Patents by Inventor Robert K. McMahan

Robert K. McMahan 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: 6181418
    Abstract: A concentric spectrometer which reduces stray light and re-entrant spectra within the spectrometer. The spectrometer includes a non-direct optical path between the entrance slit assembly and exit aperture. Dyson and Offner concentric optical configurations are used to eliminate third-order aberrations The concentric optical system includes a light trap which mitigates or eliminate stray light due to reflection of light incident on the exit aperture region but which does not impinge on the active area of a detector optically coupled to the exit aperture. A two-dimensional area array detector concurrently senses a spectral signal corresponding to an input optical radiation signal and a signal corresponding to zero-input radiation, and the spectral signal is corrected according to the zero-input radiation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Gretag Macbeth LLC
    Inventors: Perry A. Palumbo, William L. Weber, Harold R. Van Aken, Robert K. McMahan
  • Patent number: 5020904
    Abstract: A Dynamic Laser Speckle Profilometer (DLSP) apparatus and method are provided to preform nondestructive analysis of materials, components, and assemblies by creating an optoelectronic phase map. This phase map is used to generate the deformation and resonance mode mapping of an object under test. The Dynamic Laser Speckle Profilometer system is based upon the low optical noise design of a double pulsed laser speckle interferometer incorporating a single frequency polarized laser, a high bandwidth amplitude modulator, a phase modulator, a phase tracker, a range finder, and a light sensitive surface, all under computer control. This produces a series of interference images of an object under test. The dynamic laser speckle profilometer method uses a series of interference images, the Carre' phase algorithm, and recursive speckle elimination, to produce phase maps of the object under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Inventor: Robert K. McMahan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4361383
    Abstract: A laser beam directional deviation and noise stabilization device is disclosed as incorporating a laser which broadcast a monochromatic laser light beam along a predetermined optical path, and a plurality of optical elements which eliminate from the laser light beam any beam wander, and power level fluctuations inherent within the laser light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Robert K. McMahan, Jr.
  • Patent number: D336256
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: McMahan Electro-Optics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert K. McMahan, Jr., Robert H. Hart
  • Patent number: D372981
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: McMahan Electro-optics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert K. McMahan, Jr., Robert H. Hart