Patents by Inventor Andrew J. Macdonald

Andrew J. Macdonald 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: 10333206
    Abstract: Vehicles, systems, and methods are provided electronic communication in a vehicle. A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a first antenna cluster, and a second antenna cluster. The vehicle body defines a boundary between an inside of the vehicle and an outside of the vehicle. The first antenna cluster is mounted on the outside of the vehicle and is configured to operate at coverage band cellular telephone frequencies using coverage band signals. A second antenna cluster is disposed in the inside of the vehicle and is configured to operate at capacity band cellular telephone frequencies using capacity band signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Parmeshwarjit S. Gondara, Andrew J. MacDonald
  • Patent number: 10037683
    Abstract: A vehicle telematics device for a vehicle that includes an electronic processor, a wireless chipset for wireless communication to and from the vehicle, and a bus interface for receiving bus messages from a communications bus in the vehicle. The vehicle telematics device includes computer readable memory storing program code that, upon execution by the processor, causes the vehicle telematics device to: (a) monitor for messages received by the bus interface from the communications bus; (b) detect a communication failure of the communication bus based on the monitoring; (c) determine a vehicle movement that is indicative of a vehicle crash; and (d) initiate a communication with a remote facility in response to both the detection of the communication failure and the determination of the vehicle movement that is indicative of a crash a notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Eric T. Hosey, Andrew J. MacDonald, Curtis L. Hay, Steven R. Croyle
  • Publication number: 20180166774
    Abstract: Vehicles, systems, and methods are provided electronic communication in a vehicle. A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a first antenna cluster, and a second antenna cluster. The vehicle body defines a boundary between an inside of the vehicle and an outside of the vehicle. The first antenna cluster is mounted on the outside of the vehicle and is configured to operate at coverage band cellular telephone frequencies using coverage band signals. A second antenna cluster is disposed in the inside of the vehicle and is configured to operate at capacity band cellular telephone frequencies using capacity band signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: PARMESHWARJIT S. GONDARA, ANDREW J. MACDONALD
  • Publication number: 20180063882
    Abstract: A method of connectivity management of a telematics unit. The method includes: setting, via a controller, a telematics unit at a first connectivity mode; establishing, via an antenna, communications with a wireless carrier system at the first connectivity mode; determining, via the controller, that the vehicle has encountered a connectivity-type event; shifting, via the controller, the telematics unit from the first connectivity mode to a second connectivity mode; and establishing, via the antenna, communications with the wireless carrier system at the second connectivity mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Andrew J. MacDonald, George Knish, James J. Piwowarski, Scott T. Droste
  • Patent number: 9722638
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture for a vehicle that includes a triplexer coupled to an antenna structure and including three signal paths, where each signal path includes a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the triplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The delta-sigma modulator includes an LC filter having a plurality of LC resonator circuits, a plurality of transconductance amplifiers and a plurality of integrator circuits, where a combination of one resonator circuit, transconductance amplifier and integrator circuit represents a two-order stage of the LC filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Talty, Andrew J. MacDonald, Cynthia D. Baringer, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Albert E. Cosand, James Chingwei Li, Peter Petre, Zhiwei A. Xu, Yen-Cheng Kuan
  • Patent number: 9692458
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture for a vehicle that includes a programmable bandpass sampling radio frequency front-end and an optimized digital baseband. The architecture includes a triplexer having signal paths that include a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the triplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The architecture further includes a transmitter module having a transmitter delta-sigma modulator for converting digital data bits to analog transmit signals, where the transmitter module includes a power amplifier and a switch for directing the transmit signals to one of the signal paths in the triplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Talty, Cynthia D. Baringer, Andrew J. MacDonald, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Albert E. Cosand, James Chingwei Li, Peter Petre, Zhiwei A. Xu, Yen-Cheng Kuan
  • Patent number: 9608661
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture that includes a programmable bandpass sampling radio frequency front-end and an optimized digital baseband. The architecture includes a multiplexer having signal paths that include a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the multiplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The architecture further includes a transmitter module having a transmitter delta-sigma modulator for converting digital data bits to analog transmit signals, where the transmitter module includes a power amplifier and a switch for directing the transmit signals to one of the signal paths in the multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Talty, Cynthia D. Baringer, Andrew J. MacDonald, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Albert E. Cosand, James Chingwei Li, Peter Petre, Zhiwei A. Xu, Yen-Cheng Kuan, Hsuanyu Pan, Emilio A. Sovero
  • Patent number: 9576474
    Abstract: A method and a system for providing vehicle services to at least one communication device located at a vehicle via a vehicle telematics unit. The method carried out by the system includes the steps of: receiving a request at the vehicle telematics unit for first vehicle services from a first communication device located at a vehicle; associating a first identifier with the first communication device; and providing the first vehicle services to the first communication device, wherein the vehicle services are provided according to at least one services parameter associated with the first identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J Macdonald, Jonathan L Gerlach, Dipankar Pal, David George
  • Publication number: 20160308551
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture that includes a programmable bandpass sampling radio frequency front-end and an optimized digital baseband. The architecture includes a multiplexer having signal paths that include a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the multiplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The architecture further includes a transmitter module having a transmitter delta-sigma modulator for converting digital data bits to analog transmit signals, where the transmitter module includes a power amplifier and a switch for directing the transmit signals to one of the signal paths in the multiplexer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: TIMOTHY J. TALTY, CYNTHIA D. BARINGER, ANDREW J. MACDONALD, MOHIUDDIN AHMED, ALBERT E. COSAND, JAMES CHINGWEI LI, PETER PETRE, ZHIWEI A. XU, YEN-CHENG KUAN, HSUANYU PAN, EMILIO A. SOVERO
  • Patent number: 9420410
    Abstract: A method of controlling wireless voice and data communications includes identifying a radio access technology (RAT) in use at a vehicle telematics unit; establishing a wireless connection between the vehicle telematics unit and a central facility; wirelessly transmitting the identity of the RAT from the vehicle telematics unit to the central facility; receiving a message at the vehicle telematics unit from the central facility based on the identity of the RAT causing the vehicle telematics unit to: carry out simultaneous voice and data communications over a single wireless connection with the central facility when the identified RAT supports simultaneous voice and data communications; and establish a voice call with the central facility and receive data via short message service (SMS) messages when the identified RAT does not support simultaneous voice and data communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Macdonald, David George
  • Patent number: 9418489
    Abstract: A method and a system for providing vehicle data services to communication devices located at a remote vehicle. The method includes the steps of: establishing data communication between a telematics backend system and one of a plurality of communication devices located at the remote vehicle; determining at the telematics backend system an access point name (APN) for at least one of the plurality of communication devices, a type of vehicle services data for the at least one of the plurality of communication devices, or both; and based on the determined APN, the type of vehicle services data, or both, transmitting from or receiving at the telematics backend the vehicle services data according to a network traffic shaping scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Macdonald, Jonathan L. Gerlach, Dipankar Pal, David George
  • Patent number: 9395798
    Abstract: A method is provided for energy management for a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle. The method includes: determining, by a processor, that a mobile device is co-located with the telematics unit while vehicle ignition of the vehicle is on, wherein the mobile device is registered as being associated with the telematics unit; determining, by the processor, that the vehicle ignition has been turned off; determining, by the processor, a location of the vehicle corresponding to where the vehicle ignition was turned off and determining, by the processor, a location of the mobile device; and implementing, by the processor, situation-specific energy management based on the determined location of the vehicle and the determined location of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Macdonald, Mark S. Frye
  • Patent number: 9357475
    Abstract: A method and a system of controlling a public land mobile network (PLMN) scan rate (PCR) in a vehicle telematics unit. The method carried out by the system includes the steps of: (a) determining a power condition that includes a powered mode, an unpowered mode, and a discontinuous reception (DRx) mode; (b) determining whether the telematics unit is scanning one or more home networks or one or more visitor networks; and (c) setting the PCR based on the determined power condition and the determined network, including: (c1) when in the powered mode and scanning a visitor network, the PCR is set to a first scan rate; (c2) when in the powered mode and scanning a home network, the PCR is set to a second scan rate that is slower than the first rate; and (c3) when in the DRx mode, the PCR is set to a third scan rate that is slower than the second rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Yao Hui Lei, Andrew J. Macdonald
  • Patent number: 9332397
    Abstract: A method of establishing an alternate communication channel between a telematics unit and a central facility that includes determining that a vehicle telematics unit is unable to communicate data over a voice call using a voice channel; initiating a data call from the vehicle telematics unit to a central facility based on that determination; sending information identifying the vehicle telematics unit to the central facility over the data call; establishing a voice call from the central facility to verbally communicate with the vehicle telematics unit based on the information identifying the vehicle telematics unit; and communicating data between the central facility and vehicle telematics unit via short messaging services (SMS) messages using the voice call from the central facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Sethu K. Madhavan, Ki Hak Yi, David A. Adams, Russell A. Patenaude, Kevin R. Krause, Andrew J. MacDonald
  • Patent number: 9301242
    Abstract: A method of re-attempting to wirelessly connect a vehicle telematics unit with a wireless carrier system includes detecting that a primary retry method has failed; and carrying out a secondary retry method that: determines whether the vehicle telematics unit will communicate using a first radio access technology (RAT) or a second RAT; re-attempts a cellular connection with one or more base stations using a first RAT attachment procedure when it is determined that the vehicle telematics unit will communicate using the first RAT; and re-attempts a cellular connection with one or more base stations using a second RAT attachment procedure when it is determined that the vehicle telematics unit will communicate using the second RAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Ki Hak Yi, Curtis L. Hay, Andrew J. Macdonald, Yao Hui Lei, James J. Piwowarski
  • Patent number: 9225844
    Abstract: A system and method of communicating data between a vehicle and call center via a voice channel of a wireless communication system. The method carried out by the system includes the steps of: establishing a voice channel connection between a vehicle telematics unit and call center via a wireless cellular network; generating a modem signaling carrier comprising a prefix followed by a single frequency tone; sending the modem signaling carrier over the voice channel connection using an EVRC-B vocoder; establishing a data communication session over the voice channel connection in response to the modem signaling carrier; and thereafter carrying out data communications between the vehicle telematics unit and call center during the data communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Sethu K. Madhavan, Cem U. Saraydar, Andrew J. Macdonald, Ki Hak Yi, Iqbal M. Surti
  • Publication number: 20150372700
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture for a vehicle that includes a triplexer coupled to an antenna structure and including three signal paths, where each signal path includes a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the triplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The delta-sigma modulator includes an LC filter having a plurality of LC resonator circuits, a plurality of transconductance amplifiers and a plurality of integrator circuits, where a combination of one resonator circuit, transconductance amplifier and integrator circuit represents a two-order stage of the LC filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: TIMOTHY J. TALTY, ANDREW J. MACDONALD, CYNTHIA D. BARINGER, MOHIUDDIN AHMED, AL COSAND, JAMES CHINGWEI LI, PETER PETRE, ZHIWEI A. XU, YEN-CHENG KUAN
  • Publication number: 20150372698
    Abstract: A cellular radio architecture for a vehicle that includes a programmable bandpass sampling radio frequency front-end and an optimized digital baseband. The architecture includes a triplexer having signal paths that include a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the triplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The architecture further includes a transmitter module having a transmitter delta-sigma modulator for converting digital data bits to analog transmit signals, where the transmitter module includes a power amplifier and a switch for directing the transmit signals to one of the signal paths in the triplexer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: TIMOTHY J. TALTY, CYNTHIA D. BARINGER, ANDREW J. MACDONALD, MOHIUDDIN AHMED, AL COSAND, JAMES CHINGWEI LI, PETER PETRE, ZHIWEI A. XU, YEN-CHENG KUAN
  • Publication number: 20150355703
    Abstract: A method is provided for energy management for a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle. The method includes: determining, by a processor, that a mobile device is co-located with the telematics unit while vehicle ignition of the vehicle is on, wherein the mobile device is registered as being associated with the telematics unit; determining, by the processor, that the vehicle ignition has been turned off; determining, by the processor, a location of the vehicle corresponding to where the vehicle ignition was turned off and determining, by the processor, a location of the mobile device; and implementing, by the processor, situation-specific energy management based on the determined location of the vehicle and the determined location of the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Andrew J. Macdonald, Mark S. Frye
  • Publication number: 20150341862
    Abstract: A system and method of power management of a telematics unit in a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of: determining that the vehicle is unpowered; determining that the vehicle is in a fringe region of a cellular network; and based the determining steps, entering a power-saving mode at the telematics unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicants: General Motors LLC, GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yao Hui Lei, Ronald R. Terry, Dipankar Pal, Esayas Naizghi, Andrew J. Macdonald