Patents Assigned to Sprint Communications Company
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Patent number: 11659366Abstract: A method for providing data to a user comprising communicating, from a radio access network to a Minimization of Drive Tests (“MDT”)-channel-communicative sensor device, at least one MDT signal selected from the group consisting of an MDT configuration signal and an MDT control signal. The method also comprises generating, at least in part in response to the MDT signal and using an onboard sensor of the MDT-channel-communicative sensor device, sensor data comprising non-MDT data. The method also comprises receiving at least a portion of the sensor data into the radio access network over an MDT channel and communicating at least the portion of the sensor data from the radio access network to the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Sprint Communications Company, L.P.Inventors: Zheng Fang, Matthew J. Starzec
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Patent number: 11574332Abstract: A method of generating and using a 2D barcode to provide an authenticated service subscriber with an adapted offer comprising monitoring and identifying, by a monitoring application associated with a first service provider, a social network for keywords related to a negative subscriber interaction with a second service provider; engaging a subscriber associated with the negative interaction by the first service provider; generating a one-time use 2D barcode associated with an offer and comprising embedded subscriber information; storing the barcode in a data store; sending the barcode to a mobile device; presenting and scanning the barcode; decoding the information by an offer application; authenticating the identity of the subscriber; adapting the offer based on the subscriber information; searching an inventory data store associated with a physical retail location of the first service provider; locating and presenting the adapted offer; and marking the barcode as expired in the barcode data store.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: Sprint Communications Company, L.P.Inventor: Michael A. Gailloux
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Method of adapting a user interface on a mobile communication device based on different environments
Patent number: 11570253Abstract: A method of providing a user interface on a mobile communication device to control smart devices in an environment. The method comprises discovering a plurality of smart devices in an environment by a client application executing on a mobile communication device by initiating wireless communication between the mobile communication device and the plurality of smart devices, wherein the client application learns an electronic model identity of each of the discovered smart devices, communicating with a data store by the client application to look-up control interfaces of the discovered smart devices based on the electronic model identities of the smart devices, looking-up predefined environmental preferences associated with the mobile communication device in the data store by the client application, transmitting control commands by the client application to the plurality of smart devices based in part on the looked-up predefined environmental preferences.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Sprint Communications Company, L.P.Inventors: Lyle T. Bertz, Galip Murat Karabulut, Joao Teixeira -
Wireless communication service over a network slice that comprises a network exposure function (NEF)
Patent number: 11528660Abstract: A wireless communication network serves User Equipment (UEs) over wireless network slices that comprise Network Exposure Functions (NEFs). The egress AF receives a slice request from an external data system and transfers the slice request to the NEF in the wireless network slice. An Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) selects the wireless network slice for the UE. The UPF in the wireless network slice receives user data from the UE and transfers the user data to the ingress AF in the wireless network slice. The ingress AF transfers the user data to the NEF in the wireless network slice. The NEF transfers the user data to the egress AF in response to the slice request. The egress AF transfers the user data to the external data system in response to the slice request.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2021Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventor: Marouane Balmakhtar -
Patent number: 11516676Abstract: A method of providing an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile to a wireless communication device. The method comprises receiving an eSIM profile provisioning request by a subscription manager-data preparation+ (SM-DP+) server, wherein the provisioning request comprises an embedded UICC identifier (EID) number, a private identity code, and wireless communication service subscription information; building an eSIM profile package by the SM-DP+ server based in part on the wireless communication service subscription information, wherein the eSIM profile package comprises an eSIM profile, the EID number, and the private identity code; sending a notification of the availability of the eSIM profile by the SM-DP+ server to a subscription manager-discovery server (SM-DS server), wherein the notification comprises the EID number and the private identity code; and transmitting the eSIM profile package by the SM-DP+ server to the wireless communication device.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventor: David William James Holmes
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Patent number: 11516707Abstract: A cell site configured to perform group user equipment (UE) handoffs. The cell site comprises an application stored in a non-transitory memory that when executed by a processor of the cell site determines that a first UE is to be handed-off, determines that the first UE is a member of a UE group, wherein the UE group comprises the first UE and at least one other different UE, determines radio resources consumed by the UE group, identifies a second cell site that has sufficient idle radio resources to provide the radio resources consumed by the UE group, and sends a handoff message via the radio transceiver to the second cell site, wherein the handoff message identifies each of the UEs that are members of the UE group, whereby the plurality of UEs that are members of the UE group are handed-off as a group to the second cell site.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Zheng Cai, Zheng Fang, David Zhijun Sun, Yu Wang
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Patent number: 11510277Abstract: In radio circuitry, transceiver circuitry wirelessly exchanges data signals with wireless User Equipment (UEs). Radio Resource Control (RRC) circuitry receives individual subscriber data for individual ones of the UEs. The RRC circuitry transfers the individual subscriber data to Media Access Control (MAC) circuitry. The MAC circuitry selects individual Discontinuous Reception (DRX) duty cycles for the individual ones of the UEs based their individual subscriber data. The transceiver circuitry wirelessly exchanges subsequent data signals with the UEs using the selected individual DRX duty cycles for the individual ones of the UEs.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Sathyanarayanan Raghunathan, Muthukumaraswamy Sekar, Maheswaran Vijayakumar, Suresh Majjara
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Patent number: 11510152Abstract: A Fifth Generation New Radio (5GNR) User Equipment (UE) controls power consumption. In the 5GNR UE, control circuitry selects an initial 5GNR transmit power and signals the initial 5GNR transmit power to a 5GNR radio. The 5GNR radio transmits initial 5GNR signals at the initial 5GNR transmit power. The control circuitry identifies an excessive Uplink (UL) Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Block Error Rate (BLER), and in response, selects a lower 5GNR transmit power and signals the lower 5GNR transmit power to the 5GNR radio. The 5GNR radio transmits subsequent 5GNR signals at the lower 5GNR transmit power. The UL HARQ BLER may be for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access node.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2021Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Sougata Saha, Kavitha Swaminathan, Beth D. Webb
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Patent number: 11503456Abstract: A method of updating embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICCs) on wireless communication devices. The method comprises reviewing transactions associated with eUICCs on wireless communication devices by each of a plurality of mobile network operators (MNOs), based at least in part on reviewing the transactions by the MNOs, assigning each of the MNOs to one of a first tier, a second tier, and a third tier, receiving a eUICC transaction by an eUICC updating application executing on a computer from an MNO, determining by the eUICC updating application a tier the MNO is assigned to, and sending the eUICC transaction by the eUICC updating application to a wireless communication device subject to restrictions associated with the tier to which the MNO is assigned, whereby eUICC updating transactions of MNOs are restricted based on MNO tier assignments.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Ran Chen, Adrian M. Milner, Simon Youngs
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Patent number: 11503522Abstract: A source access node that is configured to hand over a wireless User Equipment (UE) to a target access node. A radio wirelessly receives a measurement report from the UE that characterizes signal strength for the target access node, the signal strength for the source access node, and UE capabilities for the UE. Baseband circuitry determines to hand over the UE to the target access node based on the measurement report. The baseband circuitry receives UE load information from the target access node that indicates UE loads for the frequency bands of the target access node. The baseband circuitry determines UE capabilities for the overloaded frequency bands. The baseband circuitry transfers handover instructions to the UE that direct the UE to remove UE capabilities for the overloaded frequency bands. The UE updates the UE capabilities list and hands over to a non-overloaded frequency band of the target access node.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventor: Sreekar Marupaduga
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Patent number: 11497069Abstract: A wireless communication network serves a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session type over a Radio Access Network (RAN). The wireless communication network comprises a Network Repository Function (NRF), Management and Orchestration (MANO) system, a User Plane Function (UPF), a RAN, and User Equipment (UEs). The NRF receives UPF requests for User Plane Functions (UPFs) that can serve the PDU session type over the RAN and responsively transfers UPF responses indicating other UPFs that cannot serve the PDU session type over the RAN. The NRF determines when the transfer of the UPF responses is excessive. In response, the NRF transfers an instantiation request to a Management and Orchestration (MANO) system to instantiate a new UPF that can serve the PDU session type over the RAN. The MANO system instantiates the new UPF. The new UPF serves the PDU session type to the UEs over the RAN.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2021Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Lyle T. Bertz, Robert Keith Butler, Laurent Alexandre Laporte, Tracy Lee Nelson
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Patent number: 11496938Abstract: A wireless communication network comprises a wireless UE, a source access node, a target access node, and a network controller. The UE identifies an active media session, a UE fallback capability, and a network fallback availability. The UE measures a signal metric for the target access node and indicates the signal metric and UE fallback capability to the source access node. The source access node receives the indication the signal metric and the UE fallback capability. The source access node receives an access modification message for the UE from the wireless network controller. In response, the source access node initiates the hand over and transfers a handover message to the network controller. The network controller receives the handover message, transfers a handover request to the target access node, receives an acceptance from the target access node, and transfers a handover command for the wireless UE to the source access node.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2021Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventors: Rajil Malhotra, Ramesh Kumar Golla, Anuj Sharma, Anil Kumar Mariyani
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Patent number: 11496306Abstract: Communication circuitry associates a data source with a source Identifier (ID) and a cryptographic key and associates a data target with a target ID, contact token, contact condition, and contact information. The communication circuitry receives and decrypts the encrypted source ID, the encrypted target ID, and the encrypted contact token with the cryptographic key, and in response, authenticates the source ID, authenticates the target ID, and validates the contact token. When the authentication and validation are successful, the communication circuitry selects a portion of the contact information based on the contact condition, encrypts the selected contact information, and transfers the encrypted selected contact information to the data source. The data source uses the selected contact information and the contact token to transfer data to the data target. The data target uses the contact token to validate the data source.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventor: Pierce Andrew Gorman
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Patent number: 11490328Abstract: A data communication system serves a User Equipment (UE) over a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network core. In the data communication system, a 3GPP UE client exchanges authentication data with the 3GPP network core over a non-3GPP link. The 3GPP network core authenticates the 3GPP UE client, selects a network slice for the 3GPP UE client, and establishes an N1 link for the network slice over the non-3GPP link. The 3GPP UE client exchanging network signaling with the 3GPP network core for the network slice over the N1 link. The 3GPP UE client exchanges additional authentication data with the 3GPP network core over the non-3GPP link. The 3GPP network core selects another network slice for the 3GPP UE client and establishes another N1 link for the other network slice over the non-3GPP link. The 3GPP UE client exchanges additional network signaling with the 3GPP network core for the other network slice over the other N1 link.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventor: Marouane Balmakhtar
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Patent number: 11490253Abstract: A user equipment and wireless provisioning method and system associated with a first wireless network are provided. The wireless provisioning system includes a processor, a network interface in communication with the first wireless network, and a non-transitory memory storing a first set and a second set of information of a profile related to operation of a UE on a second wireless network. The processor transmits the first set of information to the UE for provisioning to the UE files associated with authorization and authentication of the UE on the second wireless network. The processor validates that the first set of information was provisioned to the UE and transmits the second set of information to the UE for provisioning to the UE pointer updates for updating pointers on the UE to point to the first set of information. The processor transmits an instruction for the UE to reboot.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2020Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventor: Maksym Siryy
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Patent number: 11490450Abstract: A method for providing a translating virtual network function by a network element. The method comprises receiving by the network element a first Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) message of a plurality of PFCP messages at a first Internet Protocol (IP) address of a plurality of IP addresses of the network element, the first IP address corresponding to a first Session Management Function (SMF) of one or more SMFs, selecting by the network element a translation method based on the first IP address on which the first PFCP message was received, translating by the network element the first PFCP message using the selected translation method into a function-based model representation of the first PFCP message, and configuring by the network element a network interface controller to implement, based on the representation of the first PFCP message, a protocol data unit (PDU) session.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LPInventors: Marouane Balmakhtar, Brian Waters
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Patent number: 11483689Abstract: A method of provisioning an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless communication device. The method comprises provisioning an eSIM profile into an eSIM of a virtual eSIM provisioning platform provided by a computer system and where the eSIM profile comprises wireless communication service provider data and wireless communication service subscriber data, partitioning by an eSIM provisioning application a process of writing the eSIM profile to an eSIM of a wireless communication device into a plurality of messages, whereby the complexity of provisioning the eSIM profile to the eSIM of the wireless communication device is handled by the intelligence of the eSIM provisioning application, establishing wireless communication by the eSIM provisioning application with a wireless communication device having an eSIM, and sending the messages by the eSIM provisioning application to the eSIM of the wireless communication device.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventor: David William James Holmes
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Patent number: 11483706Abstract: A wireless network transfers UE information to an authorization server. The authorization server generates an expected result based on a random number and secret key in response to the UE information. The authorization server transfers the expected result and the random number to the wireless network which transfers the random number to the UE. The wireless network receives an authentication result from the UE and authenticates the UE by matching the authentication result to the expected result. In response to network authentication, the wireless network transfers the expected result to a conferencing server. The conferencing server receives the authentication result from the UE and registers the UE by matching the authentication result to the expected result. The conferencing server establishes media conferences for the UE. The wireless network exchanges media for the UE.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventors: Sathyanarayanan Raghunathan, Muthukumaraswamy Sekar, Maheswaran Vijayakumar, Suresh Majjara
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Patent number: 11477624Abstract: A method of provisioning wireless communication service to wireless communication devices. The method comprises allocating telephone numbers to a first plurality of devices, allocating the same telephone numbers to a second plurality of devices, transmitting an eSIM provisioning data bundle in a short message service (SMS) message to the first plurality of devices by a first communication network routing node based on the corresponding one of the plurality of telephone numbers, transmitting an eSIM provisioning data bundle in a SMS message to the second plurality of devices by a second communication network routing node based on the corresponding one of the plurality of telephone numbers, wherein the first communication network routing node routes SMS messages in a first region and the second communication network routine node routes SMS messages in a second region, whereby a single telephone number is leveraged by two different devices located in different regions.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventor: Dhananjay Indurkar
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Patent number: 11477636Abstract: A method of provisioning a mobile communication device with an eSIM profile. The method comprises receiving an indication by an application executing on a computer system that a subscriber associated with a mobile communication device provisioned with a first eSIM profile associated with a first network is traveling to a second network, maintaining a pool of eSIM profiles associated with the second network by the application, designating a second eSIM profile that is one of the eSIM profiles in the pool as allocated by the application, sending a copy of the second eSIM profile to the mobile communication device, receiving an indication by the application that the mobile communication device has deactivated the second eSIM profile, and, after receiving the indication that the mobile communication device has deactivated the second eSIM profile, designating the second eSIM profile in the pool as unallocated by the application.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.Inventor: Dhananjay Indurkar