Patents by Inventor Kenneth R. Cioffi
Kenneth R. Cioffi 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).
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Patent number: 8193869Abstract: A device has a resonator coupled to input and output nodes, the resonator being characterized by a transducer to drive the output node, and further characterized by a feedthrough capacitance such that portions of the input signal bypass the transducer to allow a spurious signal to reach the output node. The device includes a compensation capacitor coupled to the output node to define a compensation capacitance in accordance with the feedthrough capacitance. A phase inversion circuit is coupled to the compensation capacitance to generate a compensation signal and coupled to the output node such that the spurious signal is offset by the compensation signal. In some cases, a differential amplifier of the phase inversion circuit has the compensation capacitance in a feedback path to offset the feedthrough capacitance. In these and other cases, the compensation capacitance and the feedthrough capacitance may be unmatched to avoid overcompensation.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2010Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Andrew R. Brown, Wan-Thai Hsu, Kenneth R. Cioffi
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Patent number: 7812680Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for generating a modulated signal with a MEMS resonator, or microresonator. A bias, or polarization, voltage for activating the MEMS resonator is determined by a control signal, or input voltage, indicative of information to be carried by the modulated signal. In some cases, the MEMS resonator may be driven by an oscillator circuit to facilitate operation of the MEMS resonator. The control signal may include an amplitude modulated voltage or a digital data stream such that output signals of the MEMS resonator or oscillator circuit may carry information via frequency modulation, such as frequency shift keying modulation.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2006Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Andrew R. Brown, Wan-Thai Hsu, Kenneth R. Cioffi, Didier Lacroix
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Patent number: 7804374Abstract: A device has a resonator coupled to input and output nodes, the resonator being characterized by a transducer to drive the output node, and further characterized by a feedthrough capacitance such that portions of the input signal bypass the transducer to allow a spurious signal to reach the output node. The device includes a compensation capacitor coupled to the output node to define a compensation capacitance in accordance with the feedthrough capacitance. A phase inversion circuit is coupled to the compensation capacitance to generate a compensation signal and coupled to the output node such that the spurious signal is offset by the compensation signal. In some cases, a differential amplifier of the phase inversion circuit has the compensation capacitance in a feedback path to offset the feedthrough capacitance. In these and other cases, the compensation capacitance and the feedthrough capacitance may be unmatched to avoid overcompensation.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2007Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Andrew R. Brown, Wan-Thai Hsu, Kenneth R. Cioffi
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Patent number: 7755441Abstract: A signal generation technique is based on a reference frequency provided by a MEMS resonator. The signal generation technique compensates for temperature- and fabrication process-induced frequency variations collectively. In some embodiments, a device implementing the disclosed signal generation technique includes a fractional-N synthesizer, a temperature sensor, calibration data, and a sigma-delta modulator to adjust the reference frequency of the MEMS resonator to a desired frequency value while compensating for the temperature variation of the MEMS resonator.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2008Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Didier Lacroix
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Patent number: 7679466Abstract: Disclosed herein is a timing device that includes a resonator device to generate a resonator output signal at a frequency offset from a desired frequency, a counter configured to generate an extraction signal in accordance with the frequency offset, and a timing signal generator configured to track time with a count based on the resonator output signal and modified by the extraction signal downward to reach the desired frequency.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2008Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Michael Simoneau, Didier Lacroix, Wan-Thai Hsu
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Patent number: 7642847Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2006Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Publication number: 20090189689Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2006Publication date: July 30, 2009Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Patent number: 7449968Abstract: Disclosed herein is a signal generation technique based on a reference frequency provided by a MEMS resonator. The signal generation technique compensates for temperature- and fabrication process-induced frequency variations collectively. In some embodiments, a device implementing the disclosed signal generation technique includes a fractional-N synthesizer, a temperature sensor, calibration data, and a sigma-delta modulator to adjust the reference frequency of the MEMS resonator to a desired frequency value while compensating for the temperature variation of the MEMS resonator.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2006Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: Discera, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Didier Lacroix
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Patent number: 7038536Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2005Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Tropian, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Patent number: 6924695Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2004Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Assignee: Tropian, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Publication number: 20040201418Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Patent number: 6781452Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2001Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: Tropian, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Publication number: 20030160658Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2001Publication date: August 28, 2003Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
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Patent number: 6018553Abstract: A multi-level quadrature (I/Q) mixer for use in a communication system such as a paging device, where the mixer includes first and second I/Q downconversions followed by demodulation. The first I/Q downconversion converts an I/Q signal pair to a first IF, and the second I/Q downconversion converts an I/Q signal pair to a second IF. The first IF may or may not be the center frequency depending on the number of subchannels in the single channel being downconverted.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1996Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Wireless AccessInventors: Sergio A. Sanielevici, Stephen F. Lloyd, Kenneth R. Cioffi
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Patent number: 5631503Abstract: A power generation technique to generate power for use in, for instance, a communication device having a transmitter and a receiver, where communication occurs over atmosphere, or airways (e.g., wireless). The present invention provides a battery-based system that generates power at a high current and high voltage while accommodating the required duty cycles using batteries with sizes that are not prohibitive given the size constraints associated with portable devices in general.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 1994Date of Patent: May 20, 1997Assignee: Wireless Access Inc.Inventor: Kenneth R. Cioffi
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Patent number: 5428638Abstract: An apparatus and method to transmit and receive digital signals in a communication system having a power source that provides power to a portion of a communication device and a mechanism to disable power to that portion of the communication device for periods of time, such that a reduced power consumption state is entered. Also included is sampling hardware to sample the signal during those periods of time when the communication device is not in the reduced power consumption state, which occurs when data is transferred or received.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1993Date of Patent: June 27, 1995Assignee: Wireless Access Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, David S. Parkinson, Peter O. Okrah, Cynthia C. Robinson, Russell P. Prosynchak, Tim A. Williams
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Patent number: 5406226Abstract: A low noise narrow band amplifier with low power consumption for amplifying radio frequency and microwave signals. The amplifier includes a high frequency transistor that has a cut-off frequency greater than the center frequency of the input signal. The amplifier includes an emitter inductor for low noise and better input match. The amplifier is stabilized for out-of-band high frequency oscillations by a collector inductor and a base inductor. The amplifier is further stabilized unconditionally for out-of-band high frequency oscillations by a stabilizing circuit coupled between the output and ground, including a stabilizing capacitor in series with a stabilizing resistor.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1993Date of Patent: April 11, 1995Assignee: Wireless Access, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Cynthia C. Robinson, Russell P. Prosynchak
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Patent number: 4992752Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for performing impedance transformations on the order of 4:1 to 8:1 or more over extremely broad bandwidths. The transformations are performed in an apparatus having a plurality of n distributed amplifiers having one common synthetic transmission line sharing inductive elements and a second transmission line connected in parallel to the other transmission lines. The transmission lines incorporate active elements preferably in the form of FET cascode pairs. In one embodiment, the second transistor of each cascode pair is replaced with n smaller gate FETs to decrease DC power requirements and provide additional doncution paths for impedance reduction.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1989Date of Patent: February 12, 1991Assignee: Rockwell InternationalInventor: Kenneth R. Cioffi