Patents by Inventor Lizhong Zhu

Lizhong Zhu 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: 8934837
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver, NFC antennas and an NFC control circuit. The NFC transceiver generates a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device. The NFC control circuit includes an antenna switch circuit coupled between the NFC transceiver and the NFC antennas. A capacitance sensing circuit is coupled to the NFC antennas to determine capacitance values thereof. A processor operates the antenna switch circuit based upon the received signal strength and the capacitance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Libo Zhu, Robert Michael Philip Gondosch, Craig Stuart MacKenzie
  • Publication number: 20140274179
    Abstract: A system, method and device for adjusting a communication parameter for a network communicating with a communication device are provided. The method comprises: monitoring for a condition relating to a first network that has been in communication with the communication device; and determining whether an adjustment is to be implemented on a communication parameter of a second communication network that has been in communication with the communication device based on the condition and if so, implementing the adjustment to the communication parameter for the second communication network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Lizhong ZHU, Qingmai ZHOU, Jun XU, Rudy Eugene RAWLINS, Michael Peter MONTEMURRO, Fei HE
  • Patent number: 8831539
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board in the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a power amplifier and microphone mounted thereon. An antenna is carried within the housing and operative with the RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds and isolates the microphone from the RF circuitry, power amplifier and antenna and shields the microphone from radiated energy generated from the RF circuitry, antenna or power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Corrigan, George Soliman Mankaruse, Lizhong Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140243050
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable device housing, wireless communications circuitry carried by the portable device housing, and a self-contained rechargeable battery pack carried by the portable housing for powering the wireless communications circuitry. The self-contained rechargeable battery pack may include a battery casing, at least one internal battery cell carried within the battery casing, internal battery circuitry carried within the battery casing, and at least one internal filter element carried within the battery casing and coupled to the internal battery circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, MICHAEL STEPHEN CORRIGAN, GEORGE SOLIMAN MANKARUSE
  • Patent number: 8810209
    Abstract: A power distribution network includes multiple charge storage components and multiple charging circuits to control the charging and discharging of the charge storage components, which may comprise a battery and a supercapacitor. By appropriate arrangement and selection of the storage components, ripple in the power supply voltage, whose propagation to other components relying on the power distribution network may cause an audible buzz, may be significantly reduced. Additionally, appropriate arrangement and selection of the storage components, electromagnetic interference may also be significantly reduced. Optionally, an electromagnetic interference filter may be placed between the charge storage components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Hongwei Liu, Perry Jarmuszewski
  • Publication number: 20140220889
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver, and an NFC IC carried by the housing and coupled to the processor. The mobile wireless communications device may also include an NFC antenna carried by the housing, and a coupling circuit between the NFC IC and the NFC antenna. The coupling circuit may include a capacitive network including capacitors coupled in series with each other and in parallel with the NFC antenna, a transmit branch coupled between the NFC IC and a first node between a first pair of capacitors, and a receive branch coupled between the NFC IC and the first node between the first pair of capacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, LIBO ZHU
  • Patent number: 8798691
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board carried by the housing. RF circuitry and a processor are operative with each other and carried by the circuit board. A receiver speaker and microphone are carried by the housing. Audio circuitry is carried by the circuit board and operative with the RF circuitry and processor. A microphone audio switch and receiver speaker audio switch are carried by the circuit board and are connected with audio connection lines that interconnect the processor. A filter is operative with the audio connection lines and operatively connected to at least one of the microphone audio switch or receiver speaker audio switch to reduce conducted and radiated interfering RF energy from coupling into the audio circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Michael Stephen Corrigan, George Soliman Mankaruse, Perry Jarmuszewski
  • Publication number: 20140187153
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a near-field communications (NFC) transceiver, NFC antennas and an NFC control circuit. The NFC transceiver generates a received signal strength based on a received signal from an adjacent NFC device. The NFC control circuit includes an antenna switch circuit coupled between the NFC transceiver and the NFC antennas. A capacitance sensing circuit is coupled to the NFC antennas to determine capacitance values thereof. A processor operates the antenna switch circuit based upon the received signal strength and the capacitance values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, Libo ZHU, Robert Michael Philip GONDOSCH, Craig Stuart MACKENZIE
  • Patent number: 8760125
    Abstract: A power distribution network includes multiple charge storage components and multiple charging circuits to control the charging and discharging of the charge storage components, which may comprise a battery and a supercapacitor. By appropriate arrangement and selection of the storage components, ripple in the power supply voltage, whose propagation to other components relying on the power distribution network may cause an audible buzz, may be significantly reduced. Additionally, appropriate arrangement and selection of the storage components, electromagnetic interference may also be significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan, Nagula Tharma Sangary
  • Patent number: 8755744
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver, and an NFC IC carried by the housing and coupled to the processor. The mobile wireless communications device may also include an NFC antenna carried by the housing, and a coupling circuit between the NFC IC and the NFC antenna. The coupling circuit may include a capacitive network including capacitors coupled in series with each other and in parallel with the NFC antenna, a transmit branch coupled between the NFC IC and a first node between a first pair of capacitors, and a receive branch coupled between the NFC IC and the first node between the first pair of capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Libo (Larry) Zhu
  • Patent number: 8755847
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable device housing, wireless communications circuitry carried by the portable device housing, and a self-contained rechargeable battery pack carried by the portable housing for powering the wireless communications circuitry. The self-contained rechargeable battery pack may include a battery casing, at least one internal battery cell carried within the battery casing, internal battery circuitry carried within the battery casing, and at least one internal filter element carried within the battery casing and coupled to the internal battery circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Michael Stephen Corrigan, George Soliman Mankaruse
  • Patent number: 8750417
    Abstract: A communications device, in one aspect as a portable wireless communications device, includes an in-phase modulator and power amplifier that receives a baseband I signal and modulates and amplifies the I signal. A quadrature modulator and power amplifier receives a baseband Q signal and modulates and amplifies the Q signal. A power combiner sums and outputs the I and Q signals. An I demodulator circuit receives a signal fed back from the I power amplifier and demodulates the fed back signal to produce demodulated I signals. A Q demodulator circuit receives a signal fed back from the Q power amplifier and demodulates the fed back signal to produce demodulated Q signals. A processor compares the digital, baseband I and Q signals with a demodulated I and Q signals to compensate for amplitude, frequency and phase modulation errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan, Perry Jarmuszewski, Oleksiy Kravets, Kent Arnold Nickerson, Nagula Tharma Sangary
  • Publication number: 20140155005
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing, antenna, and circuit board carried by the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry operative with the antenna for receiving and transmitting RF signals through the antenna. A power amplifier is connected within a transmission line for amplifying RF signals to be transmitted over the transmission line to the antenna. An antenna switch is connected to the antenna and RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds the power amplifier and antenna switch and isolates the power amplifier and antenna switch from the antenna and RF circuitry. A low pass filter is connected to the power amplifier and antenna switch for reducing any RF coupling of voltage standing waves of upper harmonic frequencies from the power amplifier into the antenna switch through the RF shield while maintaining transmission of signals through the transmission line at a desired fundamental frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, GEORGE SOLIMAN MANKARUSE, MICHAEL STEPHEN CORRIGAN
  • Patent number: 8744357
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a near field communications (NFC) device, and a magnetic sensor. A processor is coupled to the NFC device and the magnetic sensor, and is switchable between an active mode and an idle mode based upon the magnetic sensor. The processor is configured to remain in the active mode based upon communication via the NFC device irrespective of the magnetic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Libo Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140141835
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing having a display opening therein, processing circuitry within the housing, and wireless transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry. The electronic device may also include NFC transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, a display within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, the display having an external surface exposed through the display opening and having an internal surface within the housing, and an NFC antenna positioned within the housing behind and aligned with the internal surface of the display and coupled to the NFC transceiver circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, LIBO ZHU, SCOTT LEONARD DILL, RAYMOND MICHAEL DIKUN, PHA CONG NGUYEN, SOO LIAM OOI, RANDY ALAN WIESSNER
  • Patent number: 8723598
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electronic circuit for reducing leakage of radio frequency signals from a power amplifier of a wireless communication device is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan, Jun Xu, Kent Arnold Nickerson
  • Patent number: 8676116
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing having a display opening therein, processing circuitry within the housing, and wireless transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry. The electronic device may also include NFC transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, a display within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, the display having an external surface exposed through the display opening and having an internal surface within the housing, and an NFC antenna positioned within the housing behind and aligned with the internal surface of the display and coupled to the NFC transceiver circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Libo Zhu, Scott Leonard Dill, Raymond Michael Dikun, Pha Cong Nguyen, Soo Liam Ooi, Randy Alan Wiessner
  • Patent number: 8665991
    Abstract: A communications device may include an In-phase (I) circuit having an In-phase modulator and mixer circuit, and an I power amplifier circuit coupled thereto, the I circuit configured to modulate and amplify a digital baseband I signal to generate an amplified I signal, and a Quadrature (Q) circuit having a Q modulator and mixer circuit, and a Q power amplifier circuit coupled thereto, the Q circuit configured to modulate and amplify a digital baseband Q signal to generate an amplified Q signal separate from the amplified I signal. A processor selectively switches the digital baseband I signal and the digital baseband Q signal between the I and Q signal inputs to provide selective phase shifting for the digital baseband I and Q signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan, Perry Jarmuszewski, Oleksiy Kravets, Kent Arnold Nickerson, Nagula Tharma Sangary
  • Patent number: 8660612
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a housing including a speaker compartment, processing circuitry within the housing, and wireless transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry. The electronic device may also include NFC transceiver circuitry within the housing and coupled to the processing circuitry, a speaker in the speaker compartment and coupled to the processing circuitry, and an NFC antenna positioned within the speaker compartment and coupled to the NFC transceiver circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Libo Zhu, Michael Stephen Corrigan
  • Publication number: 20140051356
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver, and an NFC IC carried by the housing and coupled to the processor. The mobile wireless communications device may also include an NFC antenna carried by the housing, and a coupling circuit between the NFC IC and the NFC antenna. The coupling circuit may include a capacitive network including capacitors coupled in series with each other and in parallel with the NFC antenna, a transmit branch coupled between the NFC IC and a first node between a first pair of capacitors, and a receive branch coupled between the NFC IC and the first node between the first pair of capacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, LIBO (LARRY) ZHU