Patents Assigned to Tantivy Communications, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6725047
    Abstract: A system apparatus for wireless communication that includes receiving, receiving data for a subscriber, determining the subscriber to whom the data is addressed, determining which cell the subscriber currently resides, and transmitting the data accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Farley, Thomas Gorsuch
  • Publication number: 20040053634
    Abstract: A directional antenna is pointed based on a ranking process. The ranking process of choice uses both Es/No and Pilot Power parameters as measured from a pilot signal for best overall system performance in the forward and reverse links. Using this pointing and ranking process enables adaptive pointing of the directional antenna in interference and multi-path driven environments. The pointing and ranking process may be used to select the “best” pointing angle for communicating with a given base station or for selecting the given base station. The process may include fine tuning techniques for use in different environments. The fine tuning may include the use of weights related to the operating environment or directivity of the directional antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Gainey, James C. Otto, Jonathan L. Hughes, Griffin K. Gothard
  • Publication number: 20040047328
    Abstract: In a reverse link of a wireless CDMA communication system, a method of maintaining an idling mode connection between a field unit and a base transceiver station is provided using various techniques to maintain the idle mode connection at a reduced power level. A preferred embodiment computes a time slot or frame offset based on modulo function using a field unit identifier in order to distribute field unit maintenance transmissions among available slots or offsets. An alternate embodiment detects explicit signaling states changes at the physical layer and causes power target changes. A further embodiment transmits maintenance data during predetermined time intervals, coordinated between the field units and BTS, allowing power levels to be adjusted accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Proctor, George Rodney Nelson
  • Publication number: 20040046694
    Abstract: A mobile communication handset includes at least one passive antenna element and an active antenna element adjacent to the passive antenna elements protruding from a housing. The active element is coupled to electronic radio communication circuits and the passive antenna elements are coupled to circuit elements that affect the directivity of communication signals coupled to the antenna elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Christopher A. Snyder, Griffin K. Gothard, David C. Jorgenson
  • Publication number: 20040043751
    Abstract: A system for wireless data transmission that uses a channel bandwidth, channel separation, and radio frequency power spectrum which is compatible with existing deployments of wireless voice services. The transmitted waveforms are thus compatible with existing cellular networks. However, the time domain digital coding, modulation, and power control schemes are optimized for data transmission. Existing cellular network sites can thus be used to provide a high speed service optimized for wireless data traffic without the need for new radio frequency planning, and without interfering with existing voice service deployments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlo Amalfitano, James A Proctor
  • Publication number: 20040033817
    Abstract: An antenna control interface is integrated with common integrated circuit components, such as radio transceiver or baseband modem signal processing control logic. The antenna control interface controls the operation of an adaptive antenna array used with wireless communication system devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Gorsuch, John A. Regnier, John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, James A. Proctor
  • Publication number: 20040029612
    Abstract: A technique for communicating with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-speed wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or by transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Gorsuch
  • Publication number: 20040018854
    Abstract: A technique for communicating with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-speed wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or by transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Gorsuch
  • Publication number: 20040009794
    Abstract: A system causes a scan angle of a directional antenna to change temporarily from a current scan angle to at least one trial scan angle during reception of predetermined portions of an information carrying signal. At the trial scan angle(s), a trial metric associated with each trial scan angle is determined by the system. The system then selects a next scan angle based on the trial metrics. Examples of predetermined portions of the information carrying signal include the Power Control Bit (PCB) and certain symbol periods of the Forward Error Correction (FEC) block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Proctor, Carlo Amalfitano, Kil H. Ryu
  • Publication number: 20040009785
    Abstract: In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a reference signal including pilot information is transmitted from a base station to one or multiple field units over a pilot channel. A message is also sent to the field units over a paging channel to indicate an effective radiated power level at which the reference signal is transmitted on the pilot channel. Based on a received power level of the reference signal at a field unit and the effective radiated power level of the reference signal, a forward path loss is estimated at the field unit for the forward link between the base station and field unit. Assuming the path loss in the reverse link is approximately the same as the estimated forward link path loss, the field unit can transmit, a reply message in the reverse link so that the base station generally receives a message at-a desired power level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: George R. Nelson, James A. Proctor, John E. Hoffmann, Antoine J. Rouphael
  • Patent number: 6678260
    Abstract: A service option overlay for a CDMA wireless communication in which multiple allocatable subchannels are defined on a reverse link by assigning different code phases of a given long pseudonoise (PN) code to each subchannel. The instantaneous bandwidth needs of each on-line subscriber unit are then met by dynamically allocating none, one, or multiple subchannels on an as needed basis for each network layer connection. The system efficiently provides a relatively large number of virtual physical connections between the subscriber units and the base stations on the reverse link for extended idle periods such as when computers connected to the subscriber units are powered on, but not presently actively sending or receiving data. These maintenance subchannels permit the base station and the subscriber units to remain in phase and time synchronism in an idle mode and also request additional channels. This in turn allows fast acquisition of additional subchannels as needed by allocating new code phase subchannels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Proctor, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20030235206
    Abstract: A dual split-TCP connection for improving throughput in a data transmission system containing a wireless link is described. A pair of gateways are individually associated with a subscriber unit and a base station on opposite sides of the wireless link. The gateways respectively form spaced TCP proxy terminations for a pair of terminal machines, such as an end user machine and a server, between which data packets are exchanged over the system. Transmission over the wireless link itself employs an optimized wireless protocol or another non-TCP protocol such as UDP. Such elimination of the use of TCP over the wireless link minimizes delays attributable, e. g., to false readings of congestion on such link and the consequent unnecessary triggering of TCP congestion control/slow start mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Applicant: TANTIVY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Howard A. Heller
  • Publication number: 20030227880
    Abstract: Session services are employed in a networked computing environment to apply specific processing to an exchange of data between processes. In a wireless communication network, a single wireless link is typically shared among multiple users through wireless channels, which are allocated and switched among the users on a demand basis. Packets sent over the wireless link need to be signaled and tagged accordingly to initiate and employ the session service for the intended packets which comprise the flow. A method for identifying and applying session services to a wireless link includes identifying a packet flow over the wireless link corresponding to a received message by employing a flow identifier and filter. The packet flow corresponds to a session, and is mapped to at least one session service. The mapped session service is then applied to the received message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard A. Heller, James A. Proctor
  • Publication number: 20030210204
    Abstract: A directional antenna having a number, N, of outlying monopole antenna elements. These monopole elements are formed as a first upper conductive segment on a portion of a dielectric substrate. The array also includes the same number, N, of image elements. The image elements are formed as a second set of lower conductive segments on the same substrate as the upper conductive segments. The image elements, generally having the same length and shape as the monopole elements, are connected to a ground reference potential. To complete the array, an active antenna element is also disposed on the same substrate, adjacent to at least one of the monopole elements. In a preferred arrangement, the passive monopole elements and corresponding image elements are selectively connected to operate to in either a reflective or directive mode, such as via a switchable coupling circuit that selectively changes the impedances connected between them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, William R. Palmer, Griffin K. Gothard, Christopher A. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20030201940
    Abstract: An antenna array formed on a deformable dielectric material or substrate includes a center element and plurality of radial elements extending from a center hub. In the operative mode, the radial elements are folded upwardly into an approximately vertical position, with the center element at the center of the hub and the radial elements circumferentially surrounding the center element. In one embodiment the center element serves an active element of the antenna array and the radial elements are controllable in a directive or reflective state to effect a directive beam pattern from the antenna array. When not in use, the antenna elements are deformed into a plane and can therefore be integrated into a housing for compact storage. In a phased array embodiment, the center element is absent and the plurality of radial elements, are controllable to steer the antenna beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, William R. Palmer, Griffin K. Gothard, Christopher A. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20030189916
    Abstract: A control channel supporting traffic control in epochs is divided into two control subchannels each being less than or equal to about a half epoch in duration and occurring serially in time. Slot allocation data may be transmitted and received independently over the subchannels. One subchannel may be used for transmitting forward slot allocation data and the other subchannel may be used for transmitting reverse slot allocation data. The channel split into two subchannels may be a paging channel. The forward and reverse slot allocation data may be transmitted between a base station processor and field unit. Forward and reverse traffic data may be staggered by at least about half an epoch. Transmission of traffic data happens within about two epochs after the assignments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John B. Cornett, Kevin P. Johnson, George Rodney Nelson
  • Publication number: 20030184492
    Abstract: A directive antenna operable in multiple frequency bands includes an active antenna element and at least one passive antenna element parasitically coupled to the active antenna element. The passive antenna element(s) have length and spacing substantially optimized to operate at (i) a fundamental frequency associated with the active antenna element and (ii) a higher resonant frequency related to the fundamental frequency. Spatial-harmonic current-distributions of the passive antenna elements are used to create the multiple frequency bands of operation. The directive antenna also includes devices operatively coupled to the passive antenna element(s) to steer an antenna beam formed by applying a signal at the fundamental resonant frequency, higher resonant frequency, or both to the active antenna element to operate in the multiple frequency bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Michael J. Lynch, Griffin K. Gothard
  • Publication number: 20030176191
    Abstract: Parallel demodulators are provided in field units. Forward and reverse channel allocation information may be broadcast to the field units in the same epoch as traffic data but on first and second channels, such as paging and traffic channels. This assures that all field units are able to receive forward and reverse channel allocation information every epoch. By having parallel demodulators in the field unit, switching between the first and second channels is avoided and channel allocation information is not lost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: John B. Cornett, Kevin P. Johnson, George Rodney Nelson
  • Publication number: 20030165155
    Abstract: A technique for a time division multiplex system in which access to shared broadcast communication media is granted on a demand basis. Particular connections are assigned slot times at the transmitter based on demand. However, no specific information regarding the assignment of time slots need be communicated to the receivers. The transmit side employs a forward error correction technique followed by multiplication by a cover sequence unique to each connection. All receivers listen to the broadcast transmission channel all of the time. The receiver assigned to each connection decodes the signals in such a manner that only the receiver with the correct cover sequence assigned to a particular connection will successfully decode the data associated with that connection. Data frames that fail the forward error correction process are discarded, and only those frames which are successfully decoded are passed up to a higher layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin P. Johnson, Antoine J. Rouphael, George Rodney Nelson
  • Patent number: 6614776
    Abstract: A transmitter/receiver system for high data transfer in a wireless communication system includes a physical layer processor that comprises an FEC coder, a demultiplexer and a plurality of modem processors. The FEC coder applies error correction codes to the high data rate signal. Thereafter, the demultiplexer distributes portions of the coded high data rate signal to the modem processors. Each modem processor processes its respective portion of the coded signal for transmission in an independent channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Tantivy Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Proctor, Jr.