Patents by Inventor Michael J. Roller

Michael J. Roller 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: 7175677
    Abstract: A button-type battery unit comprising an upper housing, a battery coupled to the upper housing, a printed circuit board and a lower housing. A positive battery terminal and a negative battery terminal are reflow soldered to the printed circuit board. The upper housing is coupled to the lower housing to enclose printed circuit board. The positive battery terminal and the negative battery terminal are positioned on the printed circuit board such that the upper housing moves along a single axis of translational movement when being coupled to the lower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Miller, David Mossington, Michael J. Roller
  • Patent number: 6671142
    Abstract: A relay is designed to be used in a circuit where the voltage levels are high in comparison to the spacing between the contacts when open. Contact closure arcing is suppressed by actuating a MOSFET that shorts the contacts together while they open. The same MOSFET can momentarily short the contacts together just before they first begin to close, allowing a test current to be passed through the MOSFET and through the terminals connecting to both relay contacts, to insure that arc suppression will be successful; and if this test fails, then the relay can be disabled by a switch in series with the relay coil to prevent arcing and a possible fire hazard. Relay deactuation can be sensed to trigger arc suppression, and relay actuation can be sensed to initiate fail-safe testing by a circuit that responds no matter which way the relay coil is connected into the external circuit that drives it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Beckert, Paul A. Witt, Michael J. Roller
  • Publication number: 20030186119
    Abstract: A button-type battery unit comprising an upper housing, a battery coupled to the upper housing, a printed circuit board and a lower housing. A positive battery terminal and a negative battery terminal are reflow soldered to the printed circuit board. The upper housing is coupled to the lower housing to enclose printed circuit board. The positive battery terminal and the negative battery terminal are positioned on the printed circuit board such that the upper housing moves along a single axis of translational movement when being coupled to the lower housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: OMRON Automotive Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert P. Miller, David Mossington, Michael J. Roller
  • Publication number: 20020118495
    Abstract: A relay is designed to be used in a circuit where the voltage levels are high in comparison to the spacing between the contacts when open. Contact closure arcing is suppressed by actuating a MOSFET that shorts the contacts together while they open. The same MOSFET can momentarily short the contacts together just before they first begin to close, allowing a test current to be passed through the MOSFET and through the terminals connecting to both relay contacts, to insure that arc suppression will be successful; and if this test fails, then the relay can be disabled by a switch in series with the relay coil to prevent arcing and a possible fire hazard. Relay deactuation can be sensed to trigger arc suppression, and relay actuation can be sensed to initiate fail-safe testing by a circuit that responds no matter which way the relay coil is connected into the external circuit that drives it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: OMRON Automotive Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Beckert, Paul A. Witt, Michael J. Roller