Patents by Inventor Michael Paul Weir

Michael Paul Weir 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: 6144900
    Abstract: A linking process allows a head-end unit (HEU) of a railroad train to determine the sequence of cars in the train using wireless links between nodes on the cars, and requires no physical connection between the nodes or cars. Each car in the train is equipped with a wireless communication device which models an oscillator i. Each oscillator is phase-variable, the phase .theta..sub.i linearly increasing from 0 to 1 such that, when the i.sup.th oscillator "fires", transmitting a packet, and phase .theta..sub.i then jumps back to zero. When a car receives the transmission of another car, it changes the phase of its oscillator according to a phase-response curve function, setting up a wave pattern of transmission from nodes, from one end of the train to the other end. The wave pattern, along with protocol logic, enables each car to determine the sequence in which cars are arranged in its vicinity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irfan Ali, Michael Paul Weir, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, II
  • Patent number: 5817943
    Abstract: A pressure sensor having structure for generating a magnetic force to balance forces on opposing sides of a flexible diaphragm centered within a pressure chamber allows fluid pressure to be introduced into the chamber on one side of the diaphragm. A first magnetic coil is positioned on another side of the diaphragm and a second coil is mounted to the diaphragm. When fluid pressure is introduced into the pressure chamber, the diaphragm deflects, and the magnitude of current required to generate a recentering magnetic force which causes the diaphragm to be recentered constitutes a measure of the fluid pressure. Since the recentering magnetic force is substantially unaffected by temperature, the fluid pressure measurement obtained is substantially independent of temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Brakeley Welles, II, Michael Paul Weir
  • Patent number: 5761238
    Abstract: A low complexity and low cost transmitted reference spread spectrum communications system provides several methods of generating a suitable wideband carrier, a method for combining the wideband carrier with a narrowband modulated wideband carrier, and a number of implementations of a simple, inexpensive receiver for the transmitted reference communications system. The transmitter includes a balanced modulator for modulating a wideband spreading signal with a narrowband message signal to generate a wideband carrier. A signal combiner combines the wideband carrier with a narrowband modulated wideband carrier to generate a transmitted reference spread spectrum signal. The receiver includes a selectable time delay device having a plurality of taps for receiving a detected received signal from the transmitter. A tap selector selects a delayed signal from the selectable time delay device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Irfan Ali, John Erik Hershey, Stephen Michael Hladik, Gary Jude Saulnier, Michael Paul Weir
  • Patent number: 5751779
    Abstract: A general absolute value circuit for developing a true, symmetric or bipolar, absolute value output signal from an input charge signal, compact enough to be used on a sensor chip incorporated into (or used in combination with) a pixel processor of the type used in imaging and other systems that collect electromagnetic radiation as part of on-chip circuitry, includes a balanced differential amplifier combined with a merged dual shelf transistor structure. The balanced differential amplifier, in response to an input charge signal, drives the merged dual shelf transistor structure which in turn generates the desired true absolute value output signal. Such circuitry may be used in imaging systems to implement focal-plane processing algorithms or may be used for performing a single read true absolute value computation by a pixel processor located on a sensor chip. The merged dual shelf transistor structure enhances performance and speed of the processor in which it is incorporated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Paul Weir
  • Patent number: 5644510
    Abstract: Apparatus for electrically coupling a motor to a power source and providing overload protection to the motor includes a controller having a programmable module for periodically computing data indicative of motor temperature based upon motor current. The controller supplies an output signal based at least upon the computed motor temperature data. A contactor, responsive to the controller output signal, deenergizes the motor whenever any last-computed motor temperature data reaches or exceeds a threshold temperature. The last-computed motor temperature data is stored in a memory prior to the motor being deenergized. A signal from a timer circuit indicative of elapsed time after the motor is deenergized, together with the stored motor temperature data, enable the programmable module to compute fresh date indicative of motor temperature subsequent to the motor being deenergized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Michael Paul Weir
  • Patent number: D380737
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Inventors: Michael Paul Weir, Matthew Douglas Marple, Jung Yoon Park, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Laurie Satsue Hiyakumoto
  • Patent number: D381633
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Inventors: Laurie Satsue Hiyakumoto, Matthew Douglas Marple, Jung Yoon Park, Nataniel Barbosa Vicente, Michael Paul Weir