Patents Examined by Dan Pihulic
  • Patent number: 7894305
    Abstract: A method of detecting a human, that includes (a) measuring the ultrasonic signal emitted from human footsteps; (b) measuring the human body motion Doppler signature; reviewing the measurements of steps (a) and (b); and (d) determining the presence of a human.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: University of Mississippi
    Inventors: James M. Sabatier, Alexander E. Ekimov, Carl K. Frederickson
  • Patent number: 7894306
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for transferring data through a submarine hull or other solid boundary using high frequency acoustic signals, so avoiding penetration of the hull or boundary. First and second transducers are mounted on opposed surfaces of the hull and aligned to communicate acoustic signals through the hull. The first transducer is driven by a continuous wave carrier signal modulated with data. A demodulator detects that data in the modulated acoustic signals received by the second transducer. Critically, the dimensions of the first and second transducers and the frequency of the carrier signal are selected so as to reduce the interference by triple transit signals through the hull to a level sufficiently low to enable continuous communication of data through the hull at a bit rate of at least 1 MHz. Carrier signals of the order of 40 MHz may be used to achieve data bit rates of the order of 15-18 MHz through the hull.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventors: John Martin Bagshaw, Lionel William Kent
  • Patent number: 7889600
    Abstract: A vessel-mountable integrated sonar system is provided. The vessel-mountable integrated sonar system comprises at least one imaging sonar data acquisition device and at least one processing system electronically and removably connected to the at least one imaging sonar data acquisition device, wherein the sonar data acquisition device preferably provides acoustic data to the processing system, producing sonar imageries utilizing the acoustic data, and wherein the system provides digital tilt and azimuth direction feedback for accurate geo-referencing of data to localize targets of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: BlueView Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Lee Thompson, Jason L. Seawall, Scott T. Bachelor
  • Patent number: 7881158
    Abstract: A seismic vibrator includes a transducer, a reactive mass, a base plate to couple motion of the reactive mass to subsurface formations and a linkage system configured to couple motion of the transducer to the reactive mass and the base plate. The linkage system cooperates with the reactive mass and the transducer to define a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency within a range of 1 to 300 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventor: Stig Rune Lennart Tenghamn
  • Patent number: 7876645
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a system for detecting obstacles for vehicles, comprising at least one sensor able to transmit a detection signal and to receive an echo signal reflected off at least one obstacle, means of parametric evaluation of said received echo signal which comprise means of comparison between at least two successive echo signals for the determination of a reference echo signal able to define the position of at least one fixed obstacle with respect to said at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Meta System S.p.A.
    Inventor: Severino Bigliardi
  • Patent number: 7872947
    Abstract: An underwater wireless communication system and method includes a sensor node for transforming measured underwater data into ultrasound signals, and transmitting the transformed ultrasound signals and receiving other ultrasound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Gangneung-Wonju National University Industry Academy Cooperation Group
    Inventors: Sun-Shin An, Heung-Woo Nam, Jun-Heung Ku
  • Patent number: 7872946
    Abstract: The autonomous waterproof electronic signaling device disclosed comprises an activator; a signal emitter, said signal emitter to emit a primary signal upon activation of said activator, said signal emitter comprising one or more of the following: a hydrophone, a siren, a speaker, or a transducer; and a head assembly, said head assembly positioned so as to alter at least a portion of said primary signal producing a notification signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Inventors: Michael John Bustamante, Brian A. Amond, Anthony M. Scott, Paul W. Fulbright
  • Patent number: 7872949
    Abstract: In an ultrasonic transducer array, a plurality of vibrators arranged in an array is bonded to a base plate by bond material. The bond material bonds the bottom of the each vibrator to the base plate in a manner to surround lower part of the side face of the vibrator. A filling material is filled in between the vibrators. The filling material has a multi-layer structure of different rigidity. In a double layer structure of the filling material, it is preferable that thickness ratio of layer of filling material at the base plate side (lower side) to the other layer of the filling material is 1:1 to 1:3. Preferably, a beam is provided for connecting the side faces of the adjacent vibrators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Osawa
  • Patent number: 7872948
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting an aircraft. The method is provided for wide area tracking of aircraft. An acoustic emission of the aircraft is detected from a plurality of locations. A position of the aircraft at a set of times is estimated by comparing a set of harmonically related Doppler shifted frequencies for the acoustic emission to an expected zero Doppler shifted frequency of the aircraft to form an estimated position. The position of the aircraft and a heading of the aircraft are tracked using the estimated position. The aircraft type is classified based on the corresponding set of zero Doppler frequencies at each acoustic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Henry H. Davis, Kevin Dale Balmforth, Richard Ove Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7869306
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically detecting sonar contacts. The system comprises a data analyzer that integrates the raw data from a plurality of sonar detectors over a predetermined period of time, thereby providing integrated data characterizing a sonar image on a sonar display. A Hough transform module is configured to employ a Hough transform algorithm that transforms at least a portion of the integrated data to detect a substantially straight line in the sonar image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernest T. Bick
  • Patent number: 7869305
    Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and methods for preventing collisions between aircraft and ground vehicles. In one embodiment, a system includes a proximity detection unit and a transducer proximate to a selected structural portion of an aircraft, the proximity detection unit being operable to emit ranging signals through the transducer and to receive reflected signals through the transducer to determine the position of an object within a ranging area adjacent to the structural portion. The system further includes an alarm device coupled to the proximity detection unit that is responsive to a signal generated by the proximity detection unit. In another embodiment, a method includes determining a distance between the ground service vehicle and a selected structural portion of the aircraft when the vehicle is positioned in a ranging area about the aircraft. The method further includes generating a proximity alarm based upon the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David M. Anderson, David L. Banks, Robert L. Avery, Aydin Akdeniz, William J. Renton
  • Patent number: 7869307
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transmission member including one end part and the other end part and transmitting an ultrasonic wave input into the one end part to the other end part is formed by preparing a main mold having a casting cavity corresponding to a whole outer shape of the ultrasonic transmission member, melting an alloy which is a material of a metallic glass, and pouring the melted alloy into the casting cavity of the main mold to solidify the melted alloy in a liquid phase state thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Norihiro Yamada, Masashi Yamada, Masamichi Hijino, Nobuyuki Suda
  • Patent number: 7864633
    Abstract: A method and a system for detection and position determination of chips, which transmit ultrasound signals in a room. The system comprises electronic identification chips, which are attached to objects that have to be monitored. Each chip is equipped with a transmitter and a receiver. The signals are received by a plurality of detector units, which are connected to a detector base unit that registers and interprets the signals transmitted form the identification chips. Detector base units located in different rooms are interconnected in a network and transmit processed information to one or more central units for further interpretation and sorting. The special feature of the invention is that line interference is substantially removed, and it is possible to determine position even though the identification chips are in motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Sonitor Technologies AS
    Inventors: Sverre Holm, Rune Holm, Ole Hovind
  • Patent number: 7864631
    Abstract: The invention describes a method of determining the distance (d12) between two loudspeakers (L1, L2), wherein the method comprises the steps of providing a test signal (N), combining the test signal (N) with a sound signal (S) to give a combined signal (SN) in which the test signal is imperceptible to a listener (4), and issuing the combined signal (SN) by means of a first loudspeaker (L1). The combined signal (SN) is detected by a detecting means (M2) associated with the second loudspeaker (L2) and processed to obtain an acoustic impulse response (IR), which is used to determine the distance (d1,2) between the first loudspeaker (L1) and the second loudspeaker (L2). The invention further describes a system (1) for determining the distance (d1,2) between two loudspeakers (L1, L2) and an acoustic sound system, comprising a number of loudspeakers (L1, L2, . . . , Lk) for reproduction of multi-channel sound, and a system (1) for determining the distances (d1,2, d2,3, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Daniel Willem Schobben
  • Patent number: 7864102
    Abstract: A vehicular traffic surveillance Doppler radar system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a modulation circuit portion for generating modulated FM signals. An antenna circuit portion transmits the modulated FM signals to a target and receives the reflected modulated FM signals therefrom. A ranging circuit portion performs a quadrature demodulation on the reflected modulated FM signals and determines a range measurement based upon phase angle measurements derived therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Aker
  • Patent number: 7859941
    Abstract: Apodization control techniques for a microbeamformer including a plurality of microbeamformer channels each including a transducer, a microbeamformer transmitter for driving the transducer, a microbeamformer receiver for receiving signals from the transducer and usually a delay element for delaying the received transducer signals. To improve the generation of waveforms by the transducers, the voltage provided to the microbeamformer transmitters is adjusted and/or the current provided by the microbeamformer transmitters is adjusted. The microbeamformer channels can also be grouped together into patches and/or clusters with the patches and clusters being provided with a common voltage source or current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Steven Freeman, Bernard Savord, Andrew Robinson, Shon Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7855935
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for processing information associated with weapon fire. In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method of processing information associated with weapon fire, including identifying a weapon fire incident, determining positional information regarding a source location of the weapon fire, and processing positional information regarding a device within a particular proximity of the source location of the weapon fire. Moreover, exemplary methods may include providing information for displaying the positional information of the source location of the weapon fire and the device together on a display. Other exemplary embodiments may include performing processing that provides one or more of source location of the weapon fire, device location information and/or other information related to the device for various uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Shotspotter, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Lauder, Robert L. Showen, James Beldock
  • Patent number: 7852709
    Abstract: A sonar system and method of use capable of discriminating a direct acoustic signal present at 60 dB or more above the acoustic echo signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: General Dynamice Information Technology
    Inventors: Donald Lerro, Larry Freeman, John Green, David Ashworth
  • Patent number: H2251
    Abstract: A method of preparing multiple doses of a pharmaceutical solution, such as ranibizumab, from a single-dose container, includes providing a sterile enclosed area with a plurality of unused sterile syringes, a decapper, and a plurality of sterile bags, opening a single-use container of a pharmaceutical solution in the enclosed area, withdrawing a first portion of the pharmaceutical solution using one of the sterile syringes, withdrawing a second portion of the pharmaceutical solution using a second of the sterile syringes, repeating the previous step for the remaining pharmaceutical solution using the remaining sterile syringes, and placing the sterile syringes containing portions of the pharmaceutical solution individually in the sterile bags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
    Inventors: Robert A. Malmstrom, Joy L. Meier, Jannet M. Carmichael
  • Patent number: H2252
    Abstract: A pre-collections system identifies debtors when they contact a company for a new purchase. A customer service representative (or other automated process) takes payment for the prior debt in real time. The pre-collections system is tightly integrated with an order processing system. Order processing system channels (web site, IVR, CSR, etc.) are enabled to redirect the customer debtor into a corresponding pre-collections system channel. Customers are routed back seamlessly in real time to the point in the order processing system where they left off. The customer is re-instated immediately when their payment is cleared. The system keeps track of blacklisted customers. Logic determines whether to resubmit an item, reclaim a product or service or to immediately collect upon the debt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Vesta Corporation
    Inventors: Yvette Bohanan, Eric Hopper, Sanjay Khare, Jianning Le