Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Michael Schmitt
  • Patent number: 6545569
    Abstract: Filters and methods for eliminating a DC component from an electronic signal provide for circuitry having a zero corresponding to a cut-off frequency, and circuitry for shifting the zero by an amount corresponding to the absolute value of that cut-off frequency. The filters and methods, which include integration and operation of gyrators, are particularly well-suited for incorporation in integrated circuits by virtue of reducing the physical size of the required capacitors. A further advantage is the reduction of time-dependent inertia. Applications of the filters and methods include, but are not limited to, radiotelephony.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Nigel Greer
  • Patent number: 6531922
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to advantages discovered in connection with controlling DC current passing between and adversely affecting cascaded current-mode blocks. According to a particular example application, the present invention includes first and second cascaded current-mode circuit blocks, and a circuit-replication and comparison block adapted to replicate the operation and output impedance of the first current-mode circuit block and to replicate the operation and input impedance of the second current-mode circuit block. This replication-comparison block includes a differential comparator adapted to detect and correct for a voltage differential corresponding to current passing from the first current-mode circuit block and the second current-mode circuit block. This approach can result in a number advantages relating to improvements in terms of various operational aspects including, for example, reductions in power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Abolfazl Khosrowbeygi, Hongyu Li
  • Patent number: 6526463
    Abstract: A processing system with extended addressing capabilities includes a control bit that controls the number of address bytes that are stored onto a program stack. If the control bit is set to a first state, the address is pushed onto the program stack in the same manner as that used for shorter-address legacy devices. If the control bit is set to a second state, the address is pushed onto the program stack using the number of bytes required to contain a longer extended address. This same control bit controls the number of bytes that are popped off the stack upon return from an interrupt subroutine. The state of the control bit is controlled by one or more program instructions, thereby allowing it to assume each state dynamically. This dynamic control of the number of bytes pushed and popped to and from the stack allows for an optimization of stack utilization, and thereby further compatibility with legacy devices and applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Zhimin Ding, Gregory K. Goodhue, Ata R. Khan
  • Patent number: 6522169
    Abstract: A repeater employs multiple threshold detectors to distinguish between signals from external devices and signals generated within the repeater. Signals that are sent from the repeater are configured to be between two threshold levels, so that a detector at one threshold level will detect an active signal, but the detector at the other threshold level will not detect an active signal. When an external signal is received on one side (A) of the repeater, it is propagated to the other side (B) of the repeater, and at the same time, the other side (B) of the repeater is configured to only propagate external signals back to the first side (A). In this manner, the internally generated signal from one side (A) is not propagated back to the same side (A), and a latch-up is avoided. In like manner, when an external signal is received at the other side (B), the first side (A) of the repeater is configured to propagate only externally generated signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Alma Anderson, Paul Andrews
  • Patent number: 6518951
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a terminal for providing a common virtual environment to a plurality of users, for example a game environment. According to the method, each user is provided with an actuator allowing for receiving mechanical input from the user as well as for outputting mechanical feedback to the user. The user controls with the mechanical input a position of a corresponding user object (102) with respect to the virtual environment, and receives tactual cues as originating from tactual environment objects (130, 132, 134) and from distant user objects (104) that are present in the virtual environment. According to the invention, the user can position at least one of the tactual environment objects (130, 132, 134) by appropriate positioning actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: David V. Keyson
  • Patent number: 6512422
    Abstract: The present invention provides an oscillator such as a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that can supply more stable frequency signals in the presence of strong magnetic coupling caused by external magnetic perturbations. According to one embodiment of the invention, an oscillator is presented and comprises an amplifier and an LC circuit connected to the amplifier. In the LC circuit, a first pair of inductors includes first and second inductors and a second pair of inductors includes third and fourth inductors. The first and second pairs are arranged such that the first and fourth inductors are on a first side and the second and third inductors are on a second side. In one arrangement, the inductors are positioned such that a center between the first and second inductors substantially overlap a center between the third and fourth inductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Yves Dufour, Steffen W Hahn
  • Patent number: 6510313
    Abstract: A low cost wireless multi-band communications device automatically adapts itself to a signal received from a particular system. On the basis of a bandwidth determination of the received signal, a sampling bandwidth and/or sampling time is selected and/or derived for down mixing the received signals. Improved noise immunity is provided via a band limiting of the sampling means. An adaptive filter is coupled to the output of the sampling means and is adjusted in to obtain a satisfactory level of adjacent channel interference rejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Juha Rapeli
  • Patent number: 6510149
    Abstract: A data carrier (2) can communicate with a station (1) during a respective time slot (TS) within successively generated time slot sequences (TSS), the data carrier (2) being provided with time slot fixation means (83) by means of which fixation means (83) the data carrier (2) can be fixed each time to the same respective time slot (TS) of successively generated time slot sequences (TSS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Franz Amtmann
  • Patent number: 6499062
    Abstract: Components in an information processing system are represented by software objects whose properties can be changed through function calls. Setting a property of an object controls the associated component. Properties are connected through routes that propagate state changes throughout the system without the need for a running client application. Two-way property routes are used to keep consistence among a controlled object and multiple controlling objects without the risk of endless loops. To achieve this, the two-way route is executed to change a state of a specific one of the properties upon a change of state of another one of the properties if the change of state of the other property was caused by an effect other than the route itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Yevgeniy Eugene Shteyn
  • Patent number: 6496183
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating multiple views for graphics objects utilizes a filter for transforming the 3D content of the data. The filter is configured to receive function calls from a 3D rendering engine and generate multiple viewpoint data based on the 3D content of the graphics object. The filter then transmits the viewpoint data to a display driver for display to a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Guy Bar-Nahum
  • Patent number: 6456164
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer is provided that allows for a half-cycle division of the synthesized frequency. In a conventional sigma-delta fractional-N frequency synthesizer, a controllable divider is configured to allow for the division of the synthesized frequency by an integer factor of N or an integer factor of N+1. A sigma-delta calculator controls a half-cycle divider so as to selectively divide the synthesized frequency by an integer factor of N, or a fractional factor of (N+½). If a higher order sigma-delta calculator is employed that provides S output symbols, the half-cycle divider is correspondingly controlled to select a division factor of (N+s/2), where s is selectable from set of S symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Yiping Fan
  • Patent number: 6453416
    Abstract: A digital signature of a document is formed in a digital signing device by using a private key stored in the digital signing device. A number of data items are supplied to the signing device. The signing device uses the data items to derive and authenticate a document hash. The digital signature is only formed if the derived document hash is authenticated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Michael A. Epstein
  • Patent number: 6452418
    Abstract: A driving circuit provides a symmetric differential driving signal relative to one set of voltage potentials to a driver circuit that drives an output node to another set of voltage potentials. The differential driving signals from the driving system are equal and opposite to each other, thereby avoiding stray current flow between the driving system and the driven current mirrors. The transistors that provide the driving signal are continuously biased, using a weak bias in one logic state and stronger bias in the other state, to avoid hard-switching transients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Balwinder Singh, Klaas-Jan De Langen, Martijn Bredius
  • Patent number: 6330588
    Abstract: The present invention provides for verification of software agents and their activities. In a distributed computing environment, an origin resource, a destination resource and a trusted resource are provided. The origin resource is associated with a software agent in that, most generally, the agent's information and/or an entrusted task are relevant to the origin resource. The destination resource is associated with the software agent in that, most generally, it is expected to advance the agent in the performance of an entrusted task. The trusted resource is associated with the software agent in that the trusted resource functions to provide verification of the software agent and its activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Freeman
  • Patent number: 6118746
    Abstract: A method, circuit and system for selectively and adaptively effecting level conditioning of selected samples of a read signal in storage technologies. A circuit embodying the present invention includes sample logic, arithmetic logic and conditioning logic. The sample logic receives samples and provides a main sample and one or more selected neighbor samples. The arithmetic logic compares the main sample to the neighbor samples toward determining satisfaction of selected conditioning criteria. If the selected conditioning criteria are satisfied, the conditioning logic selectively and adaptively effects level conditioning as to the main sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes Jacobus Verboom
  • Patent number: 6094408
    Abstract: A method, circuit and system for canceling inter-symbol interference from samples of a read signal in storage technologies. A circuit embodying the present invention includes sample logic, arithmetic logic and cancellation logic. The sample logic receives samples and provides a main sample and one or more selected neighbor samples. The arithmetic logic compares the main sample to the neighbor samples toward determining satisfaction of selected cancellation criteria. If the selected cancellation criteria are satisfied, the cancellation logic selectively and adaptively effects ISI cancellation as to the main sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes Jacobus Verboom