Patents by Inventor John V. Thommana

John V. Thommana 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: 11889399
    Abstract: A communication system is disclosed. The communication system includes a first core network that is mobile, and a radio access network, which includes a first central unit and one or more distributed units. The first central unit includes a first router containing a multi-level security guard configured to route user plane data and control plane data to the first core network. The first central unit further includes a transceiver, a control plane interface coupled to the core network, and a second router configured to communicate user plane data and control plane data to one or more first distributed units. The central unit configures at least one network function of radio resource control (RRC). The one or more distributed units configures at least one network function of packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical link (PHY) network functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, James A. Stevens
  • Patent number: 11831469
    Abstract: A system may include a tactical military network including tactical nodes and a tactical gateway node configured as a trusted network access node (TNAN) to a mobile core network. The system may further include a military trusted interworking function (M-TIF) device of the mobile core network. The M-TIF device may support an interworking function between the tactical military network and the mobile core network. The M-TIF device may be communicatively coupled to the tactical gateway node. The tactical gateway node may be collocated with the M-TIF device. Services of the mobile core network may be accessible to the tactical nodes via the tactical gateway node and the M-TIF device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Naveen Rajanikantha
  • Patent number: 11824580
    Abstract: A communication system is described. The communication system includes a number of nodes which frequency hop without coordination from a frequency table. To establish communication, the nodes scan across a band for one or more signals of interest. The signals of interest include one or more of a synchronization signal, a control signal, and a traffic signal. When transmitting the signals of interest, the nodes determine one or more characteristic for the signal, such as a channel, based on a spectral occupancy of interferers in the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Syed A. Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20230344465
    Abstract: A communication system is described. The communication system includes a number of nodes which frequency hop without coordination from a frequency table. To establish communication, the nodes scan across a band for one or more signals of interest. The signals of interest include one or more of a synchronization signal, a control signal, and a traffic signal. When transmitting the signals of interest, the nodes determine one or more characteristic for the signal, such as a channel, based on a spectral occupancy of interferers in the band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Syed A. Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20230262021
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing M-TIF to integrate one or more non-IP tactical nodes as an integral part of a 5G network includes a tactical translator. The tactical translator provides I/O functionality, message encapsulation, message translation, and IP-to-non-IP address translation. The tactical translator may be interposed between a tactical gateway and a tactical proxy to securely bridge legacy non-IP waveforms with the 5G Core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Bouis, Naveen Rajanikantha, John V. Thommana
  • Patent number: 11677436
    Abstract: A platform is provided which removes the need for the pilot to select between high angle and low angle antenna elements. By the automatic selection, the platform may improve BLOS connectivity during various phases of flight, such as during banking operations. The platform includes a SATCOM antenna including first and second elements. The platform also includes one or more SDRs which provide receive and transmit functions for the BLOS waveform. The platform may also include either a UHF diversity combiner or an LNA diplexer assembly. Thus, two methods are described for reducing out-of-service events for CDMA and legacy Narrowband UHF SATCOM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Grundmeyer, John V. Thommana
  • Publication number: 20230180012
    Abstract: A communication system is described. The communication system includes 5g base stations (gNodeB) which are communicatively coupled to a user equipment (UE) by a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) dual connectivity. A first of the gNodeBs is a master gNodeB which relays control signaling from a 5G network core to a secondary gNodeB. To avoid spectral interference of the control signals between the master gNodeB and the secondary gNodeB, the control signals are transmitted according to a tactical waveform protocol selected from the Department of Defense (DoD) Communication Waveform Inventory (2020), such as a common data link (CDL) protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, James A. Stevens
  • Publication number: 20230171596
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing M-TIF to integrate one or more tactical nodes as an integral part of a 5G network includes a tactical proxy to interface with a TWIF. The tactical proxy terminates wireless local area network interactions, eliminating the need for changes to the tactical waveform. Application layer messages between the tactical network node and tactical proxy are introduced to initiate, manage, and terminate sessions with the 5G Core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Naveen Rajanikantha, Jeffrey D. Bouis, John V. Thommana
  • Publication number: 20230170931
    Abstract: A platform is provided which removes the need for the pilot to select between high angle and low angle antenna elements. By the automatic selection, the platform may improve BLOS connectivity during various phases of flight, such as during banking operations. The platform includes a SATCOM antenna including first and second elements. The platform also includes one or more SDRs which provide receive and transmit functions for the BLOS waveform. The platform may also include either a UHF diversity combiner or an LNA diplexer assembly. Thus, two methods are described for reducing out-of-service events for CDMA and legacy Narrowband UHF SATCOM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey Grundmeyer, John V. Thommana
  • Patent number: 11653232
    Abstract: Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The waveform may include a line-of-sight waveform. The tactical waveform may also include a beyond-line-of-sight waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Lizy Paul
  • Publication number: 20230147822
    Abstract: A system may include a tactical military network including tactical nodes and a tactical gateway node configured as a trusted network access node (TNAN) to a mobile core network. The system may further include a military trusted interworking function (M-TIF) device of the mobile core network. The M-TIF device may support an interworking function between the tactical military network and the mobile core network. The M-TIF device may be communicatively coupled to the tactical gateway node. The tactical gateway node may be collocated with the M-TIF device. Services of the mobile core network may be accessible to the tactical nodes via the tactical gateway node and the M-TIF device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Naveen Rajanikantha
  • Patent number: 11632143
    Abstract: A system may include a software-defined radio (SDR) configured to communicate over multiple channels by using a beyond line of sight (BLOS) waveform. The SDR may be configured to transmit encrypted communications over some or all of the multiple channels to a satellite and on to at least one radio access node (RAN). The SDR may be configured to receive encrypted communications over some or all of the multiple channels from the at least one RAN via the satellite. At least one of the multiple channels may use a spreading factor greater than 256. The SDR may be configured to simultaneously transmit and receive encrypted communications over the multiple channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Jeffrey Grundmeyer, Lizy Paul
  • Patent number: 11617218
    Abstract: Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The tactical radios may include an application layer coupled with an application layer of the cell phone, such that an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of the cell phone may remain unchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Lizy Paul
  • Publication number: 20230036904
    Abstract: A communication system is disclosed. The communication system includes a first core network that is mobile, and a radio access network, which includes a first central unit and one or more distributed units. The first central unit includes a first router containing a multi-level security guard configured to route user plane data and control plane data to the first core network. The first central unit further includes a transceiver, a control plane interface coupled to the core network, and a second router configured to communicate user plane data and control plane data to one or more first distributed units. The central unit configures at least one network function of radio resource control (RRC). The one or more distributed units configures at least one network function of packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical link (PHY) network functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, James A. Stevens
  • Publication number: 20230011379
    Abstract: A method and system for operating an ad hoc communication network under suboptimal commercial global navigation satellite system (GNSS) conditions and a loss of a base station communication link is disclosed. The method includes configuring the ad hoc communication network to operation in in-band or out-of-band mode, allowing device-to-device D2D communication. The method further includes configuring the ad hoc communication system to operate in overlay mode, sharing communication resources between network-controlled resources and D2D resources. The method further includes configuring the D2D resources with a base station precedent to the loss of the base station communication link and enabling the ad hoc communication network to operate in frequency hopping mode. The method further includes disabling physical sidelink control channel synchronization and/or resource management within the ad hoc communication network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, James A. Stevens
  • Patent number: 11451291
    Abstract: A system may include an ad hoc satellite network including multiple satellites, a first terminal, and a second terminal. Each of the first satellite and a second satellite of the multiple satellites may include: a receive high frequency (HF) antenna configured to receive HF signals; a transmit HF antenna configured to transmit HF signals; an inter-satellite transmitter configured to transmit signals to another satellite of the ad hoc satellite network; an inter-satellite receiver configured to receive signals from another satellite of the ad hoc satellite network; and a processor. The first terminal may include an HF transmit antenna configured transmit an HF communication payload to the ad hoc satellite network. The second terminal may include an HF receive antenna configured receive the HF communication payload from the ad hoc satellite network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Joseph Splean, II
  • Publication number: 20220256366
    Abstract: Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The waveform may include a line-of-sight waveform. The tactical waveform may also include a beyond-line-of-sight waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Lizy Paul
  • Publication number: 20220256624
    Abstract: Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The tactical radios may include an application layer coupled with an application layer of the cell phone, such that an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of the cell phone may remain unchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Lizy Paul
  • Publication number: 20220247483
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a jam resistant signal. The signal is transmitted from a terminal to a satellite. The signal may include two waveform components. The first waveform component includes a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) wideband Direct Spread Spectrum (DSSS) waveform. The FDD wideband DSSS waveform may include one or more spectrally notched portions. At least one of the spectrally notched portions may be for the second waveform component. The second waveform component includes an FDD narrowband waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Jeffrey Grundmeyer, Syed A. Ahmed
  • Publication number: 20220209852
    Abstract: A system may include an ad hoc satellite network including multiple satellites, a first terminal, and a second terminal. Each of the first satellite and a second satellite of the multiple satellites may include: a receive high frequency (HF) antenna configured to receive HF signals; a transmit HF antenna configured to transmit HF signals; an inter-satellite transmitter configured to transmit signals to another satellite of the ad hoc satellite network; an inter-satellite receiver configured to receive signals from another satellite of the ad hoc satellite network; and a processor. The first terminal may include an HF transmit antenna configured transmit an HF communication payload to the ad hoc satellite network. The second terminal may include an HF receive antenna configured receive the HF communication payload from the ad hoc satellite network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John V. Thommana, Joseph Splean, II