Patents by Inventor William J. Dickerson
William J. Dickerson 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).
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Publication number: 20240145165Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques and designs that may be implemented for improving current transformer accuracy (e.g., while reducing additional complexity and costs). In some aspects, described embodiments may implement usage of a current mirror to reduce current transformer error. Additionally or alternatively, some described embodiments may implement Hall-effect sensors (e.g., in place of conventional first stages in a two-stage current transformer design). Such embodiments, as well as other described embodiments, may improve accuracy of current transformers in a more efficient manner (e.g., current transformer accuracy may be improved while reducing or minimizing additional complexity, costs, etc.).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2022Publication date: May 2, 2024Inventor: WILLIAM J. DICKERSON
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Publication number: 20240108332Abstract: A method of operating an articulatable surgical instrument. The method includes providing a rotary drive motion to a rotary drive member of a surgical end effector and converting the rotary drive motion to an upper axial motion and a lower axial motion at locations that are distal to the articulation joint. The method further includes applying the upper axial motion to an upper portion of a firing member and applying the lower axial motion to a lower portion of the firing member such that the upper axial motion and lower axial motion drives the firing member distally through the surgical end effector from a starting position to an ending position.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Gregory J. Bakos, Darryl A. Parks, Benjamin D. Dickerson, Steven G. Hall, Robert J. Simms, Spencer J. Witte, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Paul Moubarak, William C. Ryle
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Publication number: 20240085931Abstract: One or more aspects of the techniques and designs described herein may be implemented to provide (e.g., to design, produce, etc.) improved voltage dividers (e.g., more accurate and efficient resistor voltage divider networks). For example, the present disclosure may enable voltage dividers (e.g., resistor voltage divider networks) with a high ratio, such as with a voltage divider ratio K on the order of 100 or more, using a plurality of nominally-identical resistor elements (e.g., such that a significant portion of non-ideal behaviors cancel out and remaining non-ideal behaviors are reduced by statistical averaging). For instance, accurate resistor voltage divider networks may be designed and built using an input resistor having N nominally-identical resistor elements in series and an output resistor having M such resistor elements in parallel. In some examples, an operational amplifier may also be coupled in parallel to the multiplicity of M resistor element strings.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2022Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventor: WILLIAM J. DICKERSON
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Publication number: 20230258757Abstract: Systems and methods for a low-frequency radio navigation system are described. The system may include a transmitter comprising a base coded modulator configured to generate a base modulation and a data coded modulator configured to generate a data modulation; wherein the transmitter radiates a continuous, constant-power chirped-FM spread spectrum signal, comprising: the base modulation; and the data modulation, wherein the data modulation is orthogonal to the base modulation. The system may also include a receiver comprising a digital signal processor, wherein at least one matched filter coupled to the digital signal processor, the at least one matched filter configured to decode said base modulation and data-encoded modulation and provide a correlation function for received signals received from at least three geographically-spaced transmitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventor: William J. Dickerson
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Patent number: 11656313Abstract: Systems and methods for a low-frequency radio navigation system are described. The system may include a transmitter comprising a base coded modulator configured to generate a base modulation and a data coded modulator configured to generate a data modulation; wherein the transmitter radiates a continuous, constant-power chirped-FM spread spectrum signal, comprising: the base modulation; and the data modulation, wherein the data modulation is orthogonal to the base modulation. The system may also include a receiver comprising a digital signal processor, wherein at least one matched filter coupled to the digital signal processor, the at least one matched filter configured to decode said base modulation and data-encoded modulation and provide a correlation function for received signals received from at least three geographically-spaced transmitters.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Arbiter Systems, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dickerson
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Publication number: 20210333349Abstract: Systems and methods for a low-frequency radio navigation system are described. The system may include a transmitter comprising a base coded modulator configured to generate a base modulation and a data coded modulator configured to generate a data modulation; wherein the transmitter radiates a continuous, constant-power chirped-FM spread spectrum signal, comprising: the base modulation; and the data modulation, wherein the data modulation is orthogonal to the base modulation. The system may also include a receiver comprising a digital signal processor, wherein at least one matched filter coupled to the digital signal processor, the at least one matched filter configured to decode said base modulation and data-encoded modulation and provide a correlation function for received signals received from at least three geographically-spaced transmitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Inventor: William J. Dickerson
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Patent number: 11085989Abstract: Systems and methods for a low-frequency radio navigation system are described. The system may include a transmitter comprising a base coded modulator configured to generate a base modulation and a data coded modulator configured to generate a data modulation; wherein the transmitter radiates a continuous, constant-power chirped-FM spread spectrum signal, comprising: the base modulation; and the data modulation, wherein the data modulation is orthogonal to the base modulation. The system may also include a receiver comprising a digital signal processor, wherein at least one matched filter coupled to the digital signal processor, the at least one matched filter configured to decode said base modulation and data-encoded modulation and provide a correlation function for received signals received from at least three geographically-spaced transmitters.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Inventor: William J. Dickerson
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Publication number: 20200379075Abstract: Systems and methods for a low-frequency radio navigation system are described. The system may include a transmitter comprising a base coded modulator configured to generate a base modulation and a data coded modulator configured to generate a data modulation; wherein the transmitter radiates a continuous, constant-power chirped-FM spread spectrum signal, comprising: the base modulation; and the data modulation, wherein the data modulation is orthogonal to the base modulation. The system may also include a receiver comprising a digital signal processor, wherein at least one matched filter coupled to the digital signal processor, the at least one matched filter configured to decode said base modulation and data-encoded modulation and provide a correlation function for received signals received from at least three geographically-spaced transmitters.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2019Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventor: William J. Dickerson
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Patent number: 10295675Abstract: Methods and systems for cryptographically-secure autonomous detection of spoofed GNSS signals is provided. A method is provided that includes the steps of: generating a cryptographic code, controlling a motion of at least one antenna of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system according to the cryptographic code, detecting a plurality of satellite signals during the controlled motion of the at least one antenna, and determining, based on carrier phase variations of the detected plurality of satellite signals, whether the plurality of satellite signals originated from a spoofer transmitter.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2014Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: Arbiter Systems, IncorporatedInventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson, Joshua R. Dickerson
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Publication number: 20180196141Abstract: Methods and systems for cryptographically-secure autonomous detection of spoofed GNSS signals is provided. A method is provided that includes the steps of: generating a cryptographic code, controlling a motion of at least one antenna of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver system according to the cryptographic code, detecting a plurality of satellite signals during the controlled motion of the at least one antenna, and determining, based on carrier phase variations of the detected plurality of satellite signals, whether the plurality of satellite signals originated from a spoofer transmitter.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2014Publication date: July 12, 2018Inventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson, Joshua R. Dickerson
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Patent number: 9979406Abstract: System and methods for a clock system disciplined to an external reference. In one embodiment, the clock includes a flywheel oscillator controlled by the external reference and a free running holdover oscillator. The holdover oscillator provides increased accuracy during periods of holdover when the external reference is not available. In a further embodiment, the flywheel oscillator is additionally controlled by a phase-locked loop with the holdover oscillator frequency as input, and a control switch for switching the flywheel oscillator to analog control if the phase-locked loop exhibits a fault.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Arbiter Systems, IncorporatedInventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson
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Publication number: 20160261275Abstract: System and methods for a clock system disciplined to an external reference. In one embodiment, the clock includes a flywheel oscillator controlled by the external reference and a free running holdover oscillator. The holdover oscillator provides increased accuracy during periods of holdover when the external reference is not available. In a further embodiment, the flywheel oscillator is additionally controlled by a phase-locked loop with the holdover oscillator frequency as input, and a control switch for switching the flywheel oscillator to analog control if the phase-locked loop exhibits a fault.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Inventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson
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Patent number: 9362926Abstract: System and methods for a clock system disciplined to an external reference. In one embodiment, the clock includes a flywheel oscillator controlled by the external reference and a free running holdover oscillator. The holdover oscillator provides increased accuracy during periods of holdover when the external reference is not available. In a further embodiment, the flywheel oscillator is additionally controlled by a phase-locked loop with the holdover oscillator frequency as input, and a control switch for switching the flywheel oscillator to analog control if the phase-locked loop exhibits a fault.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Arbiter Systems, IncorporatedInventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson
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Publication number: 20160072513Abstract: System and methods for a clock system disciplined to an external reference. In one embodiment, the clock includes a flywheel oscillator controlled by the external reference and a free running holdover oscillator. The holdover oscillator provides increased accuracy during periods of holdover when the external reference is not available. In a further embodiment, the flywheel oscillator is additionally controlled by a phase-locked loop with the holdover oscillator frequency as input, and a control switch for switching the flywheel oscillator to analog control if the phase-locked loop exhibits a fault.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Inventors: William J. Dickerson, Robert T. Dickerson
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Patent number: 4806881Abstract: A four-channel multifunction digital frequency synthesizer which uses direct numerical synthesis to generate one or more complex output signals having selectable frequency, phase offset, amplitude level and waveform is provided. A waveform synthesizer digitally synthesizes precise sine, square, triangle, ramp, uniform and Gaussian noise and DC waveforms which can be selected for any of the four channels. One of the four channels can be frequency, phase and amplitude modulated by the signals on the remaining three channels in any combination. The four channels are time-multiplexed which allows the use of a single frequency synthesizer to realize four independent channels and a large number of support functions and capabilities in a high-density VLSI integrated circuit on a single chip. The synthesizer system can provide up to four independent output signals which can be any one of the four channel signals, or any combination of the four channel signals summed to form a complex waveform signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1987Date of Patent: February 21, 1989Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Fred H. Ives, Robert T. Dickerson, William J. Dickerson, Michael D. McNamee, Mark D. Talbot