Patents by Inventor Achim Nahler

Achim Nahler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11296846
    Abstract: A UE transmits to a BS an indication of a number of PTRS ports. The number of PTRS ports is a suggestion to the BS for allocating the indicated number of PTRS ports to the UE for transmission of PTRS from the BS to the UE to enable the UE to perform phase tracking. The method also includes allocating, by the BS, PTRS ports to the UE based on the indication of the number of PTRS ports. The indication may be included in a UCI message, MAC CE, or RRC message transmitted by the UE to the BS. The BS may map the allocated PTRS ports to DMRS ports corresponding to spatial streams transmitted by the BS. The UE may estimate CPE of each spatial stream, measure correlations of the estimated CPE among the spatial streams, and use the correlations to determine the suggested number of PTRS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Patent number: 10951300
    Abstract: A base station (BS)/user equipment (UE) for performing radio frequency beam management and recovery in communication with a UE/BS. The BS/UE includes a processor and a memory that stores first and second thresholds. The processor evaluates a beam quality metric against the first and second thresholds, performs beam switching and/or beam broadening in response to determining the beam quality metric falls below the first threshold, and performs a beam failure recovery procedure in response to determining the beam quality metric falls below the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler, James Wesley McCoy
  • Patent number: 10841925
    Abstract: A base station receives a report of channel state information (CSI) computation capability from a UE, configures the UE with X and Y values based on the reported computation capability, performs a beam sweep by transmitting direction-unique beams, and receives a beam measurement report from the UE comprising a reference signal receive power (RSRP) of Y strongest beams of the transmitted beams and at least a portion of the CSI of X strongest beams of the Y beams. Based on the beam measurement report, one of the X beams is selected to configure the UE for subsequent data and control channel transmissions. X and Y are positive integers, Y is greater than or equal to X, and Y is at least 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Publication number: 20200344023
    Abstract: A wireless base station or user equipment (BS or UE) includes a receiver configured to receive a frequency division multiplexed (FDM) symbol transmitted by another wireless BS or UE, and a processor. The processor is configured to process the received FDM symbol to obtain its equalized FDM data subcarriers, generate a CPE estimate using the equalized FDM data subcarriers, and send to the other wireless BS or UE control messages that indicate a CPE compensation performance level using the CPE estimate. The other wireless BS or UE is enabled by the control messages to adapt a density in time and/or frequency of embedded pilot symbols within FDM symbols subsequently transmitted to the wireless BS or UE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Publication number: 20200252184
    Abstract: A UE transmits to a BS an indication of a number of PTRS ports. The number of PTRS ports is a suggestion to the BS for allocating the indicated number of PTRS ports to the UE for transmission of PTRS from the BS to the UE to enable the UE to perform phase tracking. The method also includes allocating, by the BS, PTRS ports to the UE based on the indication of the number of PTRS ports. The indication may be included in a UCI message, MAC CE, or RRC message transmitted by the UE to the BS. The BS may map the allocated PTRS ports to DMRS ports corresponding to spatial streams transmitted by the BS. The UE may estimate CPE of each spatial stream, measure correlations of the estimated CPE among the spatial streams, and use the correlations to determine the suggested number of PTRS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Patent number: 10686572
    Abstract: A base station (BS) having a plurality of antennas transmits a plurality of spatial streams. Each user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UE estimates common phase error (CPE) of each of two or more of the plurality of spatial streams, measures correlations of the estimated CPE among the two or more of the plurality of spatial streams, and provides feedback about the CPE correlations to the BS. The BS uses the CPE correlation feedback to allocate phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports and to map the allocated PTRS ports to demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports corresponding to the plurality of spatial streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Patent number: 10616896
    Abstract: A base station radio transceiver transceives beams with a UE. In a first beam set of wide beam reference signals (RS), each wide beam RS direction is unique, and in a second beam set of narrow beam RS, each narrow beam RS direction is unique and the width of the narrow beam RS is narrower than the width of the wide beam RS. A linkage uniquely links each narrow beam RS to a wide beam RS. The direction of each narrow beam RS is spatially nested within the width of the wide beam RS to which it is uniquely linked. A processor uses the first and second beam sets in a beam management process in which one of the narrow beam RS is selected for the UE and the wide beam RS uniquely linked to the selected narrow beam RS is selected for the UE according to the linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Patent number: 10567065
    Abstract: A processor in a UE evaluates a radio frequency beam quality metric against a threshold, switches from a first beam to a second beam in response to determining the metric falls below the threshold, and transmits to a base station (BS) a report that includes beam measurements. The report indicates the UE has performed the switching and that the beam measurements are with respect to the second beam. A processor in a UE/BS associates narrower and broader beams, uses the narrower beam, rather than the broader beam, to transfer user data between the BS and the UE, evaluates a beam quality metric of the narrower beam against the threshold, and switches to using the broader beam, rather than the narrower beam, to transfer user data between the BS and the UE in response to determining the beam quality metric of the narrower beam falls below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler, James Wesley McCoy
  • Patent number: 10447513
    Abstract: A wireless device receives a frequency division multiplexed (FDM) symbol of constituent equalized FDM data subcarriers. A modulation scheme constellation diagram is subdivided into two or more regions. For each of the regions, a subset of the subcarriers that fall within the region are extracted and a respective region-specific CPE estimate is computed thereon. The respective region-specific CPE estimates are averaged to produce an overall CPE estimate used to compensate the subcarriers. Furthermore, a first CPE estimate is computed using pilot symbols embedded in a first received FDM symbol and is used to compensate the subcarriers. A following second FDM symbol that has no embedded pilot symbols is compensated using the first CPE estimate, and a second CPE estimate is computed using a blind estimation method on the second FDM symbol compensated subcarriers, which are compensated using the second CPE estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler
  • Publication number: 20190132828
    Abstract: A base station receives a report of channel state information (CSI) computation capability from a UE, configures the UE with X and Y values based on the reported computation capability, performs a beam sweep by transmitting direction-unique beams, and receives a beam measurement report from the UE comprising a reference signal receive power (RSRP) of Y strongest beams of the transmitted beams and at least a portion of the CSI of X strongest beams of the Y beams. Based on the beam measurement report, one of the X beams is selected to configure the UE for subsequent data and control channel transmissions. X and Y are positive integers, Y is greater than or equal to X, and Y is at least 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: NIKHIL U. KUNDARGI, ACHIM NAHLER
  • Publication number: 20190132827
    Abstract: A base station radio transceiver transceives beams with a UE. In a first beam set of wide beam reference signals (RS), each wide beam RS direction is unique, and in a second beam set of narrow beam RS, each narrow beam RS direction is unique and the width of the narrow beam RS is narrower than the width of the wide beam RS. A linkage uniquely links each narrow beam RS to a wide beam RS. The direction of each narrow beam RS is spatially nested within the width of the wide beam RS to which it is uniquely linked. A processor uses the first and second beam sets in a beam management process in which one of the narrow beam RS is selected for the UE and the wide beam RS uniquely linked to the selected narrow beam RS is selected for the UE according to the linkage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: NIKHIL U. KUNDARGI, ACHIM NAHLER
  • Patent number: 10257005
    Abstract: An apparatus includes circuitry that processes a subframe as part of a time-domain signal frame structure used for radio frequency communications. The subframe includes a plurality of block symbols each having an associated time-domain guard period and one or more radio frequency (RF) switching guard periods. Each block symbol of the plurality of block symbols is either a common block symbol or a special block symbol. A common block symbol has a common time-domain guard period with all other common block symbols of the subframe. A special block symbol has a time-domain guard period different from the common time-domain guard period. All the special block symbols in the subframe are placed into the one or more RF switching guard periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Löhning, Achim Nahler, Nikhil Kundargi
  • Publication number: 20190053072
    Abstract: A base station (BS)/user equipment (UE) for performing radio frequency beam management and recovery in communication with a UE/BS. The BS/UE includes a processor and a memory that stores first and second thresholds. The processor evaluates a beam quality metric against the first and second thresholds, performs beam switching and/or beam broadening in response to determining the beam quality metric falls below the first threshold, and performs a beam failure recovery procedure in response to determining the beam quality metric falls below the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler, James Wesley McCoy
  • Publication number: 20190052344
    Abstract: A processor in a UE evaluates a radio frequency beam quality metric against a threshold, switches from a first beam to a second beam in response to determining the metric falls below the threshold, and transmits to a base station (BS) a report that includes beam measurements. The report indicates the UE has performed the switching and that the beam measurements are with respect to the second beam. A processor in a UE/BS associates narrower and broader beams, uses the narrower beam, rather than the broader beam, to transfer user data between the BS and the UE, evaluates a beam quality metric of the narrower beam against the threshold, and switches to using the broader beam, rather than the narrower beam, to transfer user data between the BS and the UE in response to determining the beam quality metric of the narrower beam falls below the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Nikhil U. Kundargi, Achim Nahler, James Wesley McCoy
  • Publication number: 20180287759
    Abstract: A base station (BS) having a plurality of antennas transmits a plurality of spatial streams. Each user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UE estimates common phase error (CPE) of each of two or more of the plurality of spatial streams, measures correlations of the estimated CPE among the two or more of the plurality of spatial streams, and provides feedback about the CPE correlations to the BS. The BS uses the CPE correlation feedback to allocate phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) ports and to map the allocated PTRS ports to demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports corresponding to the plurality of spatial streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: NIKHIL U. KUNDARGI, ACHIM NAHLER
  • Publication number: 20180198651
    Abstract: A wireless device receives a frequency division multiplexed (FDM) symbol of constituent equalized FDM data subcarriers. A modulation scheme constellation diagram is subdivided into two or more regions. For each of the regions, a subset of the subcarriers that fall within the region are extracted and a respective region-specific CPE estimate is computed thereon. The respective region-specific CPE estimates are averaged to produce an overall CPE estimate used to compensate the subcarriers. Furthermore, a first CPE estimate is computed using pilot symbols embedded in a first received FDM symbol and is used to compensate the subcarriers. A following second FDM symbol that has no embedded pilot symbols is compensated using the first CPE estimate, and a second CPE estimate is computed using a blind estimation method on the second FDM symbol compensated subcarriers, which are compensated using the second CPE estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: NIKHIL U. KUNDARGI, ACHIM NAHLER
  • Publication number: 20180048506
    Abstract: An apparatus includes circuitry that processes a subframe as part of a time-domain signal frame structure used for radio frequency communications. The subframe includes a plurality of block symbols each having an associated time-domain guard period and one or more radio frequency (RF) switching guard periods. Each block symbol of the plurality of block symbols is either a common block symbol or a special block symbol. A common block symbol has a common time-domain guard period with all other common block symbols of the subframe. A special block symbol has a time-domain guard period different from the common time-domain guard period. All the special block symbols in the subframe are placed into the one or more RF switching guard periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Löhning, Achim Nahler, Nikhil Kundargi
  • Patent number: 9854552
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to detection of wireless signals. In some embodiments, a method includes generating an autocorrelation result for a training field in a received wireless message, generating differentiation information based on the autocorrelation result, and determining that one or more signal recognition criteria are met. In some embodiments, the signal recognition criteria include a first criterion that a first peak in the differentiation information satisfies a first threshold for at least a first time interval. In some embodiments, the signal recognition criteria include one or more additional criteria, including a second criterion that a second peak in the differentiation information satisfies a second threshold for at least a second time interval, wherein the first and second peaks have different polarities and/or a third criterion that the first peak corresponds to an autocorrelation result value that is below a particular autocorrelation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Max Koehler, Achim Nahler, Amal Ekbal
  • Patent number: 9582342
    Abstract: A communication device and associated method which is configured to utilize an API constraint language for communication of resource constraints between different layers of a communication stack. A first layer of the communication stack executing in a first communication device may receive application programming interface (API) messages from a second layer of the communication stack also executing in the first communication device. In addition, the first layer may receive resource constraints with the one or more API messages. These one or more resource constraints may be generated by the second layer, or other software executing in the communication device. The first layer may then execute communication functions based on the API messages and subject to the resource constraints. The resource constraints may affect usage of hardware and/or software resources of the first communication device during execution of the communication functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rohit Gupta, Nikhil U. Kundargi, Amal Ekbal, Achim Nahler
  • Publication number: 20160374042
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to detection of wireless signals. In some embodiments, a method includes generating an autocorrelation result for a training field in a received wireless message, generating differentiation information based on the autocorrelation result, and determining that one or more signal recognition criteria are met. In some embodiments, the signal recognition criteria include a first criterion that a first peak in the differentiation information satisfies a first threshold for at least a first time interval. In some embodiments, the signal recognition criteria include one or more additional criteria, including a second criterion that a second peak in the differentiation information satisfies a second threshold for at least a second time interval, wherein the first and second peaks have different polarities and/or a third criterion that the first peak corresponds to an autocorrelation result value that is below a particular autocorrelation threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Max Koehler, Achim Nahler, Amal Ekbal