After a stint in the United States Navy as a radar technician during World War II, he worked as a computer maintenance technician for IBM (1949–1952), followed by working on digital computer design under the leadership of John von Neumann at the Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey (IAS is not affiliated with Princeton University).

[2] Ferrite logic circuits are inherently more stable than vacuum tubes and transistors, draw no power when unused, and are impervious to electromagnetic interference.

The technology was soon commercialized by Aircraft Marine Products (AMP) Inc., under license from SRI, and used primarily in the rapid transit system of New York City and at railroad switching yards, where electro-magnetic interference made electronic computers unfeasible.

In addition to his engineering work at SRI, Crane cofounded Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC), to commercialize computer-based handwriting recognition on graphics tablets.

In 1959, with fellow SRI engineers David Bennion, Charles Rosen, and Howard Zeidler, Crane co-founded Ridge Vineyards.