Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor and Zafman
  • Patent number: 8340279
    Abstract: An adaptive interference cancellation system is described. In one example the system operates by receiving a data signal using a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and receiving a reference signal, the reference signal corresponding, in part, to noise on the data signal. The reference signal is classified and a noise cancellation signal is applied to the data signal based on the classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment, Inc.
    Inventors: Sumanth Jagannathan, Chiang-yu Chen, John Cioffi
  • Patent number: 8338900
    Abstract: The invention involves the integration of curved micro-mirrors over a photodiode active area (collection area) in a CMOS image sensor (CIS) process. The curved micro-mirrors reflect light that has passed through the collection area back into the photo diode. The curved micro-mirrors are best implemented in a backside illuminated device (BSI).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Venezia, Hsin-Chih Tai
  • Patent number: 8340228
    Abstract: A spread signal is produced having an adjustable spread spectrum. A data signal is provided for transmission. The data signal is processed to have a first spread spectrum. The processed first spread spectrum data signal is filtered to have one out of a plurality of spread spectrums. The filtering capable of producing a signal having a spread spectrum of any of the plurality of spread spectrums. The filtered one spread spectrum data signal is transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Gary R Lomp
  • Patent number: 8340312
    Abstract: An audio host device has an electrical interface having a speaker contact, a microphone contact, and a reference contact. The reference contact is shared by a microphone and a speaker. The reference contact is also directly coupled to a power return plane of the audio host device. A difference amplifier is provided, having a cold input and a hot input. The hot input is coupled to the microphone contact. A variable attenuator circuit is also provided having an input coupled to receive a signal from a sense point for the reference contact, and an output coupled to the cold input of the difference amplifier. A controller has an output coupled to control the variable attenuator. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy M. Johnson, Lawrence F. Heyl
  • Patent number: 8341482
    Abstract: A user equipment comprises a transmitter and an adaptive modulation and coding controller. The transmitter is configured to transmit data over an air interface in a single transmission time interval with a first specified modulation and coding scheme, where the single transmission time interval has a plurality of transport block sets. In response to receiving a repeat request for retransmission of at least one particular transport block set, the transmitter retransmits the at least one of the particular transport block sets. The adaptive modulation and coding controller is configured to change the specified modulation and coding scheme to a second specified modulation and coding scheme, enabling a combining of a particular transport block set transmitted at the first specified modulation and coding scheme with a retransmitted version of the particular transport block set transmitted at the second specified modulation and coding scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen E. Terry, Ariela Zeira, Nader Bolourchi
  • Patent number: 8340572
    Abstract: A method is described for selecting repeaters comprising: transmitting a first signal from a first node to a second node; measuring signal strength of the first signal at the second node; transmitting a second signal from the second node to the first node; measuring signal strength of the second signal at the first node; and selecting the second node as a repeater based on the signal strength of the first signal and/or the signal strength of the second signal. Another embodiment of the method comprises: calculating signal strength of a signal transmitted to each of a plurality of nodes (the signal strength being measured at each node of the plurality); and selecting one or more of the nodes to be a repeater if the signal strength is below a maximum threshold value and above a minimum threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Echelon Corporation
    Inventors: Darrell Duffy, Glen Riley
  • Patent number: 8338813
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate, a heater formed on the substrate, and a phase-change layer formed on the heater. The heater comprises a heater layer and first and second electrodes electrically coupled to the heater layer. A process comprising forming a heater on a substrate and forming a phase-change layer on the heater. The heater comprises a heater layer and first and second electrodes electrically coupled to the heater layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Qing Ma, Valluri R. Rao, Tsung-Kuan Allen Chou
  • Patent number: 8341611
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus that execute a parallel computing program in a programming language for a parallel computing architecture are described. The parallel computing program is stored in memory in a system with parallel processors. The system includes a host processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled to the host processor and a memory coupled to at least one of the host processor and the GPU. The parallel computing program is stored in the memory to allocate threads between the host processor and the GPU. The programming language includes an API to allow an application to make calls using the API to allocate execution of the threads between the host processor and the GPU. The programming language includes host function data tokens for host functions performed in the host processor and kernel function data tokens for compute kernel functions performed in one or more compute processors, e.g. GPUs or CPUs, separate from the host processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aaftab Munshi, Jeremy Sandmel
  • Patent number: 8340699
    Abstract: A system for monitoring the availability of support members includes an application program (heartbeat application) that runs on a handheld device and an associated program that runs on a heartbeat server. The heartbeat application collects status information of the handheld device. The handheld device periodically transmits the status information to the heartbeat server in a digital data message that has a format adapted to an operation mode of the handheld device. Based on the status information, the availability of the data connection to the handheld device is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Josh P Testone, Greg S Nelson, Owen O'Neil
  • Patent number: 8339991
    Abstract: A device performs a self-configure process for operations in a managed network to allocate a network address for the device by determining if the device will operate as a gateway of the managed network, obtaining a network address for communication with external devices outside of the managed network in response to determining that the device will operate as a gateway, scanning for neighbor devices operating in the managed network and maintaining a database of neighbor devices located in the scanning, and selecting a managed network to join based on the database of neighbor devices in response to determining that the device will operate as a node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Meraki, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjit Biswas, John Bicket
  • Patent number: 8340705
    Abstract: Methods of camping on a hybrid cell and checking access priority and devices therefor are provided. The service of a CSG user is preferably guaranteed by adjusting a UE's camping right and a passing probability of an access priority checking according to the user's contracted characteristic and limit access information of a hybrid cell Node B. At the same time, the initial access delay of a non-CSG user is reduced, the initial access efficiency of the non-CSG user is improved, and the network resource and the UE's power are saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Liu Liu, Xiaoming She, Lan Chen, Yixue Lei, Mikio Iwamura
  • Patent number: 8341207
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and machine-readable medium are described for establishing peer-to-peer (“P2P”) communication channels. In particular, in one embodiment, a matchmaker service performs a series of operations to service match requests received from a group of mobile devices. In one embodiment, the matchmaker service groups the match requests into matchable sets based on the application for which the requests are received and one or more variables associated with the application. Match requests within each match set can then be matched based on variables such as the NAT type, connection type and language associated with each of the mobile devices. Other variables such as geographical location, experience level, and age of the match requests may also be used to render match decisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Matthew Werner, Philip Smith, Andrew H. Vyrros, Patrick Gates
  • Patent number: 8340581
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for removing unwanted noise by a radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogator are provided. The interrogator transmits a transmitted signal while receiving a received signal. The received signal can include backscatter modulated signals from one or more RFID tags, as well as unmodulated reflections of the transmitted signal from the environment. The unmodulated reflections are undesirable and may make tag signal extraction difficult. A canceling signal is summed with the received signal to cancel or reduce the unmodulated reflections prior to tag signal extraction. In a specific embodiment, a phase shifted, amplitude adjusted reflection of the transmit signal is used by a directional coupler as the canceling signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Alien Technology Corporation
    Inventor: John Stephen Smith
  • Patent number: 8338263
    Abstract: Methods of forming isolation structures are disclosed. A method of forming isolation structures for an image sensor array of one aspect may include forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. Narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures may be formed from the dielectric layer. The narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures may have a width that is no more than 0.3 micrometers and a height that is at least 1.5 micrometers. A semiconductor material may be epitaxially grown around the narrow, tall dielectric isolation structures. Other methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Ying Liu, Keh-Chiang Ku, Wu-Zhang Yang
  • Patent number: 8341445
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for intelligent power management for low power link states. Some embodiments include methods, apparatuses, and systems for a device coupled to a controller via a link; a link power management engine to alter a power state of the link based on a transaction and some knowledge of future transactions between the device and the controller; and a memory or logic to store the link power management engine. In some embodiments, the memory stores information about at least one of the following: the power state of the link, the device buffering, the controller or device state or a history of transactions. In some embodiments, the device is a peripheral of a computer system. In some embodiments, the method may include transitioning the device to various link states. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Barnes Cooper, Jaya L. Jeyaseelan, Robert E. Gough
  • Patent number: 8340115
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a combined rate and transmission (TX) antenna selection mechanism are described. In one embodiment, the method includes switching between TX antenna combination during a high throughput (HTP) burst transmission of, for example, a physical layer (PHY) aggregated packet. In one embodiment, switching between TX antenna pairs of various combinations of two out of three antennas is performed during the HTP burst transmission. Following the HTP burst transmission, in one embodiment, a block acknowledgement (ACK) is received regarding the HTP burst transmission. In one embodiment, the block ACK is analyzed to select a TX antenna combination. In one embodiment, a TX antenna combination having a lowest packet error rate (PER) is selected according to the block ACK. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Shay Waxman
  • Patent number: 8338856
    Abstract: A backside illuminated (“BSI”) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”) image sensor includes a photosensitive region disposed within a semiconductor layer and a stress adjusting layer. The photosensitive region is sensitive to light incident on a backside of the BSI CMOS image sensor to collect an image charge. The stress adjusting layer is disposed on a backside of the semiconductor layer to establish a stress characteristic that encourages photo-generated charge carriers to migrate towards the photosensitive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsin-Chih Tai, Howard E. Rhodes, Wei Zheng, Vincent Venezia, Yin Qian, Duli Mao
  • Patent number: 8336188
    Abstract: Methods and systems, in one embodiment, are described related to a chuck with a plurality of vacuum grooves on a surface. Each single vacuum groove of the plurality of vacuum grooves has a single port connected with a single vacuum line coupled to a vacuum source. The single vacuum line is not shared with another groove and a restriction is applied to the single vacuum line in order to isolate each single vacuum groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Monteen, Kuan Yong Ho
  • Patent number: 8340153
    Abstract: A hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and method are disclosed. A WTRU includes a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver processes received data to recover data mapped to the subcarriers using OFDMA. The receiver recovers first input data by separating user data from multi-user spread data and recovers second input data from non-spread data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yingming Tsai, Guodong Zhang, Jung-Lin Pan
  • Patent number: 8339762
    Abstract: A method of actuator coil temperature control for actuators that are not continuously operated, wherein when an actuation current is not being applied to the actuator coil, a) sensing a parameter indicative of the resistance of the actuator coil as an indication of the temperature of the actuator coil, b) if the sensed parameter indicates the temperature of the actuator coil is below a first predetermined limit, then initiating a series of successive actuation current pulses to the actuator coil, each actuation current pulse being terminated before actuation of the actuator occurs, and c) periodically repeating a) and b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Sturman Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher North