8695 results about "Wireless communication systems" patented technology

The present invention provides a wireless communication module system for use with a portable personal computer (PC) having a motherboard and an integral display screen. In one embodiment, the system includes a single wired interface having first and second ends, where the first end is coupled to the motherboard and the second end is coupled to the display screen and provides a connection port. The system further includes a wireless communication module having an antenna and an interface port removably coupled to the connection port. In this embodiment, the module also includes a transceiver configured to employ the antenna to transmit and receive radio communication signals, where the transceiver is further configured to employ the interface port to communicate with the motherboard. A method for performing a wireless communication and a wireless communication system incorporating the wireless communication module system or the method are also disclosed.

A method of monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment monitors a set of PDCCH candidates for a search space in a subframe. The search space includes a common search space monitored by all user equipments in a cell and a UE-specific search space monitored by at least one UE in the cell.

Coding techniques for a (e.g., OFDM) communication system capable of transmitting data on a number of "transmission channels" at different information bit rates based on the channels' achieved SNR. A base code is used in combination with common or variable puncturing to achieve different coding rates required by the transmission channels. The data (i.e., information bits) for a data transmission is encoded with the base code, and the coded bits for each channel (or group of channels with the similar transmission capabilities) are punctured to achieve the required coding rate. The coded bits may be interleaved (e.g., to combat fading and remove correlation between coded bits in each modulation symbol) prior to puncturing. The unpunctured coded bits are grouped into non-binary symbols and mapped to modulation symbols (e.g., using Gray mapping). The modulation symbol may be "pre-conditioned" and prior to transmission.

An apparatus, system and method to dynamically manage an allocation of communication resources for direct device-to-device communications between a plurality of wireless communication devices in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment, the apparatus (410) includes a communication resource allocator (420) configured to: (1) select a master communication device of a plurality of wireless communication devices that form a device-to-device group, (2) provide an allocation of communication resources for device-to-device group that facilitate direct device-to-device communications therebetween. The apparatus (410) also includes a message generator (430) configured to assemble messages that include the allocation of the communication resources.

In the resource mapping method for data transmission, a time-frequency resource of a slot interval including OFDM symbols is divided into traffic channels and shared among the subscribers, the traffic channel including resource blocks uniformly distributed in the whole transmit frequency band, the resource block including consecutive subcarriers of consecutive received symbols having at least one inserted pilot symbol. The pilot symbols and the channel-encoded and modulated data symbols are processed by time-frequency mapping according to the resource-block-based mapping method to generate received symbols. The receiver separates the received symbols by subscribers according to the resource-block-based mapping method in a frequency domain, and performs iterative channel estimation, demodulation, and decoding by using the pilot and a data reference value after decoding for each traffic channel.

System and method for dimension reduction and for channel and interference condition feedback in a Multi-User Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MU MIMO) wireless communication systems. The method for dimension reduction includes determining a number of virtual antennas, vk, for beamformees pertaining to a multi user (MU) transmission group, reducing the dimension of said matrix by selecting a sub-set of antennas or by Eigen mode selection and sending a reduced dimension candidate transmit beamforming matrix or an effective channel matrix to a beamformer. The method for channel and interference condition feedback Interference condition includes sending to a beamformee metric indicative of the interference level from other streams.

Systems and methods are disclosed for using 802.11 based wireless protocols in various energy management applications wherein a host controller uses various types of communication networks to distribute information to an on-premise processor that in turn uses 802.11 based wireless protocols to communicate with various types of end devices, such as utility meters. Various forms of communication are defined between the end device, the on-premise processor, and the energy management host for accomplishing power load control, including determining when to activate or deactivate a load, requesting permission to activate a load, reading usage data, activating or deactivating a meter, and determining rate schedules. A flexible scheme allows control to be shifted to be resident in various entities. The architecture is applicable not only for power load control, but other control type and metering devices.

The present invention relates to wireless networks using relaying. In the method according to the present invention of performing communication in a two-hop wireless communication network, a transmitter 210, a receiver 220 and at least one relay station 215 are engaged in a communication session. The relay station 215 forwards signals from a first link between the transmitter 210 and the relay station 215 to a second link between the relay stations 215 and the receiver 220. The forwarding performed by the at least one relay station 215 is adapted as a response to estimated radio channel characteristics of at least the first link. Preferably the forwarding is adapted as a response to estimated radio channel characteristics of both the first and second link.

For one embodiment, a short-range, wireless communication link, such as a Bluetooth link, is established between a mobile phone and a computer system. The mobile phone transmits an access code via the link to the computer system. The access code is generated using data stored in the subscriber identity module (SIM) in the mobile phone. Access to the computer system is granted in response to receiving the access code. In this manner, the SIM is used not only to identify the user during cellular phone calls (or other long-range, wireless communication) but also to authenticate the user and to gain access to a computer system.

A group communication method for a wireless information device, in which the method comprises the step of using an application independent object which defines or references members of a group in a way that enables communication to take place between two or more members of the group. The group object defines solely the identities of members of a group: as such, it is application (and hence also content) independent. This means that a group created in one application (e.g. a diary / agenda application could use that same group as the recipient list for an invitation to a meeting); a voice application could use that same group to allow a voice call to be conferenced across to all group members. Similarly, data specifically created for one group and in one application can be re-used in a different application and the data viewed appropriately for that different application.

A system and method provide for establishment and use of permission sets for subscribers where client applications in a wireless communication environment are requesting location information for a particular wireless communications device from a provider of such information. The system described herein provides the capability for a wireless communications device operator to establish a profile wherein limitations may be placed on the provision of such location information based on such things as the requesting party, spatial and temporal limitations, as well as granularity. The system described herein may be further configured such that an authentication process is preformed for client application seeking location information which would require the registration of such client applications with a centralized processing system.

A Quality of Experience (QoE) framework provides a technique to assess the end user experience in a mobile wireless communication environment, such as 2.5G or 3G networks, or in any other wireless or hardwired communication environment. The framework is usable in conjunction with media streaming applications and enables a combination of network layer, transport layer, codec layer, and application layer measurements in extracting results. The extracted results can be used to monitor and improve, if necessary, the end user experience over severely variable network conditions.

The present invention provides a wireless communication apparatus including: a communication processing unit that transmits and receives a radio signal; a wireless power transmitting unit that supplies power wirelessly to an apparatus located within a power supplyable range; a location data obtaining unit that obtains location data of a power receiver apparatus; and a control unit that controls a power supply to the power receiver apparatus based on the location data of the power receiver apparatus obtained by the location data obtaining unit.

A satellite gateway is coupled to a communications network and is operative to communicate with a communications satellite. A terrestrial terminal interface subsystem is operative to communicate with the satellite gateway via the communications satellite using a first radio interface and to communicate with terminals over a geographic area using a second radio interface. The communications network may be a wireless communications network, and the satellite gateway is configured to communicate with a base station controller of the wireless communications network, such that the terrestrial terminal interface subsystem may provide one or more satellite-linked terrestrial base stations.

Coding techniques for a (e.g., OFDM) communication system capable of transmitting data on a number of “transmission channels” at different information bit rates based on the channels' achieved SNR. A base code is used in combination with common or variable puncturing to achieve different coding rates required by the transmission channels. The data (i.e., information bits) for a data transmission is encoded with the base code, and the coded bits for each channel (or group of channels with the similar transmission capabilities) are punctured to achieve the required coding rate. The coded bits may be interleaved (e.g., to combat fading and remove correlation between coded bits in each modulation symbol) prior to puncturing. The unpunctured coded bits are grouped into non-binary symbols and mapped to modulation symbols (e.g., using Gray mapping). The modulation symbol may be “pre-conditioned” and prior to transmission.

A wireless communications system supporting multiple MIMO transmission modes supporting both diversity and directional transmissions under a plurality of different transmission modes comprises a plurality of transmit and receive antenna elements where the transmit antenna elements are arranged to provide polarization diversity. The transmitting station derives actual knowledge of the forward channel by feeding back certain information such as a preferred beam index and a channel quality indicator figure of merit for that beam from the receiving station to the transmitting station along a reverse channel. The receiving station knows the beam weights used by the transmitting station. The transmitting station applies the fed back information to transmit user data intended for the receiving station in the optimal fashion, such as along the preferred beam and at a time when forward channel conditions are satisfactory. The system provides robust single or multiple stream diversity transmission, together with the option of single user or multi-user beamforming to allow on-the-fly trade-offs between coverage gain and capacity in a wireless telecommunications system.

Embodiments of the present invention exploit the reciprocity of radio channels in TDD, and longer-term correlation between average uplink and downlink path losses in FDD wireless communication systems to enable distributed schedulers in an enhanced uplink system to allocate uplink transmission resources while preemptively managing intercell interference levels. Each cell's base station transmits a downlink reference signal at a known transmission power level. A mobile station monitors the received signal strength of the downlink reference signals from multiple base stations. The transmitted and received signal strength levels can be used by the mobile station to estimate the amount of intercell interference that the mobile station's uplink transmissions cause, and the mobile station's uplink transmission parameters are adjusted accordingly. In further embodiments, the received reference signal power levels, or values derived therefrom, are transmitted by the mobile station to its serving base station, where a scheduling algorithm uses the information to adjust one or more transmission parameters relating to a grant of uplink transmission resources to the UE, thereby controlling the intercell interference generated by the mobile station's uplink transmissions.

A method for visualizing and efficiently making comparisons of communication system performance utilizing predicted performance, measured performance, or other performance data sets is described. A system permits visualizing the comparisons of system performance data in three-dimensions using fluctuating elevation, shape, and / or color within a three-dimensional computer drawing database consisting of one or more multi-level buildings, terrain, flora, and additional static and dynamic obstacles (e.g., automobiles, people, filing cabinets, etc.). The method enables a design engineer to visually compare the performance of wireless communication systems as a three-dimensional region of fluctuating elevation, color, or other aesthetic characteristics with fully selectable display parameters, overlaid with the three-dimensional site-specific computer model for which the design was carried out.

A method for displaying the results of predicted wireless communication system performance as a three-dimensional region of fluctuating elevation and / or color within a three-dimensional computer drawing database consisting of one or more multi-level buildings, terrain, flora, and additional static and dynamic obstacles (e.g., automobiles, people, filing cabinets, etc.). The method combines computerized organization, database fusion, and site-specific performance prediction models. The method enables a design engineer to visualize the performance of any wireless communication system as a three-dimensional region of fluctuating elevation, color, or other aesthetic characteristics with fully selectable display parameters, overlaid with the three-dimensional site-specific computer model for which the performance prediction was carried out.

A method is provided for establishing P2P radio connection in wireless communication networks, comprising: the user equipment, as the link probing originator, transmits link probing signals via the allocated direct communication link to another user equipment as the link probing responder, according to the initial probing power provided by the wireless communication system; said another user equipment transmits the ACK message to the link probing originator via the direct communication link when receiving the link probing signals and said link probing signals meet the basic requirement for direct communication; the user equipment, as the link probing originator, monitors the direct communication link, and communicates directly with the link probing responder via the direct communication link after detecting the ACK message from the link probing responder. This method effectively guarantees the procedure of establishing P2P communication between the user equipments in P2P communication course, by utilizing the link probing process of transmitting link probing signals.

A wireless communications system and method adapted for use in automotive applications for enabling automatic, high-speed, wireless voice and / or data communications link to be established between a wide variety of external devices and various electronic subsystems of a vehicle. The apparatus includes first and second RF transceivers which are operated in accordance with a communications specification to enable a seamless, automatic communications link to be created when the two RF transceivers come within a pre-determined proximity of one another, for example, within up to 100 meters of one another. Information from one device is then automatically transmitted over the wireless communications link to the other device. In various implementations the apparatus is used to obtain information from a home PC, a work PC, a notebook PC and various other electronic devices, as well as information from the Internet, which is displayed and / or played back for the user by various subsystems of the vehicle while traveling in the vehicle. Other applications involving retail and manufacturing applications are disclosed by which the apparatus is used to facilitate and / or expedite manufacturing processes or retail transactions via one or more high-speed, secure, wireless communications links which are created automatically and seamlessly between the RF transceivers of the apparatus of the invention.

A wireless communication system, and method using multiple antennas, includes a base station that applies predetermined weight vectors to multi-user signals and transmits the multi-user signals through a plurality of transmission antennas, and a plurality of mobile stations that receive and process the multi-user signals, wherein each mobile station includes a signal reception unit that processes the multi-user signals, and a feedback signal generation unit that estimates channel characteristics, over which the multi-user signals have been transmitted, from the multi-user signals, classifies a plurality of weight vectors to be applied to the estimated channel characteristics into a plurality of sets such that vectors orthogonal to one another are classified into a single set, selects a set maximizing a transmission capacity from among the classified sets, and feeds back weight indexes of weight vectors included in the selected set and weighted channel information to the base station.

Various schemes for performing inter-system handoff, e.g., from a UTRAN to a cdma2000 radio access network (RAN) are described. For a MAHHO scheme, the UTRAN uses measurements obtained by a multi-RAT device to determine suitable cdma2000 cell(s) for handover. The measurements are obtained by a candidate frequency search procedure, and the handover is accomplished by a handoff execution procedure. For a MDHHO scheme, the UTRAN relies on location information for the multi-RAT device to select suitable cdma2000 cell(s) for handover. For a CRHHO scheme, a new call is established on the cdma2000 RAN and the pending call on the UTRAN is released in a manner such that the handover appears seamless to the multi-RAT device. The multi-RAT device includes two modem processors that perform processing for the UTRAN and cdma2000 RAN and an application processor that controls the modem processors.

A method and apparatus for handover in a wireless communication system. A handover indication can be received from a source base station (120) that is connected with a mobile station (110). The handover indication can include a random access channel preamble. The random access channel preamble can include a temporary mobile equipment identifier. The random access channel preamble can be received from the mobile station. A timing advance message can be sent in response to receiving random access channel preamble. The timing advance message can be addressed by the random access channel preamble and a source base station identifier. The connection with the mobile station can be switched from the source base station to a target base station (130).

A method and apparatus for wireless communication and more particularly, a method and apparatus for wireless communication utilizing impulse radio wherein an impulse radio communication system integrates with existing cellular / PCS wireless communication systems and / or current land line communication systems.

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate increased communication channel bandwidth efficiency in association with scheduled time periods that allocate channel access to particular stations. According to various aspects, systems and methods are described that facilitate providing and / or utilizing reverse direction grants in connection with scheduled channel access. Such systems and / or method can mitigate an amount of unused channel access time after a station completes data transmission prior to an end of the allocated period.

A wireless communication system, wherein packet transmission operations are carried out in an infrastructure mode, includes: a first terminal station serving as a data transmission source; a second terminal station serving as a data receiving destination; and a control station configured to contain each terminal station and relay a packet transmitted between the two terminal stations; wherein the first terminal station transmits a packet addressed to the second terminal station via the control station, and detects that the second terminal station is within range capable of a direct link, based on the first terminal station receiving a confirmation response packet replied from the second terminal station, the confirmation response packet being replied from the second terminal station upon a predetermined period of time having passed from the time of the control station transferring the packet to the second terminal station address.

A system produces of an empirical map of wireless communication coverage through a process of combining information from individual clients to produce a map which is then shared by all of the clients. The wireless coverage map aids in maintaining a reliable communications link. The empirical map is generated by combining information from a group of mobile wireless users. The group may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service provider. The mobile vehicles must be equipped with a GPS device or be located by other means such as triangulation. While vehicles are moving, the quality of wireless communication, e.g., signal strength or communication continuity, is recorded for each vehicle as a function of positions. The data from all of the vehicles is combined to produce the empirical map. The empirical map may be maintained at a central site and subsets of the map replicated for individual vehicles. The map may then be used to direct mobile users to sites of superior communications reliability, warn mobile users when they are out of the service area or are about to leave the service area, or to regulate data communications automatically to stop and restart communications as a mobile vehicle passes through a gap in coverage.

Techniques for mitigating interference in a wireless communication system are described. In an aspect, pertinent transmission parameters for a served UE may be sent to at least one interfered UE to support interference mitigation. In one design, information for at least one transmission parameter for a data transmission sent by a first cell to a first UE may be transmitted to at least one UE served by a second cell to enable the at least one UE to perform interference mitigation for the data transmission sent by the first cell to the first UE. The information may be transmitted by either the first cell or the second cell. In another aspect, a cell may send transmission parameters for a UE via a pilot. In yet another aspect, scrambling may be performed by a cell at symbol level to enable an interfered UE to distinguish between modulation symbols of desired and interfering transmissions.