Patents by Inventor John E. Hoffmann

John E. Hoffmann 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: 8160166
    Abstract: A communications device includes a demapping and demodulation circuit and processes an OFDM communications signal that includes modulated subcarriers carrying communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers carrying a training sequence forming a preamble. Those OFDM subcarriers carrying the training sequence have a sample for each subcarrier at a frequency bin using evenly spaced, equal amplitude subcarriers that have a set phase of each sinusoid to a specific angle with quadratic phase to form a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with about a PAPR value of 2.6 decibels (dB). A channel estimate circuit is operative for measuring fluctuations within a flat-top spectrum of the received OFDM communications signal corresponding to the preamble to reflect the frequency response of the communications channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher D. Moffatt, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20120087364
    Abstract: A technique for encoding digital communication signals. Data symbols are augmented in pilot symbols inserted at predetermined positions. The pilot augmented sequence is then fed to a deterministic error correction block encoder, such as a turbo product coder, to output a coded sequence. The symbols in the error correction encoded sequence are then rearranged to ensure that the output symbols derived from input pilot symbols are located at regular, predetermined positions. As a result, channel encoding schemes can more easily be used which benefits from power of two length block sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: IPR LICENSING, INC.
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, JR., James A. Proctor, JR., Antoine J. Rouphael
  • Patent number: 8140004
    Abstract: A digital satellite radio system includes a content server for providing a digital satellite radio channels, and a satellite for broadcasting the digital satellite radio channels. For overcoming indoor reception problems, a modem is connected to the content server via the Internet for receiving a selected digital satellite radio channel while not receiving unselected digital satellite radio channels. A digital satellite radio unit receives the selected digital satellite radio channel from the modem while not receiving the unselected digital satellite radio channels. In lieu of the modem connected to the Internet, a repeater receiving signals from the satellite is used for providing the selected digital satellite radio channel to the digital satellite radio unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, Thomas E. Gorsuch
  • Patent number: 8072958
    Abstract: A technique for encoding digital communication signals. Data symbols are augmented in pilot symbols inserted at predetermined positions. The pilot augmented sequence is then fed to a deterministic error correction block encoder, such as a turbo product coder, to output a coded sequence. The symbols in the error correction encoded sequence are then rearranged to ensure that the output symbols derived from input pilot symbols are located at regular, predetermined positions. As a result, channel encoding schemes can more easily be used which benefits from power of two length block sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., James A. Proctor, Jr., Antoine J. Rouphael
  • Publication number: 20110216814
    Abstract: The device, system and method reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of a signal field symbol in a multi-carrier modulation communication signal. The device includes an antenna, a transceiver coupled to the antenna, and a controller to cooperate with the transceiver and being configured to reduce the PAPR of the signal field symbol in the multi-carrier modulation communication signal. The controller is configured to transmit information using a frame format including a header and a data field, the header having a signal field and a service field each having a plurality of bits, the plurality of bits of the signal field defining the signal field symbol. The controller selectively changes at least the header bits to generate the signal field symbol with a reduced or lowest PAPR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Browning, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20110170493
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing a CDMA receiver to a transmitter when an adaptive antenna is utilized to receive transmitted data, wherein a receiving antenna system is adapted between a 360° reception angle pattern (i.e., an omni-directional pattern) and a fixed reception angle (i.e., a directional pattern) by permitting the receiver to identify a pilot signal having the largest magnitude. The receiver minimizes interference from other pilot signals by steering antenna pattern nulls toward other transmitters. As a result, the time required for the receiver to acquire a valid pilot signal is significantly reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Proctor, JR., Antoine J. Rouphael, John E. Hoffmann, George R. Nelson, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110129023
    Abstract: A wireless ranging system for determining a range of a remote wireless device may include a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. The wireless ranging system may also include a ranging controller to cooperate with the wireless transmitter and receiver to generate a multi-carrier base waveform, transmit a sounder waveform to the remote wireless device including concatenated copies of the multi-carrier base waveform, and receive a return waveform from the remote wireless device in response to the sounder waveform. The ranging controller may also generate time domain samples from the return waveform, convert the time domain samples into frequency domain data, and process the frequency domain data to determine the range of the remote wireless device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: Harris Corporation, Corporation of the State of Delaware
    Inventors: John E. HOFFMANN, Carlos G. Abascal, Christopher D. Moffatt
  • Patent number: 7916772
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing a CDMA receiver to a transmitter when an adaptive antenna is utilized to receive transmitted data, wherein a receiving antenna system is adapted between a 360° reception angle pattern (i.e., an omni-directional pattern) and a fixed reception angle (i.e., a directional pattern) by permitting the receiver to identify a pilot signal having the largest magnitude. The receiver minimizes interference from other pilot signals by steering antenna pattern nulls toward other transmitters. As a result, the time required for the receiver to acquire a valid pilot signal is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: James Proctor, Jr., Antoine J. Rouphael, John E. Hoffmann, George Nelson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7860182
    Abstract: A communications device includes an antenna array comprising antenna elements for receiving at least N spatially independent signals, and a receiver coupled to the antenna array. The receiver includes an analog receiver circuit for receiving the N spatially independent signals, and has a bandwidth of at least N times an information bandwidth of the spatially independent signals. The receiver further includes a digital receiver circuit coupled to the analog receiver circuit, and samples the N spatially independent signals at a rate of at least N times a Nyquist rate which would have been required if a single antenna element had been used to receive the signals. A processor is coupled to the digital receiver circuit for demultiplexing the sampled N spatially independent signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Gorsuch, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100080312
    Abstract: A communications device includes a demapping and demodulation circuit and processes an OFDM communications signal that includes modulated subcarriers carrying communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers carrying a training sequence forming a preamble. Those OFDM subcarriers carrying the training sequence have a sample for each subcarrier at a frequency bin using evenly spaced, equal amplitude subcarriers that have a set phase of each sinusoid to a specific angle with quadratic phase to form a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with about a PAPR value of 2.6 decibels (dB). A channel estimate circuit is operative for measuring fluctuations within a flat-top spectrum of the received OFDM communications signal corresponding to the preamble to reflect the frequency response of the communications channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Harris Corporation, Corporation of the State of Delaware
    Inventors: Christopher D. MOFFATT, John E. HOFFMANN
  • Publication number: 20100080309
    Abstract: A communications device includes communications data and a training sequence corresponding to a preamble. A modulation and mapping circuit modulates the communications data and training sequence into a plurality of multiple subcarriers that are orthogonal to each other to form an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communications signal having modulated subcarriers carrying the communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers forming the preamble. The modulation and mapping circuit applies a quadratic modulation to the subcarriers carrying the training sequences to produce a low peak-to-average power (PAPR) preamble of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB) independent of the number of subcarriers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher D. MOFFATT, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100080311
    Abstract: A communications device includes a demapping and demodulation circuit that demaps and demodulates an OFDM communications signal as modulated subcarriers carrying communications data and modulated subcarriers carrying a training sequence forming a preamble that includes a long sync sequence for channel and frequency offset estimation having a extended guard interval (GI). The OFDM subcarriers carrying the training sequence have a quadratic modulation to produce a low peak-to-average power (PAPR) preamble with PAPR of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB). A channel estimate circuit is positioned to receive signals after processing within a FFT circuit and subcarrier demapper circuit and estimates the channel characteristics of the communications channel based on splitting the extended guard interval from the long sync sequence and processing into values that represent the low PAPR preamble as plus or minus one (±1) values in a real or imaginary component as adds and subtracts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher D. MOFFATT, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100080310
    Abstract: A communications device includes communications data and a training sequence corresponding to a preamble. A modulation and mapping circuit modulates the communications data and training sequence into a plurality of multiple subcarriers that are orthogonal to each other to form an OFDM communication signal having modulated subcarriers carrying the communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers forming the preamble. A circuit turns OFF and ON selected subcarriers based on an encryption algorithm to increase transmit power and signal-to-noise ratio and reduce the Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI). The modulation and mapping circuit applies a quadratic modulation to the subcarriers carrying the training sequences to produce a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with a PAPR value of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher D. MOFFATT, John E. Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20100080265
    Abstract: A communications device includes communication data and a training sequence corresponding to a preamble. A modulation and mapping circuit modulates the communications data and training sequence into a plurality of multiple subcarriers that are orthogonal to each other to form an OFDM communications signal having modulated subcarriers carrying the communications data forming a data payload and modulated subcarriers forming the preamble. A pseudo-random signal generator is operative with the modulation and mapping circuit and generates pseudo-random signals based on an encryption algorithm for frequency hopping each subcarrier at an OFDM symbol rate. The modulation and mapping circuit applies a quadratic modulation to the subcarriers carrying the training sequences to produce a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) preamble with a PAPR value of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Harris Corporation, Corporation of the State of Delaware
    Inventors: Christopher D. MOFFATT, John E. HOFFMANN
  • Patent number: 7620365
    Abstract: A digital satellite radio system includes a content server for providing digital satellite radio channels, a satellite for broadcasting the digital satellite radio channels, and a terrestrial repeater for broadcasting the digital satellite radio channels. A micro-repeater receives a selected digital satellite radio channel from the content server via the Internet while not receiving unselected digital satellite radio channels, and wirelessly broadcasts the selected digital satellite radio channel in a different waveform as used by the terrestrial repeater but using a same physical layer. A digital satellite radio unit receives the selected digital satellite radio channel from the micro-repeater while not receiving the unselected digital satellite radio channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, Thomas E. Gorsuch
  • Patent number: 7613227
    Abstract: A single, common correlation filter (CF) core is provided in a receiver for recovery of data from received code division multiple access (CDMA) signals. Signals are received over CDMA channels with different data rates, where the received signals include user information such as pilot and data symbols that have been spread according to different despreading rates including tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 rates, where tier 1 is the smallest despreading rate. The received signal is correlated at the smallest despreading rate in the correlation filter (CF) by time multiplexing delayed versions of the pseudorandom noise (PN) code. The correlated information is then demultiplexed and pilot-aided QPSK demodulated. The demodulated information is summed at the proper integer multiple of the tier 1 rate to achieve tier 2 and tier 3 despreading rates. According to an embodiment, the three strongest multipaths components in terms of the received power are selected in a window or time period for optimal information recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Antoine J. Rouphael, John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., Samir K. Patel, James A. Proctor, Jr., Daniel I. Riley
  • Patent number: 7609648
    Abstract: A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is provided. The access point includes a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station in a forward link based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a plurality of control frames and a data frame. The directional antenna includes a plurality of antenna patterns. The method includes receiving a first control frame via a first antenna pattern of the directional antenna from the remote station, transmitting a first data frame to the remote station, and receiving a second control frame via a second antenna pattern of the directional antenna from the remote station. A signal quality of the first control frame received via the first antenna pattern and a signal quality of the second control frame received via the second antenna pattern are measured. The respective measured signal qualities associated with the first and second antenna patterns are compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, Kevin P. Johnson, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., John A. Regnier
  • Patent number: 7587173
    Abstract: A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network is provided, wherein the access point includes a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station. The method includes communicating with a selected remote station using a current angle of the directional antenna, and scanning an alternate angle from a plurality of alternate angles of the directional antenna for communicating with the selected remote station. Respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle from the selected remote station are measured. The current angle or the alternate angle is selected as a preferred angle based upon the measured signals for continuing communications with the selected remote station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, Kevin P. Johnson, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., John A. Regnier
  • Patent number: 7580674
    Abstract: An antenna control interface is integrated with common integrated circuit components, such as radio transceiver or baseband modem signal processing control logic. The antenna control interface controls the operation of an adaptive antenna array used with wireless communication system devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Gorsuch, John A. Regnier, John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., James A. Proctor, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20090135950
    Abstract: The present invention provides for making code rate adjustments and modulation type adjustments in a pseudonoise (PN) encoded CDMA system. Coding rate adjustments may be made by changing the number of information bits per symbol, or Forward Error Code (FEC) coding rate. A forward error correction (FEC) block size is maintained at a constant amount. Therefore, as the number of information bits per symbol are increased, an integer multiple of bits per epoch is always maintained. The scheme permits for a greater flexibility and selection of effective data rates providing information bit rates ranging from, for example, approximately 50 kilobits per second to over 5 mega bits per second (Mbps) in one preferred embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: John E. Hoffmann, George Rodney Nelson, Jr., Daniel I. Riley, Antoine J. Rouphael, James A. Proctor, Jr.