Abstract: A powerline communications device comprises a powerline communications interface and at least one other communications interface configured to communicate over a computing network. The powerline communications interface is further configured to receive electrical power. The computing network may comprise mediums including powerlines, telephone lines, and/or coaxial cables. In some embodiments, the powerline communications interface may communicate with a network apparatus, such as a personal computer, via an Ethernet interface. The powerline interface, the telephone line interface, and/or the coaxial cable interface may all be associated with the same media access control (MAC) address. The powerline communications device may receive a message via a first medium and repeat the message via a second medium based on a quality of service (QoS) metric. In some embodiments, the powerline communications device may communicate using multiple frequency bands.

Abstract: A system and method for achieving higher data rates in physical layer devices. Costs imposed by large data rate increases represented by generational increases in Ethernet standards activities are avoided through physical layer device modifications that enable marginal increases in data bandwidth. Building-block reuse can be promoted through the selective use of clocking rate increase, increase in coding efficiency, and bit reuse.

Abstract: Disclosed is a closed-loop class-D amplifier circuit including a modulated reference signal generator that provides a modulated reference signal in a feed-forward path, where the reference signal is modulated corresponding to an input signal. The closed-loop class-D amplifier circuit further includes a comparator to generate a control signal based on a comparison of the modulated reference signal and a correction signal, which in turn is produced by filtering a combination of the input signal and a feedback signal. The closed-loop class-D amplifier circuit also includes a pulse generator to generate a pulse-width-modulated signal to drive an output stage of the closed-loop class-D amplifier based on the control signal.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for queue management for energy efficient networking are provided. In various embodiments of the invention a network device may determine whether to transition into or out-of an energy-saving mode of operation, and arm an EEN trigger by buffering the EEN trigger in a queue and/or setting one or more flags. The network device may transition into or out-of the energy-saving mode upon the EEN trigger being read from the queue or upon the queue becoming empty while the trigger is armed. Upon the occurrence of an event meeting one or more criteria prior to the EEN trigger being read from the queue or prior to the queue being empty, the EEN trigger may be disarmed. The network device may disarm the EEN trigger by deleting the EEN trigger from the queue and/or by resetting the flag.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for dual mode operation in wireless networks are presented. Aspects of the system include a communicating device that selects an RF channel and a physical layer type. The communicating device may process signals received via the selected RF channel based on the selected physical layer type. The communicating device may determine whether a beacon frame has been detected base on the signals that were received via the selected RF channel and processed based on the selected physical layer type. When a frame is not detected, the communicating device may determine a signal energy level for the received signals. The communicating device may establish an association with an existing network based on detection of the beacon frame or the communicating device may transmit an originating beacon frame based on the determined signal energy level.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for ordering grants of upstream bandwidth in a two-way grant-based communication system, such as a DOCSIS-based communication system. Typically, a central controller, such as a CMTS, sends a grant message to a set of end user devices, e.g., cable modems, wherein the message defines when each end user device can transmit upstream. The invention first determines, for each end user device, the time needed for processing the grant message. The central controller then constructs the grant message, such that grants for the end user devices associated with the shortest grant message processing times occur early in the grant message and represent the earliest grants. Grants for end user devices associated with the longest grant message processing times occur later in the grant message and represent later grants.

Abstract: An electronic communication network supports delivery of video program Internet protocol packets. A source device transmits both first and second video program Internet protocol packets. A first recipient device is assigned as positive acknowledgment leader by the source device and a second recipient device is assigned as negative acknowledgement leader by the source device. The first recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a positive acknowledgment of receipt of the first video program Internet protocol packet. The second recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a negative acknowledgment of non-receipt upon not receiving the first video program Internet protocol packet. The source device responds to the negative acknowledgement of non-receipt by the second recipient device by multicast resending the second video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices.

Abstract: Provided is a packet network adapter operable to receive a satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal and determine whether the satellite IF signal includes DVB content based upon a network client request. When the satellite IF signal includes the requested DVB content, the satellite network adapter produces packetized data for delivery of the digital content to a network client or clients based upon the network client request.

Abstract: A power delivery system wirelessly delivers electric power and a communication signal to a target device. The power delivery system includes a power transmitting unit having a power source operable to source alternating current power and a sending resonant coupling component operable to couple the alternating current power to a coil for wireless power transmission by a non-radiated magnetic field at a target resonant frequency. The power transmitting unit is capable of dynamically tuning the wireless power transmission to the target resonant frequency wherein the target resonant frequency is specified dynamically. A communication module couples to the power transmitting unit and is operable to couple the communication signal to the non-radiated magnetic field. Operations may include target device authentication, target resonant frequency information communication, billing, and device management.

Abstract: An offset cancellation circuit for canceling an offset voltage in an amplifier is provided herein. The offset cancellation circuit includes a current source configured to provide an offset current, a switching stage comprising first and second switches, and a cascode stage. The cascode stage comprises a first cascode device configured to receive the offset current from the first switch and inject the offset current into a first differential end of the amplifier, and a second cascode device configured to receive the offset current from the second switch and inject the offset current into a second differential end of the amplifier. Offset voltages are common to many differential circuits as a result of mismatch. The injection of current by the offset cancellation circuit can reduce or eliminate an offset voltage, while the cascode stage can prevent parasitic capacitance associated with the offset cancellation circuit from creating further mismatch.

Abstract: An amplification circuit, which may be in a receive path of a communication device, includes an amplifier including at least a first amplification device and a switchable attenuation circuit. The switchable attenuation circuit includes one or more switches and a plurality of attenuation devices and is operable to provide different levels of attenuation to an input signal prior to input to the amplifier depending on the status of the one or more switches. The attenuation devices may be capacitors, wherein the capacitors may be arranged to form a capacitive divider with a level of attenuation dependent on the status of the switches. The switchable attenuation circuit may be a switched capacitive attenuation ladder of n stages, n being any integer, each ladder stage including a capacitive divider. The amplification circuit may also include a switch, which when closed provides an unattenuated path for the input signal to the amplifier input.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a software defined power amplifier for multi-band, multi-standard applications are disclosed and may comprise configuring a single programmable output stage of a multi-band, multi-standard transmitter to handle transmission of a signal according to multiple wireless communication protocols and frequency ranges. The output stage may be configured by coupling a power amplifier (PA) within the programmable output stage to a switch or a duplexer, which may be coupled to one or more of multiple antennas, each of which may handle signals in a different frequency range. Each antenna may be impedance matched with the power amplifier using transformers, and may be coupled by activating at least one integrated transistor. The PA may be biased to operate in one of a plurality of classes of operation comprising Class A, AB, C and F associated with the wireless communication protocols, which may comprise EDGE, GSM, WCDMA and wireless LAN.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed to increase a reduced a parasitic capacitance of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a modified gate region to effectively reduce an overlap capacitance and modified well regions to effectively reduce a junction capacitance. The modified gate region includes a doped region and an undoped to decrease an effective area of the overlap capacitance. The modified well regions are separated by a substantially horizontal distance to increase an effective distance of the junction capacitance. This decrease in the effective area of the overlap capacitance and this increase in the effective distance of the junction capacitance reduces the parasitic capacitance of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: Dynamically splitting jobs in wireless system between agnostic processor may comprise evaluating a job that a wireless mobile communication device may be requested to perform. The wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may evaluate a requested job to determine if one or more tasks may be sent to a remote device. The WMC device may consider such factors as information pertaining to the WMC device itself, information relating to the connection between the devices, and/or information pertaining to the remote device. This information may comprise such data as power availability in the wireless mobile communication device, processing load in the WMC device, processing and/or storage capabilities of the remote device, and characteristics of the connectivity between the two devices.

Abstract: Enhanced polar modulator for transmitter. Within a phase locked loop (PLL), two point modulation topology is employed in which phase information passes through a limiter (e.g., a ±90° or ±?/2), the phase information dynamic range is divided by a factor (e.g., by 2), and a maximum frequency deviation is also divided by a factor (e.g., by 2). Then, a double balanced up-converter mixer/modulator performs gain adjustment (e.g., magnitude and/or amplitude adjustment) and phase changes of 0° and +180° or 0 and +? (e.g., negative gains values may be employed). Phase adjustment in such an architecture is split and provided to both the PLL and to the mixer/modulator of such a polar modulator within a transmitter module such as may be implemented within a communication device (e.g., which may be a wireless communication device). This architecture that includes a PLL with a double balanced up-converter mixer/modulator suppresses even harmonics.

Abstract: A second output transmission signal (“TX2”) added to a line driver is a scaled version of the main output transmission signal (“TX1”). TX2 is scaled from TX1 by a variable scale factor K. An adaptive hybrid circuit subtracts TX1 and TX2 from a line signal carrying both a line transmission signal and a line received signal (“RX”). A programmable impedance Ztune is coupled between the TX2 output of the line driver and the RX output of the adaptive hybrid circuit. A transmission echo in the output RX signal is measured. K and Ztune are then adaptively tuned to minimize the transmission echo. The hybrid in this case becomes a 4-port network, one port specifically added to adaptively cancel the transmission echo in the RX output of the adaptive hybrid circuit. Alternatively, the hybrid may be a 3-port hybrid including variable impedances to cancel the line transmission signal.

Abstract: Successive interference canceling for CDMA. ICI may result from a signal's multi-path effects, or by filtering/suppression of some of the component energy of the signaling waveforms. Energy component attenuation destroys orthogonality of CDMA symbols thereby causing ICI. An ICF suppresses frequency domain portions (attenuates ingress), but also introduces ICI. Following the ICF, the signal is de-spread, sliced, re-spread and convolved with the ICF echoes (except first tap echoes). Convolving re-spread hard decisions with delayed ICF taps is equivalent to partially re-modulating the first-pass hard decisions to efficiently “add-back-in” the signal energy which was blanked/subtracted by the ICF. Alternatively, parameter estimation de-rotates and re-rotates soft symbols and hard decisions, respectively, compensating for undesirable symbol rotation. The convolved signal is subtracted from a delayed version of the ICF output signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of an RF front-end are presented herein. In an embodiment, the RF front end comprises a power amplifier (PA), a noise-matched low-noise amplifier (LNA), a balance network, and a four-port isolation module. A first port of the isolation module is coupled to an antenna. The second port of the isolation module is coupled to the balancing network. The third port is coupled an output of the PA. The fourth port is coupled to a differential input of the noise-matched LNA. The isolation module effectively isolates the third port from the fourth port to prevent strong outbound signals received at the third port from saturating the LNA coupled to the fourth port. Isolation is achieved via electrical balance. In an embodiment, the signal path coupling the antenna at the first port to the differential input of the LNA at the fourth port is shorter than a wavelength of the inbound signal received by the antenna.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) transceiver front-end includes an antenna, an RF receiver section, an RF transmitter section, a balancing circuit, and a multiple node isolation and coupling circuit. The multiple node isolation and coupling circuit is coupled to the antenna, the RF receiver section, the RF transmitter section, and the balancing circuit. The multiple node isolation and coupling circuit provides an inbound RF signal from the antenna to the RF receiver section and provides an outbound RF signal from the RF transmitter section to the antenna, wherein, by providing an isolating signal to the balancing circuit, the multiple node isolation and coupling circuit substantially isolates the outbound RF signal from the inbound RF signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for hierarchically layered adaptive median motion vector smoothing are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include generating motion vectors (MVs) for video pictures at each level of a hierarchical motion estimation process, where each level may use different resolution video pictures. The MVs may be smooth filtered at each level to reduce or remove spurious MVs. The smooth filtering may comprise scalar median filtering and/or vector median filtering. The smooth filtering may receive as inputs a plurality of MVs, for example, the MV being filtered and eight MVs from the surrounding video blocks. The vector costs of the nine MVs may be compared to a threshold vector cost, and those MVs with costs above the threshold value may be discarded. The threshold value may be dynamically changed based on, for example, content of the video pictures and/or to adjust a window size of the smoothing filter.