Patents Represented by Attorney Daniel K. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5451933
    Abstract: An electronic device having electronic circuitry powered by a battery and having an interface for interactively coupling the electronic device to a host device, for switching the power source by which power is supplied to the electronic circuitry, and by determining (410) an interface status as being coupled to or detached from the host device. In response to determining (410) that the interface is coupled to the host device, the electronic circuit is coupled (415) to the interface such that power is supplied to the electronic circuitry from the host device. In response to determining (410) that the interface is detached from the host device, the electronic circuit is coupled (420) to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Stricklin, William R. VanDyke, Jr., Gregory W. Fuller
  • Patent number: 5448253
    Abstract: An antenna (105) for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals includes a conductive element (300) having a first electrical length and a first operating impedance and a transmission line (315) having a second electrical length and a second operating impedance for resonating the conductive element (300) at a predetermined operating frequency. A coaxial element (305) having a third electrical length is coupled to the conductive element (300) and the transmission line element (315) for converting the first operating impedance to the second operating impedance. When the conductive element (300) is resonated, the first, second, and third electrical lengths are substantially equal to a quarter wavelength or an odd multiple thereof at the predetermined operating frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Lorenzo A. Ponce de Leon, Nick Buris, Kazimierz Siwiak
  • Patent number: 5448766
    Abstract: A radio communication system (100) includes a terminal/controller (110, 112) for transmitting an enable signal, data associated with the enable signal, and a disable signal following the data. A normally operating transmitter (105, 107) coupled to the terminal/controller (110, 112) receives, when operating normally, the enable signal and transmits the data associated therewith as a radio frequency (RF) signal. The normally operating transmitter (105, 107) further generates status information for indicating that the normally operating transmitter (105, 107) is functioning, wherein the status information includes at least the enable signal and the disable signal. The radio communication system (100) further includes a redundant transmitter (115) coupled to the normally operating transmitter (105, 107) and the terminal/controller (110, 112) for receiving the status information and determining therefrom whether the normally operating transmitter (105, 107) is functioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Sanning, Michael D. Cross, Thaddeus Jakala
  • Patent number: 5442805
    Abstract: A method (200) and apparatus (100)is provided for a radio having adjustable operating parameters to adjust at least one such adjustable operating parameter based on the current location of the radio. Operating parameters which may be so adjusted include, but are not limited to, the following: transmitting power, operating channel, operating band, modulation type, modulation index, frequency deviation, squelch setting, channel spacing, control channel (for trunked communications), noise blanker characteristic, and receive bandwidth. In another embodiment, transmissions by the radio can be inhibited as a function of the location when it is determined that the location is within a hazard area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Sagers, William D. Werner, Scott M. Hall, David W. Heinzelmann
  • Patent number: 5436589
    Abstract: A demodulator (414) for improving bit error rate performance where alternating bit patterns produce the worst occurrences of bit errors. The demodulator (414) consists of a zero threshold comparator circuit (502), a first threshold detector circuit (508), and a second threshold detector circuit (504). The zero threshold comparator circuit (502) receives a frequency information signal and slices it into a plurality of bits (522). The first threshold detector circuit (508) compares the frequency information signal to a predetermined threshold, which is selected to optimize bit error rate performance. The second detector threshold circuit (504) is used to ensure that an alternating bit pattern has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher P. La Rosa, Michael J. Carney
  • Patent number: 5436937
    Abstract: A multi-mode PLL circuit (100) includes an early/late bit transition accumulator (108) for accumulating the number of incoming bit transitions which are early or late. This allows for PLL (100) to provide adjustments based on a predetermined number of accumulated early/late accumulations or based on an average of early/late transitions over a predetermined period of time. PLL (100) further includes a frequency offset circuit (200) which includes a frequency error accumulator which is used to maintain a frequency offset history and to control the loop frequency. This allows for very narrow band operation of the first order digital PLL while maintaining stable operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Brown, Paul D. Marko
  • Patent number: 5430769
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for selecting one of at least two antennas (202, 204) in a communication unit (200) for use in a wireless communication system (100). A signal is received by a radio frequency receiver during a receiving period from one of the at least two antennas (202,204) currently selected by an antenna switch (206), the signal having a plurality of bits. The receiver is capable of determining the quality of the receive signal by determining if the incoming bits transition periods fall within a predetermined time window. If it is determined by the receiver that the quality of the receive signal is below a predetermined threshold the currently selected antenna (202 or 204) is switched. The currently selected antenna remains selected when the currently selected antenna has been selected within a predetermined amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Stelios J. Patsiokas, Craig P. Wadin, Paul D. Marko
  • Patent number: 5428362
    Abstract: An antenna (110), enclosed within a compact area of a radio (100), is not susceptible to electric fields generated from metallic shields (102, 104) located within the radio. The antenna consists of four sections of traces disposed onto a circuit board (108). The first section is a quarter-wave feed (202), which is coupled to a radio transceiver (118). The quarter-wave feed (202) converts a low impedance point (122) to a high impedance region (203). The second section of antenna (110) capacitively couples to the high impedance region (203). The third section is an isolator section (208) of half a wavelength for providing isolation from the shields (102, 104). The fourth section, quarter-wavelength radiator (214), is a trace electrically equivalent to a quarter of a wavelength having a high impedance and providing the radiating port of the antenna (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Argyrios Chatzipetros, Paul Marko, Paul Krayeski
  • Patent number: 5426439
    Abstract: An antenna (10), illustrated in FIG. 3 , comprises a substrate (11), having an upper surface and and a lower surface, and a transformer (14) having a first conducting track (12) formed on the upper surface and a second conducting track (13), mirroring the first conducting track (12), formed on the lower surface, wherein both first and second conducting tracks have an extremity at opposite ends thereof. The antenna (10) further comprises at least one radiating means, comprising a conducting track on the substrate, and an unbalanced line (20) which provides a first potential (21) and a second potential (22). The first potential (21) and the second potential (22) are coupled centrally (30,31) to said first (12) and second (13) conducting tracks respectively. Furthermore, the at least one radiating means is coupled to one of said extremities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Ovadia Grossman
  • Patent number: 5404547
    Abstract: This invention relates to electronic equipment comprising microprocessors, and more specifically microprocessors employed within radio receiver circuits, incorporating on-chip memory (301, 302, 303) and which have the ability to operate in either a single chip or expanded mode. The single chip mode restricts microprocessor (300) operation to internal operation and thereby inhibits external addressing and locally generated noise whereas the expanded mode allows external addressing. A software program, comprised from modules of program code, is categorised into a first and a second category of routines. First category routines are related to equipment functions which are affected by generated noise to a higher degree and, when in operation, are stored in the internal memory (301, 302, 303). Second category routines are stored in a memory external to the microprocessor (201, 202) and are related to equipment functions which are affected by generated noise to a lesser degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Menachem Diamantstein, Yona Newman, Victor Koren
  • Patent number: 5402448
    Abstract: A transceiver (100) is provided for transmitting during the transmission bursts (12) of a frame and receiving during the receiving time-slot windows (14). The transceiver (100) includes a receiver (320) for receiving a repeating radio frequency data (16) signal at any time within the receiving time-slot window (14) and for demodulating the repeating radio frequency data signal down to a baseband data signal. A data detector and clock recovery device (330) recovers the valid data (CHMP) from the baseband data signal. For controlling the receiver (320) and data detector and clock recovery device (330), a control circuit (400) modifies the receiving time-slot windows (14) to only receive and detect when valid data is expected (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Paul D. Marko, David L. Brown, Jaime A. Borras, Ronald E. Sharp
  • Patent number: 5369880
    Abstract: An electronic circuit assembly (100) includes a circuit carrying substrate (150) on which electrical components (130) are mounted using solder deposits (125) having an essentially planar surface. A solder deposit (125) is created by forming a recess (155) in the substrate (150), providing a metallic pad (110) about the recess (155), depositing solder paste (120) on the metallic pad (110), and reflowing the solder paste (120) on the metallic pad (110). The electronic circuit (100) is assembled by placing electrical components (130) on the substrate (150) having solder deposits (125), and by further reflowing the solder deposits (125) on the metallic pad (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Ved V. Gundotra, Lonnie L. Bernardoni, Edward J. Hall
  • Patent number: 5367434
    Abstract: An electrical module assembly (100) includes a mounting frame (130) having a passage (135) extending though the mounting frame (130). A heat sink (160) is positioned within the passage (135) of the mounting frame (130). A module substrate (120) is located on or near the heat sink (160) such that there is thermal conductivity between the module substrate (120) and the heat sink (160). A heat-generating semiconductor device (122), such as a power amplifier (122), which requires heat dissipation, is positioned on the module substrate (120) such that there is thermal conductivity between the heat-generating semiconductor device and the heat sink (160). Electrical connection to the module substrate (120) is provided through the mounting frame (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis M. Griffin, James V. Lauder, Leng H. Ooi
  • Patent number: 5363074
    Abstract: A SAW resonator/filter structure (300) includes a transducer portion. The transducer portion includes a plurality of acoustically coupled sub-transducer portions (310 and 312) comprising conductive patterns having interdigitated open-ended fingers. The sub-transducer portions (310 and 312) are electrically coupled to each other in series in order to increase the port impedance of the SAW filter structure (300) while providing the widest bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Higgins, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5363073
    Abstract: A SAW filter structure (300) includes two SAW resonators being symmetrically positioned along parallel tracks. The resonators include centrally positioned resonator gaps (368, 378) which are opposingly positioned. A multistrip coupler (330) for acoustically coupling the resonators extends between the resonator gaps and includes a plurality of equally spaced strips (8812) which are spaced to permit omni-directional projection of acoustic waves from the opposing sides of the multi strip coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Jr. Higgins
  • Patent number: 5276916
    Abstract: A radio or speaker-microphone unit includes a housing having first and second portions. A speaker is disposed in one of the portions and a microphone in the other of the portions. The portions are movable between first and second relative positions, with one of the positions providing a handset configuration and the other providing a speaker-microphone configuration. A switch senses the relative position of the housing portions and adjusts the gain of an audio amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Joy N. Pawlish, Suzanne Y. Cohodes
  • Patent number: 5222137
    Abstract: A radio (100) transmits and receives encrypted signals having unencrypted key identifiers, allowing other radios having the corresponding key identifiers and encryption keys to communicate with radio (100). Prior to transmitting an encrypted message, radio (100) selects a unique key identifier automatically and uses the corresponding encryption key to encrypt the message that will be transmitted. Radio (100) transmits the key identifier in an unencrypted format with the encrypted message in order to allow other radios to determine the encryption key used in encrypting the message. When receiving an encrypted message, radio (100) uses the predetermined process stored in the radio (100) to properly select the proper encryption key for use in decrypting the incoming message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven T. Barrett, Kevin M. Laird, Richard E. Murray, James M. O'Connor
  • Patent number: D334744
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Tokiyama, Thomas G. Beaumont, William H. Robertson
  • Patent number: D334925
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Beaumont, Masaru Tokiyama
  • Patent number: D351383
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott H. Richards, Bruce A. Claxton, Vito Dionisio, Jr., David H. Karl, Randall P. Chambers