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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 3/10

Apple patents method to stretch cell signals into empty radio slots

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple describes a system that improves how mobile phones connect to cell towers by using empty space in the radio signal. It stretches the synchronization signals into unused slots to help devices lock onto the network more effectively.

Why it mattersThis is a technical improvement to cellular standards that could make phone connections more stable, though it is unlikely to be visible to users.

In the filing’s own words

A system is configured for reconfiguration of a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) pattern. The system is configured for obtaining data including a configuration for a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) transmission carrying a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), the configuration specifying, for an SSB of the configuration, resource elements (REs) allocated for transmitting a primary synchronization signal (PSS) to a user equipment (UE) and REs allocated for transmitting a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to the UE. The system is configured for selecting a set of REs that are unused in the configuration for the SSB transmission, specifying a filling sequence for extending a synchronization signal or an SSB to the set of REs that are unused in the configuration of the SSB transmission, generating data including an enhanced configuration for the SSB transmission that includes the extended synchronization signal or the extended SSBs, and transmitting the SSB transmission using the enhanced configuration.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method comprising: receiving a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) including a sequence that extends a synchronization signal or a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) of the SSB to a set of resource elements (REs) that are unused in a pre-configuration for transmitting the SSB, the REs being unused in the pre-configuration for transmitting a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or the PBCH, wherein a number of subcarriers for the PSS, SSS, or the PBCH is increased from the pre-configuration to extend the PSS, SSS, or the PBCH; and sending, based on decoding the SSB including the sequence, a transmission to a base station associated with the SSB.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Synchronization signal block pattern enhancement
Patent number
US12757112B2
Application number
18371994
Filed
Sep 22, 2023
Granted
Oct 6, 2026
Inventors
14
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 48/20 Electricity & electronicsH04J 11/0069 Electricity & electronicsH04L 5/0048 Electricity & electronicsH04W 56/0015 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/30 Electricity & electronicsH04J 11/0073 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.