Patents Examined by Raymond B. Persino
  • Patent number: 7020475
    Abstract: A method for locating a user in a wireless network is disclosed. A mobile computer seeking to determine its location within a building detects the signal strength of one or more wireless base stations placed at known locations throughout the building. The mobile computer uses this measured signal strength to determine its location via a signal-strength-to-location table look-up. A table of known locations within the building and the base station signal strength at those locations is searched to find the most similar stored signal strength to the signal strength detected. The location corresponding to the most similar stored signal strength is determined to be the current location of the mobile computer. Alternatively, a number of signal strengths from the table can be used and the corresponding locations can be spatially averaged to determine the location of the mobile computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Paramvir Bahl, Venkata N. Padmanabhan
  • Patent number: 7020503
    Abstract: A method and system for determining mobile phone strain is provided. The method includes the steps of determining if strain on a mobile phone housing and/or strain on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the mobile phone exceed a predetermined value. If the strain(s) values exceed the predetermined value an alarm may be sounded and the strain values may be stored in memory for later retrieval and/or analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: John P Wong, Dean Parfeniuk
  • Patent number: 7020504
    Abstract: A circuit and method of processing malfunction of a hall effect switch used for recognition of an open/close state of a flip or folder of a terminal. The circuit includes an output terminal of the hall effect switch for outputting a first-state or second-state signal that indicates the open/close state of the flip or folder by sensing change of a magnetic field according to opening/closing of the flip or folder, a flip/folder-state input terminal for transferring the first-state or second-state signal to a control section of the terminal, a first pull-up resistor connected to the flip/folder-state input terminal, a ripple-removing capacitor connected to the flip/folder-state input terminal, and a second resistor of which one terminal is connected to the output terminal of the hall effect switch and the other terminal is connected to a connection point of the first resistor and the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Heui-Do Lim
  • Patent number: 7010291
    Abstract: A mobile telephone unit of the invention comprises a storage section for storing karaoke piece data, a controller for reading the karaoke piece data from the storage section, analyzing the karaoke piece data, and fetching melody information and singing voice synthesis information based on the karaoke piece data, a sound generator for analyzing the melody information received from the controller and producing multiple melody signals, a singing voice synthesizing section for analyzing the singing voice synthesis information received from the controller and producing multiple synthetic singing voice signals, and an audio reproducing section for receiving the multiple melody signals outputted from the sound generator and the multiple synthetic singing voice signals outputted from the singing voice synthesizing section in synchronization with timings when the multiple melody signals are outputted, thereby sounding a karaoke piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 7006804
    Abstract: Multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology is used in a point-to-point radio link to provide higher data rates than would otherwise be achievable in a similar system that did not use MIMO antenna technology. Particular embodiments of the invention implement channel coding, dual polarization, adaptive receiver combining and adaptive power control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Martin Vivian Clark, Thomas Edward Darcie, Lawrence Joel Greenstein, Carol Catalano Martin, Thomas M. Willis, III
  • Patent number: 7003272
    Abstract: A radio apparatus (95), particularly for mobile radio, which makes it possible to adjust the signal reception in a predeterminably optimized way is proposed. The radio apparatus (95) includes a receiver part (1) and an evaluation unit (5), which controls the sensitivity and/or the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiver part (1) as a function of a predeterminable signal reception quality and the actual signal reception. In the event of defective signal reception, the evaluation unit (5) increases the sensitivity and/or the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiver part (1), and when signal reception is error-free for a predeterminable time it reduces the sensitivity and/or the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiver part (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Mader, Gerhard Kottschlag, Gerhard Pitz
  • Patent number: 7003296
    Abstract: A method of signaling compressed mode parameters to a mobile station from a mobile radiocommunications network, wherein said compressed mode parameters are signaled by said network to said mobile station together with control parameters for radio measurements to be performed by said mobile station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventor: Rémi de Montgolfier
  • Patent number: 6999727
    Abstract: Herein, it is described a method for implementing a Performance Monitoring function according to data retrieved through FEC (Forward Error Correction), in a telecommunication network, which is based on the correlation of information relating to “corrected” and “uncorrected” blocks deriving from the implementation of the FEC function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Giorgio Cazzaniga, Christian Addeo, Francesco Schiavoni
  • Patent number: 6996088
    Abstract: A system and method for communicating between nodes in a communications network. The network includes nodes that broadcast and receive data packets over a radio channel. The system includes a distributed trunking method that distributes the communications between the nodes over multiple channels. Voice and other data may be broadcast over data channels, while information regarding the availability of the data channels is broadcast over a control channel. Access to the control channel is controlled using a protocol that may include carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA), time division multiple access (TDMA) or a hybrid of CSMA/TDMA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kroon, Stanley Vitebsky
  • Patent number: 6996375
    Abstract: A wireless communication network processes composite loop-back signals received at one or more network antennas from a plurality of mobile stations, each transmitting an individual, mobile-specific loop-back signal. Using its knowledge of the prior network-transmitted signal(s) from which the mobile stations derive their individual loop-back signals, and its knowledge of the mobile-specific loop-back signal modifications made by each of the mobile stations, the network derives mobile-specific downlink channel information based on processing the composite loop-back signals. That is, use of the mobile-specific loop-back signals enables the network to determine downlink channel estimates as between each participating network antenna and each participating mobile station to be used for transmit signal interference and/or power pre-compensation, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ericsson Inc.
    Inventors: Paul W. Dent, Kambiz C. Zangi
  • Patent number: 6993299
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing the efficiency of each of a plurality of power amplifiers that amplify a corresponding one of a plurality of radio frequency signals for transmission by a corresponding one of a plurality of antennas. Using transmit beamforming, the power of each amplified signal output by the power amplifiers may not be the same for all the power amplifiers, and may vary with changes in the communication channel between the transmitting device and receiving device. Each of the plurality of power amplifiers is controlled to operate with one or more operating parameters that optimize the efficiency for an output power level of corresponding ones of the radio frequency signals. By adjusting one or more operating parameters of each power amplifier according to changing requirements (e.g., the destination device and channel conditions), the efficiency of each power amplifier can be optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sugar, Chandra Vaidyanathan, Sifen Luo
  • Patent number: 6993304
    Abstract: An MCU 30 of a multi-band receiver detects signal input levels from level detection circuits 18 and 18? of receiver circuits 4a and 4b, respectively, and thereby determines and identifies to which frequency band a signal input has been performed or whether simultaneous signal inputs to frequency bands have been performed. The MCU 30 controls over drive circuits for LEDs 41g and 41r according to the signal input statuses, thereby causing a multi-colored light-emitting indicator 41 to illuminate in different colors. Further, in a single signal input, the illumination color of the multi-colored light-emitting indicator 41 can be changed within an identical color group according to the level of a received frequency, for display. Further, when the received frequency is the frequency stored in a memory channel, the illumination color can be made to be different from the colors emitted in the single signal input status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Vertex Standard Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiro Fujiki, Soichiro Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6990357
    Abstract: A receive front-end module in a multi-band communication device. The communication device comprises a plurality of signal paths for receiving and transmitting communication signals in a plurality of frequency bands in GSM and W-CDMA modes. The signal paths in the receive front-end module are operatively connected to a common feed point, which is connected to one of the RF antennas of the communication device, and the signal paths are selected such that none of the frequency bands for receiving communication signals in the receive front-end module are overlapping. If the communication device also transmits the communication signal in at least one transmit frequency range partially overlapping with one of the frequency bands in the receive front-end module, switching means is provided to at least one of signal paths in the receive front-end module for providing cross-band isolation between the transmitted and received communication signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Juha Ellä, Nigel Martin, Janne Kyläkoski
  • Patent number: 6978122
    Abstract: A high frequency switching device includes a control terminal, a power source terminal, a GND terminal, an RF terminal, a switch section, a control section, and protecting diodes. The switch section switches input/output routes of an RF signal input from the RF terminal. The control section controls the switching section, and is connected to the control terminal and the power source terminal. The protecting diodes are provided between the control terminal and the RF terminal, between the control terminal and the GND terminal, and between the power source terminal and the GND terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsue Kawakyu, Naotaka Kaneta
  • Patent number: 6977481
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an improved audio equipment is employed. The audio equipment includes a housing, audio circuitry installed within the housing, and a first protective bar flexibly connected to the housing. The audio equipment may also include a handle attached to the first protective bar, a second protective bar flexibly connected to the housing, and/or a connector assembly flexibly connecting the first protective bar to the housing. The connector assembly may include a flexible gasket preferably disposed between the first protective bar and the housing. Also disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing an audio equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Roger Q. Smith
  • Patent number: 6978130
    Abstract: The invention provides a method, a communication system, a communication network, a communication apparatus and a communication terminal enabling the voice coding mode during voice communication to be changed by a common operation independently of diverse network configurations. A first network monitors the communication situation including quality of a radio link during voice communication of a first terminal, and determines an appropriate coding mode based on the communication situation. In addition, the first network sends to the first terminal a first request for change to the appropriate coding mode. Upon reception of the first request, the first terminal sends a second request for change of the coding mode to a second network. Upon reception of the second request, the second network changes the coding mode of the voice codec given to a second terminal engaged in voice communication with the first terminal, and sends back to the first terminal a response to the second request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Nagata
  • Patent number: 6970689
    Abstract: A state of a programmable mixer is set during a calibration phase to minimize local oscillator feedthrough. During a calibration phase, inputs to the programmable mixer are set to zero, or to a known state and the local oscillator is set to a calibration frequency. Then, one of a plurality of known calibration states of the programmable mixer is entered and the local oscillator feedthrough is measured. For each of a plurality of operating states an amplified output of the programmable mixer is measured. In one operation, the state of the programmable mixer in which the programmable mixer operates during a next operation phase is the state that produces minimal local oscillator feedthrough. In another operation, operation continues until a state is found that produces a local oscillation feedthrough that meets an operating criteria and that state is used during the next operation phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 6965762
    Abstract: A composite beamforming technique is provided wherein a first communication device has a plurality of antennas and the second communication has a plurality of antennas. When the first communication device transmits to the second communication device, the transmit signal is multiplied by a transmit weight vector for transmission by each the plurality of antennas and the transmit signals are received by the plurality of antennas at the second communication device. The second communication device determines the best receive weight vector for the its antennas, and from that vector, derives a suitable transmit weight vector for transmission on the plurality of antennas back to the first communication device. Several techniques are provided to determine the optimum transmit weight vector and receive weight vector for communication between the first and second communication devices so that there is effectively joint or composite beamforming between the communication devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sugar, Chandra Vaidyanathan, Yohannes Tesfai
  • Patent number: 6963762
    Abstract: A mobile phone or telecommunications terminal that sends and receives tactile icons (tactile sensation patterns, including vibration patterns) discernible by feel to a user of the mobile phone or terminal, indicative of a message desired to be communicated between users of such a mobile phone or terminal (not information concerning the operation of the mobile phone or terminal). The mobile phone or terminal includes a source of tactile sensations (such as a vibratory device) that produces a tactile sensation in response to control signals issued by a controller when a message including a tactile icon is received; the control signals are based on instructions included in the mobile phone or terminal on how to interpret a tactile sensation pattern. The source of tactile sensations is for example an eccentric electric motor, a source of puffs of air, an electric signal, a razor-type linear vibrator, a solenoid, or a piezoelectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Topi Kaaresoja, Juha Hemanus
  • Patent number: 6957092
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a disposable mobile communication device having a destructively removable radio module. The mobile communication device can include a disposable frame, a radio module coupled to the disposable frame, the radio module being irreplaceably removable from the disposable frame, an audio input module coupled to the disposable frame and the radio module, an audio output module coupled to the disposable frame and the radio module, a power supply module coupled to the disposable frame and the radio module, and an antenna coupled to the disposable frame and the radio module. The radio module can include a radio baseband processing module, an audio input, and an audio output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Kotzin