Patents by Inventor Stephen B. Johnson

Stephen B. Johnson 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: 6198253
    Abstract: A smart battery that self-monitors and maintains information about itself that includes its state of charge, its need for maintenance, and for conditions that indicate that it has reached the end of its useful life and should be discarded. The information maintained by the battery is then either displayed on an on-board display or is communicated to another device on a communication bus. The state of charge quantifies the smart battery's ability to reliably deliver charge to a host device and is dynamically adjusted over the lifetime of the smart battery. The state of charge may not exceed a full charge capacity value maintained by the smart battery and initially set to an estimated value. This full charge capacity value is dynamically adjusted throughout the life of the smart battery using information accumulated and maintained by the smart battery that indicates the smart battery's actual performance during use and by using messages received from a battery maintenance and testing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Wayne D. Kurle, Stephen B. Johnson, Rockland W. Nordness, Stephen L. Firman, Douglas M. Gustavson, Peter Y. Choi
  • Patent number: 6137261
    Abstract: A battery maintenance and testing system (22) that includes a battery support system (2) that tests, conditions, and charges rechargeable battery packs. The battery support system (22) accommodates a dumb battery (32) that do not have any internal logic by running a default maintenance routine, as well as a smart battery (24, 24') that has internal logic that monitors its condition, keeps track of the time and number of charge discharge cycles the battery has experienced since it was last conditioned, logs any errors that would necessitate the battery being discarded, and stores information relevant to its maintenance and testing. The battery maintenance and testing system (22) is able to communicate with a smart battery (24, 24') to automatically to retrieve this information and use it to condition, test, and charge the battery to optimal condition or to indicate to the user that the battery is defective and needs to be discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Physio-Control Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne D. Kurle, Stephen B. Johnson, Rockland W. Nordness, Stephen L. Firman, Douglas M. Gustavson
  • Patent number: 6072299
    Abstract: A smart battery that self-monitors and maintains information about itself that includes its state of charge, its need for maintenance, and for conditions that indicate that it has reached the end of its useful life and should be discarded. The information maintained by the battery is then either displayed on an on-board display or is communicated to another device on a communication bus. The state of charge quantifies the smart battery's ability to reliably deliver charge to a host device and is dynamically adjusted over the lifetime of the smart battery. The state of charge may not exceed a full charge capacity value maintained by the smart battery and initially set to an estimated value. This full charge capacity value is dynamically adjusted throughout the life of the smart battery using information accumulated and maintained by the smart battery that indicates the smart battery's actual performance during use and by using messages received from a battery maintenance and testing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Wayne D. Kurle, Stephen B. Johnson, Rockland W. Nordness, Stephen L. Firman, Douglas M. Gustavson, Peter Y. Choi
  • Patent number: 5585182
    Abstract: A post-coalescence melt-spinning process for preparing fine undrawn hollow polyester filaments having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity at high speeds (2-5 km/min) involving selection of polymer viscosity and spinning conditions, whereby the void content of the resulting new undrawn filaments is essentially maintained or increased on cold-drawing or hot-drawing with or without post heat treatment, and the new fine hollow polyester filaments obtained thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Arun P. Aneja, David G. Bennie, Robert J. Collins, Hans Rudolf E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Elmer E. Most, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5487859
    Abstract: A post-coalescence melt-spinning process for preparing fine undrawn hollow polyester filaments having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity at high speeds (2-5 km/min) involving selection of polymer viscosity and spinning conditions, whereby the void content of the resulting new undrawn filaments is essentially maintained or increased on cold-drawing or hot-drawing with or without post heat treatment, and the new fine hollow polyester filaments obtained thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Arun P. Aneja, David G. Bennie, Robert J. Collins, Hans Rudolf E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Elmer E. Most, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5417902
    Abstract: Polyester mixed fine filament yarns having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity, and preferably with a balance of good dyeability and shrinkage, are prepared by a simplified direct spin-orientation process by selection of polymer and spinning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: David G. Bennie, Robert J. Collins, Hans R. E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Joe F. London, Jr., Elmer E. Most, Jr., Girish A. Pai
  • Patent number: 5407621
    Abstract: Polyester fine filaments having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity, and preferably with a balance of good dyeability and shrinkage, are prepared by a simplified direct spin-orientation process by selection of polymer viscosity and spinning conditions, followed by drawing and/or bulking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Hans R. E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Elmer E. Most, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5288553
    Abstract: Polyester fine filaments having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity, and preferably with a balance of good dyeability and shrinkage, are prepared by a simplified direct spin-orientation process by selection of polymer viscosity and spinning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Hans R. E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Elmer E. Most, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5250245
    Abstract: Polyester fine filaments having excellent mechanical quality and uniformity, and preferably with a balance of good dyeability and shrinkage, are prepared by a simplified direct spin-orientation process by selection of polymer viscosity and spinning conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Hans R. E. Frankfort, Stephen B. Johnson, Benjamin H. Knox, Elmer E. Most, Jr.