Patents by Inventor William D. Sparks

William D. Sparks 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: 7206882
    Abstract: A CANOpen network including a bus master and an I/O module is disclosed. Each is communicatively coupled to a common bus. The I/O module is subject to a state change. The bus master collects state information from the I/O module by determining if the bus master is prepared to receive further data from the bus and sending a trigger signal from the bus master to the I/O module if the bus master is prepared to receive further data from the bus. The I/O modules sends a state signal to the bus master in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Schneider Automation Inc.
    Inventors: William A. White, III, Lawrence W. Hill, James McLean, William D. Sparks, Jean Francis Rolland
  • Patent number: 6907485
    Abstract: A CANOpen network including a bus master and an I/O module are disclosed. Each are communicatively coupled to a common bus. The I/O module is subject to a state change. The bus master collects state information from the I/O module by sending a state signal from the I/O module to the bus master in response to a state change of the I/O module, sending a trigger signal from the bus master to the I/O module, and sending a state signal from the I/O module to the bus master in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Schneider Automation Inc.
    Inventors: William A. White, III, James McLean, Lawrence W. Hill, Jean-Francois Rolland, William D. Sparks
  • Publication number: 20030084207
    Abstract: A CANOpen network including a bus master and an I/O module is disclosed. Each is communicatively coupled to a common bus. The I/O module is subject to a state change. The bus master collects state information from the I/O module by determining if the bus master is prepared to receive further data from the bus and sending a trigger signal from the bus master to the I/O module if the bus master is prepared to receive further data from the bus. The I/O modules sends a state signal to the bus master in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Schneider Automation Inc.
    Inventors: William A. White, Lawrence W. Hill, James McLean, William D. Sparks, Jean-Francois Rolland
  • Publication number: 20030084384
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving communication throughout a network is disclosed. The network includes a module capable of transmitting messages in response to a change of state. Bit errors transmitted within network are detected and a detected bit error rate is calculated. A residual, i.e., undetected, error probability is determined in response to the detected bit error rate. Corrective action towards reducing the effects of the residual errors is taken, e.g., retransmission of messages, in response to the residual error probability exceeding a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Schneider Automation Inc.
    Inventors: William A. White, Lawrence W. Hill, James A. McLean, William D. Sparks, Jean-Francois Rolland
  • Publication number: 20030084216
    Abstract: A CANOpen network including a bus master and an I/O module are disclosed. Each are communicatively coupled to a common bus. The I/O module is subject to a state change. The bus master collects state information from the I/O module by sending a state signal from the I/O module to the bus master in response to a state change of the I/O module, sending a trigger signal from the bus master to the I/O module, and sending a state signal from the I/O module to the bus master in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Schneider Automation Inc.
    Inventors: William A. White, James McLean, Lawrence W. Hill, Jean-Francois Rolland, William D. Sparks
  • Patent number: 6266816
    Abstract: A cable television control apparatus includes a television channel access controller connected at a node of a cable television network between the network and at least one subscriber household. All available cable television channels, including premium channels, can be transmitted by the headend without scrambling. Each access controller receives channel selection signals, such as television tuner local oscillator signals, from within subscriber households. The controller detects the channel selection signal and identifies selected channels. A channel filtering system is tuned in accordance with the detected selection signal to pass only selected channels to subscribers while blocking all other channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Watson Technologies
    Inventors: John C. Watson, Jr., Arthur W. Vemis, Mark H. Olinsky, William D. Sparks
  • Patent number: 5812928
    Abstract: A cable television control apparatus includes a television channel access controller connected at a node of a cable television network between the network and at least one subscriber household. All available cable television channels, including premium channels, can be transmitted by the headend without scrambling. Each access controller receives channel selection signals, such as television tuner local oscillator signals, from within subscriber households. The controller detects the channel selection signal and identifies selected channels. A channel filtering system is tuned in accordance with the detected selection signal to pass only selected channels to subscribers while blocking all other channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Watson Technologies
    Inventors: John C. Watson, Jr., Arthur W. Vemis, Mark H. Olinsky, William D. Sparks
  • Patent number: 4350134
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing an air/fuel vapor mixture for use in the combustion chambers of an internal combustion chamber which includes an enclosure into which ambient air is introduced with a heater for heating the ambient air together with a fuel vaporizer for vaporizing fuel injected into the enclosure and for mixing with the heated air and another heater for heating the resulting air/fuel vapor mixture which is subsequently conducted out of the enclosure to the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1982
    Inventor: William D. Sparks