Other

Vermeer Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Underground Imaging Technologies, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

Mts Systems Corporation

Gas Technology Institute

Vital Signs, Inc.

Vermeer Corporation

Hanson Robokind and Intelligent Bots, LLC

Hanson Energy Products

David Hanson

Keith Sjostrom

Scott Alan Rempe

Hans Kelpe

Tod Michael

Tony Briggs

Chad Van Soelen

Nathan Copeland

Waleed Sami Haddad

Robert R Hauser

Ross Jones

Peter John Kelly

Raul Olivera

Gary E Peterson

Alan Wilson-Langman

Janice M Weber

Kirankumar M Kothari

Eric J Schaffer

Michael Raymond Inggs

Kenneth J Ryerson

Leendert Johannes Du Toit

Norman R Buck

A locator device and methods of use are disclosed. The locator device includes a first locating system configured to generate to sense an electromagnetic field emanating from a sonde associated with a drill head, and a second locating system including a global positioning system. The locator device includes a display on the locating system configured to display a map of the area in which the locator device resides based on a location detected by the global positioning system. The locator device also includes control electronics configured to, upon receipt of an input from a user, record location data in a memory associated with the locator device for use by a horizontal directional drilling control system.

Horizontal directional drilling system including sonde position detection using global positioning systems

A system and method for controlling animated characters. The system involves an animated character mapping perception into a number of domains, including a world domain, linguistic domain and social domain. The system is computationally perceived items that should be abstracted from the character's environment for processing. The animated character is able to utilize different levels of information gathering or learning, different levels of decision making, and different levels of dynamic responses to provide life-like interactions.

System and method for controlling intelligent animated characters

A system includes a drill string to which a sensor is attached, a rotation unit configured to rotate the drill string, and a displacement unit configured to longitudinally displace the drill string. A processor is coupled to the rotation and displacement units. The processor is configured to coordinate sampling, by the sensor, of three-dimensional space surrounding the sensor while rotating and displacing the drill string. The processor is further configured to coordinate adjusting of at least one of drill string rotation and drill string displacement so that acceptable spatial sampling of the space surrounding the sensor is achieved.

Imaging underground objects using spatial sampling customization

A user interface includes a display for displaying of a plurality of sensor data sets representative of signals associated with a plurality of sensors configured for sensing of a subsurface. At least some of the sensors are configured for subsurface sensing in a manner differing from other sensors of the plurality of sensors. Each of the sensor data sets comprises sensor data samples each associated with geographic position data. The sensor data sets are shown overlaid within a volume depicted on the display. The graphical representations of the sensor data sets are individually viewable within the volume and displayed in geographical alignment relative to one another within the volume in accordance with the geographic position data of the sensor data samples of each of the sensor data sets.

System and method for visualizing multiple-sensor subsurface imaging data

A mobile geophysical instrument produces geophysical data sets each associated with a position computed by use of a position sensor. A variable time delay results between a time when data for each geophysical data set is collected and a time when a position associated with each geophysical data set is recorded. A module receives distance transducer data and includes circuitry configured to generate a module signal based on trigger signals from the distance transducer and a calibration value. A data acquisition system (DAS) receives geophysical data sets from the geophysical instrument, positioning data from the positioning sensor, and the module signals. The DAS generates a DAS timestamp in response to each module signal and associates the DAS timestamp with each geophysical data set and a position associated with the geophysical data set, so as to substantially eliminate the variable time delay.

Positioning correction system and method for single and multi-channel ground penetrating radar

An obstacle avoidance system for obstacle detection in an opaque material. The system includes at least one electromagnetic signal source adapted to produce an electromagnetic source signal suitable for transmission through the opaque material, at least one electromagnetic signal detector adapted to receive reflected electromagnetic energy signals from discontinuities in the opaque material encountered by the electromagnetic source signal, and a reflected electromagnetic energy signal processor suitable for determining a presence of obstructions and/or strata variations within the opaque material. The system is preferably integral with a head element suitable for traversing the opaque material, for example a subterranean drill bit.

Obstacle detection system for underground operations

Face plate for a receiver

A safety cut-off device, comprises a valve for controlling fluid flow. The valve has a body with a passageway therethrough and inlet and outlet communicating with the passageway. The valve includes a closure member disposed within the passageway, the closure member having an open position for permitting fluid flow through the body and a closed position for shutting off the fluid flow. A stop has an operative position engaging the closure member in the open position and an inoperative position when the closure member is in the closed position. The stop is biased in the operative position. A vibration sensitive member is secured to the valve body, the vibration sensitive member being adapted to move the stop to the inoperative position in response to vibrations in the environment, whereby the closure member is permitted to move to the closed position.

Safety cut-off device for piping systems and the like

A feeder conveyor system for transferring randomly spaced products received from an input conveyor to precise locations within flites of a wrapper conveyor. A plurality of conveyors, prior to the wrapper conveyor, are independently driven by product positioning drive subsystems. Each product positioning drive subsystem associates products on its respective conveyor with target flites on the wrapper conveyor, and characterizes positional errors of the products on the conveyor relative to their associated target flites as being in one of a plurality of discrete positional error states representing a range of errors. The velocity of the conveyors controlled by the positioning drive subsystem as a function of the positional error state and the fill state of the associated target flite and flite previous to the target flite. A plurality of spacing conveyors are positioned upstream from the positioning conveyors and are independently driven by products spacing drive subsystems. The velocity of the spacing conveyors is controlled by the spacing drive subsystems as a function of state flags to space products at flite lengths with respect to one another. Overall operation of the positioning drive subsystems and spacing drive subsystems is controlled by a system processor.

Noncontact conveyor feeder system

Impeller

Solar collector

A solar energy collector formed of an inclined corrugated radiant heat absorbing panel for absorbing direct and reflected solar radiation having a plurality of air passageways formed by the convolutions of the corrugations, an air intake manifold and an air exhaust manifold connected to the passageways in said panel, an inflatable air-tight bag surrounding the collector assembly and a source of pressurized air connected to said air inlet manifold for pressurizing the system and for forcing air through the heat absorbing panel for heating the same.

The present invention is a telephone set for use in a telephone network in which a central switch gear is connected to incoming telephone lines and to a plurality of telephone stations. The switch gear serves to establish communication between selected stations and/or the incoming lines. The switch gear further has a memory and capability to receive command signals from the individual telephone set, and transmit confirmation signals to the set and perform selected functions in response to the command signals. The telephone itself has a plurality of manually actuated switches (51-56), each of which corresponds to a selected function. The set also has a programmable microprocessor (10) that automatically scans the switches, detects an actuated switch and generates a command signal corresponding to a selected function. The set has apparatus (440) for transmitting the command signals to the switch gear and apparatus (460-467) for receiving confirmation signals from the switch gear and transmitting the confirmation signals to the microprocessor. Finally, the telephone set has apparatus for transmitting and receiving voice communications.

Microprocessor controlled telephone set

Growing community of inventors

Pella, IA, United States of America

David Hanson