Abstract: A system and method for providing temperature compensation in a oscillator component (such as a crystal oscillator component) that includes a closely-located temperature sensing device. The crystal oscillator component in example systems and methods is exposed to a temperature profile during a calibration procedure. Temperature and frequency data are collected and applied to coefficient generating function according to a temperature compensation model to generate a set of coefficients that are used in the temperature compensation model in an application device. The generated coefficients are stored in a coefficient memory accessible to an application device during operation.

Abstract: A fractional-R synthesizer having a divider with rational increments and configurable in rational steps able to generate a plurality of frequencies in rational increments from a reference frequency. A voltage-controlled oscillator frequency (fVCO) is related to the reference frequency (fREF) by: fREF=fVCO/RAVG, where RAVG is the average value of the rational divide value “R” over a large number of reference cycles.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system, and apparatus for sharing circuitry within mobile GPS and Bluetooth receivers. By selectively combining the downconversion, processing, and control sections, lower power dissipation can be achieved, along with lower form factors and lower manufacturing costs.

Abstract: Multifunction satellite positioning receiver having a plurality of functions that are selectable in response to predetermined events or in response to user actions and enable more efficient use of the hardware and processing resources of a multifunction satellite position receiver.

Abstract: Generic SATPS receivers and methods for configuring generic SATPS receivers that include a plurality of outputs are provided. These configurable SATPS receivers are adapted to be utilized in at least one of a plurality of particular SATPS receiver applications, and can also include a plurality of input paths, and a means for generating selected ones of the plurality of possible outputs. Selected ones of the plurality of outputs are enabled/disabled based on at least one requirement of the particular receiver application to configure or program the generic SATPS receiver to function as a SATPS receiver used for a particular SATPS receiver application or operating environment. The selected ones of the plurality of outputs can be defined by and can be those utilized by the particular SATPS receiver application or operating environment.

Abstract: Semiconductor apparatus comprising: a substrate having a substrate surface; a layer of a first material overlying a first region of the substrate surface; a layer of a semiconductor overlying the layer of first material and overlying a second region of the substrate surface; a first region of the layer of semiconductor, overlying the layer of first material and having a first conductivity; a second region of the layer of semiconductor, overlying the second region of the substrate surface and having a second conductivity; and the first conductivity being substantially different from the second conductivity. Such semiconductor apparatus further comprising a layer of a second material overlying the second region of the substrate surface, the second region of the layer of semiconductor overlying the layer of the second material.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a capacitor on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method may include simultaneously forming at least one via and at least one upper capacitor plate opening in a first dielectric layer having an underlying cap dielectric layer deposited over a first material region having a first conductive material within a conductive region and forming a trench above the via. The underlying cap dielectric layer may be modified in a way that increases its dielectric constant as a result of simultaneously be heated by a heat source and impinged with and energy beam. The method may also include filling the via, trench, and upper capacitor plate opening with a second conductive material resulting in an integrated circuit structure and employing CMP to remove any excess second conductive material from the integrated circuit structure.

Abstract: A midrange loudspeaker for operation in conjunction with low-frequency and high-frequency loudspeaker modules in a theater sound system, having a reduced depth for deployment in limited space. The midrange module is configured with a plurality of drivers and a waveguide unit that provides uniform sound coverage throughout a theater auditorium with substantially seamless crossovers at 250 Hz and 1.5 kHz and with the vertical beam-width held substantially constant by an electrical filter network.

Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, apparatuses, and systems for eliminating auto- and cross-correlation in weak signal CDMA systems, such as GPS systems. The invention uses parallel dam paths that allow standard correlation of signals in parallel with verification of the lock signal to determine whether the system has locked onto the proper signal within the scanned signal window. The invention can be made with multiple CPUs, a single CPU with dual input modes, on multiple IC chips, or as a single IC chip solution for small, low cost reception, downconversion, correlation, and verification systems.

Abstract: A system and method for navigating through routinely visited web pages with a browser that allows a user to navigate through the web pages using a “Next/Previous” paradigm. The system includes a routine list having at least one routine, each routine including user ordered user specified URLs, means for editing the routine list and its URLs, means for establishing and specifying a routine from the routine list, and means for sequentially moving from one URL in the specified routine to another URL in the specified routine. By specifying a routine from the routine list, the user can visit a desired group of web pages in a desired order. The moving means allows the user to easily navigate from one web page to another web page in the specified routine in accordance with the user specified order of web pages associated with such routine regardless of any spontaneous browsing conducted by the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an improved rotary coin mechanism that prevents the theft of vending machine items by preventing the maintained presence of a theft tool used by a thief to interfere with the operation of a coin detector so that a coin slot without a coin of the prescribed size can be rotated past the coin detector to allow product to vend without the insertion of a coin of the prescribed size. The invention closes a gap between the rotating coin disc and the mechanism casing after a coin slot has entered into the rotary coin mechanism casing so that the theft tool cannot be maintained in an inserted position for a sufficient range of rotation of the rotary coin mechanism handle. The invention applies to rotary coin mechanisms that require one or more coins in order to obtain the vended item.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) formed upon a substrate with a first inductor being offset from a second inductor in one of three dimensions and forming a common area that may contain at least one of a varactor, capacitor, oscillator, or switch.

Abstract: Normal 802.3 Ethernet requires a tree topology. If a ring or a loop exists, then packets will be forwarded around the ring indefinitely. If the ring is broken, then there is no possibility of packets being propagated forever. This invention shows how to quickly impose a virtual break in the ring such that all nodes can communicate with each other, and how to remove the virtual break when a real failure occurs. This is accomplished by placing intelligent nodes on the ring that work together to virtually break and restore the ring. An embodiment is disclosed that handles a unidirectional break in a communication link. This abstract is provided as an aid to those performing prior art searches and not a limitation on the scope of the claims.

Abstract: The invention includes a Doherty power amplifier system having a Doherty power amplifier electrically connected to a Doherty bias circuit. The Doherty amplifier includes a carrier amplifier and peaking amplifier. The Doherty bias circuit includes a current mirror and a first node that works to maintain a constant current in the current mirror as a function of a base voltage at the first node. The base voltage that results in a constant current is passed from a current mirror circuit to the carrier amplifier. The base voltage is at least one of scaled and shifted to produce a second voltage at a second node by employing a scaling/level shifting circuit. The scaling/level shifting circuit includes an input electronically connected to the current mirror circuit. The second voltage is passed through a voltage buffer to the peaking amplifier. An effect of the invention is to generate bias voltages for a Doherty amplifier that dynamically adjust to compensate for manufacturing process and environmental changes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving radio frequency signals in a communication system is described. The inventive method and apparatus utilizes an inventive receiver circuit that downconverts an input signal so that interference components of the input signal can be easily removed at baseband. Specifically, the inventive receiver circuit operates by sub-sampling a first intermediate frequency signal in such a way that an unwanted signal is not aliased into a wanted signal, and can therefore be filtered therefrom after sub-sampling. Thus, the present invention allows the use of a relatively simple tuner, with a single downconversion stage, without imposing excessive requirements on the filtering in the tuner.

Abstract: A method for navigation processing in a satellite positioning system receiver is disclosed. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises separating the three SATPS satellites into a first pair and a second pair, constructing a primary solution and an alternate solution, wherein the primary solution and the alternate solution satisfy the measurement constraints, computing a Doppler difference estimate for the primary solution and a Doppler difference estimate for the alternate solution, computing Doppler difference residuals for the first pair and the second pair of SATPS satellites, and comparing the Doppler difference residuals for said primary and alternate solutions to determine a valid solution. Typically, the computing of a Doppler difference residuals comprises differencing a measured Doppler difference from an estimated Doppler difference for the first pair and the second pair of SATPS satellites.

Abstract: The invention is a suspension element having an outer edge and an inner edge. The suspension element, such as a spider or surround, varies in shape along at least a portion of the suspension element to help relieve both the radial and tangential stress placed on the suspension element when it is stretched. The shape employed in the suspension element allows the suspension element to stretch more easily, creating a higher performance speaker of the same size by increasing the diaphragm excursion and voice coil movement.

Abstract: An improved integrated bias reference provides a temperature and supply stable bias for devices such as radio frequency amplifiers with less complexity and expense than conventional bias references. The bias reference may be integrated onto a single GaAs die with other active circuitry such as an amplifier.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a capacitor on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method may include simultaneously forming at least one via and at least one upper capacitor plate opening in a first dielectric layer having an underlying cap dielectric layer deposited over a first material region having a first conductive material within a conductive region and forming a trench above the via. The method may also include filling the via, trench, and upper capacitor plate opening with a second conductive material resulting in an integrated circuit structure and employing CMP to remove any excess second conductive material from the integrated circuit structure.

Abstract: A pulse code modulation modem system is configured to transmit data from a first modem to a second modem over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The PSTN employs robbed bit signaling (RBS) such that symbols affected by RBS arrive at the second modem in a periodic manner based on a period of six symbols. The modem system is configured such that signal segments are formatted and transmitted with six symbols per segment. After obtaining symbol synchronization, the second modem initializes a modulo-6 symbol counter such that the zero count corresponds to the first symbol of each received signal segment. Those symbols affected by RBS are identified and analyzed to determine optimized signal point constellations that may be used to compensate for the RBS on a symbol-by-symbol basis during subsequent encoding and decoding. Upon a loss of synchronization, the second modem resets its modulo-6 counter in response to the detection of the first symbol in a subsequent signal segment.