Patents by Inventor Colin W. Skinner

Colin W. Skinner 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: 6400649
    Abstract: An improved transducer arrangement for low frequency sonar projectors that convert electric signals to mechanically generated acoustic signals. In one embodiment the arrangement has both a convex flextensional transducer and a concave flextensional transducer. An open side of the convex transducer is attached to an open side of the concave transducer by an intermediate bulkhead which closes each of the attached open sides. An end plate is attached to another open side of the convex transducer and another end plate is attached to another open side of the concave transducer such that the end plates close the attached open sides. In another embodiment, transducer assembly has a convex transducer having end plates and a concave transducer having end plates. Either one of the endplates of the concave transducer is attached to one of the endplates of the convex transducer, or an endplate of the concave transducer is also an endplate of the concave transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: L3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Colin W. Skinner, Qi-Chang Xu
  • Publication number: 20010022757
    Abstract: An improved transducer arrangement for low frequency sonar projectors that convert electric signals to mechanically generated acoustic signals. In one embodiment the arrangement has both a convex flextensional transducer and a concave flextensional transducer. An open side of the convex transducer is attached to an open side of the concave transducer by an intermediate bulkhead which closes each of the attached open sides. An end plate is attached to another open side of the convex transducer and another end plate is attached to another open side of the concave transducer such that the end plates close the attached open sides. In another embodiment, transducer assembly has a convex transducer having end plates and a concave transducer having end plates. Either one of the endplates of the concave transducer is attached to one of the endplates of the convex transducer, or an endplate of the concave transducer is also an endplate of the concave transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Inventors: Colin W. Skinner, Qi-Chang Xu
  • Patent number: 6278658
    Abstract: An improved transducer arrangement for low frequency sonar projectors that convert electric signals to mechanically generated acoustic signals. In one embodiment the arrangement has both a convex flextensional transducer and a concave flextensional transducer. An open side of the convex transducer is attached to an open side of the concave transducer by an intermediate bulkhead which closes each of the attached open sides. An end plate is attached to another open side of the convex transducer and another end plate is attached to another open side of the concave transducer such that the end plates close the attached open sides. In another embodiment, transducer assembly has a convex transducer having end plates and a concave transducer having end plates. Either one of the endplates of the concave transducer is attached to one of the endplates of the convex transducer, or an endplate of the concave transducer is also an endplate of the concave transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: L3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Colin W. Skinner, Qi-Chang Xu
  • Patent number: 6208584
    Abstract: The invention pertains to sonar receive arrays. More particularly, the invention pertains to a process for calibrating the amplitude, position and phase angle of an array of underwater receive hydrophones with respect to one another. The process requires projecting an acoustic test signal at a known frequency from a towed underwater acoustic projector toward an array of towed, underwater, interconnected, receive hydrophones; detecting and determining the response of the receive hydrophones to said test signal by signal processing means; and calibrating at least one parameter for the operation of the receive hydrophones resulting from the response. Calibrated parameters include the amplitude, position and phase angle of the receive hydrophones relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Colin W. Skinner