Circuitry To Provide A Coder And Decoder Function Patents (Class 379/399.02)
  • Patent number: 7031458
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method and apparatus for transferring data across an isolation barrier using high speed analog encoded signals. A line side circuit interfaces with tip and ring contacts on one side of a capacitive isolation barrier that isolates the line side circuit from a modem side circuit. During an on-hook state, the line side circuit converts an analog line side voltage signal to a frequency signal and then encodes the frequency signal into a high frequency pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal. The high frequency PWM signal is transmitted across the capacitive isolation barrier to the modem side circuit. During an off-hook state, the analog line side voltage is again encoded into a high frequency pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal for transmission across the isolation barrier. The modem side circuit recovers the transmitted PWM signal and converts it into a digital count value that represents the amplitude of the analog voltage observed at the tip and ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Integration Associates Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne T. Holcombe, Matthijs D. Pardoen
  • Patent number: 7027589
    Abstract: A central office modem (50) that includes the capability of single-ended loop testing (SELT) is disclosed. The modem (50) includes a digital signal processor (54), a codec (56), line driver and receiver circuitry (58), and a hybrid circuit (60), by way of which a subscriber loop (LOOP) can be driven and sensed. The line driver and receiver circuitry (58) may include a transformer (74a, 74b) for driving the loop (LOOP), or the output may be capacitively coupled. The line driver and receiver circuitry (58) includes active termination, by way of operational amplifiers (80a, 80b). Switches (82a, 82b; 84a, 84b) are provided to selectively enable and disable the active termination function, and to selectively bypass or include the hybrid circuit (60). This control of the line driver and receiver circuitry (58) provides the ability to calibrate out its own characteristics, providing high precision SELT measurements of the load impedance type, and of frequency domain reflectometry, and time domain reflectometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Hao Shi, Peter J. Melsa
  • Patent number: 7024157
    Abstract: A radio frequency communication system utilizing a radiating transmission line for communicating data signals is disclosed. The data signals convey digital data to remotely located data devices, including computers, equipment control systems and digital video cameras. The data signals have a wide bandwidth of about 0.5 MHz to 32 MHz. In this way, the communication system creates a local area network by means of the radiating communication line. The communication system is intended to be used in environments where radio waves do not propagate well, such as in underground environments, and in particular mines. The communication system comprises at least one amplifier connected to the radiating transmission line for periodically amplifying the data signals by demodulating the data signals to recover the data contained therein and then modulating the recovered data into a regenerated radio frequency at a power level permitting transmission and radiation of the regenerated radio frequency data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Mine Radio Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick M. Y. Waye, Arie Willem Kruger
  • Patent number: 6999581
    Abstract: A network interface circuit that screens out transient signals and provides an indication to the line side that an actual event has occurred, so that appropriate discrimination circuitry is powered up to determine the exact nature of the actual event only when actually needed. The present invention develops an AC signal that represents the events that are desired to be detected. This AC signal is timed so that it has a sustained rate (e.g., a 1 millisecond burst) that is unlike any transient that would occur on the line. Thus, unless the incoming signal meets the timing requirements of the circuit, it is disregarded as a being a transient and no action is taken to determine the exact nature of the signal. This avoids the need to invoke the discrimination circuits that have large power requirements until they are actually needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Tony El-Kik, Keith E. Hollenbach, Donald R. Laturell, Steven B. Witmer
  • Patent number: 6975723
    Abstract: A communication system is provided which draws virtually no loop current during a ringing burst and only draws on-hook loop current during the caller ID field. More particularly, ringer burst circuitry may be powered from the user powered circuitry by the transmission of power across the isolation barrier rather than being powered from the phone line. Thus, loop current need not be drawn from the TIP/RING lines during ringer bursts. The isolation barrier may be a capacitive isolation barrier which allows bidirectional communication and extraction of power from signals transmitted across the barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland, Jerrell P. Hein, Andrew W. Krone
  • Patent number: 6940969
    Abstract: A capacitor cancellation method and apparatus for use in an interface circuit having a transformer blocking capacitor. The method includes sensing a voltage across the transformer blocking capacitor and generating a cancellation signal to compensate for the effect of the transformer blocking capacitor. The apparatus includes a sensor to sense a differential voltage across the transformer blocking capacitor to develop a capacitor signal and an amplifier to amplify the capacitor signal to obtain a cancellation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Kuo-Wei Chen, John C. Gammel, Dewayne Alan Spires
  • Patent number: 6937852
    Abstract: A portable communication device for conference calls, comprising at least first and second speech encoder paths with first and second inputs for connection to first and second recording devices, respectively, and at least one output connected to signal processor means for receiving and processing first and second electronic signals from said recording devices via said first and second speech encoder paths for transmission to a transmitter/receiver operatively connected to said signal processor means, wherein said apparatus is adpated to receive said first and second electronic signals simultaneously even if the signals are different, and said apparatus comprises a summator adapted to sum said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to said transmitter/receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventor: Göran Pehrsson
  • Patent number: 6934384
    Abstract: A subscriber line interface circuit apparatus includes a signal processor having sense inputs for sensed tip and ring signals of a subscriber loop. The signal processor generates linefeed driver control signals in response to the sensed signals. The signal processor resides on an integrated circuit die. In another embodiment, a subscriber line interface circuit apparatus includes a signal processor generating subscriber loop control signals in response to sensed tip and ring signals from the subscriber loop. A linefeed driver portion drives the subscriber loop in accordance with the subscriber loop control signals. The linefeed driver portion provides the sensed tip and ring signals. Each of the linefeed driver portion and the signal processor resides on an integrated circuit die. In one packaging implementation, the signal processor and the linefeed driver portion reside on separate integrated circuit die within separate integrated circuit packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerrell P. Hein, Navdeep S. Sooch
  • Patent number: 6931121
    Abstract: An RJ 11 port is disclosed that detects the device to which it is connected and automatically reconfigures itself as end user equipment or network interface equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Tiso, William E. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 6925172
    Abstract: A transceiver system is disclosed for use in a telecommunication system. The transceiver system includes a transmission circuit including a transmitter input coupled to an input of a transmission amplifier, a receiver circuit including a receiver output coupled to an output of a receiver amplifier, and a transmission line interface circuit that is coupled to an output of the transmission amplifier and to an input of the receiver amplifier. The transmission line interface circuit includes a matching impedance that is directly coupled to a feedback path of the transmission amplifier and that terminates the transmission line of the transceiver system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Faramarz Sabouri, John P. Guido, John G. Kenney, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6920218
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus which facilitates the use of existing power that is ordinarily unused or discarded to provide power to a telephone interface circuit when the circuit is in the on-hook state, thereby alleviating the need to use loop current to power the interface during the on-hook state. Existing clock signals are used to charge capacitors that are normally used for capacitive coupling of digital data across the high voltage isolation barrier. Although only small-value capacitors are needed for transmitting data across the capacitive interface, larger-value capacitors are used and are configured to form a charge pump to generate power to the interface at all times. Thus the interface always has a steady source of power available for use, including during the on-hook state for powering circuitry that can detect, modulate, and transmit on-hook signals across the capacitive interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy W. Fuehrer, Keith E. Hollenbach, Donald R. Laturell, Steven B. Witmer
  • Patent number: 6909781
    Abstract: An analog front end system comprising a digital-to-analog converter, a line driver, a multiple-input device, and an analog-to-digital converter is presented. Furthermore, a method for DSL line testing comprising the steps of providing test stimuli to and receiving responses from a DSL line using an analog front end is presented. The presented system and method provides for the testing of a DSL line in an xDSL communications system deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: GlobespanVirata, Inc.
    Inventor: Benedict A. Itri
  • Patent number: 6888939
    Abstract: The invention relates to an SLIC circuit (1), which is connected directly to a telephone line (2), for joint transmission of voice and data via the telephone line (2), with adequate echo attenuation achieved even at high data frequencies in that a first current which corresponds to the sum of the transmission and received currents (Ia, Ib), and a second current (Id) which corresponds to the current produced by the transmission power level (Vtx) at the data frequency, are produced, and the difference between the first current and the second current (Id) is emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Zojer
  • Patent number: 6853724
    Abstract: Cascade low-pass filters are useful in attenuating the xDSL band in a POTS splitter. The design of the low-pass filter is a sixth-order filter having two stages. A first stage includes a fourth-order filter, preferably with a stop-band frequency of approximately 48 kHz. A second stage includes a second-order filter in cascade with the fourth-order filter. For this filter, the stop-band frequency is preferably approximately 29 kHz. The inductance value of the second stage is relatively small in comparison to the inductance values of the first stage. In this manner, improvements in xDSL band attenuation are facilitated with little or no eroding of the voice band performance such as insertion loss, pass-band attenuation and return loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: ADC DSL Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jie Dong Wang
  • Patent number: 6847702
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for transferring data between servers and subscribers. A central office employs DSL circuit cards. Each DSL circuit card encodes a digital signal using a discreet multitone technology (DMT) scheme, and sends an encoded signal on a subscriber line. A disclosed architecture allows the functions of a faulty DSL circuit card to be assumed by another card, without substantial disruption of subscriber service. Further, the architecture allows the faulty DSL to be physically replaced, with minimal disruption of subscriber service. Another aspect of the architecture allows for the testing of subscriber lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Alcatel USA Sourcing, L.P.
    Inventors: Richard Marion Czerwiec, Marlin Vaughn Simmering, Geert Van Wonterghem
  • Patent number: 6826278
    Abstract: A digital subscriber line and POTS voice interface between a telephone line and central office equipment is provided. For POTS band frequencies, a reactive impedance coupled across the two wire interface of the POTS line card, and serially coupled to the line side of the DSL coupling transformer, has an open state magnitude. The magnitude of the line side windings of the DSL coupling transformer is low at POTS band frequencies. POTS band signal power is therefore delivered to the POTS line card. For DSL band frequencies, the reactive impedance across the POTS line card has a closed state magnitude. The POTS line card is therefore essentially short-circuited at DSL band frequencies, and DSL band signal power is delivered to the DSL modem. The frequency band in which the reactive impedance transitions from an open state magnitude to a closed state magnitude corresponds to the frequency band between the POTS frequency band and the DSL frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Centillium Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Serdar Kiykioglu
  • Patent number: 6823066
    Abstract: A digital direct access arrangement (DAA) circuitry may be used to terminate the telephone connections at the user's end to provide a communication path for signals to and from the phone lines. Briefly described, a means for providing a proper hookswitch transition for a variety of international phone standards is provided. The invention may also be utilized with means for transmitting and receiving a signal across a capacitive isolation barrier. More particularly, a DAA circuitry may be utilized which satisfies many or all hookswitch transition standards without the use of additional discrete devices. The hookswitch transition standards may be satisfied by ramping down the current flowing through the hookswitch prior to transitioning the hookswitch state. In this manner the hookswitch current change as a function of time (di/dt) may be decreased. Thus, the current through the hookswitch may be actively controlled prior to switching the hookswitch from an off-hook condition to an on-hook condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: George Tyson Tuttle, Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Patent number: 6782095
    Abstract: A general purpose network tone detection method and apparatus that allows the precise and accurate recognition of North American tones (MF, DTMF (Dual-Tone Multifrequency), and CPT (Call Progress Tones)) and international MF-R2 tones as well as taking into consideration other common tones such as Calling Card Service Prompt and Recall Dial. Through the use of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) on small time windows and by providing phase continuity between these windows, the results of the successive DFTs may be combined and processed by a second DFT computation. This second DFT allows higher frequency resolution without requiring the re-computation of the DFT from the time samples. The resulting effect is a tone receiver with both high time and frequency resolution which consequently leads to robust and accurate tone recognition systems conforming even to the most stringent specification while maintaining low computational requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Michael Leong, Yuriy Zakharov, Sergey Fedorov, Galina Titova
  • Patent number: 6778665
    Abstract: A line powered data access arrangement (DAA) is disclosed which adaptively allows proper operation with power supplied from a telephone line as conditions warrant, while at the same time satisfying the relevant requirements of many countries. In the line powered codec, a startup procedure for the international line powered codec uses register settings, e.g., country-specific register settings, which are powered and maintained from the low voltage side (e.g., from the PC or modem side) of the line powered codec. In this way, even during low line power conditions the programmed state of the line powered codec can be maintained, thus a default condition will not necessarily returned to by the line powered codec upon reset due to a power loss in the telephone line. In another aspect, a charge storage device such as a charge capacitor is charged from a charge pump formed from a differential clock signal from the low voltage side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Fischer, Donald R. Laturell, Lane A. Smith, Michael S. Toth, Michael G. Williams
  • Patent number: 6760433
    Abstract: Techniques for interfacing a telephone line and central office equipment of a network operator providing and digital subscriber line data services are disclosed. The interface is splitterless in that no conventional bulky splitter is required. A SLIC independent, impedance synthesis network provide compensation for impedance imbalance caused by capacitor coupled across two-wire interface of voice circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Centillium Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Bolla, Serdar Kiykioglu
  • Patent number: 6744888
    Abstract: A telephone line interface circuit with event detection capabilities is provided that screens out transient signals and provides an indication to the line side that an actual event has occurred; so that appropriate discrimination circuitry is powered up to determine the exact nature of the actual event only when needed. An event detector develops an AC signal that represents the events to be detected. This AC signal is timed to determine its sustained rate. The sustained rate has a timing threshold which is higher than a transient that occurs on the line. If the incoming signal does not meet the required threshold timing, it is disregarded as being transient and no action is taken. If the incoming signal meets the threshold requirement, the line interface circuit switches to the full power mode and facilitates the actual data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Tony El-Kik, Keith E. Hollenbach, Donald R. Laturell, Steven B. Witmer
  • Patent number: 6735305
    Abstract: A line powered data access arrangement (DAA) is disclosed which adaptively allows proper operation with power supplied from a telephone line as conditions warrant, while at the same time satisfying the relevant requirements of many countries. In the line powered codec, a startup procedure for the international line powered codec uses register settings, e.g., country-specific register settings, which are powered and maintained from the low voltage side (e.g., from the PC or modem side) of the line powered codec. In this way, even during low line power conditions the programmed state of the line powered codec can be maintained, thus a default condition will not necessarily returned to by the line powered codec upon reset due to a power loss in the telephone line. In another aspect, a charge storage device such as a charge capacitor is charged from a charge pump formed from a differential clock signal from the low voltage side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Fischer, Donald R. Laturell, Lane A. Smith, Michael S. Toth, Michael G. Williams, Keith Eugene Hollenbach, Weilin Zhu
  • Patent number: 6731751
    Abstract: An interface apparatus interposed between a cordless telephone base unit and a personal computer sound card. Such interface emulates a Central Office connection with respect to the telephone and a mic and speaker connection with respect to the computer sound card. The apparatus is suitable for all cordless telephones regardless of frequency allocation standards because the interface occurs at the RJ-11 modular jack of the cordless phone base, normally intended for connection to a CO line. Differences in telephone line regulations that exist among countries are accounted for with no burden of complexity to the user of the present invention. The interface comprises active and passive circuits perform two-wire-to-four-wire conversion and signal conditioning. Local loop current may be obtained from batteries or a suitable AC power adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: VXI Corporation
    Inventor: Costas Papadopoulos
  • Patent number: 6728309
    Abstract: Disclosed is an architecture and method for high speed transmission over a four-wire subscriber line. Each modem in the present invention includes a V.90 transmit section and a V.90 receive section. The V.90 transmit section is dedicated to transmitting data over one pair of a four-wire subscriber line, while the V.90 receive section is dedicated to receiving data over the other pair of the four-wire subscriber line. The present invention permits full-duplex transmission at 56 Kbps over a four-wire subscriber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: 3Com Corporation
    Inventor: Earl Turner
  • Publication number: 20040057575
    Abstract: A joint code-encoder-decoder design approach and circuit architecture design for (3,k)-regular LDPC coding system implementation. The joint design process relies on a high girth (2,k)-regular LDPC code construction. The decoder realizes partly parallel decoding. The encoding scheme only contains multiplications between sparse matrices and vector and multiplication between a very small dense matrix and vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Tong Zhang, Keshab K. Parhi
  • Patent number: 6687371
    Abstract: A line powered codec which adaptively allows operation with power supplied from a telephone line in many countries as conditions warrant. A startup procedure uses country-specific register settings, which are powered and maintained from a low voltage side other than the telephone line. Thus, during low line power conditions a programmed state of the line powered codec can be maintained even after a power loss in the telephone line. In another aspect, a current and voltage detection module in the line powered codec is always powered from the telephone line. If sufficient power is not present, the line powered codec does not power up. In yet another aspect, a plurality of power rails may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Fischer, Donald R. Laturell, Lane A. Smith, Michael S. Toth, Michael G. Williams
  • Patent number: 6674857
    Abstract: A line powered data access arrangement (DAA) is disclosed which adaptively allows proper operation with power supplied from a telephone line as conditions warrant, while at the same time satisfying the relevant requirements of many countries. In the line powered codec, a startup procedure for the international line powered codec uses register settings, e.g., country-specific register settings, which are powered and maintained from the low voltage side (e.g., from the PC or modem side) of the line powered codec. In this way, even during low line power conditions the programmed state of the line powered codec can be maintained, thus a default condition will not necessarily returned to by the line powered codec upon reset due to a power loss in the telephone line. In another aspect, a charge storage device such as a charge capacitor is charged from a charge pump formed from a differential clock signal from the low voltage side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Fischer, Donald R. Laturell, Lane A. Smith, Michael S. Toth, Keith E. Hollenbach, Weilin Zhu
  • Patent number: 6665398
    Abstract: A subscriber loop interface circuit and method for externally programming the on-hook, off-hook, and transition states of the subscriber loop interface circuit. The circuit having an off-hook overhead sufficient for long loop applications and having a continuous loop current to loop voltage relationship. The circuit may have plural means for generating reference currents for comparison with loop currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Christopher Ludeman
  • Patent number: 6654409
    Abstract: An isolation system for terminating a phone line is provided. The invention may comprise a capacitive isolation barrier across which a digital signal is communicated. Clock recovery circuitry may be employed on one side of the isolation barrier to extract timing information from the digital signal communicated across the barrier. An isolated power supply may also be provided on the isolated side of the barrier, whereby direct current is generated in response to the digital data received across the isolation barrier. A bidirectional isolation system is provided whereby bidirectional communication of digital signals is accomplished using a single pair of isolation capacitors. In preferred embodiments, the digital data communicated across the barrier consists of digital delta-sigma data signals multiplexed in time with other digital control, signaling and framing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Patent number: 6636603
    Abstract: A system for determining the transmit power of a communication device operating on a twisted pair subscriber line includes a communication server coupled to a first subscriber line and a second subscriber line. The communication server comprises a communication device that communicates a signal using the first subscriber line. A memory coupled to the communication server stores noise information and cross-channel-coupling information for the first subscriber line and the second subscriber line. A processor coupled to the memory determines the transmit power of the communication device based upon the noise information and the cross-channel-coupling information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Celite Milbrandt
  • Patent number: 6556676
    Abstract: The invention provides an adapter card for use with a computing apparatus executing in a multitasking environment program elements that implement call-related functional units requiring DSP (Digital Signal Processor) resources. In a specific example, the call-related functional units provide voice recognition services, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony and voice message, among others. The adapter card includes a switch that receives voice signals from one or more telephone lines physically connected to the adapter card. A digital signal processor is provided on the adapter card and can receive an audio signal from the switch for processing. When anyone of the call-related functional units needs access to the resources of the DSP, it issues a control signal to the switch that responds by directing the audio signal that is to be processed by the call-related functional unit to the digital signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Chris R. Buchanan, Dick H. Keilty, Steven James Rhodes, Kevin MacNeill, Richard Martin
  • Patent number: 6553118
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the DC line current on a telephone line and reducing the amount of error introduced to the system. The error is reduced by compensating for a DC error term introduced by an analog to digital converter having a DC offset. The DC offset is controlled digitally, allowing software to be used to limit the DC error in accordance with predefined parameters. Predefined parameters can be set to accommodate varying country specifications instead of using switches to control resistors and capacitors. In addition, changes in a country's requirements can be accomplished through software, instead of changing components or redesigning a circuit board. The use of software results in increased flexibility by allowing an infinite number of settings via software or software updates, allowing changes to be made quickly and easily throughout the world, and allowing error terms to be accommodated digitally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Lane A. Smith, Steven Brooke Witmer, Jonathan Herman Fischer, Donald Raymond Laturell
  • Patent number: 6522745
    Abstract: A digital direct access arrangement (DAA) circuitry may be used to terminate the telephone connections at the user's end to provide a communication path for signals to and from the phone lines. Briefly described, a means for providing a proper ringer impedance for a variety of international phone standards while also providing a proper isolation barrier to the phone line is disclosed. More particularly, a DAA circuitry may be utilized which satisfies many or all ringer impedance standards without the use of additional discrete impedance devices. The ringer impedance standards may be satisfied by use of an impedance structure coupled between the TIP and RING lines and actively controlling the current drawn through the hookswitch devices when a ringing event is detected so as to control the impedance seen at the TIP and RING lines during a ringing event. The detection of the ringing event may be performed on the phone line side of an isolation barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: George Tyson Tuttle, Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Patent number: 6507654
    Abstract: A telephone line interface circuit is disclosed that functions with use of PTC resistors so that temperature increases within the battery feed resistors is minimized. Utilizing current and voltage feedback loops within the line interface circuit, the PTC resistors are implemented without significantly reducing the performance of the overall circuit that would normally be caused by the PTC resistors' inherent impedance inaccuracies. In normal operation, the feedback loops adjust the current and voltage on the telephone line to the desired level without regard for the impedance values of the PTC resistors. In the case that a high voltage is applied to a telephone line, the significant increase in current flow into the line interface circuit causes the battery feed resistors to heat up, and therefore the PTC resistors, that are physically local to the feed resistors, to heat up and significantly increase in impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Martin Ridgway Handforth, Donald Scott McGinn, Gyula Jakab
  • Patent number: 6498849
    Abstract: To reduce power losses in a SLIC comprising first and second current amplifiers supplying line current to respective wires of a two-wire transmission line to a load, a line current detector detects line currents below a threshold value. For line currents above the threshold value, the second amplifier is supplied from a first battery with a substantially constant voltage. A voltage regulator is connected with its output terminal to the second amplifier, with its current supply terminal to a second battery of higher absolute voltage than said first battery, and with its input terminal to the detector. In response to line currents below said threshold value, the detector outputs control signals proportional to the detected line currents to control the output terminal of the voltage regulator to supply the second amplifier as well as the load from the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventors: Henrik Hellberg, Anders Emericks
  • Patent number: 6483914
    Abstract: A subscriber's telephone installation comprises a plurality of telephone sets coupled in parallel to a subscriber loop so as to provide a voice facility, and a data modern coupled to the subscriber loop so as to provide data facilities at a frequency above that employed for said voice facility. Some or preferably all telephone sets are provided with a respective filter arrangement incorporating series connected inductive and parallel connected capacitive elements for rejecting selected frequencies from the telephone set. The filter also incorporates a switch responsive to current drawn from the line for selectively enabling and disabling the filter arrangement when the telephone set is respectively in its off-hook condition or in its on-hook condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Roger James Williamson, Leslie Derek Humphrey, Bryan R Parlor
  • Patent number: 6480602
    Abstract: Ring-detect interface circuit is disclosed for digital DAA circuitry to provide a plurality of selectable signals, including a ring monitor signal, on a ring-detect output pin. The interface circuitry allows the digital DAA circuitry to interface with advanced controllers, such as advanced DSPs, while still being compatible with older controllers that expect only a ring monitor signal on the ring-detect pin. The interface circuitry may include a multiplexer that receives multiple status bits or signals, including the ring monitor signal, and that has its output controlled by a multiple-bit control register. In addition, the ring monitor signal may be communicated as a digital signal across an isolation barrier from phone line side circuitry to powered side circuitry and ultimately made available on the ring-detect output pin. Corresponding methods for improving compatibility of digital DAA circuitry through the ring-detect interface circuit are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Dupuis, Bradley J. Fluke, Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Patent number: 6453040
    Abstract: An adapter (42) for connecting a telephone (52) to a telephone wire (40) has a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC 113) with a jack for connecting a telephone to the SLIC, a line interface (110) for coupling to a telephone line, a signaling circuit (111) coupled to the line interface for receiving and providing subscriber line signaling on the telephone line, a codec (112) coupled to the SLIC, performing a voice coding/decoding function; and a timing circuit (202) for time multiplexing and demultiplexing of digitized voice signals between the SLIC and the line interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Burke, Gregory W. Fuller
  • Patent number: 6427011
    Abstract: Computers commonly connect to remote computers and networks using the telephone lines. A telephone line is composed of a positive line (Ring) and a negative line (Tip). Because there is no guarantee, in general, which line on a two-conductor telephone jack will be positive and which will be negative, diode bridges are often used to assure correct polarity of devices coupled to the telephone lines. Commonly computers connect to telephone lines using modems, which plug into the computer. The modems often contain two jacks, one to connect the modem to the telephone line, the other to provide an outlet for a telephone. Commonly both jacks are wired in parallel. Embodiments of the inventions provide for wiring the telephone jacks in opposite polarity, or switching polarity via jumpers. A method is provided to detect a telephone plug in the jack of incorrect polarity. A user may be instructed in advance or prompted to switch jacks or jumpers if necessary and the need for the diode bridge is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Conexant Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Sacca
  • Patent number: 6385235
    Abstract: An isolation system is provided that is suitable for use in telephony, medical instrumentation, industrial process control and other applications. Preferred embodiments of the invention comprise a capacitive isolation barrier across which a digital signal is communicated. The system provides a means of communication across the isolation barrier that is highly immune to amplitude and phase noise interference. Clock recovery circuitry may be employed on one side of the isolation barrier to extract timing information from the digital signal communicated across the barrier, and to filter the effects of phase noise introduced at the barrier. Delta-sigma converters may be disposed on both sides of the isolation barrier to convert signals between analog and digital domains. An isolated power supply may also be provided on the isolated side of the barrier, whereby direct current is generated in response to the digital data received across the isolation barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Patent number: 6377666
    Abstract: A transmitter within a line driver circuit is configured to supply data pulses over existing residential wiring. The transmitter is implemented in a CMOS integrated circuit. The transmitter comprises three stages: a front-end digital/analog convertor (DAC), an intermediate DAC, and a current amplifier. The first stage dictates whether the output signal is in high power mode or low power mode. The intermediate DAC, as the second stage, controls the waveform shape and tunes the edge rate, thereby outputting a positive current signal and a negative current signal. The final stage amplifies these current signals to yield current signals having a desired waveform shape, power mode, and edge rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Legerity
    Inventors: Yi Cheng, Zhenhua Liu
  • Patent number: 6359983
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing the amplitude of signals that often are inadvertently coupled to a telephone line from an isolation barrier system, or that cause undesirable interference within the circuitry of the isolation barrier system. Such signals have undesirable peaks in the frequency domain (spectral peaks) due to the existence of periodicities in the data signal that is transmitted across the isolation barrier. Such spectral peaks are reduced by this invention, which comprises randomizing or scrambling the data signal before it crosses the isolation barrier, and descrambling the data after it has crossed the isolation barrier. In one embodiment, the data signal is scrambled by combining it with a random bit stream (or a pseudo random bit stream), which effectively “whitens” the resulting scrambled signal, thus removing spectral peaks that exist in the original data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew W. Krone, Jeffrey W. Scott, Navdeep S. Sooch, David R. Welland
  • Publication number: 20010055377
    Abstract: A ring detect/Caller I.D. detect circuit employs first and second operational amplifiers supplied with a differential input from the AC side of a diode bridge. The differential input is converted to a single ended input supplied in a first mode to a ring detect comparator supplied with a plurality of selectable reference voltages and in a second mode to a comparator which produces a digital Caller I.D. output signal. An impedance in the feedback loop of the first and second operational amplifiers is switch-selectable to enable the first and second modes of operation, and each of the selectable reference voltages is chosen to permit proper ring signal detection in a particular corresponding geography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: RAPHAEL RAHAMIM, FRANK SACCA, THOMAS GREY BEUTLER
  • Patent number: 6295347
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for subscriber loop powered calling identity delivery on call waiting apparatus provides battery only operation or extended battery life in a calling identity apparatus intended for off-hook and on-hook operation. The apparatus and method of using comprises a caller identification data receiver coupled to the subscriber loop for decoding caller identification tones and a CAS tone detector for detecting an alerting signal having at least one tone detector power supply input. Further comprised is a power supply circuit wherein the power supply's input is coupled to the subscriber loop for supplying power from the subscriber loop to the CAS tone detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Fanstel Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Yuan-Neng Fan, Shih-Ming Tung
  • Publication number: 20010006548
    Abstract: The problem of talk-off and talk-on errors occurring when a common detection method for predefined signaling signal like a calling alerting signal CAS is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: July 5, 2001
    Inventor: Francois Pinier