Patents Assigned to Sigma Design
  • Publication number: 20110107152
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, executable software product, and system for performing a test of an audio/video playback device are described. The audio/video playback device includes at least one main processor, interfaces, and additional processors. The main processor(s) communicate with the additional processors through the interfaces. The method, software product, and system include monitoring at least part of the interfaces for communications between the main processor(s) and the additional processors. The method, system and software product also include storing the communications in a raw format during the test. The method, software product and system also include translating the communications from the raw format to human-readable format after the test concludes and displaying the human-readable format of the communications. In some aspects, the method and system also include reading and storing run time data during the test such that the reading and storing is Heisenberg-friendly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Glen A. Adams
  • Patent number: 7907215
    Abstract: In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for enhancing the image quality of video. One or more filters may be used to filter a received video signal to generate a vertical filtered output, a horizontal filtered output and a diagonal filtered output. One or more amplification components may be used to apply separate gains to each of the vertical, horizontal and diagonal filtered outputs to generate a vertical enhancement signal, a horizontal enhancement signal and a diagonal enhancement signal. One or more summation components may be used to combine the vertical, horizontal and diagonal enhancement signals with the video signal to generate an enhanced video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Stanley Fok
  • Patent number: 7804917
    Abstract: An ultra-wideband clear channel assessment system uses a double-window energy technique for energy detection, which indicates a clear or busy channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Catherine A. French, Ruoyang Lu, Hung C. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7624327
    Abstract: A system and method enable the fast decoding of a front end of data (e.g., a header) that is convolutionally encoded by treating the front end as a block code. The system and method receive the convolutionally encoded data; extract a finite sized block from the data; and decode the extracted block using a block error correction decoding method. A Viterbi decoder can then be used to decode the remainder of the encoded data based on the decoded block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Catherine A. French
  • Patent number: 7570304
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for matching the rate of presentation of digital video data at a receiver/client with the rate the server is serving the data without the need of a voltage control oscillator or other hardware. An embodiment of the invention compares the presentation time at the receiver with the server elapsed time estimated from timestamp values on the served data. When the presentation time and the server elapsed time differ by an unacceptably large amount, an adjustment is made to the audio data stream to re-synchronize the presentation time with the elapsed time, which effectively also synchronizes the overall presentation rate with the overall server rate. The video data stream is then synchronized to the adjusted audio stream. The video data stream and audio data stream are converted to analog signals for presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Trinh, Michael Ignaszewski, Jacques Mahe
  • Patent number: 7561092
    Abstract: ADC accuracy is increased by 1 bit by interpolation of comparator outputs in a comparator array, thereby increasing accuracy without significantly increasing power consumption and size. Specifically, an analog-to-digital converter includes a binary converter and a comparator array, which comprises a plurality of comparator blocks, each block having a primary comparator and an interpolating comparator. The interpolating comparator compares an output signal from the primary comparator with a negative output signal from a primary comparator of another block of the plurality of blocks to generate a least significant bit. The binary converter, which is coupled to the array, converts array output to binary code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: John Philip Tero
  • Patent number: 7551907
    Abstract: The invention enables automatic gain control in ultra wideband applications over multiple channels and frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Catherine A. French, Ruoyang Lu, Jayesh Desai, Can Tri Nguyen, Hung C. Nguyen, John Tero
  • Patent number: 7542516
    Abstract: A method is presented for packet detection and symbol boundary location using a two-step sign correlation procedure. When the correlation crosses a threshold, a packet detection signal is generated to initiate processing of downstream blocks, and a symbol boundary location signal is generated for use in aligning data during processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali D. Pirooz, Catherine A. French, Jayesh Desai, Hung C. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7508938
    Abstract: The present invention increases the difficulty of reverse engineering sensitive information protected by an encryption algorithm by increasing the difficulty associated with tracing the code that generates the key or the encryption algorithm. This is accomplished by generating the key, used to encrypt and decrypt the sensitive information, as a function of the program instruction values of the procedures used to generate the key and perform the decryption of the sensitive information. Thus, if the key generation code or the decryption code is modified (such as (but without limitation) by placement of a breakpoint, a trace function, or a halt instruction in the code) the resulting key will be different from the key used to encrypt the sensitive information and the decryption attempt will fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Ignaszewski
  • Patent number: 7433414
    Abstract: A receiver sets weights for an antenna array according to a series of algorithms including an energy algorithm, a least squares algorithm and a least mean square algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung C. Nguyen, Jifeng Geng, Ruoyang Lu, Catherine A. French
  • Patent number: 7379010
    Abstract: ADC accuracy is increased by 1 bit by interpolation of comparator outputs in a comparator array, thereby increasing accuracy without significantly increasing power consumption and size. Specifically, an analog-to-digital converter includes a binary converter and a comparator array, which comprises a plurality of comparator blocks, each block having a primary comparator and an intepolating comparator. The intepolating comparator compares an output signal from the primary comparator with a negative output signal from a primary comparator of another block of the plurality of blocks to generate a least significant bit. The binary converter, which is coupled to the array, converts array output to binary code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: John Philip Tero
  • Patent number: 7353252
    Abstract: A system for electronic file collaboration among multiple users is implemented using command messages transmitted on dedicated network channels established between conference participants in a peer-to-peer architecture with total autonomy from a central server. The system employs owner-in-control methodology to allow direct transmission of copies of documents among participants by permission, and to prevent storage of copies of documents used in a conference by participants. Mark-ups, additions, and other actions occurring on a conference document can only be saved by the document owner. An advanced viewer engine is provided for reading, displaying and manipulating electronic data in texts, tables, vectors and 3D model formats, as well as common raster images. A proxy module allows data transmitted through IPFW routers or firewall devices with sufficient authentications and security measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sigma Design
    Inventors: Albert Chih-Chieh Yang, Charles White
  • Patent number: 7286513
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a switch for use in wireless communication systems. In one embodiment, the switch can concurrently process data from multiple mobile stations and supports full duplex, i.e., allowing receiving and transmitting data at the same time. The switch can concurrently communicate with other switches and/or mobile stations in the basic service set (BSS) of that switch. A switch may be considered an access point commonly used in other approaches. However, systems using the switch do not need to use an Ethernet switch commonly found in WLAN communication systems that use access points. Switches may be set up in a master-slave scheme wherein a master switch communicates with its slave switches, and slave switches communicate with one another through the master switch. If the data is for a mobile station in the same BSS of the switch, then, via a switch controller, the switch passes the data from the receiving path to the transmitting path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Hung Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20070053451
    Abstract: The invention enables automatic gain control in ultra wideband applications over multiple channels and frequency bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Applicant: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Catherine French, Ruoyang Lu, Jayash Desai, Can Nguyen, Hung Nguyen, John Tero
  • Patent number: 7034464
    Abstract: A device that converts non-visible electromagnetic energy into light. The device includes a cylindrical electromagnetic resonator with a central through hole, a dielectric (preferably ceramic) material surrounded by symmetrically displaced through holes surrounding the central through hole. The device also includes a base and probes connected to the base. The probes are placed to introduce non-visible electromagnetic energy into the resonator. The device also includes a plasma lamp placed in the central through hole. The plasma lamp is placed to convert the non-visible electromagnetic energy into light. Preferably, the resonator is composed of a ceramic with a metalized surface except for inside the through holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamal S. Izadian, Larry DeClue, David Fealkoff
  • Patent number: 6690834
    Abstract: This invention provides a method of pixel data compression in which sets of adjacent pixels are compressed in a manner which is sometimes lossy but which reserves the greatest loss of accuracy for circumstances where loss is masked by high frequency components of the original pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Yann Le Cornec
  • Patent number: 6687770
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accepts time-stamped information and feeds that information to a buffered system that consumes the information. The invention accepts an initial interval of the time-stamped information and when a pre-fill limit is reached, starts consumption of the data. The pre-fill limit is determined by monitoring the time stamp on the data that is ready to be consumed and the time stamp of data that has just been accepted. The difference between these time stamps provides an interval that represents the amount of time related to the data associated with the time-stamped information. Once the interval exceeds a pre-fill limit, the invention allows the buffered time-stamped information to be consumed. As the time-stamped information is consumed, the invention monitors the interval (other embodiments use the time stamp of data that is in the process of being consumed, or data that has just been consumed).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacques Mahe, Vincent Trinh, Michael Ignaszewski
  • Patent number: 6675297
    Abstract: The present invention increases the difficulty of reverse engineering sensitive information protected by an encryption algorithm by increasing the difficulty associated with tracing the code that generates the key or the encryption algorithm. This is accomplished by generating the key, used to encrypt and decrypt the sensitive information, as a function of the program instruction values of the procedures used to generate the key and perform the decryption of the sensitive information. Thus, if the key generation code or the decryption code is modified (such as (but without limitation) by placement of a breakpoint, a trace function, or a halt instruction in the code) the resulting key will be different from the key used to encrypt the sensitive information and the decryption attempt will fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Ignaszewski
  • Patent number: 6654956
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for matching the rate of presentation of digital video data at a receiver/client with the rate the server is serving the data without the need of a voltage control oscillator or other hardware. An embodiment of the invention compares the presentation time at the receiver with the server elapsed time estimated from timestamp values on the served data. When the presentation time and the server elapsed time differ by an unacceptably large amount, an adjustment is made to the audio data stream to re-synchronize the presentation time with the elapsed time, which effectively also synchronizes the overall presentation rate with the overall server rate. The video data stream is then synchronized to the adjusted audio stream. The video data stream and audio data stream are converted to analog signals for presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Trinh, Michael Ignaszewski, Jacques Mahe
  • Patent number: 6614486
    Abstract: A method and system for capturing live video signal data using bufferless data compression is disclosed. Live video signal data is vertically scaled. A 4:2:2 to 4:2:0 color format conversion is performed simultaneous with the vertical scaling step. A one-dimensional bufferless discrete cosine transform is performed on the scaled live video signal data to create a plurality of scaled DCT coefficients. Each of the plurality of scaled DCT coefficients are then Huffman coded. Each of the Huffman encoded DCT coefficients may then be sent via a USB interface to a USB bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Sigma Designs, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaoping Hu