Bizarre Patents
An extension member is attachable to a trailer hitch and extends away from the vehicle and is connected to a seating frame supporting a toilet seat.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8130594 | Mechanically filtered hydrophone A hydrophone (10) for immersion in a liquid body defining a depth-dependent static pressure and a dynamic pressure. The hydrophone (10) includes a pressure-bearing element (11) for exposure to the liquid body; a motion sensor (13) spaced ... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8094519 | Intensity modulated fiber optic hydrophones A fiber optic hydrophone has a reflective diaphragm having an exposed face and a reflective protected face, at least one transmitting multimode optical fiber having an end spaced apart from the protected face of the diaphragm positioned to emit light toward the diap... | 01/10/2012 |
| 7969823 | Methods, systems and apparatus for measuring acoustic pressure A hydrophone (10) for immersion in a liquid body defining a pressure is disclosed The hydrophone (10) includes a sensor (11) for providing an electrical signal indicative of the pressure; and a transducer (12) electrically connected to th... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7961551 | Determining directional propagation attributes of a seismic event A technique includes obtaining seismic data acquired by at least one seismic sensor. The technique includes processing the seismic data to determine a value that is indicative of a three-dimensional directional propagation attribute of a seismic event based on the s... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7679999 | Marine acoustic sensor assembly A marine acoustic sensor assembly includes an acoustic panel having a forward surface and an after surface, a laser scanner oriented so as to project a laser beam onto the acoustic panel after surface, and a sensor oriented so as to receive reflections of the laser ... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7613075 | Adaptive high frequency laser sonar system An acoustic sensing device includes a housing having an internal cavity filled with a vibration decoupling medium. An acoustic window formed of an acoustically transparent material is mounted in the housing. This mounting can be by antivibration mounts to prevent ho... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7554885 | Polarization diversity for optical fiber applications At least two light beams with polarization diversity are generated that each carry a representation of the same information. Separate optic fibers carry each of the at least two beams through a region subject to vibration to a remote location where the information i... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7551517 | Seabed seismic station packaging A seismic sensor station includes a housing containing a fiber optic hydrophone and a fiber optic accelerometer that can both be made from a single length of optical fiber arranged inside the housing. The fiber optic accelerometer is arranged in a liquid/oil filled ... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7466631 | Enhanced sensitivity pressure tolerant fiber optic hydrophone An interferometric hydrophone operable for use in surrounding fluid, includes an outer mandrel having an interior open to the surrounding fluid. A sensing optical fiber is wound on the exterior of the outer mandrel. An inner mandrel is positioned in the interior of ... | 12/16/2008 |
| 7463555 | Tri axis high frequency fiber optic acoustic sensor A fiber optic acoustic sensor that detects pressure waves from all incident angles features multiple mandrels orthogonally disposed to provide omni-directional sensing capability. The topology of the mandrels prevents frequency response drop-off characteristic of cy... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7369716 | High pressure and high temperature acoustic sensor An acoustic sensor, such as a hydrophone, is deployable in a fluidic media having high temperature, high pressure, and/or potentially caustic chemicals. The hydrophone includes a housing filled with an internal fluid and containing a sensing mandrel. The sensing man... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7366055 | Ocean bottom seismic sensing system Seismic sensor systems and sensor station topologies, as well as corresponding cable and sensor station components, manufacturing and deployment techniques are provided. For some embodiments, networks of optical ocean bottom seismic (OBS) stations are provided, in w... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7359803 | Apparatus and method for measuring parameters of a mixture having solid particles suspended in a fluid flowing in a pipe An apparatus 10,70 and method is provided that includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors 15-18 placed at predetermined axial locations X1-XN disposed axially along a pipe 14 for measuring at least one par... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7345952 | Optical fibre sensors mounted on a cable An optical sensor assembly including a coupler and an optical fibre coil. The coupler is attached to the central member of the cable at a position where outer layers of the cable been removed. A first terminal of the coupler is connected to an optical fibre travelin... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7328624 | Probe for measuring parameters of a flowing fluid and/or multiphase mixture A probe 10,170 is provided that measures the speed of sound and/or vortical disturbances propagating in a single phase fluid flow and/or multiphase mixture to determine parameters, such as mixture quality, particle size, vapor/mass ratio, liquid/vapor ratio, ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7327462 | Method and apparatus for direct detection of signals from a differential delay heterodyne interferometric system A direct detection method and apparatus for a fiber optic acoustic sensor array systems using an in-line Michelson sensor TDM array and an interferometric section having two acousto-optic modulators that produce optical pulses that are frequency shifted with respect... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7295493 | Pressure tolerant fiber optic hydrophone An interferometric hydrophone is disclosed that comprises a first mandrel defining an interior that is open to surrounding fluid. A sensing optical fiber is wound upon the first mandrel. A second mandrel is positioned in surrounding relationship with respect to the ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295494 | Diamagnetic current response transducer for sensing pressure gradient in a fluid medium A pressure gradient sensor for seismic and other applications utilizing the principle of diamagnetic drift. The sensor comprises at least one transducer, each transducer made of or containing a medium having at least one species of mobile charged particles such as e... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7295933 | Configurable multi-function flow measurement apparatus having an array of sensors A configurable multi-function flow measurement apparatus is provided that can selectably function to measure the speed of sound propagating through a fluid flowing within a pipe and/or to measure pressures disturbances (e.g. vortical disturbances or eddies) moving w... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7288927 | Remote substance identification and location method and system This invention relates to a method and system for remote detection of a targeted substance by the appropriate application of a probing signal that induces molecular resonance in the target substance to create an identifiable signature or response. In the preferred e... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281429 | Optical hydrophone for a shock-wave field with long service life An optical hydrophone for measurement of the acoustic pressure distribution in a fluid medium has a light source that illuminates an area of a boundary region between an optically transparent body and the fluid medium. A light receiver measures the intensity of the ... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7283426 | Method and apparatus for detecting submarines A method for detecting, tracking and locating submarines (24) utilizes pulsed coherent radiation from a laser (12) that is projected down through a water column, with particles in the water producing speckle from backscatter of the random particle dist... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7280863 | System and method for radar-assisted catheter guidance and control A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so eq... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7278315 | Laser-ultrasonic detection of subsurface defects in processed metals Subsurface defects in a processed metal are detected by a laser-ultrasonic method involving generation of a surface acoustic wave at one location on the processed metal surface, and detection of a scattered acoustic wave at another location on the processed metal su... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277179 | Magneto-optical sensors A system for estimating a parameter selected from the group consisting of a current, a magnetic field, or combinations thereof comprises a resonant frequency tunable magneto-optical loop resonator, wherein the loop resonator comprises a magneto-optical sensing eleme... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7259864 | Optical underwater acoustic sensor An acoustic sensor used in underwater applications. The sensor includes a reflective material adhered to a structure, such as an outer submarine hull or any marine vessel hull. A laser interferometer is placed on the side of the structure with the reflective materia... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7260023 | Remote underwater laser acoustic source A method for generating an acoustic source in a liquid includes transmitting an optical pulse through the liquid so the optical pulse reaches ILIB through pulse compression and ionizes a liquid volume. The pulse compression is achieved through at least on... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7251196 | Passive optical detection of underwater sound A passive acoustic sensor that may be employed to detect sounds emanating from under the surface of a body of water. The sensor uses optics to determine vibration on the surface of a water body to detect sound pressure waves from underwater sound sources. The sensor... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7245789 | Systems and methods for minimally-invasive optical-acoustic imaging This document discusses, among other things, an imaging guidewire that includes one or more optical fibers communicating light along the guidewire. At or near its distal end, one or more blazed or other fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) directs light to a photoacoustic tr... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7239577 | Apparatus and methods for multicomponent marine geophysical data gathering In one embodiment the invention comprises a particle velocity sensor that includes a housing with a geophone mounted in the housing. A fluid that substantially surrounds the geophone is included within the housing. The particle velocity sensor has an acoustic impeda... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7237440 | Flow measurement apparatus having strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors A flow measurement apparatus is provided that combines the functionality of an apparatus that uses strain-based sensors and ultrasonic sensors to measure the speed of sound propagating through a fluid flowing within a pipe, and measure pressures disturbances (e.g. v... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7239809 | Electrical pulse transformation using optical delay lines A recirculating optical delay line 30 has a laser 32 controlled by wavelength control 33 so as to vary the wavelength of radiation over time to provide a first input 34 to an optical modulator 35. The modulator 35 modulates ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7227814 | Repairable fiber optic hydrophone assembly A re-enterable end-to-end hydrophone assembly which is at least partially transparent, so that the routing of the hydrophone fibers is visible during all phases of assembly and operation. The inventive hydrophone assembly includes a cylindrical sensing mandrel with ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7225193 | Method and apparatus for retrieving event data related to an activity A method and apparatus that processes time series, event and/or activity data of a process according to a data structure is disclosed. The data structure defines one or more activities that frame the time series, event and/or activity data. Each activity and each ev... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7222534 | Optical accelerometer, optical inclinometer and seismic sensor system using such accelerometer and inclinometer An optical accelerometer includes a beam and at least one optical fiber affixed to one side of the beam such that deflection of the beam changes a length of the optical fiber. A device for sensing the change in length of the optical fiber is functionally coupled to ... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7221813 | Signal acquisition probing and voltage measurement systems using an electro-optical cavity A signal acquisition probing system uses an optical cavity to acquire a signal under test. The probing system has an optical transmitter and receiver that are coupled to the optical cavity via an optical transmission system. The optical cavity has an electrode struc... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7206259 | Ultrasound sensor and ultrasound measurement device An ultrasound sensor consists of an optical fiber having an active portion with high birefringence and two non-active portions located at each end of the active portion. A bragg grating is provided in the fiber. An ultrasound measurement device includes an ultrasoun... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7197931 | Sensors for monitoring structural health conditions Sensors and systems for monitoring structural health conditions. The present invention provides a device for monitoring structural health conditions including a dielectric substrate, a piezoelectric device for actuating and/or sensing Lamb waves, a molding layer dep... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7187620 | Method and apparatus for borehole sensing The present invention provides an apparatus and method for sensing subsurface data. One embodiment of the invention comprises a shuttle attached to a conveyance where the conveyance and shuttle are adapted to be spooled downhole into a borehole for sensing seismic d... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7184368 | Optical displacement sensor element The invention relates an optical displacement sensor element comprising two essentially flat surfaces (1,2) being separated by a cavity defined by a spacer (5) and the surfaces (1,2), the distance between the surfaces being variable, wherein a f... | 02/27/2007 |
