RICHARD STEWART ALLEN
Pilots at Thompson Rd, Los Gatos, CA

6542717, Apr 1, 2003

Jan 20, 1999

09/234229

Thomas Guthrie Zimmerman - Cupertino CA
Richard Clement Allen - Los Gatos CA
David Jun Lu - San Jose CA
Florian Vogt - Hamburg, DE

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

H04B 500

455 41, 455100, 455272, 455344

Systems and methods for optimizing performance of personal area network (PAN) systems that use electric fields as communication media between PAN transmitters carried by people and PAN receivers mounted on computers to which selective access is sought to be established. Multiple PAN receiver antennae are mounted on a keyboard, such that if a person with a PAN transmitter rests her arms on or near the keyboard, sufficient signal from the transmitter is sensed by one or more of the receiver antennae even though some of the signal is shunted away from the receivers through the arms. Also, a driven shield insulates a PAN receiver from nearby metal objects, e. g. , a desk on which the PAN receiver is supported. Moreover, a multiple-electrode PAN transmitter reduces the deleterious effects on the signal from the PAN transmitter that can otherwise be caused by, e. g. , loose metal coins that are present in a pocket in which the transmitter is carried.

5191461, Mar 2, 1993

May 16, 1991

7/702448

Charles L. Cranshaw - Monte Sereno CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
James E. Sacherman - Palo Alto CA
John W. Toor - Palo Alto CA

Photonics Corporation - San Jose CA

H04B 1000

359154

The present invention is for an illumination transmitter. The transmitter projects a signal onto a planar reflective surface such as the ceiling of an open office environment. The transmitter includes a plurality of illumination sources positioned in a line wherein the line has a predetermined orientation to the planar surface. The illumination sources are preferably infrared LEDs. The transmitter has means for jointly aiming the illumination sources toward a desired location on the planar surface. The location on the planar surface is usually used to allow multiple transmitters coupled to infrared receivers to allow communication between computers in a LAN. The transmitter also includes means for maintaining the predetermined orientation between the planar surface and the line. The orientation is usually parallel to allow transmitters located large distances from the illumination to project a relatively small illumination spot onto the planar surface.

5245460, Sep 14, 1993

Jun 2, 1992

7/892221

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
Robert J. Grady - Windsor CA
Louis R. Janis - Campbell CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Bernard E. Stewart - Campbell CA

Photonics Corporation - San Jose CA

H04B 1010

359155

The present invention is for a radiation transmitter which transmits radiation to an illumination spot for forming reflected radiation. The transmitter includes a plurality of radiation transmission sources. Each of the sources transmits to a portion of the illumination spot. The transmitter includes means for alternately activating a portion of the transmission sources to illuminate a portion of the illumination spot for aligning a radiation receiver to receive the reflected radiation. Each resident of network transmits in turn its address and the address of each resident that it recognizes. Once a prospective resident can recognize each resident of the network it announces that it is joining the network and states its new address and the address of each resident it can see. Every resident then amends its list of recognized residents to include the new member.

5142538, Aug 25, 1992

Apr 19, 1990

7/511333

Stanley L. Fickes - San Jose CA
Bernard E. Stewart - Campbell CA
Robert J. Grady - Windsor CA
Rick L. Reagan - Santa Clara CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA

Photonics Corporation - Campbell CA

G08C 2502, H04L 114

371 34

An infrared RS 232 communication link protocol is particularly suited for correcting any errors introduced during a transmission of information. The information is transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station. Each of the stations has a control counter each of which toggles between a logic 0 and 1. The control counter for the transmitter and the receiver are phase locked so that all errors may be corrected. The receiver echoes each data bit back to the transmitter which compares the echoed data to the transmitted data. If there is a match, the transmission was successful. If there is no match, the data must be retransmitted. A retransmit control character RTXx is sent to indicate that the receiver should discard the previous character and prepare for a retransmission of the character having the error. Under the proper circumstances and if the counters are still phase locked, the receiver then discards the previously stored character and inverts the counter. If the receiver detects that it has received an erroneous character, such as one having multiple or no PPM pulses, the receiver will simply respond with the reject control character REJ.

5124991, Jun 23, 1992

Mar 30, 1989

7/331604

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA

Photonics Corporation - Campbell CA

G08C 2502

371 32

The present invention is for a method for correcting errors in received data during transmission of infrared radiation from a transmitter to a receiver without retransmitting entire packets. The method includes the steps of detecting an error in received data. A negative acknowledgement signal is transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter. A predetermined acknowledgement is transmitted by the transmitter to indicate to the receiver that the negative acknowledgement signal has been received. The data is then retransmitted. The data is transmitted using pulse position modulation. An error is detected by either sensing two pulses within one cycle or sensing no pulses within one cycle. The negative acknowledgement signal comprises transmitting a pulse several positions in duration. The predetermined acknowledgement by the transmitter includes purposely transmitting a cycle containing a known error.

5384652, Jan 24, 1995

Jan 6, 1993

8/000970

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
Gary M. Cisneros - San Jose CA
Stanley L. Fickes - San Jose CA
Gary N. Hughes - Portola Valley CA
Walter S. Johnson - San Jose CA
James L. Konsevich - San Jose CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Bernard E. Stewart - Fremont CA

Photonics Corporation - San Jose CA

H04B 1000, H04B 1002

359172

A diffuse infrared communication link provides for communication directly between nodes each having a transceiver. A repeater may be present to facilitate communication. Each node is automatically reconfigurable between operation with or without a repeater. When a repeater is present each node automatically ignores any transmission by another node.

5563728, Oct 8, 1996

Feb 22, 1991

7/659501

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
Gary M. Cisneros - San Jose CA
Stanley L. Fickes - San Jose CA
Gary N. Hughes - Portola Valley CA
Walter S. Johnson - San Jose CA
James L. Konsevich - San Jose CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Bernard E. Stewart - Fremont CA

H04B 1000

359172

A diffuse infrared communication link provides for communication directly between nodes each having a transceiver. A repeater may be present to facilitate communication. Each node is automatically reconfigurable between operation with or without a repeater. When a repeater is present each node automatically ignores any transmission by another node.

4977618, Dec 11, 1990

Apr 21, 1988

7/184261

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA

Photonics Corporation - Campbell CA

H04J 1400, H04B 1024, H04B 1014

455607

The present invention is an apparatus for wireless communications of information between two locations. A transmitter means modulates the information into infrared radiation at a first location. The infrared radiation is transmitted by the transmitter to a reflecting surface along a straight line path which is transparent to the infrared radiation. The infrared radiation is reflected at the reflecting surface forming reflected infrared radiation. A receiver means for receiving the reflected infrared radiation from the reflecting surface is positioned at a second location. The second location and the reflecting surface have a straight line path therebetween which is transparent to the infrared radiation.

D336089, Jun 1, 1993

Aug 16, 1989

7/395424

Charles L. Crawshaw - Monte Sereno CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
James E. Sacherman - Palo Alto CA
John W. Toor - Palo Alto CA

Photonics Corporation - Campbell CA

D14299

5119226, Jun 2, 1992

Mar 30, 1989

7/331607

Richard C. Allen - Los Gatos CA
Robert J. Grady - Windsor CA
Louis R. Janis - Campbell CA
John Piccone - San Jose CA
Bernard E. Stewart - Campbell CA

Photonics Corporation - Campbell CA

H04B 1010, H04J 1408

359172

The present invention is for a radiation transmitter which transmits radiation to an illumination spot for forming reflected radiation. The transmitter includes a plurality of radiation transmission sources. Each of the sources transmits to a portion of the illumination spot. The transmitter includes means for alternately activating a portion of the transmission sources to illuminate a portion of the illumination spot for aligning a radiation receiver to receive the reflected radiation. Each resident of network transmits in turn its address and the address of each resident that it recognizes. Once a prospective resident can recognize each resident of the network it announces that it is joining the network and states its new address and the address of each resident it can see. Every resident then amends its list of recognized residents to include the new member.