Patents by Inventor Michael H. Lane

Michael H. Lane 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: 9880041
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, each axis including a laser source configured to emit a beam; a parallel beam generating assembly configured to receive the beam and split the beam into a first parallel beam and a second parallel beam, a beam-collimating assembly configured to receive the first parallel beam and the second parallel beam and output a first beam sheet and a second beam sheet, the first beam sheet and the second beam sheet being configured to traverse the object aperture; a first collecting lens and a second collecting lens; and a first photodetector and a second photodetector, the first photodetector and the second photodetector configured to output an electrical signal proportional to the object; wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are arranged at an angular offset with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, Jr., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20170356782
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of non-contact volume measurement of an object, the method including the steps of emitting a plurality of light beams from three light sources on three axes; acquiring data on a plurality of light intensities received from the plurality of light beams; identifying a change in intensity in at least one of the plurality of received light beams; determining a presence of the object when the change in light intensity exceeds a predetermined magnitude in a predetermined number of received light beams; determining an end of the presence of the object when the change in light intensity falls below the predetermined magnitude in the predetermined number of received light sources; and calculating a velocity of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, JR., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20170356781
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, each axis including a laser source configured to emit a beam; a parallel beam generating assembly configured to receive the beam and split the beam into a first parallel beam and a second parallel beam, a beam-collimating assembly configured to receive the first parallel beam and the second parallel beam and output a first beam sheet and a second beam sheet, the first beam sheet and the second beam sheet being configured to traverse the object aperture; a first collecting lens and a second collecting lens; and a first photodetector and a second photodetector, the first photodetector and the second photodetector configured to output an electrical signal proportional to the object; wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are arranged at an angular offset with respect to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, JR., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Patent number: 9841306
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, Jr., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20160069724
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, JR., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Patent number: 9194691
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, Jr., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20140268145
    Abstract: Disclosed is a volume sensor having first, second, and third laser sources emitting first, second, and third laser beams; first, second, and third beam splitters splitting the first, second, and third laser beams into first, second, and third beam pairs; first, second, and third optical assemblies expanding the first, second, and third beam pairs into first, second, and third pairs of parallel beam sheets; fourth, fifth, and sixth optical assemblies focusing the first, second, and third beam sheet pairs into fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs; and first, second, and third detector pairs receiving the fourth, fifth, and sixth beam pairs and converting a change in intensity of at least one of the beam pairs resulting from an object passing through at least one of the first, second, and third parallel beam sheets into at least one electrical signal proportional to a three-dimensional representation of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, James L. Doyle, JR., Michael J. Brinkman
  • Publication number: 20030024767
    Abstract: Bubble levels are mounted to the seat and base sections of a climbing treestand so that the x and y axes level status of both may be viewed simultaneously in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventor: Michael H. Lane
  • Patent number: 6333072
    Abstract: Provided is a process of producing an adherent synthetic corrosion product (sludge) coating on metallic surfaces. The method involves a chemical reaction between a dry solid powder mixture of at least one reactive metal oxide with orthophosphoric acid to produce a coating in which the particles are bound together and the matrix is adherent to the metallic surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, Robert D. Varrin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5560883
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a synthetic corrosion product layer on tube surfaces. The method utilizes two dissimilar materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion. An object tube and sacrificial tube are positioned one inside the other such that an annular region is created between the two tubes' surfaces. A slurry of synthetic corrosion products is injected into this annular region and the assembly is heat treated. This heat causes the tubes to expand, the inner tube with the higher coefficient of expansion expanding more than the outer tube, thereby creating internal pressures which consolidate the corrosion products and adhere the corrosion products to the tubing surfaces. The sacrificial tube may then be removed by conventional chemical etching or mechanical methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Michael H. Lane, Eugene J. M. Salamon