Patents by Inventor Ralph Theodore Hofmeister

Ralph Theodore Hofmeister 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: 9705599
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for improving spectral efficiency of a communication system. The communication system can include a transmitter, a receiver and a communication link for communicating data between the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter can employ a multi-carrier technique to transmit data to the receiver. The transmitter can generate a plurality of carrier signals using a receiver-side comb generator, one of which is sent to the transmitter as a pilot carrier signal combined with modulated carrier signals over an optical link. At the receiver the receiver-side comb generator uses the pilot carrier signal to generate a plurality of receiver-side carrier signals, which are used for detecting the modulated carrier signals. As the phase noise in the modulated carrier signals and the phase noise in the receiver-side carrier signals have the same characteristics, the phase noise is cancelled at the receiver, resulting in improved detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Vinayak Dangui, Bikash Koley, Vijay Vusirikala, Ralph Theodore Hofmeister
  • Publication number: 20170033870
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for improving spectral efficiency of a communication system. The communication system can include a transmitter, a receiver and a communication link for communicating data between the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter can employ a multi-carrier technique to transmit data to the receiver. The transmitter can generate a plurality of carrier signals using a receiver-side comb generator, one of which is sent to the transmitter as a pilot carrier signal combined with modulated carrier signals over an optical link. At the receiver the receiver-side comb generator uses the pilot carrier signal to generate a plurality of receiver-side carrier signals, which are used for detecting the modulated carrier signals. As the phase noise in the modulated carrier signals and the phase noise in the receiver-side carrier signals have the same characteristics, the phase noise is cancelled at the receiver, resulting in improved detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Vinayak Dangui, Bikash Koley, Vijay Vusirikala, Ralph Theodore Hofmeister
  • Patent number: 7417950
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and network for transporting layer-2 frames, such as Ethernet MAC, ATM AAL5, and Frame Relay, over MPLS, SONET/SDH, or OTN optical transport networks as well as electrical transport networks is disclosed. The method establishes “pseudo-wires” between, for example, routers, Layer-2 packet switches, or SONET/SDH switches. Inter-related ingress and egress resource tables may be used by provider edge nodes to negotiate consistently managed data tunnels across a provider network on behalf of data flowing from/to a diverse base of customer edge nodes. Detailed network resource information particular to each of the data flows is exchanged between provider edge nodes during the creation of pseudo-wires. Admission control algorithms are applied at the ingress and egress points in order to manage the data flows into a provider network and exiting from a provider network to customer equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Theodore Hofmeister, Ping Pan
  • Patent number: 6985488
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and network for transporting layer-2 frames, such as Ethernet MAC, ATM AAL5, and Frame Relay, over SONET, SDH, or OTN transport networks is disclosed. The method establishes “pseudo-wires” between, for example, SONET switches and directly on top of the SONET layer. The method may implement MPLS signaling protocols on traditional SONET switches for the purpose of aggregating layer-2 frames from the transport network edges, while the transport network itself is independent from IP and MPLS routing. This approach provides a number of advantages to the network carriers in terms of operation and equipment expense reduction. To enable the transport network to be independent from IP and MPLS, and avoid subsequent IP control message processing inside the networks, an edge-to-edge “tunneling” mechanism is designed to transmit control messages as a part of the SONET (or SDH or OTN) frame payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Ping Pan, Ralph Theodore Hofmeister
  • Publication number: 20040170173
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and network for transporting layer-2 frames, such as Ethernet MAC, ATM AAL5, and Frame Relay, over SONET, SDH, or OTN transport networks is disclosed. The method establishes “pseudo-wires” between, for example, SONET switches and directly on top of the SONET layer. The method may implement MPLS signaling protocols on traditional SONET switches for the purpose of aggregating layer-2 frames from the transport network edges, while the transport network itself is independent from IP and MPLS routing. This approach provides a number of advantages to the network carriers in terms of operation and equipment expense reduction. To enable the transport network to be independent from IP and MPLS, and avoid subsequent IP control message processing inside the networks, an edge-to-edge “tunneling” mechanism is designed to transmit control messages as a part of the SONET (or SDH or OTN) frame payload.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Ping Pan, Ralph Theodore Hofmeister
  • Publication number: 20040156313
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and network for transporting layer-2 frames, such as Ethernet MAC, ATM AAL5, and Frame Relay, over MPLS, SONET/SDH, or OTN optical transport networks as well as electrical transport networks is disclosed. The method establishes “pseudo-wires” between, for example, routers, Layer-2 packet switches, or SONET/SDH switches. Inter-related ingress and egress resource tables may be used by provider edge nodes to negotiate consistently managed data tunnels across a provider network on behalf of data flowing from/to a diverse base of customer edge nodes. Detailed network resource information particular to each of the data flows is exchanged between provider edge nodes during the creation of pseudo-wires. Admission control algorithms are applied at the ingress and egress points in order to manage the data flows into a provider network and exiting from a provider network to customer equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Ralph Theodore Hofmeister, Ping Pan