Patents by Inventor Arthur E. Nicholls

Arthur E. Nicholls 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).

  • Techniques to measure strain development and failure in a fabric
    Patent number: 8240200
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for characterizing an impact in a fabric. The system may include a sensing element woven in the fabric wherein a parameter of the sensing element depends on a strain in the sensing element; a transducer coupled to the sensing element wherein the transducer is configured to generate an output based on the parameter of the sensing element; and a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller configured to receive the output of the transducer, to determine a strain in the sensing element based, at least in part, on a change in the output of the transducer, and to characterize the impact in the fabric based on the strain in the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Isaias S. Chocron, Arthur E. Nicholls, Charles E. Anderson, Jr., James D. Walker
  • Techniques To Measure Strain Development And Failure In A Fabric
    Publication number: 20110048123
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for characterizing an impact in a fabric. The system may include a sensing element woven in the fabric wherein a parameter of the sensing element depends on a strain in the sensing element; a transducer coupled to the sensing element wherein the transducer is configured to generate an output based on the parameter of the sensing element; and a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller configured to receive the output of the transducer, to determine a strain in the sensing element based, at least in part, on a change in the output of the transducer, and to characterize the impact in the fabric based on the strain in the sensing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Isaias S. CHOCRON, Arthur E. NICHOLLS, Charles E. ANDERSON, James D. WALKER