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).

  • Patent number: 9658256
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Patent number: 9326912
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: WATKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20150196456
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: WATKINS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Patent number: 9006616
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20140354309
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20130334201
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventor: Larry Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20070268826
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Garesh Balakrishnan, John Chalmers, Clark Jeffries, Jitesh Nair, Larry Nicholson, Ravinder Sabhikhi, Raj Singh
  • Patent number: 6320512
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventors: Larry Nicholson, Cliff Tyner, Ronald Newton