National Semiconductor Corporation

Other

Motorola Corporation

New Archery Products Corporation

Gregory J Smith

Yinming Chen

John Wendell Oglesbee

Francisco Javier Guerrero Mercado

Igor Furlan

David J Kunst

Miroslav A Simo

Paul Michael Henry

Glenn Chance Dunlap, Iii

Frank A Harwath

Robert S Mizek

Donald M Archer

Stuart B Shacter

Jeffrey P Kotowski

William James McIntyre

Christopher A Kozlik

David James Megaw

Anthony D Wang

Paul David Ranucci

William MacLean

Steve A Martinez

Paul Mike Henry

Michael J Marchio

Michael M Czemske

Christopher Kozlik

Michael Czemske

Jeremy A Carlson

The claimed invention relates to a container assembly for applying grease to the ball of a trailer hitch. Specifically, the grease applicator comprises a lower housing with an upper concave surface and an upper housing with an upper concave surface further comprising at least one aperture. Grease is introduced between the upper concave surface of the lower housing and the upper concave surface of the upper housing such that when the two surfaces are pressed together grease is emitted from the at least one aperture in the upper concave surface.

Grease applicator for trailer hitch tow ball

Disclosed herein is new and improved system and method for supporting radiation shields. The system may include a first frame subassembly, a second frame assembly, and a quick disconnect. The first frame sub assembly may include an upper partial ring support, a lower partial ring support, and a plurality of vertical supports. The second frame sub assembly may include an upper partial ring support, a lower partial ring support, and a plurality of vertical supports. The second frame subassembly may have a ring hole. The quick disconnect may include a plug and a bolt. The plug may be permanently affixed to the first frame subassembly, and the bolt may be configured to pass through the ring hole and the plug hole in order to removably secure the first frame subassembly to the second frame subassembly.

Radiation shield support system and method

A portable instrument for displaying an efficiency metric for a photovoltaic power generation system based on an estimate of the source power available from the photovoltaic modules. The source power is a value scaled from the rated DC source power computed with data from irradiance and temperature sensors or from a photovoltaic sensor's deviation from a rated level of power generation. A ratio of output power divided by source power is one measure of efficiency and relates to the health of the physical photovoltaic power generation system.

Efficiency meter for photovoltaic power generation systems

A regulator is provided. The regulator is a PWM-based switching regulator with soft-start. The regulator starts up with non-synchronously-rectified regulation. A soft-start done signal is asserted after soft-start is finished. In one embodiment, the soft-start done signal is asserted at about 150% of the soft-start time. After the soft-start done signal has been asserted, the regulator changes from non-synchronously-rectified regulation to synchronously-rectified regulation if a pre-determined period of time occurs with no zero-crossing in the inductor current. In one embodiment, the pre-determined period of time is one switching cycle. In some embodiments, the 'zero-crossing' of the inductor current is slightly different from zero, such as &#x2212;0.5 A.

Apparatus and method for soft-start mode transition in a switching regulator

A release device with a follow-through or recoil motion for use with mechanically launched projectiles. A recoil motion is in a direction opposite the path of the projectile. Releasing an arrow from a bow provides correct form and follow-through motion of a user hand directly opposite to a direction of a path of the launched arrow, to improve flight accuracy. The release device includes a housing, a trigger, a keeper and a recoil assembly. This invention also relates to a method of using the release device.

Release device with follow-through

A system and method is disclosed for providing communication of an over-current protection signal and current mode control signals between a controller chip and a power chip in an integrated circuit device that comprises a plurality of integrated circuit chips. The controller chip sends pulse width modulation signals and a reference current signal to the power chip. Current flow status detection circuitry in the power chip detects a current flow status in the power chip and provides a current flow status signal to the controller chip. The current flow status signal may comprise an over-current protection signal or current mode control signals. One advantageous embodiment of the invention comprises a switch mode power supply integrated circuit.

System and method for providing communication of over-current protection and current mode control between multiple chips in an integrated circuit

A method for providing thermostatic temperature control in an integrated circuit is provided that includes internally heating the integrated circuit until the integrated circuit reaches an elevated temperature and holding the integrated circuit at the elevated temperature. For a particular embodiment, a temperature-dependent parameter of a temperature-sensitive block is tested while the integrated circuit is held at the elevated temperature.

Method and system for providing thermostatic temperature control in an integrated circuit

A regulator is provided. In one embodiment, the regulator operates as follows. During steady-state conditions, the switching frequency is maintained substantially constant. During start-up and/or in response to an over-current event, the reference voltage is attenuated. For example, in one embodiment, during a soft-start, the reference voltage ramps upward. During the soft-start, the switching frequency is attenuated in proportion to the attenuation of the reference voltage. The switching frequency is attenuated by skipping a number of pulses that is proportional to the reference voltage attenuation, or through another method. In another embodiment, a dynamic over-current protection scheme is employed.

Apparatus and method for start-up and over-current protection for a regulator

An archery component mountable with respect to an archery bow. The archery component includes a sensor that senses a movement of an archery arrow with respect to the archery bow and/or a movement of the archery bow. The sensor transmits a signal, upon sensing at least one movement, to a signal processor housed within a body of the archery bow and in communication with the sensor. The signal processor receives the signal and activates the archery component in response to the received signal.

Electrically activated archery component

An apparatus and method is arranged to dynamically adjust a pulse width (e.g., off-time pulse) associated with a switching device in a converter such as a buck converter, a boost converter, or a buck-boost regulator. A one-shot circuit is configured to dynamically initiate a pulse cycle for the switching converter when the output voltage collapses to a level that is related to a monitored inductor current in the converter. By changing the start time associated with the one-shot circuit, the pulse-width (e.g., off-time pulse) associated with the switching device is varied. In one example, the one-shot circuit is triggered when the inductor current is sensed as decaying below a threshold. The one-shot circuit can be further arranged to have another pulse-width (e.g., on-time pulse) that is adjusted for phase alignment with a reference frequency using a PLL circuit.

Switch mode power supply control circuit

A method for providing cooled flip chip is provided. Solder paste is placed on a back side of a flip chip. A heat sink is placed against the solder paste. The solder paste is reflowed. In addition, an apparatus is provided. Generally, a zener diode flip chip with an active side and a back side opposite the active side and a positive thermal coefficient resistor are provided. A thermally conductive connection is between the positive thermal coefficient resistor and the back side of the zener diode flip chip.

Flip chip mounted to thermal sensing element through the back side of the chip

A fletching system including a sleeve positionable about an outer surface of an arrow shaft and at least one archery vane mounted to an outer surface of the sleeve. The sleeve has an initial inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the arrow shaft and the sleeve is shrinkable to secure the fletching system to the arrow shaft. Methods for constructing a fletching system include mounting a shrinkable sleeve and at least one archery vane on an outer surface of the shrinkable sleeve and also attaching the fletching system with respect to an archery arrow.

Arrow fletching system and method for attaching arrow fletching system to an arrow shaft

The present invention provides current regulation. The circuit includes a current regulation loop that includes a second control signal that is used to adjust the magnitude of the regulated current. The second control signal provides a signal that regulates the amount of current being supplied to a load. According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one current source is used to modulate the magnitude of the regulated current when a predetermined condition occurs. The predetermined condition may relate to temperature, current, voltage, and the like.

Method of modulating current regulation control loop's current magnitude from a second control signal

A circuit provides a power regulation loop that operates in two modes and uses a single comparator between the two modes. One mode, an open mode, involves generating an overload signal when the pass transistor is in an oversaturated mode indicating that the voltage drop of the device exceeds a predetermined threshold. The other mode, a linear mode, involves generating an optimal value sense resistor for a liner mode operation of a pass transistor. The two modes do not exist simultaneously and, therefore, a single comparator may be used between the two modes.

Power regulation loop performs two functions

A voltage regulator includes a soft-start circuit, an error amplifier, an output stage, a voltage divider, and a soft-start switch. The output stage is arranged to provide an output voltage from an input voltage and an error signal. The voltage divider is arranged to provide a feedback signal from the output voltage. The error amplifier is arranged to provide the error signal from a soft-start reference voltage and the feedback signal. The soft-start circuit is arranged to provide the soft-start reference voltage from a reference voltage. If the voltage regulator is enabled, the soft-start reference voltage ramps toward the reference voltage until the soft-start reference voltage reaches the reference voltage. The soft-start switch is coupled across the inputs of the error amplifier. If the voltage regulator is disabled, the soft-start switch is closed. Closing the soft-start switch causes the soft-start reference voltage to track the decaying output voltage during disable.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Gregory J Smith