Patents Assigned to AT&T Wireless Services
  • Publication number: 20050136942
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device that facilitates location services (LCS) in a cellular network. The system, as embodied in a mobile terminal device, comprises a mobile communications component that communicates wireless signals, and a location services component embodied in the mobile communication component to provide positioning information. A location request is received by the mobile terminal device and processed using the LCS server to activate trigger events. A location-tracking report is autonomously generated for each event and transmitted to the requesting client via MLP or the wireless network signaling protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Applicant: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Shailender Timiri, Marc Sather
  • Patent number: 6901125
    Abstract: A method provides for an improved compensation Fourier channel characteristics in a wireless communication embodiment. The method identifies one or more information carriers as pseudo pilot tones whose information may be realized to enhance the determination of the complex coefficient of the communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Vafa Ghazi-Moghadam, Titus Lo
  • Publication number: 20050113089
    Abstract: A communication device locates a preferable wireless service provider in a multi-service provider environment using a frequency band search schedule. Initially, the communications device registers with a less preferred service provider in a first frequency band. While remaining registered with the less preferred service provider, the device examines several frequency bands in the order specified by the frequency band search schedule. A frequency band is examined by dividing the frequency band into many sub-bands, and by locating the strongest signal above a threshold within the sub-band being examined. The examination continues until a second frequency band having a more preferred service provider is located. The communication device then registers with the more preferred service provider. The category of service provider may be identified and displayed on the communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Applicant: AT&T WIRELESS SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Bamburak, John Daly, Christopher Lawrence, Michael Prise, Michael Raffel
  • Publication number: 20050105512
    Abstract: An analog telephone adapter (ATA) having a subscriber identity component in the format of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that couples a telephone to a cellular network via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), thereby allowing a cellular service provider to provide an alternative communication service for the home or business. Instead of using the plain old telephone service, a subscriber can plug their analog telephone into the SIM-enabled ATA (SIM-ATA) and receive telephone service from a cellular service provider, eliminating or reducing the need for a traditional Local Exchange Carrier. The SIM-ATA converts signals from analog to digital, and vice-versa. Once the analog telephone signal has been converted to digital, an IP-based protocol (e.g., VoIP) can be used to transmit the telephone call over a digital network. The cellular service provider can then track usage and bill the subscriber accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Applicant: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: John Myhre, Masud Kibria, James Whitehead
  • Patent number: 6879825
    Abstract: A method of activating a mobile station for communicating with a telecommunications network, the method encompassing a two-stage registration procedure whereby in the first registration procedure, a permanent mobile station ID is obtained by the mobile station and in the second registration procedure, the permanent mobile station ID is used to identify the mobile station when downloading programming data from the telecommunications network. The invention allows for programming the mobile station with a permanent MSID of either a MIN or IMSI format, without requiring a TIA/EIA-136 SPACH notification process to notify the MS of incoming programming data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Kevin Daly
  • Patent number: 6845391
    Abstract: A method and apparatus improve the user-friendliness of messaging systems. A message sender is requested to create a message ID which is used to identify a message being sent by the message sender. At some later time the message sender can query the message center using the sender generated message ID to ask the center to verify whether the message has either been sent to or received by the intended recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David Aas, Ileana A. Leuca
  • Patent number: 6842726
    Abstract: A method of determining RF coverage area in a point-to-multi-point RF transmission system and creating model maps showing serviceable business addresses within a given region. The method includes selecting a standard design signal strength level required to provide suitable service; obtaining field measurements of received signal strength from base stations at various points in the region under investigation; creating a model map of received signal strength having a signal strength level greater than the system standard signal strength level and excluding areas whose field strength measurements do not indicate suitable service; and creating a model map having a signal strength level smaller than the system standard signal strength level. The method is capable of providing more than 90% accuracy, and prevents needless dispatching of installation crews to a customer premise that is outside the effective RF coverage of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Scharosch, Kurt Swanson
  • Publication number: 20040263360
    Abstract: A device and method wherein, using a keypad such as a standard alphanumeric telephone-style keypad, text entry is improved by employing a key-press combination which indicates which of the multiple characters associated with a key is chosen. The user will push-and-hold a first key, then press a second key; the position within the keypad, such the row number, of the first key indicates which of the characters represented by the second key are chosen. In this way, any standard character can be selected with a two-key combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T WIRELESS SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Anton T. Husak
  • Patent number: 6823060
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for translating a first number (e.g., a number dialed by a telephone subscriber) to a second number (referred to as a routing number) is disclosed. An example of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes two broad functional components: 1) tables of translation information stored within a database and 2) application software. Upon receiving a query requesting the translation of a dialed number to a routing number, the application software uses information within the received query to query the tables of translation information in order to find the correct routing number. The routing number is then sent to the requester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignees: AT&T Corp., AT&T Wireless Services Inc.
    Inventors: John Adams, Sean K. O'Donnell, Neil A. Ostroff
  • Publication number: 20040224679
    Abstract: A cellular/wireless foreign subscriber is enabled to use her/his own cellular/wireless telephone instrument in a local cellular/wireless (C/W) network/system by entry of a code and a PIN into the local network/system desired to be used. The local C/W network/system algorithmically responds to the code and PIN by changing characteristics of the radio equipment of the local C/W network/system to accommodate operation of the subscriber's cellular/wireless telephone instrument with the network/system desired to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremiah Okoro, Jesse Eugene Russell
  • Publication number: 20040219915
    Abstract: A communication device locates a preferable wireless service provider in a multi-service provider environment using a frequency or frequency band search schedule. Initially, the communication device registers with a less preferred service provider in a first frequency. While remaining registered with the less preferred service provider, the device examines several frequencies in the order specified by the frequency search schedule. The device determines whether the last frequency used by the communication device has a more preferred service provider. If the last frequency used does not have a more preferred service provider, the device examines each of the plurality of frequencies in the predetermined order in the search schedule. The examination continues until another frequency band having a more preferred service provider is located. The communication device then registers with the more preferred service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Bamburak, John J. Daly, Christopher Gregory Lawrence, Michael Edward Prise, Michael Allen Raffel
  • Publication number: 20040216022
    Abstract: A method provides for an improved compensation Fourier channel characteristics in a wireless communication embodiment. The method identifies one or more information carriers as pseudo pilot tones whose information may be realized to enhance the determination of the complex coefficient of the communication channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T WIRELESS SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Vafa Ghazi-Moghadam, Titus Lo
  • Publication number: 20040214573
    Abstract: A communication device locates a wireless service provider in a multi-service provider environment using a frequency band search schedule. The frequency band search schedule has a first or home band and a several other frequency bands in a predetermined ordered. The order of the frequency bands may be programmed by the user or by a home service provider over the air. The communication device searches for an acceptable service provider by examining the home band and then the other bands listed in the frequency band search schedule. The bands are examined in the order specified by the frequency band search schedule. An acceptable service provider is identified by comparing the identify of a service provider specified by an identifier received from a band being examined with a list of acceptable service providers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T WIRELESS SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Bamburak, John J. Daly, Christopher Gregory Lawrence, Michael Edward Prise, Michael Allen Raffel
  • Patent number: 6810257
    Abstract: A wireless communication system is configured to allow for the provisioning of partitioned telecommunication service to subscribers. A wireless switch contains a partition table which associates a service provider with each wireless terminal which has the switch as its home switch. When providing telecommunication services to a subscriber using a wireless terminal, the switch provides such services using resources associated with the service provider associated with the subscriber. In one embodiment, such a resource may be a subscriber profile database such that multiple service providers maintain separate subscriber profile databases connected to the switch. The switch, upon determining the service provider associated with a subscriber requesting service, will retrieve the subscriber's profile from the subscriber database associated with the identified service provider. The switch then provides services in accordance with the retrieved profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Umesh J. Amin
  • Patent number: 6806813
    Abstract: A method provides for real-time asset location tracking. An asset in a wide area network, be it a utilities network or a communication network, registers itself with a network management center. The registration process includes identification of a physical location of the asset usable for mapping and tracking the asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles C. Cheng, Xinguo Wei
  • Patent number: 6807147
    Abstract: An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication system includes base units which simultaneously transmit pilot tones in a predetermined pilot tone pattern during one or more time slots of a message slot. OFDM signals are received within a time slot; an OFDM signal level is determined at each frequency of a plurality of pilot tone frequencies; the signal levels and the predetermined pilot tone pattern are correlated; and a pattern detection value based on performing the correlation is generated and stored. This process is repeated for each time slot of a plurality of time slots. This process may be repeated for a plurality of message frame durations to produce a plurality of averaged pattern detection values, following which the plurality of averaged pattern detection values and a predetermined message frame pattern may be correlated. Then, a boundary of a message slot may be detected based on the correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jari M. Heinonen, Michael R. Hirano, Steven E. McMeekin
  • Patent number: 6807240
    Abstract: Good transmission characteristics are achieved in the presence of fading with a transmitter that employs a trellis coder followed by a block coder. Correspondingly, the receiver comprises a Viterbi decoder followed by a block decoder. Advantageously, the block coder and decoder employ time-space diversity coding which, illustratively, employs two transmitter antennas and one receiver antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Siavash Alamouti, Patrick Poon, Vahid Tarokh
  • Patent number: 6807168
    Abstract: A teleservice server in a wireless network provides an interface between a mobile station and an Internet protocol network thereby facilitating data transfers between these elements. The server translates datagrams from the IP network into a format suitable for transmission over a wireless network that provides voice communication capabilities. The server also translates data messages received from the mobile station over the wireless network into a format suitable for appropriate transmission in the IP network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Kevin Daly, David William James Holmes, Michael Luna, Michael P. Moore, John Eric Myhre, Adrian David Smith
  • Patent number: 6807418
    Abstract: A communication device locates a preferable wireless service provider in a multi-service provider environment using a frequency band search schedule. Initially, the communications device registers with a less preferred service provider in a first frequency band. While remaining registered with the less preferred service provider, the device examines several frequency bands in the order specified by the frequency band search schedule. A frequency band is examined by dividing the frequency band into many sub-bands, and by locating the strongest signal above a threshold within the sub-band being examined. The examination continues until a second frequency band having a more preferred service provider is located. The communication device then registers with the more preferred service provider. The category of service provider may be identified and displayed on the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Bamburak, John J. Daly, Christopher Gregory Lawrence, Michael Edward Prise, Michael Allen Raffel
  • Publication number: 20040203580
    Abstract: A user device (e.g., a mobile telephone) communicates with an access node in a manner that causes the access node to provide call control and service options available through the access node. The capability and cost information is presented to a user device subscriber. The user device communicates to the access node a selection of call control and service options to use with the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: AT&T Wireless Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Engelhart