Patents by Inventor W. Jack Hughes

W. Jack Hughes 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: 6108275
    Abstract: A phased-beam transducer is disclosed for transmitting and receiving steered acoustic beam signals that includes a sheet of piezoelectric material such as Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), a copolymer, piezo-rubber, quartz, 1-3 PZT composite, or similar transducer material. The transducer includes specially designed electrode on each side of the piezoelectric sheet. The transducer is a two channel device with a sine channel, cosine channel and a ground lead. A summing circuit is used to sum the sine and cosine channels with a 90 .degree. phase shift applied by a phase shift circuit to one of the two channels, for example, the sine channel. The transducer is designed to form a predetermined steered beam at a particular frequency. If a different sound wave frequencies are used, the transducer will form useful directional beams with different steer angles and beamwidths. Variable sector coverage is achieved by forming beams at different frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: W. Jack Hughes, Charles W. Allen, Paul G. Bednarchik
  • Patent number: 4989530
    Abstract: A low drag nose assembly for use with an acoustic homing torpedo in an aqus environment has at least one planar array mounted in the slanting side of a substantially conical support member and provides a plurality of preformed sonar beams which display an azimuth selectively extending from fore to aft simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: William Thompson, Jr., W. Jack Hughes, Robert D. Marciniak, Daniel L. DiGiannantoni