Alan J Macdonald

US Patent:

7010304, Mar 7, 2006

Filed:

Sep 23, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/253403

Inventors:

Ming Zhang - Redmond WA, US
Alan Denis MacDonald - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Cingular Wireless II, LLC - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

H04Q 7/20

US Classification:

455446, 455447, 455448, 455449, 455450, 4555621, 343875, 342367, 342423, 342445

Abstract:

Coverage areas for wireless networks are divided into a plurality of cells that are arranged in rows. Channel frequencies are assigned to cell sectors and associated with respective antenna axes. The antenna axes of adjacent rows are alternatingly rotated, thereby reducing co-channel interference. In an example, an available bandwidth is divided into twelve channel frequencies, so that a cell cluster includes four cells. Co-channel cells associated with half the channel frequencies are assigned to cells in the first row of cells, and the remainder are assigned to cells in the second row.

US Patent:

7440758, Oct 21, 2008

Filed:

Mar 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/369927

Inventors:

Ming Zhang - Redmond WA, US
Alan Denis MacDonald - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

AT&T Mobility II LLC - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

H04Q 7/20

US Classification:

455446, 455447, 455448, 455449, 455451, 4555621, 343875, 342367, 342379, 342423, 342445

Abstract:

Coverage areas for wireless networks are divided into a plurality of cells that are arranged in rows. Channel frequencies are assigned to cell sectors and associated with respective antenna axes. The antenna axes of adjacent rows are alternatingly rotated, thereby reducing co-channel interference. In an example, an available bandwidth is divided into twelve channel frequencies, so that a cell cluster includes four cells. Co-channel cells associated with half the channel frequencies are assigned to cells in the first row of cells, and the remainder are assigned to cells in the second row.

US Patent:

7519372, Apr 14, 2009

Filed:

Apr 3, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/473926

Inventors:

Alan Denis MacDonald - Bellevue WA, US
Marc W. Sather - Kingston WA, US
John Lawrence Snapp - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

AT&T Mobility II LLC - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

H04Q 7/20

US Classification:

4554561, 4554562, 4554563, 4554565, 4554566, 455457, 4554042

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for estimating mobile station location include receiving reported signal strengths or other attachment indicator values from a mobile station. The reported signal strengths are compared with characteristic received signal strength values in a coverage area of a mobile network. A mobile switching center determines if a location function is requested and initiates a location estimation process by a mobile location module (MLM). The MLM receives the reported signal strength contours associated with the attachment points. Based on a comparison of the reported attachment indicator values with characteristic values, the MLM provides a mobile location estimate.

US Patent:

7630885, Dec 8, 2009

Filed:

Jun 13, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/423742

Inventors:

Jun Shen - Redmond WA, US
Jack Denenberg - Sammamish WA, US
Alan MacDonald - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

AT&T Mobility II LLC - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

G10L 19/00

US Classification:

704221

Abstract:

A system and method for providing voice communications with desired characteristics based upon the intended recipient of a voice communication. An apparatus includes a list of dial strings associated with parties having desired voice communication characteristics. A dial string entered by a user and associated with an intended recipient is compared to a list of preferred dial strings to determine the characteristics of an encoded voice signal to be sent to the recipient. The apparatus can include a vocoder having different bit rate modes and a bit rate mode is selected based upon the dial string entered by a user. Dial strings can be stored at the device or on a network. The apparatus can include a mode selector to select a desired vocoder mode to generate an encoded voice signal.

US Patent:

8319819, Nov 27, 2012

Filed:

Mar 26, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/055861

Inventors:

Alan J. MacDonald - Malvern PA, US
J. William Mauchly - Berwyn PA, US
David W. Sowa - Exton PA, US
Joseph T. Friel - Ardmore PA, US

Assignee:

Cisco Technology, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04N 7/14

US Classification:

348 1409, 348 1401

Abstract:

A system and method for creating a virtual round table videoconference is described. An embodiment of the system comprises a plurality of displays arranged in an arc configuration with a table to create a virtual round table. Cameras are arranged around the plurality of displays such that when a participant looks at a display with an image of a remote participant, the camera associated with the display captures an image of the participant's gaze, making eye contact with the camera. The image is displayed at the remote participant's endpoint creating the effect of eye contact between the participants. In another embodiment, audio speakers are arranged to provide directional sound such that the video source for a display and the audio source for the associated speaker are from the same endpoint.

US Patent:

8340180, Dec 25, 2012

Filed:

Mar 20, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/407907

Inventors:

Alan J. MacDonald - Malvern PA, US
J. William Mauchly - Berwyn PA, US
David W. Sowa - Exton PA, US

Assignee:

Cisco Technology, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04N 11/04

US Classification:

37524012

Abstract:

Techniques are provided for managing long-term reference frames (LTRFs) for two or more video sources. A first video source is selected from a plurality of video sources. The first video source is encoded to produce an encoded video stream, where a reference frame message identifies a recent video frame as long-term reference frame (LTRF) associated with the first video stream. The process is repeated for other video streams. The LTRF associated with the first video stream is used as a reference for temporal predictive coding upon receiving a signal that the first video source has been re-selected.

US Patent:

8369870, Feb 5, 2013

Filed:

Dec 22, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/334341

Inventors:

Alan Denis MacDonald - Bellevue WA, US
Marc W. Sather - Kingston WA, US
John Lawrence Snapp - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

AT&T Mobility II LLC - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

H04W 24/00

US Classification:

4554561, 4554042, 4554562, 4554563, 4554565, 4554566, 455457, 3703102, 370328

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for estimating mobile station location include receiving reported signal strengths or other attachment indicator values from a mobile station. The reported signal strengths are compared with characteristic received signal strength values in a coverage area of a mobile network. A mobile switching center determines if a local function is requested and initiates a location estimation process by a mobile location module (MLM). The MLM receives the reported signal strength contours associated with the attachment points. Based on a comparison of the reported attachment indicator values with characteristic values, the MLM provides a mobile location estimate.

US Patent:

8553064, Oct 8, 2013

Filed:

Dec 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/963387

Inventors:

Alan J. MacDonald - Malvern PA, US
Chris A. Dunn - Livermore CA, US
Brian J. Baldino - Milpitas CA, US

Assignee:

Cisco Technology, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H04N 7/14

US Classification:

348 1407, 348 1408, 348 1412, 370265, 37920201, 709205, 715201, 715246

Abstract:

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes establishing a video session in which a plurality of displays are used for rendering video data, and evaluating a presentation element in order to identify a control element that includes control data. The control element is included in the presentation element. The method further includes communicating at least a portion of the control data such that it can be used to determine which video data is to be rendered on the plurality of displays.