Patents Examined by Creighton H. Smith
  • Patent number: 7457712
    Abstract: A distributed test equipment system for testing analog communications systems. One or more analog signal receivers and one or more computers are connected via a packet-switched network such that each computer can remotely control and receive signal data from each receiver. Analog signal data measured by each receiver is available for relaying to each computer where it is processed for analysis in conformance with respective user commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: LitePoint Corp.
    Inventors: Benny Madsen, Christian Olgaard, Carsten Andersen, Gary Wang, Thomas Andersen, Peter Petersen
  • Patent number: 7454206
    Abstract: A user uses a wireless communication device to engage in a communication session over a packet-switched network. The communication session is one of a plurality of different session types, e.g., a push-to-talk (PTT) session or a Web browsing session. The user is identified in the communication session by a user identifier that is dependent on the session type. The user identifier used in a particular communication session is included in a usage record generated for that communications session. A billing system determines the session type from the user identifier in the usage record. Based on this session type, the billing system selects a billing formula to calculate a charge to the user for the communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey F. Phillips, Bill A. Hinds, John David Ehrsam
  • Patent number: 7453866
    Abstract: An apparatus and structure for transmitting and receiving an audio signal over a network (25). A dual mode telephone (1) is adapted to switch between a standard telephone mode and an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone mode. The standard telephone mode comprises a standard telephone (11) adapted to transmit and receive audio over a standard telephone network (37). The IP telephone mode comprises an IP telephone (15) adapted to convert an audio signal to an IP packet and transmit the IP packet over a communication link (14) to a network (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Aravind Soundararajan
  • Patent number: 7454003
    Abstract: A system and methods through which incoming calls to and/or outgoing calls from a telephone can be controlled. The present invention utilizes an authorized caller list to determine whether an incoming call should be connected, and a similar list to determine whether an outgoing call should be connected. The present invention can also facilitate the use of new telephone user interfaces, including by iterating through telephone numbers associated with a contact, until communications with the contact are established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Miller Asset, LLC.
    Inventor: Larry Miller
  • Patent number: 7450591
    Abstract: The present invention relates to arrangements for charging in a packet switched network. Packets are charged differently dependent on which service flow the packets belong to. The charging system comprises a control system and a serving element residing in a packet forwarding system wherein said control system comprises an account function adapted to manage an account of at least one user and a charging policy decision point arranged to calculate a charging policy for allowed services for the at least one user. Moreover, said serving element comprises a token bucket per user adapted to store reservations received from the account function of the user associated with the token bucket and a charging policy enforcement point arranged to perform charging for a plurality of the allowed services by reducing the stored reservation of the token bucket according to the calculated charging policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (PUBL)
    Inventors: Martin Körling, Magnus Harnesk, Jan Lemark, Tormod Hegdahl
  • Patent number: 7447479
    Abstract: A video imager processor and two radio frequency transceivers are supported on a common support having a predetermined form factor, such as that of a Compact Flash card commonly utilized in mobile computers. Common digital processing circuitry is used for processing the baseband signal from the RF transceivers, making a highly integrated and compact arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Raj Bridgelall
  • Patent number: 7444154
    Abstract: This invention covers the use of multiple internal antennas to locate a nuisance cell phone which is being inappropriately operated. For a largely 1-dimensional layout like an airplane, an embodiment teaches the location being done by using differential timing teaches the use of either differential timing or a bearing angle technique. For a largely 2-dimensional layout, such as a theater, the invention uses either differential timing or a bearing angle approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Kroll Family Trust
    Inventor: Mark W. Kroll
  • Patent number: 7436819
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a communication apparatus accommodating both a LAN line or a broadband line and an ordinary public network (PSTN) so as to enable the simultaneous use of two lines according to two network connection methods by using a single physical line capable of accommodating the high-speed line and the public network. There are provided an IP phone having an interface for connection to an Internet line and an analog telephone having an interface for connection to a PSTN line. A control section selects an Internet telephone or a public network telephone to be used. While one telephone line is busy, the other idle line is used for communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Ezumi
  • Patent number: 7437130
    Abstract: A radio transmitter is adapted to automatically adjust aerial impedance for a selected radio frequency. The radio transmitter includes a tunable radio frequency signal generator that has an impedance and is adapted to generate a radio frequency signal in the range of approximately 510 kilohertz to approximately 1705 kilohertz. The radio transmitter is also adapted to receive less than or equal to approximately 100 milliwatts of total input power. An aerial coupled to the tunable radio frequency signal generator and is adapted to transmit the radio frequency signal. The aerial has an output voltage, an aerial impedance and a length of less than or equal to approximately three meters. An adjustable inductor is coupled to the aerial. A sampler is coupled to the aerial and is adapted to measure the aerial output voltage. A processing unit is coupled to the sampler and to the adjustable inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcast Marketing LLC
    Inventors: Scott Matthew, Tony Esdaile, Michael Milne
  • Patent number: 7430423
    Abstract: A wireline telephony instrument for wirelessly receiving and displaying data messages allows a wireline telephone to wirelessly receive data messages. The data messages may include text, images, and other types of multimedia data. Wireless receive-only capabilities may be integrated into the wireline telephony instrument by adding an integrated circuit, such as a CDMA chipset or a GSM chipset, to the wireline telephony instrument. Further, by integrating a display into the wireline telephony instrument, the wireline telephony instrument may display the data messages. Logic is also integrated into the wireline telephone for routing the data messages received by the wireline telephone to the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Robert F. Falkner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7430410
    Abstract: According to the present invention, the step of requesting of an associated information provision server KS for associated information about contents broadcast in a broadcast program being received is provided. The step of acquiring the associated information corresponding to the request from the associated information provision server KS and storing this is provided. And the retrieval step of transmitting a part of the associated information as a retrieval key to retrieve contents to a CD seller server 31, and obtaining retrieval results from the CD seller server 31 is provided. Thereby, the associated information about the contents broadcast in the broadcast program being received is obtained. The retrieval results are obtained from a contents retrieval server by using the part of the associated information as retrieval keys. Therefore, retrieval results having variety that are not limited to results conceived by the user in a certain degree can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwatsu, Noriyuki Sakoh, Shinsuke Yamashita, Jun Moriya, Yasuhiro Murase
  • Patent number: 7421247
    Abstract: A wireless switch comprising: a sensor for sensing a change of a state of a barrier; a selector positionable between a first position and a second position; a transmitter operatively coupled to the sensor and selector; and wherein the transmitter transmits a first wireless signal when the selector is positioned in the first position and the sensor senses a change of state, and the transmitter transmits a second wireless signal different from the first signal when the selector is positioned in the second position and the sensor senses the change of state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Inncom International, Inc.
    Inventors: Duane W. Buckingham, Philipp Roosli, David Oliver, Rick Quirino
  • Patent number: 7421277
    Abstract: For a call flow to perform position determination, a network (100) sends to a user equipment (UE) (120) an indication (e.g., a request for permission) to perform a position fix for the UE (120). The UE (120) responds by sending to the network an acknowledgment (e.g., a grant of permission) to perform the position fix. The UE (120) selectively sends a position estimate for itself to the network (100), typically along with the acknowledgment. The network (100) may initiate location processing if (1) a position estimate is not received from the UE (120) or (2) a position estimate is received from the UE (120) but the network (100) decides not to use this position estimate. In this case, the network (100) and the UE (120) perform location processing to obtain a position fix for the UE (120). However, if a position estimate is received from the UE (120) and the network (100) decides to use the position estimate, then the location processing is bypassed or short circuited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Kirk Allan Burroughs
  • Patent number: 7421069
    Abstract: A multimedia collaboration system that facilitates more efficient, free-flowing collaboration sessions. The role of the presenter can be exchanged among participants in a collaboration session. The multimedia collaboration system is configured so that control of a collaboration session can be exchanged freely between participants in the collaboration session. The multimedia collaboration system enables participants in the collaboration session to determine the pace and course of the session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: InterCall, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Vernon, Dan Jones
  • Patent number: 7417980
    Abstract: An Internet telephone system is provided with an Internet terminal device capable of connecting with the Internet and transmitting and receiving audio signals for a voice communication. The Internet terminal has a communication unit through for transmitting/receiving the audio signals to/from the Internet. The Internet terminal device has a first interface for outputting/inputting the audio signals for the voice communication and a multifunction device having a telephone function and an Internet telephone function. The multifunction device has a sound input/output unit, a second interface that interfaces between the sound input/output unit and the first interface, a third interface that interfaces between the sound input/output unit and a public telephone network, and a switching system that switches the second interface and the third interface depending on whether the telephone function is used or the Internet telephone function is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tokunori Kato
  • Patent number: 7417989
    Abstract: A method and system for actually identifying a source of real-time media within an RTP stream. A sending node such as a client station or conference server inserts into an RTP header of at least one packet of the RTP stream an actual identification of the media source, such as a text representation of the name or e-mail address of a user who provided the media or a phone number of the station that provided the media. For instance, the sending node could insert the actual identification into an RTP header extension. A receiving node can then receive the RTP stream, read the actual identification from the RTP header, and present the actual identification to a user while playing out the underlying media to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Christopher M. Doran
  • Patent number: 7411938
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing voice channel-related functions in a telecommunications network, whereby first voice channel functions are centrally provided, and second voice channel functions are decentrally provided. The invention also relates to a telecommunications network for implementing this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Franz, Alfred Jugel, Patrick Kleiner, Norbert Löbig, Klaus Pulverer
  • Patent number: 7409056
    Abstract: A switchboard device and methods of operation of same are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may provide a flexible means of interconnecting wideband and narrowband communications interfaces, where wideband communications interfaces may transfer wideband data sampled at a higher sampling rate, and narrowband communication interfaces may transfer narrowband data sampled at a lower sampling rate. Data streams sampled at different sampling rates can be combined and the sampling rate of the result adjusted as needed by the destination interface. Methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are included. An additional aspect of the present invention may include machine-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the foregoing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wilf LéBlanc, Phil Houghton, Kenneth Cheung
  • Patent number: 7408924
    Abstract: A video signal communication method, applicable to IP phone, the method comprises of the following steps: when starting up the supporting video signal function, also starting to receive transmission using video related communication protocol; receiving the internet address setting of the video processing device to retrieve the internet address of the video processing device; determining if the video processing device is initialized; determining if the connected video processing device is initialized and then transmitting the received video signal to the video signal processing device; processing video signal via the compression/decompression module, and the video processing device displaying the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Inventec Multimedia & Telecom Corporation
    Inventor: Hung-Yeh Du
  • Patent number: 7406323
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a communication system and method, an information processing terminal and method, and an information processing device and method which enable simple and secure restricted access. When a PDA 11 is brought close, a reader 2 of a personal computer 1 reads a device ID form an IC tag 12. The personal computer 1 registers device IDs on a connection permission list, and permits only devices registered on the list to connect. When being instructed to perform accessing, the PDA 11 controls a communication unit to access the personal computer 1 and to transmits its device ID. The personal computer 1 determines whether or not the transmitted ID is registered on the connection permission list, and permits the connection when determining that the ID is registered. The present invention can be applied to various information processing devices such as a personal computer and a PDA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Ayatsuka, Haruo Oba