Patents by Inventor Carl HENDRICKS

Carl HENDRICKS 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).

  • Systems, methods, and apparatuses for real-time characterization of rock cuttings during rock drill cutting
    Patent number: 11650147
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lyle Taylor, James Peterson, Carl Hendricks, John F. Halterman, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Narayana G. Nadukuru
  • SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES FOR REAL-TIME CHARACTERIZATION OF ROCK CUTTINGS DURING ROCK DRILL CUTTING
    Publication number: 20220307978
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. OBLAK, Lyle TAYLOR, James PETERSON, Carl HENDRICKS, John F. HALTERMAN, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Narayana G. Nadukuru