Meteorcomm LLC

Meteor Communications Corporation

Dale K Smith

Thomas G Donich

Richard J Fulthorp

Peter D Donich

John F Cleveland

David B Kelley

Wipawee “Pam” Siriwongpairat

Robert L Turnbull

David A Fulthorp

Paul F Kulik

Norman R Shivley

An interface device for interfacing a set of wayside systems with a radio transmitter includes a plurality of input ports each having at least one input for receiving a signal representing a state of a corresponding wayside system and first and second parallel data paths coupled to the plurality of input ports. Each data path includes input protection circuitry coupled to the inputs of the input ports for preventing short-circuit and open-circuit conditions from triggering a false input state, a multiplexer for selecting between the input port; and a processor for scanning the input ports with the multiplexer to determine the state of current signals appearing at the inputs. In response to determining the state of the current signals appearing at the inputs, the processor generates a message communicating a current state of the wayside systems for delivery to the radio transmitter.

Wayside monitoring systems

A method for exchanging information within a radio communications system includes establishing communications between radio systems utilizing a carrier sense multiple access mode during a period of lower traffic load on the radio communications system and establishing communications between the radio systems utilizing a time division multiple access mode during a period of higher traffic load on the radio communications system.

Adaptive time division multiple access systems and methods

A technique for optimizing throughput on a communications channel shared by multiple users. A communications channel that must be shared by a large number of devices has the potential of being very inefficient because of collisions or overlapping of transmissions by the various devices. The system combines a carrier sense, multiple access (CSMA) mode with a time division multiple access (TDMA) mode to achieve a channel utilization greater than 90 percent. The remote units send a poll request to a base station using the CSMA mode and receive a poll signal from the base station with a poll sequence. The remote units send their data in their assigned time slot. The remote units do not have to all be in radio contact with each other to maintain synchronization. Each remote unit selects the base station that it wishes to communicate with based on signal strength of various base stations. The remote units may switch from one base station to another by addressing the selected base station and using the selected base station's synchronization data pattern in radio transmissions from the remote unit. The synchronization data pattern may be different for each base station or may be identical for groups of base stations to provide broader regional control of the communications network. The base station will only communicate with remote units using the synchronization code for that base station. The system also recovers data from a more powerful signal that collides with a weaker signal by examining the received data for the synchronization code from the more powerful signal.

System and method for the efficient control of a radio communications

A meteor burst communication system utilizing a master station and a large number of remote stations. A master station transmits a probing radio signal which, when reflected from a suitably positioned meteor trail, is received by a remote station. The remote station verifies that the received signal is being transmitted by a master station and then decides whether to respond to the probing signal, depending upon an a number of internal factors, including whether it has data available to send and when it last transmitted data to the master station. The master station can also address specific remote stations or transmit messages to all remote stations simultaneously.

Meteor burst communication system

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

Dale K Smith