Patents by Inventor Simon E. Crouch
Simon E. Crouch 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: 7512234Abstract: Location data about a mobile entity (20) is provided in encrypted form by a location server (79) to a recipient that is one of the mobile entity (20) or a service system (40) usable by the mobile entity. The location data (P) is encrypted such that it can only to be decrypted using a secret available to a decryption entity (80) that is not under the control of the recipient. This permits location data (P) to be provided in a confidential manner to service systems (40) and also protects billing relationships between participants. A mechanism is also described for limiting the accuracy of decrypted location data (L) made available to a service system (40).Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 6813499Abstract: A method and device is provided for obscuring the location of a mobile entity to a specified accuracy level. Available location data that has a known accuracy greater than the specified accuracy has its accuracy decreased (85) by combining with the components of the available location data, additional components randomized over a range set by the difference between the known accuracy of the available location data and the specified accuracy level.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 6799032Abstract: A mobile entity (20) provides accuracy limit data (Q) that indicates a desired accuracy of location data (L) about the mobile entity. This data (Q) is passed, either directly or indirectly from the mobile entity (20), to a location handling system (80) which provides location data (L) about the corresponding mobile entity limited to the desired accuracy. In one embodiment, the location handling system is a location server. In another embodiment the location handling system is a decryption entity (80) for decrypting encrypted location data.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: September 28, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 6771972Abstract: A method for searching for a lost asset equipped with a short-range wireless transceiver includes a finder service sending out a search request including a lost-asset identifier, this request being sent over a mobile radio infrastructure to a plurality of mobile devices. These devices transmit on the request in their immediate vicinity using short-range wireless transceivers. Upon a mobile device receiving back a response from the lost asset, it returns a found message over the mobile radio infrastructure to the finder service. This message includes location data concerning the whereabouts of the lost asset or the message enables such data to be obtained by the finder service.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 6567661Abstract: A distributed telemetry method is effected by coordinating the taking of readings of a parameter by mobile phone users, the parameter readings being then sent to a service system together with location information on the users. Collating the readings and location information enables a representation to be generated of the geographic variation of the measured parameter. Incentives can be offered to encourage cell phone users to participate in the telemetry method.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2003Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20020029172Abstract: A shopping assistance service system (40) is provided to which mobile enquirers (20) can submit enquiries regarding the availability of specified goods or services from local traders (70). The service system (40) in searching for solutions to the enquiry, takes account of the significance of the location of the enquiry. This significance can be both in terms of the objective significance concerning a function associated with the enquiry location, such as a shop, shopping mall, motorway, etc., and the subjective significance of the location, such as home, workplace, local to home area, remote from home area, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2001Publication date: March 7, 2002Inventors: Colin I'Anson, James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20020019238Abstract: A method is provided for searching for a lost asset (50) equipped with a short-range wireless transceiver (52). A finder service (40) sends out a search request (36) including a lost-asset identifier, this request being sent over a mobile radio infrastructure (10) to a plurality of mobile devices (20). These devices transmit on the request in their immediate vicinity using short-range wireless transceivers (21). Upon a mobile device (20B) receiving back a response from the lost asset (50), it returns a found message (35) over the mobile radio infrastructure (10) to the finder service (40), this message either including location data concerning the whereabouts of the lost asset or enabling such data to be obtained by the finder service.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20020004399Abstract: A mobile entity (20) provides accuracy limit data (Q) that indicates a desired accuracy of location data (L) about the mobile entity. This data (Q) is passed, either directly or indirectly from the mobile entity (20), to a location handling system (80) which provides location data (L) about the corresponding mobile entity limited to the desired accuracy. In one embodiment, the location handling system is a location server. In another embodiment the location handling system is a decryption entity (80) for decrypting encrypted location data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2001Publication date: January 10, 2002Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20010055975Abstract: A method and device is provided for obscuring the location of a mobile entity to a specified accuracy level. Available location data that has a known accuracy greater than the specified accuracy has its accuracy decreased (85) by combining with the components of the available location data, additional components randomized over a range set by the difference between the known accuracy of the available location data and the specified accuracy level.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2001Publication date: December 27, 2001Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20010055392Abstract: Location data about a mobile entity (20) is provided in encrypted form by a location server (79) to a recipient that is one of the mobile entity (20) or a service system (40) usable by the mobile entity. The location data (P) is encrypted such that it can only to be decrypted using a secret available to a decryption entity (80) that is not under the control of the recipient. This permits location data (P) to be provided in a confidential manner to service systems (40) and also protects billing relationships between participants. A mechanism is also described for limiting the accuracy of decrypted location data (L) made available to a service system (40).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2001Publication date: December 27, 2001Inventors: James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20010028304Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring location-associated events such as the availability for collection at business premises of items previously ordered by a customer. The method involves storing a descriptor of the event of interest to the customer, the descriptor being stored, for example, in a third-party service system (40) by the business concerned. The descriptor explicitly or implicitly includes details of the parties and the location of the premises (70). Subsequently, when the customer comes near the business premises (70), the service system (40) determines a match with the event descriptor and indicates as much to the customer (115), either directly or after first checking event status data provided by the business. Where the event descriptor is stored by the customer, either in a mobile device or a third-party system, then the determination of a match can be used to alert the business that the customer is near.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventors: Colin I'Anson, Rycharde Jeffery Hawkes, James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Lawrence Wilcock, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20010028313Abstract: A distributed telemetry method is effected by coordinating the taking of readings of a parameter by mobile phone users, the parameter readings being then sent to a service system together with location information on the users. Collating the readings and location information enables a representation to be generated of the geographic variation of the measured parameter. Incentives can be offered to encourage cell phone users to participate in the telemetry method.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventors: JamesThomas Edward McDonnell, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
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Publication number: 20010029184Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring location-associated events such as the availability for collection at business premises of items previously ordered by a customer. The method involves storing a descriptor of the event of interest to the customer, the descriptor being stored, for example, in a third-party service system (40) by the business concerned. The descriptor explicitly or implicitly includes details of the parties and the location of the premises (70). Subsequently, when the customer comes near the business premises (70), the service system (40) determines a match with the event descriptor and thereupon carries out an event status check using status data provided by the business. The result of the status check is reported to the customer (115).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Inventors: Colin I'Anson, Rycharde Jeffery Hawkes, James Thomas Edward McDonnell, Lawrence Wilcock, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 5612694Abstract: A method of coding, and a coder, using a code in which data words are assigned to code word pairs in a selective manner, so that the value of a data word error resulting from inversion of a bit in a code word may be specific to and dependent solely upon the position within the code word of the inverted bit.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1995Date of Patent: March 18, 1997Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Jonathan Jedwab, Simon E. Crouch, David G. Cunningham
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Patent number: 5438571Abstract: A method for transmitting data packets, grouped as data octets, over a LAN having a central hub linked to each of a plurality of network nodes via a physical medium consisting of four pairs of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. The transmission method sequentially divides the data into data quintets. The quintets are then arranged into blocks of data quintets and sequentially distributed into four individual serial code streams. The four serial code streams are sequentially scrambled to produce four streams of randomized quintets. The randomized data streams are sequentially block encoded into 6-bit symbol data which are then transmitted using NRZ modulation across the network by transmitting each data stream over one of said pairs of cable.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1994Date of Patent: August 1, 1995Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Alan Albrecht, Steven H. Goody, Michael P. Spratt, Joseph A. Curcio, Jr., Daniel J. Dove, Jonathan Jedwab, Simon E. Crouch
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Patent number: 5410309Abstract: A data stream to be communicated over a plurality of channels is divided into blocks (A1,B1,C1,D1,A2,B2, . . . ), and each successive block is transmitted along a different channel (A,B,C,D) on a cyclic basis. To reduce or eliminate the possibility of undetectable errors occurring owing to noise affecting all channels simultaneously and thereby corrupting data in several successive blocks propagating in parallel through the channels, the blocks in at least one channel (A,B) are offset in time relative to the blocks in another channel (C,D). In the case of four channels, such as four-conductor cable, the blocks on two channels are offset by half the length of a block relative to the blocks on the remaining two channels.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1993Date of Patent: April 25, 1995Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Jonathan Jedwab, Simon E. Crouch