Patents by Inventor Richard A. Heppner

Richard A. Heppner 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: 8913233
    Abstract: An imaging system comprises a wide field of view (FOV) telescope, a narrow FOV telescope, a spectrometer, an imaging detector, an image slicer, and a selection mechanism. The wide FOV telescope is configured to produce a one-dimensional optical image of a broad field of view (FOV) F. The narrow FOV telescope is configured to produce a two-dimensional optical image of a narrow FOV f. The spectrometer is configured to produce a spectrum of a one-dimensional image, and the imaging detector is configured to capture that spectrum. The image slicer is configured to break the two-dimensional optical image into a series of one-dimensional segments. The selection mechanism operable in either of two modes: a wide FOV mode transmitting the one-dimensional optical image to the spectrometer, and a zoom mode transmitting a one-dimensional concatenation of the series of one-dimensional segments to the spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Sutin, Richard A. Heppner
  • Publication number: 20140233027
    Abstract: An imaging system comprises a wide field of view (FOV) telescope, a narrow FOV telescope, a spectrometer, an imaging detector, an image slicer, and a selection mechanism. The wide FOV telescope is configured to produce a one-dimensional optical image of a broad field of view (FOV) F. The narrow FOV telescope is configured to produce a two-dimensional optical image of a narrow FOV f. The spectrometer is configured to produce a spectrum of a one-dimensional image, and the imaging detector is configured to capture that spectrum. The image slicer is configured to break the two-dimensional optical image into a series of one-dimensional segments. The selection mechanism operable in either of two modes: a wide FOV mode transmitting the one-dimensional optical image to the spectrometer, and a zoom mode transmitting a one-dimensional concatenation of the series of one-dimensional segments to the spectrometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Sutin, Richard A. Heppner
  • Patent number: 8754366
    Abstract: A DMS-IMS chemical sensing system employs two ion-separation technologies in tandem to extract signals of specific chemicals from the glut of signals present. The sensing system generally includes an atmospheric pressure ion generation system, a Differential Mobility (DMS) system, a time-of-flight IMS (TOF-IMS) system, and an ion detector system. The DMS extracts a narrow range of trace chemicals from an environmental sample for subsequent analysis, and a TOF-IMS then analyzes the resulting narrow range of isolated chemicals, allowing compound-specific detection thresholds at sub-ppb concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Burchfield, H. William Niu, Richard A. Heppner
  • Publication number: 20100001182
    Abstract: A DMS-IMS chemical sensing system employs two ion-separation technologies in tandem to extract signals of specific chemicals from the glut of signals present. The sensing system generally includes an atmospheric pressure ion generation system, a Differential Mobility (DMS) system, a time-of-flight IMS (TOF-IMS) system, and an ion detector system. The DMS extracts a narrow range of trace chemicals from an environmental sample for subsequent analysis, and a TOF-IMS then analyzes the resulting narrow range of isolated chemicals, allowing compound-specific detection thresholds at sub-ppb concentrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: David E. Burchfield, H. William Niu, Richard A. Heppner