Patents by Inventor Hugh C. Crenshaw

Hugh C. Crenshaw 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).

  • Devices and methods for orienting and steering in three-dimensional space
    Patent number: 6378801
    Abstract: A self-orienting device comprises: a housing; a sensor mounted to the housing that is sensitive to a signal field and configured to produce a signal responsive to the signal field; a translation-inducing unit associated with the housing; rotation-inducing unit attached to the housing, wherein the translation-inducing unit and the rotation-inducing unit are configured such that the housing travels along a helical trajectory having an axis and is free to rotate about the axis; and a controller operably associated with the sensor for controlling the output of at least one of the translation-inducing unit and the rotation-inducing unit, wherein the controller is configured such that it receives the signal from the sensor and, responsive to the signal, controls the output of at least one of the translation-inducing unit and said rotation-inducing unit. A device so configured can automatically orient to a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Nekton Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles A. Pell, Hugh C. Crenshaw, Jason Janet, Mathieu Kemp