Patents by Inventor Todd R. Sutton

Todd R. Sutton 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: 9888425
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a mobility factor is used to influence handoff. If a subscriber station has been in a low mobility state for some period of time, the system may handoff operation from a first service type to a second service type. If the mobility factor indicates that the subscriber station is moving, the system may handoff operation from the second service type back to the first service type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: MONUMENT BANK OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LLC
    Inventors: Barry R. Robbins, Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9775002
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying a subscriber station which is in motion, determining a mobility metric indicative of a level of mobility of the subscriber station and varying or updating one or more operating parameters based on the mobility metric. An apparatus can determine a measure of mobility based on one or a combination of a plurality of factors, such as variations in signal strength, variations in a channel estimate, or variations in phase or frequency of a particular signal or signal component. The one or more measures of mobility can be combined to form a single measure of mobility, the measure of mobility can be quantized to a predetermined number of mobility levels and one or more operating parameters can be varied or adjusted based on the mobility level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: WI-LAN INC.
    Inventors: Srikanth Gummadi, Ron Porat, Todd R. Sutton
  • Publication number: 20170188287
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a mobility factor is used to influence handoff. If a subscriber station has been in a low mobility state for some period of time, the system may handoff operation from a first service type to a second service type. If the mobility factor indicates that the subscriber station is moving, the system may handoff operation from the second service type back to the first service type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Barry R. Robbins, Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9641014
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for controlling skin temperature of an electronic device. In one embodiment, a thermal sensor is configured on a case of a handheld electronic device. The thermal sensor is coupled to a battery charger having a current limit circuit. If the sensed temperature of the case increases above a threshold, a current limit is reduced to reduce current in the battery charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Christian G Sporck, Giovanni Garcea, Shadi Hawawini, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 9629054
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a mobility factor is used to influence handoff. If a subscriber station has been in a low mobility state for some period of time, the system may handoff operation from a first service type to a second service type. If the mobility factor indicates that the subscriber station is moving, the system may handoff operation from the second service type back to the first service type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: MONUMENT BANK OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LLC
    Inventors: Barry R. Robbins, Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9480017
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are related to enhancing power efficiency of an electronic device. A device may include a power management module and a radio-frequency (RF) module coupled to the power management module. The device may further include a digital module coupled to each of the power management module and the RF module and configured to dynamically adjust at least one setting of the power management module based on one or more RF conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Hardik M Patel, Todd R Sutton, Frederic Bossu, Chris M Rosolowski, Helena Deirdre O'Shea
  • Patent number: 9344022
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for driving resonant actuators. In one embodiment, a drive signal is applied to an actuator during a portion of a plurality of half cycles of a period of the drive signal. The actuator has a resonant frequency and may vibrate in response to the drive signal. An induced voltage is generated on terminals of the actuator in response to the vibration. A detection circuit may detect when the induced voltage on the actuator crosses a threshold after the drive signal is turned off. The drive signal may be triggered based on when the induced voltage crosses the threshold to align a frequency and phase of the drive signal with the resonant frequency and a phase of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Qadeer A Khan, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Joshua A Zazzera, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 9219369
    Abstract: An electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a first port. The electronic device also includes a second port. The electronic device further includes a multiphase charger. The multiphase charger includes a first buck. The multiphase charger also includes a second buck. The multiphase charger further includes a first port switch. The multiphase charger also includes a second port switch. The multiphase charger further includes a reverse boost switch. The multiphase charger also includes a multiphase switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Narendra Singh Mehta, Chris M Rosolowski, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 9197129
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a boost converter topology for low battery voltage support. In the method, an input voltage is boosted by closing first through third switches and then opening a fourth switch to charge a capacitor. The first and second switches are then opened. The voltage is then doubled by closing the third and fourth switches to discharge the first capacitor into a second capacitor and charging a third capacitor. A further embodiment provides an additional method for selectively boosting an input voltage to an electronic device. The method first characterizes the efficiency of a circuit, and then determines a crossover point for a ratio of output voltage to input voltage, and then enabling or disabling a voltage boost converter based on the crossover point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM, Incorporated
    Inventors: Narendra S Mehta, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 9190862
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for calibrating a charging current. A device may include a charger for conveying an output voltage to a chargeable device. The device may also include a monitoring system including an analog-to-digital converter for measuring a current received by the chargeable device. Further, the device may include a control device configured to receive a charging current value from the monitoring system and convey a signal to the charger in response to a comparison of the charging current value to a target current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Cheong Kun, Eric B Zeisel, David Keitel, Eric I Mikuteit, Abhijeet V Dharmapurikar, Todd R Sutton
  • Publication number: 20150327020
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying a subscriber station which is in motion, determining a mobility metric indicative of a level of mobility of the subscriber station and varying or updating one or more operating parameters based on the mobility metric. An apparatus can determine a measure of mobility based on one or a combination of a plurality of factors, such as variations in signal strength, variations in a channel estimate, or variations in phase or frequency of a particular signal or signal component. The one or more measures of mobility can be combined to form a single measure of mobility, the measure of mobility can be quantized to a predetermined number of mobility levels and one or more operating parameters can be varied or adjusted based on the mobility level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: WI-LAN INC.
    Inventors: Srikanth GUMMADI, Ron PORAT, Todd R. SUTTON
  • Patent number: 9119162
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for extending the driving capacity of a power management device are provided. The method involves determining an energy requirement for the operation of a power management device. Next, the method compares the energy requirement for the operation of a power management device with a capability of a first power device. If the energy requirement is greater than the energy requirement of the first power device, the energy is switched to a second power device of higher capacity. The apparatus includes: a first power device; a second power device connected in parallel to the first power device; a first inductor connected to the first power device and a capacitor connected to the first inductor; and a second inductor connected to a second power device and a capacitor connected to the second inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Adrian M Stenzel, Todd R Sutton, Narendra Singh Mehta, Siegfried W Breitmeier, Gordon P Lee
  • Publication number: 20150229155
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for controlling skin temperature of an electronic device. In one embodiment, a thermal sensor is configured on a case of a handheld electronic device. The thermal sensor is coupled to a battery charger having a current limit circuit. If the sensed temperature of the case increases above a threshold, a current limit is reduced to reduce current in the battery charger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Christian G. Sporck, Giovanni Garcea, Shadi Hawawini, Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9088958
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying a subscriber station which is in motion, determining a mobility metric indicative of a level of mobility of the subscriber station and varying or updating one or more operating parameters based on the mobility metric. An apparatus can determine a measure of mobility based on one or a combination of a plurality of factors, such as variations in signal strength, variations in a channel estimate, or variations in phase or frequency of a particular signal or signal component. The one or more measures of mobility can be combined to form a single measure of mobility, the measure of mobility can be quantized to a predetermined number of mobility levels and one or more operating parameters can be varied or adjusted based on the mobility level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: WI-LAN INC.
    Inventors: Srikanth Gummadi, Ron Porat, Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 9013305
    Abstract: An apparatus configured for providing communication between integrated circuits is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first integrated circuit. The apparatus also includes a second integrated circuit. The apparatus further includes an alarm interface that couples the first integrated circuit to the second integrated circuit. An alarm signal is sent on the alarm interface to signal an alarm event. The alarm signal is modulated differently based on a type of the alarm event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Todd R Sutton
  • Publication number: 20150069939
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for driving resonant actuators. In one embodiment, a drive signal is applied to an actuator during a portion of a plurality of half cycles of a period of the drive signal. The actuator has a resonant frequency and may vibrate in response to the drive signal. An induced voltage is generated on terminals of the actuator in response to the vibration. A detection circuit may detect when the induced voltage on the actuator crosses a threshold after the drive signal is turned off. The drive signal may be triggered based on when the induced voltage crosses the threshold to align a frequency and phase of the drive signal with the resonant frequency and a phase of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Qadeer A. Khan, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Joshua A. Zazzera, Todd R. Sutton
  • Publication number: 20150055627
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a mobility factor is used to influence handoff. If a subscriber station has been in a low mobility state for some period of time, the system may handoff operation from a first service type to a second service type. If the mobility factor indicates that the subscriber station is moving, the system may handoff operation from the second service type back to the first service type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Wi-Lan, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry R. Robbins, Todd R. Sutton
  • Publication number: 20150046105
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit comprises a sensor providing a digital signal responsive to a battery voltage on a battery terminal of a battery. The sensor can be an analog-to-digital convertor. A processor is coupled to the sensor and is configured to calculate a state of charge of the battery based on the digital signal at a first time, the digital signal at a second time, and a stored battery profile of open circuit voltage as a function of state of charge at the second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ranjit Kumar Guntreddi, Krishnakumar Gopalakrishnan, Justin T Blackman, Eric I Mikuteit, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 8902799
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for power reduction in a wireless device having multiple receive paths are described herein. A wireless device configured for any one of multiple operating modes may utilize multiple receive signal paths to improve the receive signal quality in each of the operating modes. The wireless device may be configured to dynamically reconfigure a modulation coding scheme to compensate for varying signal qualities in some modes. The wireless receiver may be configured in other operating modes where the modulation coding scheme is fixed for a duration of the operating mode. The wireless device can conserve power when it is operating in a mode supporting a constant modulation coding scheme. The wireless device can determine a signal metric value of the received signals and can selectively power down or deactivate a receive signal path based on the value of the signal metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Wi-LAN, Inc.
    Inventor: Todd R. Sutton
  • Patent number: 8855637
    Abstract: In a wireless communication system, a mobility factor is used to influence handoff. If a subscriber station has been in a low mobility state for some period of time, the system may handoff operation from a first service type to a second service type. If the mobility factor indicates that the subscriber station is moving, the system may handoff operation from the second service type back to the first service type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Wi-Lan, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry R. Robbins, Todd R. Sutton