Thomas Allen Bell

US Patent:

61041939, Aug 15, 2000

Filed:

Sep 15, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/153463

Inventors:

Thomas H. Bell - Adamstown MD

Assignee:

AETC Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

G01V 311
G01V 3165

US Classification:

324329

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for detecting mostly-plastic mines having steel firing pins and copper igniter cups. A frequency spectrum is transmitted, and response signals from the metal components induced by resultant eddy currents are detected. The firing pin generates a response characterized by a first frequency that is in phase with the transmitted frequency, whereas the igniter cup generates a response characterized by a second frequency that is in quadrature with the transmitted frequency. Accordingly, the detected response can be compared to prestored response templates to determine what type of mine, if any, has been detected, with the use of two response frequencies and phase relationships enabling the discrimination of buried plastic mines from surrounding metal particles in the earth.

US Patent:

60526475, Apr 18, 2000

Filed:

Jun 20, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/879628

Inventors:

Bradford W. Parkinson - Los Altos CA
Michael L. O'Connor - Jamul CA
Gabriel H. Elkaim - Castro Valley CA
Thomas Bell - Reston VA

Assignee:

Stanford University - Stanford CA

International Classification:

G01S 302

US Classification:

701215

Abstract:

Described is an automatic control system for land (and possible marine) vehicles based on carrier phase differential GPS (CPGPS). The system relies on CPGPS to determine vehicle position and attitude very precisely (position to within 1 cm and attitude to within 0. 1. degree. ). A system incorporates a technique to calculate and compensate for antenna motion due to vehicle roll and pitch. One aspect of the system utilizes an intelligent vehicle controller that recognizes and adapts to changing conditions, such as vehicle speed, implements towed by the vehicle, soil conditions, and disturbance level. The system provides the capability to control the vehicle on various paths, including straight lines and arbitrary curves. Also described is a technique for initialization and vehicle control using only a single pseudolite.

US Patent:

20160245623, Aug 25, 2016

Filed:

Mar 7, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/201529

Inventors:

Herbert H. Nelson - Washington DC, US
Daniel A. Steinhurst - Alexandria VA, US
Glenn R. Harbaugh - King George VA, US
Thomas H. Bell - Adamstown MD, US

Assignee:

The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Arlington VA

International Classification:

F41H 11/136
G01V 3/10

Abstract:

A sensor system for detecting buried metal objects such as unexploded ordnance and the collection of data for the classification of the detected objects based on parameters extracted from the collected data includes a wheeled cart, positioned on which is an array of transmitter coils for transmitting a series of excitation signals onto the area of interest and a sensor array of receiver coils and preamplifiers for receiving back the resultant eddy current decays emitted by the buried objects, a computer, and data acquisition electronics for acquiring and storing the received decays as decay data within the computer. The incoming EMI data are digitized and a data fitting process is performed to extract fit location and shape parameters. These data can be transferred to other data analysis systems for comparison to previously recorded signatures to determine whether the received decay data from the area of interest is attributable to buried metal objects or conversely to an object constituting an anomaly.