Patents by Inventor Larry Nicholson
Larry Nicholson 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).
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Patent number: 9658256Abstract: Control circuitry for controlling a spa water heater, wherein a microcontroller is configured to detect zero crossings of an A.C. line voltage from a voltage sense signal, to cause closing of a first heater relay and a second heater relay, to detect the time at which heater current is initially sensed by a current sensor after the initial closing of the second heater relay, to measure a time delay between the time that the second heater relay is closed and the time at which heater current is initially sensed, and to adjust the time at which a second closing of the second heater relay occurs such that zero crossings of the heater current occur at the same time as zero crossings of the voltage waveform. The control circuitry further includes a voltage sense circuit comprising a first diode connected in series with a current limiting resistance connected in series with a Zener diode, which is in turn connected in series with an optical coupler LED.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Larry Nicholson
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Patent number: 9326912Abstract: A waterproof, floatable and dockable remote control for controlling portable spa functions comprising a waterproof touch screen display and a sealed battery housing containing a battery rechargeable by wireless power transfer wherein the remote communicates over a wireless link with a spa-based controller and employs a graphic display system designed to maintain graphics responsiveness while extending battery life.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: WATKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATIONInventor: Larry Nicholson
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Publication number: 20150196456Abstract: A waterproof, floatable and dockable remote control for controlling portable spa functions comprising a waterproof touch screen display and a sealed battery housing containing a battery rechargeable by wireless power transfer wherein the remote communicates over a wireless link with a spa-based controller and employs a graphic display system designed to maintain graphics responsiveness while extending battery life.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2014Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: WATKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATIONInventor: Larry Nicholson
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Patent number: 9006616Abstract: Control circuitry for controlling a spa water heater, wherein a microcontroller is configured to detect zero crossings of an A.C. line voltage from a voltage sense signal, to cause closing of a first heater relay and a second heater relay, to detect the time at which heater current is initially sensed by a current sensor after the initial closing of the second heater relay, to measure a time delay between the time that the second heater relay is closed and the time at which heater current is initially sensed, and to adjust the time at which a second closing of the second heater relay occurs such that zero crossings of the heater current occur at the same time as zero crossings of the voltage waveform. The control circuitry further includes a voltage sense circuit comprising a first diode connected in series with a current limiting resistance connected in series with a Zener diode, which is in turn connected in series with an optical coupler LED.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2012Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Larry Nicholson
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Publication number: 20140354309Abstract: Control circuitry for controlling a spa water heater, wherein a microcontroller is configured to detect zero crossings of an A.C. line voltage from a voltage sense signal, to cause closing of a first heater relay and a second heater relay, to detect the time at which heater current is initially sensed by a current sensor after the initial closing of the second heater relay, to measure a time delay between the time that the second heater relay is closed and the time at which heater current is initially sensed, and to adjust the time at which a second closing of the second heater relay occurs such that zero crossings of the heater current occur at the same time as zero crossings of the voltage waveform. The control circuitry further includes a voltage sense circuit comprising a first diode connected in series with a current limiting resistance connected in series with a Zener diode, which is in turn connected in series with an optical coupler LED.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2014Publication date: December 4, 2014Applicant: Watkins Manufacturing CorporationInventor: Larry Nicholson
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Publication number: 20130334201Abstract: Control circuitry for controlling a spa water heater, wherein a microcontroller is configured to detect zero crossings of an A.C. line voltage from a voltage sense signal, to cause closing of a first heater relay and a second heater relay, to detect the time at which heater current is initially sensed by a current sensor after the initial closing of the second heater relay, to measure a time delay between the time that the second heater relay is closed and the time at which heater current is initially sensed, and to adjust the time at which a second closing of the second heater relay occurs such that zero crossings of the heater current occur at the same time as zero crossings of the voltage waveform. The control circuitry further includes a voltage sense circuit comprising a first diode connected in series with a current limiting resistance connected in series with a Zener diode, which is in turn connected in series with an optical coupler LED.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2012Publication date: December 19, 2013Inventor: Larry Nicholson
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Publication number: 20070268826Abstract: A flow control method and system including an algorithm for deciding to transmit an arriving packet into a processing queue or to discard it, or, in the case of instructions or packets that must not be discarded, a similar method and system for deciding at a service event to transmit an instruction or packet into a processing queue or to skip the service event. The transmit probability is increased or decreased in consideration of minimum and maximum limits for each flow, aggregate limits for sets of flows, relative priority among flows, queue occupancy, and rate of change of queue occupancy. The effects include protection of flows below their minimum rates, correction of flows above their maximum rates, and, for flows between minimum and maximum rates, reduction of constituent flows of an aggregate that is above its aggregate maximum. Practice of the invention results in low queue occupancy during steady congestion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2007Publication date: November 22, 2007Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Garesh Balakrishnan, John Chalmers, Clark Jeffries, Jitesh Nair, Larry Nicholson, Ravinder Sabhikhi, Raj Singh
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Patent number: 6320512Abstract: The present temperature monitor is comprised of a thermistor and a reference resistor connected to a capacitor in parallel. The capacitor is charged through the thermistor by a microcontroller to determine the thermistor charging time, discharged, and then charged through the reference resistor to determine a reference charging time. The thermistor charging time is divided by the reference charging time to determine the thermistor value, which is converted into an actual temperature by using a conventional algorithm. The microcontroller is programmed to activate various indicators to show the ambient temperature relative to one or more acceptable ranges, whether the temperature has reached the acceptable ranges within an acceptable time period, and whether the temperature has had an upward trend prior to reaching the acceptable ranges.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Inventors: Larry Nicholson, Cliff Tyner, Ronald Newton