Patents by Inventor Austin Rutledge

Austin Rutledge 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: 11960047
    Abstract: A method for locating buried utilities in a utility locator is disclosed. The method may include receiving, at an antenna array for receiving magnetic field signals, a plurality of magnetic field signals at predefined signal frequencies in a predefined frequency suite, generating, in a receiver coupled to an output of the antenna array, a first receiver output signal, generating, in a processing element coupled to the receiver, a first set of data associated with the two or more signal components, and storing, in a non-transitory memory of the locator, the first set of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Stephanie M. Bench, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 11476851
    Abstract: A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S Olsson, Austin Rutledge, Loni M Heyenbruch, Alexander L Warren, Michael E Turgeon, Ray Merewether, Michael J Martin
  • Patent number: 11092712
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for locating buried conductors using ambient electromagnetic signals, such as AM or other broadcast signals, are described. A buried utility locator may include a plurality of spatially separated antenna arrays, a receiver circuit coupled thereto, and a processing element programmed to process measurements of ambient electromagnetic signals and associated electromagnetic signals radiated from current induced in the buried conductor from the ambient signals to determine information about the buried conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Ray Merewether, Stephanie M. Bench, Sequoyah Aldridge, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 11073632
    Abstract: A buried utility locator includes an antenna array for receiving magnetic field signals from a buried utility, a receiver operatively coupled to the antenna array for generating a receiver output signal including amplitude and/or phase information of two or more signal components in two or more simultaneously received signals of the frequency suite, a processing element operatively coupled to the receiver for receiving the receiver output signal and generating a first set of data associated with the two or more signal components of the frequency suite, and a non-transitory memory for storing the first set of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Stephanie M. Bench, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 10935686
    Abstract: Mobile base stations for use with one or more portable utility locators to aid in determining the location of a particular locator during operation and to receive information associated with the utility for storage and/or retransmission to other devices or systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 10788901
    Abstract: User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Loni M. Heyenbruch, Austin Rutledge, Alexander L. Warren, Amos H. Jessup, George L. Jemmott
  • Patent number: 10690795
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to utility locating systems, devices, and methods using frequency suites of simultaneously processed signals emitted from buried utilities to locate the buried utilities or other hidden or buried conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Stephanie M. Bench, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 10670766
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for locating buried conductors using ambient electromagnetic signals, such as AM or other broadcast signals, are described. A buried utility locator may include a plurality of spatially separated antenna arrays, a receiver circuit coupled thereto, and a processing element programmed to process measurements of ambient electromagnetic signals and associated electromagnetic signals radiated from current induced in the buried conductor from the ambient signals to determine information about the buried conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Ray Merewether, Stephanie M. Bench, Sequoyah Aldridge, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 10523202
    Abstract: A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Austin Rutledge, Loni M. Heyenbruch, Alexander L. Warren, Michael E. Turgeon, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin
  • Patent number: 10466803
    Abstract: User interface devices with electromagnetic dipole arrays and associated magnetic sensors, control circuits, and processing elements for determining user actuation of the device are disclosed. In one embodiment a user interface device includes an electromagnetic dipole array coupled to an actuator, along with a three-axis magnetic sensor and control and processing elements for controlling driving currents to the dipole array and sensing and processing received magnetic field signals to determine movement or displacement of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Austin Rutledge, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin, Mark S. Olsson
  • Patent number: 10274632
    Abstract: Mobile base stations for use with one or more portable utility locators to aid in determining the location of a particular locator during operation and receive information associated with the utility for storage and/or retransmission to other devices or systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Patent number: 10121617
    Abstract: Methods for processing signals from a magnetic user interface device having a manual actuator are disclosed. Movements of the actuator may cause relative movement between one or more magnets and one or more corresponding sensors that may each generate signals representing independent magnetic field components detected within each sensor. A field model may be used in the magnetic user interface device to translate magnetic sensor readings during operation to position information, which may then be converted to output signals for transmission to an electronic computing system representing displacement and/or deformation of the actuator. The output signals may be generated in a predetermined format, such as USB format or other computer-interface formats, that can be interpreted by the electronic computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Austin Rutledge, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin, Mark S. Olsson
  • Publication number: 20180246584
    Abstract: User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: SeeScan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Loni Canepa, Austin Rutledge, Alexander L. Warren, Amos H. Jessup, George L. Jemmott
  • Publication number: 20170160420
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for locating buried conductors using ambient electromagnetic signals, such as AM or other broadcast signals, are described. A buried utility locator may include a plurality of spatially separated antenna arrays, a receiver circuit coupled thereto, and a processing element programmed to process measurements of ambient electromagnetic signals and associated electromagnetic signals radiated from current induced in the buried conductor from the ambient signals to determine information about the buried conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: SeeScan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Ray Merewether, Stephanie M. Bench, Sequoyah Aldridge, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Publication number: 20170131422
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to utility locating systems, devices, and methods using frequency suites of simultaneously processed signals emitted from buried utilities to locate the buried utilities or other hidden or buried conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: SeeScan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Stephanie M. Bench, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Paul Wisecaver, Austin Rutledge
  • Publication number: 20170134024
    Abstract: A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: SeeScan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Austin Rutledge, Loni M. Canepa, Alexander L. Warren, Michael E. Turgeon, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin
  • Patent number: 9423894
    Abstract: A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other. The user interface device may further include a deformable actuator sub-assembly, which may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets in a movable configuration relative to each other. A base assembly may include multi-axis magnetic sensors corresponding to the magnets in the magnet arrays to sense position of motion of the magnets during user displacements and/or deformation of actuator elements of the user interface device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SEESAW, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Austin Rutledge, Loni M. Canepa, Alexander L. Warren, Michael E. Turgeon, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin
  • Publication number: 20150009127
    Abstract: User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Loni Canepa, Austin Rutledge, Alexander L. Warren, Amos H. Jessup, George L. Jemmott
  • Publication number: 20120306603
    Abstract: A user interface device including a floating actuator sub-assembly and a base assembly flexibly coupled to the floating actuator assembly is disclosed. The floating actuator assembly may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed relative to each other. The user interface device may further include a deformable actuator sub-assembly, which may include a magnet array assembly with a plurality of magnets in a movable configuration relative to each other. A base assembly may include multi-axis magnetic sensors corresponding to the magnets in the magnet arrays to sense position of motion of the magnets during user displacements and/or deformation of actuator elements of the user interface device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: SEEKTECH, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Austin Rutledge, Loni M. Canepa, Alexander L. Warren, Michael E. Turgeon, Ray Merewether, Michael J. Martin
  • Publication number: 20120256821
    Abstract: User interface devices using magnetic sensing to provide output signals associated with motion and/or deformation of an actuator element of the interface devices are described. The output signals may be provided to an electronic computing system to provide commands, controls, and/or other data or information. In one embodiment, a user interface device may include a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of multi-axis magnetic sensors to generate motion and/or deformation signals to be provided to a processing element to generate the output signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: SEEKTECH, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Loni Canepa, Austin Rutledge, Alexander L. Warren, Amos H. Jessup, George L. Jemmott