Patents by Inventor Fiona Wilson
Fiona Wilson 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).
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Patent number: 8798683Abstract: A base station for wireless network uses one or more MIMO channels having subchannels, to communicate with multiple user equipments, and allocates the sub channels to the user equipments. Different subchannels of a given one of the channels can be allocated to different user equipments. The ability to allocate sub channels individually rather than only allocating entire channels can enable higher data rates to be achieved. This is particularly useful for improving data rates at cell boundaries or sector boundaries, where the coverage is traditionally weakest. A user equipment can use subchannels from different MIMO channels from different sectors or from different base stations.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2013Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Fiona Wilson, Keith S. Wilson
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Publication number: 20140170987Abstract: A base station for wireless network uses one or more MIMO channels having subchannels, to communicate with multiple user equipments, and allocates the sub channels to the user equipments. Different subchannels of a given one of the channels can be allocated to different user equipments. The ability to allocate sub channels individually rather than only allocating entire channels can enable higher data rates to be achieved. This is particularly useful for improving data rates at cell boundaries or sector boundaries, where the coverage is traditionally weakest. A user equipment can use subchannels from different MIMO channels from different sectors or from different base stations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Fiona Wilson, Keith S. Wilson
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Patent number: 8705560Abstract: A communication system includes base stations having an antenna arrangement per sector. Each of the antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each beam to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector that are each split into orthogonal codes. Common overhead channels are allocated for successive sets of timeslots, which are allocated to the same subset of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots, different data is allocated to the same subset of codes of each timeslot in the set. This generates a sector-wide beam carrying the common overhead channels and a plurality of narrow beams, each carrying different data. An inter-beam handoff scheme allows the antenna arrangement to simultaneously transmits data to a user equipment located in a cusp region between adjacent beams on the adjacent beams.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Patent number: 8432929Abstract: A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprises an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2010Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Research In Motion LimitedInventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Publication number: 20130045767Abstract: A communication system includes base stations having an antenna arrangement per sector. Each of the antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each beam to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector that are each split into orthogonal codes. Common overhead channels are allocated for successive sets of timeslots, which are allocated to the same subset of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots, different data is allocated to the same subset of codes of each timeslot in the set. This generates a sector-wide beam carrying the common overhead channels and a plurality of narrow beams, each carrying different data. An inter-beam handoff scheme allows the antenna arrangement to simultaneously transmits data to a user equipment located in a cusp region between adjacent beams on the adjacent beams.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: February 21, 2013Inventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Publication number: 20120202416Abstract: A base station in a wireless communications system defines a plurality of beams which each have an amount of resources for supporting communication links with terminals. A control entity determines if a direct communication link can be supported between a new terminal and a base station using a first beam. If a direct communication link cannot be supported, a relaying equipment is used to provide a multi-hop path between the base station and the terminal. The multi-hop path comprises a link between the base station and the relaying equipment using resources of a different beam. This helps to redistribute load within the cell. The direct communication link can be refused if there are insufficient resources in the first beam, or if accepting the new terminal would cause quality of communication links with existing terminals to deteriorate.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2012Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: ROCKSTAR BIDCO LPInventors: James Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Patent number: 8185044Abstract: A base station in a wireless communications system defines a plurality of beams which each have an amount of resources for supporting communication links with terminals. A control entity determines if a direct communication link can be supported between a new terminal and a base station using a first beam. If a direct communication link cannot be supported, a relaying equipment is used to provide a multi-hop path between the base station and the terminal. The multi-hop path comprises a link between the base station and the relaying equipment using resources of a different beam. This helps to redistribute load within the cell. The direct communication link can be refused if there are insufficient resources in the first beam, or if accepting the new terminal would cause quality of communication links with existing terminals to deteriorate.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2010Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LPInventors: James Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Patent number: 8144666Abstract: Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) offers multiplicative spectral efficiency gains in wireless networks. An adaptive SDMA beamforming technique is capable of increasing the traffic throughput of a sector, as compared to a conventional tri-cellular arrangement, by between 4 and 7 times, depending on the environment. This system uses an averaged covariance matrix of the uplink signals received at the antenna array to deduce the downlink beamforming solution, and is equally applicable to Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. A scheduling algorithm enhances the SDMA system performance by advantageously selecting the users to be co-scheduled.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2006Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LPInventors: Fiona Wilson, Keith Wilson
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Publication number: 20100329215Abstract: A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprises an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Publication number: 20100284357Abstract: A base station for wireless network uses one or more MIMO channels having subchannels, to communicate with multiple user equipments, and allocates the sub channels to the user equipments. Different subchannels of a given one of the channels can be allocated to different user equipments. The ability to allocate sub channels individually rather than only allocating entire channels can enable higher data rates can be achieved. This is particularly useful for improving data rates at cell boundaries or sector boundaries, where the coverage is traditionally weakest. A user equipment can use subchannels from different MIMO channels from different sectors or from different base stations.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2010Publication date: November 11, 2010Inventors: FIONA WILSON, Keith S. Wilson
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Patent number: 7826471Abstract: A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprises an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2003Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Publication number: 20100227620Abstract: A base station in a wireless communications system defines a plurality of beams which each have an amount of resources for supporting communication links with terminals. A control entity determines if a direct communication link can be supported between a new terminal and a base station using a first beam. If a direct communication link cannot be supported, a relaying equipment is used to provide a multi-hop path between the base station and the terminal. The multi-hop path comprises a link between the base station and the relaying equipment using resources of a different beam. This helps to redistribute load within the cell. The direct communication link can be refused if there are insufficient resources in the first beam, or if accepting the new terminal would cause quality of communication links with existing terminals to deteriorate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2010Publication date: September 9, 2010Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITEDInventors: James Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Patent number: 7702353Abstract: Allocate power so as to maximise the throughput of each user of a multi-user MIMO group, with the constraint that over time all users in the group have equal throughput. This differs from equal capacity per slot in that each user may be assigned multiple slots as well as unequal power. This is illustrated in FIG. 4. Total throughput is maximised on any given slot for any two users. Power is shared between the spatial modes such that the total number of slots used by the two users is minimised. The membership of the MIMO group may change between slots and thus throughput is not necessarily equalised on a slot by slot basis.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2005Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: James Mark Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Publication number: 20070149236Abstract: Allocate power so as to maximise the throughput of each user of a multi-user MIMO group, with the constraint that over time all users in the group have equal throughput. This differs from equal capacity per slot in that each user may be assigned multiple slots as well as unequal power. This is illustrated in FIG. 4. Total throughput is maximised on any given slot for any two users. Power is shared between the spatial modes such that the total number of slots used by the two users is minimised. The membership of the MIMO group may change between slots and thus throughput is not necessarily equalised on a slot by slot basis.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2005Publication date: June 28, 2007Inventors: James Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Patent number: 7184703Abstract: A multi-hop wireless, for example cellular, communications system is provided comprising a source equipment which may be one of a base station or an end user terminal for transmitting signals towards a destination equipment which may be the other of a base station or an end user terminal via at least one relay equipment. The relay equipment receives a plurality of signals transmitted from one or more source equipments of the system and from this plurality of signals selects a signal to relay. In this way the decision about which relays are included in which communication paths in the system is distributed to the relay equipments of the system, thus reducing the signalling overhead as compared with link state protocols which are typically used for routing in such multi-hop systems.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2003Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Nortel Networks LimitedInventors: James M Naden, Fiona Wilson
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Publication number: 20060281494Abstract: Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) offers multiplicative spectral efficiency gains in wireless networks. An adaptive SDMA beamforming technique is capable of increasing the traffic throughput of a sector, as compared to a conventional tri-cellular arrangement, by between 4 and 7 times, depending on the environment. This system uses an averaged covariance matrix of the uplink signals received at the antenna array to deduce the downlink beamforming solution, and is equally applicable to Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems. A scheduling algorithm enhances the SDMA system performance by advantageously selecting the users to be co-scheduled.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2006Publication date: December 14, 2006Inventors: Keith Wilson, Fiona Wilson
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Publication number: 20040179544Abstract: A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprises an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2003Publication date: September 16, 2004Inventors: Fiona Wilson, Simon Gale
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Publication number: 20040176097Abstract: A base station for a wireless network uses one or more MIMO channels having subchannels, to communicate with multiple user equipments, and allocates the sub channels to the user equipments. Different subchannels of a given one of the channels can be allocated to different user equipments. The ability to allocate sub channels individually rather than only allocating entire channels can enable higher data rates can be achieved. This is particularly useful for improving data rates at cell boundaries or sector boundaries, where the coverage is traditionally weakest. A user equipment can use subchannels from different MIMO channels from different sectors or from different base stations.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2003Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Fiona Wilson, Keith S. Wilson