Patents by Inventor Nathan R. Francis

Nathan R. Francis 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: 9825639
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and method for actively tuning a phase locked loop based on vibration excitation levels experienced by the phase locked loop. A bandwidth of the phase locked loop can be actively increased or decreased based upon a detected vibration level. In an embodiment, the phase locked loop includes a controllable oscillator, an output module, a filter module and a detector. The filter module can be configured to receive a bandwidth control signal to modify a bandwidth of the phase locked loop based on a vibration signal. In an embodiment, the vibration signal corresponds to a vibration level experienced by the phased locked loop. The detector can be configured to receive a PLL output signal from the output module and to receive a PLL input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Patrizi, Nathan R. Francis, Matthew J. Koeth
  • Publication number: 20170257105
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and method for actively tuning a phase locked loop based on vibration excitation levels experienced by the phase locked loop. A bandwidth of the phase locked loop can be actively increased or decreased based upon a detected vibration level. In an embodiment, the phase locked loop includes a controllable oscillator, an output module, a filter module and a detector. The filter module can be configured to receive a bandwidth control signal to modify a bandwidth of the phase locked loop based on a vibration signal. In an embodiment, the vibration signal corresponds to a vibration level experienced by the phased locked loop. The detector can be configured to receive a PLL output signal from the output module and to receive a PLL input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Michael R. Patrizi, Nathan R. Francis, Matthew J. Koeth
  • Patent number: 9750160
    Abstract: One or both of a module cover and a heat sink for a circuit card module includes a multi-level cooling structure formed by a body, sidewalls extending from edges of the body and, together with the body, partially enclosing a volume, flanges projecting from ends of the sidewalls opposite the body and away from the volume, and an oscillating heat pipe within the body, the sidewalls, and the flanges. The oscillating heat pipe fluid path repeatedly traverses the body, a length of each of the sidewalls, and a portion of each of the flanges. The oscillating heat pipe provides cooling through both phase change of fluid slugs and vapor bubbles within the oscillating heat pipe and movement of the fluid slugs and the vapor bubbles along the fluid path between an evaporator adjacent a first of the flanges and a condenser adjacent a second of the flanges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Byron Elliott Short, Jr., Nathan R. Francis, David B. Brandt
  • Publication number: 20170208706
    Abstract: One or both of a module cover and a heat sink for a circuit card module includes a multi-level cooling structure formed by a body, sidewalls extending from edges of the body and, together with the body, partially enclosing a volume, flanges projecting from ends of the sidewalls opposite the body and away from the volume, and an oscillating heat pipe within the body, the sidewalls, and the flanges. The oscillating heat pipe fluid path repeatedly traverses the body, a length of each of the sidewalls, and a portion of each of the flanges. The oscillating heat pipe provides cooling through both phase change of fluid slugs and vapor bubbles within the oscillating heat pipe and movement of the fluid slugs and the vapor bubbles along the fluid path between an evaporator adjacent a first of the flanges and a condenser adjacent a second of the flanges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Byron Elliott Short, JR., Nathan R. Francis, David B. Brandt