Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Thornton

Douglas A. Thornton 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).

  • Publication number: 20140214227
    Abstract: Dispatch engines service endpoints by transmitting dispatch signals to the serviced endpoints that cause the endpoints to adjust their electric power consumption from the electric power grid in accord with a control signal received by the dispatch engine. A market interface dispatch engine receives its control signal from an electric power grid managing entity, and downstream dispatch engines form a hierarchy cascading downstream from the market interface dispatch engine with each downstream dispatch engine being an endpoint serviced by a dispatch engine located upstream in the hierarchy. The control signal received by each downstream dispatch engine comprises dispatch signals transmitted by the upstream dispatch engine. The endpoints further include electric power-consuming loads. A suitable load controller comprises separate power interface and logic elements operatively connected to define the load controller, with the logic element powered by low voltage DC power received from the power interface element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Douglas Thornton, Eric Rehberg, Lauren Adams
  • Publication number: 20130303295
    Abstract: Golf club heads having sensors configured to measure one or more swing parameters are provided. The golf club head may include several gyroscopes and accelerometers. In one embodiment, the club head contains three gyroscopes that measure angular rate data along different orthogonal axes. At least one gyroscope may an analog gyroscope. Accelerometers may provide data regarding the three orthogonal axes associated with the gyroscopes. The club head may further include software and/or hardware that perform computer-executed methods for determining one or more swing parameters. Exemplary club heads may include a display device for displaying an output of the swing parameter(s). Further aspects of the invention relate to novel methods and algorithms for calculating measurements relating to the swing parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Jeremy Snyder, James S. Thomas, Jeffrey A. Hadden, Bradley C. Glenn, Daniel J. Simpson, Daniel A. Roberts, Douglas A. Thornton
  • Publication number: 20120091036
    Abstract: A fuel processing system and method for a sulfur bearing fuel include a hydrodesulfurization reactor followed by an adsorbent bed for removing sulfur or sulfur containing species from the fuel. In certain embodiments, the adsorbent bed is a ZnO bed. In another embodiment, a fuel processing system and method for a sulfur bearing fuel include a steam reformer, a hydrodesulfurization reactor, and an adsorbent bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Paul E. George, II, Vincent J. Contini, Greg A. Whyatt, Douglas A. Thornton
  • Publication number: 20120062166
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method of controlling a mobile, integrated fuel processor and fuel cell system that utilizes an innovative combination of feedback and feed forward control loops maintain the reformer temperature and hydrogen permeate pressure in the system with the operating parameters of the fuel reformer being adjusted to achieve rapid and more reliable load following when transient conditions occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Douglas A. Thornton, Vincent Contini, Todd A. McCandlish
  • Publication number: 20100266875
    Abstract: A power management module adapted to be connected between a fuel cell and an output power bus, the power management module being operative to regulate the amount of power being delivered by the fuel cell to the output power bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Ryan Somogye, Gabe J. Stout, David C. Diedling, Todd A. McCandlish, Douglas A. Thornton
  • Patent number: 4207522
    Abstract: A frequency scanning radio system and programming means for selecting the frequencies to be used, and to determne whether or not the channels are in use. The programming means controls not only the direction but also the speed of the frequency scanning in addition to the frequencies monitored. The system further displays the frequency which is being monitored, whether selected by the programming means or selected manually. A further feature is an automatic shifting of frequency when the radio is transmitting into a repeater station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1980
    Inventors: Douglas Thornton, Arthur E. Housholder