Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA)
What is a Patent for Listen-before-talk devices, systems and methods that are based on intra-device operations
Search Patent for Listen-before-talk devices, systems and methods that are based on intra-device operations
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and, more specifically, to electronic devices that utilize radio frequency signals, transmitters, and receivers to transmit wireless signals.
This section is designed to provide the reader with a basic understanding of various aspects of art that could be relevant to different aspects of the present disclosure which are described and/or claimed below. This section will provide background information that could be used to aid the reader to be aware of the various aspects of the disclosure. In this regard, it should be understood that these statements should be interpreted in this manner and not as an admission of prior art.
The use of wireless communications systems is rapidly increasing. In recent times mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers have become more sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many smartphones offer internet access as well as email, text messaging and navigation via the global positioning system (GPS) and have the capability of running sophisticated software that makes use of these functionalities.
Receivers and transmitters can be added to many electronic devices in order to allow the communication between devices. A variety of electronic devices can communicate at least in part simultaneously in a same room and/or region. However, overlappingcommunications may increase a chance of interference between concurrent communications affecting a quality or success of one or more of the communications.
A computer can detect the radio waves in order to reduce interference between communications. It could also ensure whether there aren’t any ongoing communications. An electronic device can compare the received noise with a threshold level of noise, and then decide to defer communication if received noise is higher than that threshold. This is often referred to as Listen-before Talk (LBT), operation. The listen-before talk operation may comprise an electronic device that verifies that the amount of noise generated by one or more antennas is lower than a threshold. This is to make sure that every antenna is free of interference prior to transmitting data packets to a different electronic device. Although these techniques allow transmission when each antenna is receiving less than thethreshold amount of noise, they will also block transmission from an antenna which receives less than the threshold amount of noise if another antenna receives more noise than the threshold amount. This means that if an antenna senses the energy level (e.g. receives the sound) then it won’t be allowed to transmit. This”all or nothing” approach may drastically reduce efficiencies ofoperation as the amount of noise that is detected at an antenna is thought to affect other antennas and thus preventing transmission by all antennas even if certain antennas are receiving amounts of noise less than the threshold amount of noise.
Various refinements of the features noted above may be found in connection with different aspects of the disclosed disclosure. Additional features could be included in these different aspects as well. These features and refinements may existindividually or in any combination. You can, for example, incorporate various features described below with respect to any of the depicted embodiments into every aspect of the present disclosure. This brief summary is meant to provide a concise overview of certain aspects and contexts for the embodiments described in this disclosure without limiting the claims.
Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.
Get Patents with PatentPC
What is a patent?
Patents are granted by the government to safeguard the invention. The patent grants the inventor the right to create, use and market the idea. Society benefits when new technologies are brought to market. The benefits can be in directly, in that it may allow people to do previously impossible things. Or indirectly due to the opportunities for economic growth (business expansion and job creation) which the invention provides.
A lot of pharmaceutical companies and researchers at universities seek patent protection to protect their research and development. A patent can cover a physical or abstract product or process or an approach or the composition of materials that are new to the area. Patent protection has to be granted to an invention that is useful, novel, and not yet known by other people in the same area.
Patents reward inventors who have commercially successful inventions. They act as an incentive for inventors to invent. Patents allow small and emerging businesses and inventors to be confident that there’s the possibility that they’ll get a profit for their time, effort and investment in the development of technology. They can earn a living through their work.
Patents are essential to firms and can be used to:
Create and protect innovative products and services;
Enhance the visibility and worth of your product’s presence on the market
Make your company and your products stand out from the competition;
Get technical and business information.
Be careful not to accidentally use third-party content or risk losing valuable information or creative outputs as well as other outputs.
Patents can transform an inventor’s knowledge into a marketable asset that opens up new possibilities for employment creation and business growth through joint ventures or licensing.
Small businesses that have patent protection will be more appealing to investors who are involved in the development and commercialization of technology.
Patents can result in innovative ideas and inventions. This information can promote the development of new ideas and could qualify for protection under patents.
Patents can be used as an obstacle to unscrupulous third parties that profit from an invention’s efforts.
Revenues from patent-protected technology that are commercially successful could be used to finance technological research and development (R&D), which will improve the chances of developing better technology in the near future.
Intellectual property ownership can be used to convince investors and lenders that there are genuine opportunities to market your product. A powerful patent can open the door for many financing opportunities. You can use patents and other IP assets as collateral or security to secure financing. Investors can also see the patents you own to increase the value of your company. Forbes and other publications have reported that each patent can add anywhere from $500,000 to a million dollars in company valuation.
Startups require a carefully-crafted business plan that is built on the IP to show that your product or service is unique, superior, or innovative. In addition, investors will be impressed if you can prove you have IP rights are secured or are is in the process of becoming secure and that they align with your business strategy.
It is essential to keep an invention secret until you submit to protect it with patents. Public disclosure of an invention can be detrimental to its novelty and invalidate it. Pre-filing disclosures, such as for investors, test-marketing, or other business partners is best done only following the signing of a confidentiality agreement.
There are many kinds of patents. Knowing them is essential for protecting your invention. Utility patents are for the development of new methods and machines. Design patents cover ornamental designs. Utility patents are the best because they shield the owner from copycats and other competition. They are typically granted to enhance or modify existing inventions. Utility patents also cover enhancements and modifications to existing inventions. A process patent could be a way to describe the actions or methods of performing a specific act. However, a chemical composition could be a combination of ingredients.
How long does a patent last? Patents for utility last for 20 years after the earliest filing date, but their expirations can be extended due to delays in the patent office, for example.
Are you looking to protect your idea? Patents are only granted to the first-to-file applicants which is why you must file as quickly as possible. Contact PatentPC now to have your patent application approved!
When drafting an application for patents it is recommended to conduct a patent search. it will provide you with an understanding of other people’s concepts. This will allow you to restrict the scope of your idea. It is also possible to learn about the technological advancements in your field of invention. This will allow you to comprehend the scope of your invention and help prepare you for filing your patent application.
How to Search for Patents
The first step in obtaining your patent is to conduct a patent search. You can do a google patent search or do a USPTO search. Patent-pending refers to the product protected by the patent application. You can search for the public pair to locate the patent application. After the patent office approves your application, you’ll be able do a patent number look to locate the patent that was issued. Your product is now patent-able. You can also use the USPTO search engine. Check out the following article for more information. It is possible to seek help from a patent lawyer. In the US patents are issued by the US trademark and patent office or the United States patent and trademark office, which is also responsible for examining trademark applications.
Are you interested in finding similar patents? Here are the steps you should follow:
1. Brainstorm terms to describe your invention, based on its purpose or composition.
Write down a brief and precise explanation of your invention. Avoid using generic terms like “device,” “process,” and “system.” Instead, think about synonyms for the terms you chose initially. Also, keep track of important technical terms, as well as keywords.
To help you recognize keywords and concepts, use the questions below.
- What’s the goal of this invention? Is it a utilitarian device or an ornamental design?
- Does the invention consist of a method of creating something or performing a function? Or is it a product or procedure?
- What is the purpose and composition of the invention? What is the physical composition of the invention?
- What is the goal of this invention?
- What are the technical terms and terms that describe the nature of an invention? To assist you in finding the right terms, refer to an online dictionary of technical terms.
2. These terms will let you search for pertinent Cooperative Patent Classifications on the Classification Search Tool. If you’re unable to locate the appropriate classification for your invention, scan through the class Schemas (class schedules). If you don’t see any results using the Classification Text Search, you may want to consider replacing the words that describe your invention with synonyms.
3. Check 3. Check the CPC Classification Definition to confirm the validity of the CPC classification you have found. If the selected classification title includes a blue square with an “D” at its left, the hyperlink will take you to the CPC classification definition. CPC classification definitions can aid you in determining the classification’s purpose so that you can choose the one that is most appropriate. In addition, these definitions can include some tips for searching and other information that could be useful to further study.
4. Retrieve patent documents with the CPC classification from the Patents Full-Text and Image Database. By focusing your search on abstracts and representative drawings it is possible to narrow your search to find the most relevant patent publications.
5. Use this selection of the most pertinent patent documents to examine each in detail for similarity to your idea. Pay close attention to the claims and specifications. There are many patents available through contacting the patent examiner and the applicant.
6. Search for patent applications that have been published using the CPC classification you selected in Step 3 in the Applications Full-Text and Image Database. It is also possible to use the same strategy of searching you used in step 4 to limit down your search results to only the most relevant patent applications by looking over the abstracts and drawings for each page. Next, carefully examine the patent applications published and pay particular attention to the claims as well as additional drawings.
7. Find additional US patents by keyword searching in PatFT or AppFT databases, classification searching of non-U.S. patents as per below, and also searching non-patent patent disclosures in the literature of inventions using internet search engines. For example:
- Add keywords to your search. Keyword searches may turn up documents that are not well-categorized or have missed classifications during Step 2. For example, US patent examiners often supplement their classification searches with keyword searches. Think about the use of technical engineering terminology rather than everyday words.
- Search for foreign patents using the CPC classification. Then, re-run the search using international patent office search engines such as Espacenet, the European Patent Office’s worldwide patent publication database of over 130 million patent publications. Other national databases include:
- European Patent Office (EPO) provides esp@cenet to access a network of Europe’s patent databases with access to machine translation of European patents.
- Japan Patent Office (JPO) – with access to machine translations of Japanese patents.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers PATENTSCOPE with a full-text search of published international patent applications and machine translations for some documents, as well as a list of international patent databases.
- Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
- State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) with machine translation of Chinese patents.
- Other International Intellectual Property Offices with online patent databases include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
- Search non-patent literature. Inventions can be made public in many non-patent publications. It is recommended that you search journals, books, websites, technical catalogs, conference proceedings, and other print and electronic publications.
To review your search, you can hire a registered patent attorney to assist. A preliminary search will help one better prepare to talk about their invention and other related inventions with a professional patent attorney. In addition, the attorney will not spend too much time or money on patenting basics.