Patents by Inventor William F. Otto, Jr., heir

William F. Otto, Jr., heir 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).

  • Patent number: 5745575
    Abstract: An Identification-Friend-or-Foe System Using Variable Codes (IFF System) lizes variable codes and pre-selected encryption/decryption technology to querry potential targets as to their battlefield affiliation and also to identify itself as a friend to a potential attacker. The IFF System performs a querry by sending a narrow laser beam to the potential target which is accompanied or closely followed by a radio frequency (RF) wave modulated with encrypted identification information. If the potential target is also equipped with the IFF System and in possession of the valid code, then the received RF wave can be decrypted to reveal the potential attacker as a friend. The potential target, then, encrypts its own identification information using the same code and transmits it via RF wave to the potential attacker. Thus fratricides may be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: William F. Otto, deceased, William F. Otto, Jr., heir, Lorinda R. Otto, heiress, Robert A. Otto, heir, Debbee J. Jordan, Miles E. Holloman, Stanley P. Patterson