Patents Examined by Pablo Tran
  • Patent number: 9913124
    Abstract: A method and system for searching for an electronic cigarette of a same type, the method comprises at least two electronic cigarettes performing a communication connection. The method comprises the following steps: S1, at least one electronic cigarette sends broadcast information carrying a type of the electronic cigarette to another electronic cigarette within a preset range; S2, the another electronic cigarette receiving the broadcast information determines whether the type carried by the broadcast information is the same as the another electronic cigarette's type, and performs a vibration alert if the type same. Via the present method, it can be quickly known whether an electronic cigarette user having a same electronic cigarette is present in the surroundings, and an enthusiast of an electronic cigarette of a same type can be found, enabling an electronic cigarette to no longer be an individual, and thereby improving user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: HUIZHOU KIMREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. SHENZHEN BRANCH
    Inventor: Qiuming Liu
  • Patent number: 9876518
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture, including computer program products, are provided for capacitive passive mixer baseband receivers with broadband harmonic rejection. In some embodiments, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive an input signal and generate, based on the input signal, an in-phase portion and a quadrature phase portion. The apparatus further includes a harmonic rejection mixer comprising a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors encoded with a plurality of capacitance values, the harmonic rejection mixer configured to reduce harmonics in the input signal based on applying a quantity of the plurality of capacitance values to the input signal. The apparatus further includes a plurality of switches configured to activate the plurality of capacitors, the quantity of the plurality of predetermined capacitance values applied to the input signal based on a quantity of the plurality of capacitors that are active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Chul Kim, Chris Michael Thomas, Gert Cauwenberghs, Lawrence E. Larson, Siddharth Joshi, Sohmyung Ha
  • Patent number: 9860679
    Abstract: A system for determining the location of a person relative to a vehicle. In one embodiment, the system includes a first device comprising a first Bluetooth transceiver in the vehicle, a portable second device comprising a second Bluetooth transceiver and a first application program. The first application program identifies a first condition in which a link based on Bluetooth RF transmission exists between the first device and the second device when the person is in a first position close to or in the vehicle. The application program determines when the link is broken based on drop in signal level and provides notification through a network to a computer system when a determination is made that the link is broken. The notification is indicative of the person having moved farther away from the vehicle to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Intrepid Networks, LLC
    Inventors: Brittin Kane, Joshua Witter
  • Patent number: 9860050
    Abstract: Dynamic tuning of antennas towards a receive channel carrier frequency, a transmit channel carrier frequency, or between the receive channel and transmit channel carrier frequencies in frequency division duplex (FDD) communications systems is disclosed. A user device, such as a mobile communications device may be configured to dynamically tune its antenna based at least in part on the amount of data to transmit, data to receive, a receive channel quality, and/or a transmit channel quality. The antenna may be tuned to one of the transmit or receive channels or a frequency between the transmit and receive channels based at least in part on which channel, if any, may benefit from greater antenna efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rama Diwakara Rao Noolu, Saranya Chandrasekaran, Adrian Napoles
  • Patent number: 9854389
    Abstract: A first indications from a first beacon of one or more beacons at a first time is received. A transmission number is requested from a server device. The transmission number is received from the server device. Responsive to receiving the first indication from the first beacon, whether the first time is within the transmission number is determined. Responsive to determining the first time is within the transmission number, the first indication is transmitted to the server device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy A. Greenberger, Ciaran E. Hannigan
  • Patent number: 9854566
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for using resources for a device-to-device (D2D) operation in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) receives D2D resources used for transmission of D2D signals in radio resource control (RRC) idle mode, and transmits the D2D signals by using the D2D resources in the RRC idle mode. The D2D resources may be used in the RRC idle mode only, or may be used after entering the RRC connected mode. Alternatively, the UE receives D2D resources used for transmission of D2D signals in RRC connected mode, and transmits the D2D signals by using the D2D resources in the RRC idle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sunghoon Jung, Youngdae Lee
  • Patent number: 9853622
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 9831959
    Abstract: An arithmetic apparatus to calculate an interference suppression parameter for a radio device includes a predictive value calculator, a predictive error calculator, and an interference suppression parameter calculator. The predictive value calculator calculates a predictive value for a radio communication channel between radio devices. The predictive error calculator calculates a predictive error in the radio communication channel based on the predictive value. The interference suppression parameter calculator calculates an interference suppression parameter available to suppress an interference in the radio communication channel, the interference suppression parameter being orthogonal to the predictive value and the predictive error in a vector space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takashi Seyama
  • Patent number: 9825656
    Abstract: RF communications circuitry, which includes a first tunable RF filter and an RF power amplifier (PA), is disclosed. The first tunable RF filter includes a pair of weakly coupled resonators, and receives and filters a first upstream RF signal to provide a first filtered RF signal. The RF PA is coupled to the first tunable RF filter, and receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 9820016
    Abstract: Methods of operating a short-range Radio Frequency (RF) device are provided. The methods may include transmitting identification information that identifies the short-range RF device and/or sensor information generated by a sensor associated with the short-range RF device, using a short-range RF communication protocol. The methods may include receiving a command, responsive to the identification information and/or the sensor information, from a server via a first device using the short-range RF communication protocol to control a second device associated with the short-range RF device. Related devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Ljung, Johan Wadman
  • Patent number: 9813532
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first metallic member, a second metallic member, and a nonconductive segmenting part located between an end of the first metallic member and an end of the second metallic member, a ground member, a wireless communication circuit connected to a first point of the first metallic member through a first electrical path and connected to a second point of the first metallic member through a second electrical path, a first conductive pattern electrically connected to the first electrical path, a second conductive pattern electrically connected to the second electrical path, a first electrical variable element electrically connected between the first electrical path and the ground member, and a second electrical variable element electrically connected between the second metallic member and the ground member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kyoung Mok Kim, Young Jun Kim, Yoon Jung Kim, Sang Bong Sung, Shin Ho Yoon, Jin Young Jeong
  • Patent number: 9794880
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first communication device performing wireless communication with second and third communication devices is provided. The first communication device includes a communication control unit that determines a time period during which communication between the first and second communication devices could interfere with a communication between the first and third communication devices, sets the beginning of a time period during which communication between the first and the third communication devices can occur as a time where the transmission or receipt of a communication between the first and third communication devices will not interfere with a communication between the first and second communication devices, and transmits a coupling request signal including information concerning the time until the beginning of the time period during which communication between the first and third communication devices begins so as to establish communication with the second communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Katsumi Yamato
  • Patent number: 9787340
    Abstract: A zero power radio frequency (RF) activated wake up device is provided. The device is based on a high-Q MEMS demodulator that filters an amplitude-modulated RF tone of interest from the entire spectrum while producing a much higher voltage signal suitable to trigger a high-Q MEMS resonant switch tuned to the modulation frequency of the RF tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: Northeastern University, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Matteo Rinaldi, Nicol McGruer, Amy Duwel, Marc S. Weinberg, Robert Egri, Cristian Cassella
  • Patent number: 9774491
    Abstract: Jamming detection device (7) and method, which scan one or more frequency bands (201, 401, 402) and, if jamming is detected in said frequency bands (201, 401, 402), transmits an alarm signal through an ultra narrow band network (8). Preferably, both an ISM network (2) connecting a control panel (3) and at least one peripheral (1), and a GSM network (4) connecting the control panel (3) and a back end service (5), are scanned. Also preferably, the ultra narrow band network (8) is implemented over the same frequency band (801) as the ISM network (2) connecting the control panel (3) and the least one peripheral (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: VERISURE SÀRL
    Inventors: Per Lars Nordmark, Angel Piorno Iglesias, Jon Noble Echeverria
  • Patent number: 9769769
    Abstract: An electronic device provides a detuning monitor circuit configured to detect a change in a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) between a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF antenna relative to a predetermined VSWR baseline and a proximity detector circuit configured to adjust transmission power of a carrier wave transmitted from the RF transmitter, if the change fails to satisfy an acceptable VSWR condition. Network proximity detectors are also provided to allow coordination of antenna subsystems to comply with specific absorption rate (SAR) constraints and/or maintain/improve antenna performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Harper, Marshall Joseph Katz
  • Patent number: 9768731
    Abstract: Described embodiments provide a radio frequency (RF) amplifier system having at least one amplifier. The at least one amplifier includes an RF input port, an RF output port and a drain bias port. At least one voltage modulator is coupled to the bias port of the least one amplifier to provide a bias voltage. The bias voltage is selected by switching among a plurality of discrete voltages. At least one filter circuit is coupled between the at least one voltage modulator and the at least one amplifier. The at least one filter circuit controls spectral components resultant from transitions in the bias voltage when switching among the plurality of discrete voltages. A controller dynamically adapts at least one setting of the at least one voltage modulator by using multi-pulse transitions when switching among the plurality of discrete voltages for a first operating condition of the RF amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Eta Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Perreault, Joel L. Dawson, Wei Li, Yevgeniy A. Tkachenko, Balaji Lakshminarayanan, John Hoversten
  • Patent number: 9768732
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) amplification system or transmitter includes one or more power amplifiers and a controller that is configured to adjust amplitudes and phases of RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers and supply voltages applied to the one or more power amplifiers. The system may include a single digital-to-RF modulator and a power divider to drive multiple power amplifiers. A power combiner may also be provided to combine outputs of the power amplifiers. In at least one implementation, amplitude adjustment of the RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers may be used to provide transmit power control and/or power backoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Eta Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Briffa, Joel L. Dawson, David J. Perreault, Oguzhan Uyar
  • Patent number: 9768809
    Abstract: This application discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for improving spurious frequency performance of digital-to-time converters (DTCs). In an example, a method can include receiving a code at selection logic of a digital-to-time converter at a first instant, selecting a first delay path of the DTC to provide a delay associated with the code, associating a second delay path with the code, receiving the code at the selection logic at a second instant, and selecting the second delay path of the DTC to provide the delay associated with the code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Intel IP Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Tertinek, Peter Preyler, Thomas Mayer
  • Patent number: 9768823
    Abstract: A data carrier is convertible into a cradle for a mobile communications device. The data carrier includes a first manipulation line downstream of a cutout in which the SIM is disposed. The first manipulation line and vertical manipulation lines define a stand that is less than a width of the card body. A support portion on each side of the stand includes a rear support surface that is fixed relative to manipulation of the stand. Each support portion also includes second manipulation and third manipulation lines configured such that upon manipulation, a vertical support surface extends between the second and third manipulation lines and a lip portion extends between the third manipulation line and a first end of the card body. The mobile communications device may be secured in a portrait orientation within the cradle formed by the rear support surfaces, the vertical support surfaces, and the lip portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient Mobile Security America, Inc.
    Inventor: Yongjia Li
  • Patent number: 9756456
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a master node device. The master node device includes communication circuitry configured to facilitate communication with a welding power supply unit via a long-range communication link, and to facilitate wireless communication with one or more welding-related devices via a short-range wireless communication network. The master node device also includes control circuitry configured to associate the one or more welding-related devices with the short-range wireless communication network. The master node device further includes means for manually initiating association of the one or more welding-related devices with the short-range wireless communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Dina, Kathy Lee Downie