Other

Merlin Technology Limited Liability Company

Merlin Technologies, Inc.

Peter Davis Poulsen

Items with first indicia of corresponding unique identifiers are worn or carried by duty personnel. One of those items worn or carried by personnel involved in an exceptional, significant, or noteworthy incident is retrieved and authenticated, and information or content pertaining to the incident is stored in a database associated with the corresponding unique identifier of the item. Upon being scanned or machine-read the first indicia can activate a software link to the information or content pertaining to the incident. The first indicia, subsequently added second indicia, or additional identification data can be employed for subsequent authentication of the item.

Item authentication systems and methods

Multiple telescopes of a telescope array are rigidly aligned at predetermined relative orientations to simultaneously image corresponding predesignated celestial objects. Detection of light from the celestial objects collected by the telescopes enables calculation or estimation of orientation of the telescope array with respect to the celestial sphere. That orientation, in combination with a planetary nadir direction, enables estimation or calculation of position of the telescope array relative to a planetary surface. The nadir can be measured by dropping a probe particle through an evacuated chamber onto or through a two-dimensional sensor.

Orientation and navigation apparatus

An object is enclosed but moveable within a container. An interior surface of the container includes two or more distinct areal segments exhibiting corresponding surface characteristics. Movement of the object while in contact with each areal segment results in a corresponding sensory input to a user moving the container. The corresponding surface characteristic of each areal segment differs from the corresponding surface characteristic of at least one other areal segment, so that the corresponding sensory inputs to the user resulting from movement of the object while in contact with those areal segments differ from one another. The corresponding sensory inputs can include auditory inputs, tactile inputs, visual inputs, olfactory inputs, or sensor readouts. The article can be employed in methods wherein a user identifies the object, or characterizes the object or areal segments, based on the sensory inputs.

Articles and methods for sensory training, education, entertainment, or amusement

An apparatus for launching a payload includes a primary barrel, a primary projectile including a secondary barrel, and a secondary projectile including the payload. Prior to firing the apparatus to launch the payload, the primary projectile is contained within the primary barrel, and the secondary projectile is contained within the secondary barrel. Ignition, detonation, or expansion of a primary propellant within the primary barrel launches the primary projectile from the primary barrel. Ignition, detonation, or expansion of a secondary propellant within the secondary barrel launches the secondary projectile from the secondary barrel. The secondary projectile can further include a volume of a secondary explosive material; detonation of the secondary explosive material propels at least a portion of the payload away from a remainder of the secondary projectile. The payload can include cremation remains, DNA, or text, images, or other information.

Apparatus and methods for launching a payload

One or more peripheral optical elements direct light emanating from a central field portion of a visual field (via one or more central optical elements of a visual sensor) onto a peripheral sensor portion of the visual sensor. The peripheral optical element(s) map an image of the central field portion onto the peripheral sensor portion for detection by the visual sensor. The central optical element(s) define the central field portion and form (from light emanating from the central field portion and directly incident on the central optical element(s)) an image of the central field portion on a corresponding central sensor portion of the visual sensor distinct from the peripheral sensor portion.

Mapping a central visual field onto a peripheral visual sensor

A surgical instrument comprises: an elongated sheath, an energy probe, an elongated energy conductor, and an elongated cooling member. The energy probe is connected to the distal end portion of the sheath. The elongated energy conductor is contained within the sheath and arranged to transmit distally to the energy probe energy from an energy source. The elongated cooling member is reciprocally movable within the sheath and thermally coupled at its proximal portion to a cooler. The cooling member is movable between a proximal, non-cooling position and a distal, cooling position. In the non-cooling position, a distal end of the cooling member is displaced proximally from the energy probe so as to impede thermal conduction therebetween; in the cooling position, the distal end of the cooling member thermally contacts the energy probe so as to facilitate thermal conduction therebetween.

Reciprocating cooling member for an energized surgical instrument

A projectile comprises a payload and an aerodynamic outer housing. The outer housing is arranged, in launch and flight configurations, to surround the payload. The outer housing is further arranged, in the launch configuration, to be launched from a barrel of a launching gun or cannon. The outer housing is further arranged, in the flight configuration, to have a bi-tapered shape that is elongated along a fore-and-aft direction and has a longitudinal profile that tapers in both fore and aft directions. The outer housing is arranged to assume an exoatmospheric configuration upon reaching a target distance-from-launch, a target time-from-launch, a target altitude, or a target velocity. In the exoatmospheric configuration, either (i) the outer housing is arranged to release the payload or (ii) the outer housing and payload are arranged in a propulsion configuration. The projectile can include various additional components or adaptations to enable or achieve specific launch objectives.

Multifunction aerodynamic housing for ballistic launch of a payload

An energy-dispersing article comprises: first and second material sheets, a first set of U-shaped rods attached at both ends to the first sheet, and a second set of U-shaped rods attached at both ends to the second sheet. The first and second material sheets are positioned in a parallel, spaced-apart arrangement with the U-shaped rods therebetween in an interleaved arrangement. Within each set of rods, the rods are of differing lengths and are arranged so that rods with attachments to one of the material sheets adjacent to a given one of the rods differ in length from that given one of the rods. The article can be arranged so as to distribute energy of a localized blast or impact on one material sheet through the rods to laterally displaced regions of that sheet. The article can be arranged as a blast shield or as armor.

Article for dispersing energy of a blast or impact

Method and apparatus for converting acoustic energy in an unshifted acoustic signal into an upshifted acoustic signal, and emitting the upshifted acoustic signal. Using a frequency converter, acoustic energy in a first frequency range in the unshifted acoustic signal is converted into acoustic energy in the upshifted acoustic signal in a second frequency range. The upshifted acoustic signal is emitted into an ambient acoustic environment. The second frequency range is higher than the first; the unshifted acoustic signal comprises an unwanted acoustic noise signal. The effect of the acoustic noise signal can be reduced by: enhanced attenuation of upshifted signal during atmospheric propagation; enhanced attenuation of upshifted signal by a non-gaseous attenuating medium; or decreased coupling of upshifted signal into resonances of a human body or mechanical structure.

Apparatus and methods for upshifting the frequency of acoustic energy

A thermal management surface system comprises a substantially flat sheet and a plurality of support members. The sheet has a plurality of open funnel-like channels therethrough with a larger upper opening and a smaller, spout-like lower opening. The support members lie on a support surface in a spaced-apart arrangement with the sheet resting on the support members substantially parallel to and offset vertically above the support surface; the support surface and the sheet thereby define a containment space. Each of the spout-like lower openings is canted to impart lateral momentum on gas flowing into the upper opening and out of the lower opening. Groups of multiple contiguous channels can have spout-like lower openings canted substantially along a common direction, so that gas flowing out of those lower openings flows along the common direction through the containment space.

Thermal management for a flight deck or other aviation surface

This invention presents a projection-receiving surface that has a surface having an undulating contour. The undulating contour comprises a plurality of alternating convex cylindrical surface segments and concave cylindrical surface segments. The convex cylindrical surface segments and concave cylindrical surface segments of the undulating contour of the surface arranged with cylindrical axes in a direction. The surface can further have an additional surface feature comprising striations, cusps, and/or nanoflaked reflector leaves. The striations are arranged crosswise to the undulating contour. The surface can be a reflection surface of a front projection-receiving surface.

Projection-receiving surface

A method comprises: repeatedly presenting to a subject a training stimulus; presenting to the subject a diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus along with the training stimulus; and presenting the diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus to the subject without the training stimulus. The training stimulus elicits from the subject a selected physiological, psychological, emotional, or mechanical response. The diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus is presented without the training stimulus so as to elicit the selected response. The diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus is presented via a visual display and comprises a selected spatial pattern or arrangement of deviation of a selected parameter of the visual display from a reference level of that parameter. The diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus is arranged so as to be perceived by the subject only at a subliminal or near-subliminal level. A video display and electronic processor can be arranged to present the training stimulus and the diffuse, non-imaged visual stimulus.

Subliminal or near-subliminal conditioning using diffuse visual stimuli

A method comprises: i) presenting to a subject a training stimulus, the training stimulus eliciting from the subject a desired response; ii) presenting to the subject a diffuse visual stimulus along with the training stimulus; and iii) repeating the presenting to the subject of the training stimulus along with the diffuse visual stimulus sufficiently many times so that subsequent presentation of the diffuse visual stimulus to the subject without the training stimulus elicits from the subject the desired response. The diffuse visual stimulus is arranged so as to be perceived by the subject only at a subliminal or near-subliminal level. Another method comprises presenting to the subject the diffuse visual stimulus in order to elicit the desired response, the subject having been conditioned according to the previous method.

Growing community of inventors

Grants Pass, OR, United States of America

Peter Davis Poulsen