Patents by Inventor Tokuo Yamamoto

Tokuo Yamamoto 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: 6289284
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of measuring physical characteristics of a medium, such as uncemented sediment, sandstone, or limestone. A pseudo-random code is generated and is used to generate a pseudo-random acoustic signal. This signal is transmitted into the medium to be measured through the use of a transducer, such as a piezoelectric element, and is received by a plurality of hydrophones. The received signal is then processed to obtain an image of its velocity and attenuation. A universal geoacoustic model of the medium for a given set of measured data is determined, and the model is solved to obtain a pair of permeability-porosity results for the medium. The one of this pair of permeability-porosity results which is correctly indicative of the physical characteristics of the medium is then determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignees: Yamamoto Engineering Corporation, Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6179084
    Abstract: On a source side, piezo-electric elements (34) are arranged such that vibration direction is perpendicular to a wall of a bore hole (12), and then an anvil (42) arranged on the piezo-electric elements in a bore hole wall side is pressure-contacted to the wall of the bore hole by a clamping mechanism (64). On a receiver side, upper and lower portion of another bore hole (112) are closed by a packer (182) and a shut-off valve (180), respectively, thereby preventing the fluid from flowing, and a cable (150) above a vibration receiver is fixed to the wall of said another bore hole (112) by a clamping mechanism (164), thereby reducing noise propagating through the cable. This increases measuring depth and crosswell distance of petroleum exploration and soil investigation by acoustic tomography, which causes applicability to be spread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignees: Yamamoto Engineering Corporation, Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tokuo Yamamoto, Junichi Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 6061300
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of measuring physical characteristics of a medium, such as uncemented sediment, sandstone, or limestone. A pseudo-random code is generated and is used to generate a pseudo-random acoustic signal. This signal is transmitted into the medium to be measured through the use of a transducer, such as a piezoelectric element, and is received by a plurality of hydrophones. The received signal is then processed to obtain an image of its velocity and attenuation. A universal geoacoustic model of the medium for a given set of measured data is determined, and the model is solved to obtain a pair of permeability-porosity results for the medium. The one of this pair of permeability-porosity results which is correctly indicative of the physical characteristics of the medium is then determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignees: Kawasaki Steel Corporation, Tokuo Yamamoto
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5991236
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting buries objects, geological formations or sediment properties by transmitting an acoustic signal and receiving a scattered signal. An acoustic source and an array of receivers are used to correlate the scattered signal with the transmitted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignees: Tokuo Yamamoto, Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5406530
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of measuring physical characteristics of sediments to obtain a cross-sectional distribution of porosity and permeability values and variations, and of shear modulus and shear strength. A pair of boreholes have borehole entries spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, and a plurality of hydrophones are spaced at predetermined known positions. A pseudo-random binary sequence code generator as a source of seismic energy is placed into another borehole and activated to transmit pseudo-random wave energy from the source to the hydrophones. Seismic wave characteristics are measured in a multiplicity of paths extending from the source to the hydrophones, using cross-bore tomography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5243565
    Abstract: A new method for measurement of the directional spectra of surface gravity (water) waves. Measurements are made at a single point by orthogonally mounted seismometers buried below the seabed surface and a pressure sensor resting on the seafloor or buried below the seabed. The maximum entropy principle is used to find the directional distribution function for the waves traveling through the sediments as measured by the seismometers. This function is combined with the frequency spectra of the ocean surface waves to form the directional spectra of the surface gravity waves. The method produced high directional resolution for instruments that were adequately coupled with the seabed. The method is also capable of detecting objects moving through water, such as surface ships and submarines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: University of Miami
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5142500
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of measuring physical characteristics of sediments to obtain a cross-sectional distribution of porosity and permeability values and variations, and of shear modulus and shear strength. A pair of boreholes have borehole entries spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, and a plurality of hydrophones are spaced at predetermined known positions. A source of seismic energy is placed into another borehole and activated to transmit seismic wave energy from the source to the hydrophones. Seismic wave characteristics are measured in a multiplicity of paths extending from the source to the hydrophones, using cross-bore hole tomography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Tokuo Yamamoto, Altan Turgut
  • Patent number: 4951264
    Abstract: A method of measuring the shear modulus profile of a seabed floor using one or more bottom shear modulus profilers, each having a seisometer package to measure the seabed motion in three dimensions and a sensor for measuring the pressure at the seabed floor, placed on or below the seabed floor, and a means for converting the measurements derived therefrom into a shear modulus profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: University of Miami
    Inventor: Tokuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 4807199
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the shear modulus profile of the seafloor by measuring the motion of the seafloor in three dimensions and the wave induced pressure at the seafloor and converting these measurements into a shear modulus profile using the Yamamoto equation and the linear inverse theory of wave-seabed interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: University of Miami
    Inventors: Tokuo Yamamoto, Michael Brown, Tsuyoshi Torri, Alan Berman