Patents by Inventor Mark S. Wochner

Mark S. Wochner 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: 20260018151
    Abstract: A noise abatement system includes a support body having a hole configured to receive a monopile; and a plurality of resonators attached to a bottom surface of the support body, each resonator having a tapered tip that is configured to mechanically engage a floor of a body of water so as to acoustically couple a respective resonator and the floor of the body of water, the bottom surface oriented towards a direction of gravitational pull. Additional resonators can be mechanically coupled to a pile gripper, a pile template, or other framework equipment in one or more embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2025
    Publication date: January 15, 2026
    Inventors: Mark S. Wochner, Andrew McNeese, Preston S. Wilson, Kevin M. Lee
  • Publication number: 20250283462
    Abstract: A subsea oil and/or gas facility includes rotating equipment/machinery located subsea and configured for subsea use. The rotating equipment/machinery includes pumping equipment/machinery having one or more pumps, or compression equipment/machinery having one or more compressors, or both, for processing oil and/or gas generated by the subsea oil and/or gas facility. The subsea oil and/or gas facility also includes a noise mitigation system configured for deepwater use and configured to mitigate noise generated by the rotating equipment/machinery. The noise mitigation system includes a deepwater resonator array configured for deepwater use and including an array of resonators filled with gas to mitigate the noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2024
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Inventors: Peter F. Batho, Mark S. Wochner, Preston S. Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Andrew R. McNeese
  • Patent number: 10039307
    Abstract: A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or “cracks” made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated in the system and method to signals that are processed, including in some aspects using frequency domain processing, so as to control the roasting process and achieve a desired final product. The acoustic emissions can also be used to determine if the coffee beans are caffeinated or decaffeinated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Preston S. Wilson, Mark S. Wochner
  • Patent number: 9812112
    Abstract: Acoustic resonators are formed by injection molding or other process that allows the shape, size, orientation, and arrangement of each resonator to be customized. Customizing the features of the resonators allows their resonance frequency to be adjusted based on their intended deployment. A non-periodic or non-uniform arrangement of the resonators can increase the level of noise reduction compared to a periodic or uniform arrangement of the resonators. A chain guard includes a recess to receive a chain that supports a plurality of resonator rows or frames. In the stowed configuration, the chain guard pivots towards the row/frame to more compactly stow a panel of resonators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Mark S. Wochner, Andrew R. McNeese, Kevin M. Lee, Preston S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9607601
    Abstract: A system for reducing noise emissions in underwater environments is presented. The system can be extended to applications in any two-fluid environments where one fluid (gas) is contained in an enclosed resonator volume connected to the outside environment at an open end of the resonator body. The resonators act as gas-containing (e.g., air) Helmholtz resonators constructed into solid panels that are submerged in the fluid medium (e.g., sea water) in the vicinity of a noise generating source. The oscillations of the trapped air volume in the resonators causes reduction of certain noise energy and a general reduction in the transmitted noise in the environment of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The Univesity Systems
    Inventors: Preston Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner, Hector L. Mendez Martinez
  • Publication number: 20160372101
    Abstract: Acoustic resonators are formed by injection molding or other process that allows the shape, size, orientation, and arrangement of each resonator to be customized. Customizing the features of the resonators allows their resonance frequency to be adjusted based on their intended deployment. A non-periodic or non-uniform arrangement of the resonators can increase the level of noise reduction compared to a periodic or uniform arrangement of the resonators. A chain guard includes a recess to receive a chain that supports a plurality of resonator rows or frames. In the stowed configuration, the chain guard pivots towards the row/frame to more compactly stow a panel of resonators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Mark S. Wochner, Andrew R. McNeese, Kevin M. Lee, Preston S. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9410403
    Abstract: A novel underwater noise abatement and deployment system are described. The system uses inverted open-ended resonators (e.g., Helmholtz resonators) to absorb underwater noise. The system includes stackable resonator cavity embodiments arranged to surround a noisy environment or act nearby it. The system can be deployed from a ship or barge or similar structure, and can be stored when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: AdBm Corp.
    Inventors: Mark S. Wochner, Lawrence R. Gravell, Steven De Leon, Richard A. Patterson
  • Publication number: 20160203812
    Abstract: A system for reducing noise emissions in underwater environments is presented. The system can be extended to applications in any two-fluid environments where one fluid (gas) is contained in an enclosed resonator volume connected to the outside environment at an open end of the resonator body. The resonators act as gas-containing (e.g., air) Helmholtz resonators constructed into solid panels that are submerged in the fluid medium (e.g., sea water) in the vicinity of a noise generating source. The oscillations of the trapped air volume in the resonators causes reduction of certain noise energy and a general reduction in the transmitted noise in the environment of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Preston Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner, Hector L. Mendez Martinez
  • Patent number: 9343059
    Abstract: A system for reducing noise emissions in underwater environments is presented. The system can be extended to applications in any two-fluid environments where one fluid (gas) is contained in an enclosed resonator volume connected to the outside environment at an open end of the resonator body. The resonators act as gas-containing (e.g., air) Helmholtz resonators constructed into solid panels that are submerged in the fluid medium (e.g., sea water) in the vicinity of a noise generating source. The oscillations of the trapped air volume in the resonators causes reduction of certain noise energy and a general reduction in the transmitted noise in the environment of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Preston Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner, Hector L. Mendez Martinez
  • Publication number: 20160120211
    Abstract: A system and method for roasting coffee beans, or similar products, is disclosed. In an aspect the invention includes an acoustic sensor, such as a microphone, which senses the acoustic emissions or “cracks” made by the coffee beans during the roasting process. The acoustic emissions are translated in the system and method to signals that are processed, including in some aspects using frequency domain processing, so as to control the roasting process and achieve a desired final product. The acoustic emissions can also be used to determine if the coffee beans are caffeinated or decaffeinated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Preston S. Wilson, Mark S. Wochner
  • Publication number: 20150170631
    Abstract: A novel underwater noise abatement and deployment system are described. The system uses inverted open-ended resonators (e.g., Helmholtz resonators) to absorb underwater noise. The system includes stackable resonator cavity embodiments arranged to surround a noisy environment or act nearby it. The system can be deployed from a ship or barge or similar structure, and can be stored when not in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Mark S. Wochner, Lawrence R. Gravell, Steven De Leon, Richard A. Patterson
  • Publication number: 20150083520
    Abstract: A system for reducing noise emissions in underwater environments is presented. The system can be extended to applications in any two-fluid environments where one fluid (gas) is contained in an enclosed resonator volume connected to the outside environment at an open end of the resonator body. The resonators act as gas-containing (e.g., air) Helmholtz resonators constructed into solid panels that are submerged in the fluid medium (e.g., sea water) in the vicinity of a noise generating source. The oscillations of the trapped air volume in the resonators causes reduction of certain noise energy and a general reduction in the transmitted noise in the environment of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Preston Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner, Hector L. Mendez Martinez
  • Patent number: 8689935
    Abstract: Air bubbles may be used to reduce radiated underwater noise. Two modalities of sound attenuation by air bubbles were shown to provide a reduction in radiated sound: bubble acoustic resonance damping and acoustic impedance mismatching. The bubbles used for acoustic resonance damping were manifested using gas-filled containers coupled to a support, and the acoustic impedance mismatching bubbles were created using a cloud of freely-rising bubbles, which were both used to surround an underwater sound source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
    Inventors: Preston S. Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner
  • Publication number: 20130001010
    Abstract: Air bubbles may be used to reduce radiated underwater noise. Two modalities of sound attenuation by air bubbles were shown to provide a reduction in radiated sound: bubble acoustic resonance damping and acoustic impedance mismatching. The bubbles used for acoustic resonance damping were manifested using gas-filled containers coupled to a support, and the acoustic impedance mismatching bubbles were created using a cloud of freely-rising bubbles, which were both used to surround an underwater sound source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Preston S. Wilson, Kevin M. Lee, Mark S. Wochner