Patents by Inventor William McFarland

William McFarland 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).

  • Publication number: 20210257733
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dual-band antenna includes stamping a metallic sheet to form an antenna plate having at least one antenna element with a low frequency section and a high frequency section having a slot; and folding the at least one antenna element about a portion of a perimeter of the stamped metallic sheet forming an upper surface, a side wall and a lower surface of the at least one antenna element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, William McFarland, Brian Nam, Christina Xu, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo
  • Patent number: 11024963
    Abstract: A wireless device with an antenna plate includes one or more components; and at least one antenna integrally formed with the antenna plate. The at least one antenna has a low frequency section and a high frequency section, wherein the high frequency section has a slot, the dimensions of the slot being formed in part by a parasitic arm formed within the high frequency section. A method for manufacturing a wireless device having an antenna plate includes stamping a metallic sheet to form the antenna plate having at least one antenna element; and folding the at least one dual-band antenna element about a portion of a perimeter of the stamped sheet forming an upper surface, a side wall and a lower surface of the at least one antenna element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, William McFarland, Brian Nam, Christina Xu, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo
  • Publication number: 20210160878
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a radio system include configuring a first antenna of a plurality of antennas in a wireless device to operate in a configured mode of a plurality of modes, wherein the plurality of modes include a first mode of operating as a quarter wave for operation in a 2.4 GHz band, a second mode of operating as a half wave for operation in a 5 GHz band, and a third mode of operating simultaneous as a half wave and a quarter wave for operation in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band; and operating a first radio of a plurality of radios connected to the first antenna in the configured mode of the first antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Brian Nam, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo, William McFarland
  • Publication number: 20210151875
    Abstract: A compact electronic device for wireless communication is disclosed. The compact electronic device includes a main printed circuit board, one or more antennas, at least one conductor, and a shell. The one or more antennas are configured for wireless communication. The at least one conductor being configured to provide at least one of control signals and power to a fan. The shell mounts the fan relative to the main printed circuit board. The shell includes walls forming a cavity. The walls encapsulate the conductor in the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Chien Chang Chen, Ming-Tsung Su, Brian Nam, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo, William McFarland
  • Patent number: 11011847
    Abstract: A multi-antenna structure includes a monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure with an antenna feed configured to connect to electrical circuitry; and a slot-like antenna structure adjacent to the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and capacitively fed by the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure, wherein the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and the slot-like antenna structure operate as a combined antenna with extended bandwidth relative to operation individually. The monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure can include a horizontal member and a plurality of vertical members connected to the horizontal member. The slot-like antenna structure can include two parallel horizontal members separated by a slot and a vertical member at one end of the slot connected to each of the two parallel horizontal members separated and another end of the slot is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, William McFarland, Brian Nam, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo
  • Publication number: 20210144567
    Abstract: Systems and methods include obtaining operational data for a Wi-Fi network including one or more access points providing wireless connectivity to one another and to one or more Wi-Fi client devices; determining a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement from the operational data for each of the one or more access points and the one or more Wi-Fi client devices; and providing a display of associated QoE measurements for the one or more access points and the one or more Wi-Fi client devices. The systems and methods can include providing the display in real-time or near real-time to troubleshoot or debug operations of the Wi-Fi network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Kunal Goswami, William McFarland, Manikanden Balakrishnan, Adam Hotchkiss
  • Patent number: 10933282
    Abstract: A reservoir provided in a hard-point fixture is pre-loaded with a curable adhesive, where the reservoir is protected from the curing radiation. The fixture is placed on a target surface and the adhesive is extruded from the reservoir into a space between the fixture and the target surface. An irradiating device to cure the adhesive is provided in the fixture and activated to couple the fixture to the surface. Once the curing process is complete, the fixture is released from the placement system leaving the fixture affixed to the target surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel King, Isaac Ehrenberg, Alexander Sawyer, Graham Arrick, Juliette E. Mahaffey, William McFarland, David Carter
  • Publication number: 20200387204
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to thermal management of wireless access points including local thermal management, cloud-based thermal management, and thermal management based on optimization and operation such as in a distributed Wi-Fi network. The objective of the present disclosure is for thermal management in access points allowing small form-factors and aesthetic designs, preventing overheating and without requiring reduced performance or reduced hardware. Generally, the systems and methods detect when access points are nearing overheating and alter their operation so as to minimize the reduction of performance in the network while reducing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: William McFarland, Yoseph Malkin, Richard Chang, Patrick Hanley
  • Patent number: 10857427
    Abstract: A hard-point fixture placement system places a fixture that is pre-loaded with a curable adhesive by mechanically extruding the adhesive between the fixture and a target surface to which the fixture is to be attached. The placement system includes an irradiating device to cure the adhesive. The hard-point fixture stores the adhesive in a reservoir that is protected from the curing radiation. Once the curing process is complete, the fixture is released from the placement system leaving the fixture affixed to the target surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel King, Isaac Ehrenberg, Alexander Sawyer, Graham Arrick, Juliette E. Mahaffey, William McFarland, David Carter
  • Patent number: 10840596
    Abstract: A radio system supporting 2.4 GHz operation, 5 GHz operation, and dual simultaneous 2.4 GHz/5 GHz operation includes one or more radios; and a plurality of antenna systems connected to the one or more radios via a plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of antenna systems includes an antenna element including a first end and a second end; a terminating network connecting the first end to ground; and a matching network connecting the second end to an antenna port which is communicatively coupled to one or more radios, wherein the antenna element operates as one of a quarter wave, a half wave, based on first settings in the terminating network and the matching network, and wherein the one or more radios are selectively connected to the plurality of antenna systems based on second settings of the plurality of switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, Brian Nam, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo, William McFarland
  • Publication number: 20200358189
    Abstract: A wireless device with an antenna plate includes one or more components; and at least one antenna integrally formed with the antenna plate. The at least one antenna has a low frequency section and a high frequency section, wherein the high frequency section has a slot, the dimensions of the slot being formed in part by a parasitic arm formed within the high frequency section. A method for manufacturing a wireless device having an antenna plate includes stamping a metallic sheet to form the antenna plate having at least one antenna element; and folding the at least one dual-band antenna element about a portion of a perimeter of the stamped sheet forming an upper surface, a side wall and a lower surface of the at least one antenna element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, William McFarland, Brian Nam, Christina Xu, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo
  • Publication number: 20200358196
    Abstract: A multi-antenna structure includes a monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure with an antenna feed configured to connect to electrical circuitry; and a slot-like antenna structure adjacent to the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and capacitively fed by the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure, wherein the monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure and the slot-like antenna structure operate as a combined antenna with extended bandwidth relative to operation individually. The monopole-like or loop-like antenna structure can include a horizontal member and a plurality of vertical members connected to the horizontal member. The slot-like antenna structure can include two parallel horizontal members separated by a slot and a vertical member at one end of the slot connected to each of the two parallel horizontal members separated and another end of the slot is open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Miroslav Samardzija, William McFarland, Brian Nam, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo
  • Publication number: 20200329384
    Abstract: System and methods for managing a Wi-Fi network of a plurality of Wi-Fi networks from a cloud-based Network Operations Control (NOC) dashboard include, subsequent to creating an account for a user of the Wi-Fi network, receiving data associated with the Wi-Fi network from the one or more access points; providing a display associated with the Wi-Fi network based on the data, wherein the display comprises a network topology and one or more tabs providing information related to operation of the Wi-Fi network; updating the display based on one or more inputs received, wherein the updating updates one or more of the network topology and the one or more tabs; and performing one or more operations via the NOC dashboard to one of manage, control, and troubleshoot the Wi-Fi network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Evan Rusackas, Robert Miller, Patrick Li, Adam Hotchkiss, Aman Singla, William McFarland
  • Publication number: 20200322216
    Abstract: Systems and methods include obtaining measurements from a Wi-Fi network that includes one or more access points; determining a configuration of the Wi-Fi network based on the measurements, wherein the configuration includes one or more of i) steering a client device to associate with a specific access point of the one or more access points and ii) steering the client device to connect to a specific frequency band of the one or more access points; and providing the configuration to the Wi-Fi network for implementation thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Aman Singla, Paul White, Adam Hotchkiss, Balaji Rengarajan, William McFarland, Sameer Vaidya, Evan Jeng, Murugesan Guruswamy
  • Patent number: 10777877
    Abstract: A wireless access point includes a physical form factor including a plurality of sides each adjacent to a bottom portion, wherein the physical form factor houses a plurality of components including i) at least one Printed Circuit Board (PCB) having one or more Wi-Fi radios and a Bluetooth radio and ii) a power supply; and an electrical plug connected to the power supply and extending from the bottom portion for insertion into an electrical outlet for power and for physical support of the wireless access point adjacent to the electrical plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Tsung Su, Brian Nam, Irene Yang, Guan-Heng Chen, Jeffrey ChiFai Liew, Nora Yan, Yoseph Malkin, Richard Chang, Liem Hieu Dinh Vo, Shu-Chun Shen, Duc Minh Nguyen, William McFarland
  • Patent number: 10708126
    Abstract: Systems and methods implemented by a cloud-based controller to control a Wi-Fi network with a plurality of access points include obtaining measurements from the Wi-Fi network; determining a configuration of the Wi-Fi network based on the measurements, wherein the configuration comprises a topology of the Wi-Fi network and the topology comprises the plurality of access points selectively interconnected to one another via backhaul links; and providing the configuration to the Wi-Fi network for implementation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Aman Singla, Paul White, Adam Hotchkiss, Balaji Rengarajan, William McFarland, Sameer Vaidya, Evan Jeng, Murugesan Guruswamy
  • Patent number: 10687227
    Abstract: System and methods for managing a Wi-Fi network of a plurality of Wi-Fi networks from a cloud-based Network Operations Control (NOC) dashboard include, subsequent to creating an account for a user of the Wi-Fi network, receiving data associated with the Wi-Fi network from the one or more access points; providing a display associated with the Wi-Fi network based on the data, wherein the display comprises a network topology and one or more tabs providing information related to operation of the Wi-Fi network; updating the display based on one or more inputs received, wherein the updating updates one or more of the network topology and the one or more tabs; and performing one or more operations via the NOC dashboard to one of manage, control, and troubleshoot the Wi-Fi network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Rusackas, Robert Miller, Patrick Li, Adam Hotchkiss, Aman Singla, William McFarland
  • Publication number: 20200162316
    Abstract: Systems and methods include obtaining data associated with operation of a Wi-Fi network, via a network interface connected to the one or more processors; analyzing the obtained data to determine one or more of forecasts, predictions, trends, and interference associated with the Wi-Fi network based on the obtained data and correlations determined therein; and causing configuration of the Wi-Fi network based on the determined one or more forecasts, predictions, trends, and interference, wherein the configuration includes at least one of channel selection, bandwidth selection, topology selection of access points in the Wi-Fi network, and client associations with the access points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Balaji Rengarajan, William McFarland
  • Patent number: 10554482
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimation and learning for optimization of a distributed Wi-Fi network performed by a cloud controller include obtaining data associated with operation of the distributed Wi-Fi network; processing the obtained data; determining one or more of forecasts, predictions, trends, and interference for the distributed Wi-Fi network based on the processed data; and performing an optimization of the distributed Wi-Fi network based on the determined one or more forecasts, predictions, trends, and interference. The obtained data can time-series data, and wherein the processing comprises collating the time-series data across all nodes in the distributed Wi-Fi network and segmenting the time-series data into time periods with similar load characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Balaji Rengarajan, William McFarland
  • Patent number: 10554733
    Abstract: Systems and methods implemented by a cloud controller for steering Wi-Fi client devices in a Wi-Fi network include determining a client needs to be steered from a first access point to a second access point; selecting a client steering approach from a plurality of client steering approaches based on the client; and causing the client to be steered from the first access point to the second access point based on the selected client steering approach. The determining can be based on optimization performed by the cloud controller based on operational parameters associated with the Wi-Fi network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Plume Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiran Edara, Kaixiang Hu, Jian Lu, Hong Fan, William McFarland