Patents by Inventor Edward A. Collins

Edward A. Collins 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: 6408429
    Abstract: An improved vision system is provided for identifying and assessing features of an article. Systems are provided for developing feature assessment programs, which, when deployed, may inspect parts and/or provide position information for guiding automated manipulation of such parts. The improved system is easy to use and facilitates the development of versatile and flexible article assessment programs. In one aspect, the system comprises a set of step tools from which a set of step objects is instantiated. The set of step tools may comprise machine vision step objects that comprise routines for processing an image of the article to provide article feature information. A control flow data structure and a data flow data structure may each be provided. The control flow data structure charts a flow of control among the step objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril C. Marrion, Jr., Ivan A. Bachelder, Edward A. Collins, Jr., Masayoki Kawata, Sateesh G. Nadabar
  • Patent number: 6094526
    Abstract: An improved vision system is provided for identifying and assessing features of an article. Systems are provided for developing feature assessment programs, which, when deployed, may inspect parts and/or provide position information for guiding automated manipulation of such parts. The improved system is easy to use and facilitates the development of versatile and flexible article assessment programs. In one aspect, the system comprises a set of step tools from which a set of step objects is instantiated. The set of step tools may comprise machine vision step objects that comprise routines for processing an image of the article to provide article feature information. A control flow data structure and a data flow data structure may each be provided. The control flow data structure charts a flow of control among the step objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril C. Marrion, Jr., Ivan A. Bachelder, Edward A. Collins, Jr., Masayoki Kawata, Sateesh G. Nadabar
  • Patent number: 5783529
    Abstract: Metal working compositions which contain rhamsan gum as a mist suppressant exhibit good anti-mist performance and good retention of performance in the presence of prolonged times of shearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: The Lubrizol Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjay Kalhan, Edward A. Collins
  • Patent number: 5429761
    Abstract: Electrorheological fluids of a hydrophobic liquid phase and, dispersed therein, electrorheologically active particles comprising a core particle and a coating of a metal carbonate, sulfate, thiosulfate, or sulfite exhibit reduced electrical conductivity compared with similar fluids containing uncoated particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: The Lubrizol Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen O. Havelka, Edward A. Collins
  • Patent number: 5143755
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of using constrained layer sound damping. A composition and a laminated structure are provided for the reduction of noise coming from housings such as oil pans for automobiles. The composition comprises a rubbery polyurethane, an olefin polymer, and a filler. The laminated structure comprises the housing, the composition, and a sheet metal liner. The composition contains a blowing agent which is activated to provide a single unitary structure which dampens noise. The polyurethane and olefin polymer are thoroughly intermixed with each other, but maintain their separate identities in the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Soundwich, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan T. Moore, III, Edward A. Collins, Maurice E. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 4952610
    Abstract: The invention concerns constrained layer sound damping. A composition and a laminated structure are provided for the reduction of noise coming from housings such as oil pans for automobiles. The composition comprises a rubbery polyurethane, an olefin polymer, and a filler. The laminated structure comprises the housing, the composition, and a sheet metal liner. The composition contains a blowing agent which is activated to provide a single unitary structure which dampens noise. The polyurethane and olefin polymer are thoroughly intermixed with each other, but maintain their separate identities in the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Soundwich Incorporated
    Inventors: Dan T. Moore, III, Edward A. Collins, Maurice E. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 4851271
    Abstract: The invention concerns constrained layer sound damping. A composition and a laminated structure are provided for the reduction of noise coming from housings such as oil pans for automobiles. The composition comprises a rubbery polyurethane, an olefin polymer, and a filler. The laminated structure comprises the housing, the composition, and a sheet metal liner. The composition contains a blowing agent which is activated to provide a single unitary structure which dampens noise. The polyurethane and olefin polymer are thoroughly intermixed with each other, but maintain their separate identities in the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Soundwich Incorporated
    Inventors: Dan T. Moore, III, Edward A. Collins, Maurice E. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 4727471
    Abstract: A robot arm with a vision system affixed thereto. A gripper acquires and object at an acquisition site and carries the object to a target site. During travel the position of the object is determined by the vision system viewing the object in two positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: The Board of Governors for Higher Education, State of Rhode Island and Providence
    Inventors: Morris R. Driels, Edward A. Collins, Jr.