Vorbeck Materials Corporation

Other

Dan F Scheffer

John S Lettow

Sriram Manivannan

Jennifer Pinkos

Keren Espina

James A Turney

Kate Redmond

Kenneth E Fritsch

Can Gun Yaprak

Trentice V Bolar

Christy V Martin

Alison Baskerville

Louise Brooks

Sandy Spence

Victor Contreras

Mathew A Hudspeth

Paige Boehmcke

Jeremy D Smith

Josiah Henry

Samarpita Chowdhury

Christie Burrow

Jaclyn Scott

Brian Losey

Michael Filipelli

Vipin Varma

Ethan Traub

Jodie Kuo

Terumi N McKenna

A communications node includes an apparel item in the form of a backpack attachment that includes a panel, first and second arms extending therefrom. An antenna element and A/V hub may be affixed to an arm. The attachment may include a communications device and battery. A control circuit may be communicatively coupled to the antenna element, the A/V hub, the communications device, and the battery. The A/V hub may demountably and communicatively couple to an audio/video source. The control circuit may establish a mesh network with computing devices. The antenna element may include a graphene polymer conductive composition. The graphene may form a three-dimensional percolated network within the polymer matrix. The apparel item may include a multilayered material that reflect RF radiation generated by the antenna element away from the apparel item. The layer may include a conductive material. The layer may include a foam.

Self-organizing communications network nodes and systems

Embodiments relate to a wearable communications node (WCN) with mesh networking capabilities. The WCN, which is worn on the user's torso, includes an enclosure and shoulder strap(s) as well as communications device, antenna element(s), and battery conductively coupled to a control circuit. The enclosure includes a top area and an oppositely positioned bottom area. The shoulder strap is pivotably attached proximate to the top area and the bottom area. The communications device is rigidly affixed within the enclosure. The antenna element is conductively coupled to the communications device as well as rigidly affixed to the enclosure or flexibly affixed the shoulder strap. The control circuit is configured to establish, via the communications device, a self-organizing wide area network with a plurality of computing devices that each connects directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically to the WAN. The antenna element includes a conductive composition that includes graphene dispersed in a polymer matrix.

Wearable communications node with mesh networking capabilities

Embodiments relate to a sensor node communication system that determines the presence of an object. The system includes man-portable nodes that communicate via a self-organizing LAN. Each node includes a control circuit that has multiple cores, multithreading, and/or parallel processing. The control circuit establishes the LAN, captures an image, determines a presence of a predetermined object in the image using a machine learning algorithm, generates a first notification when presence of the predetermined object is determined, and generates a second notification when the presence is not determined. The control circuit detects an electromagnetic environment, determines unused frequency bands, and adapts a radio working parameter to broadcast in the unused frequency band. Determining the unused frequency bands includes the use of a spectrum sensing method. The control circuit detects an electromagnetic environment, determines unused frequency bands, and adapts a radio working parameter to broadcast in unused frequency bands.

Sensor node communications system and related methods

The instant disclosure relates to EMI shielding structures. A conductive composition is formed that includes a polymer and graphene present as a 3D-matrix therein. Rectangular EMI shielding panels are formed using the composition. Rectangular EMI shielding panels are affixed orthogonal to each other. The EMI shielding panels are successively overlapped to form a plurality of interconnected EMI shielding planes. The EMI shielding panels are affixed to each other to form a helical EMI shielding structure that folds and unfolds along its center axis. The EMI shielding planes are angularly offset from each other about the center axis to form a helical structure when in the unfolded state. The EMI shielding panels include an encapsulating layer and/or metallic layer. The EMI shielding planes rotate about the center axis when the HES structure transitions between the folded and unfolded states.

Electromagnetic interference shielding structures

Embodiments of the present invention relate to communications tarpaulins. In one embodiment, the communications tarpaulins include a textile layer, a plurality of antenna elements, and a communications hub. The communications hub includes a plurality of radio frequency ('RF') connectors. The communications hub is affixed to the textile layer. The RF connectors are each conductively coupled to one of the antenna elements. The RF connectors each demountably receive a communications device. The antenna elements are each affixed to the textile layer and includes a conductive composition. The antenna elements each include a conductive composition. The conductive composition includes a polymer and fully exfoliated single sheets of graphene that are present as a three-dimensional percolated network within the polymer. The textile layer includes a first textile layer and a second textile layer that are coterminous and physically coupled together and thereby form a multilayered structure.

Communications tarpaulin

Embodiments relate to a RF localization system that determines the position of a RF source of interest (RFSOI) relative to the RFLS. The RFLS includes man-portable nodes that communicate via a self-organizing WAN. Each node includes a communications device conductively coupled to antenna elements oriented in each nodal cardinal direction and battery each communicatively coupled to a control circuit(s). The control circuit is configured to: establish the WAN; capture RSSI values for each antenna element; determine the position of the RFSOI relative to the node; when not functioning as a primary node, transmit the determined position to a primary node or a computing device that's external to the WAN for processing; and when functioning as a primary node, determine the relative position of the RFSOI relative to the plurality of nodes using the received determined position. The primary node determines the position of the RFSOI relative to the nodes.

System to determine the location of a radio frequency source using radio frequency signal strength and related methods

Wearable antenna systems in the form of suspenders are disclosed. Such communications suspenders may employ antenna elements having a reduced visual signature while maintaining the load bearing functionality of traditional suspenders. The antenna system can establish mesh networking communications and communicatively couple to portable radios via a communications device. Some of the antenna elements may be within the communications suspenders. A plurality of straps are pivotably coupled to an intermediate portion at one end and a demountable fastener at the other end that couples to the user's garment item (e.g., trousers, shorts, skirts, and similar articles). The straps may include RF shielding material positioned to reflect RF radiation that emanates from the antenna elements away from the user. The antenna elements may be formed using a conductive composition that includes fully exfoliated graphene sheets present as a percolated network in a polymer matrix.

Wearable antenna system

The present invention relates generally to transmission lines and specifically to textile transmission line assemblies. The textile transmission line assemblies are capable of lateral bending, axial rotation, and stretching without suffering from a statistically significant loss of its performance characteristics. Antenna elements are incorporated with the textile transmission line assemblies (hereinafter 'combination assemblies'). The textile transmission line assemblies can be incorporated in to garments, apparel items, bags, tents, or other textile-based objects. The textile transmission line assemblies are configured to be flexibly affixed to textile items. The textile transmission line assemblies are impact resistant. Wearable communications systems that incorporate at least one textile transmission line assembly and/or combination assembly are also disclosed.

Textile transmission line assemblies

Embodiments of the present invention relate to electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding structures. Rectangular EMI shielding panels are formed that include a first and second ends. A pair of rectangular EMI shielding panels are affixed orthogonal to each other at their first ends. The pair of rectangular EMI shielding panels are successively overlapped with each other to thereby form a plurality of interconnected EMI shielding planes. The pair of rectangular EMI shielding panels are affixed to each other at their second ends to form a helical EMI shielding structure that unfolds to an unfolded state and folds to a folded state along its center axis. Here, the plurality of interconnected EMI shielding planes are each angularly offset from each other about the center axis to form a helical structure when in the unfolded state. The EMI shielding panels include an encapsulating layer and/or metallic layer.

A communications node includes an apparel item in the form of a harness that includes a primary portion. A halo element extends from the primary portion and is configured to be worn about the neck. A fastener that demountably couples the primary portion to the halo element. An antenna element positioned within the apparel item. An A/V hub is affixed to the halo portion and configured to receive audio/video input. The apparel item also includes a communications device and battery. A control circuit is communicatively coupled to the antenna element, the A/V hub, the communications device, and the battery. The A/V hub demountably and communicatively couples to an audio/video source. The control circuit is configured to establish a self-organizing WAN with computing devices that connect directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically to the WAN. The antenna elements include a graphene polymer conductive composition. The apparel item is multilayered and reflects RF radiation.

Self-organing communications network and systems

Wearable antenna systems in the form of suspenders are disclosed. Such communications suspenders employ antenna elements having a reduced visual signature while maintaining the load bearing functionality of traditional suspenders. The antenna system communicatively couples to portable radios that operate on different RF frequencies via a communications hub. Some of the antennas elements are dynamically positionable (i.e., swappable, switchable, etc.) on the communications suspenders. A plurality of straps are pivotably coupled to an intermediate portion at one end and a demountable fastener at the other end. The demountable fasteners couple to the user's garment item (e.g., trousers, shorts, skirts, and similar articles). The straps include RF shielding material positioned to reflect RF radiation that emanates from the antenna elements away from the user. The antenna elements are formed using a conductive composition of fully exfoliated graphene sheets present as a percolated network in a polymer matrix.

A communications node includes an apparel item in the form of a shoulder belt that includes an open state, closed state, and main body. A first portion curvingly extends from the main body. A second portion angularly extends from the main body opposite the first portion. A primary fastener demountably couples the first and second portions together when in the closed state. An antenna element and communications device are positioned within the apparel item. An hub is affixed to the apparel item and configured to receive audio/video input. A battery is positioned adjacent to the apparel item. A control circuit is positioned within the apparel item and coupled to the antenna element, hub, communications device, and battery. The control circuit establishes a self-organizing WAN with a plurality of computing devices each directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically connected to the WAN; and communicates with the computing devices using the self-organizing WAN.

A communications node includes an apparel item in the form of a harness that includes a primary portion. A halo element extends from the primary portion and is configured to be worn about the neck. A fastener that demountably couples the primary portion to the halo element. An antenna element positioned within the apparel item. An A/V hub is affixed to the halo portion and configured to receive audio/video input. A communications device and battery are positioned within the apparel item. A control circuit is positioned within the apparel item and communicatively coupled to the antenna element, the A/V hub, the communications device, and the battery. The A/V hub includes a microphone. The control circuit is configured to establish a self-organizing wide area network with a plurality of computing devices that connect directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically to the WAN.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to transponder fabrication. In an embodiment, a plurality of antenna elements is applied to a first substrate at a first pitch. A plurality of fully functioning first transponders is positioned on to the first substrate in a manner to each be in electrical communication with an antenna element included in the plurality of antenna elements and thereby forms a plurality of fully functioning second transponders. The plurality of fully functioning first transponders are positioned on a second substrate at a second pitch. The plurality of fully functioning first transponders have a first read range. Second transponders have an increased read range relative to second transponders. The second pitch is greater than the first pitch.

Transponder fabrication methods

Embodiments of the present invention relate to microphones diaphragms. In one embodiment, a sensor comprising a diaphragm comprised of a composition having a plurality of individual graphene sheets. An emitter formed in a manner to transmit lights towards a surface of the diaphragm. A collector that captures at least a portion of light that is reflected by the diaphragm. A converter is in communication with the detector that converts a signal that is generated by the sensor to a digital signal for processing. The graphene-based composition includes graphene sheets.

Growing community of inventors

Frederick, MD, United States of America

Dan F Scheffer