Patents Examined by Kiet Doan
  • Patent number: 9008690
    Abstract: A method for estimating the speed and bearing of a Wi-Fi enabled device using WLAN radio signals in a WLAN based location service is provided. A method used to estimate a speed of travel of a Wi-Fi enabled device comprises the Wi-Fi enabled device receiving signals transmitted by Wi-Fi access points in range of the Wi-Fi enabled device, and using the signals to estimate the speed of and/or direction of travel of the Wi-Fi enabled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Skyhook Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Farshid Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Edward James Morgan, Kaveh Pahlavan
  • Patent number: 9008628
    Abstract: An interactive voice access and notification method includes monitoring one or more notification events associated with one or more recipients identified by a user to detect a trigger of the notification event(s). The method also includes initiating a call to the recipient(s) in response to detecting the trigger of the notification event(s). The method also includes playing back an interactive audible notification message received from the user in response to confirming the recipient(s) are on the call. The method further includes sending a confirmation response to the user when a response from the recipient(s) to the interactive audible notification message triggers a confirmation response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: TBM, LLC
    Inventors: Brian L. Lichorowic, Xia Zhang, Kenneth George Aubey
  • Patent number: 9002317
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus comprise establishing a communications link with a mobile computing device. A user's intent to initiate a deterrent on an individual is recognized. An image capture device to capture at least one image in response to the user's intent to initiate a deterrent is activated. At least the image is transferred, via the communications link, to the mobile computing device in which the mobile computing device establishes a connection to at least an emergency unit and at least transmits the image and information regarding the user to the emergency unit. A releasing of the deterrent in response to the user's intent to initiate a deterrent is recognized. Broadcasting an audible alert in response to the user's intent to initiate a deterrent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Pangaea Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Allen Hymowitz
  • Patent number: 8996033
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for associating a mobile device to a household. In various embodiments, a plurality of latitude-longitude pairs is received for a mobile device during a time period. The latitude-longitude pairs are organized into a plurality of clusters corresponding to geographic regions visited by the mobile device during the time period. For each cluster, a score is calculated that represents a likelihood that a user of the mobile device resides in a household within the cluster. The cluster with the highest score is identified as being the location of the user's household. The computation is preferably conducted recursively over time periods. The mobile device is then associated with the user's household.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: 4INFO, Inc.
    Inventors: Yonggang Xu, Tim Jenkins
  • Patent number: 8996031
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods to utilize relative timing offset information reported by one or more mobile devices. When coupled with AGPS information reported by one or more mobile devices, the offset information is be used to calibrate calculations and subsequently to locate all 3G mobiles with GPS-like accuracy, whether or not a GPS receiver is available on said mobile device being located. A determination of a propagation delay between one or more cell sites and a mobile device is reported to a network and used to calibrate unknown information such as a timing offset, to improve the accuracy of a detected location. The relative timing offset can be applied to determine a location for all other mobile devices within the area served by the known base station. The present disclosure utilizes this method in conjunction with information crowd-sourced from a plurality of mobile devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Mark Austin, Jeremy Fix, Sheldon Meredith, Sarat Puthenpura, Gopalakrishnan Meempat
  • Patent number: 8989742
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the disclosure relate generally to search of radio access technologies (RAT). For example, certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for facilitating higher priority radio access technology (RAT) search and cell reselection in areas having a plurality of overlapping RATs, such as GSM and LTE. According to certain aspects, a user equipment (UE) may generate a local set of cell reselection parameters based on one or more default cell reselection parameters and/or stored system information received during previous connects with found cells. According to certain aspects, the UE may perform cell reselection based on the local set of cell reselection parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Shyamal Ramachandran, Thomas Klingenbrunn
  • Patent number: 8989758
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for prioritizing frequencies in femtocell frequency-hopping pilot beacons. The frequency-hopping pilot beacon may prioritize transmission on particular frequencies according to usage of one or more particular applications by mobile devices served by the femtocell. The femtocell and/or femtocell control elements in the macro-network may determine that one or more particular applications are used by mobile devices served by the femtocell, identify one or more frequencies associated with the one or more frequencies, and then cause the femtocell to prioritize transmission on the identified one or more frequencies as compared to other frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Ryan S. Talley, Muralidhar Malreddy, Shilpa Kowdley Srinivas, Kyle C. Allen
  • Patent number: 8989818
    Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more computing devices determine, substantially in real time and locally at a mobile device, one or more current dynamic operating conditions of the mobile device related to energy consumption by the mobile device. The computing devices identify a pre-determined device state that corresponds to the current dynamic operating conditions of the mobile device and determine, based at least in part on the pre-determined device state, an action for the mobile device to take, the action being related to energy consumption by the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Eran Tal, Benoit M. Schillings, Michael John McKenzie Toksvig, David Harry Garcia
  • Patent number: 8989779
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for venue-based device control and user/position/venue context determinations. Venue corresponds to a geographic region. Venue relevant information is information associated with a venue. A controlled quasi-transient signal comprises a signal, emitted by an entity intrinsic to the venue and not intended to be utilized for operation of the device, coupled with a quasi-transient signal that is coded with the venue relevant information. When a device located in a venue receives a controlled quasi-transient signal, venue-relevant information associated with the venue can be extracted from the controlled quasi-transient signal. Based on the extracted venue relevant information, the device can be controlled in accordance with a control signal generated based on the venue relevant information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Cellco Partnership
    Inventor: Michael A. Centore, III
  • Patent number: 8983491
    Abstract: This document presents a location tracking system comprising a plurality of location tracking nodes disposed to cover an area where the location tracking is to be carried out, at least one mobile tag configured to communicate with at least one of said plurality of location tracking nodes at a time for location tracking purposes, and a control apparatus configured to control operational parameters of the plurality of location tracking nodes and the at least one mobile tag. The control apparatus and the plurality of location tracking nodes are configured to carry out an automatic calibration phase during operation of the location tracking system the location tracking nodes transmit and receive test signals between the neighboring nodes, and report measurement results to the control apparatus. The control apparatus then optimizes the operation parameters of the location tracking system on the basis of received measurement reports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: 9Solutions Oy
    Inventor: Antti Hiltunen
  • Patent number: 8983442
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a sensor, a processor circuit, and an adaptive scanning component for execution on the processor circuit to receive sensor data from the sensor, to determine activity state based upon the received sensor data, and to adjust a wireless network scanning procedure in accordance with the received sensor data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Adrian P. Stephens
  • Patent number: 8983434
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are for managing opt-in and opt-out for private data access. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a mobile device can receive a request to obtain private data associated with a user of the mobile device and, in response to the request, determine whether an application program associated with the request is permitted to access the private data based upon a rule. The mobile device, in response to determining that the application program is permitted to access the private data based upon the rule, can instruct the application program to proceed to obtain the private data. The mobile device, in response to determining that the application program is not permitted to access the private data based upon the rule, can instruct the application program to avoid obtaining the private data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: David Gerald Belanger, Divesh Srivastava
  • Patent number: 8983435
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing an alert based on user location. An indication of a second user is received from a first user. It is determined whether the first user and the second user are co-members of a telecommunication carrier service plan. Location information of the first user and location information of the second user is received. A distance between the first user and the second user is determined based on the location information of the first user and the location information of the second user. The first user is alerted responsive to the distance between the first user and the second user exceeding a predetermined threshold. A system for providing an alert based on user location or user motion state is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: WaveMarket, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Weiss
  • Patent number: 8977322
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, and a program in which information can be reliably exchanged when performing wireless communication by allowing a user to know a communication distance at which devices can be connected. A communication unit 28 performs Bluetooth communication with a communication unit, which serves as a Bluetooth module, provided for a cellular telephone. A CPU 21 displays an image corresponding to the cellular telephone based on the input level of Bluetooth radio waves transmitted from the cellular telephone. For example, when the input level of the radio waves transmitted from the cellular telephone is equal to the maximum input, the CPU 21 sets the level of transparency to be 0, and displays the image corresponding to the cellular telephone on an LCD 32 so that a background image is not transmitted at all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Oba, Taku Sugawara, Takeo Inagaki, Junichi Rekimoto, Nobuyuki Matsushita, Yuji Ayatsuka
  • Patent number: 8971861
    Abstract: Various arrangements for delivery of relevant content to a mobile device of a user are presented. Physiological state data and image data related to the user of the mobile device may be received by a host computer system from a mobile device. The image data may be analyzed to identify a characteristic of the image. The physiological state data may also be analyzed. Content to deliver to the mobile device of the user may be selected at least partially based on the physiological state data of the user and the characteristic of the image. The content may be transmitted to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Prince Gupta, Aniket A. Vartak, Charles Wheeler Sweet, III, Robert S. Tartz
  • Patent number: 8965422
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for marking content in substantially real-time messaging applications using a mobile communication device. A marking application in cooperation with a messaging application displays a message communication on a graphical user interface of the mobile communication device, enables navigation to a selected position within the message communication and receives a signal to mark the selected position with a tag. A manually actuated signal is provided to mark the selected position within the message communication and receive an automatically actuated signal to mark a portion of the message communication based on a pre-defined rule. Receiving the manually actuated signal includes receiving one of: a first actuation signal from a user-selected key on a keyboard or a second actuation signal from a user-selected icon on the graphical user interface. The mobile communication device allows users to more efficiently tag and retrieve content transmitted in substantially real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Tabarak Khan
  • Patent number: 8965464
    Abstract: A system for providing real-time always-on location is presented for maintaining the current location of a mobile device, while saving the battery by managing the GPS in a power-saving mode while the device is considered to be stationary. The system also provides a real-time location in an indoor environment where a GPS signal may not be available. Additionally, methods for driving detection are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: mPanion, Inc.
    Inventor: Neeraj Chawla
  • Patent number: 8965399
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of tracking area update (TAU), including: when a terminal is not a pre-assigned group representative terminal of a terminal group, deactivating a periodic TAU timer of the terminal; after the terminal enters an idle state and when a mobile reachable timer corresponding to the terminal expires, a network side detecting that a paging proceed flag (PPF) of the group representative terminal of a local terminal group to which the terminal belongs is not cleared, then resetting and restarting the mobile reachable timer corresponding to the terminal. Correspondingly, the present invention also discloses a system of TAU, which realizes the periodic TAU for the terminal group, and reduces the signaling interaction required during implementing the periodic TAU by each terminal in the terminal group and the network side, thus saving the signaling resources and improving the efficiency that the terminal group performs the periodic TAU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventor: Kun Yang
  • Patent number: 8965388
    Abstract: A method and system for determining, for a transmission time interval (TTI), an amount of resource units to be allocated to each cell served by at least one module in a wireless communication network are disclosed. The allocation is based on an estimated resource consumption of each cell, a resource limit of each cell and resource limits of the at least one module. For each TTI, a prioritized list of queues having information to be transmitted is determined, where each queue belongs to a cell of the plurality of cells. Also, for each TTI, in an order of priority of the queues, a number of resource units to be consumed by a queue is determined based at least in part on a number of resource units required to empty the queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Hong Ren, Leonard Lightstone, Parsa Larijani, Girum Alebachew Fantaye
  • Patent number: 8958751
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method is disclosed for multiband wireless communication. Frequency bands and/or transmission formats are identified as available within a range for wireless communication. The system evaluates signal quality metrics for each frequency band and selects a communication method based on the evaluation. Multiple frequency bands and communication methods can be utilized by the system such that a combination of licensed, unlicensed, semilicensed, and overlapped frequency bands can be simultaneously used for communication. The system monitors communications and can report link performance for adaptive control of the selected communication methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongliang Zhang, Mark McDiarmid