Patents by Inventor Armas C. Markkula, Jr.

Armas C. Markkula, Jr. 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).

  • Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing, bidirectional communications and control
    Patent number: 5844888
    Abstract: A network for providing sensing and control using cells having distributed intelligence. A link between a first cell and a second cell is established by assigning some cells as repeaters. A first packet is modified with the ID of the cells that rebroadcast the packet as it makes its way in the network from the first cell to the second cell. The second cell returns a packet causing cells in the link to be assigned as repeaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Echelon Corporation
    Inventors: Armas C. Markkula, Jr., Wendell B. Sander, Shabtai Evan, Stephen B. Smith, William B. Twitty
  • Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing, bidirectional communications and control
    Patent number: 5475687
    Abstract: A cell for use in a network which provides sensing, control and communications. Each cell, as part of its manufacturing process, includes a unique 48-bit identification number. A terminal on the cell enables the broadcast of this unique number onto the network during initialization of the network so that each cell can be identified. The input/output section of each cell communicates with the plurality of processors in the cell allowing one processor to interpret messages received from the network without interrupts of functions performed by other processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Echelon Corporation
    Inventors: Armas C. Markkula, Jr., Wendell B. Sander, Shabtai Evan, Stephen B. Smith, William B. Twitty
  • Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing, bidirectional communications and control
    Patent number: 4969147
    Abstract: A network for sensing, communicating and controlling employing a plurality of cells which communicate through packets. First cells are assigned an announcer function, others a listener function with at least one announcer or listener cell also performing the function of repeating at least some of the packets. The cells are organized into groups, each group being assigned a group function. Group identification numbers are included in the packets to allow the cells for a particular group to identify packets intended for it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Echelon Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Armas C. Markkula, Jr., Wendell B. Sander, Shabtai Evan, Stephen B. Smith, William B. Twitty
  • Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing bidirectional communications and control
    Patent number: 4939728
    Abstract: A cell for a network which provides for sensing of conditions, communicating messages and controlling objects through messages encoded into segments of six bit codes each containing 3 binary ones and 3 binary zeros. The messages begin with one predetermined code which provides bit synchronization followed by a second predetermined code which provides byte synchronization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Echelon Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Armas C. Markkula, Jr., Wendell B. Sander, Shabtai Evan, Stephen B. Smith, William B. Twitty
  • Network and intelligent cell for providing sensing, bidirectional communications and control
    Patent number: 4918690
    Abstract: A network for sensing, communcating and controlling including a plurality of cells. Each cell is identified by a permanent, unique identification number. Groups of cells are programmed to perform group functions and are assigned group identification numbers. Communication is performed via a medium using the cell identification numbers and group identification numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Echelon Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Armas C. Markkula, Jr., Wendell B. Sander, Shabtai Evan, Stephen B. Smith, William B. Twitty