Patents

Blue Road Research has both license and sublicensing rights to 19 McDonnell Douglas Patents and Patent Applications in which Eric Udd, principal, Blue Road Research was the inventor or co-inventor. In addition, Blue Road Research has a rapidly growing portfolio of patents on advanced fiber sensors for multi-axis strain, pressure, temperature, corrosion and distributed sensing applications.

Nonexclusive Licenses

Blue Road Research has the right to nonexclusively license approximately 19 patents that involve Eric Udd, the founder of Blue Road Research as the inventor, that belong to Boeing/McDonnell Douglas. The following U.S. Patents are available from Blue Road Research on a nonexclusive basis.

4,375,680 Optical Acoustic Sensor, by Richard Cahill and Eric Udd, March 1, 1983.
This patent covers the usage of the Sagnac interferometer to measure time-varying events such as acoustics.

4,471,659 Optical Vibration Sensor, by Eric Udd and Richard Cahill, September 18, 1984.
An extrinsic fiber optic vibration sensor based on the usage of bulk grating elements is described.

4,534,222 Fiber Optic Seismic Sensor, by George Finch and Eric Udd, August 13, 1985.
This patent covers the transducers for interferometric seismic sensors.

4,588,296 Compact Optical Gyro, by Richard Cahill and Eric Udd, May 13, 1986.
This patent covers early improvements to the fiber optic gyro- and Sagnac interferometer-based fiber sensors. It extends U.S. Patent 4,299,490 by Richard Cahill and Eric Udd

4,743,116 Microbending Optical Fiber Accelerometer and Gyroscope, by Eric Udd, Philip Gretzkowski and Keith Wanser, May 10, 1988.
This patent describes fiber accelerometers based on bending.

4,755,051 Vibrating Optical Fiber Accelerometer and Gyroscope, by Richard Cahill and Eric Udd, July 5, 1988.
This patent describes how to incorporate a vibrating fiber accelerometer into a fiber gyroscope.

4,787,741 Fiber Optic Sensor, by Eric Udd, Ronald Michael, Steve Watanabe, John Paul Theriault and Richard Cahill, November 29, 1988.
This patent covers the usage of the Sagnac interferometer to implement long gauge length strain sensors.

4,789,241 Optical Fiber Sensing Systems Having Acoustical Optical Deflection and Modulation Devices, by Ronald Michael, Eric Udd and Richard Cahill, December 6, 1988.
The Sagnac interferometer can be used to measure wavelength and fiber dispersion properties that are useful as stand-alone instruments and also for supporting fiber gyroscopes.

4,834,493 Method of Terminating an Optical Fiber, by Eric Udd and Ray Wagoner, May 30, 1989.
This patent covers a series of ways to terminate a fiber end to avoid back reflection into a fiber system.

4,875,775 Reciprocally Switched Four Modulator System, by Ronald Michael, Eric Udd and Richard Cahill, October 24, 1989.
This patent covers the usage of a switched acousto-optic modulator-based system configured to greatly reduce bias drift and provide wavelength measurement capabilities.

4,898,468 Sagnac Distributed Sensor, by Eric Udd, February 6, 1990.
The first in a series of patents describing the usage of the Sagnac interferometer as a distributed sensor.

4,976,507 Sagnac Distributed Sensor, by Eric Udd, December 10, 1990.
This is a divisional case of 4,898,468.

5,046,848 Fiber Optic Detection System Using a Sagnac Interferometer, by Eric Udd, September 10, 1991.
This Sagnac-distributed sensor case combines a Sagnac interferometer sensor with an RF generated linear signal to provide information on location and amplitude of a time-varying event.

5,118,931 Fiber Optic Microbending Sensor Arrays Including Microbend Sensors Sensitive over Different Bands of Wavelengths of Light, by Eric Udd and John Paul Theriault, June 2, 1992.
This patent covers a method to multiplex a series of microbend sensors.

5,380,995 Fiber Optic Grating Sensor Systems for Sensing Environmental Effects, by Eric Udd and Tim Clark, January 10, 1995.
This patent covers the usage of fiber grating filters to demodulate fiber grating sensors. Blue Road Research has based a series of demodulator products being developed under this patent and extensions to be filed.

5,397,891 Sensor Systems Employing Optical Fiber Gratings, by Eric Udd and Tim Clark, March 14, 1995.
This patent covers the usage of fiber etalons to demodulate fiber gratings essentially extending the prior case. The use of fiber etalons is probably the most extensively utilized technique for demodulating fiber gratings with moderate to high precision.

5,402,231 Distributed Sagnac Sensor Systems, by Eric Udd, March 28, 1995.
Describes interleaving Sagnac interferometers to form a distributed sensor system.

5,446,533 Fiber Optic Measuring Apparatus and Method, by Eric Udd and John Paul Theriault, August 29, 1995.
This patent describes how the Sagnac interferometer may be used to measure unknown lengths of optical fiber very accurately.

5,627,927 Fiber With Multiple Overlapping Gratings, by Eric Udd, May 6, 1997.
This patent covers some special cases of overlaid and angled fiber gratings.

Nonexclusive or Exclusive Licenses are Possible

The following US Patents related to fiber optic smart structures are available from Blue Road Research on a nonexclusive basis and on an exclusive basis for designated market segments.

5,591,595 Multiparameter Sensor System Using a Multiple Grating Fiber Optic Birefringent Fiber, by Eric Udd, January 7, 1997.
The title of this patent was altered dramatically during the examination process. Basically it covers the usage of dual overlaid fiber gratings written onto birefringent fiber to measure environmental effects. Sensors based on this patent comprise perhaps the most important current Blue Road Research product with widespread application to many markets.

5,636,021 Sagnac/Michelson Distributed Sensing Systems, by Eric Udd, June 3, 1997.
This patent covers distributed sensing methods using fiber grating integrated into a Sagnac loop. It is an advanced fiber sensing method that has been demonstrated by other groups. It is in an early state of development and is intended to complement the fiber grating sensor technology Blue Road Research is developing with extensions into integrated strain and distributed measurements as well as local measurements of strain.

5,646,401 Fiber Optic Grating and Etalon Sensor Systems, by Eric Udd, July 8, 1997.
This patent covers a potentially very low cost method of measuring fiber grating output. Early development efforts indicate that initial performance is likely to be quite modest with strain measurement resolution likely to be on the order of more than 100 microstrain as opposed to on the order of 1 microstrain presently for fiber etalon based systems.
5,828,059 Tranverse Strain Measurements Using Fiber Optic Grating Based Sensors, by Eric Udd, October 27, 1998. Extensions, refinements and experimental data obtained to support the measurement of pressure using transverse fiber grating strain sensors are covered in this patent.
5,869,835 Asymmetric Fiber Optic Grating Sensor, by Eric Udd, February 9, 1999. This patent covers aspects of transverse strain sensing using fiber optic grating sensors that were not covered by early patents including the usage of asymmetric structures to facilitate usage and enhance performance.
5,841,131 Fiber Optic Pressure Transducers and Pressure Sensing System Incorporating Same, by Robert Schroeder and Eric Udd, November 24, 1998. This patent covers the usage of sidehole fiber to measure transverse strains and pressure. It discusses techniques to multiplex these sensors and a number of specific configurations.

Patents Allowed, Pending and Provisional Patents as of February 9, 1999.

Blue Road Research, at any time, has several patent and provisional patent applications pending. In addition, Blue Road Research has entered into agreements with other companies and organizations that have resulted in exclusive rights other than markets for certain patents and patent applications.

List of Issued U.S. Patents on Which Blue Road Research has Licensing Rights

Note in the case of Boeing/McDonnell Douglas patents, Blue Road Research is not authorized to license for the manufacture of fiber optic gyros. There are other Eric Udd patents issued to Boeing/McDonnell Douglas on secure fiber optic communication which are not licensable through Blue Road Research.

Boeing/McDonnell Douglas US Patents

4,375,680, 4,471,659, 4,534,222, 4,588,296, 4,743,116, 4,755,051, 4,787,741, 4,789,241, 4,834,493, 4,875,775, 4,898,468, 4,976,507, 5,046,848, 5,118,931, 5,380,995, 5,397,891, 5,402,231, 5,446,533, 5,627,927

Blue Road Research

5,591,965, 5,636,021, 5,646,401, 5,828,059, 5,869,835, 5,828,059, 5,841,141

Schlumberger

5,841,131

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