Jeffrey G Hopman

US Patent:

7126368, Oct 24, 2006

Filed:

Sep 16, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/942269

Inventors:

John David Paulson - West Fargo ND, US
Brian Frederick Boeshans - Fargo ND, US
Jeffrey Gerald Hopman - Horace ND, US
Robert Boyd Shaw - Fargo ND, US

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

G01R 31/34

US Classification:

324772, 324545, 324546

Abstract:

A system and method detects coil-to-coil faults in an electric motor having a plurality of coils. The method includes applying a square wave signal to a first coil of the motor, connecting a capacitor and a resistor between ground potential and a second coil of the motor, applying the coil output voltage to an amplifying and peak detecting circuit, applying an output of the amplifying and peak detecting circuit to the input of the control unit and, after a delay period, generating a motor fault signal if the coil output voltage is below a predetermined threshold. The square wave signal is amplified by a circuit which prevents transmission of voltage signals from the coils to the output of the control unit during normal operation of the motor.

US Patent:

7297034, Nov 20, 2007

Filed:

Sep 25, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/526791

Inventors:

Andrew Dean Wieland - Fargo ND, US
Jeffrey Gerald Hopman - Horace ND, US

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

H01R 4/38

US Classification:

439801, 439 83

Abstract:

A circuit board assembly including a circuit board having at least one conductive element attached thereto and at least one surface mount stud carrier mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to the at least one conductive element.

US Patent:

7903417, Mar 8, 2011

Filed:

Oct 9, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/869006

Inventors:

Ronnie Dean Stahlhut - Bettendorf IA, US
Clement Vanden Godbold - Rock Hill SC, US
Jeffrey Gerald Hopman - Horace ND, US
Kartheek Karna - Fargo ND, US
James Arthur Springer - Casselton ND, US
John Lopes Alves - Horace ND, US
Lise Alves, legal representative - Horace ND, US

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

H05K 7/20
F28F 7/00
H01L 23/34

US Classification:

361713, 361709, 361715, 361719, 165 802, 165 803, 165185, 257712, 257713, 257722, 257E23103, 174 163, 174 161, 174252

Abstract:

An electrical circuit assembly includes an electrical circuit substrate having a first side; a heat sink including a metal base plate having a first side and a second side, and a plurality of fins extending from the second side; and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating adhesive directly interconnecting at least a portion of the first side of the electrical circuit substrate with the first side of the base plate.

US Patent:

20080084671, Apr 10, 2008

Filed:

Oct 10, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/545633

Inventors:

Ronnie Dean Stahlhut - Bettendorf IA, US
Clement Vanden Godbold - Rock Hill SC, US
Jeffrey Gerald Hopman - Horace ND, US
Kartheek Karna - Fargo ND, US
James Arthur Springer - Casselton ND, US
John Lopes Alves - , US
Lise Alves - Horace ND, US

International Classification:

H05K 7/20
H05K 3/30

US Classification:

361710, 29836

Abstract:

An electrical circuit assembly includes a flexible electrical circuit having a first side; a heat sink including a metal base plate having a first side and a second side, and a plurality of fins extending from the second side; and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating adhesive directly interconnecting at least a portion of the first side of the flexible electrical circuit with the first side of the base plate.

US Patent:

58315390, Nov 3, 1998

Filed:

Oct 22, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/956053

Inventors:

John C. Thomas - Fargo ND
Douglas L. Hauck - Fargo ND
Christopher J. Skarie - Audubon MN
Jon T. Jacobson - Fargo ND
John D. Paulson - West Fargo ND
Trevor D. Fuss - Fargo ND
Daryl N. Roehrich - West Fargo ND
Jeffrey G. Hopman - Fargo ND

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

G08B 2100

US Classification:

340674

Abstract:

A particle blockage monitoring system employs a flexible piezoelectric particle sensor element in a portion of a particle flow path so that a number of particles traveling in the particle flow path strike the flexible particle sensor element while preventing damage to the particles and maintaining the forward momentum of all the particles in the particle flow path. In order to provide flexibility in monitoring particles of different types and to increase the information rate, the use of a one-shot multivibrator to temporarily store a particle detection signal as in the prior art is avoided. Also, serial sampling of the particle sensor data is avoided to increase the information rate. Instead, a comparator that includes a diode in a feedback loop so as to function as a latch is used in conjunction with a serial shift register that has parallel data input lines. This enables a microprocessor to monitor the output from a multiple-bit memory element which stores a digital representation of the outputs of plural sensor elements at a higher rate than attainable in the prior art.

US Patent:

58315411, Nov 3, 1998

Filed:

May 14, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/855625

Inventors:

John D. Paulson - West Fargo ND
Trevor D. Fuss - Fargo ND
Jeffrey G. Hopman - Fargo ND
John C. Thomas - Fargo ND

Assignee:

Deere & Company - Moline IL

International Classification:

G08B 2100

US Classification:

340684

Abstract:

A method and circuit for determining whether a sensor 2 is attached to a connection point 5 of a sensor interface circuit 1 of a seed monitoring system. When it is desired to determine whether a sensor is attached to a connection point, the method applies a time varying detection signal at terminal 3 to the connection point 5 via a reactive element, such as capacitor 4. The connection point 5 is connected to a first input of a comparator 9 having its other input set at a first reference voltage which maintains the comparator in a first state in the absence of a detection signal being applied. Even when a detection signal is applied, the comparator is not driven into a second state if an operable sensor is connected to the connection point 5. When the sensor is not connected to the connection point, or is inoperable, the voltage produced by the detection signal at the first input of the comparator is high enough to trip the comparator into a second state, which may be latched. Thus, the interface output 7 following a detection signal provides an indication whether an operable sensor is connected to the seed monitoring system at the connection point 5.

US Patent:

53833503, Jan 24, 1995

Filed:

Jan 13, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/180678

Inventors:

David E. Bennett - Lake Lillian MN
Jeffrey G. Hopman - Olivia MN

Assignee:

Gas Research Institute - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01M 1500
F02P 1700

US Classification:

73 35

Abstract:

A sensor (10) detects misfires of combustion cylinders in an internal combustion engine by monitoring the exhaust from the engine. The sensor (10) comprises a spark gap (18) to be situated in exhaust from the engine and a transformer assembly (34). The transformer assembly (34) has an ignition transformer (41a) for providing a potential difference between the electrodes (18a, 18b) of the spark gap (18) and a detection transformer (41b) for sensing the occurrence of an arc across the spark gap (18). An ignition pulse shaper (68) provides an ignition pulse to the ignition transformer (41a) upon receiving a trigger signal from an engine control system (66), and a detection pulse shaper (72) monitors the detection transformer (41b) and forwards an arc detection signal to the engine control system (66) upon detecting an arc across the electrodes (18a, 18b) of the spark gap (18). Proper ignition in the internal combustion engine is presumed when the arc is generated across the electrodes (18a, 18b), and a misfire is presumed in the internal combustion engine in the absence of the arc across the spark gap (18).