Patents by Inventor Geoffrey W. Hilliard
Geoffrey W. Hilliard 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).
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Patent number: 6838886Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring changes induced in an inductive field on a wire-loop of an oscillator circuit based upon variations in a current function without the need to measure frequency changes. Induced noise has independent effects upon the current function and voltage function of an inductance measurement circuit. By inductively coupling one input and directly coupling the second input of a comparator circuit to the inductance measurement circuit, the phase of the current function can be adjusted to coincide with the phase of the voltage function. By combining the voltage function with the current function, an output isolating the induced noise from the measured inductance is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6803859Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources are filtered by active isolation.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2002Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Stephen R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6639521Abstract: An apparatus for detecting inductance, which is generally disposed outside of the roadway surface. The apparatus includes at least one large aperture wire-loop deployed beside the roadway, on either or both sides, to detect vehicular traffic passing nearby. Alternatively, the apparatus includes at least one large aperture wire-loop deployed such that vehicular traffic passes through the opening defined by the wire-loop(s).Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Inductive Signature TechnologiesInventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6611210Abstract: A wire-loop vehicle detector is configured with a vertically oriented blade aligned at an angle to the direction of traffic-flow with each end of the blade extending laterally beyond the normal limits of vehicle presence over the blade. The extended blade configuration of the wire-loop constrains over-passing vehicles to present repeatable inductive signatures while electromagnetic noise and thermal-drift are selectively canceled using a secondary coil to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of inductance measurements. Inductive signatures of vehicles are recorded using a high-speed and high-precision method of making multiple successive measurements of the inductance of a wire-loop as vehicles pass over. Inductive signatures of automotive vehicles are useful for parking-lot revenue control, car-bomb detection, passive security of isolated communities, and other traffic-flow monitoring and control applications.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2002Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Publication number: 20030020635Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources are filtered by active isolation.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Publication number: 20020154032Abstract: A wire-loop vehicle detector is configured with a vertically oriented blade aligned at an angle to the direction of traffic-flow with each end of the blade extending laterally beyond the normal limits of vehicle presence over the blade. The extended blade configuration of the wire-loop constrains over-passing vehicles to present repeatable inductive signatures while electromagnetic noise and thermal-drift are selectively canceled using a secondary coil to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of inductance measurements. Inductive signatures of vehicles are recorded using a high-speed and high-precision method of making multiple successive measurements of the inductance of a wire-loop as vehicles pass over. Inductive signatures of automotive vehicles are useful for parking-lot revenue control, car-bomb detection, passive security of isolated communities, and other traffic-flow monitoring and control applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2002Publication date: October 24, 2002Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6417784Abstract: A wire-loop vehicle detector is configured with a vertically oriented blade aligned at an angle to the direction of traffic-flow with each end of the blade extending laterally beyond the normal limits of vehicle presence over the blade. The extended blade configuration of the wire-loop constrains over-passing vehicles to present repeatable inductive signatures while electromagnetic noise and thermal-drift are selectively canceled using a secondary coil to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of inductance measurements. Inductive signatures of vehicles are recorded using a high-speed and high-precision method of making multiple successive measurements of the inductance of a wire-loop as vehicles pass over. Inductive signatures of automotive vehicles are useful for parking-lot revenue control, car-bomb detection, passive security of isolated communities, and other traffic-flow monitoring and control applications.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1997Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: Inductive SignatureInventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6380868Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop without direct reference to any particular time-constant or frequency. Low-frequency noise induced into the wire-loop is canceled within the detector circuit and crosstalk between a plurality of adjacent wire-loops is nullified using passive transformers. New wire-loop configurations utilize the permeability-modulated carrier referencing to provide repeatable inductive signatures with less intrusive, and non-intrusive installations.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Publication number: 20020018007Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop without direct reference to any particular time-constant or frequency. Low-frequency noise induced into the wire-loop is canceled within the detector circuit and crosstalk between a plurality of adjacent wire-loops is nullified using passive transformers. New wire-loop configurations utilize the permeability-modulated carrier referencing to provide repeatable inductive signatures with less intrusive, and non-intrusive installations.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Publication number: 20020018006Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop without direct reference to any particular time-constant or frequency. Low-frequency noise induced into the wire-loop is canceled within the detector circuit and crosstalk between a plurality of adjacent wire-loops is nullified using passive transformers. New wire-loop configurations utilize the permeability-modulated carrier referencing to provide repeatable inductive signatures with less intrusive, and non-intrusive installations.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6342845Abstract: A system and method for measuring a plurality of successive induction measurements, collectively known as the “inductive signature” of a vehicle, and classifying the vehicle described by the measured inductive signature. The system includes a blade-type wire-loop configuration, or blade sensor and a corresponding measurement circuit employing a discrete measurement technique, as opposed to the frequency counting technique of the prior art. The system and method produce repeatable inductive signatures at a high resolution that allows for accurate identification and classification of a vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2000Date of Patent: January 29, 2002Assignee: Inductive Signature TechnologiesInventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Patent number: 6337602Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit includes two balanced capacitors coupled to the wire-loop sensor, and an excitation circuit connectable with the capacitors at a selected polarity. Wherein, when the excitation circuit is connected to the capacitors, one of the capacitors is charged while the other capacitor is discharged, and both of the capacitors are discharged when the excitation circuit is disconnected to produce a pair of decaying oscillations having a caduceus-shaped output. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources is filtered by active isolation.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2001Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
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Publication number: 20010043124Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources are filtered by active isolation.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2001Publication date: November 22, 2001Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard