Patents by Inventor Luis Lopes

Luis Lopes 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).

  • Publication number: 20100291929
    Abstract: A system and method for physical cell identification in a wireless communication system includes a first step 500 of providing a set of temporary physical cell identifications for cells. A next step 502 includes identifying a new cell in the communication system. A next step 506 includes allocating a temporary physical cell identification for the new cell. A next step 510 includes changing the temporary physical cell identification of the new cell to a permanent physical cell identification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Paul M. Stephens, Simon C. Brusch, Luis Lopes, John Mathews, Chris M. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20100261473
    Abstract: A cellular communication system comprises a base station which is arranged to support user equipments associated with a plurality of operators or Private Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). The base station comprises a first unit determining a first operator/PLMN of the plurality of operators/PLMNs serving a first user equipment. A second unit then generates a first message comprising an indication of the first user equipment and an indication of the first operator/PLMN. The first message is transmitted to a management entity of a fixed network of the cellular communication system. The system may allow improved support for equipment sharing in cellular communication networks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Ban Al-Bakri, Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20100197306
    Abstract: A base station (103) for a cellular communication system comprises a user equipment store (205) which provides a user equipment subset which identifies at least one user equipment (107) associated with the base station. An access processor (203) restricts access to the base station (103) to the user equipments (107) that belong to the user equipment subset. A path loss processor (209) determines a path loss estimate indication from at least one neighbouring base station (101) to a cell supported by the base station (103). A parameter controller sets an operating parameter for the cell (105) in response to the path loss estimate indication. The invention may allow facilitated or improved introduction and/or configuration of restricted base stations supporting only specific user equipments. In many scenarios, a restricted base station may be configured depending on a path loss estimate such that improved performance may be achieved without any frequency planning for the base station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20100120437
    Abstract: A cellular communication system comprises an access point (101) which supports an underlay cell of a first cell on an underlay frequency using another frequency. A proximity detector (113) detects user equipment (109) in response to a wireless transmission therefrom, which uses a different transmission technology from a transmission of the cellular communication system. In response to the proximity detection, the access point (101) temporarily transmits a pilot signal on the first cell frequency. The user equipment (109) is then switched to the access point (109) and the underlay frequency in response to a detection indication from the user equipment (109) indicating that the pilot signal has been detected. Following the switch the access point (101) terminates the transmission of the pilot signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Gerard T. Foster, Trevor T. Hanna, Subramanian S. Iyer, Luis Lopes, Howard J. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20100022266
    Abstract: An access point for a radio communication system transmits a pilot signal. The access point can operate in different modes with the pilot signal transmit power being controlled differently. A mode processor (105) controls a pilot signal controller (103) such that when in a first mode the access point is arranged to vary a pilot signal transmit power in accordance with a first transmit power profile. Another mode processor (107) controls the pilot signal transmit power in accordance with a second profile in a second mode. The transmit power may be constant during the second mode. A transition processor (111) is arranged to transition the access point from the first mode to the second mode in response to receiving an access request for a remote station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Eric R. Villier, Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20090318161
    Abstract: A cellular communication system comprises a Mobile Management Entity, MME, 117 and a load characteristic processor 203 that determines an MME load characteristic for base stations 101-107 in response to a measured operating characteristic thereof. A selection processor 207 selects a subset of base stations in response to the MME load characteristics, and a load monitor 205 determines an MME load level measure. A transmit controller 209 transmits a load reduction indication for the MME to the subset of base stations in response to the MME load level measure meeting a criterion. The base stations receiving the load reduction indication bias their operation towards a reduced load level of the MME.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventor: Luis Lopes
  • Patent number: 7493405
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting data in a radio communication system includes a data segmenter (203) segmenting data into data segments that are fed to a transmission encoder (205) which encodes them into transmission blocks having different energy per information bit levels. The transmission blocks are transmitter and feedback information is received from the remote radio station (216). An analysis processor (219) determines an analysis group that comprises at least two data segments having transmission blocks encoded with different energy per information bit levels. The analysis processor (219) further generates a performance distribution measure relating to the analysis group in response to the feedback information. A transmission controller (207) selects a transmission scheme to apply to subsequent data segments in response to the performance distribution measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Lopes, Davood Molkdar, Walter Featherstone
  • Patent number: 7380442
    Abstract: The present invention refers to an on-line rotational/oscillatory rheometrical device inserted in the barrel of an extruder (1), composed of a main body (2), a cleaning ring (5) and a lower support (6), kept at a constant temperature, and a set of plates, upper (3) and lower (4) with an adjustable separation, with the upper plate being animated with a rotating or oscillating movement, via a coupling to a rotation/measuring head of a commercial controlled-stress rheometer. The rotation of the ensemble allows a sample of material to be collected from the interior of the extruder and its subsequent rheological characterisation in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Universidade Do Minho
    Inventors: Jose Antonio Colaco Covas, Joao Manuel Luis Lopes Maia, Pedro Antonio Moreira Machado Costa
  • Publication number: 20080101301
    Abstract: A cellular communication system includes base stations supporting macro cells and with unique cell scrambling codes within a region. The system further includes access points supporting underlay cells and with shared cell scrambling codes within the region. One or more of the access points or base stations comprise transmit means for transmitting an indication of at least a first shared scrambling code to a remote station. The shared scrambling code is shared by a plurality of access points. The remote station is arranged to receive the first shared scrambling code and to determine if a first signal using the first shared scrambling code is received. If the first signal is detected, a handover controller initiates a handover of the remote station to at least a first access point of the plurality of access points sharing the first shared scrambling code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard J. Thomas, Gerard T. Foster, Trevor T. Hanna, Subramanian S. Iyer, Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20070095090
    Abstract: A refrigerator having a freezer compartment having an ice maker disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces and an ice storage bin removably mounted to freezer compartment door below the ice maker having an open top receptacle for receiving ice pieces from the ice maker. The ice storage bin has a movable lid assembly including a frame removably mounted to the top of the ice storage bin and two lid members mounted to the frame. At least one lid member is pivotally mounted to the frame to close the receptacle when pivoted to a generally horizontal position and to open the receptacle when pivoted to a generally vertical position. The pivotal lid member is biased to the generally horizontal position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: STEVEN KUEHL, Luis Lopes, Guolian Wu, Jocelyn Pollack, Gregory Garavalia
  • Patent number: 7173989
    Abstract: The amount of interference to communications in Time Division Duplexing (TDD) mode between a TDD mobile and a TDD base station from a mobile operating in Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode that is located near to the TDD base station can be reduced by passing information regarding the interfering FDD signal to the TDD base station, where it is processed and subtracted from the received TDD signal, which includes the interference, so as to obtain the pure TDD signal, as required. Either the FDD data (22), or an FDD signal (23) regenerated from the FDD data or simply the received FDD signal (21) can be passed (24) to the TDD base station. The TDD base station can regenerate an FDD signal, if required, which is then filtered (25) using TDD filters and normalized by correlating (26) and scaling (27) the filtered FDD signal to a received TDD signal. The normalized FDD signal is then subtracted (28) from the received TDD signal to reduce the interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20060174647
    Abstract: A refrigerator having a freezer compartment having an ice maker disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces and an ice storage bin removably mounted to freezer compartment door below the ice maker having an open top receptacle for receiving ice pieces from the ice maker. The ice storage bin has a movable lid assembly including a frame removably mounted to the top of the ice storage bin and two lid members mounted to the frame. At least one lid member is pivotally mounted to the frame to close the receptacle when pivoted to a generally horizontal position and to open the receptacle when pivoted to a generally vertical position. The pivotal lid member is biased to the generally horizontal position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Steven Kuehl, Luis Lopes, Guolian Wu, Jocelyn Pollack, Gregory Garavalia
  • Publication number: 20050235741
    Abstract: The present invention refers to an on-line rotational/oscillatory rheometrical device inserted in the barrel of an extruder (1), composed of the main body (2), a cleaning ring (5) and a lower support (6), kept at a constant temperature, and a set of plates, upper (3) and lower (4) with an adjustable separation, with the upper one being animated with a rotating or oscillating movement, via a coupling to a rotation/measuring head of a commercial controlled-stress rheometer. The rotation of the ensemble allows a sample of material to be collected from the interior of the extruder and its subsequent Theological characterisation in the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Jose Antonio Colaco Covas, Joao Manuel Luis Lopes Maia, Pedro Antonio Moreira Machado Costa
  • Publication number: 20040255040
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting data in a radio communication system. The apparatus comprises a data segmenter (203) segmenting data into data segments. The data segments are fed to a transmission encoder (205) which encodes the data segments into transmission blocks in accordance with a transmission scheme selected from a transmission protocol comprising of a plurality of transmission schemes having different energy per information hit levels. The transmission blocks are transmitted by transmitter (211) and feedback information is received from the remote radio station (216) by a receiver (217). An analysis processor (219) determines an analysis group of data segments such that the analysis group comprises at least two data segements having transmission blocks encoded with a different energy per information bit levels. The analysis processor (219) further generates a performance distribution measure relating to the analysis group in response to the feedback information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Luis Lopes, Dayood Molkdar, Walter Featherstone
  • Publication number: 20040174839
    Abstract: The amount of interference to communications in Time Division Duplexing (TDD) mode between a TDD mobile and a TDD base station from a mobile operating in Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode that is located near to the TDD base station can be reduced by passing information regarding the interfering FDD signal to the TDD base station, where it is processed and subtracted from the received TDD signal, which includes the interference, so as to obtain the pure TDD signal, as required. Either the FDD data (22), or an FDD signal (23) regenerated from the FDD data or simply the received FDD signal (21) can be passed (24) to the TDD base station. The TDD base station can regenerate an FDD signal, if required, which is then filtered (25) using TDD filters and normalized by correlating (26) and scaling (27) the filtered FDD signal to a received TDD signal. The normalized FDD signal is then subtracted (28) from the received TDD signal to reduce the interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventor: Luis Lopes
  • Publication number: 20040165547
    Abstract: The amount of interference to communications in Time Division Duplexing (TDD) mode between a TDD mobile and a TDD base station from a mobile operating in Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode that is located near to the TTD base station can be reduced by changing at least the frequency channel allocated to a particular TDD communications channel, and prefereably also by changing the timeslot allocated to that particular TDD communications channel. Thus instead of allocating particular frequency channels to particular operators for TDD communication, the frequency channels used by any particular operator for TDD communication can change from frame to frame. The timeslots within a frame on a frequency channel may stay the same or may also change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventor: Luis Lopes
  • Patent number: 6675018
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for estimating time of arrival of radio signals in particular as used for location determination. A known method of determining the location of a subscriber unit (401) calculates a number of ranges based on the distance from base stations (403,405,407) with known location. The ranges are calculated from time of arrival estimates of the signals from the different base stations but a significant source of error is the multipath signal components typical in for example cellular mobile communication systems. According to the invention, the effect of multipath is mitigated by selecting a subset of signals based on a time of arrival estimate of each of the signals. An averaged time of arrival estimate with improved accuracy is then determined from the selected subset. A typical use of the invention is for location determination in a cellular mobile communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Villier, Luis Lopes, Brendan Ludden
  • Patent number: 6453176
    Abstract: This invention relates to an antenna array system. A problem with antenna array systems is that they provide rather inefficient use of hardware and have inflexible resource allocation. The invention provides a flexible antenna array system architecture, which has very flexible allocation of transceiver elements to beams. The invention comprise switching means (407) which associate transceiver elements (405) to beam ports of a beam former (403) connected to a antenna array (401). The association of transceiver elements (405) to beam ports are rearranged regularly, typically for each time slot, and the association is optimized for overall performance for all subscriber units. The invention is applicable for example to cellular communication systems such as GSM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Lopes, Eric Villier, Stephen Basil Aftelak, Ray Owen
  • Patent number: 6347228
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining the location of a subscriber unit (1) in a mobile telecommunications network, and particularly in a GSM cellular network, includes the provision of several receiver stations (4, 5, 6) positioned at separate known locations within each cell. Each of the receiver stations (4, 5, 6), which are synchronised by means of an on-board GPS receiver (10), measures the time of arrival of a message transmitted from the subscriber unit (1). The time of arrival measurements recorded by each receiver station (4, 5, 6) are then transmitted to a base transceiver station (2) for computation of the subscriber unit's location relative to the receiver stations. The apparatus can provide a reasonably accurate means for location with a low susceptibility to interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Brendan Patrick Ludden, Luis Lopes
  • Patent number: 6256494
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of estimating a characteristic of a signal such as a time of arrival or a transmitter identity in particular in a cellular communication system. Most known techniques have limited performance as they rely on limited amounts of known data. The method of the invention comprise a first step (201) of receiving the signal at a subscriber unit. In a second step (203) the subscriber unit receives assistance data from the fixed network and in a third step (205) an expected signal is derived in response to this assistance data. For GSM the assistance data can be a frame number and a BSIC permitting an entire expected SCH burst to be derived. In a fourth (207) step the signal characteristic is determined by correlation of the received signal and the expected signal. The invention is particularly applicable to location determination in a GSM communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Lopes, Eric Villier, Brendan Ludden