Marshall Houskeeper, Nilma Shokrollahi, Paul Neumann
  • Publication number: 20140139281
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a detection circuit configured to receive an output of a window comparator over a range of input values and to measure a difference between first and second thresholds of the window comparator, and a trim circuit configured to adjust at least one of the first or second thresholds using the measured difference between the first and second thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory A. Maher, Kenneth O'Brien
  • Publication number: 20120198183
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a connector configured to receive an electrical contact of an accessory device that is electrically coupled to a resistor of the accessory device, a current source configured to apply a specified current to the resistor to generate a resulting voltage, a comparator configured to receive and compare the resulting voltage to a reference voltage, and a controller configured to store an outcome of the comparison as a bit in a register, to adjust the applied current using the outcome of the comparison, and to determine a resistance value for the resistor using the bit stored in the register.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Randall Wetzel, Kenneth P. Snowdon, Kenneth O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6587831
    Abstract: A method for centrally creating a schedule for a group of company employees who may be geographically dispersed. The system operates over a distributed network thereby providing communication among employees and other data sources. The scheduling system assigns the employees to shifts while accommodating numerous factors including staffing requirements, employee preferences, and optimal settings based on forecasting. Forecasts derived from information concerning factors outside the company constitute extrinsic influences on the schedule generated according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Workforce Logistics Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth O'Brien