Patents by Inventor Alex Kwan-yue Jen

Alex Kwan-yue Jen 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: 10024792
    Abstract: There is provided a removable chromatic witness assembly, system, and method to monitor thermal events and impact events on a surface of a composite structure. The removable chromatic witness assembly has a plurality of chromatic witness geometric configurations separately coupled in an arrangement to one or more portions of a polymeric film layer. Each chromatic witness geometric configuration has a plurality of chromatic probes of a same type incorporated into an adhesive material. At least two of the geometric configurations have a different type of chromatic probes with a different sensing capability for thermal events and impact events on the composite structure. The polymeric film layer and the geometric configurations form the removable chromatic witness assembly in a form of a removable chromatic witness applique configured to be removably applied directly and continuously to the surface of the composite structure, and configured to monitor the thermal and impact events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Ryan E. Toivola, Alex Kwan-Yue Jen, Sei-Hum Jang, Brian D. Flinn, Eric G. Winter, Gary E. Georgeson, Wesley L. Holman, Gregory R. Gleason, Scott R. Johnston
  • Publication number: 20180038792
    Abstract: There is provided a removable chromatic witness assembly, system, and method to monitor thermal events and impact events on a surface of a composite structure. The removable chromatic witness assembly has a plurality of chromatic witness geometric configurations separately coupled in an arrangement to one or more portions of a polymeric film layer. Each chromatic witness geometric configuration has a plurality of chromatic probes of a same type incorporated into an adhesive material. At least two of the geometric configurations have a different type of chromatic probes with a different sensing capability for thermal events and impact events on the composite structure. The polymeric film layer and the geometric configurations form the removable chromatic witness assembly in a form of a removable chromatic witness applique configured to be removably applied directly and continuously to the surface of the composite structure, and configured to monitor the thermal and impact events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Ryan E. Toivola, Alex Kwan-Yue Jen, Sei-Hum Jang, Brian D. Flinn, Eric G. Winter, Gary E. Georgeson, Wesley L. Holman, Gregory R. Gleason, Scott R. Johnston
  • Publication number: 20170234849
    Abstract: Improved methods of detecting thermal exposure are provided herein. The provided methods utilize initially dormant luminescent probes incorporated into a matrix to form a composite. When exposed to heat over a period of time, the luminescent probes are “activated” through a molecular transformation initiated by thermal energy. The activated probes exhibit a luminescent profile based on the extent of thermal exposure, thereby providing an indicator of the thermal exposure experienced by the matrix. When the composite is used to produce a structural component of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), the methods provide a convenient, large-area indicator of thermal damage experienced by the structural component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Brian D. Flinn, Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Sei-Hum Jang, Tucker Howie, Zhengwei Shi
  • Patent number: 9671386
    Abstract: Improved methods of detecting thermal exposure are provided herein. The provided methods utilize initially dormant luminescent probes incorporated into a matrix to form a composite. When exposed to heat over a period of time, the luminescent probes are “activated” through a molecular transformation initiated by thermal energy. The activated probes exhibit a luminescent profile based on the extent of thermal exposure, thereby providing an indicator of the thermal exposure experienced by the matrix. When the composite is used to produce a structural component of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), the methods provide a convenient, large-area indicator of thermal damage experienced by the structural component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Brian D. Flinn, Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Sei-Hum Jang, Tucker Howie, Zhengwei Shi
  • Publication number: 20140328369
    Abstract: Improved methods of detecting thermal exposure are provided herein. The provided methods utilize initially dormant luminescent probes incorporated into a matrix to form a composite. When exposed to heat over a period of time, the luminescent probes are “activated” through a molecular transformation initiated by thermal energy. The activated probes exhibit a luminescent profile based on the extent of thermal exposure, thereby providing an indicator of the thermal exposure experienced by the matrix. When the composite is used to produce a structural component of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft), the methods provide a convenient, large-area indicator of thermal damage experienced by the structural component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Brian D. Flinn, Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Sei-Hum Jang, Tucker Howie, Zhengwei Shi
  • Patent number: 8720278
    Abstract: A coating system includes at least one polymeric coating layer comprising at least one fluorescent dye, wherein an optical behavior of the fluorescent dye changes as a function of a stress of the at least one polymeric coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Ryan Toivola, Brian D. Flinn, Zhengwei Shi, Sei-Hum Jang, Gary E. Georgeson, Alex Kwan-yue Jen
  • Patent number: 8565569
    Abstract: Poling structures and methods utilizing an electrostatic field generated from a polar dielectric material, including pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials, to produce electro-optic activity in organic nonlinear optical materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Antao Chen, Su Huang, Jingdong Luo
  • Publication number: 20110132439
    Abstract: Amorphous fullerene derivatives and their use in organic electronic devices that include the fullerene derivative as the electron acceptor component in the device's active layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: University of Washington Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Yong Zhang, Hin-Lap Yip
  • Publication number: 20110091149
    Abstract: Poling structures and methods utilizing an electrostatic field generated from a polar dielectric material, including pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials, to produce electro-optic activity in organic nonlinear optical materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: University of Washington Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Alex Kwan-yue Jen, Antao Chen, Su Huang, Jingdong Luo