Patents by Inventor Robert Dilgard

Robert Dilgard 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: 12206191
    Abstract: A system for control of motors for industrial applications including a motor control center and motor control unit. The motor control center having at least one printed circuit board, and a motor control unit having at least one pin. At least one pin includes a barrel, a plunger, and a spring. The motor control unit is selectively insertable into the motor control center, whereas the at least one pin transitions from the first position to the second position upon insertion and the at least one pin connects to the at least one printed circuit board forming an electrical connection between the motor control center and motor control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Halpin, Todd R. Sauve, Troy M. Bellows, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Calvin C. Steinweg, Roberto Marques
  • Publication number: 20230352863
    Abstract: A system for control of motors for industrial applications including a motor control center and motor control unit. The motor control center having at least one printed circuit board, and a motor control unit having at least one pin. At least one pin includes a barrel, a plunger, and a spring. The motor control unit is selectively insertable into the motor control center, whereas the at least one pin transitions from the first position to the second position upon insertion and the at least one pin connects to the at least one printed circuit board forming an electrical connection between the motor control center and motor control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Peter J. Halpin, Todd R. Sauve, Troy M. Bellows, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Calvin C. Steinweg, Roberto Marques
  • Patent number: 11699562
    Abstract: A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Patent number: 11699898
    Abstract: A system includes a solid-state circuit breaker coupling between a power supply and an electrical load. The system also includes a gateway interface device communicatively coupled to the solid-state circuit breaker and includes a plurality of communication interfaces. In an embodiment, the gateway interface device includes a controller configured to perform operations including determining a connection status of at least one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces and determining a number of devices connected to the at least one communication interface, receive a signal from at least one device of the number of devices. In the embodiment, the operations may also include in response to receiving the signal, instructing the solid-state circuit breaker to disconnect the electrical load from the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Patent number: 11677348
    Abstract: A motor control center (MCC) for an industrial system includes a plurality of sections and a safety bus. Each section includes one or more units. Each unit includes one or more industrial control devices. The safety bus is configured to receive safety signals from a safety distribution unit and delivers the safety signals to each unit of the plurality of section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto S. Marques, Calvin Steinweg, James K. Newbern, Robert Dilgard
  • Patent number: 11640737
    Abstract: For secure and safe access control, a method authenticates a user of an equipment unit with a user credential. The method determines an equipment status for the equipment unit. The equipment status includes one of energized and un-energized and one of locked and unlocked. The method determines whether the user is authorized to access the equipment unit with an equipment authorization. The determination that the user is authorized is based on the equipment status. In response to the user being authenticated and authorized to access the equipment unit energized or the user being authorized to access the equipment unit un-energized and the equipment unit being un-energized, the method releases a unit lock for the equipment unit with a unit lock credential and the user credential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Marques, James K. Newbern, Calvin C. Steinweg, Robert Dilgard
  • Publication number: 20230066880
    Abstract: A motor control center (MCC) for an industrial system includes a plurality of sections and a safety bus. Each section includes one or more units. Each unit includes one or more industrial control devices. The safety bus is configured to receive safety signals from a safety distribution unit and delivers the safety signals to each unit of the plurality of section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Roberto S. Marques, Calvin Steinweg, JAMES K. NEWBERN, Robert Dilgard
  • Publication number: 20220393456
    Abstract: A system includes a solid-state circuit breaker coupling between a power supply and an electrical load. The system also includes a gateway interface device communicatively coupled to the solid-state circuit breaker and includes a plurality of communication interfaces. In an embodiment, the gateway interface device includes a controller configured to perform operations including determining a connection status of at least one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces and determining a number of devices connected to the at least one communication interface, receive a signal from at least one device of the number of devices. In the embodiment, the operations may also include in response to receiving the signal, instructing the solid-state circuit breaker to disconnect the electrical load from the power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Patent number: 11462898
    Abstract: A system includes a solid-state circuit breaker coupling between a power supply and an electrical load. The system also includes a gateway interface device communicatively coupled to the solid-state circuit breaker and includes a plurality of communication interfaces. In an embodiment, the gateway interface device includes a controller configured to perform operations including determining a connection status of at least one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces and determining a number of devices connected to the at least one communication interface, receive a signal from at least one device of the number of devices. In the embodiment, the operations may also include in response to receiving the signal, instructing the solid-state circuit breaker to disconnect the electrical load from the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Publication number: 20220044901
    Abstract: A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Publication number: 20210390809
    Abstract: For secure and safe access control, a method authenticates a user of an equipment unit with a user credential. The method determines an equipment status for the equipment unit. The equipment status includes one of energized and un-energized and one of locked and unlocked. The method determines whether the user is authorized to access the equipment unit with an equipment authorization. The determination that the user is authorized is based on the equipment status. In response to the user being authenticated and authorized to access the equipment unit energized or the user being authorized to access the equipment unit un-energized and the equipment unit being un-energized, the method releases a unit lock for the equipment unit with a unit lock credential and the user credential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Roberto Marques, James K. Newbern, Calvin C. Steinweg, Robert Dilgard
  • Patent number: 11158477
    Abstract: A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Patent number: 11120658
    Abstract: For secure and safe access control, a method authenticates the user of an equipment unit with a user credential. The method determines whether the user is authorized to access the equipment unit with an equipment authorization. In response to the user being authenticated and authorized to access the equipment unit, the method releases a unit lock for the equipment unit with a unit lock credential or the user credential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Marques, James K. Newbern, Calvin C. Steinweg, Robert Dilgard
  • Publication number: 20210265830
    Abstract: A system includes a solid-state circuit breaker coupling between a power supply and an electrical load. The system also includes a gateway interface device communicatively coupled to the solid-state circuit breaker and includes a plurality of communication interfaces. In an embodiment, the gateway interface device includes a controller configured to perform operations including determining a connection status of at least one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces and determining a number of devices connected to the at least one communication interface, receive a signal from at least one device of the number of devices. In the embodiment, the operations may also include in response to receiving the signal, instructing the solid-state circuit breaker to disconnect the electrical load from the power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg
  • Publication number: 20210265124
    Abstract: A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: David C. Mazur, Corey A. Peterson, Robert Dilgard, Todd R. Sauve, Peter J. Halpin, Calvin C. Steinweg