Patents by Inventor Patrick R. Heenan

Patrick R. Heenan 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: 10123294
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing the transmission and receipt of messages by radios within a wireless communications network. It is assumed that the radios have chip scale atomic clocks, which are externally synchronized, such as by GPS, but only at the beginning of a mission. Each radio defaults to a sleep mode, in which its receive and transmit circuitry is inactive. Each radio stores a channel plan of pre-determined base transmit times, and calculates a worst case time drift between clocks and a propagation delay value between combinations of radios. At each base transmit time, if a radio has an outgoing message to transmit, it subtracts propagation delay from the base transmit time, and transmits only at that time. Also, for each base transmit time, each radio subtracts time drift, thereby determining a receive time window during which it listens for messages from other radios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Travis R. Thompson, Michael S. Moore, Kase J. Saylor, Patrick R. Heenan
  • Publication number: 20170303223
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing the transmission and receipt of messages by radios within a wireless communications network. It is assumed that the radios have chip scale atomic clocks, which are externally synchronized, such as by GPS, but only at the beginning of a mission. Each radio defaults to a sleep mode, in which its receive and transmit circuitry is inactive. Each radio stores a channel plan of pre-determined base transmit times, and calculates a worst case time drift between clocks and a propagation delay value between combinations of radios. At each base transmit time, if a radio has an outgoing message to transmit, it subtracts propagation delay from the base transmit time, and transmits only at that time. Also, for each base transmit time, each radio subtracts time drift, thereby determining a receive time window during which it listens for messages from other radios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Travis R. Thompson, Michael S. Moore, Kase J. Saylor, Patrick R. Heenan
  • Patent number: 9651974
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring length of an electrical power transmission line, and for estimating the average temperature of the line over the measured length. A signal is applied to the line and reflected from a reflection point to obtain a present measure of the line's length. A modified catenary equation uses the length measurement and other variables to estimate average temperature. This temperature measurement can then be used to determine how much power the line is presently capable of safely carrying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Patrick R. Heenan, Ben A. Abbott, Gary L. Ragsdale
  • Publication number: 20160124449
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring length of an electrical power transmission line, and for estimating the average temperature of the line over the measured length. A signal is applied to the line and reflected from a reflection point to obtain a present measure of the line's length. A modified catenary equation uses the length measurement and other variables to estimate average temperature. This temperature measurement can then be used to determine how much power the line is presently capable of safely carrying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick R. Heenan, Ben A. Abbott, Gary L. Ragsdale