Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090167114 | FORCED VIBRATION PIEZO GENERATOR AND PIEZO ACTUATOR - Piezoelectric elements for power generation and/or actuation are described. An aspect is directed to generators utilizing piezoelectric elements for electrical power generation. Such a generator can use one or more arrays of piezoelectric cantilevers for electrical power generation in conjunction with modulated air pressure used for exciting the cantilevers. The pressure level/modulation and cantilever area can be controlled variables for maximizing the bending, and hence energy generation, of the cantilevers. A further aspect is directed to hydraulic fluid actuators utilizing a pumping mechanism that includes a piezoelectric element. The linear actuators can advantageously utilize the high force and high frequency characteristics of a piezoelectric membrane in conjunction with a large stroke and actuation direction conversion afforded by hydraulic transmission. | 07-02-2009 |
20100225944 | Online printing method and service - The invention is of an online printing service that following the completion of registration and initial setup, installs a printer on the user's computer. The printer is a print manager and user interface program that receives the print command, manages the upload of files to the online service provider's servers and manages the order of prints. The main idea of this invention is the accessibility of this printer from every application and from every “Print” menu item while working on the computer. This includes selecting the “Print” menu item after right-clicking on a file name, selecting the “Print” menu item from the “File” menu in Windows Explorer and clicking the “Print” button or selecting the “Print” menu item within applications. The printer thus behaves like a local printer with the ease of use and accessibility of local printing but with the quality and convenience advantages of online printing. | 09-09-2010 |
20110023927 | Micro-combustion power system with metal foam heat exchanger - A micro-combustion power system is disclosed. In a first embodiment, the invention is comprised of a housing that further comprises two flow path volumes, each having generally opposing flow path directions and each generally having opposing configurations. | 02-03-2011 |
20110031749 | Energy harvesting buoy - An energy-harvesting buoy is provided comprising an air-pressure generator, such as a piezo-electric generator, or any other generator that can harvest energy from an air pressure. The energy harvesting buoy consists of a first float and a second float. An air pressure is created when relative vertical motion occurs between the first float and the second float which drives an air pressurization means such as a piston driven air pump using a linkage member pivotably mounted between the respective floats. The generator uses the air pressure from the air pressurization means to drive the generator to generate electrical power. | 02-10-2011 |
20110032593 | Gravity operated, rotatable lens curtain for thermal imager - A device for in-situ calibration of a thermal imager on a UAS is disclosed. A rotatable lens curtain is provided with an aperture for the lens of a thermal imager to observe a field of view. The lens curtain comprises a balancing weight and blocking portion having a thermally uniform interior surface that functions as a calibration surface. The lens curtain is disposed with respect to the lens such that when the UAS is in a substantially level flight path, the lens is exposed to the field of view through the aperture. The lens curtain is provided such that when the UAS is rotated about an axis, the lens curtain maintains its absolute position relative to the Earth by virtue of the balance weight and the lens rotates within the lens curtain such that the blocking position obscures the lens from the field of view and the lens is exposed to the thermally uniform interior surface such that a calibration operation can be performed by the thermal imager. | 02-10-2011 |
20110150565 | Quick release launch connector for micro unmanned aerial vehicle - The invention comprises a clamping mechanism comprising a first and second hinged retaining members for the receiving of a terminal member of a connecting rod. The terminal member is affixed within a retaining volume defined by the first and second hinged retaining members while in a closed first position when the clamping mechanism is disposed within a retaining structure. | 06-23-2011 |
20120027620 | FORCED VIBRATION PIEZO GENERATOR AND PIEZO ACTUATOR - Piezoelectric elements for power generation and/or actuation are described. An aspect is directed to generators utilizing piezoelectric elements for electrical power generation. Such a generator can use one or more arrays of piezoelectric cantilevers for electrical power generation in conjunction with modulated air pressure used for exciting the cantilevers. The pressure level/modulation and cantilever area can be controlled variables for maximizing the bending, and hence energy generation, of the cantilevers. A further aspect is directed to hydraulic fluid actuators utilizing a pumping mechanism that includes a piezoelectric element. The linear actuators can advantageously utilize the high force and high frequency characteristics of a piezoelectric membrane in conjunction with a large stroke and actuation direction conversion afforded by hydraulic transmission. | 02-02-2012 |
20120305741 | Gravity-Stabilized Sensor Mount for Moving Platform - A gravity-stabilized sensor mount is disclosed having a base member pivotably coupled to a multi-axis gimbal with damping means disposed between the base member and one or more gimbal elements. The gimbal assembly is coupled to a connecting member which may, in turn, be coupled to a moving platform such as a land vehicle, aircraft or marine vessel. The base member may have a payload such as a sensor system mounted on it and is provided with counter-balances so that the base member remains level in two horizontal axes with respect to the surface of the Earth regardless of the vertical orientation of the connecting member. | 12-06-2012 |
20130028682 | Zero-Added Footprint Captive Float Nut - A captive float nut comprising a nut body having a threaded aperture defined there-through for receiving a threaded shaft. An anchor element is moveably coupled to the nut body to provide a predetermined freedom of movement of the nut body in six degrees of freedom. The anchor element comprises one or more finger elements having outwardly depending terminal portions have a sharp tine element on the terminal portion. The tines are driven in the interior surface of a bore so as to grip and affix the anchor element therein and affix the captive float nut to a structure. | 01-31-2013 |
20130140821 | Wave Energy Capture System - A wave energy generation system. A boom element having a float element on a terminal end is reciprocatably mounted on a rotatable turret element on a watercraft. The boom element is configured to drive a linkage element which in turn drives an energy generation element. The float element rises and falls due to marine swells, the boom element reciprocates upwardly and downwardly, driving the energy generation device or element. The energy element may be an electrical generator or air compressor. One or more energy storage elements may be provided such as a battery element or air pressure storage element. The energy generator element or energy storage means or both may be used to drive a propulsion element which may be in the form of an electric motor or air motor. | 06-06-2013 |
20140085893 | Thermally-Managed Electronic Device - A thermally-managed electronic device, such as a heat-generating lamp or microelectronic assembly, takes advantage of the latent heat of phase-change within a heat pipe and functions in cooperation with a plurality of heat-radiating elements to enhance heat removal capacity from a heat source. The device, which may be provided in a natural convection or forced air convection embodiment, improves the heat removal on the cold side of the heat pipe by providing a much larger heat-radiating surface area in the form of a plurality of heat-radiating elements that are each thermally connected by means of one or more thermal connecting elements. | 03-27-2014 |
20140111841 | Offset Axis Laser Scanner Apparatus - A laser scanner apparatus with an electromagnetic radiation source configured to transmit a laser beam having a beam path. A cylindrical element is provided with an electromagnetically reflective surface. The laser source is configured so the beam is incident on the reflective surface at a predetermined incident angle. The cylindrical element is configured to be driven to rotate at a predetermined rotation rate about an offset longitudinal axis whereby the beam path of the incident beam is varied so as to scan a scene of interest. | 04-24-2014 |
20140231583 | Launch Device for Tube-Launched Projectile - A device for launching a projectile from the bore of a tube. A launch frame having a longitudinal axis is configured for being received within the bore of the tube with a shuttle assembly configured for urging a projectile alone the tube's longitudinal axis. A shuttle assembly tensioning means is configured to urge the shuttle assembly along the longitudinal axis and a shuttle assembly retention means is configured for the selective retention and release of the shuttle assembly at a predetermined position along the longitudinal axis. | 08-21-2014 |
20140239118 | Method and Apparatus for Foldable Wing UAV - A device for releaseably retaining a wing of an aerial vehicle in a folded orientation in a bore of a tube is disclosed. A retaining element is bound around the folded wing elements of a foldable-winged UAV so that the maximum diameter of the folded and bound UAV is less than the diameter of the bore. A releasable retaining fastener is provided and configured whereby the fastener releases when the UAV is propelled through and exits the bore, releasing the retaining element after which the wings of the UAV unfold and return to a flight orientation. The retaining element may include a tether for the retention and reuse of the device after a launch. | 08-28-2014 |
20140240810 | MEMS Drive and Beam-Steering Apparatus - A drive apparatus and a beam-steering apparatus fabricated from a MEMS process. The apparatus has a first layer, a second layer and a plurality of fluid-filled volumes defined there between. A plurality of flexible structures such as bellows structures are defined on the first layer and are configured whereby a predetermined pressure in each of the volumes results in a predetermined displacement of the flexible structures. Pressurization means selectively changes the pressures in each of the volumes to define the predetermined displacement of the flexible structures. An electromagnetically reflective or mirror element and a plurality of drive beams are affixed to the reflective element and to one of the plurality of flexible structures whereby selected pressurization of the fluid in the volumes causes a predetermined displacement of the flexible structure to displace the reflective element about the plane of its surface. | 08-28-2014 |
20140259711 | North Orienting Device - A device capable of measuring the vector sum of the centripetal acceleration of the rotation of the Earth (or that of any other planet in a planetary system) around its axis (a.sub.rot) and the centripetal acceleration of the planet's revolution in its orbit around the Sun (a.sub.rev) and a method for performing the same using the measured physical data to calculate the latitude and longitude of the device on a surface. Measurements are taken by stepping accelerometers through different axis to determine centripetal acceleration, reading the output of the accelerometers and reading the angular disposition of the accelerometers using encoders and calculating the latitude and longitude from the measured data. | 09-18-2014 |
20140284422 | Hovering Surveillance Air Vehicle - A hovering surveillance device. An electronic imaging device is disposed on a housing having a primary lift element, at least one compressed lighter-than-air gas element, a pitch adjustment element, and, a steering element. The compressed lighter-than-air gas is channeled to the primary lift element and the pitch adjustment element to selectively vary the altitude and angle for the housing such that scene of interest may be imaged. The lighter-than-air gas may be selected from the group of helium, hydrogen, heated air, neon, ammonia, and methane. | 09-25-2014 |
20140300798 | Multi-Imager Camera for Increased Depth-of-Field Imaging - A multi-imager camera having a focusing means attached to each imager in the form of a Z actuator and having an image-splitting optical assembly that splits the scene's energy to the individual imagers while maintaining the full scene coverage and while having all imagers placed in the same back-focal-distance that matches that of the camera's lens. The above camera focuses the individual imagers to different parts of the scene by individually controlling the Z actuator of each imager, and captures all images instantaneously for real-time on-board image processing or for post processing. | 10-09-2014 |
20140327793 | Imaging Apparatus and Method Comprising Imager and Optics Actuator Means - An imaging device and method of providing an increased depth-of-field of an electronic image. The image sensor and the optical lens assembly are selectively repositionable along the optical axis of the lens using electronic actuator elements such as piezo-electric actuator elements, A plurality of images of a scene are captured while the image sensor, the optical lens assembly, or both are positioned at predetermined locations along the optical axis. Selected elements of each of the images captured using different focal planes are electronically combined to define a final image having an increased depth-of-field. | 11-06-2014 |
20150018724 | Balance Augmentation Sensors - Current rehabilitative treatment of balance disorder requires long and intensive processes. The development of a wearable device for use in clinic as well as at home and during daily routine activities would enable continuous treatment outside of specialized training settings and accelerated relieve of balance disorder. The patent describes a wearable device that utilizes inertial sensors and sensor fusion processing to measure body posture and provide real-time feedback to alert the wearer to remain in the region of stability, and that utilizes wireless communication to support therapy and training providers. | 01-15-2015 |
20150021454 | Autonomous Remote Anchor System - An autonomous remote anchor system for providing an anchor connector to a surface, such as a ground anchor for an unattended ground sensor is disclosed. An inflatable positioning structure is inflated and configured to orient an anchor assembly in a vertical orientation with respect to the ground or surface upon which it is disposed. Upon vertical orientation, an actuator in the anchor assembly, such as a voice coil, is energized and drives a hammer element that is slideably disposed in the housing, striking the upper surface of the anchor. The drive cycle is repeated, driving it into the surface until the depth of penetration is sensed by a load sensing element. | 01-22-2015 |