Patents Assigned to Sprint Communications Company
  • Patent number: 11368881
    Abstract: A source Centralized Unit (CU) serves User Equipment (UE) based on UE application context for a low-latency application in the UE. In the source CU, a source Application Server (AS) uses a source User Plane Function (UPF) to serve the low-latency application in the UE. In response to a handover to a target CU, the source CU indicates the source UPF to the target CU. The target AS in the target CU uses the source UPF ID to retrieve the UE application context for the UE from the source AS. In the target CU, a target AS serves the low-latency application based on the retrieved UE application context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Zheng Cai
  • Patent number: 11362804
    Abstract: A method of using an interexchange to process states of subsystems tracked by disparate block chains. The method comprises locating a first block comprising current state information associated with a first process stored in a first block chain by an interexchange application executing on a computer system, wherein the first process is performed by a first subsystem, reading the current state information of the first process by the interexchange application from the located first block, transcoding a representation of the current state information by the interexchange application to a representation associated with a second block chain, creating a block by the interexchange application, wherein the created block stores the transcoded representation of the current state information in a data field of the created block that the predefined block structure associates to the transcoded current state information, and attaching the created block to the second block chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Ronald R. Marquardt, Lyle W. Paczkowski, Ivo Rook
  • Patent number: 11363491
    Abstract: A data communication network serves User Equipment (UE) over an optimal wireless network slice for a user application. A Network Exposure Function (NEF) receives a notice message indicating a UE Identifier (ID) for the UE and an application ID for the user application when the UE downloads the user application. In response, the NEF transfers a download message indicating the UE ID and the application ID to a network control-plane. The network control-plane receives the download message from the NEF, and in response, selects a slice ID for the optimal network slice based on the application ID for the user application. The network control-plane transfers a slice message indicating the application ID and the slice ID to the UE. In response to the slice message, the UE uses the optimal network slice when executing the user application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Rajil Malhotra, Ramesh Kumar Golla, Anuj Sharma, Anil Kumar Mariyani
  • Patent number: 11363114
    Abstract: A method of electronic communication via a virtual network function (NFV) implementation of a core network. The method comprises receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) content request from a user equipment (UE), wherein the HTTP content request comprises an identification of a content source and determining by an orchestrator service that insufficient NFV processing capacity is available to perform the HTTP content request, where the orchestrator service is an application that executes on a first physical host. The method further comprises dynamically increasing the NFV processing capacity by the orchestrator service, performing the HTTP content request using the increased NFV processing capacity, and returning a HTTP content response to the UE, wherein the HTTP content response does not comprise identification of the content source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Ronald R. Marquardt, Lyle W. Paczkowski, Carl J. Persson, Arun Rajagopal
  • Patent number: 11363567
    Abstract: A wireless User Equipment (UE) selects wireless communication networks. The wireless UE wirelessly receives and processes a broadcast block that comprises a cell identifier for a wireless access point, wireless communication network identifiers, and network selection information that individually characterizes the wireless communication networks. The wireless UE selects wireless communication networks based on the network selection information in the broadcast block that individually characterizes the wireless communication networks. The wireless UE wirelessly exchanges attachment signaling with a wireless access point that indicates the selected wireless communication network. The wireless UE wirelessly exchanges user data with the wireless access point over the selected wireless communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Zheng Cai, Zheng Fang, Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 11356434
    Abstract: A method of controlling an environment using a roaming electronic assistant. The method comprises receiving user environment setting preferences, user entertainment service authorizations, and user entertainment authorization credentials from devices in a home environment by an application executing on a computer system, establishing communication by the application with a destination location, receiving information about application programming interfaces (APIs) of devices located in the destination location by the application, establishing communication with the devices located in the destination location by the application based on the API information, whereby a presentation layer of the application is enabled to control the environment of the user at the destination location based on the user environment setting preferences, the user entertainment service authorizations, and the user entertainment authorization credentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Billy G. McCracken, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11356845
    Abstract: A method of attaching to a wireless communication network to receive wireless communication service. The method comprises calculating a checksum by a monitor application over at least a portion of an operating system stored in a wireless communication device, wherein the monitor application is stored in a trusted portion of memory of the device and executes in a trusted execution environment (TEE) of the device and wherein the operating system is authorized by a wireless communication network, comparing the calculated checksum value by the monitor application to a checksum value stored in the TEE, based on determining that the calculated checksum value matches the stored checksum value, rebooting the device to execute the operating system, and transmitting radio access credentials to the wireless communication network by the device, whereby the device authenticates into the wireless coverage of the wireless communication network based on the radio access credentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Tracy L. Nelson, Lyle W. Paczkowski, Ivo Rook
  • Patent number: 11356911
    Abstract: In a wireless communication network, an access node controller determines data throughput over a target access node. A source access node wirelessly exchanges user data with User Equipment (UE) and determines data throughput. The source access node receives signal parameters for the source access node and target access node from the UE. The source access node compares the signal parameters and responsively transfers a handover request that indicates the target node and the UE throughput over the source node. The access node controller receives the handover request and compares the source throughput to the target throughput to determine a handover value. The access node controller transfers the handover value to the source access node. The source access node compares the signal parameters based on the handover value, and responsively hands-over the UE to the target access node which wirelessly exchanges user data with the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Chaitanya Chukka, Anoop Kumar Goyal
  • Patent number: 11356269
    Abstract: An electronic device. The electronic device comprises a processor, a memory, a radio transceiver, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application establishes a communication link via the radio transceiver with an Internet of things (IoT) device, wherein the IoT device is associated with a block chain comprising event blocks that capture information about a state of the IoT device, receives a heartbeat message via the communication link from the IoT device, determines a period of time that passes after receiving the heartbeat message, determines that the period of time exceeds a predefined threshold, and transmits an end-of-life message via the radio transceiver to a server computer, wherein the end-of-life message identifies the IoT device, whereby the server computer is enabled to add an end-of-life block to the block chain associated with the IoT device to finalize the block chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Ronald R. Marquardt, Lyle W. Paczkowski, Ivo Rook
  • Patent number: 11356906
    Abstract: A primary access node adds a secondary access node to deliver wireless communication service and comprises a radio and baseband circuitry. The radio receives a measurement report from a User Equipment (UE) and transfers the measurement report to the baseband circuitry. The baseband circuitry determines a frequency channel size for the secondary access node and an add threshold for the secondary access node based on the frequency channel size. The baseband circuitry determines an add value for the secondary access node based on the measurement report. When the add value is greater than the add threshold, the baseband circuitry signals the secondary access node to serve the UE and transfers user signaling for the UE to the radio. The radio wirelessly transfers the user signaling to the UE. The UE attaches to the secondary access node and the secondary access node delivers the wireless communication service to the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Sreekar Marupaduga
  • Patent number: 11350294
    Abstract: A method of testing a communication network. The method comprises providing network communication service to communication service subscribers by a first set of computing resources that are part of a communication network, replicating communication data packets, directing the replicated communication data packets to the first set of computing resources and to a second set of computing resources that are part of the communication network but which do not provide network communication service to communication service subscribers, introducing a random error into the second set of computing resources, capturing by a testing application executing on a server computer the outputs from the second set of computing resources after processing the replicated communication data packets in the context of the random error, analyzing the captured outputs by the testing application, determining that the captured outputs indicate a failure by the testing application, and taking action by the testing application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Marouane Balmakhtar, Serge M. Manning
  • Patent number: 11343307
    Abstract: A Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Software Defined Network (SDN) controls NFV resources consumed by Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). An NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) executes SDN application VNFs, SDN controller VNFs, and SDN data-machine VNFs. The NFVI responsively transfers SDN Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). A VNF control system processes the KPIs to generate and transfer NFV control data to lighten one of the SDN VNFs. The NFVI lightens the one SDN VNF responsive to the NFV control data by increasing access to NFVI hardware for the one SDN VNF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Marouane Balmakhtar, Arun Rajagopal
  • Patent number: 11337056
    Abstract: A method of establishing a network connection between a subscriber device and a network server having a server processor matching a device processor of the subscriber device. The method comprises receiving a processor matching message (PMM) by an Exposure Function (EF) executing on a computer system, where the PMM comprises a request for a network service and an EF attribute representing an identity of a device processor of a subscriber device, determining by the EF the existence of a matching network server offering the requested network service and having a server processor with an identity matching the identity of the device processor, and based on the determination that the matching network server exists, establishing by the EF a connection between the matching network server and the subscriber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Lyle W. Paczkowski, George Jason Schnellbacher
  • Patent number: 11337065
    Abstract: A method for edge network authentication and access, implemented by an edge server, including receiving user equipment (UE) information from an application client executed on a UE to establish a connection between the edge server and the UE, verifying whether the UE has authorization to the local access point name (APN) based on the UE information, generating a session key when the UE has authorization to the local APN, sending the session key to the UE, receiving a request to access content of an application on a content server from the UE, decrypting the information to obtain a key, comparing the key with the application key to validate the UE, verifying identifiers of the UE when the UE is valid, identifying the application on the content server to obtain the content based on the request, encrypting and sending a session identifier to the UE based on a new application key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Marouane Balmakhtar, Galip Murat Karabulut
  • Patent number: 11330586
    Abstract: A wireless access point controls Carrier Aggregation (CA) over a wireless repeater chain. The wireless access point exchanges signaling with User Equipment (UE) over the wireless repeater chain which uses a number of repeater hops. The wireless access point selects a radio frequency for a Primary Component Carrier (PCC) based on the number of repeater hops. The wireless access point exchanges user data with the UE over the wireless repeater chain using the selected radio frequency for the PCC. The wireless access point determines uplink throughput for the user data. The wireless access point re-selects the radio frequency for the PCC based on the number of repeater hops and the uplink throughput. The wireless access point exchanges additional user data with the UE over the wireless repeater chain using the re-selected radio frequency for the PCC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Sreekar Marupaduga, John W. Prock
  • Patent number: 11317326
    Abstract: A primary access node adds a secondary access node to deliver wireless communication service to a wireless User Equipment (UE). The primary access node comprises a radio and baseband circuitry. The radio wirelessly receives a measurement report from the UE characterizing a radio metric for the secondary access node and transfers the measurement report to the baseband circuitry. The baseband circuitry determines cell site density for the UE's location and determines an add threshold for the secondary access node based on the cell site density. The baseband circuitry determines an add value for the secondary access node based on the radio metric. When the add value exceeds the add threshold, the baseband circuitry transfers network signaling to the secondary access node to serve the UE and transfers user signaling to the radio. The radio wirelessly transfers the user signaling to the UE to attach to the secondary access node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Sreekar Marupaduga
  • Patent number: 11317321
    Abstract: A method for delivering a network slice to a user is disclosed. The method includes receiving communication from a network slice artifact comprising a multi-segment filename that includes a first segment comprising instructions for executing the network slice artifact, and a second segment comprising an identity of a network slice instantiable by the network slice artifact The method also includes retrieving a set of executable instructions associated with the network slice from a data store of the network in response to receiving the communication from the network slice artifact, and communicating the set of executable instructions to the network slice artifact whereby the network slice artifact instantiates the network slice transforming the computer system into an endpoint node of the network slice. The method further includes completing the instantiation of the network slice in response to receiving the communication from the network slice artifact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Lyle W. Paczkowski, William M. Parsel
  • Patent number: 11310815
    Abstract: A primary wireless access node receives primary power headroom for User Equipment (UE). A secondary wireless access receives secondary power headroom for the UE and transfers the secondary power headroom to the primary wireless access node. The primary wireless access node compares the power primary headroom to the secondary power headroom to determine a primary uplink grant amount and a secondary uplink grant amount for the UE. The primary wireless access node grants primary uplink resources to the UE based on the primary uplink grant amount. The secondary wireless access node grants secondary uplink resources to the UE based on the secondary uplink grant amount. The wireless access nodes receive user data from the UE based on the uplink grant amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Sougata Saha, Anurag Thantharate, Sreekar Marupaduga, Kavitha Swaminathan, Nicholas John Baustert, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11310654
    Abstract: An electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile delivery and activation system is disclosed comprising a user equipment that includes an eSIM, a WIFI transceiver, a radio modem, and an application. The application is configured to detect that the eSIM is not initially provisioned with an eSIM profile, and in response to the detection, request, receive, and store via the WIFI transceiver a branding information handle from an over-the-air (OTA) platform in the eSIM, and reboot the eSIM and/or the radio modem. The radio modem is configured to receive the branding information handle stored in the eSIM after reboot, determine which subscription manager data preparation (SMDP+) server to access based on the handle, and obtain and configure the eSIM profile from the SMDP+ server into the eSIM. The radio modem is subsequently rebooted and configured to communicate with a carrier specific OTA platform to finalize activation of the eSIM profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Dhananjay Indurkar
  • Patent number: 11301368
    Abstract: A test environment availability system is disclosed that comprises test servers that include JAVA virtual machines (JVMs), applications executing on the JVMs, and monitoring tools. The system comprises a server including an application that receives a mapping of each function to applications executing on one or more of the test servers that enable an end-to-end journey of the function, obtains operational statuses of the JVMs and the applications on the test servers from the monitoring tools, coalesces each of the operational statuses with a corresponding function based on the mapping to create a coalesced operational statuses mapping, applies a rules set to the coalesced operational statuses mapping, determines whether each function is operational based on the application of the rules set, and creates and provides a dashboard based on the determination that illustrates each function and each function's operational status to an electronic device for display on the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Raju Chavan, Aaron Ray Haehn, Bradley Martin Korber, Yuh-Feng Sunny Rutherford