Patents by Inventor Thomas L. Rockwell

Thomas L. Rockwell 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: 8796627
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided having a source for illuminating a remote surface with at least one wavelength of light (e.g., in the range of 940 to 970 nm), a detector for receiving returned illumination from the surface and providing an analog signal representative of the returned illumination, and a controller which samples the analog signal to obtain sample data representative of amplitude of light of the source returned from the surface by the detector. The controller determines the presence of water (or moisture, liquid, ice, vapor or heavy gases) on the surface in accordance with the sample data. An audible alarm is activatable by the controller. The source and detector are in a housing in perpendicular or non-perpendicular orientations with respect to the surface. Such housing being mountable at a distance from the surface where water detection is desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Techwell Consulting LLC
    Inventors: Thomas L. Rockwell, James E. Roddy
  • Publication number: 20120140233
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided having a source for illuminating a remote surface with at least one wavelength of light (e.g., in the range of 940 to 970 nm), a detector for receiving returned illumination from the surface and providing an analog signal representative of the returned illumination, and a controller which samples the analog signal to obtain sample data representative of amplitude of light of the source returned from the surface by the detector. The controller determines the presence of water (or moisture, liquid, ice, vapor or heavy gases) on the surface in accordance with the sample data. An audible alarm is activatable by the controller. The source and detector are in a housing in perpendicular or non-perpendicular orientations with respect to the surface. Such housing being mountable at a distance from the surface where water detection is desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas L. Rockwell, James E. Roddy
  • Patent number: 6055010
    Abstract: A printer for use in exposing a photosensitive material and method of operation thereof. The printer includes a rotatable polygon mirror having a plurality of adjacent facets. The mirror includes a reference facet and signal generator for generating a polygon index signal which defines a reference position. A light source for directing a light beam is provided for reflection of the beam off each of the adjacent facets for exposing the photosensitive material and defining a writing path. A sensor is also provided for generating a line start signal for each of the facets in response to the light beam passing over the sensor. The printer is provided with a switch for placing printer in a first set-up mode or writing mode. When in set-up mode a counter measures a first time period T.sub.S from the polygon index signal to a first line start signal generated by the reference facet. A counter also measuring a second time period T.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas L. Rockwell, Thomas C. Weaver
  • Patent number: 5175628
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing the storage of image data in a framestore of an electronic color printing system so as to minimize the storage requirements of the framestore. In such a system, image data is read out from the framestore in a color-separated sequence (R1-Rn; G1-Gn; B1-Bn) which differs substantially from a color-integrated sequence (R1,G1,B1-Rn,Gn,Bn) in which image data is received by the framestore from an input image scanner. According to the invention, values representing such color-integrated data from the image scanner are stored at address locations in the framestore vacated by the immediately preceding data read-out step. Such data management obviates the need for two separate framestores, each being capable of storing a sufficient number of multiple color-separated images to produce a desired array of multicolor images on a single receiver sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Fereidoon S. Jamzadeh, Thomas L. Rockwell