Patents Represented by Attorney Garlick, Harrison & Markison, LLP
  • Patent number: 7003631
    Abstract: A system comprises a plurality of nodes, each node comprising one or more coherent agents coupled to an interconnect. Ownership of a coherency block accessed by a transaction on the interconnect is transferred responsive to transmission of the address on the interconnect. The system further includes a second interconnect to which the plurality of nodes are coupled, wherein ownership of a coherency block is transferred on the second interconnect responsive to a transmission of the data comprising the coherency block on the second interconnect. A first node of the plurality of nodes issues a coherency command on the second interconnect to fetch the coherency block in response to the transaction on the interconnect within the first node, whereby ownership transfers within the first node prior to ownership transferring from another one of the plurality of nodes to the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph B. Rowlands
  • Patent number: 6998922
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a phase locked loop begins by determining a gain offset of a voltage controlled oscillator of the phase locked loop. The processing then continues by adjusting current of a charge pump of the phase locked loop based on the gain offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventors: Henrik T. Jensen, Hea Joung Kim
  • Patent number: 6998877
    Abstract: A high-speed differential signaling logic gate includes a 1st input transistor, 2nd input transistor, complimentary transistor, current source, a 1st load, and a 2nd load. The 1st input transistor is operably coupled to receive a 1st input logic signal, which may be one phase of a first differential input signal. The 2nd input transistor is coupled in parallel with the 1st input transistor and is further coupled to receive a 2nd input logic signal, which may be one phase of a 2nd differential input signal. The complimentary transistor is operably coupled to the sources of the 1st and 2nd input transistors and to receive a complimentary input signal, which mimics the other phase of the 1st differential logic signal and the 2nd differential logic signal. The current source sinks a fixed current from the 1st and 2nd input transistors and the complimentary transistor. The 1st load is operably coupled to the drains of the 1st and 2nd input transistors to provide a 1st phase of a differential logic output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventor: Tsung-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 7000206
    Abstract: A method (and a computer accessible medium comprising one or more instructions which, when executed, implement the method) is contemplated. At least a first timing path is identified in a first timing report corresponding to a first partition of a circuit. For at least one timing constraint applied to the first timing path, a second timing path in a second partition of the circuit that causes the timing constraint is determined. A second timing report comprising the first timing path from the first timing report and the second timing path from the second partition is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Kidd, Matthew J. Page
  • Patent number: 6998709
    Abstract: A RFIC includes a die and a package. The die contains a radio frequency (RF) input/output (I/O) section, an RF-to-baseband conversion section, and a baseband processing section. The package includes a plurality of connections for connecting to the die. The die is positioned within the package to minimize adverse affects of parasitics components of coupling the RFIO section to an antenna. The positioning of the die within the package may be offset from the center of the package and/or positioned at the edge of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 6999735
    Abstract: A digital high frequency power detection circuit includes a peak detecting circuit and a peak computing circuit. The peak detecting circuit is operably coupled to detect a peak value of a high frequency signal and includes an amplifier, transistor, and capacitor. The amplifier has a 1st input, 2nd input and an output, where the 1st input is operably coupled to receive the high frequency signal. The transistor has a gate, a drain, and a source, where the gate is coupled to the output of the amplifier, the source is coupled to a supply voltage, and the drain is coupled to the 2nd input of the amplifier. The capacitor is operably coupled to the drain of the transistor and to a reference potential. The voltage imposed across the capacitor represents the peak value of the high frequency signal. The peak computing circuit is operably coupled to generate a digital peak value from the peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 6998921
    Abstract: A power amplifier includes a transconductance stage, a cascode stage, and a connector. The transconductance stage is operable to receive an input voltage signal and to produce an output current signal. The cascode stage communicatively couples to the transconductance stage and is operable to receive the output current signal and to produce an output voltage signal based thereupon. The cascode stage includes a Metal Oxide Silicon (MOS) transistor and a corresponding parasitic bipolar transistor formed in parallel therewith in a semi conductive substrate. The MOS transistor has a drain, a gate, and a source. The corresponding parasitic bipolar junction transistor has a collector corresponding to the drain, an emitter corresponding to the source, and a base corresponding to the semi conductive substrate. The connector couples the base of the corresponding parasitic bipolar junction transistor to the source of the MOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Arya Reza Behzad
  • Patent number: 6999744
    Abstract: The measuring of local oscillation leakage in radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) begins by concurrently enabling a transmitter portion and a receiver portion of a radio frequency integrated circuit. The processing then continues by providing a zero input to the transmitter portion such that information contained in the RF signals corresponds to local oscillation leakage produced by the transmitter portion. The processing continues by detecting the concurrent enablement of the transmitter and receiver portions. The processing continues by measuring, via the receiver portion, the received signal strength of the RF signals. The processing continues by processing the received signal strength over a predetermined period of time commencing upon the detection of the concurrent enablement to obtain a measure of the local oscillation leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp
    Inventor: Hea Joung Kim
  • Patent number: 6999584
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for presenting content data and processing data includes processing that begins by receiving modulated display data and content data via a channel coupling an external content processing device to a content display device. The processing continues by separating the modulated data from the content data. The processing proceeds to retrieving display data from the modulated data and processing the display data for display. The processing continues by processing the content data for presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel T. Bogard
  • Patent number: 6998871
    Abstract: A configurable integrated circuit includes at least one general purpose input/output (GPIO) interface module, a first functional module, and a second functional module. The GPIO interface module includes a plurality of GPIO cells, wherein each of the GPIO cells is operably coupled to a corresponding pin of the configurable integrated circuit. When the configurable integrated circuit is in a first functional mode, at least one of the GPIO cells is operably coupled to its corresponding pin such that the corresponding pin functions as a digital input pin for the first functional module. When the configurable integrated circuit is in a second functional mode, at least one of the GPIO cells is operably coupled to its corresponding pin such that the corresponding pin functions as a digital output pin for the second functional module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Mulligan
  • Patent number: 6995616
    Abstract: A power amplifier includes a transconductance stage, a cascode stage, and may include a signal level detection and bias determination module. The transconductance stage is operable to receive an input voltage signal and to produce an output current signal. The cascode stage communicatively couples to the transconductance stage and is operable to receive the output current signal and to produce an output voltage signal based thereupon. The cascode stage includes a Metal Oxide Silicon (MOS) transistor and a corresponding parasitic bipolar junction transistor, each of the gate of the MOS transistor and the base of the parasitic bipolar junction transistor available for voltage control. The signal level detection and bias determination module operably couples to the cascode stage and is operable to controllably bias the gate of the MOS transistor and to controllably bias the base of the corresponding parasitic bipolar junction transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arya Reza Behzad, Akira Ito
  • Patent number: 6996056
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling Orthogonal codes to be reused within the same cell of a code division multiple access telecommunication network includes an base station transceiver system that comprises logic circuitry for enabling the base station transceiver system to reuse Orthogonal codes in a manner that reduces the likelihood of collision between two mobile stations having the same Orthogonal code and corresponding communication channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Ashvin H. Chheda, Yiping Wang, Mehmet Yavuz
  • Patent number: 6995586
    Abstract: An improved logic methodology that combines the speed advantages of dynamic logic with the low contention of static logic, such that the logic circuits are not adversely affected by high-leakage transistors. The logic circuit of the present invention comprises first and second stages, wherein first logic stage comprises clocked precharge and evaluate transistors and full-complementary low-beta-ratio static logic. Subsequent stages of the logic circuit comprise full-complementary low-beta-ratio static logic, wherein the logic devices in the subsequent stages are not connected to a clock signal. The low-beta-ratio static logic devices in said subsequent stage comprise pMOS transistors that are not connected to a contention keeper. Furthermore, the low-beta-ratio static logic transistors in the subsequent stage comprise pMOS transistors that are significantly smaller than pMOS devices found in normal static logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Brian J. Campbell
  • Patent number: 6995600
    Abstract: An apparatus for a multiplexor circuit includes a passgate circuit coupled to receive input signals and corresponding select signals comprising a subset of the input signals and select signals received by the multiplexor. The apparatus also includes a default circuit coupled to receive the select signals and coupled to an output node of the passgate circuit. If none of the select signals is asserted, the default circuit supplies a default voltage on the output node. Other passgate circuits and default circuits may be included coupled to other subsets of the input signals and select signals, and an output circuit may be included with inputs coupled to the output nodes of the passgate circuits. The default voltage may represent a logical value which allows the value from another passgate circuit to control the output of the output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Rogenmoser, Lief O'Donnell
  • Patent number: 6996379
    Abstract: A linear high powered integrated circuit transmitter includes an up-conversion module, a plurality of power amplifiers, balanced integrated circuit coupling, and a combining circuit. The up-conversion module is operably coupled to produce a differential up-converted signal by mixing one or more local oscillations with a low intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The balanced integrated circuit coupling couples the plurality of power amplifiers to the up-conversion module such that the power amplifiers amplify the up-converted signal to produce a plurality of amplified radio frequency (RF) signals. The combining circuit is operably coupled to combine the plurality of amplified RF signals to produce a transmit RF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 6993631
    Abstract: A first node includes a first cache and a plurality of coherent agents. In response to a transaction to a coherency block by a first coherent agent of the plurality of coherent agents, the first node is configured to fetch the coherency block from another node. The other node is configured to record a state in which the coherency block is provided to the first node. The first cache is designated to store the state of the coherency block recorded by the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph B. Rowlands
  • Patent number: 6993632
    Abstract: A system may include two or more agents, at least some of which may cache data. In response to a read transaction, a caching agent may snoop its cached data and provide a response in a response phase of the transaction. Particularly, the response may include an exclusive indication used to represent both exclusive and modified states within that agent. In one embodiment, the agent responding exclusive may be responsible for providing the data for a read transaction, and may transmit an indication of which of the exclusive or modified state that agent had the data in concurrent with transmitting the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Kruckemyer, Joseph B. Rowlands
  • Patent number: 6993306
    Abstract: Determination and processing for fractional-N programming values. The present invention is operable to receive a clock signal (CLK) and to transform that CLK into a new CLK, when necessary, for use by various circuitries within a system. The present invention is operable to generate two different CLKs for use by a radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a baseband processing circuitry in certain embodiments. The present invention employs a measurement circuitry and to characterize a first CLK and uses a fractional-N synthesizer to perform any necessary processing to generate the one or more CLKs to the other CLKs within the system. The first CLK may be received from an external source or it may be generated internally; in either case, the present invention is able to modify the CLK into another CLK for use by other circuitries within the system or for use by another external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mitchell A. Buznitsky, Yuqian Cedric Wong, Daniel C. Bozich, Brima B. Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 6990143
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a fifty percent duty cycle clock from a reference clock. The method and apparatus includes an edge generator, a controllable delay module, a duty cycle control loop module and a reset circuit. The edge generator is coupled to generate a clean edge of the reference clock. The controllable delay module is coupled to produce a delayed edge from the clean edge based on a duty cycle control signal. The duty cycle control loop module is coupled to generate the duty cycle control signal based on the delayed edge and the reference clock signals. The reset circuit is coupled to reset the edge generator to produce a second edge. The second edge is delayed by the controllable delay module to produce a second delayed edge such that the delayed edge and the second delayed edge constitute one period of the fifty percent duty cycle clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom, Corp.
    Inventor: Tsung-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 6989691
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which includes a converter circuit and a noise suppression circuit. The converter circuit has a dynamic logic input, and is configured to generate a static logic output on an output node responsive to the dynamic logic input. The noise suppression circuit is coupled to receive a clock signal and is coupled to the output node. Responsive to a first phase of the clock signal, a precharge of a dynamic logic circuit generating the dynamic logic input occurs. The noise suppression circuit is configured to actively drive the static logic output on the output node responsive to the first phase. In some embodiments, the noise suppression circuit may reduce the noise sensitivity of the static logic output during the precharge phase, and may not impede operation of the converter circuit during the evaluate phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Brian J. Campbell