Patents by Inventor Kevin E. Nortrup

Kevin E. Nortrup 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: 8792059
    Abstract: A control device signals user inputs to an audio-video display. The control device may be configured as a pillow speaker and include a speaker for reproducing audio from the audio-video display. The control device is coupled to the audio-video display by wiring. Shared signals in the wiring are used to provide power to operate the control device and are used to signal the user inputs to the audio-video display. A touch panel is used to sense user inputs. The touch panel may be transparent with an underlay containing indicia of user-selectable commands located below the touch panel. The arrangement and selection of commands available to the user may be modified by changing the underlay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Anacom Medtek
    Inventors: Joachim Kuciera, Kevin Paul Finnegan, Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Publication number: 20130229583
    Abstract: A control device signals user inputs to an audio-video display. The control device may be configured as a pillow speaker and include a speaker for reproducing audio from the audio-video display. The control device is coupled to the audio-video display by wiring. Shared signals in the wiring are used to provide power to operate the control device and are used to signal the user inputs to the audio-video display. A touch panel is used to sense user inputs. The touch panel may be transparent with an underlay containing indicia of user-selectable commands located below the touch panel. The arrangement and selection of commands available to the user may be modified by changing the underlay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: ANACOM MEDTEK
    Inventors: Joachim Kuciera, Kevin Paul Finnegan, Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Patent number: 5180934
    Abstract: In a system for communicating between multiple signal sources and at least one destination, communications occur via a communications, line shared by the signal sources. The multiple signal sources are coupled to the shared communications line via respective interface circuits. The interface circuits operate to determine which signal source will control the shared communications line. The operation of the interface circuits involves a switching or enabling function responsive to signal activity from one of the signal sources. The switching operation also involves assigning relative priorities to the signal sources. The priortizing feature results from an interaction between the relative impedances of the signal sources and the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Patent number: 5148280
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Leroy S. Wignot, Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Patent number: 5144440
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Leroy S. Wignot, Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Patent number: 4935906
    Abstract: Images of underwater features, animate and inanimate, are produced from substantial distances in any direction around a boat, using small and easily mountable sonar devices, including three sonar transducers, two being stationary and the third being directable, the transducers being operable at various ultrasonic frequencies. Under keyboard control and using completely integrated electronic circuitry, images and echo sounding reports are generated on a graphic video display. The images include a sector-shaped image from a sector scan which covers a selected range of azimuth angles at a selected down angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: Span, Inc.
    Inventors: William Baker, Kevin E. Nortrup, James C. Stevens
  • Patent number: 4680511
    Abstract: An input signal for controlling a television power supply has "power-on" and "power-off" signal states. When the input signal is in the "power-on" state, it couples a clock signal to a primary winding of a transformer causing an alternating current voltage that is conductively isolated from the input signal to be developed across a secondary winding of the transformer. When the input signal is in the "power-off" state, it decouples the clock signal from the primary winding so that no alternating current voltage is developed across the secondary winding. The signal across the secondary winding is demodulated in a demodulator that produces a control signal that is conductively isolated from the input signal. The control signal is coupled to a regulator of the power supply. A power-on state of the control signal occurs when the alternating current voltage is developed at the secondary winding terminal. A power-off state of the control signal occurs when the alternating current voltage is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventors: William V. Fitzgerald, Ronald E. Fernsler, Kevin E. Nortrup
  • Patent number: 4626892
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling various functions of a television receiver such as the picture and audio responses includes a keyboard with numbered keys which are normally used for selecting channels and a program key. When the program key is pressed, an on-screen character generator is caused to display a numbered list or menu of the various functions to be controlled. Thereafter, a particular function can be selected for control by pressing the correspondingly numbered key. This causes the numbered list or menu of the characteristics of the selected function, e.g., the brightness, contrast, sharpness, color level and color tint of the picture, to be displayed. Thereafter a particular characteristic can be selected for control by pressing the correspondingly numbered key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin E. Nortrup, Billy W. Beyers, Jr., Jack S. Fuhrer
  • Patent number: 4622481
    Abstract: This circuit provides a digital output indicating the presence or absence of the infrared (IR) carrier signal. The incoming IR signal is sampled by a clock at a frequency which is about 4 times the carrier frequency. The high and low samples are tabulated in two counters in a race. When 8 high or 16 low samples are counted, the envelope status flip flop is set or reset, respectively, and both counters are reset. The output of the envelope status flip flop represents the envelope of the IR carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin E. Nortrup