Sierra Wireless, Inc.

Ping Liu

Bruce Michael Miller

Golnaz Sanaie-fard

Min Li

Behrouz Pourseyed

Rachel Wong

Trong Hoang

Method and apparatus for preventing current overdraw by a wireless modem sinking current from a host power supply of a host device (e.g. laptop computer or personal digital assistant (PDA)). The methods and apparatuses are applicable, but not limited to Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) wireless modems and Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service (GSM/GPRS) wireless networks.

Adaptive current limiter for wireless modem

A method and apparatus for providing thermal dissipation from a PC card is disclosed. For one embodiment of the invention, an extension portion, having a heat sink implemented thereon, is provided for a PC card. The extension portion extends beyond the PC card slot allowing thermal dissipation from the card due to air flow over the heat sink. For one embodiment of the invention, heat producing components of the PC card are identified and a thermally conductive path is provided from the components to the extension portion of the PC card.

Methods and apparatuses for thermal dissipation

Methods of and apparatuses for varying and controlling the effective series resistance (ESR) of a power supply rail configured to transmit power from a power supply of a host device to a wireless network interface device (e.g. a wireless modem). Varying and controlling the ESR of the power supply rail, relative to an ESR of a super capacitor coupled to the power supply rail, allows control of the currents drawn from the host power supply and a super capacitor. During a time when the wireless network interface device is transmitting or is about to transmit, the ESR of the power supply rail is increased so that it exceeds the ESR of the super capacitor, thereby causing current for the power amplifier (PA) of the wireless network interface device to be drawn primarily from the super capacitor, rather than from the host power supply. During a time when the wireless network interface device has completed transmitting or is about to complete transmitting, the ESR of the host power supply is lowered so that it is less than the ESR of the super capacitor, thereby causing the super capacitor to enter a charging state.

Peak current control in wireless network interface devices

Methods of and apparatuses for characterizing the power supplying capabilities of host power supplies providing power to wireless modems. According to an exemplary method, an equivalent series resistance of the power supply is determined and compared to a plurality of maximum equivalent series resistance values associated with a corresponding plurality of transmission power classes. Each power class is designated as a permissible power class at which the wireless modem may be configured to transmit, for each maximum equivalent series resistance value that is greater than the equivalent series resistance of the power supply.

Growing community of inventors

Surrey, Canada

Ping Liu