Patents by Inventor Steven M. Groff

Steven M. Groff 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: 9608430
    Abstract: A power system which includes a battery (or string of batteries) as well as a preemptive fuse driver, PFD, system. The PFD protection system reliably protects circuits that could be damaged by long term fault currents. More specifically, the PFD protection system includes a sensor and a controller as well as a controlled switch. The controller includes a PFD control module which allows protection to be tuned specifically to the source and load characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiwu Duan, John C. Elliott, Dennis W. Fried, Steven M. Groff, Trung Le
  • Publication number: 20140307358
    Abstract: A power system which includes a battery (or string of batteries) as well as a preemptive fuse driver, PFD, system. The PFD protection system reliably protects circuits that could be damaged by long term fault currents. More specifically, the PFD protection system includes a sensor and a controller as well as a controlled switch. The controller includes a PFD control module which allows protection to be tuned specifically to the source and load characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiwu Duan, John C. Elliott, Dennis W. Fried, Steven M. Groff, Trung Le
  • Patent number: 8338982
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments adapted to distribute power from four input lines to a plurality of power supply units (PSUs) configured in an N+1 architecture are provided. In one such embodiment, a plurality of rectifier devices have first and second ends, each of the plurality of rectifier devices connected at the first end to one of the four input lines, and adapted to be bypassed by a first relay in a first operating mode and provide rectified input current in a second operating mode. A plurality of second relays is connected between each of the second ends of the plurality of rectifier devices. The plurality of second relays are adapted to be closed in the second operating mode to sum the rectified input current from each of the plurality of rectifier devices in a single node connecting each of the plurality of PSUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiwu Duan, Steven M. Groff, Trung Le
  • Patent number: 8138625
    Abstract: A dual line active automatic transfer switch (ATS) is provided. A first switch structure is connected to a first PSU of the plurality of PSUs, and operable between a first position connecting a first input line of the dual line and a second position connecting a second input line of the dual line with the one PSU. A second switch structure is connected to at least one additional PSU of the plurality of PSUs, and operable between a third position connecting the first input line and a fourth position connecting the second input line with the at least one additional PSU. The first and second switch structures are operable between each of the first, second, third, and fourth positions to alternatively connect each of the plurality of PSUs to one of the first and second input lines and connect, when each of the dual lines is charged, both of the first and second input lines to at least one of the plurality of PSUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jiwu Duan, Steven M. Groff, Trung Le, Juan A. Yanes
  • Publication number: 20110225452
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments adapted to distribute power from four input lines to a plurality of power supply units (PSUs) configured in an N+1 architecture are provided. In one such embodiment, a plurality of rectifier devices have first and second ends, each of the plurality of rectifier devices connected at the first end to one of the four input lines, and adapted to be bypassed by a first relay in a first operating mode and provide rectified input current in a second operating mode. A plurality of second relays is connected between each of the second ends of the plurality of rectifier devices. The plurality of second relays are adapted to be closed in the second operating mode to sum the rectified input current from each of the plurality of rectifier devices in a single node connecting each of the plurality of PSUs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiwu DUAN, Steven M. GROFF, Trung LE
  • Publication number: 20110068625
    Abstract: A dual line active automatic transfer switch (ATS) is provided. A first switch structure is connected to a first PSU of the plurality of PSUs, and operable between a first position connecting a first input line of the dual line and a second position connecting a second input line of the dual line with the one PSU. A second switch structure is connected to at least one additional PSU of the plurality of PSUs, and operable between a third position connecting the first input line and a fourth position connecting the second input line with the at least one additional PSU. The first and second switch structures are operable between each of the first, second, third, and fourth positions to alternatively connect each of the plurality of PSUs to one of the first and second input lines and connect, when each of the dual lines is charged, both of the first and second input lines to at least one of the plurality of PSUs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiwu DUAN, Steven M. GROFF, Trung LE, Juan A. YANES