Patents by Inventor Stephen McCann

Stephen McCann 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).

  • USING WLAN CONNECTIVITY OF A WIRELESS DEVICE
    Publication number: 20170339727
    Abstract: In some examples, a first wireless device communicates with a group device that wirelessly interconnects a plurality of wireless devices in a group, to obtain, from the group device, information identifying a second wireless device from which the first wireless device is able to use a wireless connectivity of the second wireless device to a wide area network (WAN), the second wireless device being part of the plurality of wireless devices. The first wireless device communicates data over the WAN using the wireless connectivity of the second wireless device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen John Barrett, Stephen McCann, Nicholas James Russell, Anders Fredrik Chronqvist
  • COMMUNICATING IN A SECOND CHANNEL WHILE CEASING TRANSMISSION IN A FIRST CHANNEL
    Publication number: 20170332286
    Abstract: In some examples, a wireless device receives, from an access point (AP), information indicating that the wireless device is to cease transmission in a first channel. In response to the information, the wireless device communicates with the AP in a second channel that is a subset of the first channel, during a time interval in which the wireless device is to cease transmission in the first channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: James Randolph Winter Lepp, Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • Extended service set transitions in wireless networks
    Patent number: 9820199
    Abstract: A mobile device may transition between Extended Service Set (“ESS”) networks seamlessly, such that a consumer never loses the network connection despite the transition. The communication for enabling a transition may be prior to association with that network. The seamless transition may be enabled through the creation and utilization of a central key holder authority that advertises its identity to mobile devices in a pre-associated state. The mobile device can use the key discovery communication along with a key generation method to authenticate and/or associate with a network and transition from one ESS to another. There may be a common root key across ESSs. At each new access point (“AP”) that the mobile device encounters, ESS and key holder identities may be discovered through discovery communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • Methods and apparatus to discover authentication information in a wireless networking environment
    Patent number: 9820149
    Abstract: Examples to discover network authentication information in a wireless network involve transmitting during network discovery and prior to authentication, a Generic Advertisement Services (GAS) request to a network access point. The request requests authentication information. In addition, a response to the request is received from the network access point. The network authentication information is retrieved from the response. The network authentication information includes a re-direct frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • WIRELESS NETWORK DISCOVERY USING A MIMO TRANSCEIVER
    Publication number: 20170311142
    Abstract: In some examples, a wireless device includes a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) transceiver that has a plurality of antennas to perform MIMO wireless communication. At least one processor is configured to concurrently perform discovery of respective different wireless devices using at least two of the plurality of antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Lucas Dobrowolski, Konrad Hammel, Stephen McCann
  • Discovering network information available via wireless networks
    Patent number: 9794967
    Abstract: Network information may be discoverable without requiring a connection to that network. For example, Access Network Query Protocol (“ANQP”) may allow a device to discover information about a network prior to the device associating with that network. In other words, ANQP allows a network terminal to request additional network information prior to establishing network capability. The additional network information that may be discoverable includes network latency, cellular capabilities, hotspot capabilities, mobility capabilities, neighbor reports, station identification, and multiple hotspot session identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • MANAGED OBJECT TO PROVISION A DEVICE ACCORDING TO ONE OF PLURAL PROVISIONING TECHNIQUES
    Publication number: 20170295448
    Abstract: A wireless device receives, from a configurator device, a managed object that includes information indicating which of different provisioning techniques is to be used to provision the wireless device. The wireless device determines, based on the information, a particular provisioning technique of the different provisioning techniques to use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • PROVISIONING A DEVICE IN A NETWORK
    Publication number: 20170257819
    Abstract: In some examples, a headless device that is without an available user interface and that is to be provisioned for access to a network receives information relating to provisioning of the headless device from a network node. The headless device sends, to a mediator device with a user interface, at least a portion of the received information. The headless device receives, from the mediator device, information to proceed with the provisioning of the headless device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro, James Randolph Winter Lepp
  • METHOD FOR ACCESSING A SERVICE UNAVAILABLE THROUGH A NETWORK CELL
    Publication number: 20170251406
    Abstract: In an access device associated with a first network cell, a method for enabling user equipment (UE) to obtain a service unavailable through the first network cell includes receiving a request for the UE to access the service, and identifying, in a message to the UE, a plurality of second network cells providing the service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Richard Charles BURBIDGE, Takashi SUZUKI, David Philip HOLE, Johanna Lisa DWYER, Venkata Ratnakar Rao Rayavarapu, Maiyuran Wijayanathan, Stephen McCann, Andrew Mark EARNSHAW, Chen Ho CHIN
  • Wireless Network Service Transaction Protocol
    Publication number: 20170215129
    Abstract: A mobile device may retrieve service information about a network prior to associating with the network. Utilizing an advertisement protocol to transmit service query messages, a mobile device may receive service query responses from a network that identify the services available prior to establishing network capability. In other words, the messaging is prior to the exchange of any authentication parameters between the device and the network as well prior to the establishment of a recognized session between the device and the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • System and method for controlling network scan parameters for a network connection
    Patent number: 9706486
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling aspects of network communications from a device to a network are provided. In particular, a method of initiating scans for a network by a communication device for a communication network is provided. The method comprises: monitoring for a first condition relating to a network scan for the communication network; and when the first condition relates to a receipt of at least one request to initiate the network scan and when at least the first condition is satisfied, identifying a first parameter for the network scan and configuring and initiating the network scan at the communication device for the communication network implementing the first parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Stephen McCann, Richard Howard Kennedy
  • Negotiation of Quality of Service (QoS) Information for Network Management Traffic in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
    Publication number: 20170188268
    Abstract: An access point advertises a management frame quality of service (MFQ) policy that defines an access category used for transmitting a first type of management frame. Each mobile station associated with the access point is to prioritize transmission of management frames according to the MFQ policy advertised by the access point, unless a policy configuration request for the mobile station to prioritize transmission of management frames according to a different MFQ policy has been accepted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Stephen McCann
  • Method and apparatus for calculating a coverage signal strength indicator
    Patent number: 9686690
    Abstract: Apparatus and method pertaining to the calculation of at least one value that represents, at least in part, wireless reception signal strength from the perspective of both a local wireless receiver and a remote receiver that receives wireless transmissions from a local wireless transmitter. By one approach the apparatus directly determines the wireless reception signal strength from the perspective of the local wireless receiver and indirectly determines the wireless reception signal strength from the perspective of the remote receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Khaled Lakhdhar, Stephen McCann, Lizhong Zhu
  • Method for accessing a service unavailable through a network cell
    Patent number: 9674734
    Abstract: In an access device associated with a first network cell, a method for enabling user equipment (UE) to obtain a service unavailable through the first network cell includes receiving a request for the UE to access the service, and identifying, in a message to the UE, a plurality of second network cells providing the service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Richard Charles Burbidge, Takashi Suzuki, David Philip Hole, Johanna Lisa Dwyer, Venkata Ratnakar Rao Rayavarapu, Maiyuran Wijayanathan, Stephen McCann, Andrew Mark Earnshaw, Chen Ho Chin
  • Methods and Apparatus to Discover Authentication Information in a Wireless Networking Environment
    Publication number: 20170156063
    Abstract: Examples to discover network authentication information in a wireless network involve transmitting during network discovery and prior to authentication, a Generic Advertisement Services (GAS) request to a network access point. The request requests authentication information. In addition, a response to the request is received from the network access point. The network authentication information is retrieved from the response. The network authentication information includes a re-direct frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • Regulatory compliance for wireless devices
    Patent number: 9654965
    Abstract: A wireless device may be subject to regulations based on the location (e.g. country). Accordingly, the wireless device may need to identify regulations for its current location. A lookup table or database that includes regulations for different locations may be used for identifying the regulations for the current location of the wireless device. The lookup table may be stored locally on the wireless device or retrieved over a network. The identified regulations may be used to modify certain operating parameters of the wireless device to comply with the local regulations and determine whether or not to associate with an incorrectly configured Access Point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Richard Howard Kennedy, James Randolph Winter Lepp, Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • Methods and apparatus to discover network capabilities available via wireless networks
    Patent number: 9642075
    Abstract: An example method for network selection involves discovering network capabilities by performing an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) query at a wireless terminal, and receiving a subsequent ANQP response from an access point of a wireless local area network. The network capabilities are indicated in the subsequent ANQP response. The example method also involves comparing the network capabilities with configured capabilities, finding a match between at least a portion of the network capabilities and at least a portion of the configured capabilities, and joining the wireless terminal with the access point based on the at least the portion of the network capabilities matching the at least the portion of the configured capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Stephen McCann
  • Changing Topology of Wireless Peer-to-Peer Group
    Publication number: 20170105102
    Abstract: A device in a peer-to-peer (P2P) group has the role of group owner. A different device in the P2P group may take on the role of group owner without ending the P2P group and create a new P2P group. Multiple P2P groups may be merged into a single P2P group. A single P2P group may be split into multiple independent P2P groups, each with its own group owner. A group owner of a P2P group may notify the client devices in the P2P group that it is about to leave the P2P group. A client device in a P2P group may be appointed in a new role of backup group owner, to take on the role of group owner in the event of a departure of the group owner, thereby providing continuity. Techniques for maintaining upper layer continuity through changes in topology of P2P groups are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Mohammed Nawaf SMADI, Vytautas Robertas KEZYS, Ghada BADAWY, James Randolph Winter LEPP, Michael Peter MONTEMURRO, Stephen McCann, David Philip HOLE
  • Wireless network service transaction protocol
    Patent number: 9622155
    Abstract: A mobile device may retrieve service information about a network prior to associating with the network. Utilizing an advertisement protocol to transmit service query messages, a mobile device may receive service query responses from a network that identify the services available prior to establishing network capability. In other words, the messaging is prior to the exchange of any authentication parameters between the device and the network as well prior to the establishment of a recognized session between the device and the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Stephen McCann, Michael Peter Montemurro
  • Negotiation of quality of service (QoS) information for network management traffic in a wireless local area network (WLAN)
    Patent number: 9615383
    Abstract: An access point advertises a management frame quality of service (MFQ) policy that defines an access category used for transmitting a first type of management frame. Each mobile station associated with the access point is to prioritize transmission of management frames according to the MFQ policy advertised by the access point, unless a policy configuration request for the mobile station to prioritize transmission of management frames according to a different MFQ policy has been accepted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Peter Montemurro, Stephen McCann