Patents by Inventor J. Rodney Walton

J. Rodney Walton 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: 7986742
    Abstract: Pilots suitable for use in MIMO systems and capable of supporting various functions are described. The various types of pilot include—a beacon pilot, a MIMO pilot, a steered reference or steered pilot, and a carrier pilot. The beacon pilot is transmitted from all transmit antennas and may be used for timing and frequency acquisition. The MIMO pilot is transmitted from all transmit antennas but is covered with different orthogonal codes assigned to the transmit antennas. The MIMO pilot may be used for channel estimation. The steered reference is transmitted on specific eigenmodes of a MIMO channel and is user terminal specific. The steered reference may be used for channel estimation. The carrier pilot may be transmitted on designated subbands/antennas and may be used for phase tracking of a carrier signal. Various pilot transmission schemes may be devised based on different combinations of these various types of pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20110106837
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for improving the effective coverage of nodes within a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless network. Collection of nodes of the P2P network can have a larger aggregate coverage footprint than any given single node. This inherent multi-site property of P2P wireless networks can be exploited to provide each node with benefits of multi-user diversity, thus improving discovery of devices in the P2P network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum
  • Publication number: 20110103523
    Abstract: Techniques for performing acquisition of packets are described. First detection values may be determined based on a first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing delay-multiply-integrate on the samples. Power values may be determined based on the first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing multiply-integrate on the samples. The first detection values may be averaged to obtain average detection values. The power values may also be averaged to obtain average power values. Whether a packet is presence may be determined based on the average detection values and the average power values. Second detection values may be determined based on a second plurality of samples. The start or the packet may be determined based on the first and second detection values. A third detection value may be determined based on a third plurality of samples. Frequency error of the packet may be estimated based on the first and third detection values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark S. Wallace, John W. Ketchum, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20110081908
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and an apparatus for registration and service announcements in peer-to-peer wireless networks to increase capacity of such networks. The present disclosure proposes a hybrid registration mechanism allowing a peer-to-peer node to leverage an administrative architecture of a neighboring cellular system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Oliver Michaelis, J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum
  • Publication number: 20110080869
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method for increasing a capacity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless network. A scheme has been proposed in which well-connected nodes of the P2P wireless network can be exploited in a manner that increases the overall connectivity of all the nodes in the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Oliver Michaelis
  • Patent number: 7907689
    Abstract: An access point in a multi-antenna system broadcasts data using spatial spreading to randomize an “effective” channel observed by each user terminal for each block of data symbols broadcast by the access point. At the access point, data is coded, interleaved, and modulated to obtain ND data symbol blocks to be broadcast in NM transmission spans, where ND?1 and NM>1. The ND data symbol blocks are partitioned into NM data symbol subblocks, one subblock for each transmission span. A steering matrix is selected (e.g., in a deterministic or pseudo-random manner from among a set of L steering matrices) for each subblock. Each data symbol subblock is spatially processed with the steering matrix selected for that subblock to obtain transmit symbols, which are further processed and broadcast via NT transmit antennas and in one transmission span to user terminals within a broadcast coverage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20110055326
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and an apparatus for managing and optimizing service discovery in a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless network. Nodes of the P2P network advertise their capabilities to their peers in the form of services. Efficient propagation and management of node's services to other nodes is proposed in the present disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Oliver Michaelis, J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum
  • Patent number: 7899131
    Abstract: An access point in a multi-antenna system broadcasts data using spatial spreading to randomize an “effective” channel observed by each user terminal for each block of data symbols broadcast by the access point. At the access point, data is coded, interleaved, and modulated to obtain ND data symbol blocks to be broadcast in NM transmission spans, where ND?1 and NM>1. The ND data symbol blocks are partitioned into NM data symbol subblocks, one subblock for each transmission span. A steering matrix is selected (e.g., in a deterministic or pseudo-random manner from among a set of L steering matrices) for each subblock. Each data symbol subblock is spatially processed with the steering matrix selected for that subblock to obtain transmit symbols, which are further processed and broadcast via NT transmit antennas and in one transmission span to user terminals within a broadcast coverage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7894538
    Abstract: Frequency-independent eigensteering in MISO and MIMO systems are described. For principal mode and multi-mode eigensteering, a correlation matrix is computed for a MIMO channel based on channel response matrices and decomposed to obtain NS frequency-independent steering vectors for NS spatial channels of the MIMO channel. ND data symbol streams are transmitted on ND best spatial channels using ND steering vectors, where ND=1 for principal mode eigensteering and ND>1 for multi-mode eigensteering. For main path eigensteering, a data symbol stream is transmitted on the best spatial channel for the main propagation path (e.g., with the highest energy) of the MIMO channel. For receiver eigensteering, a data symbol stream is steered toward a receive antenna based on a steering vector obtained for that receive antenna. For all eigensteering schemes, a matched filter is derived for each receive antenna based on the steering vector(s) and channel response vectors for the receive antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7852972
    Abstract: Techniques for performing acquisition of packets are described. First detection Values may be determined based on a first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing delay-multiply-integrate on the samples. Power values may be determined based on the first plurality of samples, e.g., by performing multiply-integrate on the samples. The first detection values may be averaged to obtain average detection values. The power values may also be averaged to obtain average power values. Whether a packet is present may be determined based on the average detection values and the average power values. Second detection values may be determined based on a second plurality of samples. The start of the packet may be determined based on the first and second detection values. A third detection value may be determined based on a third plurality of samples. Frequency error of the packet may be estimated based on the first and third detection values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark S. Wallace, John W. Ketchum, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20100296407
    Abstract: Techniques to select a suitable transmission mode for a data transmission in a multi channel communication system with multiple spatial channels having varying SNRs are presented in this disclosure. For certain embodiments, a closed-loop technique may be applied, in which back-off factors used to calculate an effective SNR value fed back to a transmitter are adjusted. An open-loop rate control scheme is also presented in which a transmitter may select a data rate and number of streams based on whether transmitted packets are received in error at a receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Irina Medvedev, John W. Ketchum, J. Rodney Walton
  • Publication number: 20100222017
    Abstract: To meet a radiated power limit, a transmitting station determines a synthesized antenna pattern based on steering vectors used for spatial processing and estimates an array gain based on the synthesized antenna pattern. Different spatial processing modes (e.g., eigensteering and spatial spreading) result in different synthesized antenna patterns. The array gain may be estimated based on the spatial processing mode used for the data transmission and applicable parameters (e.g., eigenvalues) for that mode. An element gain for each antenna used for data transmission may also be estimated. The transmitting station then limits the transmit power for the data transmission based on the array gain, the element gain, and the radiated power limit, which may be an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) limit imposed by a regulatory agency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, Xiangdong Zhang
  • Publication number: 20100215115
    Abstract: For eigenmode transmission with minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver spatial processing, a transmitter performs spatial processing on NS data symbol streams with steering vectors to transmit the streams on NS spatial channels of a MIMO channel. The steering vectors are estimates of transmitter steering vectors required to orthogonalize the spatial channels. A receiver derives a spatial filter based on an MMSE criterion and with an estimate of the MIMO channel response and the steering vectors. The receiver (1) obtains NR received symbol streams from NR receive antennas, (2) performs spatial processing on the received symbol streams with the spatial filter to obtain NS filtered symbol streams, (3) performs signal scaling on the filtered symbol streams with a scaling matrix to obtain NS recovered symbol streams, and (4) processes the NS recovered symbol streams to obtain NS decoded data streams for the NS data streams sent by the transmitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20100208839
    Abstract: In a MIMO system, rate control is achieved with an inner loop that selects rates for data streams sent via a MIMO channel and an outer loop that regulates the operation of the inner loop. For the inner loop, SNR estimates are obtained for each data stream based on received pilot symbols and/or received data symbols. An effective SNR is derived for each data stream based on the SNR estimates, a diversity order, a MIMO backoff factor, and an outer loop backoff factor for the data stream. The rates are then selected for the data streams based on the effective SNRs for the data streams. The outer loop adjusts the outer loop backoff factor for each data stream based on the performance (e.g., packet errors and/or decoder metrics) for the data stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, Mark S. Wallace
  • Publication number: 20100208841
    Abstract: For transmit diversity in a multi-antenna OFDM system, a transmitter encodes, interleaves, and symbol maps traffic data to obtain data symbols. The transmitter processes each pair of data symbols to obtain two pairs of transmit symbols for transmission from a pair of antennas either (1) in two OFDM symbol periods for space-time transmit diversity or (2) on two subbands for space-frequency transmit diversity. NT·(NT?1)/2 different antenna pairs are used for data transmission, with different antenna pairs being used for adjacent subbands, where NT is the number of antennas. The system may support multiple OFDM symbol sizes. The same coding, interleaving, and modulation schemes are used for different OFDM symbol sizes to simplify the transmitter and receiver processing. The transmitter performs OFDM modulation on the transmit symbol stream for each antenna in accordance with the selected OFDM symbol size. The receiver performs the complementary processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7764754
    Abstract: For data transmission with spatial spreading, a transmitting entity (1) encodes and modulates each data packet to obtain a corresponding data symbol block, (2) multiplexes data symbol blocks onto NS data symbol streams for transmission on NS transmission channels of a MIMO channel, (3) spatially spreads the NS data symbol streams with steering matrices, and (4) spatially processes NS spread symbol streams for full-CSI transmission on NS eigenmodes or partial-CSI transmission on NS spatial channels of the MIMO channel. A receiving entity (1) obtains NR received symbol streams via NR receive antennas, (2) performs receiver spatial processing for full-CSI or partial-CSI transmission to obtain NS detected symbol streams, (3) spatially despreads the NS detected symbol streams with the same steering matrices used by the transmitting entity to obtain NS recovered symbol streams, and (4) demodulates and decodes each recovered symbol block to obtain a corresponding decoded data packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7742546
    Abstract: For eigenmode transmission with minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver spatial processing, a transmitter performs spatial processing on NS data symbol streams with steering vectors to transmit the streams on NS spatial channels of a MIMO channel. The steering vectors are estimates of transmitter steering vectors required to orthogonalize the spatial channels. A receiver derives a spatial filter based on an MMSE criterion and with an estimate of the MIMO channel response and the steering vectors. The receiver (1) obtains NR received symbol streams from NR receive antennas, (2) performs spatial processing on the received symbol streams with the spatial filter to obtain NS filtered symbol streams, (3) performs signal scaling on the filtered symbol streams with a scaling matrix to obtain NS recovered symbol streams, and (4) processes the NS recovered symbol streams to obtain NS decoded data streams for the NS data streams sent by the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, J. Rodney Walton, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20100135234
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing a handoff of an access terminal from a macro node to a femto node are disclosed. To direct handoff of the access terminal, an identity of the femto node is determined A femto node provided may be indentified by at least a difference between the offset of a first pilot signal and the offset of a second pilot signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporaled
    Inventors: Sanjiv Nanda, Mehmet Yavuz, J. Rodney Walton, Peter J. Black
  • Publication number: 20100119001
    Abstract: A MIMO system supports multiple spatial multiplexing modes for improved performance and greater flexibility. These modes may include (1) a single-user steered mode that transmits multiple data streams on orthogonal spatial channels to a single receiver, (2) a single-user non-steered mode that transmits multiple data streams from multiple antennas to a single receiver without spatial processing at a transmitter, (3) a multi-user steered mode that transmits multiple data streams simultaneously to multiple receivers with spatial processing at a transmitter, and (4) a multi-user non-steered mode that transmits multiple data streams from multiple antennas (co-located or non co-located) without spatial processing at the transmitter(s) to receiver(s) having multiple antennas. For each set of user terminal(s) selected for data transmission on the downlink and/or uplink, a spatial multiplexing mode is selected for the user terminal set from among the multiple spatial multiplexing modes supported by the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, John W. Ketchum, Mark S. Wallace, Steven J. Howard
  • Publication number: 20100067590
    Abstract: A transmitting entity transmits a “base” pilot in each protocol data unit (PDU). A receiving entity is able to derive a sufficiently accurate channel response estimate of a MIMO channel with the base pilot under nominal (or most) channel conditions. The transmitting entity selectively transmits an additional pilot if and as needed, e.g., based on channel conditions and/or other factors. The additional pilot may be adaptively inserted in almost any symbol period in the PDU. The receiving entity is able to derive an improved channel response estimate with the additional pilot. The transmitting entity sends signaling to indicate that additional pilot is being sent. This signaling may be embedded within pilot symbols sent on a set of pilot subbands used for a carrier pilot that is transmitted across most of the PDU. The signaling indicates whether additional pilot is being sent and possibly other pertinent information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, Mark S. Wallace