Patents by Inventor John Anderson Fergus Ross

John Anderson Fergus Ross has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8050166
    Abstract: A method for storing data on a storage medium is provided. The method includes receiving a modulated bitstream, wherein the modulated bitstream comprises a plurality of bits comprising a bitstate of 1 and 0. The method also includes secondary modulating each of the plurality of bits comprising the bitstate of 1 to output a plurality of secondary modulated bits. The method further includes forming a plurality of marks in the storage medium, the marks indicative of each of the plurality of secondary modulated bits and the plurality of bits comprising the bitstate of 0 in the modulated bitstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, John Erik Hershey, Brian Lee Lawrence, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, II, Milos Todorovic
  • Publication number: 20110264975
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of selectively decoding optical data read from an optical storage medium based on a checksum algorithm technique. In one embodiment, optical data is converted into a data stream and buffered, and the checksum algorithm is applied to the data stream. If the calculated checksum matches an encoded checksum of the data stream, the data stream may be output without requiring further decoding. If the calculated checksum does not match the encoded checksum, the buffered data stream may be decoded to produce a corrected data stream, and the checksum algorithm may be applied to the corrected data stream. In some embodiments, the optical data may be re-read if the corrected data stream does not pass the checksum test, and the data stream obtained from the re-reading may be combined with the buffered data stream for further decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: John Anderson Fergus Ross
  • Publication number: 20110255448
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of using division-free duplexing (DFD) to reduce rendezvous time between two or more cognitive radio devices. The cognitive radio devices may opportunistically use available frequency spectra by communicating over available channels. To communicate, a first device may rendezvous with a second device by transmitting a beaconing signal over a frequency on which the second device is listening. DFD techniques may enable each of the devices to listen to a channel while concurrently transmitting beacon signals over the same channel. As periods of listening and periods of transmitting over the same channel need not be separated due to the transmitter cancelling approach used in DFD techniques, rendezvous time may be significantly reduced. Further, embodiments include a generalized DFD (GDFD) approach wherein devices listen to a broad band of frequencies, thus further reducing rendezvous time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael James Hartman, John Erik Hershey, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael J. Dell'Anno
  • Publication number: 20110249596
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of using division-free duplexing (DFD) in a communication network. Techniques for applying DFD in a communication network may decrease bottlenecks in the network by allowing one or more network nodes to transmit and on substantially the same frequency and at substantially the same time. In one embodiment, one or more nodes in the network may be DFD enabled, and may be configured to operate in either a conventional mode or a DFD mode. The mode of operation of DFD enabled nodes may depend on the quality of signals transmitted to and/or received at the DFD enabled nodes. Further, the mode of operation may change dynamically, and may be substantially controlled by any suitable processor in the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael James Hartman, John Erik Hershey, Richard Louis Zinser
  • Publication number: 20110242958
    Abstract: A system for processing information is provided. The system includes multiple micro-holograms contained in multiple volumes arranged along multiple tracks in one or more storage mediums. Each of the micro-hologram includes a data. The system also includes one or more pick-up head devices with optical lenses for directing laser beams on the multiple tracks. Further, the system includes a subsystem for arranging the one or more pick-up head devices for recording and retrieving of the data from the one or more storage mediums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, John Erik Hershey, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Brian Lee Lawrence, Xuefeng Wang, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, Erik Solhjell, Rolf Jahren
  • Publication number: 20110241814
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus including a distribution transformer having a communication module. The distribution transformer is configured to convert a first high voltage electricity from a high voltage distribution line to a first low voltage electricity and convert a second low voltage electricity from a low voltage power line to a second high voltage electricity. The communication module is programmed to provide time data representing time of day information along the low voltage power line to an electrical device and provide location data representing location information along the low voltage power line to the electrical device. The location information includes a geographic location of the distribution transformer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Michael James Hartman, Robert Dean King, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael Joseph Dell'Anno
  • Publication number: 20110241647
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus including a distribution transformer having a communications module. The distribution transformer is configured to convert a first high voltage electricity from a high voltage distribution line to a first low voltage electricity and convey the first low voltage electricity along a low voltage line to an electrical device. The communications module is configured to transmit a load reduction request along the low voltage line to the electrical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Michael James Hartman, Robert Dean King, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael Joseph Dell'Anno
  • Publication number: 20110231155
    Abstract: A method and a system for configuring a sensor chassis are presented. In the presented method, a set of parameters may be remotely received by the sensor chassis for compressively sampling an input signal. Further, a compressive sampling protocol for compressively sampling the input signal may be dynamically determined based on the remotely received set of parameters. Particularly, the compressive sampling protocol may be dynamically determined for achieving a desired sampling performance. Subsequently, the input signal is compressively sampled according to the determined compressive sampling protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Michael James Hartman, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross
  • Publication number: 20110171960
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems of managing vertical handoffs in a wireless communication network. Embodiments include analyzing wireless device usage to determine usage patterns, which may include locations and times at which the wireless device is typically accessing the network. The network may recognize points in the usage patterns at which signal quality parameters are typically reduced. Such reductions in signal quality parameters may lead to inefficient vertical handoffs. The network may decrease adverse effects of inefficient vertical handoffs by reducing ping ponging, selecting links between wireless devices and network nodes, or indicating to a user of the wireless device that delays and/or data loss may occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael James Hartman, Richard Louis Zinser
  • Publication number: 20110170391
    Abstract: The present techniques provide methods and systems for alignment of a read head with data tracks on an optical data disk. In embodiments, a multi-pixel detector that is segmented into multiple areas, or detector segments, may be used to detect a pattern in the light reflected from an optical data disk. The detector system may then combine the quantized values from each of the detector segments mathematically to determine the alignment of the read head with a target data track. If the read head drifts to one side or the other, detectors to the side of a center detector may start to pick up energy from the adjacent tracks. If this energy is continuously summed for the detectors on each side, the read head may be centered by balancing the sums from the detectors on each side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, John Erik Hershey, Xiaolei Shi, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov
  • Patent number: 7961572
    Abstract: The present techniques provide methods and systems reading a data bit of interest on an optical data disc with a reduced error rate. The data bit estimation may be improved by reducing deterministic noise resulting from an optical reader system and/or the optical data disc. The reader may adjust the position of a detector to detect light scattered from the disc based on parameters of known noise sources. In one embodiment, the detector may be moved vertically in relation to the data bit of interest on the optical disc. In another embodiment, more than one detector may be used to detect light scattered from a data bit of interest. In embodiments, the positioning of the detector(s) may be based on system or disc parameters, and the detected scatterings may provide a data reading, improved for an optical return from a present micro-hologram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, John Anderson Fergus Ross, John Frederick Graf, Brian Lee Lawrence, Xiaolei Shi, Zhiyuan Ren, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov
  • Publication number: 20110075537
    Abstract: An improved holographic data storage disc is provided. The holographic data storage disc includes multiple multimedia content, wherein at least one of the multimedia is locked via one or more cryptographic keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross, Frederick Wilson Wheeler, Xuefeng Wang
  • Patent number: 7916605
    Abstract: The present techniques provide systems and methods for decoding a data signal with a control bit to improve bit estimation. The techniques in one embodiment involve using decoding algorithms to estimate the a posteriori state probabilities and the a posteriori transition probabilities of the data encoding, and estimating bit state probabilities. The techniques further involve using a control bit in the bit stream and comparing the estimation of the control bit state in the segment of the bit stream with a test control bit determined based on an average of bit states from the encoded segment of the bit stream. If the estimation of the control bit and the test control bit are not equal, the state of the bit estimate with the lowest confidence probability will be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Aria Pezeshk
  • Patent number: 7903631
    Abstract: A system and/or method for relaying messages in a network (e.g. a mobile network) are provided. Certain portable communications nodes are instrumented with omni-directional antennas. Certain static communications nodes are network cluster-head nodes with directional antennas, and, for example, achieve much of the gain possible when all nodes have directional antennas. Cluster-head communications preferably are used when the nodes are separable by the directional antennas. Preferably, there is a transition to mesh communications when the nodes cannot take advantage of the directional antennas. One feature of certain exemplary embodiments is that only one side of a communication link requires a directional antennal to enable spatial frequency reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Nick Andrew Van Stralen, Amit Bhavanishankar Kulkarni, Michael James Hartman
  • Publication number: 20110038268
    Abstract: A method transmitting a message over at least one of a plurality of channels of a communications network is provided. The method comprises the steps of detecting a presence of jamming pulses in the at least one of the plurality of channels. The characteristics of the jamming pulses in the at least one of the plurality of channels is determined wherein the determined characteristics define at least interstices between the jamming pulses. The message is transmitted over the at least one of the plurality of channels wherein the message is transmitted within the interstices of the jamming pulse determined from the step of determining characteristics of the jamming pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Harold Woodruff Tomlinson, Daniel White Sexton, John Erik Hershey, Richard Anthony DeCristofaro
  • Patent number: 7885289
    Abstract: Systems and/or methods for relaying messages between nodes in a network (e.g. a wireless network) are provided. In accordance with certain exemplary embodiments, substantially simultaneous communications between nodes may be accomplished. At least one secondary turbo-coded message may be piggybacked onto a turbo-coded primary message. Messages in the network may be queued and sent from a transmitter to at least one receiver based at least in part on the signal-to-noise ratio(s) of the receiver nodes with respect to the transmitter. Thus, it may be possible to realize a network that reduces collision problems, reduces delays in communications, and/or increases throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Nick Andrew Van Stralen, John Erik Hershey
  • Publication number: 20100280955
    Abstract: Systems and methods of verifying identity through the use of a plurality of identifying devices is provided. The identity information may be acquired electronically from a plurality of identity devices, which may include credit cards, cell phones, or other personal items fitted with wireless communicators such as RFID tags, for example. In various embodiments, the transaction may be approved or denied based on a number of factors, including the number identity devices, the types of identity information provided by the identity devices, and the level of security specified for the requested transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Michael Hartman, Bruce Barnett, John Erik Hershey
  • Publication number: 20100243646
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes emitting electromagnetic radiation from a magnetron and receiving the electromagnetic radiation in a scatterer. The method also includes varying a radar cross section of the scatterer in response to exposure to the electromagnetic radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Michael James Hartman, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, Richard Louis Zinser, John Anderson Fergus Ross
  • Publication number: 20100246686
    Abstract: The present techniques provide systems and methods for decoding an optical data signal in an optical system to retrieve source information while decreasing errors resulting from optical and electronic noise in the optical system. The techniques involve using decoding algorithms to estimate the a posteriori state probabilities and the a posteriori transition probabilities of the data encoding, and estimating bit state probabilities. The probability density function used to estimate bit states is parameterized by the expected optical and electronic noise in the optical system. Different optical and electronic noise variances, or different probability densities, may be stored in registers or look-up tables to be accessed by a decoder while decoding the optical data signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Aria Pezeshk, John Anderson Fergus Ross
  • Publication number: 20100246354
    Abstract: The present techniques provide methods and systems reading a data bit of interest on an optical data disc with a reduced error rate. The data bit estimation may be improved by reducing deterministic noise resulting from an optical reader system and/or the optical data disc. The reader may adjust the position of a detector to detect light scattered from the disc based on parameters of known noise sources. In one embodiment, the detector may be moved vertically in relation to the data bit of interest on the optical disc. In another embodiment, more than one detector may be used to detect light scattered from a data bit of interest. In embodiments, the positioning of the detector(s) may be based on system or disc parameters, and the detected scatterings may provide a data reading, improved for an optical return from a present micro-hologram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, John Anderson Fergus Ross, John Frederick Graf, Brian Lee Lawrence, Xiaolei Shi, Zhiyuan Ren, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov