Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Bever, Hoffman & Harms
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Patent number: 8030910Abstract: A dual-mode switching voltage regulator has a duty cycle that varies with the input and output voltages so as to dynamically compensate for changes in the operating conditions. The switching voltage regulator uses input and output voltages/currents to optimize the duty cycle of the signals applied to a pair of switches disposed in the regulator. In the PFM mode, a control block senses the time that a first switch used to discharge an inductor is turned off. If the control block senses that the first switch is opened too early, the control block increases the on-time of a second switch used to charge the inductor. If the control block senses that the first switch is opened too late, the control block decreases the on-time of the second switch.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventors: Floriberto Amorim Azevedo Lima, Pedro Faria de Oliveira, Daniel Lourenco dos Santos
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Patent number: 8021167Abstract: A method of forming spring structures using a single lithographic operation is described. In particular, a single lithographic operation both defines the spring area and also defines what areas of the spring will be uplifted. By eliminating a second lithographic operation to define a spring release area, processing costs for spring fabrication can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2010Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Thomas Hantschel, David K. Fork
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Patent number: 8022736Abstract: A line driver includes current sources and resistors that form a bridge circuit in which a bridge resistor is connected between an internal node and ground, and a series resistor connected between the internal node and the driver's output node. The internal node is connected to receive a unit current from a first stage transistor, and the output node is connected to receive an amplified current from a second stage transistor that is N times the unit current. The bridge resistor is formed with a resistance value set such that the voltages at the internal node and the output node are equal, i.e., such that no current flows through the series resistor. The resistance value of the series resistor is thus adjustable to optimize output impedance in a manner independent of the driver's gain. An echo cancellation circuit is utilized to eliminate noise from two associated line drivers.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Micrel, IncorporatedInventors: Menping Chang, Soon Lim
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Patent number: 8020123Abstract: Apparatus and method for transaction-based abstraction process can, in an embodiment, include three main phases: first, selecting a set of transaction-processing finite state machines (FSMs) that determine transaction boundaries. Second, extracting the transaction-processing FSMs, composing them, and computing an abstracted FSM corresponding to the composed FSM after abstraction, step 115. Third, abstracting all signals in the design based on the computed abstract FSM.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2008Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventor: James Christopher Wilson
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Patent number: 8018379Abstract: A receiver for receiving both GPS signals and GLONASS signals is provided. This receiver includes an analog front end (AFE), a GPS digital front end (DFE) and a GLONASS DFE for receiving an output of the AFE, and a dual mode interface (DMI) for receiving outputs of the GPS and GLONASS DFEs. Search engines are provided for receiving outputs of the DMI. Notably, certain front-end components of the AFE are configured to process both the GPS signals and the GLONASS signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2010Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.Inventors: Qinfang Sun, Justin Huang
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Patent number: 8019369Abstract: Transient distortion is compensated for by multiplying an exponentially-decaying phase shift onto the distorted waveform. The exponentially decaying phase shift waveform is patterned after the transient which typically takes the form of an exponential and occurs upon introduction of power to a circuit or circuit component. A digital circuit produces an appropriate exponentially-decaying waveform which is used as the input for a look up table whose output is a complex sinusoidal waveform capable of compensating for the distortion. The complex sinusoid is multiplied onto the transmitted waveform. The decaying exponential is biased so that it crosses a threshold at which point the compensating circuitry is turned off.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2010Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Husted, Bevan M. Baas
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Patent number: 8018003Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a source region and a drain region in contact with a channel region. The source and drain regions are formed in insulating pockets that cause the source and drain regions to be electrically isolated from the substrate, thereby minimizing junction capacitance and device crosstalk. The structures that define the insulating pockets can be insulating layers formed in one or more wells in the substrate, or can be a blanket insulating formed over the substrate in which a well is formed to contain the transistor.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2005Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventor: Chandrashekhar V. Patil
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Patent number: 8014305Abstract: Transmission monitoring can be used to determine the optimum data rate for a channel. The transmission monitoring can include sending data packets in the channel using various data rates. At least some data packets are sent using the current optimum data rate, a rate lower than the current optimum data rate, and a rate higher than the current optimum data rate. One of these data rates can be selected as the new optimum data rate. In one embodiment, if the current optimum data rate is less than a predetermined data rate, then the client is triggered to begin scanning for other available access points.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, James Woo
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Patent number: 8010072Abstract: A technique for improving frequency synthesizer performance by frequency-compensating charge pump current in order to maintain a consistent loop bandwidth over a wide operating frequency range is described. A relationship between the capacitance value associated with a voltage controlled oscillator resonant tank and the magnitude of current pulses in a related charge pump is exploited to bound the loop bandwidth of the frequency synthesizer over both operating frequency and process variation. A control state machine generates digital coarse tune values that dynamically select a capacitance for the resonant tank, such that the voltage controlled oscillator operates within an optimal control voltage range. Each dynamically selected capacitance value is then used to determine the magnitude of current pulses in the charge pump.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.Inventor: Lalitkumar Nathawad
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Patent number: 7999175Abstract: Interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells are produced by depositing spaced-apart parallel pads of a first dopant bearing material (e.g., boron) on a substrate, heating the substrate to both diffuse the first dopant into corresponding first (e.g., p+) diffusion regions and to form diffusion barriers (e.g., borosilicate glass) over the first diffusion regions, and then disposing the substrate in an atmosphere containing a second dopant (e.g., phosphorus) such that the second dopant diffuses through exposed surface areas of the substrate to form second (e.g., n+) diffusion regions between the first (p+) diffusion regions (the diffusion barriers prevent the second dopant from diffusion into the first (p+) diffusion regions). The substrate material along each interface between adjacent first (p+) and second (n+) diffusion regions is then removed (e.g.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2008Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Kenta Nakayashiki, Baomin Xu
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Patent number: 8000227Abstract: Current OFDM systems use a limited number of symbols and/or sub-channels to provide approximations for channel estimations and pilot tracking, i.e. phase estimations. For example, two training symbols in the preamble of a data packet are used to provide channel estimation. Four of the fifty-four sub-channels are reserved for providing phase estimation. However, noise and other imperfections can cause errors in both of these estimations, thereby degrading system performance. Advantageously, decision feedback mechanisms can be provided to significantly improve channel estimation and pilot tracking in OFDM systems. The decision feedback mechanisms can use data symbols in the data packet to improve channel estimation as well as data sub-channels to improve pilot tracking.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2010Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.Inventors: Qinfang Sun, Won-Joon Choi, Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Ning Zhang, Yi-Hsiu Wang, Tao-Fei Samuel Ng
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Patent number: 7997680Abstract: Printing systems are disclosed that produce homogenous, smooth edged printed patterns (such as integrated circuit (IC) patterns) by separating pattern layouts into discrete design layers having only parallel layout features, and by printing each design layer using individual print solution droplets deposited onto the substrate. A printhead alignment operation includes positioning the printhead and printing a spot onto the substrate from each ejector, determining a vertical offset between an expected location of each spot along a vertical axis and the actual location of the spot along the vertical axis, calculating a linear fit line for the vertical offset of each spot plotted against an expected location of the spot along a horizontal axis, calculating the slope of the linear fit line, and rotating the printhead relative to the substrate according to an angle defined by the slope of the linear fit line.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2010Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Steven E. Ready, William S. Wong
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Patent number: 8001397Abstract: A method of allocating power to ports in an Ethernet switch, including: (1) determining the available capacity of a power pool used to supply the ports, (2) assigning a configuration power to each of the ports, (3) selecting a port to be enabled, (4) determining whether the available capacity of the power pool exceeds the configuration power assigned to the selected port, and, if the available capacity of the power pool exceeds the configuration power assigned to the selected port, then (4) subtracting the configuration power assigned to the selected port from the available capacity of the power pool, (5) enabling and powering the selected port and simultaneously detecting whether the selected port is connected to a powered device, and (6) adding the configuration power assigned to the selected port to the available capacity of the power pool if the port is not connected to a powered device.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2009Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Foundry Networks, LLCInventor: Rakesh Hansalia
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Patent number: 7992958Abstract: Printing systems are disclosed that produce homogenous, smooth edged printed patterns (such as integrated circuit (IC) patterns) by separating pattern layouts into discrete design layers having only parallel layout features, and by printing each design layer using individual print solution droplets deposited onto the substrate. A printhead alignment operation includes printing a first spot from a first printhead ejector on a first substrate location, positioning a second ejector over the first substrate location and printing a second spot, measuring a distance between the first spot and the second spot, adjusting a rotational orientation between the print head and the substrate to reduce the distance between the first spot and the second spot, and then repeating the printing, measuring and adjusting processes until the first and second spots are separated by a predefined threshold value apart. The design layers are then printed.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2010Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Steven E. Ready, William S. Wong
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Patent number: 7995380Abstract: A memory cell includes a pull-up element that exhibits a refresh behavior that is dependent on the data value stored in the memory cell. The pull-up element is an NDR FET connected between a high voltage source and a storage node of the memory cell. The NDR FET receives a pulsed gate bias signal, wherein each pulse turns on the NDR FET when a logic HIGH value is stored at the storage node, and further wherein each pulse does not turn on the NDR FET when a logic LOW value is stored at the storage node. In this fashion a DRAM cell (and device) can be operated without a separate refresh cycle.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2008Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventor: Tsu-Jae King Liu
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Patent number: 7996200Abstract: A method for transaction-based abstraction allows a comprehensive test plan to be automatically generated for a hardware design, where the test plan comprises a set of coverage points derived based on a signal classification created using transaction-based analysis to identify the architecturally-visible state of the design, using heuristic techniques to identify finite-state machines (FSMs) in a design that processes transactions, from which transaction boundaries can be identified, and wherein signals are classified based on the abstracted design as either transient, temporary, or persistent for use in developing the test plan.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2005Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventor: James C. Wilson
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Patent number: 7995547Abstract: A system and method are described for repeatedly and efficiently performing a wireless communication channel survey to determine whether comparable communications devices exist, which frequencies are in use, and the identities of the comparable communications devices. A beacon data table stores received beacon data which is used to predict beacon arrival times, thereby allowing a receiver to be tuned away from an active data communications channel for a shorter dwell time than a beacon period. A further efficiency can be gained if beacon generators cooperatively stagger their beacon times according to one or more measurable characteristics of the beacon generator, e.g. the operating channel number and the SSID.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.Inventor: Craig H. Barratt
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Patent number: 7988036Abstract: A portable card adapted to interact with a data processing station when the portable card and the data processing station are moved relative to each other is disclosed. The portable card includes a substrate having a predetermined shape, e.g. rectangular. An accessible embedded storage member is enclosed within said substrate. The storage member includes at least one layer of storage material for storing information in a predetermined format for processing by the data processing station. The storage member and the substrate are adapted to be transported relative to each other to expose at least a portion of the storage member to the data processing station to facilitate processing of stored information and for embedment of the storage member within the substrate. The storage member may be in the form of an elongated strip member, or a circular member.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: UltraCard, Inc.Inventors: Bert D. Cook, Jr., Donald C. Mann
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Patent number: 7988061Abstract: A portable card adapted to interact with a data processing station when the portable card and the data processing station are moved relative to each other is disclosed. The portable card includes a substrate having a predetermined shape, e.g. rectangular. An accessible embedded storage member is enclosed within said substrate. The storage member includes at least one layer of storage material for storing information in a predetermined format for processing by the data processing station. The storage member and the substrate are adapted to be transported relative to each other to expose at least a portion of the storage member to the data processing station to facilitate processing of stored information and for embedment of the storage member within the substrate. The storage member may be in the form of an elongated strip member, or a circular member.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: UltraCard, Inc.Inventors: Bert D. Cook, Jr., Donald C. Mann
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Patent number: 7985081Abstract: A method for mounting the micro spring structures onto cables or contact structures includes forming a spring island having an “upside-down” stress bias on a first release material layer or directly on a substrate, forming a second release material over at least a portion of the spring island, and then forming a base structure over the second release material layer. The micro spring structure is then transferred in an unreleased state, inverted such that the base structure contacts a surface of a selected apparatus, and then secured (e.g., using solder reflow techniques) such that the micro spring structure becomes attached to the apparatus. The spring structure is then released by etching or otherwise removing the release material layer(s).Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2008Date of Patent: July 26, 2011Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center IncorporatedInventors: Koenraad Van Schuylenbergh, Thomas Hantschel