Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Ryan

Thomas W. Ryan 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: 5339634
    Abstract: An engine is provided which, in at least one cylinder or combustion area, is provided with a hydrocarbon rich fuel which produces upon combustion an exhaust gas containing unburned hydrocarbons, water vapor and carbon monoxide. The exhaust gas is treated in a catalytic converter and the reaction process that occurs therein produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide which is mixed with air to form a hydrocarbon lean, hydrogen enriched mixture. The mixture is subsequently ignited in other cylinders or combustion areas of the engine to produce power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Nigel F. Gale, David W. Naegeli, Thomas W. Ryan, III, Steven R. King
  • Patent number: 5297515
    Abstract: An engine is provided which, in at least one cylinder or combustion area, is provided with a hydrocarbon rich fuel which produces upon combustion an exhaust gas containing unburned hydrocarbons, water vapor and carbon monoxide. The exhaust gas is treated in a catalytic converter and the reaction process that occurs therein produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide which is mixed with air to form a hydrocarbon lean, hydrogen enriched mixture. The mixture is subsequently ignited in other cylinders or combustion areas of the engine to produce power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Nigel F. Gale, David W. Naegeli, Thomas W. Ryan, III, Steven R. King
  • Patent number: 5293608
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing the utilization of a cache memory in an input/output controller in a computer system which also includes a central processing unit and a plurality of direct access storage devices. The optimizing system calculates a demotion time where the demotion time is an approximation of the length of time that a track of data will reside in the cache memory in the input/output controller after its last input/output request from the central processing unit. The optimizing system further intercepts an input/output request from the central processing unit for a requested track of data, determines an elapsed time between successive input/output requests from the central processing unit for the requested track of data, determines whether the elapsed time is greater than the demotion time and optimizes the requested track of data by inhibiting the requested track of data from being loaded into the cache memory if the elapsed time is greater than the demotion time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: Legent Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Johnson, Thomas W. Ryan
  • Patent number: 5274714
    Abstract: A pattern recognition method and apparatus utilizes a neural network to recognize input images which are sufficiently similar to a database of previously stored images. Images are first processed and subjected to a Fourier transform which yields a power spectrum. An in-class to out-of-class study is performed on a typical collection of images in order to determine the most discriminatory regions of the Fourier transform. A feature vector consisting of the (most discriminatory) information from the power spectrum of the Fourier transform of the image is formed. Feature vectors are input to a neural network having preferably two hidden layers, input dimensionality of the number of elements in the feature vector and output dimensionality of the number of data elements stored in the database. Unique identifier numbers are preferably stored along with the feature vector. Application of a query feature vector to the neural network results in an output vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Neuristics, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy L. Hutcheson, Wilson Or, Venkatesh Narayanan, Subramaniam Mohan, Peter G. Wohlmut, Ramanujam Srinivasan, Bobby R. Hunt, Thomas W. Ryan
  • Patent number: 5161204
    Abstract: A method and apparatus under software control for pattern recognition utilizes a neural network implementation to recognize two dimensional input images which are sufficiently similar to a database of previously stored two dimensional images. Images are first image processed and subjected to a Fourier transform which yields a power spectrum. An in-class to out-of-class study is performed on a typical collection of images in order to determine the most discriminatory regions of the Fourier transform. A feature vector consisting of the highest order (most discriminatory) magnitude information from the power spectrum of the Fourier transform of the image is formed. Feature vectors are input to a neural network having preferably two hidden layers, input dimensionality of the number of elements in the feature vector and output dimensionality of the number of data elements stored in the database. Unique identifier numbers are preferably stored along with the feature vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Neuristics, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy L. Hutcheson, Wilson Or, Venkatesh Narayanan, Subramaniam Mohan, Peter G. Wohlmut, Ramanujam Srinivasan, Bobby R. Hunt, Thomas W. Ryan
  • Patent number: 4873947
    Abstract: A variable compression ratio, direct injection engine. A rotatable collar in operative engagement with a cylinder liner holder assembly is utilized to raise and lower the cylinder liner relative to the crankshaft, thereby varying the compression ratio. A double chain drive mechanism maintains a constant valve timing relationship as the cylinder liner is raised and lowered. The head assembly is provided with a removable fire deck and a tapered intake port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Thomas W. Ryan, III, Milan J. Maymar, Orin M. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4614226
    Abstract: A vehicle heater cleaning and repair apparatus and method is provided in which the apparatus has a closed loop pipe system removably connectable to a vehicle heater input and output line which have been disconnected from the engine under the vehicle hood. The water inlet is connected to a water source for allowing the injection of water into the pipe system. A valve allows the water to be shut on or off. A pump is connected to the pipe system for pumping liquid therethrough and through the vehicle heater. Sealant solution and cleaning solution tanks are connected to the piping system for first injecting a cleaning solution for circulation through the vehicle heater core and later for circulating a sealing solution. An electrical heater is also connected to the pipe system for heating the liquids being circulated by the pump through the vehicle heater core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1986
    Inventor: Thomas W. Ryan