Patents by Inventor Carl F. Hostetter

Carl F. Hostetter 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).

  • Method of using power grid as large antenna for geophysical imaging
    Patent number: 10175273
    Abstract: A high-voltage power transmission system is used as an extremely large antenna to extract spatiotemporal space, physical, and geological information from geomagnetically induced currents (GIC). A differential magnetometer method is used to measure GIC and involves acquiring line measurements from a first fluxgate magnetometer under a high-voltage transmission line, acquiring natural field measurements from a reference magnetometer nearby but not under the transmission line, subtracting the natural field measurements from the line measurements, and determining the GIC-related Biot-Savart field from the difference. NASA warning and alarm systems can be triggered based on determinations of GIC amplitude levels that exceed a set threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Antti A. Pulkkinen, Todd M. Bonalsky, Troy Ames, Carl F. Hostetter