Sierra Wireless, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

Simon Fraser University

Ronald John Vanderhelm

Gregory John Funk

Craig S Gauld

Trent Owen McKeen

Larry J Zibrik

David W Russo

Oscar M Garay

Robert W Hamilton

Marek Karol Dutkiewicz

Andrey Gleener

Rodney Grant Vaughan

Denis Beaudoin

Peter R H McConnell

J F Beaudoin

D Andrew G Lea

Wenkai Zhong

A data communication system has a station that includes multiple antenna elements. The station communicates to the antenna elements by way of digital data channels. Each antenna is connected to an RF module that receives data by way of a corresponding digital data channel, encodes and transmits the data. Adaptive beamforming may be performed for interference mitigation. Embodiments use the strength of pilot signals and/or error vector magnitudes as cost functions for an adaptive beamforming alogorithm such as optimum combining. Unused sub-carriers may be applied to provide in-band communication to facilitate channel switching, data reallocation and other interference mitigation strategies.

Reassignment of data among subcarriers in wireless data communication

A core wireless engine design includes the standardized CWE interface. The core wireless engine includes a transceiver, microprocessor and a standardized interface arrangement. The standardized interface arrangement is adapted to be connected to a variety of different host interfaces. This arrangement allows core wireless engines to be used with a variety of different host interfaces and form factors. In a preferred embodiment, the core wireless engine design is sized so that it can fit into a variety of form factor units.

Core wireless engine

A receiver with reduced near field noise is described. The receiver has a far range receiving section configured to sense a desired signal that includes near field noise. The receiver further includes a near range receiving section configured to sense a near field noise reference signal. An adaptive noise canceller (ANC) of the receiver is configured to detect the magnitude of an error vector from the far range receiving section. The ANC is configured to adjust the phase and gain of the near field noise reference signal in response to the magnitude of the error. Accordingly, the ANC can generate a corrected near field noise reference signal that is added to the desired signal with an adder. The near field noise is canceled by the addition of the corrected near field noise signal. The ANC uses a least mean square technique to determine the amount of correction needed.

Adaptive noise reduction system for a wireless receiver

An inexpensive, PCMCIA-based radio transceiver is provided that interfaces to a separate baseband modem, which may itself be PCMCIA-based or may be an internal modem of a notebook computer. Together, the PCMCIA-based radio transceiver and the baseband modem realize a wireless modem. In order to miminize cost and increase versatility of the resulting wireless modem, the radio transceiver is a relatively unintelligent, protocol-agnostic, slave device that is controlled by commands issued by the baseband modem. The baseband modem may be a hardware modem or a software modem. In either case, the character of the baseband modem may be changed by downloading new software. The radio transceiver may also be exchanged for another within a family of radio transceivers, each of which customized for a particular radio standard. The result is an extremely flexible, extremely low-cost wireless modem solution.

Combination internal modem and PC card radio operable in multiple modes

A detachable battery pack is connected to a personal computer card modem at the same side as an antenna. An advantage of this system is that the detachable battery pack can be added and removed from the personal computer card without affecting the antenna connection to the personal computer card. The antenna need not be connected to the personal computer card through the battery pack.

Battery case for PCMCIA card modem with antenna

An extendable antenna for a personal computer card uses two main antenna elements. A movable antenna element can be positioned in an extended position such that the base of the second antenna element electrically contacts the top of the other antenna element. The antenna in the extended position is connected to the antenna port through matching circuitry. In a closed position of the antenna, the second antenna element is electrically connected to the antenna port bypassing the matching circuitry. In one embodiment, the antenna is a quarter-wave length antenna in the closed position and a half-wave length antenna in the extended position.

Dual mode antenna for personal computer card

A computing device (100) including a wireless packet data communications modem (101) used in conjunction with a computer (103) to provide untethered access to data bases and other computer users. A method is provided for controlling data transmission and reception using the wireless packet data communications modem (101) in tandem with the computer (103). Two-way communications is achieved using a small, low-cost, light-weight wireless packet data communications modem contained in a housing, integral to a computing device, or a removable housing conforming to a PCMCIA industry standard.

Wireless packet data communications modem and method of use therein

Battery housing for a PCMCIA card modem

An antenna system (20) provides low radio frequency interference (RFI) using an unbalanced antenna (21) comprised of three eighths wavelength whip antenna element (22) and associated counterpoise (23). Antenna counterpoise (23) may be formed by an EMI shielding conductor which is isolated at the frequency of operation of antenna system (20) from EMI shielding serving as host interface ground conductor (28) using resonant structure (25). Resonant structure (25) isolates antenna counterpoise (23) from host interface ground conductor (28) thereby improving antenna efficiency, and substantially eliminating RFI effects arising from use of antenna system (20).

Unbalanced antenna system

A radio-frequency output signal having a specified characteristic is produced using a combination of a calibrated radio unit in which a calibration factor is stored and an uncalibrated modem unit. The calibration factor is input to the modem unit from the radio unit, and the modem outputs to the radio unit a signal of a nominal signal level determined in accordance with the calibration factor. An actual signal level of the signal is measured, and a gain factor within the modem unit is adjusted until the nominal signal level and the actual signal level are substantially equal. A wireless modem includes a calibrated radio unit and an uncalibrated modem unit coupled to the radio unit. A first signal path is provided from the modem unit to the radio unit, and a feedback signal path from the radio unit to the modem unit. The modem unit includes control circuitry for outputting across the first signal path a signal that is nominally of a desired signal level, and for adjusting a nominal signal level of the signal in accordance with information received across the feedback signal path.

Modulation signal calibration between modem and radio using loopback

An integral diversity antenna especially suited for use in a laptop computer device without the need for changing or otherwise altering such devices pre-established form factor. Two separately located printed circuit board antenna structures are orthogonally mounted in an associated counterpoise. One such antenna structure is vertically polarized and the other horizontally polarized. In this manner, both spatial and polarization diversity is achieved. The counterpoise serves the additional purpose of affecting both RFI and EMI shielding of the laptop computer's LCD display and driven circuitry.

Growing community of inventors

Surrey, Canada

Ronald John Vanderhelm