Patents Assigned to Broadcom
  • Publication number: 20120183110
    Abstract: Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion. Synthesis of one or more distortion terms made based on a digital signal (e.g., one or more digital codewords) is performed in accordance with digital to analog conversion. The one or more distortion terms may correspond to aliased higher-order harmonics, distortion, nonlinearities, clipping, etc. Such distortion terms may be known a priori, such as based upon particular characteristics of a given device, operational history, etc. Alternatively, such distortion terms may be determined based upon operation of a device and/or based upon an analog signal generated from the analog to conversion process. For example, frequency selective measurements made based on an analog signal generated from the digital to analog conversion may be used for determination of and/or adaptation of the one or more distortion terms. One or more DACs may be employed within various architectures operative to perform digital to analog conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kolze, Bruce J. Currivan, Ramon A. Gomez
  • Publication number: 20120183085
    Abstract: A powerline communication (PLC) transmission module transmits a signal over a three-line electrical mains supply. The PLC transmission module includes at least two coupling transformers, each transformer coupling the signal to first and second line-pairs of a three-line electrical mains supply, the first and second line-pairs different from one another. Driving circuitry drives a first version of the signal over the first line-pair and a second version of the signal over the second line-pair. Inversion circuitry selectively inverts one version of the signal relative to the other version of the signal, dependent upon an enacted transmission mode. The inversion circuitry may invert neither/both of the versions of the signal so that the signal is transmitted as a differential-mode signal on the line-pairs or invert one of the first and second versions of the signal relative to the other so that the signal is a common-mode signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Ephraim David Hurwitz, Seyed AA Danesh, Iain Barnett
  • Publication number: 20120182276
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for automatic adjustment of display systems based on ambient light intensity. Ambient light intensity of a viewing environment is determined from a location of a display system or from a location separate from the display system. Ambient light information may be collected using light sensor(s) or image sensor(s) of a camera or other imaging capturing device. When a viewer is present, ambient light intensity may be determined from a perspective of the viewer. The determined light intensity information is used to determine a white balance level. A characteristic of the display system is adjusted based on the determined white balance level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Tommy Wing Chau Kee
  • Publication number: 20120183083
    Abstract: Distortion and aliasing reduction for digital to analog conversion. Synthesis of one or more distortion terms made based on a digital signal (e.g., one or more digital codewords) is performed in accordance with digital to analog conversion. The one or more distortion terms may correspond to aliased higher-order harmonics, distortion, nonlinearities, clipping, etc. Such distortion terms may be known a priori, such as based upon particular characteristics of a given device, operational history, etc. Alternatively, such distortion terms may be determined based upon operation of a device and/or based upon an analog signal generated from the analog to conversion process. For example, frequency selective measurements made based on an analog signal generated from the digital to analog conversion may be used for determination of and/or adaptation of the one or more distortion terms. One or more DACs may be employed within various architectures operative to perform digital to analog conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Thomas J. Kolze
  • Publication number: 20120185665
    Abstract: A configurable memory includes an interface section, a plurality of memory modules, and an internal configuration section. The interface section includes a millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver and interfaces with one or more external components. Each the plurality of memory modules includes a memory MMW transceiver and a plurality of memory cells. The internal configuration section includes a memory management unit and a memory management MMW transceiver. The memory management unit is operable to determine configuration of at least some of the plurality of memory modules to form a memory block, identify an interface MMW transceiver to provide a wireless link to the memory block, and generate a configuration signal based on the determined configuration and the identified interface MMW transceiver. The memory management MMW transmits the MMW configuration signal to the identified interface MMW transceiver and the MMW transceivers of the memory modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 8225332
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for protocol offload in paravirtualized systems may be disclosed. Exemplary aspects of the method may include preposting of application buffers to a front-end driver rather than to a NIC in a paravirtualized system. The NIC may be enabled to place the received offloaded data packets into a received data buffer corresponding to a particular GOS. A back-end driver may be enabled to acknowledge the placed offloaded data packets. The back-end driver may be enabled to forward the received data buffer corresponding to the particular GOS to the front-end driver. The front-end driver may be enabled to copy offloaded data packets from a received data buffer corresponding to a particular guest operating system (GOS) to the preposted application buffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Eliezer Aloni, Rafi Shalom
  • Patent number: 8224275
    Abstract: Embodiments of a SAW-less RF receiver front-end that includes a frequency translated notch filter (FTNF) are presented. An FTNF includes a passive mixer and a baseband impedance. The baseband impedance includes capacitors that form a low-Q band-stop filter. The passive mixer is configured to translate the baseband impedance to a higher frequency. The translated baseband impedance forms a high-Q notch filter and is presented at the input of the FTNF. The FTNF can be fully integrated in CMOS IC technology (or others, e.g., Bipolar, BiCMOS, and SiGe) and applied in wireless receiver systems including EDGE/GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Bluetooth, and wireless LANs (e.g., IEEE 802.11). In addition, embodiments of a multi-band SAW-less RF receiver front-end and techniques to share components of FTNFs included within the multi-band SAW-less RF receiver front-end are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8223799
    Abstract: A wireless communication device may generate an interactive digital diary for one or more users. The device may handle location information, multimedia data, transactions and/or secure communications via a plurality of technologies. Digital diary information may be stored internally or externally, it may be searchable and/or may comprise moving images, still images, audio, text, geographic location, entity information, time, date, transactions, financial information, consumer information, security information, user input, communications, user contacts, software applications, user profiles, scheduled events, prompts and/or reminders. The digital diary may comprise an interactive user interface which may have mapping capability and may provide link access to digital diary information and/or associated entities. User input methods may comprise screen touch, pressure sensor, key entry and/or voice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Patent number: 8224270
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and machine-readable code for optimizing transmit power of a power amplifier using a Vbat monitor are disclosed and may comprise adjusting the gain of gain stages in a transmit path based on a control signal that is a function of a supply voltage signal, among other variables, derived from a supply voltage that may be used to power a transmit path. The supply voltage signal may be received from a power management unit or derived directly from a battery or other supply. The supply voltage signal may be compared to a reference signal, the result of which may be utilized to generate the control signal. The values for the control signals may be determined over a range of supply voltages and stored in a lookup table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Arya Behzad
  • Patent number: 8223965
    Abstract: A communication infrastructure containing a plurality of templates stored in an intermediate routing node and data rights management service function that determines an incoming packet contains media content by comparing the packet contents with the plurality of predefined templates and verifies whether associated license in the packet is valid. The intermediate routing node triggers the data rights management service function, if the associated license is not valid. The data rights management service function verifies rights of the user of the destination device to use the media content and interacts with the destination device to verify the validity of the license. In addition, the intermediate routing node interacts with a media manufacturer's server to verify the validity of the license. An external data rights management server may in part or full carry out the DRM functionality, to assist the intermediate routing node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: James D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 8223879
    Abstract: A method and system for improving a level of service between wireless devices. Handheld devices implementing the Bluetooth specification typically have relatively limited transmission ranges. As a result, and since they are typically portable, such devices easily experience abrupt communication interruptions, either between themselves and other handheld devices, or between themselves and fixed devices. The effective range of the devices can be extended by providing additional error-correcting coding. Although this modification also results in an extended transmission time, users are provided with an increased transmission range, and are given warning that service may soon be interrupted. Users may then, if they wish, take such steps as finishing their communication or moving into their devices' normal transmission range. Additionally, the handheld devices may use the extra transmission time and range to search for a forwarding path to a recipient device, thus minimizing or preventing any service interruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Morris
  • Patent number: 8225087
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for using cryptographic techniques to configure data processing systems. A configuration manager cryptographically controls the configuration of a system by ensuring that only authorized users or applications can change the configuration. For example, requests to change configuration information may include authenticated and/or encrypted data. These cryptographic techniques are employed to enable and/or disable functions, features and capabilities of a system. For example, a system may be reconfigured to provide strong or weak encryption based on parameters in the configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Mark L. Buer
  • Patent number: 8225020
    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: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Sasi Kumar
  • Patent number: 8223828
    Abstract: Methods and systems for minimizing distortions in an analog data signal include equalizing the analog data signal at a receive end. In an embodiment, the invention adapts equalization parameters to a signal path associated with the analog data signal. Adaptive control logic is implemented with analog and/or digital components. In an embodiment, the invention equalizes a discrete-time analog representation of an analog data signal. In an embodiment, the invention digitally controls equalization parameters. In an embodiment, a resultant equalized analog data signal is digitized. In an example implementation, an analog data signal is sampled, a quality of the samples is measured, and one or more equalization parameters are adjusted with digital controls as needed to minimize distortion of the samples. The equalized samples are then digitized. The present invention is suitable for lower rate analog data signals and multi-gigabit data rate analog signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Buchwald, Xicheng Jiang, Hui Wang, Howard A. Baumer, Avanindra Madisetti
  • Patent number: 8224250
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for compensating for estimated distortion in a transmitter by utilizing a digital predistortion scheme with a single feedback mixer are presented. Aspects of the system may include at least one circuit that enables generation of an output signal in response to one or more generated input signals. A feedback signal may be generated within a single feedback mixer circuit that may perform a frequency mix-down operation on the generated output signal. The generated feedback signal may be inserted at one or more insertion points in a receiver. Each of the insertion points may be located between a mixer stage of the receiver, and one or more circuits that generate a baseband signal based on the generated feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arya Behzad, Ali Afsahi, Vikram Magoon
  • Patent number: 8224274
    Abstract: A frequency translation module for a broadband multi-channel communication system may include an analog signal converter, a digital channel selection device, and a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter. The analog signal converter is configured to receive a plurality of analog signals, to select analog signals residing in a predefined frequency band, and to convert each of the selected analog signals into a digital signal. The digital channel selection device is configured to process digital signals corresponding to the selected analog signals and to generate a composite output of digital signals representative of the selected analog signals. The D/A converter is configured to translate the composite output to an analog signal output decodable by a receiver. Further, the frequency translation module may include a mixer configured to upconvert the analog signal output to a frequency decodable by the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ramon Gomez, Tommy Yu
  • Patent number: 8223736
    Abstract: A device includes a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs). An IC includes a millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver and a controller. The controller is operably coupled to the MMW transceiver and to: identify one or more other devices that have an intra-device MMW communication coverage area that overlaps with the intra-device MMW communication coverage area of the device. The controller also determines a first frequency range for use by the one or more other devices and the device for controlled radiation pattern intra-device MMW communications. The controller also coordinates allocation of a frequency use pattern to the one or more other devices and to the device for use for non-controlled radiation pattern intra-device MMW communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8223891
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for an RS frequency control loop for TCXO synchronization and tracking may include tracking a carrier frequency in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal based on at least a reference symbol set. A receiver frequency may be adjusted based on at least the tracked carrier frequency. The carrier frequency may be tracked by generating an output signal as a function of a frequency offset ?f in a frequency discrimination feedback loop. The reference symbol (RS) set may be generated in an RS extraction module or circuit, from at least a fast Fourier transform of the received OFDM signal. The receiver frequency may be coarsely adjusted and then finely adjusted. The coarse receiver frequency adjustment may be based on processing at least a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8225389
    Abstract: A method and system of providing physical port security in a digital data network is disclosed. The system keeps bit maps of allowed physical output ports for each physical network connection. The map of allowed ports can be different for different source addresses connected to the device. When digital data, such as an IP packet, is received, the appropriate physical port security bit map is retrieved and a logical AND is done on the physical port bit map generated by the destination information. The resulting bit map is used to determine which physical ports the data is routed to, blocking any requested destinations that are not appropriate destinations based on the port security bit map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Lund
  • Patent number: 8223661
    Abstract: A method and system for creating an ethernet-formatted packet from an upstream DOCSIS packet. The upstream packet is first received along with packet characteristic data that is contained in physical layer prepend data and in the packet header. A packet tag is then created, based on the packet characteristic data. The packet characteristic data includes identifiers for the transmitting remote device and the channel over which the transmission is sent. Packet characteristic data also includes information about the physical characteristics of the transmission signal, such as the power level and time offset. The packet characteristic data also includes administrative information, such as the minislot count at which the packet is received and whether the packet was received in contention. The packet tag is appended to the payload of the upstream packet. Also appended to the payload is an encapsulation tag, and source and destination address headers. The result is a packet in an ethernet format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald Grand, Niki R. Pantelias, R. Jeff Lee, Michael R. Zelnick, Francisco J. Gomez