Patents by Inventor Donald R. Wells

Donald R. Wells has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7474263
    Abstract: An electronically scanned antenna may include a plurality of space-fed, contiguous subarrays arranged in an annular region, each subarray including an inner set of radiating elements facing inwardly, an outer-facing set of radiating elements, and a feed system for illuminating the inner set of radiating elements. A plurality of RF amplifiers are coupled through a commutation switch matrix to selected ones of the subarray feed horn systems to illuminate a desired sector with RF energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Garfinkle, Joseph E. Wheeler, Donald R. Wells, Jar J. Lee, Richard P. Ritch
  • Patent number: 5639532
    Abstract: A cleansing kit composed of a plurality of layers of absorbent layers or tissues laminated together with an inner one of said absorbent layers being impregnated with a cleaning or other solution and an outer one of said absorbent layers being kept dry by an impermeable plastic middle layer, said inner layer serving to clean a surface being cleaned and/or sterilized and said dry outer layer serving to remove any excess cleaner and loosened residual material from said surface after cleaning has been completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Inventor: Donald R. Wells
  • Patent number: 5099456
    Abstract: A passive surveillance system provides ranging and location capability of a signal source. A single receiver in a multipath environment or alternatively a plurality of receivers receive the signal from the source having different propagation delays along different paths. Selection of corresponding frequency components from different paths and mixing of the corresponding selected frequency components from each of the paths generates complex pseudo-noise signals that are suitable for correlation processing. Correlation processing of the mixed signals yields the time difference between the multiple paths. The maximum time difference parameters for each path are used to generate a locus line, either explicitly or implicitly. Range and location processing of the locus information identifies range and location of the signal source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Donald R. Wells
  • Patent number: 5034931
    Abstract: A system and method for enhancing detection of target signals in a passive detection system. The present invention enhances noise limited detection by combining energy from several frequencies, the fundamental and related harmonics. The present invention processes fundamental frequency signal f.sub.o and a plurality of harmonic frequency signals 2fhd o, 3f.sub.o . . . nf.sub.o that are embedded in background noise. In one embodiment these signals are summed and the summed signal is compared to a threshold to generate a target detection signal. In another embodiment, the plurality of harmonic frequency signals are processed to determine the background noise level and to determine which of the harmonic frequency signals may be harmonics of the fundamental frequency signal. The fundamental frequency signal and the harmonic signals that are determined to be harmonics of the fundamental frequency signal are summed to provide the summed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1991
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Donald R. Wells
  • Patent number: 4766435
    Abstract: An adaptive radar apparatus is provided for substantially reducing background clutter, particularly relatively time-invariant clutter, such as sea clutter, and especially at low radar grazing angles. The apparatus includes a transmitting antenna having horizontally and vertically oriented, transmitting elements and a relative phase control therebetween and a receiving antenna also with horizontally and vertically oriented receiving elements also having relative phase detection and phase shift possible therebetween. A controllable radar signal generator is provided for supplying signals to the transmitting antenna and a controllable signal processor is provided for processing return signals from the receiving antenna. Means are included for determining, from return test signals, a background mean null polarization for a number of radar range and azimuth cells and for providing null polarization control signals H.sub.o, V.sub.o and .phi..sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Donald R. Wells
  • Patent number: 4098333
    Abstract: A marine riser system for offshore well installations having a plurality of satellite subsea wells wherein production flow is conducted to a composite manifold structure on the sea floor, is raised to a floating platform for processing and processed production fluid is then returned to the manifold for transfer to storage or other facility. A riser pipe system which extends between the manifold structure at the sea floor and a floating platform wherein unprocessed production fluid is transported under high pressure in the riser system by a plurality of satellite or perimeter riser pipes which are arranged in a circle about a central riser pipe and which are separately and independently supported and maintained. Processed production fluid is conducted under low pressure through the central riser pipe at the center of the arrangement of satellite pipes, the central riser pipe providing a main structural member for the riser system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1978
    Assignee: Compagnie Francaise des Petroles
    Inventors: Donald R. Wells, Raymond W. Walker