Patents Represented by Attorney Thomas | Horstemeyer, LLP
  • Patent number: 8350967
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing the appearance of jaggies when deinterlacing moving edges in a video processing system are provided. The method may comprise detecting the direction of an angled edge in an interlaced video image to determine a filtering direction to be used for approximating absent pixels in deinterlacing the interlaced video. In detecting the direction of the angled edge, a group of windows of different sizes may be used to look at the edge, where a missing pixel is the center of each of the windows. Detecting the direction of the edge, and therefore the direction of filtering, may comprise: determining the angle associated with the edge, determining the strength of the edge, examining the pixels surrounding the absent pixel, and adjusting the first angle measure and the second angle measure based on the pattern of the surrounding pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Richard H. Wyman, Brian Schoner
  • Patent number: 8352722
    Abstract: A platform may comprise a management controller (MC) and a BIOS that may store SMBIOS information that may comprise metadata. SMBIOS information may be stored in the SMBIOS structure table. SMBIOS information may be transferred to the MC and may be communicated from the MC to an entity external to the platform. The BIOS may be inaccessible to the external entity. The MC may communicate with the external entity when the platform is powered ON or OFF. SMBIOS information may be transferred between the BIOS and the MC via a communication link. The MC and/or the BIOS may determine whether SMBIOS information from the MC is up-to-date. SMBIOS information may be copied from the BIOS to the MC if not up-to-date. SMBIOS information may be transferred via SMBIOS messages based on structure type, instance ID and/or handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Hemal V. Shah, Stephen Hurd, Robert R. Swindell
  • Patent number: 8350966
    Abstract: Two consecutive interlaced video pictures of the same polarity or two consecutive progressive video pictures are read by a video processing system. The video pictures may comprise a current picture and a noise reduced reference picture. Motion and/or motion vectors may be estimated between the current and reference pictures by a motion compensated noise detector and/or a motion compensated temporal filter. A noise level sample may be determined for a pixel in the current picture based on a window of pixel data from the current picture and a window of motion compensated pixel data from the reference picture. One or more of a moving edge gradient value, a moving content value and a determined range of noise level values may be utilized to determine a valid noise sample. Noise level samples may be accumulated and a noise level may be determined for the current picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Sheng Zhong
  • Patent number: 8350105
    Abstract: A system and method of converting tires or other solid carbon based material is disclosed, wherein the system and method includes providing a chamber, feeding tires or other solid carbon based material or both into the chamber, rotating the chamber and heating and reducing the material in the chamber, collecting solid residue from the chamber, collecting vapor from the chamber, and converting vapor collected from the chamber to a liquid. The chamber has an interior surface and can include one or more ribs on the interior surface for rotating and tumbling the material in the chamber while heating the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Fredrick Taylor
  • Patent number: 8350855
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for reducing anti-aliasing in a procedural texture. One method includes creating a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and querying the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. One system includes memory and a processor. The processor is programmed, by the code stored in the memory, to create a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and query the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. One system includes means for creating a procedural reduction map describing the texture as applied to an object, and means for querying the map for radiance of a pixel in the object. The map includes a basis functions and a hierarchy of texels. Each texel includes basis weights and a surface normal distribution. Each basis weight corresponds to one of the basis functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Brooks Van Horn, III, Gregory Turk
  • Patent number: 8350962
    Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for video format conversion. Aspects of the current invention may convert decoded video data from 4:2:2 format to 4:4:4 format. Aspects of the current invention may also convert decoded video data from 4:2:0 format to 4:4:4 format. Aspects of the current invention may further convert decoded video data from 4:2:0 format to 4:2:2 format. Aspects of the current invention may provide a region-aware conversion system that monitors the edges of mosaic windows in order to apply proper boundary conditions during the conversion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Genkun Jason Yang, Yao-Hua Steven Tseng
  • Patent number: 8350865
    Abstract: A method and system for efficiently organizing data in memory is provided. Exemplary aspects of the invention may include storing linear data and block data in more than one DRAM device and accessing the data with one read/write access cycle. Common control signals may be used to control the DRAM devices and the address lines used to address each DRAM device may be independent from one another. The data read from the DRAM devices may be reordered to make the data more suitable for processing by applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Schoner, Darren Neuman
  • Patent number: 8347816
    Abstract: The invention relates to a feed dispenser for birds with a wear-resistant pecking area. This feed dispenser comprises a dispensing pan with a raised mid-section, that is surrounded entirely by a base plate. This base plate is built up of a plastic base material and a substantially impenetrable contiguous layer of material that is more wear-resistant than the plastic base material, for example a more wear-resistant plastic or metal. This achieves the advantage that the base plate is protected from perforation by the birds' beaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Roxell N.V.
    Inventor: Philippe Hyppoliet Pia Maria Keirse
  • Patent number: 8343030
    Abstract: A therapeutic method and sound recording including sounding a first harmonic interval for a first duration of at least approximately one minute; and sounding a second harmonic interval for a second, consecutive duration for at least approximately one minute. The first and second harmonic intervals may be just intervals and/or fifths, such as Perfect 5ths (P5). The first duration may overlap with the second duration in order to sound a Major Seventh (M7) chord. The first duration may be approximately twenty minutes long or longer, the second duration may be approximately ten minutes long or longer, and the overlap between the first and second duration may be approximately ten minutes long or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Clifford Neil Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8345704
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for multi-radio coexistence and a collaborative interface may include exchanging information between a plurality of radio transceivers integrated within a single device to enable coexistence, and coordinating sharing of transmit and receive resources between the plurality of radio transceivers by controlling access to the transmit and receive resources, where any one of the plurality of radio transceivers may be enabled to be selected to control the access based on the exchanged information. Selecting one of the radio transceivers for the controlling of the access band may be based on processing capability or priority of communication. The resources may comprise frequency bands, time slots, and antenna access. The information may be exchanged via a serial bus between the plurality of radio transceivers, where the serial bus may conform to an I2C (I-square-C) multi-master serial bus. Each of the radio transceivers may conform to one or more radio frequency technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Prasanna Desai, Brima Ibrahim, John Walley, Gang Lu
  • Patent number: 8347008
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for a hardware-based implementation of USB 1.1 over a high-speed link may comprise translating at a client side of a client server communication system, USB protocol messages comprising a first USB standard to corresponding encapsulated USB protocol messages, wherein the USB protocol messages comprising the first USB standard are received from a client device at the client side of the client server communication system. The translated corresponding encapsulated USB protocol messages may be communicated from the client side to a server at a server side of the client server communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Sasi K. Kumar
  • Patent number: 8342559
    Abstract: A ball latch 46 is reciprocally mounted in a latch slot 44 and is biased downwardly by coil compression spring 68 until the semi-spherical recess at its lower end becomes coextensive with the spherical surface of the ball socket 36. When the trailer hitch 16 is placed on the hitch ball 26, the force applied by the hitch ball against the ball latch 46 moves the ball latch upwardly against the bias of its spring 68 to make room for the hitch ball to enter the ball socket 36. Once the hitch ball is fully inserted in the ball socket 36, the spring 68 pushes the ball latch 46 back to its locked position about the hitch ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Charles J. MacKarvich
  • Patent number: 8345148
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for inverse telecine and scene change detection of progressive video may include determining a cadence, for example, 3:2 or 2:2 pulldown, and phase of received progressive input pictures. A difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures may be determined. The motion compensation of a plurality of output pictures may be controlled based on the determined cadence, phase and difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures. The system may be enabled to determine repeated pictures and scene changes. The motion compensation of output pictures may be stopped during detected scene changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Richard Hayden Wyman
  • Patent number: 8346899
    Abstract: A server comprising a network interface controller (NIC) may be operable to determine network components and/or resources that may be utilized to create, modify and/or terminate a hyper-channel in a network fabric. A configuration for creating, modifying and/or terminating the hyper-channel may be initiated by the NIC based on knowledge of the network fabric up to the edge of network and each of the switches along a path of the hyper-channel may be instructed by the NIC to configure the hyper-channel. The configuration may also be initiated by the NIC based on knowledge of the network fabric up to a first hop and each of the switches along a path of the hyper-channel may then be allowed to configure the hyper-channel based on knowledge of the network fabric surrounding each of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Hemal Shah, Burhan Masood, Frankie Fan, Robert Lusinsky, Vijay Sagar
  • Patent number: 8347357
    Abstract: In multimedia systems requiring secure access, a method and apparatus for constructing an access control matrix for a set-top box security processor are provided. A security processor may comprise multiple security components and may support multiple user modes. For each user mode supported, at least one access rule table may be generated to indicate access rules to a security component in the security processor. An access control list comprises information regarding the access rules for a particular user mode to the security components in the security processor. An access control matrix may be generated based on the access control lists for the user modes supported by the security component. The access control matrix may be implemented and/or stored in the security processor for verifying access rights of a user mode. Results of operations associated with security components may be transferred to other processors communicatively coupled to the security processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Xuemin Chen, Iue-Shuenn Chen, Shee-Yen Tan, Hongbo Zhu, Qiang Ye
  • Patent number: 8346559
    Abstract: Disclosed are various systems, methods, and programs embodied in a computer-readable medium for sound analysis. The sound analysis involves transforming a sound print into a frequency domain in a memory to generate a frequency spectrum. A plurality of signatures are identified in the frequency spectrum. Also, a plurality of frequency ranges associated with the signatures are identified in the sound print. The frequencies associated with a physiological profile are cross-referenced with the frequency ranges to determine if the physiological profile is applicable to the sound print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Dean Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Vickie A. Dean
  • Patent number: 8345065
    Abstract: Systems and methods that provide graphics using a graphical engine are provided. In one example, a system may provide layered graphics in a video environment. The system may include a bus, a graphical engine and a graphical pipeline. The graphical engine may be coupled to the bus and may be adapted to composite a plurality of graphical layers into a composite graphical layer. The graphical engine may include a memory that stores the composite graphical layer. The graphical pipeline may be coupled to the bus and may be adapted to transport the composite graphical layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Baer, Darren Neuman
  • Patent number: 8347211
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for providing immersive multimedia views for items. A network page is generated that provides information regarding an item and includes code for rendering an immersive multimedia view for the item. A user interface presents a first one of a plurality of media objects associated with the item. The user interface includes a menu for selecting one of the media objects for presentation in the user interface and first set of media controls associated with the content form of the first one of the media objects. The user interface is updated to present a second one of the media objects having a different content form in response to a selection of the second one of the media objects in the menu. The first set of media controls is replaced with a second set of media controls that is associated with the different content form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles S. Rogers, III, Aaron S. Wooster
  • Patent number: 8346185
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for enhancing efficiency by modulating power amplifier (PA) gain are presented. Aspects of the system may comprise a PA gain modulator that enables modification of an amplitude of a digital baseband signal. A baseband processor may enable computation of a first gain value based on the modification. The baseband processor may enable computation of a second gain value based on the first gain value. A PA may enable generation of an RF output signal based on the modified digital baseband signal and the second gain value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Afashi, Vikram Magoon, Arya Behzad
  • Patent number: D673495
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Lifesong, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Stephen W. Heotaky, Debra L. Heotaky, Diana S. Allpass, Michael G. Allpass