Patents Assigned to Broadcom Corporations
  • Patent number: 7129865
    Abstract: A method for reducing bit errors in an analog to digital converter having an array of comparators. The outputs of first and second comparators are received as in inputs to an Exclusive OR gate. The first and second comparators are separated in the array by a third comparator. The output of the Exclusive OR gate is used to determine if the third comparator is in a metastable condition. If the third comparator is in a metastable condition, the bias current of the latch circuit of the third comparator is increased to increase the rate at which the third comparator transitions to a steady state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Mulder, Franciscus M. L. van der Goes
  • Patent number: 7129792
    Abstract: A gain compensator compensates for the gain variation of a varactor-tuned voltage tuned oscillator (VCO) in a phase lock loop (PLL). The VCO includes a parallel LC circuit having multiple fixed capacitors that can be switched-in or switched-out of the LC circuit according to a capacitor control signal to perform band-select tuning of the VCO. The gain compensator compensates for the variable VCO gain by generating a charge pump reference current that is based on the same capacitor control signal that controls the fixed capacitors in the LC circuit. The gain compensator generates the charge pump reference current by replicating a reference scale current using unit current sources. The number of times the reference scale current is replicated is based on the fixed capacitance that is switched-in to the LC circuit and therefore the frequency band of the PLL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ramon A. Gomez
  • Patent number: 7130395
    Abstract: The present invention establishes a communications link between a central office (CO) modem and a customer premise equipment (CPE) modem. The CO modem then evaluates the performance of the communications link. Impairments on the communications link are identified based on the evaluation results. Next, adjustment parameters for improving the performance of the communications link are determined. The CPE modem is then modified in accordance with the determined adjustment parameters to establish an adjusted communications link between the CO modem and the CPE modem. In this way, impairments such as bridged taps and cross-talk can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Raphael Rahamim
  • Patent number: 7131020
    Abstract: A system for synchronizing configuration information in a plurality of data processing devices using a common system interconnect bus. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for enforcing automatic updates to the configuration registers in various agents in the data processing system. A node controller is operably connected to a system interconnect bus and a switch. A plurality of interface agents are connected to the switch, with each of the interface agents comprising a configuration space register, a configuration space shadow register and a control and status register (CSR). A token ring connected to the node controller is operable to transmit data from the node controller to a plurality of interface agents connected to the token ring, thereby providing a system for updating the various configuration registers in each of the agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Laurent Moll, Joseph B. Rowlands
  • Patent number: 7129755
    Abstract: An improved high-fanin multiplexer that is highly-scalable, fast and area-efficient. In one embodiment of the present invention, multiple logic “legs” are attached to a common output line. Each leg comprises one pMOS pull-up transistor and one nMOS pull-down transistor. The gate of the pMOS transistor in each leg is connected to the output of an And-Or-Invert (AOI) gate whose inputs are connected to a plurality of select lines and a plurality of data lines. The gate of the nMOS transistor in each leg is connected to the output of an Or-And-Invert (OAI) gate whose inputs are connected to a plurality of select lines (the logical complements of the select lines for the AOI), and a plurality of data input lines. The high-fanin multiplexer of the present invention offers numerous advantages over the prior art. In particular, the high-fanin multiplexer of the present invention has very small self-loading allowing a large number of inputs while also maintaining a high fan out speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Brian J. Campbell
  • Patent number: 7129574
    Abstract: A scalable multi-power integrated circuit package for integrated circuits having spaced apart first, second and third pluralities of respective spaced apart chip power bonding pads connected to-corresponding first, second, and third chip power supply nets, the chip power bonding pads disposed adjacent to a chip periphery defining the chip area, the scalable multi-power integrated circuit package comprising: a central chip mounting area for mounting one of said integrated circuits, said chip mounting area defining a chip mounting area periphery surrounding said chip mounting area; spaced apart first, second and third package power supply continuous conductive traces, each trace disposed adjacent to the chip area mounting periphery; corresponding first, second and third pluralities of spaced apart package bonding areas defined along each respective one of said first, second and third package power supply continuous conductive traces, each respective one of said package bonding areas disposed in bondable alignme
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ping Wu
  • Patent number: 7130314
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for providing RTP suppression across a DOCSIS network. An index number and a set of rules are sent to a receiver. The index number indicates the type of header suppression technique (i.e., RTP header suppression) to be performed, and the set of rules define how to recreate the RTP packets on the receiving end. At least one complete RTP packet is transmitted upstream for enabling a receiver to learn the RTP header. Subsequent RTP packets are transmitted upstream for reconstruction at the receiving end. The subsequent RTP packets are comprised of delta values representing fields that dynamically change from packet to packet in an RTP header.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Fred A. Bunn, Thomas L. Johnson, Joel Danzig
  • Patent number: 7129785
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit including a first transistor and a biasing circuit. The biasing circuit includes a process compensation circuit. The biasing circuit being coupled to a gate of the first transistor. A method for biasing an amplifier circuit is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Chris Nilson
  • Patent number: 7130601
    Abstract: Determination of a received signal strength indication in a direct conversion receiver begins by determining, at a given time, a 1st value to be the larger of the in-phase component of the received signal and the quadrature component of the received signal. The direct conversion receiver then determines a 2nd value at the given time to be the smaller of the in-phase component of the received signal and the quadrature component of the received signal. As such, at a given time, the 1st and 2nd values correspond to the greater and lesser of the in-phase component and quadrature component, respectively. Having obtained these values, the direct conversion receiver then determines the received signal strength indication based on the 1st value, the 2nd value and an offset value. The offset value provides a scaling of the RSSI value based on the range of the RSSI values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 7129803
    Abstract: A tuned transformer balun circuit includes a transformer balun, a first tuning capacitor, a second tuning capacitor, and a third tuning capacitor. A first plate of the first tuning capacitor is operably coupled to a first node of the differential winding and a second plate of the first tuning capacitor is operably coupled to a circuit ground. A first plate of the tuning capacitor is operably coupled to a second node of the differential winding and a second plate of the second tuning capacitor is operably coupled to the circuit ground. A first plate of the third tuning capacitor is operably coupled to a first node of the single-end winding and the second plate of the third tuning capacitor is operably coupled to transceiver radio frequency signals, wherein, based on loading of the single-ended winding and the differential winding, the first, second, and third tuning capacitors resonate with the transformer balun to provide efficient energy transfer from the transmitter section to the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Shahla Khorram, Qiang Li, Jesus Alfonso Castaneda
  • Patent number: 7130670
    Abstract: A wireless network card includes an adaptable antenna connection structure that includes connections for one or more internal antennas and for one or more Radio Frequency (RF) connectors that may be coupled to one or more external antennas. A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and electronic components located thereon form the wireless network card. The PCB includes a removable portion that, when removed, leaves an opening that receives an RF antenna connector. When the PCB is used to create a client wireless network card, one or more surface mount antennas are mounted on the PCB and coupled to surface mount antenna conductive pads formed thereon. The wireless network card may include (1) the surface mount antenna; (2) the RF connector; or (3) both the surface mount antenna and the RF connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: David Fifield
  • Patent number: 7129784
    Abstract: A multi-level power amplifier architecture using a multi-tap transformer implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit wireless communications device is described. By providing a multi-tap transformer for coupling a plurality of power amplifiers to a shared output impedance, such as an antenna, power transmission may be made at different levels while maintaining efficiency. With a multi-tap transformer having “N” taps featuring “N” different impedance levels, each tap may be connected to an amplifier cell which delivers power into the transformer at the tap for coupling to the output load. Any one of the “N” amplifier cells can be turned on at once along with any combination of the “N” amplifier cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Iqbal Bhatti, Jesus Castaneda
  • Patent number: 7129871
    Abstract: A wide gain range current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is presented that includes a unit current cell having a current source module biased by a current source voltage bias, a differential switch module, a main cascode module biased by a first bias voltage and an attenuation cascode module biased by a second bias voltage, configured such that a particular current gain range is obtained at the main cascode module output when a unit current cell current is at or above a current threshold. The output current at the attenuation cascode module output can be input into a current attenuator when the unit current cell current is below the current threshold to obtain additional current gain range. The current attenuator can include a plurality of attenuator cells that can be programmed to a desired level of current gain in linear decibels or linear step intervals. Smaller step sizes can be obtained by programming a current source within the step intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arnoldus Venes, Yonghua Cong
  • Publication number: 20060237820
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for reducing a parasitic capacitance in an integrated circuit. The apparatus includes a substrate and a biasing device. The substrate has a circuit disposed thereon, wherein a first capacitance exists between the substrate and an element of the circuit. The biasing device DC biases a first portion of the substrate to a voltage different than a voltage of a second portion of the substrate, thereby inducing a second capacitance between the first portion of the substrate and the second portion of the substrate. The second capacitance is in series with the first capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Chun-Ying Chen
  • Publication number: 20060242478
    Abstract: A technique for determining a symbol erasure threshold for a received communication signal containing symbol information is disclosed. The technique begins by performing a first threshold calculation to produce an initial symbol erasure threshold, then performing a first margin calculation to produce an initial symbol erasure margin and then modifying the initial symbol erasure threshold using the initial symbol erasure margin to produce a modified symbol erasure threshold. By then periodically modifying the modified symbol erasure threshold adaptive via updating the symbol erasure threshold and/or symbol erasure margin based on various error quantities, the technique can compensate for time-variant considerations, such as drifting noise levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Miguel Peeters, Geert Goris
  • Patent number: 7127007
    Abstract: Multi-carrier modulation fiber optic systems constructed using a series of electrical carriers, modulating the data on the electrical carriers and combining the carriers to form a wideband signal. The wideband signal can then be intensity modulated on a laser and coupled to a fiber optic channel. A receiver may then receive the laser signal from the fiber optic channel and convert it into an electrical signal. Multi-carrier modulation may be applied to existing fiber channels, which may be of lower quality. Existing fiber channels may have characteristics which prevent or restrict the transmission of data using intensity modulation at certain frequencies. An adaptive multi-carrier modulation transmitter may characterize an existing fiber optic channel and ascertain the overall characteristics of the channel. The transmitter and receiver can then be configured to use various bandwidths and various modulations in order to match the transfer characteristic of the fiber channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Oscar E. Agazzi
  • Patent number: 7127167
    Abstract: A system for management of bandwidth, cost control, and operational efficiency in a fiber optic, ethernet-based, TDMA communications system. The invention features an aggregating optical node between a central office and end users. The optical spectrum is divided according to end user, direction (i.e., upstream or downstream), and/or according to function (e.g., video or non-video). In an embodiment of the invention, a wavelength coupler can be used to couple multiple upstream wavelengths from respective end-user devices, for forwarding to a central office. Moreover, adaptive equalization can be used for noise cancellation purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Dolors Sala, Ajay Chandra V. Gummalla
  • Patent number: 7126947
    Abstract: A network switch that has a plurality of input ports that receive data packets. An external interface is connected to the plurality of input ports. The external interface externally transmits the data packets for processing, and receives the data packets after processing. A memory management unit is connected to the external interface and a plurality of output ports are connected to the memory management unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohan Kalkunte, Shekhar Ambe, Soma Pullela
  • Patent number: 7127648
    Abstract: A method for determining whether a physical layer device under test is defective may include establishing a closed communication path between a verified physical layer device and the physical layer device under test via an optical interface of the verified physical layer device and an optical interface of the physical layer device under test. Alternately, the electrical interface may also be used for testing. A packet generator may transmit test packets over the established closed communication path and at least a portion of the test packets from the physical layer device under test may be received by the verified physical layer device. Subsequently, the verified physical layer device may compare at least a portion of the received test packets with at least a portion of the generated test packets in order to determine whether the physical layer device is defective or operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Hongtao Jiang, Tuan Hoang
  • Patent number: 7127222
    Abstract: A method for adjusting automatic gain control of a radio receiver begins by determining power level of a radio frequency (RF) signal received by the radio receiver to produce a determined power level. The method then continues by comparing the determined power level with a plurality of power thresholds to determine whether an automatic gain adjustment is needed. The method then continues, when the automatic gain adjustment is needed, by determining, from the comparing the determined power level with the plurality of power thresholds, a sign of the automatic gain adjustment. The method continues by determining, from the comparing the determined power level with the plurality of power thresholds, a magnitude of the automatic gain adjustment. The method continues by addressing a gain adjustment look up table for at least a portion of the radio receiver based on the magnitude to produce a gain setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Hea Joung Kim, Paul Anthony Lettieri, Brima B. Ibrahim