Patents by Inventor Eric J. Softley

Eric J. Softley 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: 4814883
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the commercial insertion system includes, at a control center, a source of commercial inserts and a processor for generating various command signals based upon monitoring a plurality of programmed channels signals on a per channel basis. A stream of commercial insert video signals and the command signals are sent via a satellite up link to regional cable systems generally grouped as East Coast stations and West Coast stations. A multiple input/output video switch system is located at the video head of each cable system. This video switch system includes a local video signal generator and a video switch for each channel having local available commercial time slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Beam Laser Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Perine, Eric J. Softley
  • Patent number: 4631956
    Abstract: An Air Deployed Oceanographic Mooring when assembled for deployment has a multitude of components suitable for separation by explosive bolts upon deployment of the system. A parachute system is connected to a surface buoy. The components that separate from each other upon deployment comprise a parachute system, a surface float, a subsurface buoy, an anchor shell and a bottom finder. All components except for the parachute system have interconnecting flexible lines upon deployment. A novel locking mechanism for limiting the paying out of the line between the anchor shell and subsurface buoy is triggered by the slackening of the line between the bottom finder and anchor shell when the bottom finder hits the bottom of the ocean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Robert G. Walden, Henri O. Berteaux, Leslie W. Bonde, David B. Dillon, Eric J. Softley, Thomas M. Popp, Edgar A. Reed, 3rd