Netgear Patent Grants

Method and apparatus for housing a hard-disk drive using a tray with anchoring strips

Granted: October 10, 2017
Patent Number: 9785206
A method and apparatus discloses a tray configured to house a hard-disk drive (“HDD”) using at least one semi-flexible anchoring strip. An HDD assembly device, in one aspect, includes a tray, a U-shaped semi-flexible anchoring frame, and an HDD. The tray has a base, a front panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, wherein the first side panel and the second side panel includes tracks along longitudinal edges of the first and the second side panels. The U-shaped…

Automatic wireless network channel selection

Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number: 9775164
A method for selecting signal channel for a wireless networking device is provided. The method collects WLAN and non-WLAN interference information on the candidate channels. The method then determines a weighted grade for each of the candidate channels based on the collected WLAN and non-WLAN interference information. A channel is selected among the candidate channels based on the weighted grades. The method further adjusts WLAN transmit parameter of the wireless networking device based…

Multi-band wireless station having multiple radios in one band

Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number: 9763117
The disclosure is related to a multi-band wireless station, e.g., a wireless access point, that includes more than one wireless radio in the same frequency band. The wireless station operates at multiple frequency bands, e.g., 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Further, the wireless station includes multiple radios in the same frequency band. For example, the wireless station can have two radios for the 5 GHz band—one for a low 5 GHz band and another for high 5 GHz band. If the client station is…

Four-point tethered O-ring for removable cover

Granted: September 5, 2017
Patent Number: 9756750
An electronic device and/or a method of sealing said device are configured for ease of installation and use. The electronic device has a housing having a recess, a cover concealing the recess and having walls extending circumferentially around the cover and having a channel formed in the outer surface thereof, and at least two through-holes formed through the channel, and an O-ring having a body with at least two tethers each of which passes through a respective hole in the cover.

System and method for stacking receiver channels for increased system through-put in an RF data transmission system

Granted: August 8, 2017
Patent Number: 9730192
A wireless RF data transmission system has at least one base station transmitting control information on a control channel and high speed data on at least one data channel. At least one subscriber station receives the control information and data channels, adjusting a modulation and/or coding of reception of the data in response to the control information. Preferably, the control information is transmitted using a more robust modulation, such as QPSK, than used to transmit the data,…

Systems and methods for cable and WLAN coexistence

Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number: 9713099
Various of the disclosed embodiments improve the operations of a combined access point/Cable modem. Though the access point component and the Cable modem component may perform operations in different spectrums, harmonics in the Cable spectrum may interfere with operations, e.g., in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz range, of the access point. Some embodiments implement a remediation and/or channel transition process for the access point following detection of Cable-related interference. During…

Lost access point power save mode for WiFi devices

Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number: 9713084
The invention is directed to a wireless communication device that includes: a radio unit configured to provide two-way wireless communications; a host processing unit; and a sleep mode unit, coupled to the host processing unit and the radio unit, configured to control a sleep time of the host processing unit and the radio unit, wherein if the radio unit does not receive a signal from the access point that associates the wireless communication device with the access point, the sleep unit…

Method and apparatus for analyzing and verifying functionality of multiple network devices

Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number: 9712406
A network device test station (“TS”) is capable of simultaneously testing and verifying a group of routers and/or switches at the same time. The TS includes a user interface (“UI”), a test bed engine, and a TS manager. The UI facilitates interactive communication between TS and user via an interactive graphical representations showing, for example, test configurations and test results. The test bed engine uses a set of test beds to conduct tests on attached devices or routers…

IEEE 802.11 communication utilizing carrier specific interference mitigation

Granted: June 27, 2017
Patent Number: 9693352
Wireless communication under IEEE 802.11 standards utilizing carrier specific interference mitigation where an AP or UE employs an ultra-wideband tuner to evaluate available spectrum between several communication bands. Rather than being constrained to communicate in a single communication band, the AP and UEs may utilize more than one communication band to communicate with one another. In doing so, the AP and UE search across several bands and measure interference on a…

Wireless router or residential gateway capable of distinguishing power-sensitive wireless sensors and providing separate treatment thereto

Granted: June 13, 2017
Patent Number: 9681444
Techniques are disclosed for a wireless router or residential gateway to distinguish power-sensitive wireless sensors and provide separate treatments thereto for low power consumption connections. In some embodiments, a network device includes a wireless network circuit, and control circuitry coupled to the network circuit and configured to, upon receipt of a request of connection from a client, identify whether the client is power-sensitive. The network device can further cause, if the…

Camera

Granted: April 25, 2017
Patent Number: D785067

High efficiency antenna

Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number: 9627767
Antenna designs are disclosed that exhibit both high bandwidth and efficiency. A first aspect of the invention concerns the form factor of the antenna; a second aspect of the invention concerns the ease with which the antenna is manufactured; and a third aspect concerns the superior performance exhibits by the antenna across a large bandwidth.

Beacon detection structures, systems and processes for interference testing

Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number: 9622098
A receiver is provided that receives signals from a device under test (DUT) for one or more modes of operation. For each mode, the system detects beacon transmission signals from the DUT, and counts the number of beacons for a period of time. If the count is not consistent with an expected count, e.g. a stored value, the system may preferably provide an output to indicate that there is a problem with the DUT. If the count is consistent with the expected count, the system may preferably…

Network device with reconfigurable power cord assembly

Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number: 9620887
A network device and a method of use are configured for ease of installation and use. The network device has a housing on which is provided a plurality of ports. A power cord assembly has a body bearing a cord and a connector for mating with a power input. Depending on the orientation of the body relative to the housing, the connector can be connected to the power port in at least first and second positions in which the power cord extends in first and second directions that are offset…

Wireless access point management system and method

Granted: March 21, 2017
Patent Number: 9603153
Methods and apparatuses are provided for graphically displaying the noise level on each WLAN channel, along with the arrangement of other (neighboring) wireless host devices on each channel with their respective signal strengths as a distance indicator. As a result, collected information may be gathered and displayed intuitively to allow a user to quickly assess the environment and manually configure the wireless host device. In addition, methods and apparatuses are provided for…

Dual band LTE small cell

Granted: March 7, 2017
Patent Number: 9591633
A dual band LTE small cell base station communicates on both licensed bands and unlicensed bands. The small cell base station modifies the communication protocol utilized by the licensed band to enable communication over an unlicensed band. This modification involves replacing the physical (PHY) layer of the licensed band communication protocol with the PHY layer of a to-be-used protocol in an unlicensed band.

Systems and methods for improving WLAN range

Granted: March 7, 2017
Patent Number: 9590661
Various embodiments disclose systems and methods for employing a Sub1G signal (e.g. a signal in the range of approximately 500 Mhz or 800 mHz) for use with internal and/or external components of various user devices. The Sub1G region may provide a path loss advantage over traditional 2.4 and 5 Ghz systems because of the lower frequency in free-space path loss model. Sub 1G may also present less interference compared to 2.4 GHz (e.g., better QoS for applications such as VOIP, Gaming,…

Spectrum allocation system and method for multi-band wireless RF data communications

Granted: February 21, 2017
Patent Number: 9577804
A dual band spectrum allocation system and method for wireless data communications uses discrete bands for upstream and downstream data communications. A preferred embodiment uses unlicensed UNII bands for license-free data transmissions from a subscriber to a hub, and uses relatively interference free licensed bands for data transmissions from a hub to subscribers, thereby allowing use of greater bandwidth, simplifying system licensing and reducing filtering requirements for…

System and method for bridging to a LTE wireless communication network

Granted: January 31, 2017
Patent Number: 9560691
A system and method for bridging user devices communicating according to a 3rd Generation (3G) communication protocol to a LTE wireless communication network, thereby enabling user devices that do not have sufficient signal strength for directly coupling to the LTE wireless communication network to nevertheless access such wireless communication systems and methods via a bridging system.

Apparatus and method for heat sink assembly

Granted: January 31, 2017
Patent Number: 9560792
A heat sink assembly uses a pin and a spring arrangement to bias a heat sink against an underlying support with an electrical component in between. A lock cap, mounted on a head of the pin, selectively engages a retainer formed beneath an upper end of a heat dissipating element or fin of the heat sink to precompress the spring. When the lock cap is engaged and the spring is precompressed, the pin may be attached to the underlying support without opposing the force of the spring. When the…