Patents by Inventor William Byron Cottingame

William Byron Cottingame 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).

  • Systems and methods for detecting contaminants
    Patent number: 8089632
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting contaminants associated with a target. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a tunable laser configured to transmit an illuminator pulse at a target for a predetermined time duration and a laser Doppler vibrometer system configured to transmit a probe pulse at a surface of the target within the predetermined time duration. The laser Doppler vibrometer system is further configured to detect and analyze at least one return pulse of the probe pulse to determine a surface expansion velocity of contaminants associated with the target due to the illuminator pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, William Byron Cottingame
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING CONTAMINANTS
    Publication number: 20110290026
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting contaminants associated with a target. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a tunable laser configured to transmit an illuminator pulse at a target for a predetermined time duration and a laser Doppler vibrometer system configured to transmit a probe pulse at a surface of the target within the predetermined time duration. The laser Doppler vibrometer system is further configured to detect and analyze at least one return pulse of the probe pulse to determine a surface expansion velocity of contaminants associated with the target due to the illuminator pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Robert Rex Rice, William Byron Cottingame