Patents by Inventor Lee Proctor
Lee Proctor 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).
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Publication number: 20250035781Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams facing downwardly can be selected and used to form downward sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements. Fish arches formed using multiple sonar return beams can be positioned appropriately within a high resolution downward sonar image to form a desirable combined sonar image.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2024Publication date: January 30, 2025Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme J. Caspall
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Patent number: 12210093Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. Three arrays are mounted in a housing in an X plus Line configuration with one of the arrays extending below the center of the X.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2022Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: Navico, Inc.Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme J. Caspall
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Patent number: 12153129Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams facing downwardly can be selected and used to form downward sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements. Fish arches formed using multiple sonar return beams can be positioned appropriately within a high resolution downward sonar image to form a desirable combined sonar image.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2021Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: NAVICO, INC.Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme J. Caspall
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Publication number: 20230111196Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes two or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to create arcs of sonar coverage extending forward from a watercraft, from each side of the watercraft, and downward of the watercraft. Accordingly, multiple 2D live sonar images can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams can be selected and used to form sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2022Publication date: April 13, 2023Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jeremiah D. Clark, Dustyn P. Pendergraft
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Patent number: 11585921Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2017Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Publication number: 20220229178Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. Three arrays are mounted in a housing in an X plus Line configuration with one of the arrays extending below the center of the X.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2022Publication date: July 21, 2022Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme J. Caspall
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Patent number: 11372102Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2017Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Publication number: 20220035027Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams facing downwardly can be selected and used to form downward sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements. Fish arches formed using multiple sonar return beams can be positioned appropriately within a high resolution downward sonar image to form a desirable combined sonar image.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventor: Alan Lee Proctor
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Publication number: 20220035026Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams facing downwardly can be selected and used to form downward sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements. Fish arches formed using multiple sonar return beams can be positioned appropriately within a high resolution downward sonar image to form a desirable combined sonar image.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2020Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventor: Alan Lee Proctor
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Publication number: 20220012469Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharing information used to identify an object/person by a camera (e.g., a body-worn camera) is provided herein. During operation the apparatus will determine a set of characteristics that can be used to identify the object/person. The apparatus then analyzes the body-worn camera's FOV (or potential FOV) and removes characteristics from the set of characteristics to produce a minimal set of characteristics that can be used to identify the object/person in the body-worn cameras FOV. The minimal set of characteristics is then sent to the officer's body-worn camera for detection.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2019Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: WOJCIECH KUCHARSKI, PAWEL NIEMIEC, BOGDAN STEPIEN, LEE PROCTOR
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Patent number: 10247822Abstract: Sonar systems and associated methods are provided herein for sonar image generation. The sonar system is configured to enable rotation of a transducer array that includes at least two transducer elements. The transducer array may be mounted to a trolling motor capable of being rotated. The transducer elements can be positioned to enable use of interferometry to obtain angle information regarding sonar returns. The angle and range of each sonar return can be used to form images, such as a 2D forward looking image of the underwater environment. A heading detector can be used to obtain a heading of the transducer elements to enable creation of a 2D radar-like image of the underwater environment. Additionally, the heading, angle, and range of the sonar returns can be used to form a 3D image of the underwater environment.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2015Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Publication number: 20190095069Abstract: An adaptable interface for retrieving available electronic digital assistant services is provided. A user interface including a graphical underlay on which user input gestures may be operated is displayed via a display element. A particular user input gesture selecting a sub-portion of the graphical underlay is detected. The selected sub-portion of the graphical underlay, or metadata associated therewith, is provided to an electronic digital assistant services query identification function. Identities of one or more available electronic digital assistant services that may be performed on objects or information included in the selected sub-portion of the graphical underlay or metadata associated therewith are received. And one or more actionable user interface elements are displayed on, over, or adjacent to the graphical underlay corresponding to the received identities of the one or more available electronic digital assistant services.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2017Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: LEE PROCTOR, BENJAMIN ZASLOW, ERIC JOHNSON
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Patent number: 10114119Abstract: Provided are a sonar system, transducer assembly, and method for imaging an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing having a transducer array defining first and second rows of transducer elements positioned at a predetermined distance. The first row of transducer elements may include at least first and second transducer elements configured to convert sound energy into first and second sonar return data. The second row of transducer elements may include at least third and fourth transducer elements configured to convert sound energy into third and fourth sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may be configured to process the first and second sonar return data and third and fourth sonar return data to generate respective first and second array sonar return data corresponding to a plurality of first and second receive beams and generate 3D sonar return data by correlating the angles associated with the receive beams.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2015Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Ronald Joe Horner, Alan Lee Proctor
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Patent number: 10018719Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one transducer array in the housing that receives first, second, and third sonar returns with first, second, and third transducer elements and converts the first, second, and third returns into first, second, and third sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a first and second set of 2D sonar data based on the sonar return data, generate a third set of 2D sonar data based on a correlation of the first and second set of 2D sonar data, and generate a 3D mesh data based on the third set of 2D sonar data. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2015Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Patent number: 9864058Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having at least one transducer array. The transducer array may include a transmit/receive element configured to transmit sonar pulses and a second transducer element. The transmit/receive element and the second transducer element may receive first and second sonar returns convert the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Patent number: 9784832Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. The first sidescan element may also transmit second sonar pulses, and at least one of the sidescan elements may receive the second sonar pulses to generate sidescan sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data and sidescan image data and generate a 3D image data based on the 3D mesh data and sidescan image data. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner, Matthew David Hunt
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Publication number: 20170285167Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2017Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Patent number: 9739884Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING ASInventors: Alan Lee Proctor, David Austin Parks, Ronald Joe Horner
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Patent number: D1039494Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2022Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme Caspall
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Patent number: D1040104Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2022Date of Patent: August 27, 2024Assignee: NAVICO, INC.Inventors: Alan Lee Proctor, Jayme Caspall