Patents by Inventor Thomas A Furness, III
Thomas A Furness, III 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).
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Patent number: 9869636Abstract: A portable, tabletop fluid sampling device simplifies spectral analysis to produce an accurate but inexpensive chromatic fingerprint for fluid samples. In one embodiment, the sampling device uses an array of variable wavelength LED emitters and photodiode detectors to measure Rayleigh scattering of electromagnetic energy from the fluid sample contained in a cuvette. Either the fluid itself, or particles suspended in the fluid can then be identified by performing spectral pattern matching to compare results of a spectral scan against a library of known spectra. A wide range of applications include substance identification, security screening, authentication, quality control, and medical diagnostics.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Allan David Beach, Michael Vivian Denton, Thomas A. Furness, III, Alan Charles Tompkins
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Patent number: 9664610Abstract: Systems for analyzing fluids (e.g., gases) include a chamber structure with a reflective inner surface, emitters, a primary detector positioned to principally detect electromagnetic energy reflected numerous times through the gas(es) and a calibration detector positioned to detect electromagnetic energy not reflected numerous times through the gas(es). Calibration may be automatically performed. The primary detector relies principally on Raleigh scattering. An optional primary detector may be positioned to principally detect Raman scattered electromagnetic energy.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Thomas A. Furness, III, Michael Vivian Denton, Allan David Beach
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Patent number: 9625371Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Visulant, Inc.Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Patent number: 9316581Abstract: Sampling device geometry reduces specular reflectance, using lenses to focus electromagnetic energy to predominately return scattered rather than reflected electromagnetic energy to detector(s), reducing effect of non-matte surfaces and/or window. Sampling device includes inherent automatic optical calibration, and optionally thermal calibration. Calibration detectors are optically isolated with respective emitters.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Vivian Denton, Allan David Beach, Alan Charles Tompkins
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Publication number: 20150253244Abstract: A portable, tabletop fluid sampling device simplifies spectral analysis to produce an accurate but inexpensive chromatic fingerprint for fluid samples. In one embodiment, the sampling device uses an array of variable wavelength LED emitters and photodiode detectors to measure Rayleigh scattering of electromagnetic energy from the fluid sample contained in a cuvette. Either the fluid itself, or particles suspended in the fluid can then be identified by performing spectral pattern matching to compare results of a spectral scan against a library of known spectra. A wide range of applications include substance identification, security screening, authentication, quality control, and medical diagnostics.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Allan David Beach, Michael Vivian Denton, Thomas A. Furness, III, Alan Charles Tompkins
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Publication number: 20150241338Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2015Publication date: August 27, 2015Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Publication number: 20150108228Abstract: A system employs combinations of marking media, each with respective distinguishing spectral characteristics to encode human comprehensible information in, and read human comprehensible information from, machine-readable indicia or symbols. Machine-readable indicia may be a single dot encoding information only in the combinations. Machine-readable symbols may be linear or two dimensional, spatially encoding information in the combinations, as well as spatially. A symbology may map at least the combinations to human-readable symbols or characters. A printer may form indicia or symbols with combinations of marking media. A reader may read indicia or symbols and decode information from at least the combinations of marking media. Different combinations may be visually homogenous, for example gray.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian t. Schowengerdt
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Patent number: 8988666Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: VISUALANT, Inc.Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Patent number: 8888207Abstract: A system employs combinations of marking media, each with respective distinguishing spectral characteristics to encode human comprehensible information in, and read human comprehensible information from, machine-readable indicia or symbols. Machine-readable indicia may be a single dot encoding information only in the combinations. Machine-readable symbols may be linear or two dimensional, spatially encoding information in the combinations, as well as spatially. A symbology may map at least the combinations to human-readable symbols or characters. A printer may form indicia or symbols with combinations of marking media. A reader may read indicia or symbols and decode information from at least the combinations of marking media. Different combinations may be visually homogenous, for example gray.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2013Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt
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Publication number: 20140333920Abstract: Systems for analyzing fluids (e.g., gases) include a chamber structure with a reflective inner surface, emitters, a primary detector positioned to principally detect electromagnetic energy reflected numerous times through the gas(es) and a calibration detector positioned to detect electromagnetic energy not reflected numerous times through the gas(es). Calibration may be automatically performed. The primary detector relies principally on Raleigh scattering. An optional primary detector may be positioned to principally detect Raman scattered electromagnetic energy.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Vivian Denton, Allan David Beach, Alan Charles Tompkins
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Publication number: 20140218718Abstract: Sampling device geometry reduces specular reflectance, using lenses to focus electromagnetic energy to predominately return scattered rather than reflected electromagnetic energy to detector(s), reducing effect of non-matte surfaces and/or window. Sampling device includes inherent automatic optical calibration, and optionally thermal calibration. Calibration detectors are optically isolated with respective emitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2013Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: VISUALANT, INC.Inventors: Richard Ian Mander, Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Vivian Denton, Allan David Beach, Alan Charles Tompkins
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Publication number: 20140203184Abstract: An apparatus employs a plurality of transducers distributed along a cable to sample a medium. Some of the transducers may be operated according to various sequences which specific wavelengths and/or magnitudes of emission of electromagnetic energy. Some of the transducers sample, detect or measure responses of the fluid medium to the emissions. Various other transducers may sample or measure temperature, depth or pressure, and flow characteristics of the fluid medium, and optionally flow characteristics above a surface or above a surface of the fluid medium. Such may allow identification and/or characterization of characteristics of the fluid medium and/or substances (e.g., contaminants for instance petroleum, phytoplankton, red tide microorganisms, nutrients, dissolved oxygen or other gasses). The apparatus may communicate with remote facilities, allowing monitoring, remote control, and/or analysis with or with information from other platforms.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Peter Kevin Purdy, Matthew Creedican, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III
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Patent number: 8583394Abstract: Objects such as manufactured goods or articles, works of art, media such as identity documents, legal documents, financial instruments, transaction cards, other documents, and/or biological tissue are sampled via sequential illumination in various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, a test response to the illumination is analyzed with respect to reference responses of reference objects. The sequence may be varied. The sequence may define an activation order, a drive level and/or temperature for operating one or more sources. Illumination may be in visible, infrared, ultraviolet, or other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Elements of the evaluation system may be remote from one another, for example coupled by a network.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2012Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III, Nicholas E. Walker
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Patent number: 8368878Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2011Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Publication number: 20130024151Abstract: Objects such as manufactured goods or articles, works of art, media such as identity documents, legal documents, financial instruments, transaction cards, other documents, and/or biological tissue are sampled via sequential illumination in various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, a test response to the illumination is analyzed with respect to reference responses of reference objects. The sequence may be varied. The sequence may define an activation order, a drive level and/or temperature for operating one or more sources. Illumination may be in visible, infrared, ultraviolet, or other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Elements of the evaluation system may be remote from one another, for example coupled by a network.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2012Publication date: January 24, 2013Applicant: Visualant, IncInventors: Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III, Nicholas E. Walker
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Patent number: 8285510Abstract: Objects such as manufactured goods or articles, works of art, media such as identity documents, legal documents, financial instruments, transaction cards, other documents, and/or biological tissue are sampled via sequential illumination in various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, a test response to the illumination is analyzed with respect to reference responses of reference objects. The sequence may be varied. The sequence may define an activation order, a drive level and/or temperature for operating one or more sources. Illumination may be in visible, infrared, ultraviolet, or other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Elements of the evaluation system may be remote from one another, for example coupled by a network.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2011Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III, Nicholas E. Walker
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Publication number: 20120072154Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Publication number: 20120072176Abstract: A system for evaluating subject objects includes at least one physical source operable to emit electromagnetic energy and driver electronics drivingly coupled to at least one physical source. The driver electronics is configured to drive at least one physical source as a number of logical sources, using an electromagnetic forcing function. The number of logical sources is greater than the number of physical sources. In addition, the system includes a sensor configured to receive an electromagnetic response from at least a portion of an evaluation object illuminated by one or more physical sources operated as logical sources, and convert the electromagnetic response to a test response signal indicative of the electromagnetic response of the evaluation object.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Inventors: Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III, Ross D. Melville, Konrad E. Schroder, Robert A. Burstein, Winyu Chinthammit
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Patent number: 8081304Abstract: Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of goods and articles. Spectral information may be employed in process control and/or quality control of media, for example financial instruments, identity documents, legal documents, medical documents, financial transaction cards, and/or other media, fluids for example lubricants, fuels, coolants, or other materials that flow, and in machinery, for example vehicles, motors, generators, compressors, presses, drills and/or supply systems. Spectral information may be employed in identifying biological tissue and/or facilitating diagnosis based on biological tissue.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2007Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Thomas A. Furness, III, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Ross D. Melville, Nicholas E. Walker, Bradley E. Sparks
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Patent number: 8076630Abstract: A system for evaluating subject objects includes at least one physical source operable to emit electromagnetic energy and driver electronics drivingly coupled to at least one physical source. The driver electronics is configured to drive at least one physical source as a number of logical sources, using an electromagnetic forcing function. The number of logical sources is greater than the number of physical sources. In addition, the system includes a sensor configured to receive an electromagnetic response from at least a portion of an evaluation object illuminated by one or more physical sources operated as logical sources, and convert the electromagnetic response to a test response signal indicative of the electromagnetic response of the evaluation object.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2007Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Visualant, Inc.Inventors: Brian T. Schowengerdt, Thomas A. Furness, III, Ross D. Melville, Konrad E. Schroder, Robert A. Burstein, Winyu Chinthammit