Patents by Inventor DANIEL SCOTT TOBORG

DANIEL SCOTT TOBORG 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: 10895657
    Abstract: Obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features are disclosed. An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuit to analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or a plurality of indicators are coupled to the controller, and can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Franklin Sensors Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg
  • Patent number: 10663613
    Abstract: Obscured feature detectors are disclosed. An obscured feature detector includes a sensor plate array including three or more sensor plates, each of the three or more sensor plates configured to form a first end of a corresponding electric field and to take a sensor reading of the corresponding electric field. The corresponding electric field varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects. The three or more sensor plates include a first sensor plate that has a first shape and a second sensor plate that has a second shape that is different from the first shape of the first sensor plate. The obscured feature detector also includes one or more common plates to form a second end of the corresponding electric field of the three or more sensor plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Franklin Sensors, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg, Dylan Thomas Smith
  • Patent number: 10613243
    Abstract: An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. An end sensor plate at an end of the sensor array has a smaller area than a non-end sensor plate that is not at the end of the sensor array. A controller coupled to the sensing circuit can analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or more indicators are coupled to the controller, and each can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface, or otherwise indicate variances of capacitance measurements along the sensor array. Other disclosed obscured feature detectors include a plurality of sensor plates arranged radially around a center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Franklin Sensors Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg
  • Publication number: 20190219721
    Abstract: Obscured feature detectors are disclosed. An obscured feature detector includes a sensor plate array including three or more sensor plates, each of the three or more sensor plates configured to form a first end of a corresponding electric field and to take a sensor reading of the corresponding electric field. The corresponding electric field varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects. The three or more sensor plates include a first sensor plate that has a first shape and a second sensor plate that has a second shape that is different from the first shape of the first sensor plate. The obscured feature detector also includes one or more common plates to form a second end of the corresponding electric field of the three or more sensor plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: David M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg, Dylan Thomas Smith
  • Publication number: 20180313968
    Abstract: Obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features are disclosed. An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. An end sensor plate at an end of the sensor array has a smaller area than a non-end sensor plate that is not at the end of the sensor array. A controller coupled to the sensing circuit can analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or more indicators are coupled to the controller, and each can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface, or otherwise indicate variances of capacitance measurements along the sensor array. Other disclosed obscured feature detectors include a plurality of sensor plates arranged radially around a center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: David M. Dorrough, Daniel Scott Toborg
  • Publication number: 20180203149
    Abstract: Obscured feature detectors and methods of detecting obscured features are disclosed. An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuit to analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or a plurality of indicators are coupled to the controller, and can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: DAVID M. DORROUGH, DANIEL SCOTT TOBORG