Patents by Inventor Ben A. Abbott
Ben A. Abbott 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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Patent number: 11487871Abstract: Some embodiments of the time resilient system and methods disclosed herein can be configured to detect and defend against invalid time signals. According to various embodiments of the disclosed technology, the time resilient system include a receiver for collecting time signals sourced from an external clock. By way of example only, the external clock may be a high precision clock housed within a Global Positioning System. Other embodiments may include an internal clock calibrated to a time reflected on the external clock so that the internal clock and the external clock are synchronized. Additionally, a controller may monitor changes in time signals of the external over a period of time against the internal clock, where the system is alerted of a timing attack when the time signals collected from the receiver deviate a pre-determined time range with the time of the internal clock.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2016Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: San Diego Gas & Electric CompanyInventors: Ben A. Abbott, Brian Proctor, Gerardo Trevino, Paul Wood, David Vickers
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Patent number: 10365315Abstract: A method for locating an anomaly in a distribution circuit including utility power lines includes coupling a radio frequency energy source to the utility power lines, transmitting chirped radio frequency signals into the utility power lines, receiving and digitizing/analyzing signals reflected from the chirped signals by impedance mismatches caused by components and features of the distribution circuit, and generating from the digitized signals of multiple sets of the chirped radio frequency signals a reference data set identifying at least the locations of at least some of the components and features of the distribution circuit. Later sets of the chirped radio frequency signals are transmitted into the utility power lines and signals reflected from the sets of chirped signals are received and digitized and are compared with the reference data set to determine if there are anomalies on the distribution circuit.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: Southern California EdisonInventors: Sean Mitchem, Jake Casey-Snyder, Ben Abbott, Yaxi Liu, Christopher M. Huff, Bryan Pham
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Patent number: 10310091Abstract: A system and method for providing time stamps protected from GPS timing signal attacks. A GPS receiver receives a GPS time data, and a local clock provides local time data. A controller initiates the local clock with the GPS time data. It continuously monitors the GPS time data by calculating any difference error between current GPS time data and local time data, and determining whether the error exceeds a threshold value. If the error does not exceed the threshold value, the GPS time data is used to discipline the local clock data and the disciplined output is used for the time stamp. If the error exceeds the threshold value, the local time data is used for the time stamp.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2015Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Gerardo Trevino, Ben A. Abbott
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Publication number: 20180328976Abstract: A method for locating an anomaly in a distribution circuit including utility power lines includes coupling a radio frequency energy source to the utility power lines, transmitting chirped radio frequency signals into the utility power lines, receiving and digitizing/analyzing signals reflected from the chirped signals by impedance mismatches caused by components and features of the distribution circuit, and generating from the digitized signals of multiple sets of the chirped radio frequency signals a reference data set identifying at least the locations of at least some of the components and features of the distribution circuit. Later sets of the chirped radio frequency signals are transmitted into the utility power lines and signals reflected from the sets of chirped signals are received and digitized and are compared with the reference data set to determine if there are anomalies on the distribution circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2017Publication date: November 15, 2018Applicant: Southern California EdisonInventors: Sean Mitchem, Jake Casey-Snyder, Ben Abbott, Yaxi Liu, Christopher M. Huff
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Patent number: 9651974Abstract: A system and method for measuring length of an electrical power transmission line, and for estimating the average temperature of the line over the measured length. A signal is applied to the line and reflected from a reflection point to obtain a present measure of the line's length. A modified catenary equation uses the length measurement and other variables to estimate average temperature. This temperature measurement can then be used to determine how much power the line is presently capable of safely carrying.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2014Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Patrick R. Heenan, Ben A. Abbott, Gary L. Ragsdale
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Publication number: 20170060101Abstract: Some embodiments of the time resilient system and methods disclosed herein can be configured to detect and defend against invalid time signals. According to various embodiments of the disclosed technology, the time resilient system include a receiver for collecting time signals sourced from an external clock. By way of example only, the external clock may be a high precision clock housed within a Global Positioning System. Other embodiments may include an internal clock calibrated to a time reflected on the external clock so that the internal clock and the external clock are synchronized. Additionally, a controller may monitor changes in time signals of the external over a period of time against the internal clock, where the system is alerted of a timing attack when the time signals collected from the receiver deviate a pre-determined time range with the time of the internal clock.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2016Publication date: March 2, 2017Applicant: San Diego Gas & Electric CompanyInventors: BEN A. ABBOTT, BRIAN PROCTOR, GERARDO TREVINO, PAUL WOOD, DAVID VICKERS
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Patent number: 9560174Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a network routing overlay (NRO) system. The NRO system includes an NRO master that includes an NRO master module and a master network interface. The NRO system further includes a first plurality of NRO remote systems (RSs). Each NRO RS includes an NRO RS module, an internal network interface and an external network interface. The external network interface is related to an NRO interface. Each NRO RS is coupled to the NRO master by a respective data channel and a respective control channel. A first NRO RS is configured to receive a network frame from an end system coupled to the first NRO RS via a first NRO interface. A first NRO RS module is configured to generate an NRO message and to write the NRO message to a first data channel. The NRO message includes an NRO prefix and the received network frame. The NRO prefix includes a length and a frame identifier (ID). The first data channel is configured to carry an NRO frame that includes one or more NRO message(s).Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Todd A. Newton, Ben A. Abbott, Myron L. Moodie
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Publication number: 20160223677Abstract: A system and method for providing time stamps protected from GPS timing signal attacks. A GPS receiver receives a GPS time data, and a local clock provides local time data. A controller initiates the local clock with the GPS time data. It continuously monitors the GPS time data by calculating any difference error between current GPS time data and local time data, and determining whether the error exceeds a threshold value. If the error does not exceed the threshold value, the GPS time data is used to discipline the local clock data and the disciplined output is used for the time stamp. If the error exceeds the threshold value, the local time data is used for the time stamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2015Publication date: August 4, 2016Inventors: Gerardo Trevino, Ben A. Abbott
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Publication number: 20160124449Abstract: A system and method for measuring length of an electrical power transmission line, and for estimating the average temperature of the line over the measured length. A signal is applied to the line and reflected from a reflection point to obtain a present measure of the line's length. A modified catenary equation uses the length measurement and other variables to estimate average temperature. This temperature measurement can then be used to determine how much power the line is presently capable of safely carrying.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2014Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Patrick R. Heenan, Ben A. Abbott, Gary L. Ragsdale
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Publication number: 20150372924Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a network routing overlay (NRO) system. The NRO system includes an NRO master that includes an NRO master module and a master network interface. The NRO system further includes a first plurality of NRO remote systems (RSs). Each NRO RS includes an NRO RS module, an internal network interface and an external network interface. The external network interface is related to an NRO interface. Each NRO RS is coupled to the NRO master by a respective data channel and a respective control channel. A first NRO RS is configured to receive a network frame from an end system coupled to the first NRO RS via a first NRO interface. A first NRO RS module is configured to generate an NRO message and to write the NRO message to a first data channel. The NRO message includes an NRO prefix and the received network frame. The NRO prefix includes a length and a frame identifier (ID). The first data channel is configured to carry an NRO frame that includes one or more NRO message(s).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2014Publication date: December 24, 2015Inventors: Todd A. NEWTON, Ben A. ABBOTT, Myron L. MOODIE
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Patent number: 8560240Abstract: A riverbed scour detection system, comprising a wireless sensor network embedded in areas of potential scour. The scour detection network has one or more vertical stacks of sensor nodes placed in the riverbed at known locations. The sensors detect each other, and non detection of a sensor indicates its removal by scour activity.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2011Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Southwest Research InstituteInventors: Gregory C. Willden, Donald R. Poole, Jr., Ben A. Abbott, Ronald T. Green
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Patent number: 8458791Abstract: A system and method for modifying a processor system with hypervisor hardware to provide protection against malware. The processor system is assumed to be of a type having at least a CPU and a high-speed bus for providing data links between the CPU, other bus masters, and peripherals (including a debug interface unit). The hypervisor hardware elements are (1) a co-processor programmed to perform one or more security tasks; (2) a communications interface between the co-processor and the debug interface unit; (3) a behavioral interface on the high-speed bus, configured to monitor control signals from the CPU, and (4) an access controller on the high-speed bus, configured to store access control data, to intercept requests on the high-speed bus, to evaluate the requests against the access control data, and to grant or deny the requests.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2010Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Southwest Research InstituteInventors: Tam T Do, Michael D LeMay, Galen A Rasche, Ben A Abbott
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Publication number: 20120226441Abstract: A riverbed scour detection system, comprising a wireless sensor network embedded in areas of potential scour. The scour detection network has one or more vertical stacks of sensor nodes placed in the riverbed at known locations. The sensors detect each other, and non detection of a sensor indicates its removal by scour activity.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2011Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Gregory C. Willden, Donald R. Poole, JR., Ben A. Abbott, Ronald T. Green
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Publication number: 20120047576Abstract: A system and method for modifying a processor system with hypervisor hardware to provide protection against malware. The processor system is assumed to be of a type having at least a CPU and a high-speed bus for providing data links between the CPU, other bus masters, and peripherals (including a debug interface unit). The hypervisor hardware elements are (1) a co-processor programmed to perform one or more security tasks; (2) a communications interface between the co-processor and the debug interface unit; (3) a behavioral interface on the high-speed bus, configured to monitor control signals from the CPU, and (4) an access controller on the high-speed bus, configured to store access control data, to intercept requests on the high-speed bus, to evaluate the requests against the access control data, and to grant or deny the requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2010Publication date: February 23, 2012Applicant: SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventors: Tam T. Do, Michael D. LaMay, Galen A. Rasche, Ben A. Abbott
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Patent number: 6141324Abstract: A low latency, high throughput communication system applicable to real-time communications, such as real-time audio and video, controls the total in-transit data between a transmitting application and a receiving application to a target amount using feedback. As a result, the system operates at about the same throughput as it does when modem and other buffers associated with the system are always full, but at a substantially lower latency and with the modem and other buffers less than full. The system is applicable to both modem-to-modem telephone communications and internet communications in accordance with the TCP and UDP protocols. The system includes a forward error correction and retransmission scheme for use with the UDP protocol, and also includes a scheduling protocol for use in association with virtual channels.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1998Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Utah State UniversityInventors: Ben Abbott, Rajesh Chhabria, Abhijit Dey