Abstract: The invention provides a single digital communication link between system-side and line-side circuitry in a DAA, capable both of carrying data signals and of transferring a substantial amount of power to the line-side circuitry. The invention comprises a system-side interface circuit, a line-side interface circuit, and an isolation barrier including a transformer. Each interface circuit is capable of connection to an upstream communication circuit (either line-side or system-side), from which it may receive data signals to be transmitted across the isolation barrier to the other interface circuit, and to which it may pass data signals received across the isolation barrier from the other interface circuit. The line-side interface circuit may further include a rectifier and a storage device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mitigating latency in a data detector feedback loop are included. For example, a method for reducing latency in an error corrected data retrieval system is included. The method includes performing an analog to digital conversion at a sampling instant to create a digital sample, and performing a data detection on the digital sample to create a detected output. The detected output is compared with the digital sample to determine a phase error. During an interim period, the digital sample is adjusted to reflect the phase error to create an adjusted digital sample. After the interim period, the sampling instant is adjusted to reflect the phase error.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile electronic device has a host controller, an energy-saving encoder, an energy-saving decoder, and a multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. The host controller provides raw user data to the energy-saving encoder in k-bit segments. The energy-saving encoder encodes each k-bit segment into an n-bit segment of encoded user data for programming the MLC NAND flash memory as a p-symbol codeword, where (i) k is smaller than n (ii) p(=n/log2 m) MLCs are used to store the p-symbol codeword (iii) each MLC stores one symbol of the codeword. The energy-saving decoder is adapted to read p-symbol codewords from the MLC NAND flash memory and decode each p-symbol codeword into a k-bit segment of raw user data for provision to the host controller. The host controller is adapted to vary k and n to conserve usage of power or memory-space, as needed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for performing reduced complexity discrete Fourier transforms using interpolation An input sequence of length N is transformed by extending the input sequence to an extended input sequence of length M, where M is greater than N (a power of two greater than N); performing a discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), such as a power-of-two DFT, on the extended input sequence to obtain an interpolated sequence; and applying a conversion matrix to the interpolated sequence to obtain a DFT output for the input sequence of length N. The input sequence of length N can be extended to an extended input sequence of length M, for example, by employing a zero padding technique, a cyclic extension technique, a windowing of a cyclic extended sequence technique or a resampling-based interpolation technique to extend the input sequence. The conversion matrix is substantially a sparse matrix.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for controlling DC motors are disclosed herein. For example, one method provides for controlling a polyphase, brushless DC motor. The method includes providing a DC motor that has a plurality of phases. Such a DC motor operates by inducing a current in the plurality of phases in accordance with a plurality of commutation states. In the example, six commutation states are discussed, but fewer than or more than six commutation states may exist. The method further includes initializing a count, inducing a current in the plurality of phases in accordance with a first commutation state, and incrementing the count until the current achieves a threshold in the first commutation state. Then, a current is induced in the plurality of phases in accordance with a second commutation state, and the count is decremented until the current achieves the threshold in the second commutation state.

Abstract: For use in a wireless network, systems and methods for identifying radar signals and for giving the wireless network a radar-avoidance capability. The system for identifying radar signals includes: (1) a pulse analyzer, associated with a wireless device, configured to make a determination whether a received pulse is a radar pulse and not a wireless network pulse and (2) a pulse reporter configured to generate, if the determination is positive, a report thereof for transmission over the wireless network. Another system gives the wireless network a radar-avoidance capability and includes: (1) a report receiver configured to receive reports via the wireless network from wireless devices thereof and (2) a report analyzer, associated with the report receiver, configured to analyze relationships among the reports to make a determination whether a sequence of radar pulses exists and, if the determination is positive, generate a radar transmission alert.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting symbols in a multiple antenna wireless communication system, such that the symbols can be interpreted by a lower order receiver (i.e., a receiver having a fewer number of antennas than the transmitter). For example, subcarriers from one or more symbols can be transmitted such that each of the subcarriers are active on only one of the antennas at a given time. In one implementation, the subcarriers are diagonally loaded across logically adjacent antennas. The symbols can include one or more long training symbols and optionally a SIGNAL field that indicates a duration that a receiver should defer until a subsequent transmission. In this manner, a transmitter in accordance with the present invention may be backwards compatible with a lower order receiver and a lower order receiver can interpret the transmitted symbols or defer for an appropriate duration.

Abstract: A station associates with an access point in a wireless local area network conforming to, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 standard. The station measures the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the downlink from each of the access points sending either a beacon or a probe response, and forms a first list of access points in decreasing order of received downlink SNR. The station transmits a link test request to each access point to query the access point for the SNR of the link test request received at the corresponding access point. Access points respond to the link test request with corresponding link test responses containing the corresponding SNR. The station i) forms a second list of access points in decreasing order of received uplink SNR and ii) compares the first and second lists to determine which access point to associate with based on overall quality of the uplink and downlink channels.

Abstract: A mobile communication device having a camera module and a method of operating a mobile communication device having a camera module. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device includes: (1) a main body and (2) a camera module, coupled to the main body and configured for movement with respect thereto between a retracted position and an exposed position and rotatable in the exposed position about at least one axis of rotation.

Abstract: Apparatus for combining at least multimedia signaling (e.g., CATV signals) and wireless network signaling for transmission over the same communication medium includes a first port for receiving a multimedia signal, a second port for receiving a wireless networking signal, and a third port being couplable to the communication medium. The apparatus is configured for generating a combined signal at the third port, the combined signal including at least a portion of the multimedia signal and at least a portion of the wireless networking signal. In this manner, wireless networking signals may be conveyed over the same communication medium as is used for multimedia signals.

Abstract: A layer above the MAC and PHY layers of a wireless network employs a forward error correction (FEC) protocol extension with selective acknowledgement to reduce the likelihood of retries to enhance performance in, for example, home entertainment networking applications. In addition, certain system parameters of the wireless network are controlled so as to either i) align required bandwidth with particular sustainable channel parameters of the wireless network, or ii) modify the channel characteristics. One or more of three mitigation techniques might be employed with the FEC protocol extension to enhance maintenance of radio communication in the wireless network: Physical-layer Rate Adaptation, Dynamic Interference Avoidance, and Media-encoding Layer Adaptation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a satellite radio receiver is capable of simultaneously processing (i) a first radio channel that is playing on a first speaker and (ii) a second radio channel, different from the first radio channel, that is not playing on the first speaker. The second radio channel can simultaneously be playing on a second speaker, be recorded onto a non-volatile memory, and/or have its processing modified. A user can control the satellite radio receiver using vocal commands, while the first channel is playing on the first speaker. The radio receiver has a microphone connected to a voice-recognition command interpreter that includes an interfering-sound canceller, which reduces sounds interfering with the vocal commands, and a command-recognition module, which recognizes vocal commands and provides a control signal to a multi-channel control processor, which processes and controls the first and second radio channels, received from corresponding decoders connected to a satellite radio receiver antenna.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for circuit emulation services over cell and packet networks. A constant bit rate traffic stream is mapped to one of a cell and packet structure. The constant bit rate traffic stream is mapped to one or more cells and the one or more cells are selectively translated to one or more packets if a packet stream is selected. In addition, one of a received cell and packet stream are mapped to a constant bit rate traffic stream. The packet stream is selectively translated to one or more cells and the one or more cells are translated to the constant bit rate traffic stream. A clock can optionally be recovered from the received cell or packet stream.

Abstract: An overvoltage protection circuit includes a shunt circuit adapted for connection to at least one circuit node to be protected from an overvoltage condition and a voltage generator coupled to the shunt circuit. The shunt circuit is selectively activated as a function of a control signal supplied to the shunt circuit. The voltage generator is operative to generate the control signal for activating the shunt circuit during the overvoltage condition. The control signal has a level which varies in a manner that at least partially changes offsets in activation threshold of the shunt circuit.

Abstract: A cordless telephone which allows a user to play MP3 digital audio bit stream music, using the remote handset of a cordless telephone to control the functions of the MP3 player. The cordless telephone remains usable as a typical cordless telephone with all the features and conveniences of a cordless telephone including, but not limited to, connection of a telephone call between a calling party and a called party, caller ID information, voice messaging features, etc. MP3 digital audio bit stream music may be downloaded from a remote source through, e.g., the Internet and a PC.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for repairing a defective storage device in a physical storage-device array having a plurality of storage devices. The method comprises the steps of identifying a disk error associated with the defective storage device; effecting an error recovery pause based on the disk error; processing one or more outstanding data storage or retrieval requests; and generating a new data storage request instructing the physical disk device array having the defective storage device to store valid data associated with the data storage or retrieval request corresponding to the disk device error, whereby the defective storage device is repaired.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for soft decision decoding using reliability values based on a log base two function. A signal is processed to determine one or more reliability values for a soft decision decoder by computing one or more log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values using a log base two function. The soft decision decoder may employ, for example, a belief propagation algorithm. The soft decision decoder can decode, for example, Low-Density Parity Check codes or turbo codes.

Abstract: The invention provides a low cost, simple, circuit for detecting the condition of a telephone line.

Abstract: A communication system with a plurality of access points (AP1, AP2, AP3) and at least one network station (5, 6), the network station (5, 6) being arranged to communicate with one of said the plurality of access points (AP1, AP2, AP3) through a wireless communication protocol, each access point (AP1, AP2, AP3) is able to monitor its access point traffic load and transmit an access point traffic load parameter (ATT) to the network station (5, 6), and the network station (5, 6) is able to monitor its network station traffic load; store a network station traffic load parameter (AUTT); receive access point traffic load parameters (ATT) from the access points (AP1, AP2, AP3); and select a communication connection with one of the access points (AP1, AP2, AP3) using a predetermined cost function taking the access point traffic load parameters (ATT) and the network station traffic load parameters (AUTT) into account.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a data alignment system comprises a First-In First-Out register (FIFO), a programmable pattern generator connected to the FIFO, and a controller connected to the programmable pattern generator and the FIFO. The FIFO is configured to provide data to or receive data from a first data lane of a serial data link having one or more lanes. Each data lane of the serial data link is configured to transmit a respective serial data stream. The programmable pattern generator is configured to generate a plurality of alignment symbols. The controller is configured to manage the alignment of the one or more data lanes of the serial data link and the insertion of a selected one of the plurality of alignment symbols into each of the serial data streams.