University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Icove & Associates, LLC

Other

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Icore and Associates, LLC

David J Icove

Tse-Wei Wang

Carl T Lyster

Roger Horn

John Douglas Birdwell

J Douglas Birdwell

Puneet Yadav

Sally P Horn

Mark Eugene Goodson

Mark S Rader

Dale V Stansberry

David M Banwarth

Michael B Zemel

Carl G Sapp

Sandra K Wesson

Neil Feld

A clothes dryer apparatus and system that reduces the buildup of electric charges within a dryer drum by introducing ions. The system monitors the voltage within the drum by taking measurements on voltage sensor assembly. The sensor assembly obtains a voltage when two areas of a fabric, or two separate items of the clothing, contact the sensor. If a threshold voltage is obtained, an ion generator introduces cations and anions into the drum of the dryer to neutralize the static charge of the clothing. The reduction of static electricity increases efficiency as the clothing items do not stick together which permits better heat flow and increases safety by reducing the amount of electrical charge within the drum.

Clothes dryer fire reduction system

Apparatus for detecting an electrical insult to a gas tubing system and dissipating the energy from such insult. The system includes tubing and an injury mitigator. The tubing includes a conduit, an insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a jacket. The conduit is connected to earth ground. The conductive layer is electrically insulated from the conduit by the insulating layer. The mitigator includes an insult event detection circuit and an energy dissipation circuit, both electrically connected between the conductive layer of the tubing and ground. Insult indication is provided by a fusible link. Energy dissipation is provided by the fuse, a transient voltage suppression (TVS) device, and/or a spark gap. The TVS device has a setpoint voltage less than the breakdown voltage of the spark gap, ensuring that the TVS device actuates before the spark gap conducts.

Dissipative lightning resistant tubing system

Apparatus for detecting an electrical insult to a gas tubing system and dissipating the energy from such insult. The system includes tubing, at least one terminating connector, and an injury mitigator. The tubing includes a conduit, an insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a jacket. The conduit is connected to earth ground. The conductive layer is electrically insulated from the conduit by the insulating layer. The mitigator includes an insult event detection circuit and an energy dissipation circuit, both electrically connected between the conductive layer of the tubing and ground. Insult indication is provided by a fusible link. Energy dissipation is provided by the fuse, a transient voltage suppression (TVS) device, and/or a spark gap. The TVS device has a setpoint voltage less than the breakdown voltage of the spark gap, ensuring that the TVS device actuates before the spark gap conducts.

Lightning resistant gas tubing system

Apparatus and methods for detecting concealed personal security threats may comprise conventional mirrors and less conventional arrays of Hall-effect sensors and/or magnetometers, preferably at least two axis or three axis sensors or sensors mounted back-to-back. The concealed personal security threats may comprise, for example, sticky devices consisting of geographic position sensors for covertly broadcasting motor vehicle location data, of so-called Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) which may be covertly or openly affixed to, for example, the undercarriages of motor vehicles using strong magnets and later exploded, the former giving away private location information, the latter causing damage to the motor vehicles to which they are affixed and sticky containers for hiding contraband among other 'sticky devices.' Magnetic fields detected by, for example, arrays of Hall-effect sensors and the like may be quantified and stored in processor memory as a vehicle magnetic field signature. A processor receiving magnetic field data collected by the arrays may retrieve and subtract known signatures from acquired magnetic field data for a given vehicle to obtain location for a magnetic field on the vehicle that may be of potential interest as a risk.

Handheld devices and structures to detect sticky devices having magnets

An automatic fire suppression system used to provide protection of window glass and other structural elements in aircraft terminals which are exposed to exterior fires caused by natural, accidental, or intentional events comprises a directional passive microwave receiver, a central processor for processing received microwave signals over time and comparing the received signals over time with thermal event signatures stored in memory to selectively actuate a sprinkler system for protecting the window glass in the vicinity of an identified fire event. The memory may further store a model of the aircraft terminal, and the processor utilizes a fire dynamics simulator to simulate a thermal event at the terminal. A related fire suppression process involves the detection of incipient fires through an array of exterior passive microwave heat sensor fire detectors connected to an electronic control processor which identify zones such as 30 to 100 linear foot zones of exterior glass surface and automatically initiates an array of quenching sprinkler heads applying water to the exposed surfaces of glass and other structural elements in response to detection of an identified fire event by its signature.

Passive microwave system and method for protecting a structure from fire threats

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, one of a machine component or process failure event, an intrusion event and a fire event and residual objects may be predicted and located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages.

Method and apparatus for predicting object properties and events using similarity-based information retrieval and modeling

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic and thermal spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, an evidence tree display showing a target object linked by a pathway to a predicted property comprises a similarity value, a speculation value and a model-based rank.

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, one of a criminal activity and a fraudulent activity event, an intrusion event and a fire event and residual objects may be predicted and located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages.

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method utilizes a model comprising application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods.

Apparatus and methods for detecting concealed personal security threats may comprise conventional mirrors and less conventional arrays of Hall-effect sensors, soft iron cores, magnetometers and the like, preferably at least two axis sensors. The concealed personal security threats may comprise, for example, sticky devices consisting of geographic position sensors for covertly broadcasting motor vehicle location data, of so-called Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) which may be covertly or openly affixed to, for example, the undercarriages of motor vehicles using strong magnets and later exploded, the former giving away private location information without the knowledge of a driver or passengers and the latter causing damage to the motor vehicles to which they are affixed and potentially harming a driver, passengers and nearby persons and sticky containers for hiding items among other sticky devices. A sticky container may be used to contain, for example, a vehicle ignition key or contraband. Magnetic fields detected by, for example, arrays of Hall-effect sensors, soft iron cores, magnetometers and the like may be quantified and stored in processor memory as a vehicle magnetic field signature. A processor receiving magnetic field data collected by the arrays may retrieve and subtract known signatures from newly acquired magnetic field data for a given vehicle to obtain location for a magnetic field on the vehicle that may be of potential interest as a harm risk and for personal security.

Handheld and imbedded devices to detect sticky devices using magnets

Method and apparatus for determining a metric for use in predicting properties of an unknown specimen belonging to a group of reference specimen electrical devices comprises application of a network analyzer for collecting impedance spectra for the reference specimens and determining centroids and thresholds for the group of reference specimens so that an unknown specimen may be confidently classified as a member of the reference group using the metric. If a trait is stored with the reference group of electrical device specimens, then, the trait may be predictably associated with the unknown specimen along with any traits identified with the unknown specimen associated with the reference group.

Method and apparatus for classifying known specimens and media using spectral properties and identifying unknown specimens and media

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, a fire event and residual objects may be located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages.

Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, one of a process failure event, an intrusion event and a fire event and residual objects may be predicted and located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

David J Icove