Patents by Inventor James W. Thomas

James W. Thomas 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).

  • Publication number: 20090007933
    Abstract: A coating removal apparatus removes a coating from a surface. The apparatus has a movable scanning head and scanning optics. The scanning head is movable in one dimension, and the scanning optics adjust in two dimensions to compensate for movement of the scanning head to implement long range scanning with a uniform scanning pattern. Further, a surface roughness is determined by measuring specular and scattered reflections at various angles. For composite surfaces, the apparatus utilizes UV laser radiation and a controlled atmosphere to remove coating and alter the chemical characteristics at the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, Robert L. Cargill, Mitchell R. Wool
  • Patent number: 7065758
    Abstract: A system to optimize code for a family of related functions. The system recognizes a function call as being a member of a family of related functions. For the member function, the system replaces the member call with corresponding family-start and member-finish function calls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Markstein, James W. Thomas, Kevin Crozier
  • Patent number: 7009141
    Abstract: A rotary refractive laser scanner head uses two sets of lenses and prisms aligned along a common optical axis. Each prism is paired with one of the lenses. The lens-prism pairs are separately mounted rotatable on a common axis coaxial with the optical axis. A motor drives two gear sets. Each gear set is separately coupled to one of the two lens-prism pairs and rotates them at selected, typically different speeds. An input laser beam is directed along the optical axis at one of the lens-prism pairs. The first pair collimates and refracts the input beam into an intermediate deflected beam according to Snell's law and the characteristics of the laser beam and optics. The second pair receives the intermediate beam and further deflects it to form an output beam. By selecting the motor speed, gear ratios, optics spacing, characteristics and prism wedge (deflection) angle, the scanner head effectively can scan an output laser beam over a desired pattern area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: General Lasertronics Corp.
    Inventors: Mitchell R. Wool, James W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6835867
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of producing an allelic series of modifications in genes of interest in a cell. In particular, the invention provides methods for using nucleic acid sequence-modifying agents (e.g., chemicals, electromagnetic radiation, etc.) to introduce modifications in any nucleic acid sequence in the genome of a cell. Also provided are sets of cells which contain at least one modification in any gene of interest. The methods and compositions of the invention are useful in determining the function of the gene of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Inventors: Richard P. Woychik, Terry R. Magnuson, Ellis D. Avner, James W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6665618
    Abstract: An improved system for designing seismic surveys wherein the density and areal size of the seismic survey components (e.g., sources or receivers) are selected based on a plurality of calculated templates of the components that are generated using a mapping function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, John M. Hufford, Warren H. Neff, Gary M. Hoover, Kay D. Wyatt
  • Patent number: 6595357
    Abstract: A golf club organizing assembly for a golf club carrying bag includes a plurality of dividers. Some of the dividers extend in intersecting transverse relationships with other of the dividers so as to form a plurality of compartments therebetween for receiving shafts of golf clubs placed in a carrying bag. Also, some dividers are of colors different from and contrasting with colors of other dividers so as to provide contrasting colors about the compartments which improve visibility of compartments to a golfer over a case where all of the dividers are of the same color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Great Divider Golf, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Sutter, James W. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20030088861
    Abstract: A system to optimize code for a family of related functions. The system recognizes a function call as being a member of a family of related functions. For the member function, the system replaces the member call with corresponding family-start and member-finish function calls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Peter Markstein, James W. Thomas, Kevin Crozier
  • Patent number: 6437285
    Abstract: A method and system for treating internal surface material overlying the interior of a tubular a substrate, and more particularly, to a system for ablating contaminates and other unwanted material from an internal surface 52 using a pulsed laser beam (38). The system includes three main sub-systems: a back end (30), a work head (100), and an umbilical tube (31) to protect conduits communicating between the back end (30) and the work head (100). The back end (30) includes heavy and bulky equipment such as a laser (32), chiller (4), pressurized air source (70), suction system (84), waste containment system (82), and electric power source (78). A conveyance such as a trailer (17) may enclose the back end (30) to make it transportable. The work head (100) includes a propeller driven rotating mirror assembly (380), and a lens assembly (520). During operation, the work head (100) is inserted in the tube or pipe and the laser (32) activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: General Lasertronics Corporation
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, Terry Fuchser
  • Patent number: 6430510
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method is disclosed herein which is primarily designed for use in improving the seismic data collection process through the use of hybrid gathers. The instant invention is suitable for application either in the field during seismic acquisition as part of the process or back at the main processing center, although it will probably be of greatest use in the field. That being said, the computational efficiency of the instant method and its ability to work effectively with low fold seismic data sets argue that it would be most useful in the field. By timely application of the instant method it is possible to improve or optimize the selection of acquisition parameters such as geophone spacing, line layouts, shot locations, instrument filters, etc., while the data are being acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, Gary M. Hoover
  • Patent number: 6330512
    Abstract: This invention relates to the general subject of seismic exploration and, in particular, to seismic processing and methods for attenuating ground roll in land and ocean bottom seismic surveys. According to a first aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a method of attenuating non-primary reflection events such as ground roll in an unstacked gather. In the preferred embodiment, the collected seismic data will be analyzed to determine the approximate velocity at which the ground roll appears to travel through the section. As a next step, a single-velocity migration is performed on the seismic data at the selected velocity. Those seismic events that are moved by the migration past an “attenuation line” on the section are intentionally discarded or attenuated. Finally, a reverse single velocity migration is performed which places the reflectors—minus those events such as ground roll that have been attenuated—back at their original unmigrated times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, John M. Hufford
  • Publication number: 20010025802
    Abstract: A golf club organizing assembly for a golf club carrying bag includes a plurality of dividers. Some of the dividers extend in intersecting transverse relationships with other of the dividers so as to form a plurality of compartments therebetween for receiving shafts of golf clubs placed in a carrying bag. Also, some dividers are of colors different from and contrasting with colors of other dividers so as to provide contrasting colors about the compartments which improve visibility of compartments to a golfer over a case where all of the dividers are of the same color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Inventors: James L. Sutter, James W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6288362
    Abstract: A system for treating surface material overlying a substrate, and more particularly, to a system for ablating contaminates and other unwanted material from a worksite using a pulsed laser beam. The system includes three main sub-systems: a back end (30), a work head (100), and an umbilical tube (88) to protect conduits communicating between the back end (30) and the work head (100). The back end (30) includes heavy and bulky equipment such as a laser (32), chiller, pressurized air source (70), suction system, waste containment system, and electric power source (78). A conveyance such as a trailer may enclose the back end (30) to make it transportable. The work head (100) includes lightweight equipment such as scanning mirrors, optics, and camera (130). During operation, the work head (100) is pressed against the surface material and the laser (32) activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Inventors: James W. Thomas, Roland O'Banion, Laura M. O'Banion
  • Patent number: 6026058
    Abstract: An improved method for gathering traces in a 3-D seismic survey is disclosed. In one configuration, receiver lines having equally spaced geophone receivers stations are run in one direction, and lines of equally spaced shotpoint stations run orthogonal to the receiver station lines. The station spacing in each shotpoint and receiver lines is selected to produce a desired spatial resolution, and the individual lines are spaced apart by a distance equal to at least two times the station intervals. In this method, a series of common mid point gathers centered about source/receiver line intersection, referred to as "hybrid gathers" is made, where each hybrid gather includes traces from a designated number of shots in the shotpoint line of the selected intersection that are directed into a designated number of geophone receivers in the receiver line of the selected intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: James W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 5700401
    Abstract: An HMDS tank for use in an integrated circuit fabrication process includes a tank configured to hold HMDS having an first inlet port configured to receive a carrier gas below an HMDS surface level, an outlet port configured to release said carrier gas saturated with HMDS above the HMDS surface level, and a second inlet port configured to receive HMDS. A sensor is positioned in the tank at a predetermined HMDS level and configured to generate a sensor signal when the HMDS surface level falls below the predetermined HMDS level. A processor is coupled to the sensor and configured to generate a fill signal in response to the sensor signal to initiate introduction of HMDS into the tank through the second inlet port. In another embodiment, the HMDS tank further includes a second sensor positioned in the tank at a low HMDS level. The processor is also coupled to the second sensor and configured to generate an alarm signal in response to the second sensor signal to warn an operator of a low HMDS level in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Microbar Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Weinberg, James W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 4260952
    Abstract: Incoming diphase signals E which have base bit intervals delineated by spaced clocking signals with data information occurring between the clocking signals are fed to a four bit shift register 10 which in cooperation with an exclusive OR-gate 14 generates a pulse D for each diphase signal E transition. Upon receipt of a preamble comprising four diphase signal transitions, a shift register 16 provides a signal MSR which initiates the decoding of the following data information. A counter 24 stores counts related to the time intervals between each two successive clocking signals and counters 26 and 28 store a count related to an immediately subsequent time period which is three-fourths of the time interval. The occurrence of data information is sensed by a logic array 20 during successive time periods and a non-return to zero mark-space output signal K is stored in a flip-flop 22. The logic array 20 continually updates the counts stored by the counters 24, 26-28.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1981
    Assignee: Teletype Corporation
    Inventor: James W. Thomas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4229702
    Abstract: A circuit for detecting the relative time of occurrence of first and second signals applied to first and second terminals includes a pair of bistable flip-flops. In response to the occurrence first of the first signal the first one of the flips-flops is set to initiate the generation of a control signal. A time delay responds to the control signal and upon expiration of the time delay interval the second one of the flip-flops is set and this in turn resets the first flip-flop to terminate the control signal. In response to the first occurrence first of the second signal the second one of the flip-flops is set and this inhibits the setting of the first flip-flop. In the event that the first and second signals occur simultaneously the second flip-flop sets quickly resetting the first flip-flop. In response to either signal, a conductive path is established between the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1980
    Assignee: Teletype Corporation
    Inventor: James W. Thomas, Jr.
  • Patent number: D365848
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Inventor: James W. Thomas