David C Ford

US Patent:

6470297, Oct 22, 2002

Filed:

Jun 21, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/598845

Inventors:

David K. Ford - Crofton MD

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Director of the National Security Agency - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F10114

US Classification:

702179, 702180, 702181

Abstract:

The present invention is a method of accentuating a deviation in a set of information and locating a cause thereof that includes the steps of receiving a set of information; selecting a subset of information; setting initial states; setting transition states; initializing a vector; selecting the first information segment; modifying the vector if the information segment contains an initial and transition state, otherwise stopping; selecting the next available information segment and returning to the previous step, otherwise recording a number of occurrences of each unique vector; determining the number of the least occurring vector; dividing each occurrence number by the least occurring number; determining an occupation time for each vector; calculating an inverse characteristic time for each unique vector; calculating at least one subset value for the subset of information using a temperature-based function, an entropy-based function, an energy-based function, or any combination thereof; setting a value v for each initial and transition state; calculating a configuration value for each initial and transition state; selecting the subset of information then is available and next in sequence and returning to the vector modification step for further processing, otherwise plotting the subset and configuration values; finding a difference, if any, in the plotted values; and finding the information segments that correspond to the difference.

US Patent:

20230071611, Mar 9, 2023

Filed:

Nov 14, 2022

Appl. No.:

18/055010

Inventors:

- Springfield VA, US
David Ford - Fairfax VA, US
Zhipeng Liu - Great Falls VA, US
Samson Yilma - Arlington VA, US

International Classification:

B61L 23/04
G06T 7/80
G06T 7/90
B61K 9/10
G06T 7/40
G06V 10/25
G06V 10/426
G06V 20/10

Abstract:

A method for analyzing one or more conditions of a transportation pathway includes obtaining, using an imaging device of an inspection system, image data reproducible as a plurality of images of the transportation pathway, each of the plurality of images being reproducible as an image of a portion of the transportation pathway, each portion of the transportation pathway having an associated location along a length of the transportation pathway, analyzing, using one or more processors of the inspection system, the image data to determine a first plurality of metrics indicative of a condition of the transportation pathway at each of the associated locations, and generating a first graph, using the determined first plurality of metrics, that is indicative of the condition of the transportation pathway at each of the associated locations.

US Patent:

20200239049, Jul 30, 2020

Filed:

Jan 28, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/774263

Inventors:

- Springfield VA, US
David Ford - Fairfax VA, US
Zhipeng Liu - Great Falls VA, US
Samson Yilma - Arlington VA, US

International Classification:

B61L 23/04
B61K 9/10
G06K 9/46
G06T 7/80
G06T 7/40
G06T 7/90
G06K 9/00
G06K 9/32

Abstract:

A method for analyzing one or more conditions of a transportation pathway includes obtaining, using an imaging device of an inspection system, image data reproducible as a plurality of images of the transportation pathway, each of the plurality of images being reproducible as an image of a portion of the transportation pathway, each portion of the transportation pathway having an associated location along a length of the transportation pathway, analyzing, using one or more processors of the inspection system, the image data to determine a first plurality of metrics indicative of a condition of the transportation pathway at each of the associated locations, and generating a first graph, using the determined first plurality of metrics, that is indicative of the condition of the transportation pathway at each of the associated locations.

US Patent:

20200180667, Jun 11, 2020

Filed:

Dec 5, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/705137

Inventors:

- Springfield VA, US
David G. Ford - Fairfax VA, US
Jeffrey Bloom - Silver Spring MD, US

International Classification:

B61L 23/04
B61K 9/08
E05F 15/70
G01N 21/95
G01N 21/55
G02B 7/182

Abstract:

A deployable measurement system for analyzing a rail of a railroad track includes a housing, a reflecting assembly coupled to the housing, a movement assembly coupled to the housing, and an optical measurement system disposed within the housing. Both the housing and the reflecting assembly are moveable between a stored position and a deployed position. The movement assembly includes a deployment assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the stored position to the deployed position, and a retraction assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the deployed position to the stored position. The optical measurement system emits and receives light. The reflecting assembly reflects the emitted light toward the rail. The reflecting assembly reflects light reflected off of the rail toward the optical measurement system. The light received by the optical measurement system is used to measure parameters related to the rail.