Patents Assigned to Softbank Corp.
  • Patent number: 11239902
    Abstract: A radio relay apparatus, which can monitor a status of a radio relay apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional network, without providing a dedicated line, is provided. The radio relay apparatus can fly and move in an upper airspace, and comprises a first antenna for transmitting and receiving a radio signal of a feeder link to and from a gateway station on a communication network side provided on the ground or on the sea, a second antenna for transmitting and receiving a radio signal of a service link to and from a terminal apparatus, a relay processing section for relaying the radio signal of the feeder link and the radio signal of the service link, which is provided between the first antenna and the second antenna, an information acquisition section for acquiring monitoring information on the status of the radio relay apparatus, and an information communication section for transmitting the monitoring information to the gateway station via the feeder link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsuura, Yoshichika Ota
  • Patent number: 11234141
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method of operating a communication network. The method includes receiving input data related to a state of the communication network and determining an implementation policy for the communication network based on the input data. The implementation policy is a set of features for forming one or more communication links in the communication network over a time interval. The one or more communication links includes at least one communication link between a terrestrial terminal and a high-altitude platform terminal. Determining the implementation policy is based at least in part on utility values of previous policies. The utility values of previous policies are derived using simulation and/or real-world implementation of the previous policies. The communication network is then operated to implement the implementation policy in the time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Sharath Ananth, Jin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11201399
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for receiver channel calibration are provided. The method includes generating a plurality of calibration signals corresponding to a plurality of receiver channels, respectively. The plurality of calibration signals are combined with a plurality of data signals, respectively, thereby generating a plurality of combined signals. The plurality of combined signals are propagated through at least portions of the plurality of receiver channels, respectively. The plurality of calibration signals are extracted from the propagated plurality of combined signals, respectively. At least two signal characteristics of at least two of the extracted plurality of calibration signals are compared. At least one adjustment in gain, phase, or timing for at least one of the receiver channels is identified based on a result of the comparing. Based on the identified adjustment, a data signal received via the at least one of the plurality of receiver channels is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Sharath Ananth, Pascal Stang
  • Patent number: 11178550
    Abstract: A multi-tenant system is provided for coordinating spectrum allocation of a plurality of high-altitude networks (HANs) so that at least one high-altitude platform (HAP) in one of the plurality of HANs is controlled to avoid interfering with a HAP in at least one other HAN of the plurality of HANs. The multi-tenant system comprises a database including: 1) a first interface, 2) a second interface, 3) at least one service module, and 4) a data storage device. The multi-tenant system further comprises a communication controller coupled to the database, the communication controller configured to control various characteristics of HAPs in their respective HANs and links therebetween based on data maintained in the data storage device of the database. The data includes regulatory and coordination constraints provided via the first interface and non-regulatory and external coordination information provided via the second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SOFTBANK CORP.
    Inventors: Brian Barritt, Daniel Holle
  • Patent number: 11171726
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology include establishing a primary communication link between a communication system of a first balloon and a communication system of a second balloon, detecting a movement of the second balloon relative to the first balloon that is expected to cause the primary communication link to become unavailable at a given time during the movement, establishing an RF communication link between an RF communication system of the first balloon and an RF communication system of the second balloon, detecting that the movement of the second balloon relative to the first balloon is such that the primary communication link between the communication system of the first balloon and the optical communication system of the second balloon can be re-established, and re-establishing the primary communication link between the communication system of the first balloon and the communication system of the second balloon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: SOFTBANK CORP.
    Inventor: Cyrus Behroozi
  • Patent number: 11165621
    Abstract: In a mobile communication system using a mobile-type radio relay apparatus that forms a plurality of cells toward the ground or the sea while moving in an upper airspace, a deterioration in communication quality, which is caused by a Doppler shift of a reception signal due to a relative movement of a radio relay apparatus with respect to a terminal apparatus of each of a plurality of cells or a feeder station on the ground or on the sea, is suppressed. The communication system comprises a mobile-type radio relay apparatus that is disposed movably by flying in an upper airspace, forms a plurality of cells from an antenna at a predetermined altitude toward the ground or the sea, and performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in each of the plurality of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Mitsukuni Konishi, Atsushi Nagate, Yoshichika Ota, Kenji Hoshino
  • Patent number: 11057858
    Abstract: A base station, a communication system and a time synchronization method between base stations are provided, which are capable of performing a time synchronization with another base station using a downlink signal of the other base station cell in which the own cell is located, without stopping transmission of the own base station even during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Sho Nabatame, Mitsukuni Konishi, Atsushi Nagate, Teruya Fujii
  • Patent number: 11057856
    Abstract: A communication system, in which a sufficient reception power can be obtained without being affected by attenuation such as rainfall in each of a radio relay apparatus and a gateway station, is provided. The communication system performs a communication via a radio relay apparatus located in an upper airspace. A plurality of gateway stations for forming feeder-link radio sections between the own gateway stations and the radio relay apparatus are disposed at a plurality of locations geographically separated from each other on the ground or on the sea. The plurality of gateway stations perform simultaneous transmissions/receptions of signals via the plurality of feeder links or transmissions/receptions of signals accompanied by a switching of the feeder links, with the radio relay apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventor: Kenji Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20210195542
    Abstract: A base station, a communication system and a time synchronization method between base stations are provided, which are capable of performing a time synchronization with another base station using a downlink signal of the other base station cell in which the own cell is located, without stopping transmission of the own base station even during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Sho Nabatame, Mitsukuni Konishi, Atsushi Nagate, Teruya Fujii
  • Patent number: 11042740
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a first image including, as a subject, a first region captured by a first camera which captures an image from a first altitude toward a direction of an altitude lower than the first altitude, and a second image including, as a subject, the first region captured by a second camera which captures an image from a second altitude toward a direction of an altitude lower than the second altitude; and a flying object detection unit for detecting a flying object at an altitude lower than the first altitude and the second altitude, based on a difference between the first region in the first image and the first region in the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventor: Akihiko Tajika
  • Publication number: 20210150498
    Abstract: The described embodiments concern one or more methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer readable mediums storing processor-executable process steps to authenticate mobile subscribers for using a foreign application when they are outside of their home telecom carrier's mobile network zone (“foreign zone”). A mobile subscriber can be authenticated through data roaming service, voice roaming service, and/or WiFi service. After cross network authentication, a mobile subscriber can use the foreign application to provide the same or similar services in a foreign zone, such as foreign country, through the home services in connection with the subscriber's home telecom carrier in a similar manner like he/she can use in his/her home zone, such as home country.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicants: SOFTBANK CORP., TBCASOFT, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi FUKUIZUMI, Takahiro ASAO, Katsuyoshi NOGUCHI, Masayoshi YANASE, Miki FUKAZAWA, Daisuke YAMAGUCHI, Ling WU, Yuan-Shiang CHANG, William WU, Brian M CHAN, Chiahsin LI, Huan-Yi LIN
  • Patent number: 10985839
    Abstract: In the mobile communications of the fifth generation or the like, a radio relay apparatus capable of stably over a wide area realize a three-dimensional network, in which a propagation delay is low, a simultaneous connection with a large number of terminal apparatuses in a wide-range and high-speed communication can be performed, and a system capacity per unit area is large, in radio communications with terminal apparatuses including devices for the IoT, and there is no influence on radio wave frequency resources, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Hiroshi Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20210083917
    Abstract: In a mobile communication system using a mobile-type radio relay apparatus that forms a plurality of cells toward the ground or the sea while moving in an upper airspace, a deterioration in communication quality, which is caused by a Doppler shift of a reception signal due to a relative movement of a radio relay apparatus with respect to a terminal apparatus of each of a plurality of cells or a feeder station on the ground or on the sea, is suppressed. The communication system comprises a mobile-type radio relay apparatus that is disposed movably by flying in an upper airspace, forms a plurality of cells from an antenna at a predetermined altitude toward the ground or the sea, and performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in each of the plurality of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Mitsukuni Konishi, Atsushi Nagate, Yoshichika Ota, Kenji Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20210083769
    Abstract: In the mobile communications of the fifth generation or the like, a radio relay apparatus capable of stably over a wide area realize a three-dimensional network, in which a propagation delay is low, a simultaneous connection with a large number of terminal apparatuses in a wide-range and high-speed communication can be performed, and a system capacity per unit area is large, in radio communications with terminal apparatuses including devices for the IoT, and there is no influence on radio wave frequency resources, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Hiroshi Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10945169
    Abstract: A base station, a mobile communication system and a handover control method are provided, which are capable of preventing a handover failure and a ping-pong handover phenomenon which are caused by an interference from a neighboring cell to a serving cell. When a received power difference (S2?S1) between a received power S2 from a neighboring second base station, which is fed back from a mobile station, and a received power S1 from first base station, becomes larger than a predetermined threshold value, the first base station to which the mobile station is connected requests the second base station to stop a transmission of a downlink signal including at least one of a data signal and a control signal. In response to the transmission-stop request, the second base station performs a determination of a radio resource in which the transmission of the downlink signal is to be stopped and a notification of the radio resource to the first base station, and stops a transmission of a downlink signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Noboru Kanazawa, Daigo Ogata, Atsushi Nagate, Teruya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20210050910
    Abstract: A radio relay apparatus, which can monitor a status of a radio relay apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional network, without providing a dedicated line, is provided. The radio relay apparatus can fly and move in an upper airspace, and comprises a first antenna for transmitting and receiving a radio signal of a feeder link to and from a gateway station on a communication network side provided on the ground or on the sea, a second antenna for transmitting and receiving a radio signal of a service link to and from a terminal apparatus, a relay processing section for relaying the radio signal of the feeder link and the radio signal of the service link, which is provided between the first antenna and the second antenna, an information acquisition section for acquiring monitoring information on the status of the radio relay apparatus, and an information communication section for transmitting the monitoring information to the gateway station via the feeder link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuki Matsuura, Yoshichika Ota
  • Patent number: 10862614
    Abstract: A base station apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of a communication delay when performing an inter-cell interference control using an ABS is provided. The base station apparatus is capable of performing an inter-cell interference control by setting an ABS pattern with one cycle of a predetermined number of subframes, and when the ABS pattern is to be switched, changes an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) index value to be determined by an adaptive modulation control, for a communication within a predetermined period of time on or before a switching time of the switching, with respect to a subframe in which a communication with a mobile station apparatus is allowed before switching the ABS pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Daigo Ogata, Atsushi Nagate, Teruya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20200383078
    Abstract: A communication system, in which a sufficient reception power can be obtained without being affected by attenuation such as rainfall in each of a radio relay apparatus and a gateway station, is provided. The communication system performs a communication via a radio relay apparatus located in an upper airspace. A plurality of gateway stations for forming feeder-link radio sections between the own gateway stations and the radio relay apparatus are disposed at a plurality of locations geographically separated from each other on the ground or on the sea. The plurality of gateway stations perform simultaneous transmissions/receptions of signals via the plurality of feeder links or transmissions/receptions of signals accompanied by a switching of the feeder links, with the radio relay apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventor: Kenji Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20200380874
    Abstract: A system and a method for suppressing a deterioration of communication quality due to frequent occurrence of handovers at cell boundaries of a plurality of cells formed by a plurality of radio relay apparatuses that can move in an upper airspace, are provided. In the system, each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses for performing a radio communication with a terminal apparatus comprises a radio relay station which is movably provided by flying in an upper airspace, forms a cell toward the ground or the sea, and performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell. Each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses flies in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses by an autonomous control or external control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventors: Takafumi Fujii, Yoshichika Ota, Kenji Hoshino
  • Patent number: 10848982
    Abstract: A communication terminal apparatus, a terrestrial cellular base station and a mobile communication system are provided, which are capable of being shared in a terrestrial cellular mobile communication system and a satellite mobile communication system, and preventing an interference between beams in a satellite mobile communication system while preventing an interference between both systems by a simple switching control of radio resources. Time slots of radio resources are allocated so as not to overlap with each other between the terrestrial cellular mobile communication system and the satellite mobile communication system and so as not to overlap with each other between adjacent beams corresponding to each of two or more beams of the satellite mobile communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
    Inventor: Teruya Fujii