Patents Assigned to Sprint Spectrum L.P.
  • Patent number: 7545762
    Abstract: In a packet-switched network, a subscribing application subscribes to a network presence server to receive selected network presence information. The network presence server obtains the selected network presence information, at least in part, from status messages that a network access server, such as a packet data serving node (PDSN), sends, for example, to an accounting server. The network presence server then provides the selected network presence information to the subscribing application. The selected network presence information may include an identification of a particular customer that has just initiated or terminated a data session and the network address the particular customer is or was using.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Von K. McConnell, Lyle T. Bertz, Arun Santharam, Matthew Barrow, Tania Mazza-Deblawe, Jesse Money, Ronald E. Lewis, Charles E. Woodson, Baoquan Zhang, Daren R. Furness, Tracy Poffenroth
  • Patent number: 7542733
    Abstract: A method and system for diversity transmission from a mobile station. Signals sent from a mobile station to a base station may suffer from fading. To combat this, diversity transmission is used to compensate for the effects of fading and destructive multi-path interference by sending two or more signals. Signals to be transmitted from the mobile station are split into a first split signal and a second split signal and diversified from one another. Diversification of the split signals may be accomplished by modifying the phase of either the first split signal, the second split signal or both the first and second split signal. The diversified signals may then be transmitted from a first and second antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: John Cheong-Wai Ngan
  • Patent number: 7535873
    Abstract: Communication on a sector in a mobile station's active set is eliminated in order to test whether such elimination has a sufficiently adverse impact on RF communication with the mobile station on the remaining sectors in the active set. If it is determined that the elimination of the sector has a sufficiently adverse impact, communication on the sector is restored. Otherwise, the sector is removed from the mobile station's active set, thereby freeing up a soft hand-off resources, including a channel element and a Walsh code, for use by other mobile stations. A log or history of the event is maintained, including the location of the mobile station at the time of the removal. From such history, a correlation between defined geographical areas and removed sectors in active sets can be derived. The correlations, e.g., in a form of a table, can be used as a means for identifying one or more sectors to drop when a mobile device roams into one of the defined geographic areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Jason P. Sigg
  • Patent number: 7529546
    Abstract: Communication on a sector in a mobile station's active set is eliminated in order to test whether such elimination has a sufficiently adverse impact on RF communication with the mobile station on the remaining sectors in the active set. If it is determined that the elimination of the sector has a sufficiently adverse impact, communication on the sector is restored. Otherwise, the sector is removed from the mobile station's active set, thereby freeing up soft hand-off resources including a channel element and a Walsh code for use by other mobile stations. In one embodiment, if the mobile station seeks to add the removed sector back into its active set, the add-request is denied if the mobile station is stationary, but accepted if the mobile station is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Jason P. Sigg
  • Patent number: 7529544
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for initiating a communication between a fixed wireless device and a network entity. A wireless local loop hub or other fixed wireless device upon being reconnected to fixed-position power, will determine if fixed-position power was disconnected for a time-duration exceeding a time-threshold, and if so, responsively initiating a communication with a network entity in order to communicate information regarding the wireless local loop hub or other fixed wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Dae-Sik Oh, Jack R. Johnson, Susan Sherwood, Vicki L. Walton
  • Patent number: 7525954
    Abstract: An access point for a wireless wide area network might receive a request from a wireless device to establish a session on the wireless wide area network. In response, the access point might establish a circuit switched uplink channel and a packet switched downlink channel for communications with the wireless device during the session. The access point might communicate with other wireless devices in this manner as well. Additionally, the access point might employ power control methods for the circuit switched uplink channels, and it might employ rate control methods for the packet switched downlink channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Manish Mangal, Mark Yarkosky
  • Patent number: 7525578
    Abstract: A method and system for creating digital image files provides for writing capture location metadata and transmit location metadata into a digital image file. A digital camera captures an image, stores digital image data in a digital image file and then adds capture location metadata into the digital image file. The digital camera then receives a user request to transmit the digital image file to a network server, and in response to the user request the digital camera writes transmit location metadata into the digital image file. The digital camera then sends the digital image file to the network server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Pierre Barbeau
  • Patent number: 7526296
    Abstract: A method for a WLAN access point to allocate telephone numbers for use by mobile stations. The access point includes stored data indicating one or more allowed telephone numbers. When a mobile station associated with the access point and acquires an IP address, the mobiles station sends a telephone number allocation-request to the access point, seeking allocation of a particular telephone number for use by the mobile station. If the telephone requested number is one of those allowed, then the access point associates the telephone number with the mobile station. On the other hand, if the requested telephone number is not one of those allowed, then the access point provides the mobile station with a list of the available telephone numbers, to allow a user to select a desired telephone number, and the mobile station may then send a new telephone number allocation-request, seeking allocation of the selected telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Michael T. Lundy, Dan Durig
  • Patent number: 7519026
    Abstract: To facilitate vertical handoff, a radio network will identify air interface protocols currently available for use by a wireless device and will then select one of the available air interface protocols based at least in part on the type of communication in which the device is currently engaged. The radio network may further take into consideration the current level of congestion under each available air interface protocol and may select an air interface protocol that has sufficient bandwidth available to support the type of communication in which the device is currently engaged. If the device is not currently operating under the selected air interface protocol, the radio network may then orchestrate a vertical handoff to the selected protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Dae-Sik Oh
  • Patent number: 7512973
    Abstract: A method and system for wireless access provider management of digital rights. A wireless carrier receives a content request transmitted from a given wireless client station. The carrier determines by reference to digital rights management data that the requested content is premium content and then determines if the requesting party has the right to obtain the content. If the party does not have the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier may engage in a payment collection process, to collect the party's payment for the content. Upon determination that the requesting party has the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier inserts an access-token into the content request and sends the content request, with the access-token, to the content provider. The content provider can then rely on the access-token as proof that the requesting party has the right to obtain the requested content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Wone-Hoe Chan, Shabbir Mukadam, Pujan Roka
  • Patent number: 7508754
    Abstract: A method and system for facilitating calling within an enterprise network upon failure of a landline connection between the enterprise network and an outside call server such as an IP Centrex server. Upon failure of the landline connection, an enterprise router switches over to a backup wireless packet-data link, such as a 3G cellular link for instance. Thus, packet-based call signaling can continue to flow between the enterprise network and the call server so as to continue setting up inside calls between enterprise telephone stations. The backup wireless packet-data link can also be used to carry a limited extent of outside calls, such as emergency calls for instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Pallavur Sankaranaraynan, Brian D. Mauer
  • Patent number: 7508816
    Abstract: A telephony relay enables a portable communication device that is communicatively coupled to a packet-switched network to originate calls over a circuit-switched telephone network. The telephony relay has a first interface communicatively coupled to the packet-switched network, e.g., via a modem, and a second interface communicatively coupled to the circuit-switched telephone network, e.g., via an analog telephone line. To originate a call to a called number, the portable communication device transmits the called number to the telephony relay, via the packet-switched network. The telephony relay then uses an analog signaling format, e.g., DTMF tones, to transmit the called number to the circuit-switched telephone network. When the call is answered, the telephony relay conveys media between the portable communication device and the circuit-switched telephone network, converting between the analog format used by the circuit-switched network and the packet format used by the packet-switched network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: John M. Everson, Bryce A. Jones, Jason R. Delker
  • Patent number: 7509151
    Abstract: A phone having an elongated housing with a top surface and a bottom surface. The phone includes a display screen affixed to the housing. The display screen forms a majority of the surface area of the top surface of the housing. The phone also includes a keypad having a plurality of keys corresponding with the digits 0-9. The plurality of keys are sequentially positioned along a side of the display on the top surface. The key for the digit 0 is adjacent to either the key for the digit 1 or the key for the digit 9. The phone further includes a first battery and a second battery that are coupled with the housing. In operation, the first and second batteries cooperatively provide power to operate the phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Christopher M. Edwards
  • Patent number: 7508928
    Abstract: A telephony interface system has a controller and multiple communication interfaces to provide voice-over-packet (VoP) telephone service with PSTN telephone service as backup. The telephony interface system has a communication interface for at least one telephony device, a communication interface for the PSTN, and a communication interface for a packet-switched network. To originate a call, the telephony interface system connects the telephony device to the PSTN if the dialed digits for the call correspond to a predetermined telephone number or numbers, such as 911. Otherwise, the telephone interface system connects the telephony device to the packet-switched network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: John M. Everson, Bryce A. Jones, Jason R. Delker
  • Patent number: 7503065
    Abstract: A method and system permits efficient user authentication based on a gateway rather than information or hardware of a user's communication device. The system may include a gateway that is operated by a trusted entity, the gateway logically connected between a communication network, such as the Internet, and the user's device. The gateway can authenticate a user using device-specific as well as user-specific identifiers, and the authentication can then be passed on to multiple applications that are accessible via the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin Packingham, Robert Urbanek
  • Publication number: 20090061869
    Abstract: A method for imposing a communication policy for a mobile node. During Mobile-IP (MIP) registration for the mobile node, when a MIP home agent sends an access request to an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, the AAA server will select a pool of IP addresses corresponding with a communication policy for the mobile node and will direct the home agent to assign an IP address selected from that pool. Thereafter, when the home agent receives a communication to or from the IP address, the home agent may then determine the applicable communication policy by determining the pool from which the IP address was selected, and the home agent may apply that communication policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.
    Inventors: Hung Viet Bui, David S. McGinniss
  • Patent number: 7493146
    Abstract: A user selects a ringtone or other alert pattern that can be played to provide notification of an incoming call and provisions the user-selected alert pattern into a mobile station. The mobile station is communicatively coupled to a docking station. When the mobile station receives an incoming call, the docking station plays the user-selected alert pattern through one or more audio systems associated with the docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Jason R. Delker, John M. Everson
  • Patent number: 7480485
    Abstract: A wireless repeater for receiving, amplifying and transmitting one or more wireless signals. The repeater comprises a signal processing device for determining one or more attributes of a wireless signal received from a base transceiver station and a memory for storing a reference list that includes a list of one or more preferred frequency bandwidths to be received, amplified and transmitted. The repeater further comprises a controller coupled with the signal processing device for comparing the one or more attributes of the wireless signal from the base transceiver station with the reference list, where the controller selects a first active set of one or more frequency bandwidths from the preferred frequency bandwidths based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Dae-Sik Oh, Mark L. Yarkosky, Kristin A. Hayne, John Cheong Wai Ngan, Saad Z. Asif, Shiva Narayanabhatla
  • Patent number: 7480486
    Abstract: A wireless repeater and method for managing air interface communications is provided. A repeater may include a donor antenna, a coverage antenna, a mobile station modem, a processor, and data storage. The donor antenna will receive a plurality of air interface beams on the forward link from a radio access network. The coverage antenna will pass each forward link beam received to a mobile station being served by the repeater. Further, the donor antenna will pass each forward link air interface beam to the MSM, where the MSM will apply a rake receiver to identify a signal characteristic of the forward link of each beam received, and the processor will record in the data storage the signal characteristic corresponding to each beam. Given this data, the repeater will select an air interface beam with the most preferable signal characteristic, and will keep only this beam active for reverse link communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Dae-Sik Oh, Mark L. Yarkosky, Saad Z. Asif
  • Patent number: 7480510
    Abstract: A method and base transceiver station (BTS) for preventing paging channel overload in a wireless communication system. Paging channel occupancy level is measured and compared to different threshold levels. Each threshold level is associated with one or more types of paging messages. If the measured occupancy level of the paging channel reaches a first threshold level of occupancy, the BTS switches to a state in which the BTS allows initial transmission of paging messages of a first type but blocks retransmission of paging messages of the first type. If the measured occupancy level of the paging channel reaches a second threshold level of occupancy, the BTS switches to a second state in which the BTS allows initial transmission of paging messages of the first type and paging messages of a second type but blocks retransmission of paging messages of the first type and paging messages of the second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Samuel M. Woleben, Shiva Narayanabhatla, Bryan T Barbee, Timothy W. Sill