Stephen G Seberger, Age 692608 Ridge Rd, Marshalltown, IA 50158

6971626, Dec 6, 2005

Mar 8, 2004

10/795864

Stephen George Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC. - St. Louis MO

G05B019/05

25112904, 251284

A digital valve positioning system is disclosed. The system comprises a valve, a valve controller having a controller microprocessor and a controller memory and a valve actuator having an output coupled to the valve to control the position of the valve over a range of motion in response to an output from the valve controller. The system further comprises a first position sensor for determining the position of the valve actuator and an intelligent limit switch for generating a limit switch state signal indicative of a state of the valve being above or below a threshold set point. The limit switch comprises a second position sensor generating an output signal indicative of the position of the valve, a limit switch memory, a limit switch microprocessor communicatively coupled to the limit switch memory, an isolated communication link between the controller microprocessor and the limit switch microprocessor for transferring the set point data from the controller to the limit switch. The limit switch microprocessor includes a first limit switch microprocessor output, the limit switch microprocessor being responsive to the second position sensor output signal and the set point data stored in the limit switch memory to generate the state signal at the first limit switch microprocessor output.

7190159, Mar 13, 2007

Feb 18, 2004

10/779686

Curt Galbreath - Marshalltown IA, US
Richard J. Winkler - Marshalltown IA, US
Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - St. Louis MO

G01B 7/14

3242072, 32420725

A non-contacting position sensor having primary and secondary sensors detects relative displacement between two objects. The secondary sensor may function as a limit switch detection element in a limit switch circuit, and is positioned to be in the path of magnetic flux not detected by the primary sensor. The primary sensor is positioned in a flux path between sections of a flux gathering pole. A secondary sensor is positioned in a leakage flux path outside the first sensor or may be positioned in a secondary flux path.

7222016, May 22, 2007

Aug 2, 2005

11/195281

Jimmie L. Snowbarger - Marshalltown IA, US
Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US
LeDoyle Pingel - Grundy Center IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - St. Louis MO

G06F 219/00

701114, 701101

Disclosed herein is a controller and method useful for transferring control of a process control device between first and second control modes. The controller includes first and second servo control modules that generate first and second drive signals based on feedback information from first and second sensors for control of the process control device in accordance with first and second control modes, respectively. The controller also includes a feedback control transfer module that transfers control of the operation of the process control device from the first control mode to the second control mode based on the feedback information from the first sensor. In certain embodiments, such control transfer involves a control routine that initially generates the second drive signal based on the first drive signal to effectuate a smooth, bumpless transfer between the control modes.

7556238, Jul 7, 2009

Jul 20, 2005

11/185054

Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - Marshalltown IA

F16K 31/02

251 69, 251 70, 25112904

An emergency shutdown system includes an emergency shutdown valve, a control line to carry a signal determinative of positioning of the emergency shutdown valve, a solenoid assembly coupled to the control line to effectuate the positioning of the emergency shutdown valve, and a junction device coupled to the control line and the solenoid assembly. In some embodiments, the junction device includes a switch, such as a relay, responsive to the signal to control whether the solenoid assembly is coupled to the control line and, therefore, energized.

7852610, Dec 14, 2010

Jan 24, 2007

11/626760

Ronald L. Uhlenberg - Marshalltown IA, US
Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US
Riyaz M. Ali - Austin TX, US
Jimmie L. Snowbarger - Marshalltown IA, US
Clyde T. Eisenbeis - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - St. Louis MO

H02H 3/20

361111, 361 911

A device intended to meet flameproof approval requirements is configured to have two compartments separated by an energy-limiting barrier. The first compartment of the device houses the wiring terminations that bear ignition-capable energy and, therefore, must be flameproof. The energy-limiting barrier is configured to limit the energy that can reach the second compartment to a level that is not ignition capable. This allows the second compartment to be safe without meeting the flameproof requirements, and allows user-interface elements such as switches and indicators to be designed in a more cost-effective manner.

7911189, Mar 22, 2011

Jun 13, 2008

12/139298

Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US
Adam J. Wittkop - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - St. Louis MO

G05F 1/613
G05F 5/00

323222, 323299, 307 39

A method of scavenging power in a circuit having a power source generating electric current includes connecting a power scavenging device having an input terminal pair and an output terminal pair to the circuit via the input terminal pair, dynamically regulating a voltage drop across the input terminal pair of the power scavenging device, harvesting electrical energy available at the regulated voltage drop from the electric current flowing through the first input terminal pair of the power scavenging device, and providing the harvested electrical energy at the output terminal pair of the power scavenging device.

8193784, Jun 5, 2012

Jun 13, 2008

12/139321

Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US
Adam J. Wittkop - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - Marshalltown IA

G05F 1/00
G05F 1/613
G05F 3/16

323222, 323224

A bidirectional DC to DC converter having a first operational mode and a second operational mode includes a first terminal pair that has a positive terminal and a negative terminal and that connects the converter to a first electric circuit, a second terminal pair that has a positive terminal and a negative terminal and that connects the converter to a second electric circuit, an accumulation element for temporary accumulation of electric energy; and a switching circuit connected to the first terminal pair, the second terminal pair, and the accumulation element. Electric energy is transferred from the first electric circuit to the second electric circuit via the accumulation element in the first operational mode of the bidirectional DC to DC converter and, from the second electric circuit to the first electric circuit via the accumulation element in the second operational mode of the DC to DC converter.

8260563, Sep 4, 2012

Feb 25, 2009

12/392864

Stephen G. Seberger - Marshalltown IA, US

Fisher Controls International LLC - Marshalltown IA

G01R 15/00

702 57, 702 64, 702 66, 702 89, 702117, 702189

A system operating in a process control environment includes a field device to perform a process control function in the process control environment, a remote device disposed away from the field device to perform an auxiliary function associated with the process control function of the field device, a first wired communication link communicatively coupled to the field device and to the remote device to support data communication between the field device and the remote device, and a common-mode noise reduction circuit coupled to the field device and to the wired communication link to reduce common-mode noise generated in the first wired communication link.