Patents by Inventor William A. Pearson

William A. Pearson 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: 6359681
    Abstract: In a FLIR/laser based targeting and imaging system, the ability to recognize, detect, locate, and/or track targets in an area of interest is significantly improved by reducing the fixed and dynamic alignment errors between the IR LOS and the laser LOS. Fixed alignment errors are reduced with an improved internal boresight module and corresponding boresight method. Dynamic alignment errors are reduced with an opto-electric subsystem that employs a single pitch bearing and a common pitch/yaw afocal for both the laser energy and the IR energy. A segmented window in the system housing includes a circular EMI grid pattern which significantly reduces the amount of off-axis EMI entering the optical pathways, and improved signal processing techniques are employed to enhance the quality of the IR image after the image has been digitized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Brien J. Housand, Gene D. Tener, Susan J. Jesse, William A. Pearson, G. Edward Newberg, John F. Weaver, Timothy A. Hill, Helmuth Bauer, Bhikhubbai L. Patel, Ward D. Robertson, John J. Donahue, Jeffrey L. Cole, Harvey J. Montgomery, Eric F. Schildwachter, John R. Booth
  • Patent number: 5964562
    Abstract: An apparatus for exchanging articles with an article holder includes a vertical mast having a vertical mast axis and a shuttle ring assembly. The shuttle ring assembly has a central aperture surrounding the mast and is coupled to the mast to allow the shuttle ring assembly to be translated vertically along the mast through multiple heights between a lower height and an upper height. The shuttle ring assembly includes a rotary member coupled to the mast to be rotated through multiple orientations about the mast axis. The rotary member includes multiple article-holding fixtures, angularly spaced from each other about the mast axis. The multiple orientations include a respective exchange orientation for each of the article-holding fixtures. The rotary member can be positioned in any one of the exchange orientations so that a selected one of the article-holding fixtures is in an associated exchange position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Computer Aided Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Clay Bernard, II, Martin L. Wisecarver, Richard A. Baldwin, William A. Pearson, Frank P. Steblaj
  • Patent number: 5863172
    Abstract: A storage system for the storage and retrieval of material goods has a continuous track and a storage carousel movable along the track. The carousel carries a plurality of shelf arrays, each of which includes a plurality of vertically-spaced shelves removably attachable to the carousel at an adjustable vertical pitch. One or more inserter assemblies are disposed adjacent the carousel for transferring cartons onto the carousel. One or more removal assemblies are disposed adjacent the carousel for removing cartons from the carousel. A vertical transport unit has an upward reach disposed adjacent the inserter assemblies for transferring cartons to the inserter assemblies, and a downward reach disposed adjacent the removal assemblies for receiving cartons from the removal assemblies. The vertical transport unit has a plurality of platforms removably attachable to the vertical transport unit at an adjustable pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Computer Aided Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Pearson, Donald P. Buller, Daniel C. Perry, Jack Quinton, Sean Patrick Hirka, Jeff Johnson
  • Patent number: 5825922
    Abstract: A digital signal processing system which uses an input image including a plurality of pixels to establish boundaries of objects in the input image. Each of the pixels has a gradient value and the object includes a centroid. Using a segmentation process, the digital signal processing system decides on a perimeter surrounding the object in the input image and then repeatedly searches for a pixel having the highest gradient value and marks that pixel having the highest gradient value as an edge pixel of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Pearson, Richard W. Benton, John D. Lofgren
  • Patent number: 5604822
    Abstract: A digital signal processing system which uses an input image including a plurality of pixels to establish boundaries of objects in the input image. Each of the pixels has a gradient value and the object includes a centroid. Using a segmentation process, the digital signal processing system decides on a perimeter surrounding the object in the input image and then repeatedly searches for a pixel having the highest gradient value and marks that pixel having the highest gradient value as an edge pixel of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Pearson, Richard W. Benton, John D. Lofgren