Patents by Inventor Nancy K. Del Grande

Nancy K. Del Grande 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: 7157714
    Abstract: A thermal imaging method to detect heat flows from naturally-heated subsurface objects. The method uniquely combines precise, emissivity-corrected temperature maps, thermal inertia maps, temperature simulations, and automatic target recognition to display clear, clutter-free, three-dimensional images of contained hollow objects or structures, at depths to 20 times their diameter. Temperature scans are corrected using two different infrared bands. Co-registered object-site temperature scans image daily and seasonal temperature-spread differences, which vary inversely as the object's and surrounding host material's thermal inertias. Thermal inertia (resistance to temperature change) is the square root of the product (k?C), for thermal conductivity, k, density, ? and heat capacity, C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Inventor: Nancy K. Del Grande
  • Publication number: 20040183020
    Abstract: A thermal imaging method to detect heat flows from naturally-heated subsurface objects. The method uniquely combines precise, emissivity-corrected temperature maps, thermal inertia maps, temperature simulations, and automatic target recognition to display clear, clutter-free, three-dimensional images of contained hollow objects or structures, at depths to 20 times their diameter. Temperature scans are corrected using two different infrared bands. Co-registered object-site temperature scans image daily and seasonal temperature-spread differences, which vary inversely as the object's and surrounding host material's thermal inertias. Thermal inertia (resistance to temperature change) is the square root of the product (k&rgr;C), for thermal conductivity, k, density, &rgr; and heat capacity, C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventor: Nancy K. Del Grande
  • Patent number: 5444241
    Abstract: A method for detecting flaws in structures using dual band infrared radiation. Heat is applied to the structure being evaluated. The structure is scanned for two different wavelengths and data obtained in the form of images. Images are used to remove clutter to form a corrected image. The existence and nature of a flaw is determined by investigating a variety of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Nancy K. Del Grande, Philip F. Durbin, Kenneth W. Dolan, Dwight E. Perkins