Patents by Inventor Thomas Knight Tolman
Thomas Knight Tolman 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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Publication number: 20200023925Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and related method for cleaning vessel hulls and other subsea structures at sea. In an embodiment, a hull cleaning system comprises a housing defining an interior void; a multifunction bar; a propulsion system; a power system; a positioning system; a water pump operatively connected to the power system; a high flow manifold operatively in fluid communication with the water pump; a hull cleaner; and a suction device configured to selectively adhere the hull cleaning system to a hull.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery Neal Ledda, Bruce Brian Brown, George Kotula, Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Christopher Embree Wong
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Patent number: 10414473Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and related method for cleaning vessel hulls and other subsea structures at sea. In an embodiment, a hull cleaning system comprises a housing defining an interior void; a multifunction bar; a propulsion system; a power system; a positioning system; a water pump operatively connected to the power system; a high flow manifold operatively in fluid communication with the water pump; a hull cleaner; and a suction device configured to selectively adhere the hull cleaning system to a hull.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2015Date of Patent: September 17, 2019Assignee: Oceaneering International, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery Neal Ledda, Duane Martin Baker, III, Bruce Brian Brown, Anthony Louis Kopera, George Kotula, Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Christopher Embree Wong
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Patent number: 10128909Abstract: A pinless connector for subsea data communications comprises contactless connectivity data transmitter coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters, and contactless connectivity data receiver coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers, which can allow for rapid collection and/or download data from subsea vehicles or sensors without having to plug in an external connector or physically remove the data recorder from the unit. Typically, these are operative at a low power level, e.g. less than or around 50 milliwatts, at an extremely high data transfer rate or around 5 GBits/second. The connectors may be incorporated into a subsea system comprising two subsea devices. A slip ring system may similarly comprise one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters and one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2016Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Oceaneering International, Inc.Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
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Patent number: 9923629Abstract: A self-deploying and self-healing subsea network comprises one or more homing vehicles, one or more data repeaters, and one or more independent guidable homing systems configured to assist the homing vehicles in localization of and docking with the data repeaters. A plurality of data repeaters are deployed in a body of water and, at a predetermined time, a homing vehicle released from a first data repeater and instructed to transit to and dock with a predetermined second data repeater. After docking, a network cable is operatively placed into communication between the first data repeater and the second data repeater.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Louis Hromada, Thomas Burke, Dustin Whipple, Mark Alan Stevens
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Publication number: 20170170879Abstract: A pinless connector for subsea data communications comprises contactless connectivity data transmitter coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters, and contactless connectivity data receiver coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers, which can allow for rapid collection and/or download data from subsea vehicles or sensors without having to plug in an external connector or physically remove the data recorder from the unit. Typically, these are operative at a low power level, e.g. less than or around 50 milliwatts, at an extremely high data transfer rate or around 5 GBits/second. The connectors may be incorporated into a subsea system comprising two subsea devices. A slip ring system may similarly comprise one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters and one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2016Publication date: June 15, 2017Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
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Publication number: 20170170876Abstract: A pinless connector for subsea data communications comprises contactless connectivity data transmitter coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters, and contactless connectivity data receiver coupler, comprising one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers, which can allow for rapid collection and/or download data from subsea vehicles or sensors without having to plug in an external connector or physically remove the data recorder from the unit. Typically, these are operative at a low power level, e.g. less than or around 50 milliwatts, at an extremely high data transfer rate or around 5 GBits/second. The connectors may be incorporated into a subsea system comprising two subsea devices. A slip ring system may similarly comprise one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data transmitters and one or more first solid state contactless connectivity data receivers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2016Publication date: June 15, 2017Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
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Publication number: 20160006501Abstract: A self-deploying and self-healing subsea network comprises one or more homing vehicles, one or more data repeaters, and one or more independent guidable homing systems configured to assist the homing vehicles in localization of and docking with the data repeaters. A plurality of data repeaters are deployed in a body of water and, at a predetermined time, a homing vehicle released from a first data repeater and instructed to transit to and dock with a predetermined second data repeater. After docking, a network cable is operatively placed into communication between the first data repeater and the second data repeater.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2015Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Thomas Knight TOLMAN, Gary Wieboldt, Louis Hromada, Thomas Burke, Dustin Whipple, Mark Alan Stevens
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Publication number: 20160001857Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and related method for cleaning vessel hulls and other subsea structures at sea. In an embodiment, a hull cleaning system comprises a housing defining an interior void; a multifunction bar; a propulsion system; a power system; a positioning system; a water pump operatively connected to the power system; a high flow manifold operatively in fluid communication with the water pump; a hull cleaner; and a suction device configured to selectively adhere the hull cleaning system to a hull.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2015Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Jeffery Neal Ledda, Duane Martin Baker, III, Bruce Brian Brown, Anthony Louis Kopera, George Kotula, Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Christopher Embree Wong