Patents by Inventor Charles E. Wheatley

Charles E. Wheatley 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: 8796887
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power. A wireless power receiver includes a receive antenna for coupling with near field radiation in a coupling-mode region generated by a transmit antenna operating at a resonant frequency. The receive antenna generates an RF signal when coupled to the near filed radiation and a rectifier converts the RF signal to a DC input signal. A direct current (DC)-to-DC converter coupled to the DC input signal generates a DC output signal. A pulse modulator generate a pulse-width modulation signal to the DC-to-DC converter to adjust a DC impedance of the wireless power receiver by modifying a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation signal responsive to at least one of a voltage of the DC input signal, a current of the DC input signal, a voltage of the DC output signal, and a current of the DC output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: William H. Von Novak, Charles E. Wheatley, Stanley S. Toncich, Ernest T. Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20140070621
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless power. A wireless power receiver includes a receive antenna for coupling with near field radiation in a coupling-mode region generated by a transmit antenna operating at a resonant frequency. The receive antenna generates an RF signal when coupled to the near filed radiation and a rectifier converts the RF signal to a DC input signal. A direct current (DC)-to-DC converter coupled to the DC input signal generates a DC output signal. A pulse modulator generate a pulse-width modulation signal to the DC-to-DC converter to adjust a DC impedance of the wireless power receiver by modifying a duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation signal responsive to at least one of a voltage of the DC input signal, a current of the DC input signal, a voltage of the DC output signal, and a current of the DC output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: William H. Von Novak, Charles E. Wheatley, Stanley S. Toncich, Ernest T. Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20130221911
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing reverse link signaling are described herein. In one aspect, an apparatus for wireless transmission includes a push-pull driver circuit, coil, and sensor. The push-pull driver circuit is configured to generate a signal. The coil is electrically coupled to the push-pull driver circuit, and the coil is configured to receive the signal from the push-pull driver circuit and wirelessly transmit the signal to a receiver. The sensor is electrically coupled to a virtual alternating current (AC) ground of the push-pull driver circuit or the coil. The sensor is configured to sense a shift in voltage at the virtual AC ground where the shift in voltage is representative of a change of an input impedance of the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Zhen Ning Low, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20130038136
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for reducing harmonic emissions. One aspect of the disclosure provides a transmitter apparatus. The transmitter apparatus includes a transmit circuit having an impedance determined by a complex impedance value. The transmitter apparatus further includes a driver circuit coupled to the transmit circuit. The transmitter apparatus further includes a first filter circuit coupled between the driver circuit and a power source. The first filter circuit is configured to substantially isolate emissions presented by the driver circuit to the power source. The transmitter apparatus further includes a second filter circuit coupled between the driver circuit and the transmit circuit and configured to reduce emissions presented by the transmit circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Charles E. Wheatley, Zhen Ning Low, Stanley S. Toncich, Ngo V. Nguyen, Cody B. Wheeland, Fang Han, Xuanning Gao
  • Patent number: 7881249
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether a received signal is transmitted via a repeater is described. A source signal to be conveyed via a particular repeater may include, or be modified to include, a variety of signal characteristics having a predictable relationship that remains relatively constant, which may be taken together as a signature of the repeater. The signature may reflect a composite of distinct signals. A database of repeater signature references may be developed, and an adequate match between characteristics of an unknown received signal and such signature references indicates that at least part of the unknown signal is transmitted via a repeater. Useful signal characteristics for repeater signatures may include some representative of signal strength, and time of arrival information, among many other possibilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Charles E. Wheatley
  • Patent number: 7526247
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for setting total reverse link gain between a repeater and a base station. The method and apparatus generally comprise setting total reverse link gain between a repeater and a base station comprises determining an operating point for the repeater; establishing a reverse communication link between the base station and a transceiver device within a coverage area of the repeater; determining if an increase in a reverse link gain is substantially equal to an increase in a noise figure of the base station, using a transmit power of the transceiver device; and adjusting the reverse link gain by an amount based on the operating point and based on a difference in reverse link gain values, if the increase in the reverse link gain is substantially equal to the increase in the noise figure of the base station, to set the total reverse link gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth Robert Baker, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20080267086
    Abstract: Techniques for estimating thermal noise and rise-over-thermal (RoT) in a communication system are described. In an aspect, thermal noise in a sideband may be measured and used to estimate thermal noise in a signal band. In one design, received power in the sideband may be measured, e.g., by computing total power of FFT transform coefficients within the sideband. Thermal noise may be estimated based on (e.g., by filtering) the measured received power in the sideband. Received power in the signal band may also be measured. Total received power may be estimated based on (e.g., by filtering) the measured received power in the signal band. RoT may then be estimated based on the estimated thermal noise and the estimated total received power. The estimated RoT may be used to estimate an available load for a cell, which may be used to admit and/or schedule users in the cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles E. Wheatley, Avneesh Agrawal, Danlu Zhang, Sharad Deepak Sambhwani, Lu Yuan, Mehraban Iraninejad
  • Publication number: 20080246548
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating an oscillating signal that includes a circuit to accelerate the time in which an oscillating signal reaches a defined steady-state condition from a cold start. The apparatus includes an oscillating circuit to generate an oscillating signal; a first circuit to supply a first current to the oscillating circuit; and a second circuit to supply a second current to the oscillating circuit, wherein the first and second currents are adapted to reduce the time duration for the oscillating signal to reach a defined steady-state condition. The apparatus may be useful in communication systems that use low duty cycle pulse modulation to establish one or more communications channels, whereby the apparatus begins generating an oscillating signal at approximately the beginning of the pulse and terminates the oscillating signal at approximately the end of the pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Russell John Fagg, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20080182511
    Abstract: A power controlled repeater is disclosed for use in a wireless communication system to control the forward link gain. The power controlled repeater includes a forward link for communications from a base station to a mobile station. In addition, the power controlled repeater includes a reverse link for communications from the mobile station to the base station. An embedded subscriber unit is used at the power controlled repeater and is inserted into the forward link. A microprocessor is in electronic communications with the subscriber unit and implements a method for controlling the forward link gain. The method for controlling the forward link gain includes using the embedded subscriber unit in the power controlled repeater to control the forward link gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Keith L. Adkins, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Patent number: 7333614
    Abstract: A system and method for encrypting all channels of a wireless spread spectrum communication at the chip level. The PN sequence is encrypted with one or more encryption sequences and then used to spread the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Tad Jarosinski, Daniel H. Agre, Stephen S. Carter, Mehraban Iraninejad, Joseph P. Odenwalder, Roy Franklin Quick, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Patent number: 7062224
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for identifying remote communications transmitted via a repeater from remote communications not transmitted via the repeater. The method comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of signal transmissions originating from a plurality of remote stations, wherein each of the signal transmissions is associated with a call originating from one of the plurality of remote stations; processing the plurality of received signal transmissions to identify received transmissions that include a discriminant applied by a repeater; and designating each of the plurality of received signal transmissions as being transmitted via the repeater if the received signal transmission includes the discriminant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Baker, Brian K. Butler, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040233867
    Abstract: In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, the data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the Access Terminal. In one embodiment, the data transmission is scheduled based on an Access Terminal initiated forward power control, which reduces forward link rate quantization loss due to excess transmit power. The Access Terminal reports to the Access Point the excess C/I estimate for the selected rate. The Access Point then reduces its transmit power by an appropriate amount when serving that Access Terminal. In another embodiment, the data transmission is scheduled based on an Access Point initiated forward power control. The Access Point varies its transmit power over time either randomly or in synchronism with neighboring Access Points in the communication system, which enables an increase in the throughput achieved by users that receive a significant amount of interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Charles E. Wheatley, Rashid A. Attar, Eduardo A.S. Esteves
  • Publication number: 20040219876
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for setting total reverse link gain between a repeater and a base station. The method and apparatus generally comprise setting total reverse link gain between a repeater and a base station comprises determining an operating point for the repeater; establishing a reverse communication link between the base station and a transceiver device within a coverage area of the repeater; determining if an increase in a reverse link gain is substantially equal to an increase in a noise figure of the base station, using a transmit power of the transceiver device; and adjusting the reverse link gain by an amount based on the operating point and based on a difference in reverse link gain values, if the increase in the reverse link gain is substantially equal to the increase in the noise figure of the base station, to set the total reverse link gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Kenneth Robert Baker, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040203979
    Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes a transmitter. The transmitter receives an RF signal and produces at least two modulated signals based on the RF signal. Each of the modulated signals is coupled to a respective antenna. The combined radiation pattern of the antennas varies in an angular direction over time. In a system according to one embodiment of the invention, a base station including such an apparatus receives channel quality indications from mobile units and schedules data transmissions to the mobile units accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Rashid A. Attar, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040196800
    Abstract: In a CDMA data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, utilization of beam switching techniques decreases the average interference caused by transmissions of a base station to subscriber stations within a cell, and in neighboring cells. Base stations utilize multiple transmit antennas, each transmitting signals at controlled amplitudes and phases, to form transmit signal corresponding to sector divisions. Data and reference signals are transmitted along sector division beams that alternate according to fixed time slots in order to increase system capacity and data rates by maximizing carrier-to-interference ratios (C/I) measured at subscriber stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Roberto Padovani, Paul E. Bender, Ahmad Jalali, Bruce Judson, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040184513
    Abstract: Multipath RAKE receiver structure that allows for the concurrent demodulation of multipath signals that arrive at the receiver at arbitrarily low arrival time differences. The fingers are set to be a fixed offset from one another. One finger tracks the shift in the peak of the multipath component and the additional fixed offset fingers follow the tracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Stein Lundby, Leonid Razoumov, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040179506
    Abstract: In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, high rate packet data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay. Data transmission on the forward link is time multiplexed and the base station transmits at the highest data rate supported by the forward link at each time slot to one mobile station. The data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the mobile station. Upon determination of a data packet received in error, the mobile station transmits a NACK message back to the base station. The NACK message results in retransmission of the data packet received in error. The data packets can be transmitted out of sequence by the use of sequence number to identify each data unit within the data packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Roberto Padovani, Paul E. Bender, Peter J. Black, Matthew S. Grob, Jurg K. Hinderling, Nagabhushana T. Sindhushayana, Charles E. Wheatley
  • Publication number: 20040156427
    Abstract: A system and method for communicating information signals using spread spectrum communication techniques. PN sequences are constructed that provide orthogonality between the users so that mutual interference will be reduced, allowing higher capacity and better link performance. With orthogonal PN codes, the cross-correlation is zero over a predetermined time interval, resulting in no interference between the orthogonal codes, provided only that the code time frames are time aligned with each other. In an exemplary embodiment, signals are communicated between a cell-site and mobile units using direct sequence spread spectrum communication signals. In the cell-to-mobile link, pilot, sync, paging and voice channels are defined. Information communicated on the cell-to-mobile link channels are, in general, encoded, interleaved, bi-phase shift key (BPSK) modulated with orthogonal covering of each BPSK symbol along with quadrature phase shift key (QPSK) spreading of the covered symbols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Klein S. Gilhousen, Irwin M. Jacobs, Roberto Padovani, Lindsay A. Weaver, Charles E. Wheatley, Andrew J. Viterbi
  • Publication number: 20040146126
    Abstract: The present invention includes a cellular pilot signal detector or searcher for use in a cellular mobile communications unit. The signal detector uses a matched filter to detect a pilot signal transmitted from a cellular base station. The matched filter includes a plurality of taps and a plurality of delays located between adjacent taps. The signal components of a received digital signal are held on the taps of the matched filter by the delays. The matched filter compares the signal components of the received signal to an expected or searched for digital pattern. The matched filter puts out a relatively large signal if the received digital signal matches the expected digital pattern. The matched filter can also be used in parallel with a correlator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Charles E. Wheatley, John E. Maloney
  • Publication number: 20040032836
    Abstract: Schemes to time-align transmissions from multiple base stations to a terminal. To achieve time-alignment, differences between the arrival times of transmissions from the base stations, as observed at the terminal, are determined and provided to the system and used to adjust the timing at the base stations such that terminal-specific radio frames arrive at the terminal within a particular time window. In one scheme, a time difference between two base stations is partitioned into a frame-level time difference and a chip-level time difference. Whenever requested to perform and report time difference measurements, the terminal measures the chip-level timing for each candidate base station relative to a reference base station. Additionally, the terminal also measures the frame-level timing and includes this information in the time difference measurement only if required. Otherwise, the terminal sets the frame-level part to a predetermined value (e.g., zero).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Inventors: Francesco Grilli, Charles E. Wheatley, Serge Willenegger, Parvathanathan Subrahmanya