Patents by Inventor Michael R. Walker, II

Michael R. Walker, II 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).

  • Detection of outbound message signals in a power line two-way communications system
    Patent number: 8542720
    Abstract: Improvements in the detection of TWACS outbound message signals. A first improvement involves matching some (or all) of the intermediate points in an outbound preamble occurring between bits of the preamble currently being detected. This reduces the possibility of a false synchronization and therefore decreases the probability of missing outbound message signals. A second improvement is to require some or all of the known preamble bits to exceed a predetermined threshold where both the thresh-old and which bits are adjustable. An additional approach is using 4-8 additional buffers in a transponder to detect preamble patterns in the outbound message. Each half cycle of the outbound message waveform requires entering a bit only into the buffers active for the particular frame of reference in which the message is being transmitted, since only buffers for that frame of reference are employed. The process continues until all bits specified to be sent, based on the length of the outbound message, are extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Aclara Power-Line Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Quentin H. Spencer, John B. Hessling, Jr., Benjamin A. Hammond, Dennis L. Kelley, David W. Rieken, William J. Davis, Michael R. Walker, II
  • DETECTION OF OUTBOUND MESSAGE SIGNALS IN A POWER LINE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20100124288
    Abstract: Improvements in the detection of TWACS outbound message signals. A first improvement involves matching some (or all) of the intermediate points in an outbound preamble occurring between bits of the preamble currently being detected. This reduces the possibility of a false synchronization and therefore decreases the probability of missing outbound message signals. A second improvement is to require some or all of the known preamble bits to exceed a predetermined threshold where both the thresh-old and which bits are adjustable. An additional approach is using 4-8 additional buffers in a transponder to detect preamble patterns in the outbound message. Each half cycle of the outbound message waveform requires entering a bit only into the buffers active for the particular frame of reference in which the message is being transmitted, since only buffers for that frame of reference are employed. The process continues until all bits specified to be sent, based on the length of the outbound message, are extracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Quentin H. Spencer, John B. Hessling, JR., Benjamin A. Hammond, Dennis L. Kelley, David W. Rieken, William J. Davis, Michael R. Walker, II