Patents Represented by Attorney Fiala & Weaver, P.L.L.C.
  • Patent number: 8352966
    Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling inter-widget communication and control uses a central server to receive selected widgets and settings associated with at least one widget, wherein the received settings are used to at least partly determine the settings of the other selected widgets according to a pre-defined relationship between or among the widgets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Clayton, Victor Chen, Athellina Athsani, Ron Martinez
  • Patent number: 8344819
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for circuit boards are provided herein. An electrically insulating material is formed over one or more traces on a circuit board. One or more further electrically conductive features are present on the circuit board. A layer of an electrically conductive material is formed over the one or more traces that is electrically isolated from the one or more traces by the electrically insulating material, and is in electrical contact with the one or more further electrically conductive features. The electrically conductive material confines magnetic and electric fields produced when the one or more traces conduct an alternating current. By confining the magnetic and electric field distributions in this manner, problems of interference and/or crosstalk with adjacent signal traces are reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Sampath Komarapalayam Velayudham Karikalan
  • Patent number: 8346546
    Abstract: A packet loss concealment method and system is described that attempts to reduce or eliminate destructive interference that can occur when an extrapolated waveform representing a lost segment of a speech or audio signal is merged with a good segment after a packet loss. This is achieved by guiding a waveform extrapolation that is performed to replace the bad segment using a waveform available in the first good segment or segments after the packet loss. In another aspect of the invention, a selection is made between a packet loss concealment method that performs the aforementioned guided waveform extrapolation and one that does not. The selection may be made responsive to determining whether the first good segment or segments after the packet loss are available and also to whether a segment preceding the lost segment and the first good segment following the lost segment are deemed voiced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Juin-Hwey Chen
  • Patent number: 8340977
    Abstract: A system and method is described for compensating for the effects of a corrupted Continuously Variable Delta Slope Modulation (CVSD) decoder memory state on a decoded audio signal. In accordance with the system and method, a first estimated step size associated with a first frame of the decoded audio signal is calculated and a second estimated step size associated with a replacement frame generated to conceal bit errors in the first frame of the decoded audio signal is calculated. At least a second frame of the decoded audio signal is then modified based on the first estimated step size and the second estimated step size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Robert W. Zopf
  • Patent number: 8335684
    Abstract: A system and method for encoding and decoding speech signals that includes a specially-designed Code Excited Linear Prediction (CELP) encoder and a vector quantization (VQ) based Noise Feedback Coding (NFC) decoder or that includes a specially-designed VQ-based NFC encoder and a CELP decoder. The VQ based NFC decoder may be a VQ based two-stage NFC (TSNFC) decoder. The specially-designed VQ-based NFC encoder may be a specially-designed VQ based TSNFC encoder. In each system, the encoder receives an input speech signal and encodes it to generate an encoded bit stream. The decoder receives the encoded bit stream and decodes it to generate an output speech signal. A system and method is also described in which a single decoder receives and decodes both CELP-encoded audio signals as well as VQ-based NFC-encoded audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jes Thyssen, Juin-Hwey Chen
  • Patent number: 8333696
    Abstract: A system for predicting risk for perioperative complications is described including a user device for receiving a set of risk factors to determine perioperative complications for a patient including patient data useful to determine the likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea. The system also includes an acquisition module to receive data from an obstructive sleep apnea sleep study of the patient. Further a determination module can determine the severity of obstructive sleep apnea for the patient. The system can also include an analysis module having a predictive model that incorporates one or more prediction equations for predicting perioperative complications derived from one or more databases having multiple patient data relevant to predict perioperative complications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Watermark Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Levendowski, Philip R. Westbrook, Chris Berka
  • Patent number: 8331274
    Abstract: A VoIP terminal device is configured to enter a power-saving state upon the occurrence of a specified condition. The VoIP terminal device is further configured to wake up from the power-saving state when a communication associated with a specified communication operation is received by the VoIP terminal device. In particular, the operating power of the VoIP terminal device is increased to an extent sufficient to perform the specified communication operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Tommy Wing Chau Kee
  • Patent number: 8327211
    Abstract: A voice activity detection (VAD) dependent retransmission scheme is described that mitigates the effect of packet loss on an audio signal transmitted between terminals in a wireless communication system in a manner that is generally more robust than conventional state-of-the art packet loss concealment algorithms but that consumes less terminal power as compared to conventional retransmission schemes. In one implementation, this is achieved by allowing retransmissions to be requested by a terminal only when a packet received by the terminal is deemed bad and when a portion of an audio signal currently being received by the terminal is deemed to comprise active speech. In other implementations, the processing of retransmission requests received by a terminal is inhibited or turned off entirely during periods when a portion of an audio signal currently being transmitted by the terminal is deemed not to comprise active speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Robert W. Zopf
  • Patent number: 8321216
    Abstract: Packet loss concealment (PLC) systems and methods are described that use time-warping to merge a concealment signal generated to replace one or more bad frames of an audio signal with a received signal representing one or more subsequent good frames of the audio signal in a manner that avoids signal discontinuity and audible artifacts resulting therefrom. Prediction-based PLC systems and methods are also described that use time-warping to conceal the loss of one or more frames containing a transition region in a manner that will not result in an audible artifact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Robert W. Zopf
  • Patent number: 8301440
    Abstract: A bit error concealment (BEC) system and method is described herein that detects and conceals the presence of click-like artifacts in an audio signal caused by bit errors introduced during transmission of the audio signal within an audio communications system. A particular embodiment of the present invention utilizes a low-complexity design that introduces no added delay and that is particularly well-suited for applications such as Bluetooth® wireless audio devices which have low cost and low power dissipation requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Zopf, Vivek Kumar, Juin-Hwey Chen
  • Patent number: 8301437
    Abstract: A tokenization platform and method is described for accurately tokenizing character strings, including but not limited to non-delimited character strings of the type commonly used in Internet domain names and computer filenames, to accurately identify words and phrases occurring therein. In one embodiment, a phased tokenization approach is used in which the final phase is a lexical analysis-based tokenization using a dictionary. The dictionary may be advantageously created and updated based upon one or more query logs associated with respective information retrieval systems, thereby ensuring that the dictionary accurately reflects currently-used terminology and captures alternative spellings and presentations of words and phrases submitted by users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Jignashu Parikh
  • Patent number: 8296177
    Abstract: A method of generating an aggregated forecasting landscape for a particular advertiser's bidded term constructs standardized forecasting landscapes for each marketplace, rescales, by the advertiser's clickability in the respective marketplace, each of the standardized landscapes corresponding to the previous appearance of the advertiser's ad in that marketplace and whose appearance was attributed to the bidded term, and adds together the rescaled landscapes, thereby giving the advertiser a more accurate representation of how many total clicks he can expect for his advertisement as a function of how much he is willing/able to pay. In particular, estimation variance is reduced by introducing rank into the construction of the standardized landscapes, which increases the accuracy of the calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Gluhovsky, Raja Velu, Anantharaman Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 8295344
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for performing rate control for encoding of video frames are provided. A first timestamp is received that indicates a capture time for a prior video frame. A second timestamp is received that indicates a capture time for a current video frame. A time difference between the second timestamp and the first timestamp is determined. An average video data bit encoding rate is multiplied by the determined time difference to calculate a bit budget. An indication of a number of video data bits that have been encoded is received. The number includes a number of encoded video data bits of the prior video frame and of any further video frames encoded subsequent to the prior video frame and prior to the current video frame. A virtual buffer fill level is adjusted based on a difference between the indicated number of video bits that have been encoded and the calculated bit budget. A quantizer parameter is adjusted based on the adjusted virtual buffer fill level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wenqing Jiang, Weiping Pan
  • Patent number: 8283899
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a rechargeable battery, an electrical circuit, a battery safety circuit, and a power down mode circuit. The electrical circuit is configured to generate a power mode control signal. The power down mode circuit receives the power mode control signal. If the power mode control signal has a first value, the power down mode circuit is configured to force a voltage at a first port of the battery safety circuit to a voltage value that is less than an under voltage lock out (UVLO) threshold value of the battery safety circuit to transition the electronic device from a normal operating mode to a low current power down mode. The electronic device may further include a wake up mode circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Domitille Esnard, John Walley, Louis Pandula
  • Patent number: 8280766
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Patent number: 8280728
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for performing packet loss concealment using an extrapolation of an excitation waveform in a sub-band predictive speech coder, such as an ITU-T Recommendation G.722 wideband speech coder. The systems and methods are useful for concealing the quality-degrading effects of packet loss in a sub-band predictive coder and address some sub-band architectural issues when applying excitation extrapolation techniques to such sub-band predictive coders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Juin-Hwey Chen, Jes Thyssen, Robert W. Zopf
  • Patent number: 8269323
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for integrated circuit packages, and for package stacking, are provided. An electrically conductive frame is attached to a first surface of a substrate. The electrically conductive frame includes a perimeter ring portion, a plurality of leads, and a plurality of interconnect members positioned within a periphery formed by the perimeter ring portion. Each interconnect member is coupled to the perimeter ring portion by a respective lead. A first end of each interconnect member is coupled to the first surface of the substrate. An encapsulating material is applied to the first surface of the substrate, without covering a second end of each interconnect member with the encapsulating material. The perimeter ring portion is removed from the electrically conductive frame to isolate the plurality of interconnect members. A first integrated circuit package is formed in this manner. A second integrated circuit package may be mounted to the first package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Rezaur Rahman Khan, Ken Jian Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 8258751
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for determining battery state of health are provided. A battery that is substantially uncharged is charged with a substantially constant charge current. A time duration of the charging of the battery with the substantially constant charge current is determined. A state of health of the battery is estimated based upon the determined time duration and the constant charge current. The state of health of the battery may be calculated by multiplying the determined time duration with a value of the constant charge current to determine a total accumulated charge, and applying a predetermined factor to the accumulated charge to determine the state of health. The predetermined factor is a fixed percentage of the total charge capacity of the battery that corresponds to the battery type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Domitille Esnard
  • Patent number: 8237068
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive panel is described herein that includes a first sensor layer and a second sensor layer and at least one shield electrode integrated into the first sensor layer and/or the second sensor layer. The at least one shield electrode is operable to cancel parasitic capacitance between at least one sense electrode in the first sensor layer and at least one sense electrode in the second sensor layer. The integrated shield electrode(s) in the first sensor layer and/or the second sensor layer can be used in place of an additional shield layer to combat parasitic capacitance in the touch-sensitive panel, thereby reducing the cost and materials necessary to manufacture the touch-sensitive panel. A touch-screen display that includes such a touch-sensitive panel and a method of operating such a touch-sensitive panel are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: OpeanPeak Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Szaikowski
  • Patent number: 8238810
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for selecting alternate channels for broadcast radio channels, and for tracking alternate channel selections, are provided. Some radio systems provide alternate frequencies for tuned radio frequencies to use when the tuned radio frequency signal is no longer receivable. In aspects of the present invention, historical information is generated from alternate channel switching attempts. In further aspects, the generated historical information is used to aid in making a subsequent switch to an alternate channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Srikanth Uppala