Patents by Inventor Micah Boyd
Micah Boyd 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: 20240039229Abstract: Described herein are isolated ring cavities that have refractive and heat-generating components physically separated and mechanically held by flexure mounts that are adapted to function in combination with the physically separated structure to moderate the thermal expansion effects of the heat generated by the refractive and other heat-generating elements (e.g., gain element) of the optical cavity. The flexure mounts may be configured as thinned portions of connective elements, reducing the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate and allowing a thermal isolation from the baseplate. Multiple flexure mounts may be arranged to minimize further the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Applicant: Arete AssociatesInventor: Micah Boyd
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Patent number: 11611188Abstract: Described herein are isolated ring cavities that have refractive and heat-generating components physically separated and mechanically held by flexure mounts that are adapted to function in combination with the physically separated structure to moderate the thermal expansion effects of the heat generated by the refractive and other heat-generating elements (e.g., gain element) of the optical cavity. The flexure mounts may be configured as thinned portions of connective elements, reducing the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate and allowing a thermal isolation from the baseplate. Multiple flexure mounts may be arranged to minimize further the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventor: Micah Boyd
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Patent number: 11469569Abstract: Described herein are methods for developing and maintaining pulses that are produced from compact resonant cavities using one or more Q-switches and maintaining the output parameters of these pulses created during repetitive pulsed operation. The deterministic control of the evolution of a Q-switched laser pulse is complicated due to dynamic laser cavity feedback effects and unpredictable environmental inputs. Laser pulse shape control in a compact laser cavity (e.g., length/speed of light <˜1 ns) is especially difficult because closed loop control becomes impossible due to causality. Because various issues cause laser output of these compact resonator cavities to drift over time, described herein are further methods for automatically maintaining those output parameters.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventor: Micah Boyd
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Patent number: 10965084Abstract: A planar waveguide laser crystal assembly includes an optical bench and a laser crystal mount mounted on the optical bench. The laser crystal mount includes an upper housing having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal, a lower housing coupled to the upper housing and having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal surface, and a cavity defined between the interior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings. A laser crystal is mounted in the cavity of the laser crystal mount. Each of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings is oriented parallel to a length of the laser crystal. The laser crystal assembly further includes a heat dissipating structure thermally coupled to at least one of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings to dissipate heat transferred from the laser crystal mount.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONInventors: Michael L. Tartaglia, Jesse William Fisher, Andrew Jonathan Gleason, Ezra Takara, Joel R. Blum, Luke L. Wieczorek, Ross Hartman, Samuel David Field, Zachary William Prezkuta, Robert Andrew Sims, Micah Boyd
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Patent number: 10903617Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods of manufacture and operation for a compact laser to achieve high-intensity output pulses. These compact laser resonators and methods rely upon separate and distinct functions of the laser resonator to be operated in balance such that the functions, while deleterious when separate are supportive of laser generation and growth when combined within a small volume laser resonator as described herein. The combined elements of the described laser resonator include a delicate balance that allows the laser to operate between plane-parallel operation and unstable operation. This operation mode further allows distinct methods of construction and operation that allow the compact laser to be reliably assembled and tested during assembly. Therefore, despite requiring a delicate balance of disparate elements, the described laser resonator results in a compact robust laser.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventors: Micah Boyd, James Murray
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Patent number: 10855050Abstract: Described herein are methods for developing and maintaining pulses that are produced from compact resonant cavities using one or more Q-switches and maintaining the output parameters of these pulses created during repetitive pulsed operation. The deterministic control of the evolution of a Q-switched laser pulse is complicated due to dynamic laser cavity feedback effects and unpredictable environmental inputs. Laser pulse shape control in a compact laser cavity (e.g., length/speed of light<˜1 ns) is especially difficult because closed loop control becomes impossible due to causality. Because various issues cause laser output of these compact resonator cavities to drift over time, described herein are further methods for automatically maintaining those output parameters.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventor: Micah Boyd
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Publication number: 20200295520Abstract: Described herein are isolated ring cavities that have refractive and heat-generating components physically separated and mechanically held by flexure mounts that are adapted to function in combination with the physically separated structure to moderate the thermal expansion effects of the heat generated by the refractive and other heat-generating elements (e.g., gain element) of the optical cavity. The flexure mounts may be configured as thinned portions of connective elements, reducing the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate and allowing a thermal isolation from the baseplate. Multiple flexure mounts may be arranged to minimize further the effects of thermal expansion of the baseplate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Applicant: Arete AssociatesInventor: Micah Boyd
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Patent number: 10714887Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods of manufacture and operation for a compact laser to achieve high-intensity output pulses. These compact laser resonators and methods rely upon separate and distinct functions of the laser resonator to be operated in balance such that the functions, while deleterious when separate are supportive of laser generation and growth when combined within a small volume laser resonator as described herein. The combined elements of the described laser resonator include a delicate balance that allows the laser to operate between plane-parallel operation and unstable operation. This operation mode further allows distinct methods of construction and operation that allow the compact laser to be reliably assembled and tested during assembly. Therefore, despite requiring a delicate balance of disparate elements, the described laser resonator results in a compact robust laser.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2016Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventors: Micah Boyd, James Murray
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Patent number: 10436907Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for an active sensing instrument actively utilizing the Christiansen effect to sense and adapt to suspended scatterers such as dust. The instrument enhances detection of remote surfaces that are partially or fully obscured at visual wavelengths due to those suspended scatterers. The system also may be used to measure properties and spatial distributions of the suspended scatterers themselves. Though the system is broadly applicable to remote detection through scattering media, it is particularly drawn to remote sensing through dust particles in the atmosphere as may be produced from helicopter fly-overs, dust storms, or other events that draw up substantial concentrations of mineral-based dust particles into the air.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2015Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: Arete AssociatesInventors: James Murray, Paul Lundquist, Jason Seely, Steve Rako, Micah Boyd
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Publication number: 20180024243Abstract: Systems and method herein provide for laser detection and ranging (LADAR). In one embodiment, a LADAR system includes a transmitter operable to switch continuous wave (CW) laser light between the two or more polarizations based on a code, and to transmit the two or more polarizations of the CW laser light at a target. The LADAR system also includes a receiver operable to detect the two or more polarizations of the CW laser light reflected from the target. The LADAR system also includes a processor operable to determine a range of the target based on a time of flight of the switched polarizations of the CW laser light from the transmitter to the receiver according to the code.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2016Publication date: January 25, 2018Inventor: Micah Boyd