Patents by Inventor Richard Arvel Stevens

Richard Arvel Stevens 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: 11131692
    Abstract: A line isolating power connector can include a housing for connecting with a power cable and a power source, and wires positioned through the housing that include at least a line wire and a neutral wire. The housing is separated by an aperture into a line conduit and a neutral conduit, and the aperture is sized to receive a portion of a contactless power quality probe such that the power quality probe can be connected around the first line conduit or neutral conduit in order to measure power quality in either the line wire or the neutral wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jared Lee, Huyen Van Nguyen, Richard Arvel Stevens, David Leonard Robinson, Tong He, Hong Ghee Yow, Xulong Zhan, Xia Yang
  • Patent number: 10895896
    Abstract: Power systems and methods for supplying direct current power to a server rack employ multiple power supply units. A method for supplying direct current power to a server rack includes receiving an alternating current (AC) power input. A first portion of the AC power input is transferred to a first automatic transfer switch (ATS). A first DC power input is generated from the first portion of the AC power input via a first power supply unit (PSU) and transferred to the server rack. A second portion of the AC power input is transferred to a second ATS. A second DC power input is generated from the second portion of the AC power input via a second PSU and transferred to the server rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike MacGregor, Darin Lee Frink, Richard Arvel Stevens, William Mische
  • Patent number: 10511186
    Abstract: In an automatic transfer power supply with relay protection, multiple electric power sources may be selectively coupled with a switched-mode power supply circuit using multiple corresponding sets of relays. The switched-mode power supply circuit may include one or more switches that operate under the control of a switch controller element to implement the functionality of the switched-mode power supply. To protect the relays during source transfer, a source transfer controller may signal the switch controller element to halt current flow through the switched-mode power supply circuit, and then signal the relays to change state while the current flow is halted, thereby protecting the relays during source transfer. Sparking may be reduced in relays that physically move metal armatures to make and break electrical connections, prolonging relay life and/or reducing relay failures and improving power supply availability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William Mische, Jared Joseph Lee, Richard Arvel Stevens
  • Patent number: 10491036
    Abstract: A solid-state automatic transfer switch includes a primary rectifier circuit and a secondary rectifier circuit, wherein at least one of the rectifier circuits includes one or more controllable semi-conductor switches. The primary rectifier circuit is electrically coupled to a primary input and an output of the solid-state automatic transfer switch. Also, the secondary rectifier circuit is electrically coupled to a secondary input of the solid-state automatic transfer switch and the output. A controller controls a control state of the controllable semi-conductor switches to allow or prevent electrical power from flowing through the primary or secondary rectifier circuits, thus selectively controlling whether power is fed from the primary input or the secondary input of the solid-state automatic transfer switch to the output of the solid-state automatic transfer switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William Mische, Richard Arvel Stevens, Jared Joseph Lee, Mike MacGregor
  • Patent number: 10348124
    Abstract: Automatic transfer switch and power supply units (ATSPSUs) and related methods condition switching to a second AC power source to allow a battery module to supply DC power to a load. An ATSPSU includes a power supply unit (PSU), an automatic transfer switch (ATS), and an ATSPSU controller configured to control the ATS to switch to the second AC power source in response to the voltage of the first AC power source having decreased in magnitude by a voltage drop value over a period of time greater than an allowable amount of time for the voltage drop value, and at least one of a voltage differential between DC power supply lines being less than a voltage threshold value, and a state of charge of a battery module operatively coupled with the DC power supply lines being less than a threshold state of charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mike MacGregor, Darin Lee Frink, Richard Arvel Stevens, William Mische
  • Patent number: 10211669
    Abstract: A bypass device is used to bypass one or more automatic transfer switches mounted in an automatic transfer switch cabinet. The bypass device is physically coupled to one or more input power sources and to each respective output connection of a plurality of automatic transfer switches in the automatic transfer switch cabinet. The bypass device selectively feeds electrical power to one or more loads associated with a limited selection of automatic transfer switches to be bypassed. The bypass device comprises a selector device configured to route power from an input power source to respective output connections of the limited selection of automatic transfer switches to be bypassed. A plurality of output breakers are coupled to separate power outlets of each of the plurality of automatic transfer switches to isolate the respective automatic transfer switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kelsey Michelle Wildstone, Peter George Ross, Yuan Kong, Robin McCulloch, Richard Arvel Stevens
  • Patent number: 10049830
    Abstract: Automatic transfer switching apparatus and systems include a switching device including an input line, a sensor, and a parallel assembly of a solid-state relay and latching relay electrically connected with the input line. The solid-state relay is used to short the latching relay such that the latching relay can be opened and/or closed in an unloaded state while the input line is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hoang Pham, Yuan Kong, Richard Arvel Stevens
  • Patent number: 9720476
    Abstract: An automatic transfer switch (ATS) includes power quality conditioners to condition electrical power fed to a power output of the automatic transfer switch. In some embodiments, the power quality conditioners include a surge protection circuit or a filter circuit. In some embodiments, the automatic transfer switch includes a battery module configured to supply electrical power to the power output of the ATS during a power disruption event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Huyen Van Nguyen, Richard Arvel Stevens, Hoang Pham
  • Patent number: 9583936
    Abstract: A data center includes one or more racks, computing devices mounted in the racks, and an electrical power system. The electrical power system supplies power to the computing devices in the racks. The electrical power system includes one or more rack power distribution units (PDUs) and one or more floor power distribution units (PDUs) or power panels. The rack PDUs include rack-level circuit protection devices that protect the computing devices receiving power from the rack PDU from overcurrent conditions. The floor PDUs or power panels include floor-level circuit protection devices that protect the computing devices from overcurrent conditions. The rack-level circuit protection devices have a faster response time than the floor-level circuit protection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Max J. Wishman, Richard Arvel Stevens, David E. Bryan
  • Publication number: 20160379768
    Abstract: Automatic transfer switching apparatus and systems include a switching device including an input line, a sensor, and a parallel assembly of a solid-state relay and latching relay electrically connected with the input line. The solid-state relay is used to short the latching relay such that the latching relay can be opened and/or closed in an unloaded state while the input line is energized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Hoang Pham, Yuan Kong, Richard Arvel Stevens
  • Patent number: 9081568
    Abstract: A data center includes electrical loads and an electrical power distribution system. The electrical power system includes a primary power source, one or more secondary power sources, and one or more groups of automatic transfer switches. Each automatic transfer switch and its corresponding load define a branch of the group. Each of the groups of automatic transfer switches includes a power cross-coupling system that cross-couple the branches in the group such that a load coupled to the output of the automatic transfer switch in one branch in the group is coupled to the output of an automatic transfer switches in the other branches of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Ross, Richard Arvel Stevens
  • Patent number: 8500465
    Abstract: A system includes electrical components, a chassis assembly that encloses the electrical components, one or more chassis connectors coupled to the chassis assembly, and two or more cable connection panels. The cable connection panels interchangeably couple with the chassis assembly. The cable connection panels hold one or more cables relative to the chassis assembly such that the conductors of the cables can electrically couple to the chassis connectors. At least two of the cable connection panels can couple a cable having a different end configuration than at least one other of the cable connection panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter G. Ross, Kelsey M. Wildstone, Richard Arvel Stevens