Patents Represented by Attorney Arthur K. Samora
  • Patent number: 8333535
    Abstract: An underwater plow includes a plow assembly that is attached to a frame. The plow assembly includes a blade portion, which defines a blade trough, and a sensor chute portion. The blade portion extends downwardly below a plane that is coincident with a longitudinal axis defined by the frame, while the chute portion extends upwardly above the same plane. A depressor arm is pivotably attached to the blade portion and biased to be in contact with the trough. The depressor arm has a groove that is sized to allow the cable, but not the sensors, to pass through the groove while the depressor arm is in contact with the trough. With this configuration, an array cable passes downward through the blade portion of the plow assembly and becomes buried in the ocean floor. Array sensors, however, are routed upward and pass through the chute portion of the plow assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Steve Whiteside, Robert Lee, Ronald Skala, Brian Shook, Paul Wade, Bret Thomson
  • Patent number: 8328466
    Abstract: An underwater plow can include a depressor cam and a chute cam that are pivotably attached to a blade portion. The blade portion can be formed with a trough and the depressor cam can be biased in the trough. The chute cam can be formed with a groove having a minimum thickness at its attached end and an increasing taper to a maximum thickness at its distal end. A sensor passing through the plow contacts the edge of the depressor cam, causing depressor cam rotation away from the trough. The sensor passes the depressor cam and pushes against the chute cam, which causes the chute cam to contra-rotate relative to the depressor cam until the sensor passes through the chute arm at is maximum thickness. Once the sensor passes through, the cams contra-rotate back to their respective biased positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brian Shook, Steve Whiteside, Robert Lee, Ronald Skala, Paul Wade, Bret Thomson
  • Patent number: 8274386
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detection of an electric field generated by the human/animal body can include providing a passive antenna system for detecting changes in the ambient electric field due to interaction of the ambient with the charges generated by the human/animal body, and a high impedance sensor that is fixed to the encapsulated wire antenna. The result is a passive human/animal detection system without any moving parts. The antenna can be an encapsulated wire, and the wire length can be chosen according the desired application. For systems that are intended to detect the presence of a human being or animal, the encapsulated wire can have a length of one hundred feet or more, and a grid of wires can be used for detection within an Area of Interest (AOI).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jack Y. Dea, Daniel Tam
  • Patent number: 8274861
    Abstract: An underwater wireless network can include plurality of nodes, each node having a cylindrical housing, a repeater, a transducer and a buoy. The housing defines a void and encloses the repeater. The transducer can be tethered to the housing and a buoy can be tethered to said transducer. Each node also includes at least two hemi-cylindrical flukes that can be pivotably attached to the housing. The housing can further be formed with at least two flood ports, and corresponding plugs are inserted into a respective fill port. Lanyards interconnect each flukes with a respective plug. During transport, the flukes can surround the transducer and the void is empty, which renders the node neutrally buoyant for ease of transport. For deployment, the flukes are pivoted away from each other to tighten the lanyards, which pull the plugs out of the flood ports, to further flood the void and deploy the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: William H. Marn, James Ben Penney, Lonnie Allen Hamme, Christopher Lawson Fletcher, Robert Kevin Creber, James Gabriel Buescher
  • Patent number: 8268388
    Abstract: A Method to Incorporate a Fluorescent Internal Standard on Substrates (NC#098329). The method includes providing a substrate, operatively coupling internal standard particles to the substrate, forming an insulating buffer layer over the internal standard particles and the substrate, and forming a sensing polymer layer over the insulating buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Pamela A. Boss
  • Patent number: 8250850
    Abstract: A pollution-free propulsion engine includes a rotating arm, a hollow axle defining a fuel delivery chamber, and hydrogen and oxygen sources. The rotating arm is formed with a detonation chamber, an opening and two tubular ducts therebetween. The axle is inserted into the opening. A pair of holes is formed in the axle to establish paths of fluid communication from the fuel delivery chamber through the ducts and into the detonation chamber as the rotating arm turns. The hydrogen source comprises a thin palladium binding layer deposited onto an aluminum sheet. Hydrogen molecules that are trapped in the binding layer are released, and the hydrogen is fed into the delivery chamber, through one duct and into the detonation chamber. At the same time, oxygen is delivered into the detonation chamber through the other duct, and the oxygen-hydrogen combination is detonated to release energy, which is converted into mechanical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Richard Adams, Carol A. Becker
  • Patent number: 8246462
    Abstract: A Hall-effect system for providing inputs into a processor includes at least one magnet for establishing a magnetic field, a remote sensor unit and a receive station. The magnet is sized and adapted to be worn on a user's finger, while the remote sensor unit is adapted to be worn on a user's thumb. The remote sensor unit includes a Hall-effect sensor that senses changes in the magnetic field due to the motion of the magnet relative to the Hall-effect sensor. The Hall-effect sensor detects the magnetic field changes, and the remote sensor unit generates a sensor output corresponding to the magnetic field changes. The receive station is connected to the processor. The receive station receives the output from the remote sensor unit and converts the sensor output into an input for the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Nghia Tran, Michael R. Blackburn, Hoa V. Phan
  • Patent number: 8244458
    Abstract: A method of quantifying a host vehicle's collision risk with a foreign object includes the steps of collecting and preserving a short-term history of range and azimuth data on the object and identifying leading edges of the foreign object. The leading edges are linked to previous detected leading edges in the short term history storage data to define a trajectory for the object, and to calculate range and azimuth velocities and accelerations of leading edges of the foreign object based on the leading edge trajectory. A collision risk P is then calculated for the foreign object using the range and azimuth velocities and accelerations according to a predetermined formula. If the collision risk P falls below a pre-set value, the methods of the present invention calculate an evasive maneuver for the host vehicle based on a vector sum of high risk leading edge risks and locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Michael R. Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8211730
    Abstract: A method for manufacture of a nanophotonic device can include the step of operatively coupling a planar light source and a photodetector with an optical waveguide. The planar light source, photodetector and optical waveguide can then be monolithically integrated in direct contact with a sapphire substrate, along with an electronic component that is also in direct contact with the sapphire substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Serey Thai, Paul R. de la Houssaye, Randy L. Shimabukuro, Stephen D. Russell
  • Patent number: 8210289
    Abstract: A microbot includes a spherical housing, first and second servomotors that are located internal to the housing and oriented horizontally and orthogonal to each other, and a plunger within the housing that selectively extends in the vertical direction. Castors are attached to each servomotor; and traction balls corresponding to each castor are placed so that each ball frictionally engages both a respective castor and the interior of the housing at the same time. As the servomotors rotate, the attached castors also rotate, which causes rotation of the traction balls and rolling of the housing, and results in translation of the microbot in the horizontal plane. As the plunger rapidly extends, it strikes the interior surface of the housing with sufficient force to cause a hopping motion of the microbot in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ryan P. Lu, Ayax D. Ramirez, Stephen D. Russell
  • Patent number: 8188862
    Abstract: An apparatus for remotely detecting metal objects carried by a person includes an antenna and a signal generator coupled to the antenna operable to cause the antenna to emit a first electromagnetic signal to the person at a frequency that is known to be resonant with the human body. The apparatus further includes a data capture device operable to capture response signal energy received by the antenna, the response signal energy being provided from the person in response to the first electromagnetic signal. Processing circuitry for the apparatus is operable to determine whether the response signal energy is indicative whether or not the person is carrying an appreciable amount of metal, based on reference response templates for persons that are known to be metal-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Daniel Tam, Jodi McGee, Aldo Monges
  • Patent number: 8177941
    Abstract: A hydrogen storage and recovery system includes a substrate having embedded hydrogen molecules and a grid of cells. Each cell includes an electron source for directing electrons onto the substrate, two orthogonal magnetic or electric fields that are oriented so that the electrons pass through both magnetic fields prior to striking the substrate, and an ion guide. A voltage source establishes a potential for the electrons that is equal to the ionization potential of the hydrogen molecules, so that hydrogen molecules are ionized when the electrons impinge on the substrate. The magnetic fields can be manipulated to deflect, or change, the direction of said electrons passing through the fields, so that electrons strike the substrate at different locations, which allows for more recovery of the embedded hydrogen molecules from the substrate. The ion guide uses an applied electric field to draw hydrogen ions that have been ionized for subsequent storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Sectretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Richard Adams, Candace Conwell
  • Patent number: 8176031
    Abstract: Systems and methods for extracting information from large databases include the initial step of searching a database using a query. The search results are then normalized by formatting the search results in a standard text format. The normalized search results are then crawled according to a predetermined algorithm to yield candidate information, which includes establishing sequences of keywords and generating hash tables that correspond to the keyword sequences. For each paragraph of candidate information, a defined possibility for each hash table entry is calculated. If the possibility is above a predetermined value, the candidate information paragraph is extracted from candidate information and presented to the user. Only the paragraphs that have a possibility that is above the predetermined threshold are displayed and presented to the user. Displayed search results rated as useful by the user are added to the query and to the keyword sequences to accomplish iterative, context-directed searches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Stuart H. Rubin
  • Patent number: 8170272
    Abstract: Methods for processing overhead imagery of a vessel include the step of determining an initial classification and classification probability based on the vessel length and length-to-width ratio. Next, mutually exclusive deck features can be extracted from the image. For several embodiments, the extracted deck features that can be spherical tanks, hatches and containers that are stored on deck. The initial classification probability is then weighted using the results of the deck feature extraction step to yield a posterior classification probability for the ship image. If the posterior classification probability is above a predetermined value, the image is assigned a posterior classification. If the posterior probability is below the predetermined value, the vessel image is classified as unknown, and the gross tonnage of the vessel is calculated using the length and width of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Erin Joslin, Heidi Buck, Jason Cole, Daniel Garcia, Stephen Hobbs, John Stastny
  • Patent number: 8117824
    Abstract: A pollution-free propulsion engine includes a rotating arm, a hollow axle defining a fuel delivery chamber, and hydrogen and oxygen sources. The rotating arm is formed with a detonation chamber, an opening and two tubular ducts therebetween. The axle is inserted into the opening. A pair of holes is formed in the axle to establish paths of fluid communication from the fuel delivery chamber through the ducts and into the detonation chamber as the rotating arm turns. The hydrogen source comprises a thin palladium binding layer deposited onto an aluminum sheet. Hydrogen molecules that are trapped in the binding layer are released, and the hydrogen is fed into the delivery chamber, through one duct and into the detonation chamber. At the same time, oxygen is delivered into the detonation chamber through the other duct, and the oxygen-hydrogen combination is detonated to release energy, which is converted into mechanical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secterary of the Navy
    Inventors: Richard Adams, Carol A. Becker
  • Patent number: 8111443
    Abstract: A plasmonic transistor device includes an electro-optic substrate and a conductive layer placed on said electro-optic substrate to establish an interface therebetween. The first conductive layer and electro-optics substrate are made of materials that are suitable for transmission of a surface plasmon along the interface. The conductive layer is further formed with a source input grating and a drain output grating, for establishing the surface plasmon. A means for varying the electro-optic substrate permittivity, such as a light source or voltage source, is connected to the electro-optic substrate. Selective manipulation of the varying means allows the user to selectively increase or decrease the substrate permittivity. Control of the substrate permittivity further allows the user to control surface plasmon propagation from the source input grating along the interface to a drain output grating, to achieve a transistor-like effect for the surface plasmon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Stephen D. Russell, Joanna N. Ptasinski
  • Patent number: 8107151
    Abstract: A plasmonic logic device can include a dielectric substrate, and first and second metallic input strips that are placed on the substrate. The input metallic strips can be made of different metals that support propagation of surface plasmons at different frequencies. The input metallic strips can be separated by a predetermined gap that causes for the surface plasmons to constructively combine or destructively cancel each other, according to the gap distances and strip materials chosen, to accomplish the desired logic function. A metallic output strip can be placed on the substrate at a distance from the metallic input strips that allows for selective propagation to accomplish different logic functions. The metallic output strip can further be chosen from a material that allows for propagation of surface plasmons over a broad frequency range to allow for evanescent coupling of a surface plasmon from the metallic input strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Joanna N. Ptasinski, Stephen Russell
  • Patent number: 8108147
    Abstract: A method of identifying and imaging a high risk collision object relative to a host vehicle includes arranging a plurality of N sensors for imaging a three-hundred and sixty degree horizontal field of view (hFOV) around the host vehicle. The sensors are mounted to a vehicle in a circular arrangement so that the sensors are radially equiangular from each other. For each sensor, contrast differences in the hFOV are used to identify a unique source of motion (hot spot) that is indicative of a remote object in the sensor hFOV. A first hot spot in one sensor hFOV is correlated to a second hot spot in another hFOV of at least one other N sensor to yield range, azimuth and trajectory data for said object. The processor then assesses a collision risk with the object according to the object's trajectory data relative to the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Michael Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8094012
    Abstract: An object localization and tracking system includes a plurality of tags that are placed on respective objects. Each tag includes a transceiver and at least three orthogonal antennas to receive RF energy in a three dimensions. The tag transceiver and antennas cooperate with other tag antennas and transceivers to establish a tag (object) RF network. Each tag further includes a microprocessor, and sensors that determine tag position and relative position of other tags in the tag RF network. A user interface is connected to one of the tag microprocessors. A predetermined algorithm, which describes desired positional information for each tag in the RF network (and its corresponding object), is input into one of the microprocessors through the user interface. A tag audible or visual alert activates when the actual positional information of the tag (and the attached object) do not correspond to the desired positional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Nghia Tran, Michael R. Blackburn
  • Patent number: 8094317
    Abstract: A plasmonic router can include a first surface plasmon guide and a second surface plasmon guide. A surface plasmon can be generated in either of the plasmon guides. Each plasmon guide has an energy barrier, which can be selectively decreased to allow selective propagation of the generated surface plasmon through the plasmon guide. The generated surface plasmon has an evanescent wave that extends outwardly from the plasmon guide by a spatial extent. To allow for surface plasmon propagation between plasmon guides, the plasmon guides can be spaced apart by a predetermined gap that is less than the spatial extent of the surface plasmon. When that occurs, the surface plasmon will “jump” the predetermined gap and propagate from one plasmon guide to the other plasmon guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Joanna N. Ptasinski, Stephen Russell