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).
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Patent number: 8219076Abstract: An access probe existing and generated within a base station to simulate a mobile terminal for the purpose of testing base station receive functionality within a communications system. The access probe data is injected at baseband rather than at RF to eliminate the need for analog/RF circuitry. The access probe performs injection at the front end of the base station receiver to exercise as much receive data path as possible. A unique ID is embedded in the access probes so that the communications system is aware which probes within a sequence were received successfully and at what power level. Within in-field applications, the unique ID allows the communications system to distinguish simulated access probes from those corresponding to real mobiles.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2005Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Ganesh Sundararajan, Edward Ken Kiu Mah, Neil McGowan
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Publication number: 20120076019Abstract: Methods and devices for removing cross coupling effects between elements of an antenna array (110) are provided. Cross coupling coefficients between all pairs of antenna elements of the antenna array are predetermined to minimize a total power in theoretical null points calculated without considering the cross element effects. A transceiver (100) includes a multiplexing block (105) configured to receive data signals to be transmitted via the antenna elements and to output to at least one of the antenna elements, a sum signal including (i) a data signal, which data signal is designated for the at least one antenna element, and (ii) a linear combination of data signals designated for other antenna elements of the antenna array, each of the data signals in the linear combination being weighted by a respective cross coupling coefficient between the at least one antenna element and an antenna element emitting the each of the data signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2010Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)Inventors: Neil McGowan, Peter Deane
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Publication number: 20120064848Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2010Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)Inventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus Willem Da Silveira, Peter Zahariev Rashev
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Publication number: 20100278288Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2008Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: John P. Panicker, Gary D. Boudreau, Neil McGowan, Vish Nandlall
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Publication number: 20100272089Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: Peter DEANE, Abdelgader LEGNAIN, Neil MCGOWAN, Marthinus DA SILVEIRA
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Patent number: 7782827Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 19, 2003Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Peter Deane, Abdelgader Legnain, Neil McGowan, Marthinus Da Silveira
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Publication number: 20100173639Abstract: To provide space division multiple access in a wireless network, plural beams are transmitted within a cell segment. Different information sets are sent in the corresponding plural beams, where one or more of the information sets are detectable by a mobile station depending upon a location of the mobile station in the cell segment. An indication responsive to which of the different information sets is detected by the mobile station is received, and beam selection from among the plural beams is performed according to the received indication.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2008Publication date: July 8, 2010Inventors: Xiao-Dong Li, Peter M. Deane, Patrick Lie Chin Cheong, Neil McGowan, Jia Ming
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Publication number: 20090236443Abstract: An apparatus (11) for dispensing fluid from a fluid container (30). The apparatus comprises a fluid chamber (12) with an outlet wall (15) containing a fluid outlet (14) and an inlet wall (13) containing a fluid inlet (16). A nozzle (17) extends from the inlet. A cradle (21) is fixed to the inlet wall for seating the fluid container. The cradle is manipulable in a manner such as to move the fluid container to selected positions The selected positions include one or more dismount positions in which the fluid container is dismountable and a retained position in which the fluid container is retained in sealed engagement with the nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2006Publication date: September 24, 2009Applicant: KILLGERM GROUP LIMITEDInventors: Paul Hoyes, Neil McGowan
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Patent number: 7583583Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the peak to average power ratio of an OFDM signal. The method involves operating on the signal only after it is converted to the time domain where the signal is compared to a power threshold and any signal above the power threshold is considered undesirable. A reduced signal is produced by reducing the magnitude to the power threshold whenever it exceeds that threshold. The delta between the original signal and reduced signal is the clipped signal. The clipped signal is multiplied by a g-function, and then subtracted from the original signal to produce a first iteration of a peak-reduced signal. The process can then be repeated using the first peak-reduced signal in place of the original signal to produce the second iteration of a peak-reduced signal. This process can be repeated each time bringing the peaks closer to the power threshold.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2005Date of Patent: September 1, 2009Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Ning Guo, Neil McGowan, Gary Boudreau
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Publication number: 20090092195Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: Ning GUO, Neil McGOWAN, Bradley John MORRIS
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Patent number: 7508885Abstract: A forward link transmitter in a sectored cell includes a baseband processor having traditional baseband signal digital processing circuitry in addition to including a digital hybrid matrix (vector and delay compensated transformation module) whose phase and amplitude (vector) and delay may be adjusted to compensate for downstream errors that are introduced and detected by a feedback circuit. Accordingly, the baseband processor, by monitoring an output of an analog hybrid matrix producing modulated and amplified radio frequency (RF) signals just prior to propagation from an antenna, can determine errors produced by the analog circuitry including the analog hybrid matrix and may compensate for the same by introducing an amplitude, phase and delay adjustment (in the digital domain) into output digital waveform signals to compensate for the error introduced downstream to the baseband processor.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2007Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Inventors: M. Neil McGowan, Marthinus W. Da Silveira, Mihai Parvan, Matthew Conrod
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Publication number: 20090041109Abstract: A method and apparatus for compression of complex data signals within a telecommunications base station. The method includes representing a sample of a complex value discrete time signal using 2(L?N)?S mantissa bits and 2N+S exponent bits to realize peak output signal to noise ratios over a wider dynamic range compared to a conventional L-bit uniform quantization format. The increases in dynamic range and peak output SNR is achieved without increasing the average number of data bits per sample and with relatively simple computational effort.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2005Publication date: February 12, 2009Applicant: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Neil McGowan, Bradley John Morris, Edward Ken Kiu Mah
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Patent number: 7457641Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting wireless data to users which increases the wireless capacity for data transmissions within a sector served by a base station is disclosed. Accordingly, the sector is subdivided into a plurality of beams, typically by means of beam forming antennas, and the user data to be transmitted is time division multiplexed by scheduling the data into timeslots for transmission via the beams. Capacity is thus increased by decreasing network interference and/or transmitting data to more than one user at the same time by means of the multiple beams, and time division multiplexing the data. Preferably multiple users can be scheduled on multiple beams simultaneously in order to increase capacity. Preferably the same user can be allocated more than one beam if the radio conditions warrant. Such a system is optimized for data and carries out the following steps: a. Evaluating the reverse link wireless conditions for each user; b.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2005Date of Patent: November 25, 2008Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Abdelgader Legnain, Peter Deane, Neil McGowan
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Patent number: 7424039Abstract: A method and apparatus for 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., the number of sectors) amplified by the single power amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2003Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Peter Deane, Abdelgader Legnain, Marthinus Da Silveira, Neil McGowan
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Publication number: 20080096543Abstract: An access probe existing and generated within a base station to simulate a mobile terminal for the purpose of testing base station receive functionality within a communications system. The access probe data is injected at baseband rather than at RF to eliminate the need for analog/RF circuitry. The access probe performs injection at the front end of the base station receiver to exercise as much receive data path as possible. A unique ID is embedded in the access probes so that the communications system is aware which probes within a sequence were received successfully and at what power level. Within in-field applications, the unique ID allows the communications system to distinguish simulated access probes from those corresponding to real mobiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2005Publication date: April 24, 2008Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: Ganesh Sundararajan, Edward Ken Kiu Mah, Neil McGowan
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Patent number: 7248656Abstract: A digital convertible radio optimizes signal-to-noise ratios by substantially canceling undesired components of a plurality of input data streams present in sector signals in a cellular network. The sector output power is then scaled to optimize the total power at the sector output ports. The input data streams are cross-correlated with each other and with digital representations of the sector signals to produce a plurality of cross-correlated signals. The plurality of cross-correlated signals is combined to identify the undesired cross-correlated signals. The portion of the undesired signal measurement representing the correlation between the input signal streams are removed using the input signal cross correlation and system transfer function determination. A weighted vector adjustment module produces a plurality of complex weighted vector values that are mixed with the plurality of input data streams.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2003Date of Patent: July 24, 2007Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Marthinus W. da Silveira, M. Neil McGowan
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Publication number: 20070153936Abstract: A forward link transmitter in a sectored cell includes a baseband processor having traditional baseband signal digital processing circuitry in addition to including a digital hybrid matrix (vector and delay compensated transformation module) whose phase and amplitude (vector) and delay may be adjusted to compensate for downstream errors that are introduced and detected by a feedback circuit. Accordingly, the baseband processor, by monitoring an output of an analog hybrid matrix producing modulated and amplified radio frequency (RF) signals just prior to propagation from an antenna, can determine errors produced by the analog circuitry including the analog hybrid matrix and may compensate for the same by introducing an amplitude, phase and delay adjustment (in the digital domain) into output digital waveform signals to compensate for the error introduced downstream to the baseband processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2007Publication date: July 5, 2007Applicant: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Neil McGowan, Marthinus Da Silveira, Mihai Parvan, Matthew Conrod
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Publication number: 20070140101Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the peak to average power ratio of an OFDM signal. The method involves operating on the signal only after it is converted to the time domain where the signal is compared to a power threshold and any signal above the power threshold is considered undesirable. A reduced signal is produced by reducing the magnitude to the power threshold whenever it exceeds that threshold. The delta between the original signal and reduced signal is the clipped signal. The clipped signal is multiplied by a g-function, and then subtracted from the original signal to produce a first iteration of a peak-reduced signal. The process can then be repeated using the first peak-reduced signal in place of the original signal to produce the second iteration of a peak-reduced signal. This process can be repeated each time bringing the peaks closer to the power threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2005Publication date: June 21, 2007Applicant: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Ning Guo, Neil McGowan, Gary Boudreau
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Publication number: 20070076678Abstract: A forward link design is provided employing CDMA (code division multiple access) technologies in which time division multiplexing is employed between data and control information on the forward link to service multiple users per slot. Another forward link design employing CDMA (code division multiple access) technologies is provided in which code division multiplexing between data and control information is employed on the forward link to service multiple users per slot, which is preferably backwards compatible with legacy standards such as IS2000A. A reverse link design is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2006Publication date: April 5, 2007Applicant: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Xixian Chen, Neil McGowan, Muhammad Islam, Ning Guo, Hong Ren, Litong Li
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Patent number: D589585Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2008Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Inventors: John Greening, Neil McGowan