Patents Assigned to Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11979846
    Abstract: A system and method for accurately determining a distance between two network devices using a Channel Sounding application is disclosed. The network devices each guarantee a fixed phase relationship between the transmit circuit and the receive circuit. In one embodiment, this is achieved by disposing the divider outside the phase locked loop and using the output of the divider to create the clocks for both the transmit circuit and receive circuit. In another embodiment, one or more dividers are disposed outside the phase locked loop, each having a reset, such that they can be initialized to a predetermined state. Further, by utilizing a divider with a reset, the quadrature signal generator is guaranteed to output clocks for the transmit circuit and the receive circuit that have a constant phase relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Rangakrishnan Srinivasan, John Khoury
  • Patent number: 11978962
    Abstract: An antenna array that utilizes ground guard rings and metamaterial structures is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the antenna array is constructed from a plurality of antenna unit cells, wherein each antenna unit cell is identical. The antenna unit cell comprises a top surface, that contains a patch antenna and a ground guard ring. A reactive impedance surface (RIS) layer is disposed beneath the top surface and contains the metamaterial structures. The metamaterial structures are configured to present an inductance to the patch antennas, thereby allowing the patch antennas to be smaller than would otherwise be possible. In some embodiments, the metamaterial structures comprise hollow square frames. An antenna array constructed using this antenna unit cell has less coupling than conventional antenna arrays, which results in better performance. Furthermore, this new antenna array also requires less space than conventional antenna arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Zólomy, Ádám Süle, Joel Kauppo, Terry Lee Dickey, Jeffrey Tindle
  • Patent number: 11973509
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop (PLL) that provides a local oscillator signal for a radio. An oscillator of the PLL supplies an oscillator output signal. Control logic receives a request to change the oscillator output signal to a new frequency and responds to the request by setting a first capacitor circuit of the oscillator to a first capacitance that corresponds to a predetermined frequency of the oscillator output signal. The control logic also responds to the request by setting one or more other capacitor circuits of the oscillator according to temperature and according to a frequency difference between the predetermined frequency and the new frequency. After responding to the request by setting the first capacitor circuit and the one or more other capacitor circuits, the PLL locks to the new frequency using a signal from the PLL loop filter to adjust another capacitor circuit in the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Rangakrishnan Srinivasan, Zhongda Wang, Francesco Barale, Wenhuan Yu, Mustafa H. Koroglu, Yan Zhou, Terry L. Dickey
  • Patent number: 11973481
    Abstract: A wireless transceiver including a receiver circuit coupled to an RF transceiver node, a tunable notch filter coupled between the RF transceiver node and a reference node, and a controller that programs the tunable notch filter with a selected blocker frequency and that selectively enables the tunable notch filter to attenuate at least one blocker signal. The tunable notch filter may include a variable capacitor and an inductor coupled in series between the RF transceiver node and ground. The inductor of the tunable notch filter may include a bondwire coupled between a semiconductor die and a semiconductor package. The inductance may include a physical inductor mounted on the package or a printed circuit board. The tunable notch filter may be enabled by a switch selectively coupling the filter to either the RF transceiver node or ground. The variable capacitor may be digitally programmed with digital values stored in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Vitor Pereira, Jeffrey A. Tindle, Mustafa H. Koroglu, Terry Lee Dickey
  • Patent number: 11962325
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting the preamble of a wireless packet is disclosed. The system utilizes one or more received fragments as inputs to a correlator, forming correlator content inside the correlator memory. After every sample from the received fragment is provided to the correlator, the correlator then compares the correlator content to a known pattern pre-programmed as a set of correlation coefficients. The correlation coefficients may not align with the correlator content because the symbol boundaries are not known a-priori. By cyclic rotation of the correlation coefficients relative to the correlator content, or cyclic rotation of the correlator content relative to the known correlation coefficients, a match with one or more preamble symbols may be found. This technique may be used to reduce power during the preamble detection process. Alternatively, this technique can also be used for antenna diversity, multi PHY and multichannel applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Hendricus de Ruijter
  • Patent number: 11963037
    Abstract: A wireless locator that facilitates determining a location of a nearby wireless asset including an antenna array with multiple antennas, at least one wireless transceiver that receives a location signal from the nearby wireless asset and that takes multiple samples from the location signal including a set of samples for each antenna, and a processor that compresses the samples to generate location information associated with the nearby wireless asset. The wireless locator may be part of a wireless location system including multiple wireless locators distributed in the area and a central processing system. Various compression methods are disclosed, including averaging of the samples, bit reduction of the samples, converting the samples to corresponding phase values, and combining corresponding samples of multiple sample supplemental sets. Combinations of the various compression methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Antonio Torrini, Joel Kauppo, Sauli Johannes Lehtimaki
  • Patent number: 11960881
    Abstract: A system and method for simplifying the creation of documentation, and especially software documentation. A software application, referred to as a source metadata tagger and document compiler is used to add metadata to a final output document. This metadata contains identifiers that are associated with various source files. In this way, the system can easily determine which source file is being reviewed and/or flagged by the reviewer. This information can be used by the ticketing/notification system to create a work item for the appropriate developer or development group. This is vastly simpler than the current system, where human intervention is required to determine which source file is being flagged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Ryan Wellinghoff, Stephen Hahn, Yi-Yang Chen, Bradford Stewart
  • Patent number: 11953936
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: an oscillator to output a clock signal on a first line; a switch coupled to the first line; and a voltage divider coupled to the switch. The switch may be controlled to output the clock signal through the voltage divider via the first line to a pin in a non-reset mode and prevent the clock signal from being provided to the pin in a reset mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Eugenio Carey
  • Patent number: 11916679
    Abstract: A bitstream modifier is operative on a packet which uses repetition coding. The bitstream modifier increases randomness of the data in a deterministic manner such that spectral spurs from repetition coding are greatly reduced, thereby providing greater available transmit power. In another example of the invention, baseband samples of a header and/or payload for a Bluetooth packet are modified by a canonical sequence with a low slew rate for data such that the variations in frequency may be tracked by a receiver and the transmitted spectral spurs reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Sriram Mudulodu, Divyaxi Rudani, Manoj Medam, Partha Sarathy Murali, Ajay Mantha, Suchin Gupta
  • Patent number: 11916514
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an RF apparatus, and a wideband multi-band matching balun. The wideband multi-band matching balun includes a multi-band balun, which includes at least one three-element frequency-dependent resonator (TEFDR). The wideband multi-band matching balun further includes a differential-to-differential matching circuit coupled to the RF apparatus. The differential-to-differential matching circuit includes at least one TEFDR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Zoltan Vida, Attila L Zolomy
  • Patent number: 11909430
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method comprises: initializing a front end circuit of a wireless device into a first mode in which a radio frequency (RF) signal processing path comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA) having an output coupled to an RF filter; and in response to an RF signal received in the front end circuit having a level greater than a first threshold, reconfiguring the front end circuit into a second mode in which the RF filter is coupled to an input of the LNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Hendricus De Ruijter, Thomas Edward Voor, Jeffrey L. Sonntag
  • Patent number: 11906642
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to modify information of an audio data transmission based on one or more measured signal reception and/or transmission characteristics of a radio frequency (RF) signal data transmission that contains or otherwise conveys the audio data transmission. The modified audio data may then be acoustically reproduced in analog form as sound waves. Examples of signal reception characteristics of a RF signal data transmission that may be measured and used as a basis for modifying information of audio data of an audio data transmission include, but are not limited to, time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Angle of Arrival (AoA), measured received signal strength, etc. Example signal transmission characteristics of a RF signal that may be measured and used as a basis for modifying information of audio data include, but are not limited to, Angle of Departure (AoD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Jere M. Knaappila
  • Patent number: 11901924
    Abstract: In one aspect, an apparatus comprises a transmit path including a power amplifier to receive, process and output a transmit radio frequency (RF) signal the transmit path comprising a power amplifier. A detection circuit coupled to the transmit path may be configured to: detect, during a first portion of a packet of the transmit RF signal, a level of the transmit RF signal at an input to the power amplifier; and detect, during a second portion of the packet of the transmit RF signal the level of the transmit RF signal at an output of the power amplifier. Based at least in part on the detected level at at least one of the power amplifier input or output, a level of at least one component of the transmit path upstream to the power amplifier is to be updated, to control a transmit power variation of the transmit RF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Voor, Hendricus De Ruijter, Richard Hendricks
  • Patent number: 11894623
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a loop antenna formed using the substrate. The loop antenna includes a set of gaps formed to isolate a first part of the loop antenna from a second part of the loop antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Zolomy, Thomas E. Voor, Zoltan Vida
  • Patent number: 11894864
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an analog-to-digital converter includes: a sum circuit to receive an analog input signal and a feedback reference signal and generate a sum signal; a feedback circuit coupled to the sum circuit to provide the feedback reference signal to the sum circuit; a filter coupled to the sum circuit to receive the sum signal and generate a filtered signal; and a punctured quantizer coupled to the filter to receive the filtered signal and quantize the filtered signal to a digital output and to output the digital output and to provide the digital output to the feedback circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Khoury
  • Patent number: 11894622
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a module. The module includes an antenna structure. The antenna structure includes a printed monopole antenna. The antenna structure further includes first and second inductive-capacitive (LC) resonant networks that are coupled to the printed monopole antenna. The antenna structure further includes a double slotted loop coupled to the first and second LC resonant networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Tuomas Hänninen, Pasi Rahikkala, Attila Zolomy
  • Patent number: 11894826
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a radio-frequency (RF) apparatus, and a multi-band matching balun coupled to the RF apparatus. The multi-band matching balun including a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of inductors. None of the plurality of capacitors and none of the plurality of inductors is variable or tunable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Zoltan Vida, Attila L. Zolomy
  • Patent number: 11894621
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an RF apparatus, and a multi-band matching balun coupled to the RF apparatus. The multi-band matching balun includes at least one three-element frequency-dependent resonator (TEFDR) and at most three reactive elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Zoltan Vida, Attila L. Zolomy
  • Patent number: 11886621
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a clock generator to receive a reference clock signal and generate a first clock signal using the reference clock signal; a counter coupled to the clock generator to maintain a first count regarding a number of cycles of the first clock signal; and a controller coupled to the counter. The controller may be configured to detect a potential security violation when the first count varies from a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Taylor Brunn
  • Patent number: 11888540
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a radio-frequency (RF) receiver, which includes an automatic gain-control (AGC) circuit to use a gain signal to set a gain of front-end circuitry of the RF receiver. The RF receiver further includes an interference-detection circuit to use a value of the gain signal to detect an interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Hendricus de Ruijter