Patents by Inventor Neil Philip Piercy

Neil Philip Piercy 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: 20100144316
    Abstract: A network element (130, 330), for providing access control to a core network (120) of a cellular communication network (100) for a wireless communication unit (150) operating within a communication cell supported by the network element (130, 330), comprises a receiver for receiving a message (425) from the wireless communication unit (150) comprising identity information. The network element further comprises logic (160), operably coupled to the receiver, for determining whether to permit the mobile communication unit (150) access to the core network (120), based at least in part on the received identity information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Neil Philip Piercy, David Neil, Trevor Moore
  • Publication number: 20040128367
    Abstract: A Local Area network is disclosed in which host specific configuration information, and in particular VSI, can be distributed. A network server is disclosed that is capable of supplying both network configuration information, including IP addresses, and VSI. This is used in addition to existing network servers. A relay agent is also supplied that is configured to add VSI to the network configuration information supplied by an existing network server. A network server is also disclosed that provides VSI only in response to DHCP INFORM requests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Neil Philip Piercy, Nicholas Dougall Johnson
  • Publication number: 20040116156
    Abstract: A cellular radio telecommunication system comprising a BaseStation Transceiver System BTS and Transcoder Rate Adaptor TRAU in which the TRAU implements pre-coding of Enhanced Full-Rate EFR speech data for error checking at the Mobile Station MS. The BTS and TRAU may be co-located, or separated by a transmission link which has very low error rates. Error detection bits in the TRAU frame carrying Enhanced Full Rate EFR speech data may conform to a predetermined pattern which is recognised by the BTS and ignored for error correction. These error detection bits may be used across the BTS-TRAU interface for error checking of all the speech data bits of the TRAU frame evenly. The TRAU and BTS may negotiate the error checking protocol to be used so that this conforms to that used by the BTS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Neil Philip Piercy, Nicholas Dougall Johnson
  • Publication number: 20040042499
    Abstract: A LAN comprises a plurality of nodes (6, 7) connected by LAN cables (14, 15) with conductors (9) dedicated to transmission of timing signals (2) alone or in addition to a power supply for equipment at the node. The conductors (9) may comprise a twisted pair. The conductors (9) may be connected between all ports or may be connected via a wiring box (11). The timing signal may be provided by a source (2) at a LAN connection device (1) or the wiring box (11) or at a node (17).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Neil Philip Piercy, Nicholas Dougall Johnson
  • Publication number: 20040037244
    Abstract: A cellular radio telecommunication system is described that allows the beacon frequencies in the system that distributes the common control channel to carry more traffic channels than the number of remaining TDM slots, by reusing the same slot in different parts of the network to carry different traffic to different mobiles. This is achieved by monitoring the location in the network of each mobile which is assigned to a traffic channel on the beacon frequency, using a controlling agent, and ensuring that any basestation assigned to the beacon frequency which is sufficiently close to this mobile transmits exactly the same data in the slot carrying this traffic channel, but otherwise allows the slot to be reallocated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Nicholas Dougall Johnson, Andrew Fogg, John Leslie Haine, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Publication number: 20040029600
    Abstract: A cellular radio telecommunication system comprises a plurality of base stations (BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4) and a basestation controller (PC). The basestation controlled is arranged to control the base stations so that at least two of the base stations use the same broadcast control channel, each basestation being substantially synchronised with respect to each other. The basestation controller further controls the base stations to use dedicated traffic and signalling channels within the immediate vicinity of each basestations. The telecommunication system seeks to provided the maximum space diversity gained in traffic capacity by controlling the base stations so that they use a single broadcast synchronise control channel and separately handle dedicated traffic and signalling channels in their immediate vicinity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Nicholas Dougall Johnson, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Publication number: 20040010592
    Abstract: A shared resource allocation system for allocating a shared resource amongst a plurality of devices operable to access or use the resource. The system includes controlling means for controlling access to or use of the resource by each of the devices and means for receiving bids from one or more of the devices. Each bid indicates a requested amount of the resource and a price offered for the requested amount. The system also includes allocation means for processing the received bids to determine an appropriate allocation of the resource, and instructing means for instructing the controlling means to control access to or use of the shared resource in accordance with the determined allocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventors: Andrew Richard Carver, David Sinclair Ferguson, Russell Jon Haggar, Neil Philip Piercy, Rebecca Bryony Hoyle, Peter Kelly
  • Publication number: 20030153335
    Abstract: A radio telecommunication system, and in particular an in-building system, comprises a number of basestations connected together by a local area network (LAN) at least one of the basestations (BS) is capable of receiving a control channel transmitted by one or more of the other basestations (BS) of the telecommunication systems, from which it derives frequency reference and time base synchronisation data to enable the basestation to correct the frequency and time offset of its own transmissions with respect to the other basestations (BS) in the system. Also connected to the LAN is a controller (PC). The controller receives transmission measurement signals from each of the basestations (BS) and processes these transmission measurement signals to select radio frequency channels on which the basestations of the system should transmit to minimise interference with an external telecommunications system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Nicholas Dougall Johnson, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Patent number: 6061340
    Abstract: In a communications between a base station and subscriber unit in time slots within fixed length time frames, different types of messages require different numbers of timeslots per frame to maintain transmission rate. At least a portion of the message is detected to determine the type of message, and if appropriate, additional time slot(s) are assigned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Ionica International Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Albrow, Simon Alexander Black, Leigh Carter, Rupert Leslie Alexander Goodings, Paul Maxwell Martin, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Patent number: 6044086
    Abstract: In transmission between a base station and a subscriber unit, system control signals are sent in time slots within fixed length time frames. The system control signals are fragmented, each fragment being sent in a different time slot of a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Ionica International Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Albrow, Simon Alexander Black, Leigh Carter, Rupert Leslie Alexander Goodings, Paul Maxwell Martin, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Patent number: 6038213
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of transmitting digital data messages in predetermined time slots within fixed length time frames from at least one of a plurality of subscriber units to a base station for reception, in which, selectively, subscriber units which are members of one or more predetermined classes of subscriber units are restricted from transmitting at least one predetermined type of message. This advantageously helps in avoiding overload of the network. The invention also relates to corresponding communication means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Ionica International Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Albrow, Simon Alexander Black, Leigh Carter, Rupert Leslie Alexander Goodings, Paul Maxwell Martin, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Patent number: 6026083
    Abstract: In a communications network involving transmission of data packets, control messages between nodes are assigned priorities dependent on message type. The allocated of messages to TDM/TDMA time slots is dependent on the assignment priorities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Ionica International Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Albrow, Simon Alexander Black, Leigh Carter, Rupert Leslie Alexander Goodings, Paul Maxwell Martin, Neil Philip Piercy
  • Patent number: 5987023
    Abstract: In time domain multiplex/time domain multiple access communications between a base station and subscriber unit, the base station sends a timing reference signal. A subscriber unit responds with a data packet (a) sufficiently short to ensure correct reception by the base irrespective of transmission time. The base determines the transmission time taken and instructs the subscriber unit to advance its timings so that longer data packets (b) can be sent so as to be received when expected. The timing adjustment includes both a fixed present component dependent on approximate separation of base station and subscriber unit, and a second component from measurement of the transmission time taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Ionica International, Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Albrow, Simon Alexander Black, Leigh Carter, Rupert Leslie Alexander Goodings, Paul Maxwell Martin, Neil Philip Piercy