Patents by Inventor Steven Donald Bragg

Steven Donald Bragg 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: 11509406
    Abstract: A device, a method, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which an antenna assembly detection service is provided. A device may include an oscillator circuit whose frequency of operation is determined by a resonant frequency of a tank circuit and reactance of a load associated with the antenna terminal configured to receive an external antenna. A controller may be configured to measure an output signal of the oscillator circuit when the oscillator circuit is connected to the antenna terminal, and determine whether or not the external antenna is connected to the antenna terminal based on the measurement and comparison data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Neptune Technology Group Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Donald Bragg, William Anthony Nolan
  • Patent number: 11038603
    Abstract: A system includes a radio frequency (RF) receiver having an input, and an antenna terminal configured to connect to an antenna. The system further includes one or more switches that switch the receiver input of the RF receiver to connect to a terminating load that is not an antenna or to an internal antenna, and noise level measurement circuitry that measures a first RF noise level across the terminating load or the internal antenna. The one or more switches further switch the receiver input of the RF receiver to connect to the antenna terminal, and the noise level measurement circuitry further measures a second RF noise level received at the antenna terminal. The system also includes a controller that determines whether an external antenna is connected to the antenna terminal based on the first RF noise level and the second RF noise level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Neptune Technology Group Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Wayne Hamilton, II, Steven Donald Bragg
  • Publication number: 20200313778
    Abstract: A system includes a radio frequency (RF) receiver having an input, and an antenna terminal configured to connect to an antenna. The system further includes one or more switches that switch the receiver input of the RF receiver to connect to a terminating load that is not an antenna or to an internal antenna, and noise level measurement circuitry that measures a first RF noise level across the terminating load or the internal antenna. The one or more switches further switch the receiver input of the RF receiver to connect to the antenna terminal, and the noise level measurement circuitry further measures a second RF noise level received at the antenna terminal. The system also includes a controller that determines whether an external antenna is connected to the antenna terminal based on the first RF noise level and the second RF noise level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Gary Wayne Hamilton, II, Steven Donald Bragg
  • Publication number: 20200313777
    Abstract: A device, a method, and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which an antenna assembly detection service is provided. A device may include an oscillator circuit whose frequency of operation is determined by a resonant frequency of a tank circuit and reactance of a load associated with the antenna terminal configured to receive an external antenna. A controller may be configured to measure an output signal of the oscillator circuit when the oscillator circuit is connected to the antenna terminal, and determine whether or not the external antenna is connected to the antenna terminal based on the measurement and comparison data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Donald Bragg, William Anthony Nolan
  • Patent number: 10609223
    Abstract: A device and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a collector device comprises a first wireless communication interface of a first wireless network configured to receive messages from and transmit messages to a meter interface unit of a utility meter; and a second wireless communication interface of a second wireless network configured to receive messages from and transmit messages to the meter interface unit, wherein the second wireless network is a third party wireless network and the first wireless network is not, and wherein the first wireless communication interface and the second wireless communication interface are configured to operate in a simultaneous mode of communication that provides for a simultaneous transmission to or simultaneous reception of messages from the meter interface unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Neptune Technology Group Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Wayne Lovett, Steven Donald Bragg
  • Publication number: 20200076954
    Abstract: A device and a non-transitory storage medium are described in which a collector device comprises a first wireless communication interface of a first wireless network configured to receive messages from and transmit messages to a meter interface unit of a utility meter; and a second wireless communication interface of a second wireless network configured to receive messages from and transmit messages to the meter interface unit, wherein the second wireless network is a third party wireless network and the first wireless network is not, and wherein the first wireless communication interface and the second wireless communication interface are configured to operate in a simultaneous mode of communication that provides for a simultaneous transmission to or simultaneous reception of messages from the meter interface unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Jerry Wayne Lovett, Steven Donald Bragg