Patents Examined by Sheila B. Smith
  • Patent number: 7787904
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling content played by a number of media devices. In general, the system includes a mobile device and the number of media devices. The mobile device includes a wireless communication interface for communicating with the media devices, a media database, and a control system including a media client. When the mobile device enters a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) associated with a media device, the media client obtains information describing the content residing at the media device and stores the information in the media database at the mobile device. Thereafter, when the mobile device is within the WPAN associated with the media device, the media database is used to select content to be played at the media device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Qurio Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfredo C. Issa
  • Patent number: 7319862
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems enabling an information exchange system allowing for the transmission of a message carrier containing at least one message code along with video and television data, as well as subsequent capture and decoding of the message carrier to identify the at least one message code. As discussed herein, implementations of the invention can be used in connection with an electronic commerce and data interchange system featuring a Universal Digital Assistant (UDA) that facilitates financial transactions and data interchange, as well as dissemination, management and exchange of commercial information (e.g., advertising, promotions, sales announcements, and the like) and personal information (e.g., address and other contact information, driver's license number, and memberships). The invention, in one implementation, provides an end-to-end e-commerce solution that can transform a mobile phone/PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) into a Universal Digital Assistant configured to receive data (e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Exphand, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry A. Lincoln, Frank Robert Nemirofsky
  • Patent number: 6741862
    Abstract: By controlling reverse rates among mobile stations to reduce reverse-link interference, reverse-link throughput can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Airvana, Inc.
    Inventors: Sae-Young Chung, Dae-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 6138018
    Abstract: A wireless communication system includes switching infrastructure (150) and at least one location area ("LA") having a multiplicity of cells (the "multiple-cell LA") (103). When a mobile (100) enters a cell belonging to the multiple-cell LA, the mobile is arranged with a cell-registration feature that enables it to register with the serving cell site, thus forming a registration with the cell site. When the mobile enters a further cell belonging to the multiple-cell LA, the mobile registers with the corresponding further cell site, thus forming a registration with the further cell site. When the switching infrastructure receives a call attempt towards the mobile, the switching infrastructure pages the mobile in only those cells in which a cell registration exists for the mobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Ariel Pashtan, Israel A. Cimet
  • Patent number: 6128486
    Abstract: A base station receiver and a reception method in a CDMA cellular radio system includes, in each cell, at least one base station communicating with a plurality of mobile stations situated within its area. The base stations measure the direction angle of a signal arriving from each mobile station with respect to the base station, and communicate with the mobile stations using antenna beams that change in time. The angles of the greatest gain of the beams are adjusted according to signal components arriving from the mobile station. In order to provide detection of good quality without a great deal of calculation, the detection of the desired signal utilizes simultaneously several signals received from different mobile stations taking into account the incoming direction of the signals when selecting the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Teknopolis Kolster Oy
    Inventors: Ilkka Keskitalo, Matti Kiiski
  • Patent number: 6108545
    Abstract: A process for conserving battery power in a GSM mobile. The process starts when the mobile receives a first signal from a user of the mobile. The mobile then monitors cell information and paging information for a present cell to determining whether the paging information for the present cell is valid; and, only if said paging information is invalid, then monitoring cell information for a surrounding cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Bhaktha Keshavachar
  • Patent number: 6097940
    Abstract: A vehicle information communication system determines whether or not an identifier code such as a telephone number is different from that currently registered in a vehicle-equipped information communication system wherein the vehicle belongs to a group of previously registered telephone numbers when a portable telephone having such telephone number is connected thereto, then considers that another portable telephone of a regular user is connected thereto if such telephone number belongs to the group, and then transmits such telephone number of another portable telephone to an information center. The information center can automatically update the currently registered telephone number to a new telephone number when it receives the new telephone number. Accordingly, a vehicle information communication function can be used by a user in a similar manner when the user who has a plurality of individual portable telephones uses the same vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sekiya, Shinichi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 6081714
    Abstract: In a CDMA cellular network where base stations share a common frequency and a first base station has a second frequency in addition to the common frequency, a mobile station receives a pilot signal from the first base station over the second frequency when it has established a connection to it, and transmits a first handoff request when the field strength of the pilot signal drops below a predefined threshold. In response, the first base station returns a change-frequencies command to the mobile station to cause it to switch to the common frequency and receive pilot signals from more than one base station over the common frequency. The mobile station transmits a second handoff request message containing a list of field strengths of the pilot signals. In response, the first base station makes a search through the list of field strengths and returns a handoff command to the mobile station and a connection setup command to a control station if a second base station appropriate for handoff is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiki Wakizaka
  • Patent number: 6072997
    Abstract: In a frequency discriminator for a direct conversion receiver having a simple construction, in which operations for FM demodulation by direct conversion are simplified, two-signal components I and Q, which are inphase and quadrature, respectively, in a base band, obtained by direct conversion of an FM signal by means of a local oscillator, a 90.degree. phase shifter, multipliers, LPF and AMP are amplified to a predetermined amplitude and thereafter converted into digital signals by means of A/D converters. These digital signals are given to differentiators to obtain differentials (finite differences) thereof. These values are squared by means of squarers and squares thus obtained are added by means of an adder. An output of the adder is applied to a device for extracting square root to obtain a demodulation output of the FM signal. An ROM may be used in lieu of the squares and the device for extracting square root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: General Research of Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuo Kawai
  • Patent number: 6070088
    Abstract: In a portable telephone set having an audio-frequency amplifier (12) for amplifying a sound signal from a microphone (11) and a codec (13),for digitizing and coding the sound signal into a digital sound signal which is transmitted therefrom, a level of said sound signal is monitored (17) to produce a detected level and is averaged at a timing (18) and compared with level data stored in a memory (15), and an amplification control signal is produced. At least one of the audio-amplifier (12) and said codec (13) is controlled its amplification degree in response to the amplification control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Satoh
  • Patent number: 6070059
    Abstract: A high-frequency switch in which insertion losses can be reduced and a wiring pattern for supplying control voltages can be simplified. The high-frequency switch has first through fourth ports. A transmission line is connected between each pair of the ports, thereby connecting the pairs of ports to each other. A respective capacitor is coupled between each of the ports and a corresponding one of the nodes between the respective transmission lines. A diode is connected between each of said nodes and a reference potential. A capacitor is coupled between the reference potential and each of the diodes. First through fourth control voltage terminals are connected to respective nodes between each of the diodes and the corresponding capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhide Kato, Norio Nakajima, Koji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6064885
    Abstract: A telecommunications system and method for handling positioning data acquired by a target Base Station Controller (BSC) during a positioning handover, in order to accurately determine the geographical position of a Mobile Station (MS) by a Positioning Center (PC). In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the target BSC can collect the necessary data for positioning and transmit the data to a serving Mobile Switching Center (MSC). Alternatively, the target BSC can transmit the collected data to an originating BSC, which in turn packages all of the data acquired by both the originating BSC and the target BSC and transmits this data to the MSC. In the case where a target MSC is also involved, the positioning data can be collected by the target BSC and transmitted to the target MSC for forwarding either to the originating MSC or the Positioning Center itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Ericsson, Inc.
    Inventors: Bagher Rouhollahzadeh, Shahrokh Amirijoo, Gunnar Borg
  • Patent number: 6038437
    Abstract: An emergency call originates from a cellular radiotelephone (20) and communicates through one of A-side and B-side cellular systems. Upon receipt of the call, the cellular radiotelephone (20) is assigned a temporary substitute Mobile Identification Number (MIN) (100) by the receiving A-side or B-side cellular system MTSO (33). Upon termination of the emergency call, a call-back to the cellular radiotelephone (20) is routed to both of the A-side and B-side MTSOs (100), using the substitute MIN (100), by the Public Switched Telecommunications Network (36). Both A-side and B-side MTSOs (100) issue a page order message to cellular radiotelephone (20) by transmitting to the MIN (74). Paging order confirmation messages (78), conveying the MIN (74), are evaluated for a match with a unique Electronic Serial Number (76).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: GTE Mobilnet Service Corp.
    Inventor: Robert G. Zicker
  • Patent number: 6018657
    Abstract: A communication system includes a cellular telephone network that provides communication services to messaging units. A network central controller (NCC) or gateway MSC couple the cellular telephone network to external devices. The communication system allows messaging between messaging units and between messaging units and external devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: HighwayMaster Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Kennedy, III, William C. Kennedy, Jr., William C. Saunders
  • Patent number: 6006067
    Abstract: A selective call receiver that receives signals transmitted by orbiting satellites uses certain information transmitted by the satellites to calculate an estimate of its position. Using that estimate and other information, the selective call receiver is able to save power by disregarding certain information contained in transmitted signals that are not intended for it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola
    Inventor: Michael James Rudowicz
  • Patent number: 5903848
    Abstract: A dynamic channel allocation process successively allocates channels of higher priorities to requests for channel allocation. When a priority change count overflows or reaches an upper limit, the priority change count is cleared to zero. However, past data are not eliminated, and a change in a base station service area can be handled. Specifically, when the priority change count reaches an upper limit n, the priority at that time is stored as M.sub.1, and fixed as it is until the priority change count reaches the upper limit n next time. When priority change count reaches the upper limit n twice, the priority at that time is updated to M.sub.2 and stored fixedly for use as the priority until the priority change count subsequently reaches the upper limit n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Takahashi