Patents by Inventor James Earl Womack

James Earl Womack has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9232512
    Abstract: A method for allocating uplink resources to a relay node. The method includes an access node allocating a plurality of disparate uplink resources to the relay node in a single downlink transmission to the relay node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Yi Yu, Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack
  • Patent number: 9226250
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for timing synchronization. Uplink synchronization is a necessary component of a UE operating in a mobile, wireless network. Reliable uplink synchronization generally requires regular uplink transmission containing reference signals. A method is provided that defines a burst period for sending the reference signals, determines an interval between the reference signals, and sends a timing instruction message that includes the burst period and the determined interval. A second method is provided that receives the timing instruction message and sends the reference signals in accordance with the timing instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Yongkang Jia, James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai, Shouxing Qu
  • Patent number: 9215696
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling sounding reference signal transmission are provided; a user equipment starts transmitting the sounding reference signal in anticipation of uplink data transmission, and then discontinues transmitting the sounding reference signal after completion of uplink data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai
  • Publication number: 20150351155
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception on a mobile device and in particular to control a short discontinuous reception timer in response to receipt of a medium access control control element. The methods and apparatus include stopping, restarting or maintaining the short discontinuous reception timer. Methods and apparatus for limiting or stopping a retransmission timer by providing user equipment with a maximum retry value for transmissions, by providing a maximum redundant version value, or by providing a medium access control control element to stop or prevent the start of a retransmission timer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack, Takashi Suzuki, Gordon Peter Young, Yi Yu
  • Patent number: 9191878
    Abstract: A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches. The method includes recommending the relay node based on a relay node selection rank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: James Earl Womack, Yi Yu, Zhijun Cai
  • Patent number: 9185744
    Abstract: A method for providing user agent data. The method includes an access node receiving an indicator sent from a relay node as an indication that the relay node has received data from the user agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Zhijun Cai, Chandra S. Bontu, Yi Yu, Mo-Han Fong, Sophie Vrzic, James Earl Womack, Andrew Mark Earnshaw, Yi Song
  • Publication number: 20150312856
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed or providing uplink timing synchronization during DRX operation in a wireless communication system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai, Yi Yu
  • Patent number: 9155045
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing uplink timing synchronization during DRX operation in a wireless communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai, Yi Yu
  • Patent number: 9131447
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception on a mobile device and in particular to control a short discontinuous reception timer in response to receipt of a medium access control control element. The methods and apparatus include stopping, restarting or maintaining the short discontinuous reception timer. Methods and apparatus for limiting or stopping a retransmission timer by providing user equipment with a maximum retry value for transmissions, by providing a maximum redundant version value, or by providing a medium access control control element to stop or prevent the start of a retransmission timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack, Takashi Suzuki, Gordon Peter Young, Yi Yu
  • Publication number: 20150245338
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for a wireless communication system using multiple-serving nodes are provided. In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication comprises sending from a wireless device an uplink control signal to a first node via a second node using a second communication link; receiving by said wireless device a downlink control signal from said first node using a first communication link; sending from said wireless device another uplink control signal to said second node using said second communication link; and receiving by said wireless device another downlink control signal from said second node via said first node using said first communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Yi Yu, Rose Qingyang Hu, Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack
  • Publication number: 20150237635
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The UE includes a processor configured to transmit a rank indicator (RI) using one of an assigned periodic RI reporting resource that precisely aligns with the start on an on-duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation mode of the UE and a first assigned periodic RI reporting resource after the start of the on-duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Yi Yu, James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai
  • Patent number: 9100953
    Abstract: A component in a telecommunications system is provided. The component includes one or more processors configured to promote semi-persistent scheduling of a resource and to send a release message. The release message informing the user equipment to cease attempting to process data from the downlink portion. Also provided is user equipment comprising one or more processors configured to promote providing an indication that a request for an uplink resource is related to a voice over Internet Protocol call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Wei Wu, Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack, Takashi Suzuki, Sean Bartholomew Simmons, Yi Yu
  • Patent number: 9094862
    Abstract: A system and method that may facilitate transmission bandwidth savings in non-stationary vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication channels. At a transmitting vehicle, a transmitter may adaptively change the number of pilot symbols or pilot rate within a frame based upon the current channel statistics. The transmitter may utilize a look-up table approach to select a best pilot rate based upon current conditions associated with the transmitting vehicle, and/or a new frame structure to transmit pilot rate information. At the receiving vehicle, the receiver may be configured to detect a unique waveform transmitted by the transmitting vehicle to estimate the pilot rate information. Alternatively, the receiver on the receiving vehicle may be configured to predict and verify the pilot rate information from an encoded data symbol embedded within a frame transmitted by the transmitting vehicle, which may entail a detection algorithm using encoded data symbols and/or an estimation algorithm using channel statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Sagar Dhakal, Nam Nguyen, James Earl Womack
  • Patent number: 9088950
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling discontinuous reception on a mobile device and in particular to control a short discontinuous reception timer in response to receipt of a medium access control element. The methods and apparatus include stopping, restarting or maintaining the short discontinuous reception timer. Methods and apparatus for limiting or stopping a retransmission timer by providing user equipment with a maximum retry value for transmissions, by providing a maximum redundant version value, or by providing a medium access control element to stop or prevent the start of a retransmission timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack, Takashi Suzuki, Gordon Peter Young
  • Patent number: 9072046
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) is provided that includes a processor configured to transmit a precoding matrix index (PMI) using one of an assigned periodic PMI reporting resource that precisely aligns with the start of an on-duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation mode of the UE and a first assigned periodic PMI reporting after the start of an on-duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation mode of the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack, Yi Yu
  • Publication number: 20150180637
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic acknowledgement repetition for a downlink medium access control packet data unit transmission ‘MAC PDU’ requiring multiple acknowledgements, the method having the steps of: receiving the downlink MAC PDU requiring multiple acknowledgements; and utilizing a differentiating factor and acknowledgement scheme, sending the multiple acknowledgements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Zhijun Cai, James Earl Womack
  • Patent number: 9055570
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The UE includes a processor configured to transmit a rank indicator (RI) using one of an assigned periodic RI reporting resource that precisely aligns with the start on an on-duration of a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation mode of the UE and a fast assigned periodic RI reporting resource after the start of the on-duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Yi Yu, James Earl Womack, Zhijun Cai
  • Patent number: 9054780
    Abstract: A radiation power level control scheme for a wireless user equipment (UE) device. In one embodiment, a method comprises determining that a current transmission event involving the wireless UE device is commenced outside a time duration from a last transmission event. If so, responsive to the determining, the method involves disregarding or resetting a power data history associated with the wireless UE device in computing a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the wireless UE device during the current transmission event. Otherwise, at least a portion of the power data history may be used in computing the SAR values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Kelce Steven Wilson, Shirook M. Ali, Shalini Suresh Periyalwar, James Earl Womack
  • Patent number: 9049701
    Abstract: Transmission of data from a portable communication device to a base station via a radio frequency signal uses a plurality of modulation and coding schemes and a protocol that has recurring frames. Each frame has a plurality of transmission slots, different numbers of which can be used to transmit data. When it is desired to transmit data, a higher rate than was used previously, an attempt is made to increase the number transmission slots being used. If doing so, produces a transmission results in a specific absorption rate limit being exceeded, then the modulation and coding scheme is changed to one having a greater data coding rate. The power level and the number transmission slots then are set so that the data transmission does not exceed the specific absorption rate limit. The data is then transmitted by the portable communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Shirook M. Ali, James Earl Womack, Amin Mobasher, James Paul Warden
  • Patent number: 9049746
    Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for concurrently managing multimode communications devices. In various embodiments, a wireless communication device comprises a first radio configured to use a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second radio configured to use a second RAT. Processing logic in the wireless device is configured to monitor and manage the state machines of said first and second radios. The processing logic is further configured to place the first radio in an active operational mode and to place the second radio in a reduced functionality operational mode. Control messages for the second radio are then received and processed via the first radio while the second radio is in the reduced functionality operative mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Shalini Suresh Periyalwar, James Earl Womack, William Anthony Gage