Patents by Inventor Patrick H. Higgins

Patrick H. Higgins 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: 4397019
    Abstract: Groups of stations operate in TDMA mode relative to associated frequency-separated transponder segments of a satellite repeater. Stations at radio signaling modes in all groups key to a common frame timing reference. The TDMA frame is partitioned repetitively into IN GROUP and CROSS GROUP intervals, each susceptible of containing multiple demand assignable burst time slots. Each node may transmit TDMA bursts (of time compressed and time multiplexed information signals) in assigned slots in either interval (or both). Such bursts are carried only on the transponder radio frequency associated with the respective group. Station receivers are adaptive to switch local oscillator frequencies in synchronism with transitions between IN GROUP and CROSS GROUP periods, and thereby adaptive to receive signals from stations in both groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: IBM Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph A. Alvarez, Patrick H. Higgins