Patents by Inventor Steven B. Helton

Steven B. Helton 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: 8738268
    Abstract: Vehicles, systems, and methods are disclosed for providing and directing first power, such as vehicle generator power, and alternate sources of power. In a particular embodiment, a vehicle includes a power distribution grid that includes a plurality of power sources and a plurality of distributions buses configured to distribute power from the plurality of power sources. The plurality of power sources include an engine-driven power source is configured to provide first power where the first power has first power characteristics. The plurality of power sources also includes a plurality of engine-independent power sources including a first alternate power source configured to provide first alternate power. The first alternate power has first alternate power characteristics that are different than the first power characteristics. The plurality of engine-independent power sources also includes a second alternate power source configured to provide second alternate power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Shengyi Liu, Mark E. Liffring, Steven B. Helton, Sheau-Wei (Johnny) Fu
  • Publication number: 20120232728
    Abstract: Vehicles, systems, and methods are disclosed for providing and directing first power, such as vehicle generator power, and alternate sources of power. In a particular embodiment, a vehicle includes a power distribution grid that includes a plurality of power sources and a plurality of distributions buses configured to distribute power from the plurality of power sources. The plurality of power sources include an engine-driven power source is configured to provide first power where the first power has first power characteristics. The plurality of power sources also includes a plurality of engine-independent power sources including a first alternate power source configured to provide first alternate power. The first alternate power has first alternate power characteristics that are different than the first power characteristics. The plurality of engine-independent power sources also includes a second alternate power source configured to provide second alternate power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Shengyi Liu, Mark E. Liffring, Steven B. Helton, Sheau-Wei (Johnny) Fu
  • Patent number: 8049360
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for energy control and vehicle energy control. A vehicle energy control system includes an intelligent device that is configured to determine an energy demand of the intelligent device during an operation of a vehicle. The vehicle energy control system also includes an energy management system. The energy management system is configured to communicate with the intelligent device regarding the energy demand to coordinate scheduling of energy distribution during the operation. The energy management system is further configured to generate an energy distribution schedule to account for the energy demand and at least a second energy demand of another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Joseph S. Breit, Steven B. Helton, Trevor M. Laib
  • Publication number: 20110077811
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for energy control and vehicle energy control. A vehicle energy control system includes an intelligent device that is configured to determine an energy demand of the intelligent device during an operation of a vehicle. The vehicle energy control system also includes an energy management system. The energy management system is configured to communicate with the intelligent device regarding the energy demand to coordinate scheduling of energy distribution during the operation. The energy management system is further configured to generate an energy distribution schedule to account for the energy demand and at least a second energy demand of another device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Joseph S. Breit, Steven B. Helton, Trevor M. Laib
  • Patent number: 7872368
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a power control system including intelligent devices. A vehicle power control system includes a power supply configured to supply a first quantity of power to at least one device configured to consume power based on a first power demand. The vehicle power control system also includes an intelligent device configured to determine a second power demand for the intelligent device during a vehicle operation. The vehicle power control system also includes an energy management system. The energy management system is configured to communicate with the at least one the intelligent device regarding the second power demand of the at least one intelligent device to coordinate scheduling of power distribution during the vehicle operation in order to generate a power distribution schedule to account for the first power demand of the at least one device and the second power demand of the at least one intelligent device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Joseph S. Breit, Steven B. Helton, Trevor M. Laib
  • Publication number: 20100102625
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a power control system including intelligent devices. A vehicle power control system includes a power supply configured to supply a first quantity of power to at least one device configured to consume power based on a first power demand. The vehicle power control system also includes an intelligent device configured to determine a second power demand for the intelligent device during a vehicle operation. The vehicle power control system also includes an energy management system. The energy management system is configured to communicate with the at least one the intelligent device regarding the second power demand of the at least one intelligent device to coordinate scheduling of power distribution during the vehicle operation in order to generate a power distribution schedule to account for the first power demand of the at least one device and the second power demand of the at least one intelligent device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kamiar J. Karimi, Joseph S. Breit, Steven B. Helton, Trevor M. Laib
  • Patent number: 5345397
    Abstract: An intelligent control system for directing a process for curing parts made of fiber-reinforced composite material in an autoclave. The system uses data gathered during the curing processing to calculate repetitively the temperature of the autoclave required to establish and maintain a predetermined cure temperature. The system accounts for heat generated by the exothermal reaction of the resin during polymerization. The control recalculates an optimal autoclave temperature at periodic intervals during the cure cycle on the basis of temperature data from the part being cured and temperature within the autoclave. The optimal autoclave temperature is determined from calculated values representing resin heat, maximum offset, lag time and degree of cure of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul I. Handel, Matthew J. Patterson, Daniel Guerin, Nicholas C. Strauss, Steven B. Helton, Thomas M. Barrett, Lisa K. Koelewyn, James D. Waterman
  • Patent number: 4823072
    Abstract: A method for detecting the polarized potential of a buried pipe which is cathodically protected by rectified alternating current impressed upon the pipe. Each rectified protection current is periodically pulsed to an off state for a precise pulse duration and pulse period which are integral multiples of the period of the alternating current. The potential between the pipe and a reference electrode at the test site is sampled and analyzed to detect the polarized potential. It is analyzed to find the area under the portion of the waveform during which no off pulses are present and to use that area to detect the on potential. The area within the off pulses, after reactive spikes are eliminated, is substracted from the on potential area to determine the IR drop potential. The IR drop potential is then subtracted from the on potential and the difference is displayed as the polarized potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Walcott, Neil G. Thompson, George T. Ruck, Steven B. Helton
  • Patent number: 4658358
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying by a diver while under water (and at the surface between dives) provides information useful for enabling the diver to ascend therefrom both expeditiously and safely in order to avoid decompression sickness. A corrosion-resistant ceramic transducer (60) provides an electrical capacitance responsive to the pressure of the water thereon, in an electronic circuit (52), comprising also a resistance (61), for providing a signal (at 53) responsive to the time constant therein and substantially unaffected by normally encountered variations in supply voltage. Electronic data processing means (40-51), responsive to the signal, computes the water pressure, the depth of the transducer (60) in the water, the minimum depth to which the diver can from there ascend safely, the minimum time within which the diver then can ascend safely to the surface of the water, and the elapsed time since the beginning of the dive. Displays (48, 49) provide indications to the diver of the computed values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Eugene R. Leach, James A. Robbins, Steven B. Helton, Jeffrey J. Webb