Patents by Inventor Geoffrey L. Bland

Geoffrey L. Bland 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).

  • Advanced remotely operated vehicle for education and research
    Patent number: 10059418
    Abstract: Disclosed are watercrafts with rotatable air propulsion steering units and retractable measurement instruments. The watercraft can include a substantially flat bottom, a top deck, a rotatable air propulsion steering unit configured to propel the watercraft and to rotate in order to steer the watercraft when the watercraft is submerged in a liquid body without requiring a submerged rudder steering system under the substantially flat bottom. The watercraft can also include a retractable measurement deck configured to alternatively raise measurement instruments above the liquid body and lower into the liquid body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ted K. Miles, Geoffrey L. Bland
  • ADVANCED REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
    Publication number: 20180229826
    Abstract: Disclosed are watercrafts with rotatable air propulsion steering units and retractable measurement instruments. The watercraft can include a substantially flat bottom, a top deck, a rotatable air propulsion steering unit configured to propel the watercraft and to rotate in order to steer the watercraft when the watercraft is submerged in a liquid body without requiring a submerged rudder steering system under the substantially flat bottom. The watercraft can also include a retractable measurement deck configured to alternatively raise measurement instruments above the liquid body and lower into the liquid body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: TED K. MILES, GEOFFREY L. BLAND
  • Aerodynamically stabilized instrument platform
    Patent number: 8196853
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for suspending instrumentation from an airborne platform may include a generally longitudinal boom having a payload end and a tail end. Yaw and pitch stabilizers may be disposed at the tail end of the boom. A mast that may be selectively translatable on the boom may connect the boom to a tether line of the airborne platform. The payload may be attached to the payload end of the boom. The mast may be positioned axially along the boom at the center of gravity of the combination of the payload, boom, pitch stabilizer, and yaw stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Geoffrey L. Bland, Ted K. Miles
  • AERODYNAMICALLY STABILIZED INSTRUMENT PLATFORM
    Publication number: 20110278393
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus for suspending instrumentation from an airborne platform may include a generally longitudinal boom having a payload end and a tail end. Yaw and pitch stabilizers may be disposed at the tail end of the boom. A mast that may be selectively translatable on the boom may connect the boom to a tether line of the airborne platform. The payload may be attached to the payload end of the boom. The mast may be positioned axially along the boom at the center of gravity of the combination of the payload, boom, pitch stabilizer, and yaw stabilizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Geoffrey L. Bland, Ted K. Miles