The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 03, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1999
Gregg L. McKee, Rancho Santa Fe, CA (US);
Frederick W. MacDougall, San Diego, CA (US);
General Atomics, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A capacitor is made up of a housing; a first plurality of capacitors within the housing; a second plurality of capacitors within the housing; a first electrode coupled to a first terminal, with the first terminal being electrically contactable outside the housing; a second electrode coupled to a second terminal, with the second terminal being contactable outside the housing; a threshold circuit that compares performance of the first plurality of capacitors with performance of the second plurality of capacitors, detects an unbalance, and generates an output signal; and a signal output coupled to the threshold circuit, the signal output being accessible outside the housing. A method of operating a capacitor has steps of coupling a first electrode of the capacitor to a system; coupling a second electrode of the capacitor to a system; applying a voltage across the first and second electrodes; detecting an unbalance within the capacitor; determining whether a degree of such unbalance is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold; signaling the detected unbalance in the event the degree of such unbalance is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold; determining whether the degree of such unbalance is greater than the second threshold; and initiating a shutdown of the capacitor in the event the degree of such unbalance if greater than the second threshold.