Patents by Inventor Francis B. Frazee

Francis B. Frazee 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).

  • Transaction accounting of toll transactions in transponder systems
    Patent number: 6725202
    Abstract: This invention allows a toll authority to monitor transaction numbers which are sent from a transponder (14) to an interrogator (12). By incrementing the transaction counter stored in the transponder with successful transactions the toll authority can ascertain whether accounting of a transaction has been missed (i.e., a transaction number missing from the sequence), or double-counted (i.e., two transactions with the same transaction number).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
  • Transaction accounting of toll transactions in transponder systems
    Patent number: 6317721
    Abstract: This invention allows a toll authority to monitor transaction numbers which are sent from a transponder (14) to an interrogator (12). By incrementing the transaction counter stored in the transponder with successful transactions the toll authority can ascertain whether accounting of a transaction has been missed (i.e., a transaction number missing from the sequence), or double-counted (i.e., two transactions with the same transaction number).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
  • Method and system for calculating a user account balance in a recognition system
    Patent number: 5809142
    Abstract: A system and method in which a transponder (14) is operable to transmit an original user account balance to an interrogator (12), which in turn calculates a revised user account balance and transmits the revised user account balance to the transponder (14). In one embodiment of the invention, the transponder (14) is further operable to transmit a verification user account balance back to the interrogator (12), which then compares verification user account balance to the revised user account balance that was earlier calculated and stored in an interrogator memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
  • Transponder maintenance mode method
    Patent number: 5686920
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for communicating permanent or semi-permanent information to a transponder (14) from an interrogator (12), preferably operated by a toll agency or other authorized entity. This permanent or semi-permanent information is communicated by means of special instructions valid only during a special mode or maintenance mode which is entered by transmitting a special access code to the transponder (14) from the authorized interrogator (12). The transponder (14) will preferably acknowledge to the authorized interrogator (12) that it is, in fact, operating in the maintenance mode so the interrogator (12) can transmit the special instructions in confidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
  • Transponder maintenance mode method
    Patent number: 5450087
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for communicating permanent or semi-permanent information to a transponder (14) from an interrogator (12), preferably operated by a toll agency or other authorized entity. This permanent or semi-permanent information is communicated by means of special instructions valid only during a special mode or maintenance mode which is entered by transmitting a special access code to the transponder (14) from the authorized interrogator (12). The transponder (14) will preferably acknowledge to the authorized interrogator (12) that it is, in fact, operating in the maintenance mode so the interrogator (12) can transmit the special instructions in confidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Dwaine S. Hurta, Francis B. Frazee
  • High speed serial data link
    Patent number: 4979185
    Abstract: A high bit-rate serial communications link encodes data by inserting non-data 0's and 1's. These extra bits are removed by a decoder at the receiving end of the link. Transmission of data can be made along optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark A. Bryans, James H. Cline, Francis B. Frazee, Lark E. Lehman
  • High speed serial data link
    Patent number: RE35137
    Abstract: A high bit-rate serial communications link encodes data by inserting non-data 0's and 1's. These extra bits are removed by a decoder at the receiving end of the link. Transmission of data can be made along optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark A. Bryans, James H. Cline, Francis B. Frazee, Lark E. Lehman