Patents by Inventor Robert Sidney Ord

Robert Sidney Ord 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).

  • Method and apparatus for testing and protecting digital output circuits
    Patent number: 7948257
    Abstract: A method and system for testing and protecting the operability of an output module. An output channel includes a transistor having a gate, a source, and a drain. The output channel drives a load with a load voltage and a load current in dependence upon a gate drive signal applied to the gate. The system determines a voltage threshold and a current threshold and monotonically varies the gate drive signal from a starting value for a predetermined time interval while monitoring the load current and the load voltage. The system returns the gate drive signal to the starting value if any of the load voltage reaches the voltage threshold, the load current reaches the current threshold, or a predetermined time interval expires indicating the condition of the output module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Bruce Meagher, Gerald Robert Creech, Robert Sidney Ord
  • Method and Apparatus for Testing and Protecting Digital Output Circuits
    Publication number: 20090219049
    Abstract: A method and system for testing and protecting the operability of an output module. An output channel includes a transistor having a gate, a source, and a drain. The output channel drives a load with a load voltage and a load current in dependence upon a gate drive signal applied to the gate. The system determines a voltage threshold and a current threshold and monotonically varies the gate drive signal from a starting value for a predetermined time interval while monitoring the load current and the load voltage. The system returns the gate drive signal to the starting value if any of the load voltage reaches the voltage threshold, the load current reaches the current threshold, or a predetermined time interval expires indicating the condition of the output module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Bruce Meagher, Gerald Robert Creech, Robert Sidney Ord