Patents by Inventor Stephen M. Pitchers
Stephen M. Pitchers 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: 9253040Abstract: A method determines the relative locations of wirelessly controllable service device nodes and switching control nodes within a building. At least some of the service device nodes are located in different rooms of the building and should be allocated to switching control nodes on a room-specific basis. Wireless communication is established between the nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using received signal strength indication (RSSI) values indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. The service device nodes are then grouped into two or more groups, a first group corresponding to service device nodes in one room and a second group corresponding to service device nodes in a second room, based on spatial distribution of the service device nodes as indicated by the RSSI values. The service device nodes of each group are then allocated to at least one associated switching control node.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2006Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Stephen M. Pitchers, Paul R. Simons
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Publication number: 20100035546Abstract: A method for matching an actual device in a wireless network to a corresponding device indicated in a plan (1) of such devices is provided. The method is suitable for initiating the commissioning process for a lighting control network (2) or an automated home network and it enables the program controlling the system to establish a number of reference nodes, with respect to which the coordinates of the rest of the nodes in the network are established, without the engineer having to manually enter the identification details of the reference nodes in the computer system. The method comprises identifying a device (3a-3c, 4, 5a-5b, 6a-6c, 7a-7d, 8a-8f, 9a-9f, 10, 11b, 11b) in the plan having unique characteristics compared to the other devices in the plan (1); receiving data comprising the characteristics of the actual device from the wireless network; and in response to the characteristics of the actual device including the unique characteristics, matching the physical device with the identified device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2007Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N VInventors: Paul R. Simons, Stephen M. Pitchers
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Patent number: 7647053Abstract: An electronic device has first and second wireless transceiver modules using first and second communication protocol, respectively. Both wireless transceiver modules are coupled between an application layer and an at least partially shared physical layer of the electronic device. The second wireless transceiver module is equipped with a controller to avoid interference with external signals on a frequency used by the second communication protocol. To avoid destructive interference in the physical layer resulting from simultaneous communications from or to the first and second wireless transceiver modules, the electronic device further includes a mediator, which is responsive to an enabled communication involving the first wireless transceiver module, and which feeds a blocking signal into the controller to avoid interference between the enabled communication and a transmission of the second wireless transceiver module.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2003Date of Patent: January 12, 2010Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.Inventor: Stephen M. Pitchers
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Publication number: 20080218334Abstract: A method for determining the relative locations of plural wirelessly controllable building service device nodes and switching control nodes within a building. At least some of the plural building service device nodes are located in different rooms of the building and should be allocated to switching control nodes on a room-specific basis. Wireless communication is established between the nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using received signal strength indication (RSSI) values indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. The building service device nodes are then grouped into two or more groups, a first group corresponding to service device nodes in one of said different rooms and a second group corresponding to service device nodes in another of said different rooms, based on spatial distribution of service device nodes as indicated by the RSSI values, which are strongly affected by walls separating the rooms.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2006Publication date: September 11, 2008Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.Inventors: Stephen M. Pitchers, Paul R. Simons
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Publication number: 20080157957Abstract: A method for determining the location of partition walls within a building uses a wirelessly interconnected network of nodes to determine relative spatial positions of selected nodes using (i) received signal strength indication (RSSI) values and time of flight (ToF) values, both indicative of a distance of separation between two communicating nodes. A first map of the network topology is derived from the RSSI values and a second map of the network topology is derived from the ToF values. The RSSI values are affected by building partition walls whereas the ToF values are relatively unaffected by partition walls. A comparison of the first and second maps is used to determine the location of partition walls within the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2006Publication date: July 3, 2008Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.Inventors: Stephen M. Pitchers, Paul R. Simons
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Patent number: 6865387Abstract: A method of reconfiguring the software interface in software defined radios in which when a transmitting station (PS) sends a reconfiguration software message to a receiving station (SS), the receiving station responds with a message giving an estimated time duration for carrying-out the reconfiguration of its software. The transmitting station listens for the estimated time duration for a message which confirms that the receiving station has been successfully reconfigured and commences normal communications using the new configuration. The estimated time duration may be computed using indicia present in the reconfiguration software message.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2001Date of Patent: March 8, 2005Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.Inventors: Paul Bucknell, Stephen M. Pitchers
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Publication number: 20010014603Abstract: A method of reconfiguring the software interface in software defined radios in which when a transmitting station (PS) sends a reconfiguration software message to a receiving station (SS), the receiving station responds with a message giving an estimated time duration for carrying-out the reconfiguration of its software. The transmitting station listens for the estimated time duration for a message which confirms that the receiving station has been successfully reconfigured and commences normal communications using the new configuration. The estimated time duration may be computed using indicia present in the reconfiguration software message.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2001Publication date: August 16, 2001Applicant: U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATIONInventors: Paul Bucknell, Stephen M. Pitchers