Patents by Inventor Gair D. Brown
Gair D. Brown 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: 6678268Abstract: A combination delivering signals between a plurality of devices includes a mixed-layer switching fabric, and a controller which controls the mixed-layer switching fabric. According to the present invention, the controller includes a first device for automatically performing fault recognition and fault isolation routines when the multi-interface switching system is initialized and periodically thereafter, and a second device for performing the fault recognition and fault isolation routines on demand.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: January 13, 2004Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Harry F. Francis, Thomas F. Cocke, IV, Gary S. Calvert, II, Roland H. Mattoon, Timothy Y. Gorder, Neal E. Moody, Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 6628648Abstract: A multi-interface point-to-point switching system, including a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices, a switching fabric, a controller that determines the fixed, low latency signal path for each connection and commands the switching fabric to establish the determined signal path for each connection. According to one aspect of the invention, the switching fabric includes a plurality of discrete switch modules, at least selected ones of which are hot-swappable with permission of the controller.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Harry F. Francis, Thomas F. Cocke, IV, Gary S. Calvert, II, Roland H. Mattoon, Timothy Y. Gorder, Neal E. Mouch, Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 6580692Abstract: A multi-interface point-to-point switching system includes a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices, a switching fabric, and a controller. Advantageously, the controller determines the path bit error rate for each all possible signal paths that are presently available, then selects the presently available one of the possible signal paths for each connection that has the lowest path bit error rate, and then configures the switching fabric to establish the selected signal path for each connection.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Harry F. Francis, Thomas F. Cocke, IV, Gary S. Calvert, II, Roland H. Mattoon, Timothy Y. Gorder, Neal E. Moody, Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 6580720Abstract: A multi-interface point-to-point switching system includes a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices, a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices, and a controller that determines the latency of all possible signal paths that are presently available for each connection to be established, selects the lowest-latency signal path for each connection that it determines is presently available, and then configures the switching fabric to establish the selected signal path for each connection. According to one aspect of the invention, the switching fabric provides a fixed, low latency signal path for each connection whereby the latency of that connection is deterministic and predictable.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Harry F. Francis, Thomas F. Cocke, IV, Gary S. Calvert, II, Roland H. Mattoon, Timothy Y. Gorder, Neal E. Moody, Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 6438299Abstract: An assembly that includes a fiber-containing structure that contains a plurality of optical fibers and a furcation tube assembly that includes a plurality of loose tube optical fiber cables. Each of the loose tube optical fiber cables includes a hollow inner tube; a support structure that includes strength members, the support structure surrounding the hollow inner tube; and, a protective jacket surrounding the support structure. The assembly further includes a heat shrink tube that joins the fiber-containing structure and the furcation tube assembly and a protective tube surrounded by the heat shrink tube and disposed in surrounding relationship to the furcation tube assembly. The support structure extends in a first direction between an outer surface of the fiber-containing structure and an inner surface of the protective tube proximate a first end of the protective tube.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1999Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Gair D. Brown, Robert A. Throm, Yancy T. Jeleniewski
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Patent number: 6426952Abstract: A multi-interface point-to-point switching system includes a plurality of I/O ports coupled to a plurality of respective devices, and a switching fabric that selectively delivers each of a plurality of different signals from a selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a sending one of the devices to another selected one of the I/O ports coupled to a receiving one of the devices, to thereby establish respective connections between the sending and receiving devices. According to one aspect of the invention, at least one of the different signals is a parallel interface format signal and at least one of the different signals is a serial interface format signal. Moreover, the switching fabric does not interact with any data transfer protocol used by the devices for data communications with one another.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Harry F. Francis, Thomas F. Cocke, IV, Gary S. Calvert, II, Roland H. Mattoon, Timothy Y. Gorder, Neal E. Moody, Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 5970195Abstract: A low cost rugged sealed fiber optic cable furcation unit is provided. The urcation unit has an outer heat shrink tube which encloses a protective tube. Within the protective tube, a spacer/fiber guide is located along with a sealant material. When installed and sealed, the sealed furcation unit includes fiber ends and cables. The furcation unit allows loose tube fiber optic cables or tube ducts within Air Blown Fiber (AEF) cables to be furcated into multiple single fiber cables. The furcation unit is compatible with both 250 micrometer and 500 micrometer coated optical fibers. The furcation unit is also compatible with common single fiber optical connectors and splices.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1999Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 5903693Abstract: A low cost rugged sealed fiber optic cable furcation unit is provided. The urcation unit has an outer heat shrink tube which encloses a protective tube. Within the protective tube, a spacer/fiber guide is located along with a sealant material. When installed and sealed, the sealed furcation unit includes fiber ends and cables. The furcation unit allows loose tube fiber optic cables or tube ducts within Air Blown Fiber (ABF) cables to be furcated into multiple single fiber cables. The furcation unit is compatible with both 250 micrometer and 500 micrometer coated optical fibers. The furcation unit is also compatible with common single fiber optical connectors and splices.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1997Date of Patent: May 11, 1999Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Gair D. Brown
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Patent number: 5499314Abstract: Rotary mechanical splices between axially aligned optic fibers are seated in axial confinement within bays indented into the shock absorbing body of a holding tray. A retention lid, positioned on the tray covers the splice seating bays and guide slots extending therefrom within which the optic fibers are received to provide cushioned confinement for the splices and resist relative bending of the fibers.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1994Date of Patent: March 12, 1996Inventors: Sara M. Leite, Daniel D. Thomas, Gair D. Brown, Alan Schwarting
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Patent number: 5422974Abstract: Rotary mechanical splices between axially aligned optic fibers are seated der axial compression within bays recessed into the body of a holding tray on which a retention lid is fastened in a position to which it is guided by fins on its underside received in grooves formed in the tray body. In such position of the lid on the tray, the lid underside surface covers access formations and the bays between the fins having portions covering fiber slots in the tray through which the optic fibers extend in alignment with their splices.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1994Date of Patent: June 6, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Gair D. Brown, Alan C. Schwarting, Robert G. Aldous, Daniel D. Thomas, Francis L. Needham, Sara M. Leite
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Patent number: 5297227Abstract: A disengagable adapter for mechanically coupling optical fibers is provid The disengagable adapter separates into two complementary receptacle parts. Each receptacle part receives through a bore a single optical-fiber located within an optical-fiber connector plug. Each receptacle part attaches to and securely holds a different connector plug. The receptacle parts mate with each other in a complementary fashion and thereby connect the two optical fiber connector plugs together. These connector plugs accordingly align the two optical fibers located within the plugs. The optical fibers can be separated either by demating the complementary parts or by disconnecting one side of the adapter from its connector plug. Mounting the complementary parts to a plate facilitates multiple, simultaneous connections.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1993Date of Patent: March 22, 1994Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Gair D. Brown, Michael A. Richardson, Gary A. Burcham
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Patent number: 5073720Abstract: The liquid level measurement device is an electro-optical device which uses light source (typically a light emitting diode (LED) or laser diode) and an optical detector to measure the level of a liquid in a container. The light beam is passed through the liquid and received by the optical detector. The detector output is processed to determine the liquid level or the liquid volume. A special feature is the ability to measure a continuum of fluid levels or volumes.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1990Date of Patent: December 17, 1991Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Gair D. Brown