Patents by Inventor Thomas H. Cowell

Thomas H. Cowell 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: 5128988
    Abstract: A computer-based system for correlating an address to the current switched network telephone number(s) assigned to and operational at the address. This Telehpone Number Administration System is a data processing system which communicates with one or more other data processing systems using any of several types of telecommunication facilities. One of the data processing systems, the User system, transmits an address to the Telephone Number Administration System. The Telephone Number Administration System includes a data storage facility containing records which relate addresses and possibly other information to the current telephone number or numbers which are assigned to and operational at each address. Upon receiving an address from a User system, the Telephone Number Administration System performs a search of the records and identifies the telephone number(s) assigned to the address or addresses which most closely match the address received from the User system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1992
    Assignee: Ameritech Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Cowell, Ronald S. Jahr
  • Patent number: 4707852
    Abstract: A utility usage data and event data acquisition system effective to acquire input serial data messages representing the amount of consumed utility services and/or binary event data from one or several external sources having differing drive signal requirements, the system also being effective to reformat the input data and append an identification code and an error detection code to the acquired data, and thereafter transmit messages comprising the identification code, the acquired data, the error detection code and other control information to a central location through the agency of coaxial cables, public switched telephone networks or other transmission facilities utilizing data terminals which accept serial binary messages at logic level voltages. Data message transmission is initiated either at random times by an algorithm within the control program of a microprocessor incorporated in the system or from an externally applied command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1987
    Assignee: Systems and Support, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald S. Jahr, Thomas H. Cowell
  • Patent number: 4504831
    Abstract: A utility usage data and event data acquisition system effective to acquire input serial data messages representing the amount of consumed utility services and/or binary event data from one or several external sources having differing drive signal requirements, the system also being effective to reformat the input data and append an identification code and an error detection code to the acquired data, and thereafter transmit messages comprising the identification code, the acquired data, the error detection code and other control information to a central location through the agency of coaxial cables, public switched telephone networks or other transmission facilities utilizing data terminals which accept serial binary messages at logic level voltages. Data message transmission is initiated either at random times by an algorithm within the control program of a microprocessor incorporated in the system or from an externally applied command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: Systems and Support, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald S. Jahr, Thomas H. Cowell