Patents by Inventor William Sayer

William Sayer 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: 11408985
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes multiple sensor channels, each comprising a sonar transmitter and a sonar receiver, and a logic device configured to provide control signals and receive sensor signals from the sensor channels. The logic device is configured to provide transmission signals to sonar transducer assemblies, where signal patterns of the transmission signals are differentiated based at least in part on frequency content. Acoustic returns are processed using the signal patterns to reduce inter-channel pickup between the sensor channels. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Teledyne FLIR, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, William Sayer, Paul Muller, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope
  • Publication number: 20200011981
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes multiple sensor channels, each comprising a sonar transmitter and a sonar receiver, and a logic device configured to provide control signals and receive sensor signals from the sensor channels. The logic device is configured to provide transmission signals to sonar transducer assemblies, where signal patterns of the transmission signals are differentiated based at least in part on frequency content. Acoustic returns are processed using the signal patterns to reduce inter-channel pickup between the sensor channels. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, William Sayer, Paul Muller, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope
  • Patent number: 10365356
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes multiple sensor channels, each comprising a sonar transmitter and a sonar receiver, and a logic device configured to provide control signals and receive sensor signals from the sensor channels. The logic device is configured to provide transmission signals to sonar transducer assemblies, where signal patterns of the transmission signals are differentiated based at least in part on frequency content. Acoustic returns are processed using the signal patterns to reduce inter-channel pickup between the sensor channels. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: FLIR SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, William Sayer, Paul Muller, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope
  • Patent number: 9947309
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for providing accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. In one embodiment, a sonar system includes a mounting bracket, a transducer support arm, and a pivoting mechanism pivotably coupling the transducer support arm to the mounting bracket such that, for forces acting on the transducer support arm that are less than a preselected kick-up level, the pivoting mechanism holds the transducer support arm against such forces and at a user selectable first angular position relative to the mounting bracket, and for forces acting on the transducer support arm that are equal to or greater than the preselected kick-up level, allows the transducer support arm to be moved by those forces to a second angular position relative to the mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, Christopher Page, Stephen Pike, Paul Muller, William Sayer, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope
  • Publication number: 20170146642
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes multiple sensor channels, each comprising a sonar transmitter and a sonar receiver, and a logic device configured to provide control signals and receive sensor signals from the sensor channels. The logic device is configured to provide transmission signals to sonar transducer assemblies, where signal patterns of the transmission signals are differentiated based at least in part on frequency content. Acoustic returns are processed using the signal patterns to reduce inter-channel pickup between the sensor channels. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, William Sayer, Paul Muller, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope
  • Publication number: 20150294660
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods for providing accurate and reliable compact sonar systems for mobile structures. In one embodiment, a sonar system includes a mounting bracket, a transducer support arm, and a pivoting mechanism pivotably coupling the transducer support arm to the mounting bracket such that, for forces acting on the transducer support arm that are less than a preselected kick-up level, the pivoting mechanism holds the transducer support arm against such forces and at a user selectable first angular position relative to the mounting bracket, and for forces acting on the transducer support arm that are equal to or greater than the preselected kick-up level, allows the transducer support arm to be moved by those forces to a second angular position relative to the mounting bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Paul Stokes, Christopher Page, Stephen Pike, Paul Muller, William Sayer, David Wellcome, Gordon Pope