Patents by Inventor Donald E. Groff

Donald E. Groff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7037170
    Abstract: A toy accessory includes an arch and a connector attached to each end of the arch. The connector is configured to attach to either of a top rail of a juvenile product and an edge of a play mat. The connector includes an arch connection portion configured to connect to the respective end of the arch and also includes a receiving portion configured to receive either of the top rail of the juvenile product and the edge of the play mat. The connector further may include a play mat connection portion configured to connect to a surface of the play mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Pacella, Donald E. Groff, Curtis M. Hartenstine
  • Patent number: 6567132
    Abstract: An upconverter for converting IF television signals to VHF or UHF signals prior to broadcast is configured to process either analog or digital television signals. The upconverter identifies the type of incoming television signal and generates an appropriate reference signal depending on whether the incoming television signal is digital or analog. In an analog format, the reference signal is used by the modulator generating the IF signal to synchronize phase with the signals output by various other upconverters. In a digital format, the reference signal is used, for example, as a test signal for the upconversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: General Instruments Corp.
    Inventors: Donald E. Groff, Marlin F. McGregor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6525436
    Abstract: An improved electronic device, for example, an upconverter for converting an IF television signal to a VHF or UHF television signal at a broadcast signal headend provides an external, shielded bus interface which connects to filtered internal input and output lines leading to control circuitry. The resulting device suppresses unwanted electromagnetic emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: General Instruments Corp.
    Inventor: Donald E. Groff
  • Patent number: 6515380
    Abstract: An improved electronic device, for example, an upconverter for converting an IF television signal to a VHF or UHF television signal at a broadcast signal headend provides an external, shielded bus interface which connects to filtered internal input and output lines leading to control circuitry. The resulting device suppresses unwanted electromagnetic emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: General Instrument Corp.
    Inventor: Donald E. Groff
  • Patent number: 6473593
    Abstract: An upconverter unit for a cable television system upconverts multiple channel signals from a common intermediate frequency to a VHF or UHF signal ready for transmission to subscribers. The two-stage upconverter provides a first stage in which different channel signals are upconverted to different frequencies which are spaced apart by same frequency difference characteristic of different channels in the cable system. A second stage of the upconverter uses a common oscillator signal to convert the various channel signals from the first stage to the frequencies at which they will be transmitted over the cable system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: General Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Donald E. Groff
  • Patent number: 5737032
    Abstract: A digital converter controllably modifies input video data representing pixel luminance and color information, in two color space formats. Two color space converters are coupled in cascade. Serial video data is converted to parallel and demultiplexed. A first color space converter converts 4:2:2 sampled YCbCr luminance and color difference input data to RGB red/green/blue format. A second color space converter changes the data back to YCbCr before remultiplexing at the output. Under operator control from front panel inputs, a controller varies the conversion coefficients at the input-side color space converter, including by trigonometric functions applied to the coefficients to provide controllable hue phase shifting, modifies the transfer function in RGB color space by adjusting data in the lookup tables, and applies maximum/minimum clipping levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Videotek, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Stenzel, Donald E. Groff