Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Hill

Thomas C. Hill 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: 9651646
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a test and measurement instrument including a test signal input and a sampler coupled to the test signal input to generate a sampled test signal. The instrument also includes a noise reduction system that includes an additional oscillator coupled to the sampler and structured to generate a sampled oscillating signal, as well as a phase detector coupled to the sampled oscillating signal for measuring noise introduced by the sampler. The noise reduction system further includes a phase corrector coupled to the phase detector for removing the measured amount of noise from the sampled test signal. Methods of noise detection are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigetsune Torin, Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 9413867
    Abstract: A communications system may include a telephone terminal, a first near field communication (NFC) device associated with the telephone terminal, a mobile wireless communications device, and a second NFC device associated with the mobile wireless communications device. The telephone terminal may have a first caller identification (ID) associated therewith, and the mobile communications device may have a second caller ID associated therewith different than the first caller ID. The telephone terminal may be configured to place a telephone call over a telephone network, and cooperate with the telephone network to substitute the second caller ID for the first caller ID when placing the telephone call based upon NFC communication between the first NFC device and the second NFC device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hill, Prateek Bhatnagar
  • Publication number: 20150369898
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a test and measurement instrument including a test signal input and a sampler coupled to the test signal input to generate a sampled test signal. The instrument also includes a noise reduction system that includes an additional oscillator coupled to the sampler and structured to generate a sampled oscillating signal, as well as a phase detector coupled to the sampled oscillating signal for measuring noise introduced by the sampler. The noise reduction system further includes a phase corrector coupled to the phase detector for removing the measured amount of noise from the sampled test signal. Methods of noise detection are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Shigetsune Torin, Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 9154190
    Abstract: A communications system includes a plurality of slave mobile wireless communications devices each having a first near field communications (NFC) device. The communications system also includes a master mobile wireless communications device having second NFC device, and a processor coupled to the second NFC device. The processor is configured to associate different content items with different respective slave mobile wireless communications devices, based upon NFC communication with the plurality of slave mobile wireless communications devices, and to send the different content items to the different respective slave mobile wireless communications devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 8948693
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a near field communication (NFC) reference device configured to store object reference data for at least one object associated with a geographic location of the NFC device. The wireless communications system may also include a mobile wireless communications device that includes an NFC transceiver configured to communicate with the NFC device based upon proximity thereto, an image sensor, a display, and a controller. The controller may cooperate with the NFC transceiver, the image sensor, and the display. The controller may be configured to determine a sensed image from the image sensor. The controller may also be configured to select object reference data for the sensed image based upon communication with the NFC reference device, and display the object reference data and the sensed image on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 8855555
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, wireless transceiver circuitry carried by the portable housing, and a first display carried by the portable housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a processor carried by the portable housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry and the first display, and a second display carried by the portable housing. The second display may include an array of pixels. Each pixel may retain a given state between refreshes and without electrical power supplied thereto. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a near-field communications (NFC) device carried by the portable housing and cooperating with the second display to display an image thereon based upon NFC communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hill, Michael Joseph DeLuca
  • Patent number: 8737914
    Abstract: A communication system may include a near-field communication (NFC) device, and a mobile wireless communications device having different selectable keyboard configuration modes. The mobile wireless communications device may include an NFC circuit, and a controller coupled to the NFC circuit and determining a selected keyboard configuration mode, and selectively communicating a respective set of data from among different sets of data with the NFC device based upon the selected keyboard configuration mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 8595360
    Abstract: A system (10) and method (50) for distributing digital information, including download information and activation or digital rights management information, to one or more branch devices. The method includes a root device receiving digital information from an information source, and transmitting the download information and the activation information associated with the download information to one or more branch devices. The branch device, upon receiving the activation information can activate, install or execute the download information. The download information and/or the activation information can be conditionally distributed, e.g., based on a time-based, location-based or authentication-based condition or event. The method also may include extracting the distributed information, e.g., upon the completion of the condition or event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hill, Sandeep M. Adwankar, Vijay Anand
  • Patent number: 8503999
    Abstract: A method for presenting multiple communications in a wireless communication device (100) comprising presenting (308) a plurality of communications concurrently with at least one output device of a wireless communication device. The method further comprises formatting the plurality of communications on the at least one output device as a function of the number of communications of the plurality of communications and of at least one condition and a function of a communication characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventor: Thomas C Hill
  • Publication number: 20130181886
    Abstract: A wireless communication system may include a mobile wireless communications device having a first display configured to display a primary resource having a hyperlink therein associated with a secondary resource, a first near field communication (NFC) transceiver, and a first controller coupled to the first display and the first NFC transceiver. The wireless communication system may also include a computing device having a second display, a second NFC transceiver, and a second controller coupled to the second display and the second NFC transceiver. The first controller may be configured to store the hyperlink based upon displaying of the primary resource on the first display without displaying the secondary resource on the first display, and to send the stored hyperlink to the computing device using the first and second NFC transceivers, and the second controller may be configured to display the secondary resource associated with the hyperlink on the second display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: THOMAS C. HILL
  • Publication number: 20130178198
    Abstract: A communications system may include a telephone terminal, a first near field communication (NFC) device associated with the telephone terminal, a mobile wireless communications device, and a second NFC device associated with the mobile wireless communications device. The telephone terminal may have a first caller identification (ID) associated therewith, and the mobile communications device may have a second caller ID associated therewith different than the first caller ID. The telephone terminal may be configured to place a telephone call over a telephone network, and cooperate with the telephone network to substitute the second caller ID for the first caller ID when placing the telephone call based upon NFC communication between the first NFC device and the second NFC device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hill, Prateek Bhatnagar
  • Patent number: 8396423
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices (WCDs). A source WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to designate message data for at least one target WCD from among the plurality of WCDs, where the message data has a security restriction associated therewith. At least one intermediary WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the source WCD when in proximity thereto, and with restricted access to the message data based upon the security restriction. The at least one target WCD may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the at least one intermediary WCD when in proximity thereto and with less access restriction to the message data than the at least one intermediary WCD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Patent number: 8326281
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a near field communication (NFC) reference device configured to store object reference data for at least one object associated with a geographic location of the NFC device. The wireless communications system may also include a mobile wireless communications device that includes an NFC transceiver configured to communicate with the NFC device based upon proximity thereto, an image sensor, a display, and a controller. The controller may cooperate with the NFC transceiver, the image sensor, and the display. The controller may be configured to determine a sensed image from the image sensor. The controller may also be configured to select object reference data for the sensed image based upon communication with the NFC reference device, and display the object reference data and the sensed image on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Publication number: 20120257001
    Abstract: A method for presenting multiple communications in a wireless communication device (100) comprising presenting (308) a plurality of communications concurrently with at least one output device of a wireless communication device. The method further comprises formatting the plurality of communications on the at least one output device as a function of the number of communications of the plurality of communications and of at least one condition and a function of a communication characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: MOTOROLA MOBILITY, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas C. Hill
  • Publication number: 20120220222
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include an electronic device including a first near field communication (NFC) device and a player device configured to play media content. The wireless communications system may also include at least one mobile wireless communications device including a second NFC device configured to communicate with the first NFC device based upon proximity, and a controller cooperating with the second NFC device and configured to transmit preference play information to the electronic device via the first NFC device. The player device may be configured to play selected media content based upon the preference play information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicants: of the Province of Ontario, Canada)
    Inventor: THOMAS C. HILL
  • Publication number: 20120220219
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, wireless transceiver circuitry carried by the portable housing, and a first display carried by the portable housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a processor carried by the portable housing and coupled to the wireless transceiver circuitry and the first display, and a second display carried by the portable housing. The second display may include an array of pixels. Each pixel may retain a given state between refreshes and without electrical power supplied thereto. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a near-field communications (NFC) device carried by the portable housing and cooperating with the second display to display an image thereon based upon NFC communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Thomas C. Hill, Michael Joseph Deluca
  • Publication number: 20120220225
    Abstract: A communication system may include a near-field communication (NFC) device, and a mobile wireless communications device having different selectable keyboard configuration modes. The mobile wireless communications device may include an NFC circuit, and a controller coupled to the NFC circuit and determining a selected keyboard configuration mode, and selectively communicating a respective set of data from among different sets of data with the NFC device based upon the selected keyboard configuration mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicants: of Ontario, Canada)
    Inventor: THOMAS C. HILL
  • Publication number: 20120220226
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices (WCDs). A source WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to designate message data for at least one target WCD from among the plurality of WCDs, where the message data has a security restriction associated therewith. At least one intermediary WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the source WCD when in proximity thereto, and with restricted access to the message data based upon the security restriction. The at least one target WCD may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the at least one intermediary WCD when in proximity thereto and with less access restriction to the message data than the at least one intermediary WCD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited (a corporation organize d under the laws of the Province of Ontario, Ca)
    Inventor: THOMAS C. HILL
  • Publication number: 20120208455
    Abstract: A communications system includes a plurality of slave mobile wireless communications devices each having a first near field communications (NFC) device. The communications system also includes a master mobile wireless communications device having second NFC device, and a processor coupled to the second NFC device. The processor is configured to associate different content items with different respective slave mobile wireless communications devices, based upon NFC communication with the plurality of slave mobile wireless communications devices, and to send the different content items to the different respective slave mobile wireless communications devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Thomas C. HILL
  • Publication number: 20120208551
    Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a near field communication (NFC) reference device configured to store object reference data for at least one object associated with a geographic location of the NFC device. The wireless communications system may also include a mobile wireless communications device that includes an NFC transceiver configured to communicate with the NFC device based upon proximity thereto, an image sensor, a display, and a controller. The controller may cooperate with the NFC transceiver, the image sensor, and the display. The controller may be configured to determine a sensed image from the image sensor. The controller may also be configured to select object reference data for the sensed image based upon communication with the NFC reference device, and display the object reference data and the sensed image on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicants: Province of Ontario, Canada)
    Inventor: THOMAS C. HILL