Patents by Inventor John Christopher Clifton
John Christopher Clifton 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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Publication number: 20220190457Abstract: A signal level control element comprises a substrate having conductive formations defining a substrate integrated wave-guide arrangement disposed at least partly within the substrate; the substrate integrated waveguide arrangement providing a quadrature hybrid coupler having first and second pairs of signal ports, such that a signal introduced to a port of one pair of the first and second pairs is provided with equal amplitude but a 90 degree phase difference to both ports of the other pair of the first and second pairs; in which a port of the first pair is configured to receive an input signal and the other port of the first pair is configured to provide an output signal; and termination circuitry connected to the ports of the second pair, the termination circuitry providing, for each port of the second pair, a respective termination having a variable impedance dependent upon a respective control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2020Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventors: Kamal SAMANTA, John Christopher CLIFTON
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Publication number: 20220131508Abstract: A device for amplification of an input signal, the device comprising: amplification circuitry comprising a plurality of switchable transistors; a variable voltage input connected to the amplification circuitry; and controller circuitry; wherein the controller circuitry is configured to: set a target output power level of the device; and control at least one of: a state of connection between the plurality of switchable transistors to change an effective physical dimension of the amplification circuitry; or a level of the variable voltage input; in accordance with a load impedance of an output of the amplification circuitry, to amplify the input signal to the target output power level for that load impedance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2020Publication date: April 28, 2022Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventor: John Christopher CLIFTON
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Patent number: 11184066Abstract: A communications apparatus comprises a power amplifier configured to amplify a signal for transmission, a controllable switch coupled to an output of the power amplifier, an omnidirectional antenna coupled to a first output of the controllable switch, an antenna array coupled to a second output of the controllable switch, the antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas configured to form the signal into a beam of transmitted signals, the beam having a directional bias with respect to a location of the communications apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the controllable switch to switch a between a first mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal for transmission from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the omnidirectional antenna, and a second mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the antenna array.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2020Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20200274586Abstract: A communications apparatus comprises a power amplifier configured to amplify a signal for transmission, a controllable switch coupled to an output of the power amplifier, an omnidirectional antenna coupled to a first output of the controllable switch, an antenna array coupled to a second output of the controllable switch, the antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas configured to form the signal into a beam of transmitted signals, the beam having a directional bias with respect to a location of the communications apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the controllable switch to switch a between a first mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal for transmission from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the omnidirectional antenna, and a second mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the antenna array.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2020Publication date: August 27, 2020Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: John Christopher Clifton
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Patent number: 10651907Abstract: A communications apparatus comprising a power amplifier configured to amplify a signal for transmission, a switch coupled to an output of the power amplifier, an omnidirectional antenna coupled to a first output of the switch, an antenna array coupled to a second output of the switch, the antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas configured to form the signal into a beam of transmitted signals, the beam having a directional bias with respect to a location of the communications apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the switch to switch a between a first mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal for transmission from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the omnidirectional antenna, and a second mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the antenna array.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2017Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20190260442Abstract: A communications apparatus comprising a power amplifier configured to amplify a signal for transmission, a switch coupled to an output of the power amplifier, an omnidirectional antenna coupled to a first output of the switch, an antenna array coupled to a second output of the switch, the antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas configured to form the signal into a beam of transmitted signals, the beam having a directional bias with respect to a location of the communications apparatus, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the switch to switch a between a first mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal for transmission from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the omnidirectional antenna, and a second mode of operation of the communications apparatus in which the signal from the output of the power amplifier is fed to the antenna array.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: John Christopher Clifton
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Patent number: 10362486Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY EUROPE LIMITEDInventors: John Christopher Clifton, John Nicholas Wilson
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Patent number: 10149283Abstract: A communications device transmits/receives data from/to a mobile communications network including one or more network elements arranged to form a wireless access interface for transmitting/receiving data. An up-link includes a control channel for transmitting signalling information from the communications device to the mobile communications network in accordance with a predetermined format in which signals which representing the signalling information occupy, in the time domain, the predetermined number of frequency division multiplexed symbols of the control channel. A controller is configured to control a transmitter unit to transmit the signals and a receiver unit to receive the signals to transmit or receive the data.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2014Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Matthew William Webb, John Christopher Clifton
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Patent number: 10128994Abstract: A communications device transmits/receives data to/from a mobile communications network including one or more network elements forming a wireless access interface for transmitting/receiving the data. An up-link includes a shared channel for transmitting the data to the mobile communications network. A controller controls a transmitter and receiver to transmit to the mobile communications network a request to transmit data in a smaller number of frequency division multiplexed symbols than available on the shared channel, to receive from the mobile communications network an indication of a sub-set of the predetermined number of frequency division multiplexed symbols in which the communications device should transmit the data on the shared channel, and to transmit signals representing the data in the shared channel to occupy a smaller number of frequency division multiplexed symbols than the number of the predetermined number of frequency division multiplexed symbols of the time period of the shared channel.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2014Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Matthew William Webb, John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20170374556Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2017Publication date: December 28, 2017Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY EUROPE LIMITEDInventors: John Christopher CLIFTON, John Nicholas WILSON
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Patent number: 9749869Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY EUROPE LIMITEDInventors: John Christopher Clifton, John Nicholas Wilson
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Publication number: 20160174213Abstract: A communications device transmits/receives data from/to a mobile communications network including one or more network elements arranged to form a wireless access interface for transmitting/receiving data. An up-link includes a control channel for transmitting signalling information from the communications device to the mobile communications network in accordance with a predetermined format in which signals which representing the signalling information occupy, in the time domain, the predetermined number of frequency division multiplexed symbols of the control channel. A controller is configured to control a transmitter unit to transmit the signals and a receiver unit to receive the signals to transmit or receive the data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Matthew William WEBB, John Christopher CLIFTON
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Publication number: 20160037351Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY EUROPE LIMITEDInventors: John Christopher CLIFTON, John Nicholas WILSON
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Patent number: 9215720Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2011Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Europe LimitedInventors: John Christopher Clifton, John Nicholas Wilson
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Patent number: 9025647Abstract: A device including a power input supplying external AC power to the device via a power cord, a filter filtering noise from outside of the supplied external AC power and thereby generating a filtered AC power, at least one power socket supplying the filtered AC power to at least one other device, and a PLC modem configured to be connected to the at least one power socket and to transmit data to or receive data from the at least one other device via power line communication using the filtered AC power. The device may be used in power line communication systems. A power line communication method uses the device for isolating a power line communication network from a mains grid.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2010Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: SONY CorporationInventors: Andreas Schwager, Dietmar Schill, John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20130090125Abstract: A method of reducing interference to reception of streams of television content received at a television receiver in which each of the streams of television content are transmitted on one of a plurality of frequency channels in accordance with a channel map which defines on which of the plurality of frequency channels each stream of television content is transmitted and the interference being caused by a base station transmitting data to or receiving data from one or more mobile devices via radio communication signals in a vicinity of the television receiver. The method includes identifying the channel map and adapting a transmission of the radio communication signals between the base station and the one or more of mobile devices in accordance with the identified channel map to reduce interference at the television receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2011Publication date: April 11, 2013Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: John Christopher Clifton, John Nicholas Wilson
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Publication number: 20130076987Abstract: A method and apparatus reducing interference to reception of television signals received by a television receiver. The television receiver includes an antenna receiving television signals and a tuner selecting the television signals transmitted on a carrier signal. The interference is produced by a communication device transmitting radio communication signals that can be received by the television receiver when the tuner is tuned to the television signals. The method transmits a radio beacon signal from a location substantially same as a location of the television receiver, and if the radio beacon signal is detected at the communication device, adapts transmission of the radio communication signals from the communication device to reduce interference at the television receiver. As examples, the communications device is a mobile communications device, mobile telephone, personal computer, or a base station, for example disposed within a house for forming a femto cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2011Publication date: March 28, 2013Applicants: Sony Europe Limited, Sony CorporationInventors: John Nicholas Wilson, John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20120243590Abstract: A device including a power input supplying external AC power to the device via a power cord, a filter filtering noise from outside of the supplied external AC power and thereby generating a filtered AC power, at least one power socket supplying the filtered AC power to at least one other device, and a PLC modem configured to be connected to the at least one power socket and to transmit data to or receive data from the at least one other device via power line communication using the filtered AC power. The device may be used in power line communication systems. A power line communication method uses the device for isolating a power line communication network from a mains grid.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2010Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Andreas Schwager, Dietmar Schill, John Christopher Clifton
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Patent number: 8253485Abstract: A power amplifier comprises a series stack of power amplifier devices, connected in parallel to the amplifier input for receiving an RF input signal, and having output terminals being connected in series to the amplifier output. An intermediate coupling capacitor is connected between each adjacent pair of power amplifier devices in the series stack of power amplifier devices for DC isolation of said power amplifier devices. This reduces the required DC supply voltage, as well as allowing shorting of individual power amplifier devices in response to variation in the DC supply voltage.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2011Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Sony Europe LimitedInventor: John Christopher Clifton
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Publication number: 20110241782Abstract: A power amplifier comprises a series stack of power amplifier devices, connected in parallel to the amplifier input for receiving an RF input signal, and having output terminals being connected in series to the amplifier output. An intermediate coupling capacitor is connected between each adjacent pair of power amplifier devices in the series stack of power amplifier devices for DC isolation of said power amplifier devices. This reduces the required DC supply voltage, as well as allowing shorting of individual power amplifier devices in response to variation in the DC supply voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: Sony Europe LimitedInventor: John Christopher CLIFTON