Patents by Inventor Donald W. Becker

Donald W. Becker 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).

  • Publication number: 20080304507
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for communicating using a shared communication medium. A request is sent in a request signal space where the request represents a code sequence that is a member of a set of code sequences. Each member is characterized by an autocorrelation function that has a peak centered at zero time offset. Each member is further characterized by a cross correlation function. The cross correlation function has a low correlation window having a width and surrounding a zero time offset. An assignment is received that assigns the request to a transmission opportunity in a scheduled transmission signal space. The assignment is made in response to detecting the code sequence from receiving multiple requests having relative timing offsets less than the width of the low correlation window. A data transmission is sent using the assigned transmission opportunity in the scheduled transmission signal space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: David Irvine, Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080187003
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, (c) from the first node, sending a current data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186861
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending an initial request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the initial request sent in an initial request segment, (b) obtaining a request assignment associating the initial request with at least one follow-up request segment, (c) from the first node, sending a follow-up request in the at least one follow-up request segment, (d) obtaining a scheduled transmission assignment specifying a scheduled transmission segment, and (e) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186855
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186994
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) if no assignment is received from a second node in response to the request, retransmitting the request from the first node, and (c) if an assignment is received from the second node in response to the request, associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, sending a data transmission from the first node in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186975
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein a collection of request segments in the plurality of request segments is separated by a guard zone from an adjacent collection of scheduled transmission segments in the plurality of scheduled transmission segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186857
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein the assignment is made remotely at a second node in response to the request as received at the second node, and a corresponding assignment message is communicated to the f
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186859
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space utilizing a plurality of request code words each corresponding to a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent using a request code word that is one of the plurality of request code words, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the req
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186997
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request time slots each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request time slot that is one of the plurality of request time slots, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080187002
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein the plurality of scheduled transmission segments include multiple categories of scheduled trans
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186940
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186860
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) wherein the request segment is randomly selected by the first node, (c) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (d) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Publication number: 20080186856
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment, in a first tier of assignments, associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) the plurality of scheduled transmission segments including at least one default use segment available for use by a default entity if the at least one default use segment is not assigned in the first tier of assignments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald W. Becker
  • Patent number: 7203204
    Abstract: A communication system comprising three communication resources: a contention-type access block, a non-contention access block and a second non-contention access block called a reserved block. Each time that a remote unit has a block of data to transfer to a hub station, it sends the block of data over the contention-type access block. It also sends a corresponding notification message over the reserved block. If the hub station receives the notification message but not the block of data, it sends a response message to the remote unit which designates a resource within the non-contention access block. The remote unit then sends the block of data to the hub station over the designated resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Tachyon Networks Incorporated
    Inventors: Bruce L. Carneal, Karl E. Moerder, Donald W. Becker, Min Zhu
  • Patent number: 6996164
    Abstract: Self-interference cancellation in two-way relayed communications is improved by creating models of upconverter and downconverter imperfections and then compensating for those imperfections before self interference cancellation processing. The model includes compensation for phase offset, for amplitude imbalance and for leakage in the mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Blount, Donald W. Becker, John H. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 6847626
    Abstract: A communication system comprising three communication resources: a contention-type access block, a non-contention access block and a second non-contention access block called a reserved block. Each time that a remote unit has a block of data to transfer to a hub station, it sends the block of data over the contention-type access block. It also sends a corresponding notification message over the reserved block. If the hub station receives the notification message but not the block of data, it sends a response message to the remote unit which designates a resource within the non-contention access block. The remote unit then sends the block of data to the hub station over the designated resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Tachyon, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce L. Carneal, Karl E. Moerder, Donald W. Becker, Min Zhu
  • Patent number: 6735188
    Abstract: A method and apparatus related to a communication system in which a plurality of remote units encode data bursts using a predetermined codeword set and transmit the encoded data bursts to a hub station over a multiple-access channel. When the hub station receives a data burst from one of the remote units, the hub station demodulates the received data burst and correlates the received data burst with each codeword within the predetermined codeword set to determine which codeword has the maximum correlation. The hub station uses the correlation to derive a timing synchronization signal and/or a carrier frequency adjustment signal to be sent back to the remote unit. The signals provide information to the remote unit to synchronize its timing or adjust its carrier frequency for transmitting subsequent data bursts. The hub station may also use the correlation to estimate a signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Tachyon, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, William E. L. Leigh
  • Publication number: 20020037705
    Abstract: When an installed wireless remote unit is operating in the field, routine operation is interrupted to enter a calibration mode. In calibration mode, the compression point of a circuit element is determined by applying a series of different drive levels to the circuit element. Based upon the determination of the compression point, a maximum transmission point is selected for the remote unit. Upon resumption of normal operation, the remote unit uses the maximum transmission point to limit the signal power level transmitted over the wireless link. As time passes or operating conditions change, the calibration process is re-executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Inventors: Karl E. Moerder, Donald W. Becker
  • Patent number: 6256483
    Abstract: When an installed wireless remote unit is operating in the field, routine operation is interrupted to enter a calibration mode. In calibration mode, the compression point of a circuit element is determined by applying a series of different drive levels to the circuit element. Based upon the determination of the compression point, a maximum transmission point is selected for the remote unit. Upon resumption of normal operation, the remote unit uses the maximum transmission point to limit the signal power level transmitted over the wireless link. As time passes or operating conditions change, the calibration process is re-executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Tachyon, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl E. Moerder, Donald W. Becker
  • Patent number: 6218896
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for digitally demodulating QPSK signals includes a first portion in which the digitally sampled data burst is resampled with a plurality of predetermined timing hypotheses. The timing offset is determined according to an analysis of the resampled data. The digitally sampled data burst is then resampled according to the timing estimation. Modulation of the resampled data burst is then removed by twice squaring the complex I/Q pairs. The data with the modulation removed is then subjected to a Chirp-Z Transform to move the data into the frequency domain. The highest spectral power is used to determine the frequency offset. The phase offset is determined and the resampled data burst is derotated and dephased according to the phase offset and the frequency offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Tachyon, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Becker, William E. L. Leigh