Northrop Grumman was granted a patent for safer AC power connectors.

{
  "signal_id": "78737742-d63f-51b9-9460-17b21c09aa91",
  "signal_type": "patents-company",
  "signal_subtype": "patentGrant",
  "detected_at": "2026-09-30T17:34:37+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "Northrop Grumman",
    "domain": "northropgrumman.com"
  },
  "data": {
    "cpc": [
      {
        "code": "H02M 7/5387"
      },
      {
        "code": "H01R 13/03",
        "label": "Electrically-conductive connections / connectors"
      },
      {
        "code": "H02M 7/06"
      },
      {
        "code": "H01R 43/005",
        "label": "Electrically-conductive connections / connectors"
      }
    ],
    "tags": [
      "Intellectual Property",
      "Research & Development",
      "Engineering",
      "Product Security"
    ],
    "detail": "In September 2026 Northrop Grumman patented a power-transfer approach for electrical connector assemblies used in demanding aerospace and defense equipment.",
    "summary": "Northrop Grumman was granted a patent for safer AC power connectors.",
    "event_at": "2026-09-29",
    "inventors": [
      {
        "name": "James R. Windgassen",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-windgassen-4b7a398"
      },
      {
        "name": "Harvey P. Hack",
        "status": "unresolved",
        "is_primary": false
      }
    ],
    "event_kind": "grant_date",
    "grant_date": "2026-09-29",
    "source_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12749990",
    "cpc_primary": {
      "code": "H02M 7/5387"
    },
    "patent_title": "AC power transfer over self-passivating connectors",
    "patent_number": "US12749990",
    "uspto_assignee": "Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation",
    "patent_abstract": "Methods and systems to transform an alternating current into constant-polarity constant or pulsed voltages, provide these to a first group of contacts of an electrical connector assembly such that none of the contacts is subjected to polarity reversal, receive the constant-polarity constant or pulsed voltages from a second group of contacts of the electrical connector assembly, and reconstruct the alternating current from these voltages.",
    "precision_class": "structural",
    "invention_explanation": "A system converts AC into one-direction electrical pulses before sending it through connector contacts, then rebuilds the AC afterward to prevent contact polarity from reversing.",
    "technologies_mentioned": [
      "power conversion",
      "AC power transfer",
      "electrical connectors"
    ]
  }
}

curl https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/signals/78737742-d63f-51b9-9460-17b21c09aa91 \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY"

curl -X POST https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/companies/enrich \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain":"northropgrumman.com","limit":20}'