Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Frank

Thomas A. Frank 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: 7965030
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode (OLED) comprising a substrate, a 1st electrode disposed on the substrate and including at least one lead, a 2nd electrode including at least one lead, an organic light-emitting layer disposed between the 1st electrode and the 2nd electrode, and a conductive layer. At least one of (1) the substrate and the 1st electrode and (2) the 2nd electrode are transparent. The conductive layer is disposed on one of the 1st electrode and the 2nd electrode, and effectively surrounds the light-emitting layer and the other of the 1st electrode and the 2nd electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas A. Frank, Peter Fangyun Hsu, Edgar Boehm, Anton Volker Heinrich
  • Publication number: 20100156276
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an OLED which has at least a substrate, a (1st) electrode having at least one lead, at least one organic light-emitting layer, and a (2nd) electrode having at least one lead, where at least either the substrate and the (1st) electrode, the (2nd) electrode or the substrate, the (1st) electrode and the (2nd) electrode are transparent, which is characterised in that at least one conductive layer is arranged between the (1st) electrode and the organic light-emitting layer or the (2nd) electrode and the light-emitting layer in such a way that the structure of the counterelectrode is cut out of the conductive layer, and that the conductive layer essentially surrounds the structure of the counterelectrode, where the position(s) of the at least one lead of the counterelectrode is/are cut out, to processes for the production thereof, and to the use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas A. Frank, Peter (Fangyun) Hsu, Edgar Boehm, Anton Volker Heinrich
  • Patent number: 7125298
    Abstract: A user worn man overboard beacon that provides multiple indication means to alert a ship to an overboard crew person and to assist in locating the crew person. The beacon device is contained in a housing attached to the clothing of the sailor and is activated upon contact with seawater. A battery powers the multiple indicators contained in the housing, which include a high intensity strobe light to provide a visual indication, an x-band radar patch antenna to transmit a radar signal indication that can be detected by the ship's radar system, and an acoustic transducer to project an acoustic signal indication that can be detected by the ship's sonar system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas A. Frank
  • Patent number: 6873572
    Abstract: A multi-port projector of acoustic energy in water includes a cylindrical hollow transducer having open annular ends. A thin, flexible member is secured to each annular end to extend across each opening to be displaced by the transducer, and the transducer and flexible members form an interior sealed from ambient water. A battery/electronics module is in the interior and is spaced from the transducer and flexible members to couple driving signals to the transducer for reciprocally displacing it and the flexible members in response to the driving signals. An inert liquid fills the interior around the module, and an open truss on each annular end exposes the flexible members to the ambient water. Cylindrical portions coaxially extending with the transducer on a common longitudinal axis are connected to the open trusses for projecting acoustic energy of lower frequency than conventional cylindrical transducers of similar size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas A. Frank
  • Patent number: 6672800
    Abstract: A portable flood control revetment comprising an elongated collapsible and inflatable tube of flexible material impervious to air and water, the tube having a bottom wall and other walls defining an internal compartment, and a multiplicity of cables in the compartment, each extending from one of the walls to another of the walls to hold the tube in a selected shape when the tube is filled with air or water. The bottom wall defines at least one pocket for receiving a corresponding at least one hold-down member, and other of the walls are provided with closeable orifices for permitting flow of air and water into and out of the compartment to respectively inflate, fill, and collapse the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas A. Frank
  • Publication number: 20030161688
    Abstract: A portable flood control revetment comprising an elongated collapsible and inflatable tube of flexible material impervious to air and water, the tube having a bottom wall and other walls defining an internal compartment, and a multiplicity of cables in the compartment, each extending from one of the walls to another of the walls to hold the tube in a selected shape when the tube is filled with air or water. The bottom wall defines at least one pocket for receiving a corresponding at least one hold-down member, and other of the walls are provided with closeable orifices for permitting flow of air and water into and out of the compartment to respectively inflate, fill, and collapse the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas A. Frank
  • Patent number: 6600695
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for retrieving an untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV in which the untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV may be retrieved through the torpedo tube of a submarine. The untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV has a capture cable extending therefrom with a transducer to produce a homing signal. A tethered homing signal seeking UUV is guided toward the homing signal. Capture arms on the tethered homing signal seeking UUV engage the capture cable and guide the capture cable to one of several cable snagging eye-members. The winching cable is then winched back into the torpedo tube thereby drawing the untethered submarine tube-retrievable UUV into the torpedo tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: David M. Nugent, Thomas D. Barron, Thomas A. Frank
  • Patent number: 6053157
    Abstract: A fluid propulsion device is used to discharge a working fluid at a predemined variable discharge rate. The fluid propulsion device includes a fluid chamber that is expandable upon receiving the working fluid. The fluid chamber has a plurality of chamber sections that contract at different predetermined rates to discharge the working fluid from the fluid chamber at the variable discharge rate. In one example, an elastomeric bladder defines the fluid chamber and includes a plurality of bladder sections each having a different coefficient of elasticity, causing the bladder sections to contract at the different predetermined rates. In one application, the fluid propulsion device is used in a projectile launching system, such as an airgun. The fluid propulsion system controls the launching of the projectile by discharging the working fluid at the variable discharge rate, resulting in a corresponding acceleration of the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas A. Frank
  • Patent number: 5319249
    Abstract: In an electrical power conversion system designed to operate on three-phase C voltage generated by a motor generator, a modification is provided to permit the use of a DC power source to operate same. The power conversion system has a plurality of AC-to-DC conversion means for converting the generated three-phase AC voltages. The first specified DC voltage is supplied to a voltage reduction means and the second specified DC voltage is supplied to a control logic circuit of the power source and means, utilizing power from said DC power source, for supplying DC voltages equivalent to the first and second specified DC voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Thomas A. Frank, Claude D. Michel
  • Patent number: 5125265
    Abstract: A contamination capacitance probe system is disclosed that capacitively mtors whether or not two or more fluids or materials that have to remain separated have been mixed or mingled and that provides first and second control signals respectively representative of the unmingled and mingled conditions. The system includes a capacitance sensor constituted by spaced-apart first and second capacitor plates of preselected size and spacing. The plate size and spacing is selected to render negligible any effect that the different materials or fluids or materials might have on the capacitance of the sensor. Circuit means are disclosed that includes a capacitance to frequency convertor, a frequency to voltage convertor, and a Schmidt trigger operative to provide the first and second control signals. The contamination capacitance probe system of the present invention is operable with any two or more fluids or materials having different dielectric constants and that are either immiscible or miscible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Thomas A. O'Connell, Thomas A. Frank