Patents by Inventor Ronald Knox

Ronald Knox 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: 11935380
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for operating a scanning smoke detector are described herein. One apparatus a laser emitter configured to emit a beam of light, a rotational component configured to rotate the emitter such that the beam periodically scans across an area, and a light receiver configured to receive a reflected portion of the beam of light and determine a presence of smoke particles in the area based on the reflected portion. The smoke detection apparatus can be configured to operate at a first power level, decrease the beam to a second power level responsive to a determination that an object in the area is in a path of the beam, and increase the beam to the first power level responsive to a determination that the object is no longer in the path of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Knox
  • Publication number: 20230267814
    Abstract: A smoke detector, and methods of operating a smoke detector, are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area, a light receiver configured to receive light reflected from the illuminated object, and a controller configured to determine, based on the light reflected from the illuminated object, an amount of space in the area that is blocked from a field of view of the smoke detector by the object, and provide an indication responsive to the determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Bhanusri Yellapragada
  • Patent number: 11657692
    Abstract: A smoke detector, and methods of operating a smoke detector, are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area, a light receiver configured to receive light reflected from the illuminated object, and a controller configured to determine, based on the light reflected from the illuminated object, an amount of space in the area that is blocked from a field of view of the smoke detector by the object, and provide an indication responsive to the determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Bhanusri Yellapragada
  • Publication number: 20230138573
    Abstract: Non-coaxial systems, methods, and devices for detecting smoke are described herein. A smoke detection system may comprise a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam, and a light receiver. The light receiver may comprise a first receiver lens, wherein a field of view of the first receiver lens includes at least a portion of the laser beam. The light receiver may also comprise a second receiver lens, wherein a field of view of the second receiver lens includes at least a portion of the laser beam and a region between an edge of the field of view of the first receiver lens and the laser emitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Ronald Knox
  • Publication number: 20230133038
    Abstract: A smoke detector, and methods of operating a smoke detector, are described herein. In some examples, one or more embodiments include a laser emitter configured to emit a laser beam that illuminates an object in an area, a light receiver configured to receive light reflected from the illuminated object, and a controller configured to determine, based on the light reflected from the illuminated object, an amount of space in the area that is blocked from a field of view of the smoke detector by the object, and provide an indication responsive to the determined amount of space being above a threshold amount of space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Bhanusri Yellapragada
  • Patent number: 11551535
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for operating a scanning smoke detector are described herein. One apparatus a laser emitter configured to emit a beam of light, a rotational component configured to rotate the emitter such that the beam periodically scans across an area, and a light receiver configured to receive a reflected portion of the beam of light and determine a presence of smoke particles in the area based on the reflected portion. The smoke detection apparatus can be configured to operate at a first power level, decrease the beam to a second power level responsive to a determination that an object in the area is in a path of the beam, and increase the beam to the first power level responsive to a determination that the object is no longer in the path of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Knox
  • Patent number: 10971611
    Abstract: A beam detector including a light source, a receiver, and a target, acting in cooperation to detect particles in a monitored area. The target reflects incident light, resulting in reflected light being returned to receiver. The receiver is capable of recording and reporting light intensity at a plurality of points across its field of view. In the preferred form the detector emits a first light beam in a first wavelength band; a second light beam in a second wavelength band; and a third light beam in a third wavelength band, wherein the first and second wavelengths bands are substantially equal and are different to the third wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kate Cooper, Kemal Ajay
  • Publication number: 20200271559
    Abstract: A particle detector, e.g. a smoke detector is described. In one form the detector includes a detection chamber and radiation source emitting a single beam of radiation. The detector also includes a radiation receiving system and an imaging system arranged to receive radiation from a common region of interest. Methods and systems for analysing the output of a particle detector are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Kate Cooper, Ronald Knox
  • Patent number: 10677705
    Abstract: A particle detector, e.g. a smoke detector is described. In one form the detector includes a detection chamber and radiation source emitting a single beam of radiation. The detector also includes a radiation receiving system and an imaging system arranged to receive radiation from a common region of interest. Methods and systems for analysing the output of a particle detector are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Garrett Thermal Systems Limited
    Inventors: Kate Cooper, Ronald Knox
  • Publication number: 20200056973
    Abstract: A particle detection system (100), such as an active video smoke detection system, includes at least one illumination means (102) for directing a beam (106) of radiation through at least part of the air volume being monitored (110), an image sensor (104) is positioned to capture images of at least part of a beam (106) from illumination moans (102); and means to analyse (107) the captured images to detect the presence of particles within the volume. At least 29 different aspects are described for improving the sensitivity, usability, and robustness of particle detection. These include, for example, configuring illumination means (102) to create a curtain of light or a rapidly-scanned beam across the air volume (110), and configuring a reflector to steer or change direction of a beam reflected from illumination means (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Ronald KNOX, Kemal AJAY, Karl BOETTGER
  • Patent number: 10429289
    Abstract: A particle detection system (100), such as an active video smoke detection system, includes at least one illumination means (102) for directing a beam (106) of radiation through at least part of the air volume being monitored (110), an image sensor (104) is positioned to capture images of at least part of a beam (106) from illumination means (102); and means to analyse (107) the captured images to detect the presence of particles within the volume. At least 29 different aspects are described for improving the sensitivity, usability, and robustness of particle detection. These include, for example, configuring illumination means (102) to create a curtain of light or a rapidly-scanned beam across the air volume (110), and configuring a reflector to steer or change direction of a beam reflected from illumination means (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: GARRETT THERMAL SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kemal Ajay, Karl Boettger
  • Publication number: 20190285531
    Abstract: A particle detector, e.g. a smoke detector is described. In one form the detector includes a detection chamber and radiation source emitting a single beam of radiation. The detector also includes a radiation receiving system and an imaging system arranged to receive radiation from a common region of interest. Methods and systems for analysing the output of a particle detector are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Kate Cooper, Ronald Knox
  • Patent number: 10345213
    Abstract: A particle detector, e.g. a smoke detector is described. In one form the detector includes a detection chamber and radiation source emitting a single beam of radiation. The detector also includes a radiation receiving system and an imaging system arranged to receive radiation from a common region of interest. Methods and systems for analyzing the output of a particle detector are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Garrett Thermal Systems Limited
    Inventors: Kate Cooper, Ronald Knox
  • Patent number: 10309898
    Abstract: A particle detection system including; at least one light source adapted to illuminate a volume being monitored at at least two wavelengths; a receiver having a field of view and being adapted to receive light from at least one light source after said light has traversed the volume being monitored and being adapted to generate signals indicative of the intensity of light received at regions within the field of view of the receiver; a processor associated with the receiver adapted to process the signals generated by the receiver to correlate light received at at least two wavelengths in corresponding regions within the field of view of the receiver and generate an output indicative of the relative level of light received at the two wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Garrett Thermal Systems Limited
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kate Cooper, Kemal Ajay
  • Patent number: 10247644
    Abstract: An air sampling system for a low-temperature space is disclosed. The air sampling system includes an air sampling pipe for passing sampling air to an air sampling device, and a sampling conduit extending from the low-temperature space to outside the low-temperature space. The sampling conduit is connected to the sampling pipe. The sampling conduit is selectively accessible from outside the low-temperature space for removal of ice build-up within the sampling conduit. Also disclosed is a kit for an air sampling system. Also disclosed is a method, computing system, air-sampling device and air monitoring system that evaluates an air sampling network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Garrett Thermal Systems Limited
    Inventors: Peter John Meikle, Paul Basil Leslie, John Vythoulkas, Matthew Stephen Korsa, Tawfeeq Gehad Al-Farra, Ronald Knox
  • Patent number: 10161837
    Abstract: A method of particle detection in an aspirated particle detection system having a sampling pipe network and a particle detector. The method includes drawing sample air to the particle detector through the air sampling network; analyzing the sample air with the particle detector; entering an amplification phase, in the event that a concentration of particles in the sample air greater than a predetermined threshold is detected, to create a plurality of sample air packets in the sampling pipe, wherein each sample air packet corresponds to a sampling inlet and includes an amplified concentration of air drawn from the corresponding sampling inlet; transporting the sample air including the plurality of sample air packets through the sampling pipe to the particle detector; and determining through which sampling inlet any particles entered the particle detection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: Xtralis Technologies Ltd., Xtralis Global
    Inventors: Kemal Ajay, Ronald Knox, Brian Alexander, Kate Cooper, Rajiv Kumar Singh, Thor North, Stephen James Pattinson, Peter Massingbard-Mundy, Alasdair James Williamson
  • Publication number: 20180366570
    Abstract: A beam detector including a light source, a receiver, and a target, acting in cooperation to detect particles in a monitored area. The target reflects incident light, resulting in reflected light being returned to receiver. The receiver is capable of recording and reporting light intensity at a plurality of points across its field of view. In the preferred form the detector emits a first light beam in a first wavelength band; a second light beam in a second wavelength band; and a third light beam in a third wavelength band, wherein the first and second wavelengths bands are substantially equal and are different to the third wavelength band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kate Cooper, Kemal Ajay
  • Patent number: 10094777
    Abstract: A beam detector including a light source, a receiver, and a target, acting in cooperation to detect particles in a monitored area. The target reflects incident light, resulting in reflected light being returned to receiver. The receiver is capable of recording and reporting light intensity at a plurality of points across its field of view. In the preferred form the detector emits a first light beam in a first wavelength band; a second light beam in a second wavelength band; and a third light beam in a third wavelength band, wherein the first and second wavelengths bands are substantially equal and are different to the third wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Garrett Thermal Systems Limited
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kate Cooper, Kemal Ajay
  • Publication number: 20170276588
    Abstract: A particle detection system (100), such as an active video smoke detection system, includes at least one illumination means (102) for directing a beam (106) of radiation through at least part of the air volume being monitored (110), an image sensor (104) is positioned to capture images of at least part of a beam (106) from illumination means (102); and means to analyse (107) the captured images to detect the presence of particles within the volume. At least 29 different aspects are described for improving the sensitivity, usability, and robustness of particle detection. These include, for example, configuring illumination means (102) to create a curtain of light or a rapidly-scanned beam across the air volume (110), and configuring a reflector to steer or change direction of a beam reflected from illumination means (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: GARRETT THERMAL SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Ronald KNOX, Kemal AJAY, Karl BOETTGER
  • Publication number: 20170184496
    Abstract: A particle detection system including; at least one light source adapted to illuminate a volume being monitored at at least two wavelengths; a receiver having a field of view and being adapted to receive light from at least one light source after said light has traversed the volume being monitored and being adapted to generate signals indicative of the intensity of light received at regions within the field of view of the receiver; a processor associated with the receiver adapted to process the signals generated by the receiver to correlate light received at at least two wavelengths in corresponding regions within the field of view of the receiver and generate an output indicative of the relative level of light received at the two wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Ronald Knox, Kate Cooper, Kemal Ajay