Patents by Inventor James L. Witler

James L. Witler 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: 5486002
    Abstract: A golfing apparatus for estimating the carry distance of a struck golf ball includes a doppler radar unit, a correlating circuit and a display. The doppler radar unit measures the doppler shift of the struck golf ball and a predetermined, empirically derived factor is used to correlate the measured doppler shift to an estimated carry distance for the ball. The display shows the estimated carry distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Plus4 Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Witler, Douglas L. Spike, Douglas C. Talbot
  • Patent number: 5375832
    Abstract: A golfing apparatus includes a speed measuring mechanism, a saturation detector, either an acoustic trigger or an optical trigger, a correlator and a display. The speed measuring mechanism has a boresight disposed at an angle with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the golf ball while in flight. Either the acoustic trigger or the optical trigger generates a trigger signal in response to either the sound or the sight of the struck golf ball. The saturation detector detects movement of either a club head or the struck golf ball and provides an indication signal that there is a STRONG SIGNAL condition. The trigger signal and the indication signal are ANDED together in order to turn on the speed measuring mechanism to allow the measurement of the speed of the golf ball. The speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the golf ball which is parallel to the boresight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Inventors: James L. Witler, Douglas L. Spike, Douglas C. Talbot
  • Patent number: 5290037
    Abstract: A golfing apparatus determines the carrying distance of a golf ball which has a golfer has struck and includes a speed measuring mechanism, either an acoustic trigger or an optical trigger, a correlator and a display. The speed measuring mechanism has a boresight disposed at angle in the range of zero degrees to twenty five degrees with respect to level ground so that it can be aimed at the struck golf ball while in flight. Either the acoustic trigger or the optical trigger is electrically coupled to the speed measuring mechanism and turns on the speed measuring mechanism in response to either the sound of the struck golf ball or the sight of the golf club striking the golf ball, respectively. The speed measuring mechanism measures the component of the speed of the golf ball which is parallel to the boresight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Inventors: James L. Witler, Douglas L. Spike, Douglas C. Talbot
  • Patent number: 5092602
    Abstract: A golfing apparatus for determining the carry distance of a golf ball in flight includes a doppler radar unit, a measuring cone, a correlating circuit and a display. The doppler radar unit has a housing, a transmitter and receiver unit and a counter. The transmitter and receiver unit is disposed in the housing and transmits electromagnetic energy towards the golf ball in order to produce a plurality of pulses which is the Doppler shift of the electromagnetic energy. The counter is electrically coupled to the transmitter and receiver unit and counts the plurality of pulses over a preselected period of time. The golf ball passes through the measuring cone and the doppler radar unit measures speed of the golf ball therein. The correlating circuit is electrically coupled to the doppler radar unit and correlates the measured speed of the golf ball with a carry distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Inventors: James L. Witler, Douglas L. Spike, Douglas C. Talbot
  • Patent number: 4587427
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the concentration of a predetermined energy absorbing compound in a breath sample even in the presence of other unknown energy absorbing compounds. Infrared energy of three wavelengths are passed through the collected sample. The first wavelength of infrared energy, 3.95 microns for example, is selected to be insensitive to absorption by both the predetermined energy absorbing compound such as ethanol and the unknown energy absorbing compounds such as acetone and water vapor. The second wavelength of infrared energy, 3.48 microns for example, is selected to be significantly absorbed by ethanol. The third wavelength of infrared energy, 3.39 microns for example, is selected to be significantly absorbed by acetone and water vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1986
    Assignee: CMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas C. Talbot, James L. Witler
  • Patent number: 4231039
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for measuring the speed of a land vehicle over a surface. A narrow beam of RF energy is directed toward the surface at a substantial angle. Reflected RF energy is mixed with that transmitted to produce Doppler signals having a spectrum. The spectra of the Doppler signals are normalized by the Doppler signals being applied to an AGC circuit so that the maximum amplitudes of the spectra are substantially constant and being applied to one or more tracking band pass filters which eliminate unwanted frequency components in the spectra. From the normalized spectra, output signals are produced from which can be determined the speed of the vehicle relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1980
    Assignee: Glymar
    Inventors: Jack D. Fritzlen, James L. Witler