Patents by Inventor Thomas H. Williams

Thomas H. Williams 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: 10476631
    Abstract: A receiver is configured to capture a plurality of linearly distorted OFDM symbols transmitted over a signal path. The receiver forms the captured OFDM symbols into an overlapped compound data block that includes payload data and at least one pseudo-extension, processes the overlapped compound block with circular convolution in the time domain using an inverse channel response, or frequency domain equalization, to produce an equalized compound block, and discards end portions of the equalized block to produce a narrow equalized block. The end portion corresponds with the pseudo-extension, and the narrow block corresponds with the payload data. The receiver cascades multiple narrow equalized blocks to form a de-ghosted signal stream of OFDM symbols. The OFDM symbols may be OFDM or OFDMA, and may or may not include a cyclic prefix, which will have a different length from the pseudo-extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Williams, Gregory Charles White
  • Patent number: 10432388
    Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for improved duplex communications in an RF cable network comprising a plurality of CMs. In one embodiment, a system includes a CMTS operable to transmit downstream communications to the CMs and to process upstream communications from the CMs. The system also includes a duplex RF communication path between the CMTS and the CMs. The CMTS is further operable to transmit a control signal that directs a first of the CMs to transmit, to direct the remaining CMs to receive the transmission from the first CM, to direct the CMs to report received power levels of the transmission from the first CM, and to calculate RF isolations of the remaining CMs with respect to the first CM based on the reported power levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Belal Hamzeh, Thomas H. Williams, Daniel Rice, Luis Alberto Campos
  • Publication number: 20190280763
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Steve Arendt, Belal Hamzeh
  • Publication number: 20190238217
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190238218
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190215058
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Steve Arendt, Belal Hamzeh
  • Publication number: 20190199430
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190199429
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190173571
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190165855
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190165853
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190165854
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Patent number: 10306683
    Abstract: Scheduling of transmission opportunities to prevent collisions is contemplated. The transmission opportunities may be scheduled for terminal units where transmissions of one terminal unit may collide or otherwise interfere with transmissions of another terminal unit. The transmission opportunities may be scheduled according to a time-frequency grid to prevent collisions in a time domain and/or a frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Williams, Matthew D. Schmitt
  • Publication number: 20190149373
    Abstract: A digital transmission system includes a transmitter configured to transmit an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal along a signal path, a receiver for receiving the OFDM signal from the transmitter and extracting OFDM symbols from the received OFDM signal, and a diagnostic unit configured to (i) demodulate the received OFDM signal to create an ideal signal, (ii) compare the received OFDM signal with the ideal signal to calculate an error signal, (iii) cross-correlate the error signal with the ideal signal, and (iv) determine a level nonlinear distortion from one of the transmitter and the signal path based on the correlation of the error signal with the ideal signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Thomas H. Williams
  • Publication number: 20190120969
    Abstract: A communication system, includes a satellite receiver in operable communication with a central server, a cellular node configured to operate within a proximity of the satellite receiver, and at least one mobile communication device configured to communicate (i) with the cellular node, (ii) within the proximity of the satellite receiver, and (iii) using a transmission signal capable of causing interference to the satellite receiver. The satellite receiver is configured to detect a repeating portion of the transmission signal and determine a potential for interference from the at least one mobile communication device based on the detected repeating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Belal Hamzeh, Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190109637
    Abstract: A system for testing line attenuation defects includes a data transmission line configured to transmit a forward signal in a first direction, at least one reflection point at a first location along the data transmission line, a test probe configured to (i) electrically contact a center conductor at a second location along the data transmission line, (ii) introduce a broadband data signal onto the data transmission line, and (iii) measure, at the second location, a return signal from the reflection point, and a spectrum capturing device in operable contact with the test probe. The spectrum capturing device is configured to (i) collect and arrange frequency data measured by the test probe for the test signal, the return signal, and a standing wave created by the sum of the broadband data signal and the return signal, (ii) determine the voltage VSWR of the standing wave, and (iii) calculate a line loss from the VSWR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas H. Williams, Ryan Richard Vail
  • Publication number: 20190068354
    Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for improved duplex communications in an RF cable network comprising a plurality of CMs. In one embodiment, a system includes a CMTS operable to transmit downstream communications to the CMs and to process upstream communications from the CMs. The system also includes a duplex RF communication path between the CMTS and the CMs. The CMTS is further operable to transmit a control signal that directs a first of the CMs to transmit, to direct the remaining CMs to receive the transmission from the first CM, to direct the CMs to report received power levels of the transmission from the first CM, and to calculate RF isolations of the remaining CMs with respect to the first CM based on the reported power levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Belal Hamzeh, Thomas H. Williams, Daniel Rice, Luis Alberto Campos
  • Patent number: 10218546
    Abstract: A digital transmission system includes a transmitter configured to transmit an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal along a signal path, a receiver for receiving the OFDM signal from the transmitter and extracting OFDM symbols from the received OFDM signal, and a diagnostic unit configured to (i) demodulate the received OFDM signal to create an ideal signal, (ii) compare the received OFDM signal with the ideal signal to calculate an error signal, (iii) cross-correlate the error signal with the ideal signal, and (iv) determine a level nonlinear distortion from one of the transmitter and the signal path based on the correlation of the error signal with the ideal signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas H. Williams
  • Publication number: 20190028182
    Abstract: A communication system includes an earth station configured to receive a downlink transmission from a satellite and transmit an uplink transmission to the satellite. The communication system further includes a server in operable communication with the earth station, a beacon detector in operable communication with the server, an access point configured to operate within a proximity of the earth station, and a beacon transmitter disposed within close proximity to the access point. The beacon transmitter is configured to transmit a beacon signal to one or more of the server and the beacon detector. The beacon signal uniquely identifies the access point. The server is configured to implement a measurement-based protection scheme with respect to at least one of the downlink transmission and the uplink transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Paul Smyth, Lin Cheng, Jim O'Connor, Eric Winkelman, Thomas H. Williams, Belal Hamzeh, Steve Arendt
  • Publication number: 20190028199
    Abstract: An optical signal receiver includes a processor, a memory, an input, an output, and a sampling unit in operable communication with the processor and the memory. The sampling unit includes a shift register and a clock, and is configured to receive a laser signal at the input, collect a first sample of the received input laser signal at a first time interval, determine an amplitude of the first sample, assign a first symbol of a plurality of symbols to the determined amplitude, insert the first symbol at a first insertion point within the shift register, and generate a delay value at the output based on a position of the first insertion point with respect to the output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas H. Williams, Luis Alberto Campos, Zhensheng Jia