Patents by Inventor Steve Packwood

Steve Packwood 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: 9796347
    Abstract: Herein described is at least a system for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device. Based on the one or more control signals, the system may selectively enable flow of current through one of: a) a first circuitry when the voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) a second circuitry when the voltage is less than the threshold value, wherein the flow of the current through the second circuitry upconverts the voltage associated with the current from a first value to a second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Union Pacific Railroad Company
    Inventor: Steve A Packwood
  • Publication number: 20150191134
    Abstract: Herein described is at least a system for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device. Based on the one or more control signals, the system may selectively enable flow of current through one of: a) a first circuitry when the voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) a second circuitry when the voltage is less than the threshold value, wherein the flow of the current through the second circuitry upconverts the voltage associated with the current from a first value to a second value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Applicant: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
    Inventor: Steve A. Packwood
  • Patent number: 7580992
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reprogramming a field device in a process control network using the standard communications protocol for the network, and a reprogrammable field device in the process control network adapted for being reprogrammed using the standard communications protocol for the network. The method and device of the present invention use the standard communications protocol to transmit the downloaded code to the field device and store the downloaded code in the field device while the device is enabled to perform process control. Once the new code is downloaded and stored in the field device, the field device is set to a steady state condition and/or disabled from performing process control, reprogrammed to execute the downloaded code, and reenabled to perform process control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC
    Inventors: Clyde T. Eisenbeis, Brent H. Larson, Steve A. Packwood, Larry K. Brown
  • Patent number: 6959356
    Abstract: A multi-protocol smart field device uses a Fieldbus communication protocol to communicate process control information and uses a HART communication protocol to enable local configuration of the field device via a hand-held HART communicator. The multi-protocol smart field device includes a first communications interface communicatively coupled to a digital data bus that is adapted to process HART communications which are received from and which are sent to a HART hand-held communicator. The multi-protocol smart field device further includes a second communications interface communicatively coupled to the digital data bus that is adapted to process Fieldbus communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Packwood, Brent H. Larson, Larry K. Brown
  • Publication number: 20050097194
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reprogramming a field device in a process control network using the standard communications protocol for the network, and a reprogrammable field device in the process control network adapted for being reprogrammed using the standard communications protocol for the network. The method and device of the present invention use the standard communications protocol to transmit the downloaded code to the field device and store the downloaded code in the field device while the device is enabled to perform process control. Once the new code is downloaded and stored in the field device, the field device is set to a steady state condition and/or disabled from performing process control, reprogrammed to execute the downloaded code, and reenabled to perform process control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Applicant: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Clyde Eisenbeis, Brent Larson, Steve Packwood, Larry Brown
  • Publication number: 20030023795
    Abstract: A multi-protocol smart field device uses a Fieldbus communication protocol to communicate process control information and uses a HART communication protocol to enable local configuration of the field device via a hand-held HART communicator. The multi-protocol smart field device includes a first communications interface communicatively coupled to a digital data bus that is adapted to process HART communications which are received from and which are sent to a HART hand-held communicator. The multi-protocol smart field device further includes a second communications interface communicatively coupled to the digital data bus that is adapted to process Fieldbus communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Steve Packwood, Brent H. Larson, Larry K. Brown