Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Timothy L. Boller
  • Patent number: 6804349
    Abstract: A hybrid circuit forming an interface between a transmission line and heads of transmission-reception of signals in bands of different frequencies in transmission and reception, including a line transformer, and means for separating bands combined with echo cancellation means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Gildas Prat, Alain Chianale
  • Patent number: 6772992
    Abstract: This invention relates to a memory cell which comprises a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric layer. Such dielectric layer comprises a layer of a semi-insulating material which is fully enveloped by an insulating material and in which an electric charge is permanently present or trapped therein. Such electric charge accumulated close to the first or to the second electrode, depending on the electric field between the electrodes, thereby defining different logic levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Salvatore Lombardo, Cosimo Gerardi, Isodiana Crupi, Massimo Melanotte
  • Patent number: 6741654
    Abstract: A circuit including a memory connected to be accessible from a bidirectional bus, an MPEG decoder connected to the bus to be able to read coded and decoded data in the memory, and having a decoded data output connected to the bus according to a first path to be able to read from the memory data of a first image, and a first image display circuit, an input of which is connected to the bus to read from the memory the data written by the decoder, which also includes a decimator circuit, connected between the output of the decoder and the bus according to a second path to be able to write into the memory data of a second image, and a second image display circuit connected to the bus to read from the memory the data written by the decimator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.A.
    Inventor: Pierre Marty
  • Patent number: 6675267
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and circuit for allowing access to a shared memory by at least two controllers having different bus widths. Such method and circuit provides particular advantages in its application to controlling access to a shared memory in a digital set-top-box of a digital television receiver. An arbiter is provided to access between memory accesses by first and second memory access circuitry. The first memory access circuitry accesses a block of data in the shared memory, and the second memory access circuitry accesses two blocks of data in each memory access. Each second memory write access comprises reading blocks of data from first and second memory locations and then writing blocks of data to first and second memory locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited
    Inventor: Fabrizio Rovati
  • Patent number: 6549965
    Abstract: A computer system provides on chip at least one CPU connected to another module by an address and data path, the module generating interrupt request packets with a destination address, the CPU decoding the packet, identifying a priority for the interrupt request and selectively responding to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Michael Jones, Michael David May
  • Patent number: 6456150
    Abstract: A circuit for biasing the bulk terminal of a first MOS transistor having a first terminal connected to a first line set to a first potential, and a second terminal connected to a second line set to a second potential. The biasing circuit includes a second and a third MOS transistors having first terminals connected respectively to the first line and to the second line, second terminals connected to the bulk terminal of the first MOS transistor, and control terminals connected respectively to the second and to the first line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrea Sacco, Rino Micheloni, Marco Scotti
  • Patent number: 6449670
    Abstract: A computer system includes on-chip a CPU with an addressable module and a memory interface, the module having packet generating circuitry for event request or control packets, the CPU being operable to generate event request packets, memory access packets or control packets having a common format with packets generated by said module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Michael Jones, Michael David May