Patents by Inventor Todd A. Elson
Todd A. Elson 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: 11836569Abstract: A system combining readers for RFID transponders and Bluetooth® devices for for automated roadway tolling and monitoring is described. Because of the ubiquity of Bluetooth® devices, filtering methods are described to narrow received Bluetooth® signals to a particular monitored traffic lane and to further associate the Bluetooth® signal with a registered RFID toll tag in a vehicle. Signal strength of the Bluetooth® signal at each of a plurality of receiver antennas may be used to identify the location of the Bluetooth® device that emitted the signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2020Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: AMTECH SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel
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Publication number: 20220256323Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2022Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Patent number: 11323865Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2020Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Publication number: 20210306825Abstract: A system for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone in the vehicle as an active transponder, which is detected by roadside equipment is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further embodiment, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and only then responds with its identification information. Processing can be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or central office equipment as is the case in prior art active or passive transponder-based tolling systems. Vehicle location detection can be enhanced through the use of directional antenna matrices such as a Butler matrix. The system can be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2021Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel
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Patent number: 11039284Abstract: A system for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone in the vehicle as an active transponder, which is detected by roadside equipment is disclosed. In an embodiment, the system uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further embodiment, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and only then responds with its identification information. Processing can be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or central office equipment as is the case in prior art active or passive transponder-based tolling systems. Vehicle location detection can be enhanced through the use of directional antenna matrices such as a Butler matrix. The system can be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2016Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel
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Publication number: 20200336879Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Patent number: 10708745Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Patent number: 10302756Abstract: A system is described for measuring distance between an RFID reader and an RFID backscatter tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2017Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: AMTECH SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Publication number: 20190019362Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2018Publication date: January 17, 2019Inventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Patent number: 10134210Abstract: A system is described for tracking vehicle position using a smart phone or similar device as an active transponder that communicates with roadside equipment. The system may uses existing RF transceivers on the smart-phone, such as Bluetooth® LE or WiFi to periodically transmit an identifying message. Road-based equipment detects and locates the smart phone. In a further aspect, the smart phone is alerted by roadside beacons and responds with identification information. Transaction processing may be performed either on the smart phone or by roadside or back office equipment. The system may be used for automated roadway tolling and monitoring and also for access control. A coded card may be scanned by the smart card to enter identification for access control.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2017Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: AMTECH SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Kelly Gravelle, John Todd Elson, Greg Lantz, Michael Melville, Paul Hamel, Yousuf Kamal
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Publication number: 20180100919Abstract: A system is described for measuring distance between an RFID reader and an RFID backscatter tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 9841500Abstract: The a system for measuring distance between an RFID reader and tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: AMTECH SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Publication number: 20160187478Abstract: The a system for measuring distance between an RFID reader and tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 9316728Abstract: The a system for measuring distance between an RFID reader and tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 9081088Abstract: The a system for measuring distance between an RFID reader and tag, including an adaptive linear combiner, which is a tapped delay line with controllable weights on each tap, and outputs that are summed and subtracted from a reference to produce an error signal. After a sufficient number of cycles, the weight distribution indicates the delay of the received signal with respect to the reference, and by extension determines the distance between the tag and receiver.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: Amtech Systems, LLCInventors: Michael George Melville, John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 8905176Abstract: Method and apparatus for remotely disabling a vehicle using modulated microwave energy. The modulation characteristics are preferably tailored for different types of vehicles. This approach enables the use of a low power radiation source, which minimizes injury to people and property and which enables the use of portable devices, such as for use on law enforcement or military vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2013Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Fiore Industries, Inc.Inventor: John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 8387735Abstract: Method and apparatus for remotely disabling a vehicle using modulated microwave energy. The modulation characteristics are preferably tailored for different types of vehicles. This approach enables the use of a low power radiation source, which minimizes injury to people and property and which enables the use of portable devices, such as for use on law enforcement or military vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2008Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Fiore Industries, Inc.Inventor: John Todd Elson
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Patent number: 8236237Abstract: A device and method for inactivating infectious biological or chemical agents using microwave-activated diazoluminomelanin (DALM). The agents are typically vacuumed into a load cavity, which is at least partially filled with DALM. The load is irradiated with microwaves via a cylindrical waveguide disposed under the load cavity, thereby inactivating or destroying the agents. The system is preferably temperature controlled and operation is preferably automated.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2007Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Fiore Industries, Inc.Inventors: John Todd Elson, David E. Lane
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Publication number: 20120171074Abstract: A device and method for inactivating infectious biological or chemical agents using microwave-activated diazoluminomelanin (DALM). The agents are typically vacuumed into a load cavity, which is at least partially filled with DALM. The load is irradiated with microwaves via a cylindrical waveguide disposed under the load cavity, thereby inactivating or destroying the agents. The system is preferably temperature controlled and operation is preferably automated.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2007Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: FIORE INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: John Todd Elson, David E. Lane
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Publication number: 20080223641Abstract: Method and apparatus for remotely disabling a vehicle using modulated microwave energy. The modulation characteristics are preferably tailored for different types of vehicles. This approach enables the use of a low power radiation source, which minimizes injury to people and property and which enables the use of portable devices, such as for use on law enforcement or military vehicles.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2008Publication date: September 18, 2008Applicant: FIORE INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventor: John Todd Elson