Patents by Inventor Alexander Burns
Alexander Burns 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).
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Patent number: 6854335Abstract: A tire pressure reporting and warning system employs low-cost passive magnetically coupled pressure senders within the tires. These senders employ permanent magnets that rotate in response to pressure and may conveniently be mounted on the valve stem. A sender comprises a high-permeability helical ribbon that translates in response to pressure and penetrates a magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit rotates into alignment with the helical ribbon. A novel feature of this invention is the dual-purpose use of the magnet both as a means for producing rotation in response to pressure and simultaneously for producing the remotely sensed external magnetic field. The direction and strength of the external field depends both on the rotation of the magnet with respect to the tire and on the overall orbital motion as the tire rotates.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2004Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: MLHO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Publication number: 20050028980Abstract: In the various methods of the present invention, reliance is placed on a first and second barrier 26 and 30 respectively positioned in a well 10 to provide well control during well suspension, completion and/or workover operations. Each of the barriers is below the depth of the lowermost end of a completion string when that string is installed in the well 10. By not placing either barrier higher up in the well-bore, both of the barriers can remain in place during suspension and completion and workover operations, thus obviating the need to use a BOP stack to supplement well control. This results in a considerable saving in drill rig time and thus significantly reduces the cost of constructing a well.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2003Publication date: February 10, 2005Inventors: Peter Page, Alexander Burns, John Niski
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Publication number: 20040191295Abstract: A method for inhibiting Rotavirus infection by administering effective amount of lactulose is provided. Lactulose can be administered alone, in combination with other nutrient supplements such as vitamins, or as part of a nutritional product such as infant formula.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2003Publication date: September 30, 2004Inventors: Mary Frances Locniskar, Bryon Walter Petschow, Robert Alexander Burns, Virginia Sue Sickles, James Wayne Hansen, Steven Charles Rumsey
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Patent number: 6761072Abstract: A temperature compensating or offsetting magnetically coupled pressure sender comprises a pressure responsive element coupled to a rotating permanent magnet via a temperature sensitive element. The sender is intended to relay a pressure reading from within sealed vessels, including vehicle tires, without requiring penetration the wall of the vessel. In vehicular applications, the recommended pressure is usually stated for “cold” tires. Operating a vehicle heats up its tires and increases their pressure, which may produce a misleading indication. Pressure senders described in this invention have temperature compensating or offsetting elements built in to the pressure senders so that the indicated pressure is always referenced to a “cold” tire. Spiral or helical metallic strips or elastomeric members may be employed as the temperature compensating or offsetting elements.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2002Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: MLHO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6672156Abstract: Refractive encoding of distance or level along a scale provides an advanced means for measuring liquid level or dissimilar-liquid interface level with a float. Distance or level information is encoded in the patterns of microfacets impressed in the scale. The microfacets divide incident visible or infrared beams and direct these multiply divided beams toward or away from detectors disposed in arrays. This approach provides significant reductions in the number of encoding tracks and of the size of the float, improved accuracy, fault detection, increased span, lower friction, and easier installation. A slender rod can replace the wide encoding tape of prior designs. The rod can also be used to guide optical or acoustic signals efficiently from floats to the rod support and thus on to level indicating and recording devices. In addition, the rod support provides means for quick installation, signal coupling, and setting reference levels.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2003Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: MLNO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6647771Abstract: A magnetically coupled pressure display system particularly adapted for pneumatic tires of motor vehicles includes pressure transducer coupled for rotating a magnet field source within the tire and an external magneto-optical liquid crystal display attached to or integrally incorporated into the exterior sidewall of the tire for visually indicating pressure within the tire responsive to the orientation of the magnetic field source within the tire. The external display exploits the magneto-optical effects of liquid crystals and can be conformally and permanently attached to the outer tire sidewall surface. Elements (pixels) comprising the display have selective light polarization properties globally determined by direction (orientation) of the magnetic field each experiences, the primary component of which is that provided by the magnetic field source rotated by the pressure transducer within the vehicle tire.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2001Date of Patent: November 18, 2003Assignee: MLHD, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6546797Abstract: Multi-symbol refractive encoding of distance or level along a scale provides an advanced means for measuring liquid level or dissimilar-liquid interface level with a float. Distance or level information is encoded in the patterns of microfacets impressed in the scale. The microfacets divide and direct incident visible or infrared beams toward or away from detectors disposed in arrays. This approach provides significant reductions in the number of encoding tracks and of the size of the float, improved accuracy, fault detection, increased span, less friction, and easier installation. A slender rod can replace the wide encoding tape of prior designs. The rod can also be used to guide optical or acoustic signals efficiently from floats to the rod support and thus on to level indicating and recording devices. In addition, the rod support provides means for quick installation, signal coupling, and setting reference levels.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2001Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: MLHO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6520006Abstract: A compact, robust, and inexpensive magnetically coupled pressure gauge includes a spiral-faced or helical bellows coupled for rotating a magnetic field source (permanent magnet) within a pressure vessel the orientation of which is externally sensed and correlated to pressure within the pressure vessel. Mechanisms of extraneous magnetic field compensation are discussed Applications contemplated include measuring pressure in pressure vessels and pressure of pneumatic vehicle tires without breaching the integrity of the particular pressurized vessels. Embodiments included a visual, manual tire pressure monitoring system.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2001Date of Patent: February 18, 2003Assignee: MLHO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6493631Abstract: An inertial navigation system employs geophysical (earth's magnetic and gravity) field sensors to measure body rotations of an aircraft or other vehicle. In effect, these replace expensive laser ring gyros used in conventional inertial navigation systems. The vector components of the geomagnetic field may be incorporated directly into the state vector describing the vehicle's attitude, acceleration, velocity, and position. A predictive filter (e.g. Kalman) operates on measured and predicted geophysical field components and on-board accelerometers. Predicted geophysical field components are obtained from maps and/or models of the earth's magnetic and gravity fields.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2002Date of Patent: December 10, 2002Assignee: MLHO, Inc.Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Publication number: 20020101339Abstract: A magnetically coupled pressure display system particularly adapted for pneumatic tires of motor vehicles includes pressure transducer coupled for rotating a magnet field source within the tire and an external magneto-optical liquid crystal display attached to or integrally incorporated into the exterior sidewall of the tire for visually indicating pressure within the tire responsive to the orientation of the magnetic field source within the tire. The external display exploits the magneto-optical effects of liquid crystals and can be conformally and permanently attached to the outer tire sidewall surface. Elements (pixels) comprising the display have selective light polarization properties globally determined by direction (orientation) of the magnetic field each experiences, the primary component of which is that provided by the magnetic field source rotated by the pressure transducer within the vehicle tire.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2001Publication date: August 1, 2002Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Publication number: 20020072325Abstract: Calls made from mobile or cellular telephones may contain audio signals from broadcasts audible to the caller. Thus, a call made into a call center, perhaps to gain valuable information, such as traffic conditions, may be analyzed at the center to determine the source of the broadcast. This invention takes advantage of the existing communications infrastructure and provides for rapid and statistically improved estimation of listenership.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2001Publication date: June 13, 2002Inventors: Gary Alan Hayter, Paul E. Graf, Alan Alexander Burns
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Publication number: 20020038570Abstract: A compact, robust, and inexpensive magnetically coupled pressure gauge includes a spiral-faced or helical bellows coupled for rotating a magnetic field source (permanent magnet) within a pressure vessel the orientation of which is externally sensed and correlated to pressure within the pressure vessel. Mechanisms of extraneous magnetic field compensation are discussed Applications contemplated include measuring pressure in pressure vessels and pressure of pneumatic vehicle tires without breaching the integrity of the particular pressurized vessels. Embodiments included a visual, manual tire pressure monitoring system.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2001Publication date: April 4, 2002Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Publication number: 20020023490Abstract: Multi-symbol refractive encoding of distance or level along a scale provides an advanced means for measuring liquid level or dissimilar-liquid interface level with a float. Distance or level information is encoded in the patterns of microfacets impressed in the scale. The microfacets divide and direct incident visible or infrared beams toward or away from detectors disposed in arrays. This approach provides significant reductions in the number of encoding tracks and of the size of the float, improved accuracy, fault detection, increased span, less friction, and easier installation. A slender rod can replace the wide encoding tape of prior designs. The rod can also be used to guide optical or acoustic signals efficiently from floats to the rod support and thus on to level indicating and recording devices. In addition, the rod support provides means for quick installation, signal coupling, and setting reference levels.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Inventor: Alan Alexander Burns
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Patent number: 6154250Abstract: A system for enhancing the television presentation of an object at a sporting event includes one or more sensors which are used to determine the location of the object. Based on the location of the object and the field of view of a broadcast camera, a processor determines the position of the object in a video frame of the broadcast camera. Once knowing where the object is positioned within the video frame, the television signal can be edited or augmented to enhance the presentation of the object.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Fox Sports Productions, Inc.Inventors: Stanley K. Honey, Richard H. Cavallaro, David Blyth Hill, Andrew G. Setos, Jerry Neil Gepner, Timothy Paul Heidmann, Patrick Wade Olsen, Fred Judson Heinzmann, Alan C. Phillips, Harold Guthart, Alan Alexander Burns, Charles Lawrence Rino, Philip Calvin Evans
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Patent number: 5912700Abstract: A system for enhancing the television presentation of an object at a sporting event includes one or more sensors which are used to determine the location of the object. Based on the location of the object and the field of view of a broadcast camera, a processor determines the position of the object in a video frame of the broadcast camera. Once knowing where the object is positioned within the video frame, the television signal can be edited or augmented to enhance the presentation of the object.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 1996Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: Fox Sports Productions, Inc.Inventors: Stanley K. Honey, Richard H. Cavallaro, David Blyth Hill, Andrew G. Setos, Jerry Neil Gepner, Timothy Paul Heidmann, Patrick Wade Olsen, Fred Judson Heinzmann, Alan C. Phillips, Harold Guthart, Alan Alexander Burns, Charles Lawrence Rino, Philip Calvin Evans