Patents by Inventor Neil McGowan

Neil McGowan 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: 8634288
    Abstract: Methods and devices for extracting a RACH preamble using as input a number of Fast Fourier Transformed symbols, in order to extract a random access channel (RACH) preamble from a signal received in a base station from a user device, in a radio communication system, are provided. An initial cyclic prefix (symbol CP) is removed prior to performing FFT on symbols. After (1) selecting from the FFT of a symbol frequencies corresponding to the RACH band all other non-RACH frequency bins having been set to zero, (2) shifting the signal to baseband and (3) performing a FFT on the baseband signal, a phase adjustment is performed to compensate for group delays due to symbol CP gaps occurring when generating the baseband signal, the phase adjustment being determined individually for each symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthuinus Willem Da Silveira
  • Publication number: 20130329817
    Abstract: A method and system adaptively reduce a peak-to-average power ratio in a communication system. Energy is clipped from at least one peak of a modulated signal. The modulated signal includes a plurality of sub-carriers. At least one data sub-carrier is adaptively selected for peak-to-average power ratio reduction use based on known scheduling information. The clipped energy is distributed among at least one data sub-carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Ning Guo, Neil McGowan, Bradley John Morris
  • Patent number: 8599815
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing multiple signals at a common frequency combined into a single radio frequency cable and subsequently recovering the signals without significant losses, distortion, or cross-talk. The method and apparatus includes processing multiple signals at a common frequency fed through a single radio frequency (RF) cable with or without one or more amplifiers and utilized for either forward or reverse link transmissions. The invention enables a single power amplifier to amplify multiple RF signals that occupy a common frequency channel and after amplification splitting these signals into amplified copies of the originals. The amplified signals may be sent to different antenna ports to illuminate different base station sectors if required. The signal splitting function is performed at the antenna masthead such that this method reduces the number of feeder cables running up the antenna tower by a factor of N, where N is the number of common frequency signals (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Deane, Abdelgader Legnain, Neil McGowan, Marthinus Da Silveira
  • Publication number: 20130312314
    Abstract: An insect catching device (10) which comprises a housing (20). A radiation source (30) which attracts insects is mounted inside the housing (20) and an insect catching member (40) is located within the housing (10). The insect catching member has a catching surface (402) on which an amount of an adhesive material is provided. The front portion (22) of the housing (20) defines an aperture (25, 26, 27) which allows insects to enter the housing (20) and be caught on the adhesive material (404). The housing (20) defines a vent (28) located separately from the aperture (25, 26, 27) and positioned to created an airflow into the housing (20) by convection resulting from the heat generated by the radiation source (30) during use of the device (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: KILLGERM GROUP LIMITED
    Inventors: John Llewellyn Greening, Neil McGowan
  • Publication number: 20130315320
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for peak power reduction on a plurality of frequency domain orthogonal frequency divisional multiplexing (OFDM) signal carriers and a plurality of time domain signal carriers in a communications system. The system includes a plurality of frequency domain carrier processing blocks configured to iteratively perform frequency domain processing of at least one frequency domain OFDM signal carrier to reduce peak power transmission and a plurality of time domain carrier processing blocks configured to iteratively perform time domain processing of at least one time domain signal carrier to reduce peak power transmission, wherein the system is further configured to perform the frequency domain processing and time domain processing substantially simultaneously, thereby spreading excess peak power to one or more of the plurality of frequency domain OFDM signal carriers and to one or more of the plurality of time domain signal carriers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus Willem Da Silveira
  • Patent number: 8588334
    Abstract: A wireless communication system that includes a robust transmitter array. The robust transmitter array includes an antenna array system with at least one column, at least one antenna element, and at least one polarization, a plurality of transmitter devices to transmit analog voice/data signals through the antenna array system, and a signal processor. The signal processor modifies two or more input signals in the event of a transmitter device failure such that substantially similar amounts of each of the two or more input signals are output from the transmitter system to the antenna array system, and wherein substantially less transmitted signal power is lost than in the case wherein the signal processor does not modify the two or more input signals in the event of a transmitter failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthuinus Willem Da Silveira
  • Publication number: 20130266082
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for frequency domain peak power reduction on a plurality of orthogonal frequency divisional multiplexing (OFDM) signals in a communications system, wherein frequency domain processing of at least one OFDM signal carrier is iteratively performed to reduce peak power transmissions. OFDM signal carriers can include both in-band sub-carrier signals, and guard-band sub-carrier signals. Each iteration of peak power reduction takes as an input the frequency domain representation of the signal from the previous iteration that has been altered with respect to an error signal also represented in the frequency domain, determines an error signal (in the frequency domain), and subtracts this from the input to produce a further peak power reduced frequency domain signal. If there are no peaks above the configured peak power reduction threshold, then the signal passes through the FPPR iterations with no change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Neil MCGOWAN, Marthinus Willem DA SILVEIRA
  • Patent number: 8548085
    Abstract: Peak power reduction in transmit chains of frequency hopping, multi-band radiocommunication devices is performed. Filtering and, optionally, interpolation of a signal being processed for peak power reduction can be performed only in an error signal path or in both an error signal path and a primary signal path. Alternatively, a sufficiently high sample rate can be used in support of error signal generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus Willem Da Silveira
  • Patent number: 8504109
    Abstract: Antenna systems are used for transmitting common overhead channels (pilot, sync, and paging channels) over a whole sector while transmitting and receiving unique traffic channels on individual beams in the sector. Each beam in the sector is transmitted at a frequency offset from other beams in the sector. The offset frequency is chosen such that the effect of cancellation of the pilot channel caused by the summing of signals from multiple beams is minimized. Alternative, each beam in the sector can have a time dependent phase offset relative to each other to minimize the effect of cancellation of the pilot channel caused by the summing of signals from multiple beams. System capacity is substantially increased since the number of traffic carrying beams per sector is increased without using more pilot channel PN offsets. Beams are fixed and the same antennas are used for the overhead channels as the traffic channels, obviating the need for complex algorithms and calibration procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Peter Deane
  • Patent number: 8483338
    Abstract: A method and system for wireless communication channel estimation. A frequency offset hypothesis is determined. An interchannel interference (“ICI”) matrix based on the frequency offset hypothesis is generated. Pilot channel estimates based on the ICI matrix are obtained. A correlation error of the pilot channel estimates to the frequency offset hypothesis is calculated. The correlation error is compared with a predetermined correlation error value. The frequency offset hypothesis is updated and the aforementioned steps are iteratively repeated if the correlation error is greater than the predetermined correlation error value. The pilot channel estimates are used to estimate the wireless communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Panicker, Gary D. Boudreau, Neil McGowan, Vish Nandlall
  • Patent number: 8478325
    Abstract: Peak power reduction in transmit chains of radiocommunication devices is performed using a low sample rate. Filtering and, optionally, interpolation of a signal being processed for peak power reduction can be performed only in an error signal path or in both an error signal path and a primary signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus Willem Da Silveira, Peter Zahariev Rashev
  • Patent number: 8412124
    Abstract: Peak power reduction in transmit chains of multi-band radiocommunication devices is performed. By using knowledge of the phase transformations which occur at the upconverter to determine how baseband signal samples will combine at the higher (upconverted) frequency, peak prediction and corresponding baseband signal modification can be performed in a way that reduces peak power of the combined signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Bradley John Morris, Neil McGowan, Sai Mohan Kilambi
  • Publication number: 20130027090
    Abstract: Peak power reduction in transmit chains of multi-band radiocommunication devices is performed. By using knowledge of the phase transformations which occur at the upconverter to determine how baseband signal samples will combine at the higher (upconverted) frequency, peak prediction and corresponding baseband signal modification can be performed in a way that reduces peak power of the combined signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Bradley John Morris, Neil McGowan, Sai Mohan Kilambi
  • Publication number: 20130022152
    Abstract: A wireless communication system that includes a robust transmitter array. The robust transmitter array includes an antenna array system with at least one column, at least one antenna element, and at least one polarization, a plurality of transmitter devices to transmit analog voice/data signals through the antenna array system, and a signal processor. The signal processor modifies two or more input signals in the event of a transmitter device failure such that substantially similar amounts of each of the two or more input signals are output from the transmitter system to the antenna array system, and wherein substantially less transmitted signal power is lost than in the case wherein the signal processor does not modify the two or more input signals in the event of a transmitter failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthuinus Willem DA SILVEIRA
  • Publication number: 20130022158
    Abstract: A method and system for wireless communication channel estimation. A frequency offset hypothesis is determined. An interchannel interference (“ICI”) matrix based on the frequency offset hypothesis is generated. Pilot channel estimates based on the ICI matrix are obtained. A correlation error of the pilot channel estimates to the frequency offset hypothesis is calculated. The correlation error is compared with a predetermined correlation error value. The frequency offset hypothesis is updated and the aforementioned steps are iteratively repeated if the correlation error is greater than the predetermined correlation error value. The pilot channel estimates are used to estimate the wireless communication channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: John P. PANICKER, Gary D. BOUDREAU, Neil McGOWAN, Vish NANDLALL
  • Publication number: 20120320948
    Abstract: Peak power reduction in transmit chains of frequency hopping, multi-band radiocommunication devices is performed. Filtering and, optionally, interpolation of a signal being processed for peak power reduction can be performed only in an error signal path or in both an error signal path and a primary signal path. Alternatively, a sufficiently high sample rate can be used in support of error signal generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Neil MCGOWAN, Marthinus Willem DA SILVEIRA
  • Patent number: 8331466
    Abstract: A method and system adaptively reduce a peak-to-average power ratio in a communication system. Energy is clipped from at least one peak of a modulated signal. The modulated signal includes a plurality of sub-carriers. At least one data sub-carrier is adaptively selected for peak-to-average power ratio reduction use based on known scheduling information. The clipped energy is distributed among at least one data sub-carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Guo, Neil McGowan, Bradley John Morris
  • Publication number: 20120307743
    Abstract: Methods and devices for extracting a RACH preamble using as input a number of Fast Fourier Transformed symbols, in order to extract a random access channel (RACH) preamble from a signal received in a base station from a user device, in a radio communication system, are provided. An initial cyclic prefix (symbol CP) is removed prior to performing FFT on symbols. After (1) selecting from the FFT of a symbol frequencies corresponding to the RACH band all other non-RACH frequency bins having been set to zero, (2) shifting the signal to baseband and (3) performing a FFT on the baseband signal, a phase adjustment is performed to compensate for group delays due to symbol CP gaps occurring when generating the baseband signal, the phase adjustment being determined individually for each symbol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthuinus Willem DA SILVEIRA
  • Publication number: 20120290633
    Abstract: A spectrum agile radio having one or more variable digital filters is described. To quickly, yet accurately, retune the digital filter(s) a windowing function is applied to an ideal filter characteristic for each of one or more desired frequency bands to generate filter coefficients. Transitioning between coefficients of a previous filter and a current filter is handled to avoid problems associated with discontinuities in the signal processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventor: Neil McGowan
  • Patent number: 8270547
    Abstract: A method and system for wireless communication channel estimation. A frequency offset hypothesis is determined. An interchannel interference (“ICI”) matrix based on the frequency offset hypothesis is generated. Pilot channel estimates based on the ICI matrix are obtained. A correlation error of the pilot channel estimates to the frequency offset hypothesis is calculated. The correlation error is compared with a predetermined correlation error value. The frequency offset hypothesis is updated and the aforementioned steps are iteratively repeated if the correlation error is greater than the predetermined correlation error value. The pilot channel estimates are used to estimate the wireless communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Panicker, Gary D. Boudreau, Neil McGowan, Vish Nandlall