Patents Examined by Daniel Pihulic
  • Patent number: 11650340
    Abstract: An optical communication system that enables any deployed fiber-optic cable to function as an earthquake-detection sensor. In an example embodiment, a WDM optical transmitter of one network node operates to transmit a CW optical signal together with legacy data-carrying optical signals. At another network node, a low-complexity, low-latency coherent optical receiver is used to obtain time-resolved measurements of the Stokes parameters of the CW optical signal. The signal-processing chain of the optical receiver employs digital filtering to select frequency components of the measurements streams corresponding to seismic disturbances of the fiber-optical cable connecting the nodes. The selected frequency components are then used to compute values of an earthquake indicator, which are reported to a network controller. Based on such reports from three or more nodes, the network controller can determine the epicenter and magnitude of the earthquake and, if warranted, may generate a tsunami forecast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
    Inventor: Thai Son Le
  • Patent number: 11644595
    Abstract: A method can include receiving a selection for data via a graphical user interface rendered to a display; via the graphical user interface, initiating a data ingestion process for the selected data; via the graphical user interface, rendering data descriptors generated by the data ingestion process; via the graphical user interface, issuing a validation instruction that validates the data descriptors; and, via the graphical user interface, issuing an instruction that stores a data ingestion template that includes the validated data descriptors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Christopher Dixon, Ramchandra Nile, Sanjeet Khanuja
  • Patent number: 11635534
    Abstract: A seismic sensor may include a simple earthquake detection mode in which measured acceleration data is not saved, and which mode is continued in a case in which the measured acceleration is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value. An earthquake detection mode may further be included in which the measured acceleration data is saved, and which mode is continued in a case in which the acceleration measured in the simple earthquake detection mode is greater than the first threshold value and equal to or less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. An earthquake measurement mode may further be included in which the acceleration data and a spectrum intensity (SI) value are measured and saved, and which mode is continued in a case in which the acceleration measured in the earthquake detection mode is greater than the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Narumiya, Katsuyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11635515
    Abstract: The flasher-type multi-frequency fish finder includes a wideband ultrasonic transducer, a display-rotating disk, a motor and a control device. The plurality of display LEDs are composed of the first, second and third display LEDs. The control device has a signal-separating and obtaining part and a light-emission signal-producing part. The signal-separating and obtaining part separates the reflected signal and obtains the first reflected signal corresponding to the high frequency, the second reflected signal corresponding to the medium frequency, and the third reflected signal corresponding to the low frequency. The light-emission signal-producing part generates first, second and third light-emission signals based on the first, second and third reflection signals, respectively. The first, second and third annular-display regions are concentrically set on the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagareda, Shuichi Sano, Kazuki Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11632916
    Abstract: This invention claims a patent on the process of propagating soundwaves through bodies of water, such as oceans, to produce and direct winds, for the purpose of managing aerial weather systems. Propagating soundwaves within water can generate and direct wind for many purposes. One purpose is to effectively weaken storms, by directing wind-shear against a storm's momentum, and stripping it of precipitation. Another purpose is to guide atmospheric rivers, and manually re-direct clouds in the precipitation cycle. This inventive process grants methods to mitigate dangerous weather patterns, such as droughts and hurricanes. The invention introduces a new subject matter that distinguishes it from other inventions relevant to underwater acoustics: manual processes to moderate weather.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventor: Olatunbosun Osinaike
  • Patent number: 11630204
    Abstract: An acoustic transponder provides information related to the transponder when the transponder is receiving an acoustic interrogating signal. The transponder includes a power supply, an electronic circuit connected to the power supply, and one or more transducers receiving and emitting the acoustic signal. The electronic circuit includes a sequence generator. The transponder further includes an amplification and modulation unit, an extraction filter, and a suppression filter. The extraction filter is adapted to extract the received acoustic interrogating signal and suppress other signals prior to being input to the amplification and modulation unit which are configured to modulate the received acoustic signal according to a sequence generated by the sequence generator and to amplify the modulated signal. The suppression filter is adapted to suppress the received acoustic interrogating signal from the amplified and modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ocean Space Acoustics AS
    Inventors: Odd Trandem, Tone Berg
  • Patent number: 11630224
    Abstract: A system is described for determining a likelihood of a type of fluid in a subterranean reservoir. The system may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform various operations. The processor may receive pre-stack seismic data having seismically-acquired data elements for geometric locations in a subterranean reservoir. The processor may determine, using the pre-stack seismic data, input features for each geometric location and may execute a trained model on the input features for determining a likelihood of a type of fluid in the subterranean reservoir and for determining a list of features affecting the likelihood. The processor may subsequently output the likelihood and the list of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventors: Samiran Roy, Shashwat Verma
  • Patent number: 11628471
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a driving circuit to provide drive power, a first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves, the first transducer array being connected to receive power from the driving circuit, and a second transducer array to detect reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves incident on the device from a target and generate a signal based on those waves, the second transducer array being acoustically transmissive and disposed over the first transducer array such that the generated ultrasonic waves pass through the second transducer array. The second array is tuned to operate on top of the first. The functions of the two arrays may be reversed and the array tuned to operate with the first array receiving and the second array transmitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Acoustiic inc.
    Inventor: Sean Taffler
  • Patent number: 11623243
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a driving circuit to provide drive power, a first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves, the first transducer array being connected to receive power from the driving circuit, and a second transducer array to detect reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves incident on the device from a target and generate a signal based on those waves, the second transducer array being acoustically transmissive and disposed over the first transducer array such that the generated ultrasonic waves pass through the second transducer array. The second array is tuned to operate on top of the first. The functions of the two arrays may be reversed and the array tuned to operate with the first array receiving and the second array transmitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Acoustiic inc.
    Inventor: Sean Taffler
  • Patent number: 11624804
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, method and computer program product determine the location of a receiver, such as one or more sensors, carried by a device, e.g., a robot. In a method, an audio signal is received in response to a predetermined audio signal provided by at least two audio source devices. For the audio signal that is received from a respective audio source device, the method estimates a first impulse response between the respective audio source device and the receiver. For the first impulse response estimated between each respective audio source device of the at least two audio source devices and the receiver, the method removes one or more reflections from the first impulse response to create direct path information. The method also includes determining a location of the receiver based at least in part upon the direct path information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Ian Davis, Walter Etter, Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 11623242
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a driving circuit to provide drive power, a first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves, the first transducer array being connected to receive power from the driving circuit, and a second transducer array to detect reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves incident on the device from a target and generate a signal based on those waves, the second transducer array being acoustically transmissive and disposed over the first transducer array such that the generated ultrasonic waves pass through the second transducer array. The second array is tuned to operate on top of the first. The functions of the two arrays may be reversed and the array tuned to operate with the first array receiving and the second array transmitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Acoustiic inc.
    Inventor: Sean Taffler
  • Patent number: 11624847
    Abstract: A method for deployment of a geophysical sensor includes moving a ram having a ground penetrating bit at a movable end thereof to a selected geodetic position. The ram and the ground penetrating bit are extended to create a hole in a ground surface while measuring extension of the ram. The ram is retracted, and if the measured extension of the ram indicates successful creation of the hole, then the geophysical sensor is moved to a position beneath the ram and the ram is extended to urge the geophysical sensor into the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Geophysical Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Degner, Gary L. Scott
  • Patent number: 11616580
    Abstract: A system receives audio data in a frequency range of 20 Hz-20 kHz. The received audio data is encoded by the system into ultrasonic data in frequencies that are greater than 20 kHz, and transmitted into a local area that is proximal to the transmitting device, i.e., within the transmission range of the transmitting device. An ultrasonic communication device that is located in the transmission range of the transmitting device may receive the ultrasonic data. The received ultrasonic data is decoded by the ultrasonic communication system in the receiving device into audio data in a frequency range of 20 Hz-20 kHz, and subsequently presented to a user of the receiving ultrasonic communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Harty Dodds, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi, Philip Robinson, Scott Phillips Porter, William Owen Brimijoin, II, Andrew Lovitt
  • Patent number: 11614529
    Abstract: Techniques for presence-detection devices to emission levels of ultrasonic signals that are used to detect movement in an environment. The presence-detection devices may detect movement of a person by emitting the ultrasonic signals into an environment, and characterizing the change in the frequency, or the Doppler shift, of the reflections of the ultrasonic signals off the person caused by the movement of the person relative to the presence-detection devices. However, presence-detection devices that continuously emit ultrasonic signals may experience reduced battery life, increased likelihood of overheating, etc. To reduce these negative effects, the presence-detection devices may reduce the emission levels of ultrasonic signals. For instance, once motion is detected, the presence-detection devices may, for a period of time, stop emitting ultrasonic signals or reduce the power level at which the ultrasonic signals are emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Harsha Inna Kedage Rao, Maziyar Khorasani, Tarun Pruthi, Krishna Kamath Koteshwara
  • Patent number: 11609326
    Abstract: A transparent ultrasound transducer device for multi-mode optical imaging on a target is provided. The device includes a transparent piezoelectric transducer, one or more wires, and an optical lens. The transparent piezoelectric transducer of a first acoustic impedance is configured to receive acoustic waves from the target. The transparent piezoelectric transducer has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are coated with transparent electrically conductive coatings. The optical lens is contacted with and optically coupled to the first surface of the transparent piezoelectric transducer. The optical lens is made of a material with a second acoustic impedance, and the first and second acoustic impedances are substantially similar to minimize an acoustic impedance mismatch such that sensitivity of the device is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kwok Ho Lam, Riqiang Lin, Dongliang Shi
  • Patent number: 11604299
    Abstract: This disclosure presents processes and systems for estimating a source wavelet from seismic data recorded in a seismic survey of a subterranean formation. In one aspect, a base wavelet is determined based on recorded seismic traces obtained in a seismic survey of a subterranean formation. Processes and systems include a phase-only wavelet based on the base wavelet and the recorded seismic data. An estimated source wavelet is obtained by convolving the base wavelet with the phase-only wavelet. Properties of the subterranean formation are determined based on the estimated source wavelet and the recorded seismic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS
    Inventor: Maiza Bekara
  • Patent number: 11598871
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and compact three dimensional (3D) capable multichannel sonar systems for mobile structures. A 3D capable multichannel sonar system includes a multichannel transducer and associated processing and control electronics and optionally orientation and/or position sensors disposed substantially within the housing of a sonar transducer assembly. The multichannel transducer includes multiple transmission and/or receive channels/transducer elements. The transducer assembly is configured to support and protect the multichannel transducer and associated electronics and sensors, to physically and/or adjustably couple to a mobile structure, and/or to provide a simplified interface to other systems coupled to the mobile structure. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: FLIR Belgium BVBA
    Inventor: Paul Stokes
  • Patent number: 11598659
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for displacing liquid away from a signal path of sonic signals in a signal anemometer. A sonic anemometer may include a membrane positioned between a sonic transducer and the open environment. The membrane may be formed of a hydrophobic material that repels the liquid. The membrane may also include a plurality of pores that impede the flow of liquid through the membrane but enables sonic signals to pass through the membrane. The sonic anemometer may also include a reflector that displaces liquid away from the signal path of the sonic anemometer. The reflector may include one or more pores that wick liquid away from the signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: METER GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Gaylon S. Campbell, Nathan Taysom, Colin S. Campbell, Douglas R. Cobos
  • Patent number: 11592541
    Abstract: A method of distributing data to a transducer array of an ultrasonic device, the transducer array including transduction elements arranged in module units, includes generating a data packet using an optical transceiver controlled by a controller, the data packet including activation instructions encoded in a first wavelength, transmitting the data packet from the controller to a target device via a signal in an optical fiber, the target device having a beam divider device, splitting the data signal, using the beam divider device, into a plurality of data streams, where each of the data streams carries the data packet in an identical phase, transmitting the data streams to the module units, and activating the transduction elements based on the received data streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Acoustiic inc.
    Inventor: Sean Taffler
  • Patent number: 11585954
    Abstract: An acoustic vector sensor (“AVS”) includes one or more sensitive elements arranged in an orthogonal configuration to provide high-sensitivity directional performance. The one more sensitive elements may be seismometers arranged in a pendulum-type configuration. The AVS further includes a hydrophone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Leidos, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Hamburg, Norman Gholson