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).

  • Publication number: 20200023925
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffery Neal Ledda, Bruce Brian Brown, George Kotula, Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Christopher Embree Wong
  • Patent number: 10414473
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: 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
  • Patent number: 10128909
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
  • Patent number: 9923629
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Knight Tolman, Gary Wieboldt, Louis Hromada, Thomas Burke, Dustin Whipple, Mark Alan Stevens
  • Publication number: 20170170879
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
  • Publication number: 20170170876
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wesley Weaver, Thomas Knight Tolman
  • Publication number: 20160006501
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Knight TOLMAN, Gary Wieboldt, Louis Hromada, Thomas Burke, Dustin Whipple, Mark Alan Stevens
  • Publication number: 20160001857
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: 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