Patents by Inventor Stefano Ruffini

Stefano Ruffini 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).

  • Robust data replication among data centers
    Patent number: 11314772
    Abstract: A method of data replication between a first data center and a second data center, wherein the first data center has a data set to be replicated, the method comprising: determining (501) whether a first path from the first data center to the second data center is suitable for the data set to be replicated, by: transmitting (502) test data along the first path, taking (503) latency measurements for the test data along the first path; and determining a latency parameter of the first path using the latency measurements; and determining (504) if the latency parameter of the test data is less than a maximum latency threshold. If the latency parameter is less than the maximum latency threshold, the method performs (505) replication of the data set using the first path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Giulio Bottari, Stefano Ruffini
  • Methods, Apparatus and Computer-Readable Media for Synchronization Over an Optical Network
    Publication number: 20220038252
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for synchronization over an optical network. A method comprises: receiving, from a client, a request to initiate a synchronization service for a client node coupled to the optical communication network; and, in response to the request, establishing a synchronization service to the client node via a virtual synchronization network utilizing the optical communication network. The synchronization service utilizes a bidirectional optical channel established via the optical communication network for the transmission of synchronization data for the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Mats FORSMAN, Paola IOVANNA, Stefano STRACCA, Tomas THYNI
  • Devices and Methods for Handling Precise Timing Protocol Frames
    Publication number: 20220030530
    Abstract: A method performed by a transmitting device, in a 3GPP wireless communication 5 system (100), for handling generalized Precise Timing Protocol (gPTP) signaling, from a Time Sensitive Network (TSN) is provided. The transmitting device receives (1301) a gPTP frame from the TSN network. The gPTP frame comprises time information, an indication of a time domain related to the time information and/or a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of a second end station connected to a receiving device. Based 10 on the indication of the time domain and/or the MAC address, the transmitting device determines (1302) the receiving device which the gPTP frame relates to. The transmitting device transmits (1304), to the determined receiving device, the gPTP frame in a PDU session related to the determined receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Hubertus Munz, Kun Wang, Stefano Ruffini, Zhenhua Zou, John Walter Diachina, Torsten Dudda, Paul Schliwa-Bertling
  • Devices and Methods for Handling Precise Timing Protocol Signaling from a Time Sensitive Network
    Publication number: 20220030533
    Abstract: A method, performed by a transmitting device in a wireless communication system, for handling generalized Precise Timing Protocol, gPTP, signaling, from a Time Sensitive Network, TSN is provided. The transmitting device receives (1101) a gPTP message from a TSN network. The gPTP message comprises time information and a time domain related to the time information. The transmitting device extracts (1102) the time information and the time domain from the gPTP message. The transmitting device transmits (1104) a 3GPP message to a receiving device. The 3GPP message comprises the time information and the time domain related to the time information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Hubertus Andreas Munz, Torsten Dudda, Paul Schliwa-Bertling, Kun Wang, Stefano Ruffini, John Walter Diachina, Zhenhua Zou
  • 5G SYSTEM SUPPORT FOR CONVEYING TSN TIME SYNCHRONIZATION
    Publication number: 20210359778
    Abstract: Systems and methods to enable 5G system support for conveying time synchronization are provided. In some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device for conveying external time domain information is provided. The method includes receiving a message in a first time domain used by the wireless device, the message comprising external time domain information; determining information about a second time domain based on the external time domain information; and conveying information about the second time domain to another node. In some embodiments, timing information is included into a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) payload, and the wireless device can get timing information directly from the data payload. This minimizes the RAN and/or gNB impact and adds the potential for multiple time domain support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Kun Wang, John Walter Diachina, Anders Höglund, Dinand Roeland, Stefano Ruffini, Magnus Sandgren, Mårten Wahlström
  • Method and Apparatus for Latency Monitoring
    Publication number: 20210336864
    Abstract: A method of supporting latency monitoring in a network transporting traffic to and from a wireless base station. The method comprises, at a first node of the transport network determining a first timestamp representing a time at which a data element is received at the first node and adding information representative of the first timestamp to a communication signal which carries data for the wireless base station, the data including the data element. The method also comprises sending an indication of an association between the information representative of the first timestamp and the data element that the information representative of the first timestamp relates to. A method performed at a second node as well as apparatus for use at the first node and apparatus for use at the second node are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Stefano Stracca
  • Methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for synchronization over an optical network
    Patent number: 11153065
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for synchronization over an optical network. A method comprises: receiving, from a client, a request to initiate a synchronization service for a client node coupled to the optical communication network; and, in response to the request, establishing a synchronization service to the client node via a virtual synchronization network utilizing the optical communication network. The synchronization service utilizes a bidirectional optical channel established via the optical communication network for the transmission of synchronization data for the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Mats Forsman, Paola Iovanna, Stefano Stracca, Tomas Thyni
  • METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING TIME-SENSITIVE SERVICES RELATED TO WIRELESS DEVICES
    Publication number: 20210297965
    Abstract: A method performed by a system of a wireless communication network is disclosed. The method relates to provisioning of a time-sensitive service related to a wireless device. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of antenna reference points, ARPs, of one or more radio access network nodes of the wireless communication network. The method comprises obtaining information that a first ARP and a second ARP of the plurality of ARPs are to provide the time-sensitive service to the wireless device, determining, by inter-ARP radio signalling between ARPs of one or more pairs of the plurality of ARPs, one of the one or more pairs including the first ARP and one of the one or more pairs including the second ARP, a relative timing error between the first ARP and the second ARP, and taking the determined relative timing error into consideration when providing the service to the wireless device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Garry Irvine, Alexandra Mikaelsson, Magnus Sandgren, Mårten Wahlström, Mikael Johansson, Ohan Khodaverdian, Stefano Ruffini
  • Method and apparatus for latency monitoring
    Patent number: 11088930
    Abstract: A method of supporting latency monitoring in a network transporting traffic to and from a wireless base station. The method comprises, at a first node of the transport network determining (1401) a first timestamp representing a time at which a data element is received at the first node and adding (1402) information representative of the first timestamp to a communication signal which carries data for the wireless base station, the data including the data element. The method also comprises sending (1403) an indication of an association between the information representative of the first timestamp and the data element that the information representative of the first timestamp relates to. A method performed at a second node as well as apparatus for use at the first node and apparatus for use at the second node are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Stefano Stracca
  • METHOD OF ESTIMATING A PROPAGATION DELAY DIFFERENCE OF AN OPTICAL LINK AND APPARATUS FOR SAME
    Publication number: 20210175967
    Abstract: An optical link for a communication network, the optical link having an optical fibre link, a downstream transmitter, a downstream receiver, an upstream transmitter and an upstream receiver. The upstream and downstream transmitters are configured to transmit a respective pilot tone on a respective optical carrier and are configured to tune a frequency of the pilot tone within a preselected frequency range. The upstream and downstream receivers are configured respectively to determine an upstream notch frequency, fnotch-US, and a downstream notch frequency, fnotch-DS, of respective detected photocurrents from at least one respective pilot tone frequency at which the respective detected photocurrent is equal to or lower than a photocurrent threshold. The optical link also includes processing circuitry configured to receive the upstream and downstream notch frequencies and configured to estimate a propagation delay difference of the optical link depending on the upstream and downstream notch frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Fabio CAVALIERE, Giulio BOTTARI, Stefano RUFFINI
  • Robust Data Replication Among Data Centers
    Publication number: 20210124758
    Abstract: A method of data replication between a first data center and a second data center, wherein the first data center has a data set to be replicated, the method comprising: determining (501) whether a first path from the first data center to the second data center is suitable for the data set to be replicated, by: transmitting (502) from the first data center to the test data along the first path, taking (503) latency measurements for the test data along the first path; and determining a latency parameter of the first path using the latency measurements; and determining (504) if the latency parameter of the test data is less than a maximum latency threshold. If the latency parameter is less than the maximum latency threshold, the method performs (505) replication of the data set using the first path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Giulio Bottari, Stefano Ruffini
  • Method of controlling traffic flows in a radio communications network, remote node and radio communications network
    Patent number: 10979935
    Abstract: A method (100) of controlling traffic flows in a radio communications network, the method comprising steps of: receiving (102) at a remote node a plurality of traffic flows transmitted from a plurality of radio units; buffering (104) the traffic flows in a common buffer of the remote node; and causing (106) a control signal to be sent to a baseband unit when a fill level of the common buffer is predicted to go above a maximum fill level within a pre-set time interval, wherein the control signal is configured to cause an adjustment of a radio resource allocation of one of the plurality of radio units to cause a reduction in a data rate of the traffic flow transmitted from said radio unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Guilio Bottari, Paola Iovanna, Filippo Ponzini
  • Ribs based synchronization service
    Patent number: 10925024
    Abstract: In one aspect, a network node configured to arrange a synchronization service for a target network access node receives a service request from the target network access node for a synchronization service to be provided to the target network access node and selects the synchronization source node, responsive to the service request. The network node sends a response towards the target network access node regarding the synchronization service to be provided by the synchronization source node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Angelo Centonza, Magnus Sandgren
  • Scheduling of data flow transmission in a data center
    Patent number: 10892997
    Abstract: A method of scheduling transmission of a data flow in a data center network comprising a plurality of network nodes and links. The method comprising, at a network controller receiving (14) a transmission request for a data flow, obtaining (15) a tolerated time interval for the data flow, and scheduling (16) transmission of the data flow within the tolerated time interval and without contention with other transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Giulio Bottari
  • Method and Apparatus for Synchronizing Radio Network Nodes
    Publication number: 20200413360
    Abstract: A group of radio network nodes (14) performs automatic synchronization source selection using Radio-interface Based Synchronization, based on the exchange of clock-attribute information between respective nodes (14) via inter-node connections. Access to the clock-attribute information for other nodes (14) in the same domain or subdomain allows a given node (14) to select the best or most preferred synchronization source for use in synchronizing its own clock (44), based on a combined or joint evaluation of parameters or metrics that include the reception quality of OTA signals from respective ones of the candidate nodes (14) and the corresponding clock-attribute information. Further parameters or metrics may be evaluated in the selection, such as neighbor-relation considerations. The combined use of OTA synchronization signaling and clock-attribute information exchanges, e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Garry Irvine, Ohan Khodaverdian, Magnus Sandgren, Mårten Wahlström
  • Optimized Time Synchronization for a UE
    Publication number: 20200404605
    Abstract: According to certain embodiments, a method in a network node for delivering a time synchronization service comprises obtaining a timing accuracy threshold for a time synchronization service provided to a wireless device; determining, based on a first timing accuracy error at the network node and a second timing accuracy error between the network node and the wireless device, that a timing accuracy of the time synchronization service is equal or superior to the timing accuracy threshold, and transmitting the time synchronization service to the wireless device with a timing accuracy equal or superior to the timing accuracy threshold. The method further comprises, in response to determining that the timing accuracy of the time synchronization service is inferior to the timing accuracy threshold, reconfiguring the network node to improve the timing accuracy of the time synchronization service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Angelo CENTONZA, Stefano RUFFINI, Joachim SACHS, Magnus SANDGREN, Mårten WAHLSTRÖM
  • Switching data signals of at least two types for transmission over a transport network providing both backhaul and fronthaul (Xhaul) connectivity
    Patent number: 10856058
    Abstract: A method for switching data signals transmitted over a transport network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a plurality of input data signals of a first signal type wherein the plurality of data signals of the first signal type comprises data signals exchanged between a Radio Equipment and a Radio Equipment Controller and aggregating the plurality of input data signals into an aggregated first data signal. The method also comprises receiving a second data signal of a second signal type different to the first signal type, and multiplexing the first data signal with the second data signal to form a combined data signal. The method further comprises forwarding the combined data signal to the transport network. Multiplexing the first data signal with the second data signal comprises, for a frame of the combined data signal, allocating the first data signal to a portion of the frame reserved for the first data signal, and allocating the second data signal to a remaining portion of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (publ)
    Inventors: Giulio Bottari, Fabio Cavaliere, Stefano Ruffini, Stefano Stracca
  • RIBS BASED SYNCHRONIZATION SERVICE
    Publication number: 20200314782
    Abstract: In one aspect, a network access node requests, via a service request, a synchronization service from a network node, receives synchronization source information corresponding to the synchronization service and uses the synchronization source information to detect and measure signals from a synchronization source node. The network access node stores signal identifiers corresponding to one or more of the measured signals as neighbor information and subsequently performs signal measurements on signals from the synchronization source node, based on the stored signal identifiers, and uses the signal measurements to perform a mobility operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Stefano RUFFINI, Angelo CENTONZA, Magnus SANDGREN
  • Configuration of synchronisation network
    Patent number: 10790921
    Abstract: Configuring a node (410, A-I, L-O) of a synchronization network, involves determining information about synchronization sources of a plurality of synchronization trails for passing synchronization information from the synchronization source (A, L, O, PRC) to the node to provide a synchronization reference. After determining automatically (210, 250, 330, 335, 340) synchronization transmission characteristics of trails (EP, FG, GH, HM, MN, OF, FI, IH) which use packet-based communication, the trails are compared automatically (240, 370), using their source information and their synchronization transmission characteristics, for selecting winch of these trails to use for providing the synchronization reference for the node (N).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Stefano Ruffini, Giulio Bottari, Manuel Nardelli
  • Industrial Automation with 5G and Beyond
    Publication number: 20200259896
    Abstract: Techniques for enhancing performance in Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) scenarios, including techniques for time-sensitive networking (TSN) and 5G wireless network integration. An example method, performed by a wireless device, comprises receiving system information (SI) from a radio base station (RBS) of a radio access network (RAN), the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS, and establishing at least one TSN stream with an external data network, through the RBS. The example method further includes receiving a first timing signal from the wireless communications network, via the RBS, receiving a second timing signal from the external TSN data network to which the wireless device is connected, comparing the first timing signal to the second timing signal to determine an offset, and transmitting the offset to the wireless communications network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Joachim Sachs, Abdulrahman Alabbasi, Mattias Andersson, Niklas Andgart, Ola Angelsmark, José Araújo, Muhammad Ikram Ashraf, Kumar Balachandran, Robert Baldemair, Rodrigo Berg, Yufei Blankenship, Fedor Chernogorov, John Walter Diachina, Torsten Dudda, Henrik Enbuske, Sorour Falahati, János Farkas, Jonas Fröberg Olsson, Majid Gerami, Harald Gustafsson, Kimmo Hiltunen, Andreas Höglund, Torgny Holmberg, Zsolt Kenesi, András Kern, Kittipong Kittichokechai, Anna Larmo, Johan Lundsjö, György Miklós, Hubertus Munz, Gabor Nemeth, Johannes Nygren, Johan Olsson, Alexandros Palaios, Dhruvin Patel, Joakim Persson, Per Persson, Jose Luis Pradas, Sándor Rácz, Pradeepa Ramachandra, Norbert Reider, Dinand Roeland, Stefano Ruffini, Patrik Salmela, Sara Sandberg, Magnus Sandgren, Paul Schliwa-Bertling, Alexey Shapin, Nianshan Shi, Bikramjit Singh, Per Skarin, Bernard Smeets, Ying Sun, Dennis Sundman, Fredrik Svensson, Malgorzata Svensson, Geza Szabo, Wolfgang Tonutti, Balázs Varga, Mårten Wahlström, Kun Wang, Yi-Pin Eric Wang, Osman Nuri Can Yilmaz, Zhenhua Zou, Miguel Lopez