Patents by Inventor Steven F. Clifford

Steven F. Clifford 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: 6137433
    Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) ocean scatterometer with an adaptable spatial resolution for sensing and processing GPS signals reflected from an ocean surface for wind measurements in a wide range of altitudes and wind velocities. To increase wind sensitivity at low altitudes, the GPS ocean scatterometer employs a sub-chip GPS receiver which includes, inter alia, a signal correlator and a pair of code correlators for generating a sub-chip footprint to boost system resolution. To increase wind sensitivity at high altitudes, the GPS ocean scatterometer employs a multi-chip GPS receiver which includes, inter alia, a wide-band oscillator and a multi-chip generator for generating a multi-chip footprint to boost scattered energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: Valery U. Zavorotny, Steven F. Clifford
  • Patent number: 5159407
    Abstract: The disclosed invention is a measurement device for use in determining wind turbulence in the atmosphere, such as the cross-wind velocity and strength of refractive turbulence in a localized region. In the preferred embodiment, the device is comprised of: a telescope for collimating the light received from the light source, the telescope placed in front of a pair of spatially filtered optical receivers and focussed at infinity; a pair of gratings; a collecting lens, placed behind the gratings to collect the spatially filtered light; a photodetector to collect the light; an amplifier to amplify the signal received from the photodetector, and; a spectrum analyzer to analyze the interference pattern created by the gratings. The device uses the information contained in the light as it is scattered into its various Fourier components as the light passes through the atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: James H. Churnside, Steven F. Clifford, Steen G. Hanson
  • Patent number: 4760743
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for acoustic scintillation liquid flow measurement. Measurement is carried out by acoustic beams transmitted perpendicular to the direction the component of liquid flow to be measured, with both phase and amplitude measurements being made to enable generation of accurate speed of flow indications which are indicative of liquid flow through a broad area being monitored as opposed to a single point therein. In one realization of this invention, a pair of projectors are mounted on one side of the flow area, such as a channel to be monitored, and a pair of receivers are mounted on the other side of the flow area with pulsed acoustic signals from each of the projectors being transmitted in separate parallel paths through the liquid, such as water, to the receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: Steven F. Clifford, David M. Farmer