Patents by Inventor Kevin Thorson

Kevin Thorson 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: 11926442
    Abstract: A spacecraft sunshade is provided. The sunshade includes a surface that is maintained in a sun facing orientation. Adjustments to a position of the sunshade are made in a plane that is transverse to a line of sight to the sun, in order to block sunlight from being directly incident on an instrument associated with the spacecraft. The sunshade can include photovoltaic elements on the sun-facing surface of the sunshade. In addition, the sunshade can be formed from an opaque material, and further from a material that absorbs heat from the sun and reradiate that heat to the instrument. The sunshade can perform stray light blocking, electrical power generation, and radiational heating functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Erika Thorson Bannon, Kevin Eugene Weed, John Scott Knight
  • Publication number: 20060139475
    Abstract: Systems and apparatuses are provided that include a number of cameras. One embodiment includes a surveillance camera. The embodiment includes a camera having a lens with a first field of view. The camera can be mounted to an imaging circuit board having an imaging circuit provided thereon for converting image data from the lens into a digital field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: John Esch, Rick Stevens, Kevin Thorson, James Howe, Stephen Sohn, Timothy Zajic
  • Publication number: 20060088241
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an optical device including a circuit board, an optical network and a lens kit. The circuit board has a mounting surface, and the optical fiber network is coupled to the circuit board opposite the mounting surface. The optical network includes two or more optical waveguides arranged in layers. A via extends through the mounting surface and into the optical network. The lens kit includes at least two lens pucks. At least one lens puck has a reflective element. The lens pucks are arranged to correspond with at least some of the optical waveguides. The lens kit is adapted to be inserted within the via and to reflect light traveling along an axis of the via into the optical network. The present disclosure is also directed to the lens kit and methods of making the lens kit and the optical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Kevin Thorson, Rick Stevens
  • Publication number: 20050220413
    Abstract: Optical routers or optical interconnection devices that include an optical coupling method and optical coupling apparatus wherein a plurality of layers that contain optical devices that require optical coupling can be optically coupled by inserting optical coupling elements therein to transfer a light signal from one location on one layer to another location on a different layer. The optical coupling elements can include various light directing members such as reflectors, beam splitters/combiners or other components that can act on a light signal to modify, or control the light signal in a desired manner. In addition, an optical coupling elements can be transparent to the light signal so as not affect the direction or the integrity of the light signal as it passes through the optical coupling element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2004
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Rick Stevens, Kevin Thorson
  • Patent number: 6899464
    Abstract: An optical connector having alignment members for aligning with a connector on two mutually perpendicular axis with the optical connector including a displaceable block carrying optical fibers therein that is spatially positionable along a third axis to provide optical communication through the optical connector even though the optical connector may not have continuous optical fibers extending therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Inventors: Rick Stevens, Kevin Thorson, Ryan Nelson