Patents by Inventor Robert E. BARTON

Robert E. BARTON 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: 12648024
    Abstract: A signaling mechanism is provided that includes a restricted random access resource unit (XRA RU) that restricts uplink random access, such as by using Uplink Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access-based Random Access (UORA), to a subset of a plurality of stations that are associated with an Access Point (AP). In one aspect, an AP allocates a resource unit as an XRA RU that restricts uplink random access to a subset of a plurality of stations (STAs) that are associated with the AP. The AP transmits an uplink trigger that includes the XRA RU. The AP restricts use of the XRA RU to the subset of the plurality of STAs. In this way, STAs of the subset can attempt contention-based random access with the XRA RU while other STAs are prevented from attempting random access with the XRA RU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Malcolm M. Smith, Brian D. Hart, Matthew A. Silverman, Robert E. Barton
  • Publication number: 20260149690
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for a network-based Internet-of-Things device inventory system includes forming, by a process, a dedicated multicast group comprising a plurality of network devices that support an asset discovery protocol and receiving, by the process, a query comprising a series of descriptors corresponding to features associated with one or more network devices among the plurality of network devices. The method further includes executing, by the process, the query within the dedicated multicast group and generating, by the process, a report comprising specific details associated with the one or more network devices among the plurality of network devices in response to executing the query and based on the asset discovery protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2024
    Publication date: May 28, 2026
    Inventors: Robert E. BARTON, Ashok HEGDE, Srinivasa Rao NALLURI, Saravanan M KARUNANIDHI, Priyanka BANSAL
  • Patent number: 12641408
    Abstract: Roaming validation for Access Network Providers (ANPs), and particularly to protecting communications between Stations (STAs) and ANPs while providing roaming validation for ANPs may be provided. An ANP may first register a roaming federation system. The ANP may determine a roaming message based on subscription features of the network, and the ANP may request signing of the roaming message by the roaming federation system. The ANP may receive the signed roaming message from the roaming federation system and send the signed roaming message to a STA. The ANP may then receive a request to connect to the network from the STA and initiate a connection for the STA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Henry, Robert E. Barton, Vinay Saini, Bart A. Brinckman, Mark Grayson
  • Patent number: 12635015
    Abstract: Techniques for intelligent multi-link operation (MLO) mode selection are provided. One or more metrics for wireless communication in a wireless network is collected. A set of multi-link operation (MLO) modes available for the wireless communication between a station multi-link device (STA MLD) and a first access point multi-link device (AP MLD) in the wireless network is determined. A first MLO mode of the set of MLO modes is selected based on the one or more collected metrics. The wireless communication is performed using the selected first MLO mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, Juan Carlos Zuniga, Malcolm M. Smith
  • Patent number: 12628185
    Abstract: Techniques for managing communications between access points (APs) and stations (STAs) are described herein. In one embodiment, an AP broadcasts a trigger message to a plurality of STAs, the trigger message including a matrix defining a plurality of resource units (RUs) that the plurality of STAs are assigned to transmit or receive data, and a fragment flag. The presence of the fragment flag, within the scheduling matrix, informs the AP that the data transmission that the fragment flag is appended to is a partial transmission that will be completed in a subsequent transmission opportunity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pascal Thubert, Jerome Henry, Juan Carlos Zuniga, Matthew A. Silverman, Domenico Ficara, Amine Choukir, Robert E. Barton
  • Publication number: 20260129029
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device receives discovery data generated by a plurality of networking devices in a network. The device determines, based on the discovery data, a hierarchy of layers of the network. The device receives a request by a client that is external to the network to access remotely a particular endpoint in the network. The device configures, and in response to the request, a proxy chain of remote access agents executed by a subset of networking devices from the plurality of networking devices to allow the client to access remotely the particular endpoint, each of those networking devices proxying traffic between different layers of the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2025
    Publication date: May 7, 2026
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Flemming Stig Andreasen, Jerome Henry, Elango Ganesan
  • Publication number: 20260122662
    Abstract: Wireless Local-Area Network (WLAN) channel management in the presence of Ambient Power (AMP) devices may be provided. First, an Access Point (AP) may receive a data packet indicating a perceived Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) that a Backscatter Device (BKD) received a signal at from the AP. Then the AP may provide a controller the perceived RSSI that the BKD received the signal at from the AP and a frequency on which the AP received the data packet. Next, the AP may receive channel assignment instructions from the controller based on the perceived RSSI that the BKD received the signal at from the AP and the frequency on which the AP received the data packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2024
    Publication date: April 30, 2026
    Applicant: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo Caldarola, Robert E. Barton, Domenico Ficara, Indermeet S. Gandhi
  • Publication number: 20260113774
    Abstract: Method for application control and Quality of Service (QoS) handling may be provided. A request may be received for scheduling a communication between an Access Point (AP) and a user device for sending data of an application. It may be determined that the request does not comprise network characteristics of the application. In response to determining that the request does not comprise the network characteristics of the application, the network characteristics may be requested from a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) controller. The network characteristics may be received from the WLAN controller. Schedules for the application may be determined based on the network characteristics. The schedules may be enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2025
    Publication date: April 23, 2026
    Applicant: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Henry, Robert E. Barton, Thomas Szigeti
  • Publication number: 20260107295
    Abstract: Adapting transmission schedules in a Radio Frequency (RF) environment may be provided. A Central Network Controller (CNC) of a Time Sensitive Network (TSN) may determine that a data path to a client device comprises a wireless link. The CNC of the TSN may generate a proposed transmission schedule for the time sensitive traffic to the client device through the wireless link in response to determining that the data path to the client device comprises the wireless link. The CNC may provide the proposed transmission schedule to a Wireless Network Controller (WLC) of the wireless link. The CNC may receive a confirmation from the WLC that the proposed transmission schedule can be met. The proposed transmission schedule may be configured in response to receiving the confirmation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2025
    Publication date: April 16, 2026
    Applicant: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, Maik Guenter Seewald, Malcolm Muir Smith
  • Patent number: 12604336
    Abstract: Techniques for delegated peer-to-peer scheduling are provided. A first peer-to-peer device determines one or more wireless channels allocated for peer-to-peer communication, and receives a request indicating a set of transmission characteristics from a second peer-to-peer device that uses the first peer-to-peer device as a communications proxy. The first peer-to-peer device schedules wireless resources of the one or more wireless channels to a plurality of peer-to-peer devices based at least in part on the set of transmission characteristics, and performs peer-to-peer communications with the second peer-to-peer device in accordance with the scheduled wireless resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Hart, Malcolm M. Smith, Pooya Monajemi, Jerome Henry, Robert E. Barton
  • Publication number: 20260101179
    Abstract: A system and method for using 802.11v action report messages to enhance roaming. In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting, to a station, a transition management message that identifies a recommended access point for roaming for the station, receiving, from the station, an action report in response to the transition management message, where the action report indicates feedback to the recommended access point identified in the transition management message, and determining a roaming recommendation based on the action report.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2025
    Publication date: April 9, 2026
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, Federico Lovison, Indermeet Singh Gandhi
  • Patent number: 12596954
    Abstract: Techniques for improved networking are provided. An indication that a mobile device is in a first region of a physical space is received, and one or more current exogenous factors are determined for the physical space. Positioning technique accuracy is predicted for each respective positioning technique of a plurality of positioning techniques by processing the indication of the first region and the one or more current exogenous factors using a machine learning model. A first positioning technique of the plurality of positioning techniques is selected based on the predicted positioning technique accuracies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gino M. Corleto, Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, Malcolm M. Smith
  • Patent number: 12591222
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device associates available 5G functions stored by a network repository function with contextual information, wherein the contextual information maps each of the available 5G functions with a layer of a hierarchical security model for an industrial network. The device receives a request from a user equipment endpoint to communicate via the industrial network. The device selects a particular user plane function from among the available 5G functions for use by the user equipment endpoint based in part on the layer of the hierarchical security model associated with the particular user plane function. The device causes the user equipment endpoint to communicate via the industrial network using the particular user plane function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Flemming Stig Andreasen, Timothy P. Stammers, Robert E. Barton
  • Patent number: 12588062
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe BKDs that can transmit reply messages using different frequencies than the frequencies of wireless transmissions they receive which can reduce collisions in a Wi-Fi environment. In one embodiment, when transmitting power to be used by a BKD to transmit a reply message, an access point (AP) also includes an parameter that affects the frequency used by the BKD when transmitting its signal. For example, the AP can direct the BKD to use a frequency in a channel that is not used by other Wi-Fi Devices. The BKD can be equipped with a frequency filter that can shift the carrier frequency of the BKD response (compared to the carrier frequency of the energy-bearing signal) allowing the response signal to be transmitted on a different frequency than the one which was received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, Indermeet S. Gandhi, Domenico Ficara, Amine Choukir
  • Publication number: 20260082181
    Abstract: Differentiated time-difference of arrival for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) may be provided. A location tracking information for a venue may be broadcasted. Broadcasting the location tracking information may include notifying a user device that a location information is expected from the user device and providing an entity identity of an entity seeking the location information from the user device. A ranging message may then be received from the user device in response to the user device detecting the location tracking information. A position of the user device on the venue may be determined from the ranging message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2025
    Publication date: March 19, 2026
    Applicant: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Henry, Indermeet Singh Gandhi, Robert E. Barton
  • Patent number: 12580624
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a wireless network that dynamically divides the computation of a beamforming feedback matrix between devices and access points. According to an embodiment, an access point includes an antenna, one or more memories, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories. A combination of the one or more processors determines a first number of layers of a neural network to be implemented by a device and instructs the device to implement the first number of layers of the neural network. The combination of the one or more processors also receives, from the device, intermediate CSI produced by the first number of layers of a neural network implemented by the device, applies, to the intermediate CSI, a second number of layers of the neural network to produce a beamforming feedback matrix, and adjusts the antenna based on the beamforming feedback matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Niloofar Bahadori, Peiman Amini, Ardalan Alizadeh, Robert E. Barton, Juan Carlos Zuniga
  • Patent number: 12580866
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device obtains transaction data regarding a transaction attempted by a client of an online application within the online application. The transaction data is captured by instrumentation code inserted into the online application at runtime. The device identifies, based on the transaction data, traffic in a network associated with the transaction. The device associates, based on the transaction data, a measure of importance with the traffic. The device causes the traffic to be sent by a networking device in the network according to its associated measure of importance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Szigeti, Robert E. Barton, Jerome Henry, David John Zacks, Walter Theodore Hulick, Jr., Nagendra Kumar Nainar
  • Publication number: 20260075633
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system and method for avoiding interference in direct communication between peers in a Wi-Fi network. A station (STA) desiring to communicate directly with another STA reports a change in interference to a function that determines a set of unsafe frequencies caused by interference near the STA. The function sends a report containing the set of unsafe frequencies to the AP for the STA. The AP then evaluates the severity of the interference and selects a set of RUs that are suitable for a TXOP for direct communication between the STA and another STA. The AP informs the STAs of the selected set of RUs, and the STAs communicate with each other using the selected RUs. If allowed, the STA sends feedback regarding the success of the communication to the AP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2025
    Publication date: March 12, 2026
    Inventors: Indermeet S. GANDHI, Jerome HENRY, Robert E. BARTON, Malcolm M. SMITH
  • Publication number: 20260067793
    Abstract: In wireless deployments, the basic service set (BSS) identifier (ID) is the MAC address of an access point (AP). That is, each time the AP sends or receives (unicast of multicast/broadcast frames), the BSSID appears in the frame as either the transmit or receive address. The embodiments herein discuss techniques for changing (or rotating) the BSS ID of an AP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2025
    Publication date: March 5, 2026
    Inventors: Robert E. BARTON, Jerome HENRY, Malcolm M. SMITH
  • Publication number: 20260067673
    Abstract: An AP may provide information about a neighbor AP to a STA before roaming to assist with the STA associating with the neighbor AP. The information may include a BSSID of the neighbor AP and a time until the neighbor AP rotates the BSSID. If the STA fails to discover the neighbor AP while the STA is roaming, the STA can request more information about the neighbor AP from the AP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2025
    Publication date: March 5, 2026
    Inventors: Jerome HENRY, Robert E. BARTON, Malcolm M. SMITH, Domenico FICARA, Ugo M. CAMPIGLIO, Javier I. CONTRERAS ALBESA