The Ohio State University

Paneratech, Inc.

Syntonics, LLC

Other

Ppg Industries Ohio, Inc.

The Ohio State Research Foundation

Acr Process Corp.

Calearo Antenne S.p.a.

Eric K Walton

Wladimiro Villarroel

Harry S Koontz

Yasutaka Horiki

Yakup Bayram

Alexander C Ruege

Bruce G Montgomery

Chi-Chih Chen

Walter D Burnside

Charles S Voeltzel

Raymond D Moran

Steven E Gemeny

Gary W Bruce

Gary W Harris

Martino Rosin

Wilhelmus Theunissen

Stephen Essman

Orbay Tuncay

Douglas E Crowe

Peter Hagan

Eugene Y Lee

Disclosed is an improved device and method to evaluate the status of a material by scanning an area that overlaps a region of the material under evaluation. The device and method are operative to identify a leakage of a first material into a second material, such as a molten material surrounded by a refractory material, to measure the thickness of the second material, using electromagnetic waves, and to generate images. The device is designed to reduce a plurality of reflections associated with the propagation of electromagnetic waves launched into the material under evaluation, by a sufficient extent so as to enable detection of electromagnetic waves of interest reflected from remote discontinuities present in between the device and the enclosed material. Furthermore, the device can be configured to scan areas of interest in either a portable or fixed configuration, manually in a standalone mode or as part of an automated system.

Device and method for evaluation of a material

Disclosed is an improved system and method to treat an edge of a material for determining a property of such material through measurements of electromagnetic waves. The system and method are operative to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the interaction between an electromagnetic wave and an edge of a sample of a material under test. The system and method define a configuration to block and significantly attenuate the propagation of electromagnetic waves that may reach an edge of the sample being evaluated. This configuration reduces the undesired effects caused by edge-diffraction that may interfere with the measurement of desired electromagnetic waves for material evaluation. As a result, a property of a material under test can be measured more accurately, especially near the edges of such material. In addition, the system and method enable the evaluation of a small-size sample of a material.

Edge treatment system and method for evaluating a material

Disclosed is an antenna system and method to design a desensitized antenna element. The system and method are operative to design a configuration of an antenna to overcome a number of operational conditions in which the frequency response of the antenna element may be uniquely or significantly detuned or offset or in which undesired noise, signal interference, or electromagnetic coupling effects may affect or be induced by the antenna element. These operational conditions may include the presence of any combination of user body parts, conductive materials, or dielectric materials as well as neighboring electronic systems or other sources of undesired noise, signal interference, and electromagnetic coupling. The system is designed to mitigate adverse effects, when operating in a potentially antenna-detuning environment or under conditions that may affect other systems or be susceptible to being affected by other sources, by using a desensitizer element comprising at least one electrical circuit component.

Desensitized antenna and design method thereof

Disclosed is an improved system and method to evaluate the status of a material. The system and method are operative to identify flaws and measure the erosion profile and thickness of different materials, including refractory materials, using electromagnetic waves. The system is designed to reduce a plurality of reflections, associated with the propagation of electromagnetic waves launched into the material under evaluation, by a sufficient extent so as to enable detection of electromagnetic waves of interest reflected from remote discontinuities of the material. Furthermore, the system and method utilize a configuration and signal processing techniques that reduce clutter and enable the isolation of electromagnetic waves of interest. Moreover, the launcher is impedance matched to the material under evaluation, and the feeding mechanism is designed to mitigate multiple reflection effects to further suppress clutter.

Material erosion monitoring system and method

Disclosed is an antenna feeding system and method to optimize the design of the feeding system to feed an antenna made of a resistive sheet. The system and method are operative to design a topology of the antenna feeding system to adapt to a topology of the resistive sheet antenna to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the inherent losses of resistive sheets while operating as antennas. The system is designed to reduce a convergence of radiofrequency currents that may create a localized high density current concentration, such as 'hot spots' and 'pinch points,' on the resistive sheet, by a sufficient extent so as to prevent power losses that substantially decrease the radiation efficiency of the antenna as compared with feeding systems designed using traditional design techniques.

Adaptive antenna feeding and method for optimizing the design thereof

Disclosed is an antenna system and method to optimize the design of an antenna using resistive sheets. The system and method are operative to design a topology of a resistive sheet to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the inherent losses of resistive sheets while operating as antennas. The system is designed to reduce a plurality of radiofrequency current 'hot spots' and 'pinch points,' associated with the flow of a current on a resistive sheet, by a sufficient extent so as to enable radiation of electromagnetic waves at substantially higher radiation efficiency as compared with antennas designed using traditional design techniques.

Antenna and method for optimizing the design thereof

Disclosed is a system and method to aid in these inspections that avoid the disadvantages of the prior art. The system and method are operative to take thickness measurements of, and thus evaluate the condition of, materials including but not limited to refractory materials, operating in frequency bands that result in less loss than previously known technologies, and utilizing a system configuration and signal processing techniques that isolate the reflected signal of interest from other spurious antenna reflections, particularly by creating (through the configuration of the antenna assembly) a time delay between such spurious reflections and the actual reflected signal of interest, thus enabling better isolation of the signal of interest. Still further, the antenna assembly is intrinsically matched to the material to be probed, such as by impedance matching the antenna to the particular material (through knowledge of the dielectric and magnetic properties of the material to be evaluated) to even further suppress spurious reflections.

Microwave probe for furnace refractory material

A method for determining a physical property of an object or fluid in a dynamic multi-path clutter environment comprises transmitting an RF interrogation signal to a wireless sensor physically coupled to the object or fluid (gas or liquid) in the dynamic multi-path clutter environment, wherein the wireless sensor is operable to receive the RF interrogation signal, produce a reference signal and a measurement signal, and retransmit the reference signal and the measurement signal in the dynamic multi-path clutter environment. The reference signal and measurement signal are delayed by the wireless sensor by an amount of time that may be a function of the unknown physical property. The method also comprises receiving the retransmitted reference signal and the retransmitted measurement signal and comparing them in the time domain in order to determine the unknown physical property of the object or fluid. The method further comprises setting the time delays of the retransmitted reference and retransmitted measurement signals to be long enough for the ringdown time to be over but not so long so that the differential time is distorted by the dynamics of the system.

Determining physical properties of objects or fluids in multi-path clutter environments

An antenna made up of small addressable conductive segments, or pixel elements, located in a dielectric space positioned over a two-dimensional pixel element actuator is presented. The small pixel elements can be actuated in less than a millisecond by the actuator to form patterns that create an array of patch antennas and associated transmission lines on the upper surface of the dielectric space. The pixel elements can be formed using small movable conductive particles such as metal flakes or metal chips.

Reconfigurable antenna using addressable conductive particles

Antenna assemblies and corresponding modes of operation are provided where the first antenna assembly of the system is tuned to a first frequency band &#x3bd;1 and the second antenna assembly of the antenna system is tuned to a second frequency band &#x3bd;2. The ground plane of the first antenna assembly is configured as a frequency selective surface that is substantially reflective of radiation in the first frequency band and substantially transparent to radiation in the second frequency band. The second ground plane may also be configured as a frequency selective surface and may be reflective of radiation in the second frequency band. Any number of additional antenna arrays may be added so long as the outer arrays are transparent to the inner arrays.

Multi-band antenna

An antenna made up of addressable conductive segments, or pixel elements, affixed to the top of each piston in a piston array is presented. The pixel elements can be activated in less than a millisecond to form an antenna array and transmission line pattern using movable pistons and a two-dimensional actuator. Each piston comprises a handle, a bottom conductive segment affixed to the top of the handle, a dielectric segment affixed to the uppermost surface of the bottom conductive segment, and a top conductive segment affixed to the uppermost surface of the dielectric segment. When the piston is not actuated, the top conductive segment forms part of a ground plane. The top conductive segment form part of the transmission line and antenna array patterns, the dielectric segment becomes a dielectric space and the bottom conductive segment forms part of the ground plane when the piston is actuated.

Reconfigurable antenna using addressable pixel pistons

A method for detecting an object using a transmitting antenna and an array of receiving antennas. The method comprises the step of transmitting a signal from the transmitting antenna. The magnitude and phase of a respective received signal at each of the receiving antennas is then measured. Next, the magnitude of a weighted sum of respective phase-compensated signals related to each of the receiving antennas is determined. The magnitude of the weighted sum is compared against a first predetermined threshold value and, optionally, a second predetermined threshold value. An object may be detected by considering a ratio of the magnitude of the weighted sum to the first predetermined threshold value and, optionally, to the second predetermined threshold value. In some embodiments, a second array of receiving antennas may be provided to facilitate the determination of the location of the object.

Vehicle obstacle warning radar

Antenna assemblies and corresponding modes of operation are provided where the first antenna assembly of the system is tuned to a first frequency band &#x3bd;and the second antenna assembly of the antenna system is tuned to a second frequency band &#x3bd;. The ground plane of the first antenna assembly is configured as a frequency selective surface that is substantially reflective of radiation in the first frequency band and substantially transparent to radiation in the second frequency band. The second ground plane may also be configured as a frequency selective surface and may be reflective of radiation in the second frequency band.

A radar system that utilizes predetermined, pseudorandom, or random waveforms that may be substantially matched to the impulse response of the radar and any surrounding clutter such that the signal-to-clutter ratio may be optimized and/or such that specific targets may be identified and/or classified.

Radar system using RF noise

A region in a metallic panel that facilitates the transmission of radio frequency signals. The metallic panel may be included in a window such as the window of a vehicle or building. For example, the metallic panel may be used for heating or to reflect infrared radiation. An aperture is formed in the metallic panel to enable radio frequency signals to be transmitted through the metallic panel. The design of the aperture may be selected to enable the transmission of the desired frequency band. In an embodiment in which the metallic panel is used to conduct electric current, the aperture may be oriented such that the current may flow between the openings of the aperture. Accordingly, there may be uniform heating across the metallic panel without blocking the transmission of radio frequency signals in the desired frequency band.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

Eric K Walton