Patents by Inventor Mark A. Johnson

Mark A. Johnson 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: 20180259339
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for video based sensor fusion with respect to mobile structures. A mobile structure may include at least one imaging module and multiple navigational sensors and/or receive navigational data from various sources. A navigational database may be generated that includes data from the imaging module, navigational sensors, and/or other sources. Aspects of the navigational database may then be used to generate an integrated model, forecast weather conditions, warn of dangers, identify hard to spot items, and generally aid in the navigation of the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Johnson, Richard Jales, Gordon Pope, Christopher Gatland, Paul Stokes, Aaron Ridout, Chris Jones, Jay E. Robinson, Neil R. Owens, Peter Long
  • Publication number: 20180259338
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for sensor fusion with respect to mobile structures. A mobile structure may include multiple ranging sensor systems and/or receive navigational data from various sensors. A navigational database may be generated that includes data from the ranging sensor systems and/or other sensors. Aspects of the navigational database may then be used to generate an integrated model, which can be used to generally aid in the navigation of the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, Mark Johnson, Richard Jales, Gordon Pope, Christopher Gatland, Aaron Ridout
  • Patent number: 10073453
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate, low lag, and reliable autopilot autorelease in a hydraulic steering system for mobile structures. A hydraulic steering system includes a logic device configured to communicate with an autopilot pump controller, a control surface reference sensor, an orientation sensor, and/or a gyroscope. Control and sensor signals provided by the pump controller and/or the various sensors are used to selectively enable and/or disable an autopilot release signal. The autopilot release signal enables or disables the autopilot pump controller and/or an autopilot pump, or controls the autopilot pump controller to enable or disable the autopilot pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Johnson, Christopher Yeomans
  • Publication number: 20180239366
    Abstract: A set of commands for each of a plurality of actuators to alter an aircraft's state responsive to one or more inputs is produced. The set of commands is provided to fewer than all actuators comprising the plurality of actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Johnson Cutler, Todd Reichert, James Jackson
  • Patent number: 10047708
    Abstract: A fuel water separator filter is described that is configured as a filter-in-filter construction with multiple water separating layers to separate water from the fuel. The fuel water separator filter is configured for use on a suction side of a fuel pump, and includes a neck with a radially outward facing seal that in use seals with the filter housing. The filter housing is formed with an isolated water sump that in use is isolated from water that is stripped from the fuel by the first stage of the outer filter. The isolated water sump is formed by a wall within the housing, instead of relying on an outer diameter seal on the filter to form the water sump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Cummins Filtration IP, Inc.
    Inventors: Zemin Jiang, Ted Loftis, Mark Johnson
  • Publication number: 20180217257
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide casting guidance for users of mobile structures, including watercraft. A casting guidance system includes a sonar transducer assembly and a logic device configured to communicate with the sonar transducer assembly. The sonar transducer assembly is adapted to be mounted to a mobile structure and placed in a body of water. The logic device is configured to identify one or more underwater targets in sonar data received from the sonar transducer assembly, determine casting guidance parameters corresponding to the one or more identified underwater targets, and generate at least one casting guidance identifier based, at least in part, on the determined casting guidance parameters. Subsequent user input, the sonar data, and/or the casting guidance parameters may be used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Adam Murphy, Christopher Daniel Gatland, Mark Johnson
  • Patent number: 10037706
    Abstract: A value for an aircraft movement limit is received where the aircraft movement limit is associated with a manned aircraft. The aircraft movement limit is automatically set to the value. A pilot instruction is received and a control signal for the aircraft is generated using the pilot instruction and the aircraft movement limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Johnson Cutler, Alexander David Selwa
  • Patent number: 10032732
    Abstract: In a switching module structure that includes a low-impedance path to ground, such as a parasitic capacitance of an insulating substrate, a further insulating substrate presenting a parasitic capacitance placed in series with the low impedance current path and a connection of a conductive layer to input voltage rails using a single decoupling capacitor or, preferably, a midpoint of the voltage rails formed by a series connection of decoupling capacitors maintains a large portion of common mode (CM) currents which are due to high dV/dt slew rates of SiC and GaN transistors within the switching module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Christina DiMarino, Dushan Boroyevich, Rolando Burgos, Mark Johnson
  • Publication number: 20180205663
    Abstract: A packet transfer buffer for use in a computer system having multiple source and destination inferfaces, as well as packet handling software. The buffer has a source packet FIFO and destination packet FIFO, each with an associated packet length counter. The packet handling software obtains packet lengths from the source packet counter, and provides the packet length to the destination packet counter. The buffer has hardware circuitry that handles transfer of data from the source packet FIFO to the destination packet FIFO without the need for word-by-word reads and writes by the packet handling software.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: Mark A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10003165
    Abstract: Provided is a receptacle for installation within a lighting fixture. The receptacle includes a platform (i) for exposure external to the lighting fixture and (ii) providing connectivity for coupling to an external control device and a base operationally coupled to the platform and including a first set of one or more nodes configured for coupling to a first set of wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: GE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: David Mark Johnson, Matthew S. Mrakovich
  • Publication number: 20180165817
    Abstract: Sensor information is obtained from a downward facing sensor coupled to an aircraft. A new position is determined using the sensor information, including by: obtaining directional information associated with the aircraft's direction of flight, obtaining a previous position associated with the aircraft, filtering a plurality of datasets in a ground feature database using the directional information and the previous position in order to obtain a reduced group of datasets (where each dataset in the ground feature database is associated with a known in-air position), and comparing the sensor information against the reduced group of datasets in order to determine the new position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Zachais Vawter, Mark Johnson Cutler
  • Publication number: 20180158344
    Abstract: An emergency landing procedure that includes a sequence of control settings is continuously generated. An aircraft is landed, including by using the sequence of control settings and a set of one or more inertial sensors to control an actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventor: Mark Johnson Cutler
  • Patent number: 9977432
    Abstract: A set of commands for each of a plurality of actuators to alter an aircraft's state responsive to one or more inputs is produced. The set of commands is provided to fewer than all actuators comprising the plurality of actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Johnson Cutler, Todd Reichert, James Jackson
  • Publication number: 20180136184
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring plant leaf gas exchange based on instantaneous mass balance in the sample chamber. The response of leaf net assimilation rate (Anet) to computed leaf internal CO2 concentration (Ci) is measured by continuously varying the input CO2 concentration and measuring the continuous difference between chamber input (reference) and output (sample) concentrations to compute a continuous series of Anet values, which can then be plotted against computed Ci. When combined with a similar response test using an empty chamber test to allow for sample chamber mixing and/or gas analyzer match dynamics and/or small flow-related residual time delays, such method provides accurate and rapid A Ci response (RACiR) curves in a much shorter time than conventional methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick B. Morgan, Dayle McDermitt, Mark Johnson, Tom Avenson, David T. Hanson, Doug Lynch, Aaron Saathoff
  • Publication number: 20180125052
    Abstract: Provided is an insect monitoring device including a tube. An attractor is positioned at an entrance to the tube, and an imaging device is configured for producing data associated with a monitored insect, wherein the data being usable in machine learning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventor: David Mark JOHNSON
  • Publication number: 20180106619
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for navigating mobile structures. The mobile structure may include a main attitude & heading reference system (AHRS) and one or more devices. The one or more devices may include a slave AHRS such as a gyroscope. Data may be transmitted from the main AHRS to the one or more devices through a network. Latency may be present in the transmission of data. As such, data from the slave AHRS may be used to determine changes in heading and/or attitude of the mobile structure to compensate for such latency. In addition, such data may be used to determine changes in wind direction and/or heading experienced by the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Johnson, Chris Hodgson, Christopher Yeomans
  • Patent number: 9944386
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a plurality of rotors and a fuselage. The plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at a fixed roll angle and a fixed pitch angle and the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another. The fuselage includes a side wall with a top edge where the top edge of the side wall is higher than the plurality of rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Reichert, Cameron Robertson, Mark Johnson Cutler
  • Publication number: 20180102876
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reliable broadcasting that use re-transmissions, in a multi-hop, time-slotted wireless network, is presented. The methods and systems evaluate the trade-off between power consumption and communication reliability, and are consequently able to provide increasing degrees of robustness for broadcasts in the wireless network. Embodiments of the present invention are able to incrementally use re-transmissions, therein trading-off battery life for an increased message completion rate or a lower packet error rate, for example, in order to reliably broadcast critical or high-priority message network-wide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: MARK JOHNSON
  • Publication number: 20180078096
    Abstract: A shower track guide system for a shower enclosure may include an elevated track positioned above a base and at least one stand disposed between the base and the track. The track may be mounted to the at least one stand. A shower door may be movable along a top of the track to permit access to the shower enclosure. The stand may elevate the track above the base to permit water to flow underneath the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Steven R. Aykens, Mark A. Johnson, James L. Marlowe, Roque M. Corpuz, JR., Nicholas Pairolero, Michael R. Bates
  • Publication number: 20180066249
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods and kits for labeling and manipulating a cellular circuit. The methods includes transfecting a first-order cell in the cellular circuit with a nucleic acid molecule encoding a tethered ligand, and a second-order cell in the cellular circuit with a nucleic acid molecule encoding a receptor and an effector fusion polypeptide, a nucleic acid molecule encoding a receptor interactor and protease fusion polypeptide, and a nucleic acid molecule encoding a reporter/modifier gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Gilad BARNEA, Mustafa TALAY, Ethan RICHMAN, John SZYMANSKI, Mark JOHNSON, John FISHER, Nathaniel SNELL