Patents Assigned to Broadcom
  • Patent number: 9583166
    Abstract: A memory cell comprises a dual-gate fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and first and second serially connected magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices for improving reliability of memory operations. The FinFET represents an access transistor and includes a first gate and a second gate. The second gate is configured to be electrically independent from the first gate and to adjust threshold voltage of the FinFET. Each of the first and second MTJ devices represent a magnetic storage element and includes at least two ferromagnetic (FM) layers separated by a thin insulating layer forming a tunneling junction. Based on the relative magnetization of the two FM layers, each MTJ device has high and low resistance states. Higher reliability of memory write operation is primarily achieved with the help of FinFET and higher reliability of memory read operation is primarily achieved with increased read margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Nilesh Gharia
  • Patent number: 9584187
    Abstract: Systems and methods according to aspects of the subject technology provide non-interruptive filtering of transmission line communications. The non-interruptive filtering may physically isolate, in the frequency domain, independent networks that share a common transmission media, such as mains wires that are used to deliver both alternating current (AC) power and power line communication signals. The isolation provided by the non-interruptive filtering prevents the transmissions from the independent networks from interfering with each other. In one or more implementations, the non-interruptive filtering may be provided by one or more filters that include cores, such as ferrite cores, around which two mains wires, e.g. a mains live wire and a mains neutral wire, can be wound in opposite directions, respectively. Currents traveling on the mains wires through the filter in opposite phases cancel each other out, thereby blocking symmetric power line transmissions, while allowing AC power to pass through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Oriol Agusti Costa, Xavier Josep Reves Balleste, Toby Edward Ralph Bailey
  • Patent number: 9577813
    Abstract: A system of operating a wireless device in a wireless communication network includes selecting, by the wireless device, a preferred operating mode for use by the wireless device, the selection being made from at least a full duplex operating mode in which the wireless device can transmit and receive simultaneously on the same frequency band and a non full duplex operating mode; and transmitting a signal indicating the selected preferred operating mode to a network entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Juha Pekka Karjalainen, Karl Marko Juhani Lampinen, Samuli Turtinen, Timo K. Koskela, Sami Jukka Hakola
  • Patent number: 9577662
    Abstract: A CT-SDADC of the present disclosure converts the analog input signal from a representation in an analog signal domain to a representation in a digital signal domain to provide the digital output signal. The CT-SDADC achieves the analog-to-digital conversion and ELDC by switching between two phases in the SAR sub-ADC: a sampling phase and a conversion phase. During the sampling phase, the SAR sub-ADC captures the analog input signal across multiple arrays of switchable capacitors. The conversion phase comprises a number of steps, and one or more bits of the digital output signal are resolved at each step of the conversion phase. A portion of the SC-DAC is driven by the delayed CT-SDADC output during the conversion phase to effectively compensate for excess loop delay caused by the CT-SDADC feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Guowen Wei, Xinyu Yu, Michael Inerfield, Tom Kwan
  • Patent number: 9578595
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for parallel scanning of channels in communication networks are described herein. A parallel scanning device performs a scanning operation that includes parallel (i.e., simultaneous) scanning of channels that are in a common frequency band or in different frequency bands. The parallel scanning of channels results in a reduction of scan time, which reduces power consumption. Furthermore, a scanning operation may undesirably interrupt and/or delay normal communication traffic to and from the parallel scanning device, and the comparatively shorter scan time resulting from the parallel scanning operation can reduce such interruption and/or delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Gireesh Hegde, Harish Vaidya, Rakesh Raman, Sriram Neelakandan
  • Patent number: 9577787
    Abstract: A communication technique for energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) employs a systematic block forward error correcting code (FEC). The technique aligns a low power idle (LPI) refresh signal with the FEC frame. The refresh signal includes a known reference sequence, FEC systematic symbols, and FEC parity symbols. The technique may apply shortened FEC encoding and decoding on the partial data symbols and the parity symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chung Ming Tu, James Graba, Peiqing Wang, Ahmad Chini, Yencheng Chen, Ba-Zhong Shen, Mehmet Vakif Tazebay
  • Patent number: 9577577
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cascode amplifier. The cascode amplifier includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The cascode amplifier is configured to receive a first bias voltage, a second bias voltage, and a signal. The cascode amplifier is also configured to amplify the signal based at least on the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage. The apparatus also includes a first feedback module and a second feedback module. The first feedback module is configured to adjust the first bias voltage based at least on the amplified signal. The second feedback module is configured to adjust the second bias voltage based at least on a voltage distribution across the first transistor and the second transistor. A system and method for maintaining cascode amplifier performance are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Tirdad Sowlati, Ehsan Adabi, Sayedfarid Shirinfar, Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 9577699
    Abstract: A method includes determining that an antenna shared between a Bluetooth transceiver and a WLAN transceiver is available to the WLAN transceiver based on an activity signal associated with the Bluetooth transceiver. Access to the shared antenna is provided to the WLAN transceiver based on the determination, and the WLAN transceiver is configured to use diversity in transacting WLAN signals via a plurality of antennas, including the shared antenna. Access to the shared antenna is transferred from the WLAN transceiver to the Bluetooth transceiver based on the activity signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Brima Ibrahim, Prasanna Desai, Mark Gonikberg
  • Patent number: 9577881
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for managing quality of service via a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, a broadband gateway that supports one or more first QoS protocols may determine, based on communications with a plurality of communication devices, whether each of the plurality of communication devices supports the one or more first QoS protocols. The gateway may communicate a result of the determination to a content provider and/or service provider. In this manner, the content provider and/or service provider may determine whether to utilize one or more second QoS protocols to deliver content to a particular one of said plurality of communication devices based on whether said particular of communication devices based on whether said particular one of said plurality of communication devices supports the one or more first QoS protocols. The gateway may be operable to map between QoS protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wael William Diab, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Xuemin Chen, David Garrett, David Lundgren, Rich Prodan
  • Patent number: 9578139
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for architecture of a very fast programmable transport demultiplexer using a double-buffered approach. The method may involve utilizing a hardware assist block to process incoming packets, retrieve information about the packets, and write the retrieved information to a memory block. A firmware block may then utilize the information in memory to perform further processing on the packet data. The firmware and hardware assist blocks may work simultaneously so as to speed up the processing of the packet, which can comprise record data and/or audio/video data. The system may comprise the hardware assist block, the firmware assist block, and a memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Stephane W. Rodgers
  • Patent number: 9575665
    Abstract: A graphics display system integrated circuit is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics display system processes analog video input, digital video input, and graphics input. The system incorporates a unified memory architecture that is shared by the graphics system, a CPU, and other peripherals. The unified memory architecture uses real time scheduling to service tasks. Critical instant analysis is used to find a schedule for memory usage that does not affect memory requirements of real time tasks while at the same time servicing non-real-time tasks as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Tang, Xiaodong Xie, James T. Patterson, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Patent number: 9577685
    Abstract: A system includes baseband circuitry and a transmitter. The electrical behavior of the transmitter may cause distortion effects in the transmit output of the transmitter during transmissions based on input signals from the baseband circuitry. The baseband circuitry may reference a calibration evaluation function for multiple transmit variables to pre-distort the input signal to compensate for the distortion effect. Pre-distortion calibration logic may generate the evaluation function using a one-dimensional calibration technique. The evaluation function may facilitate the baseband accessing calibration data without necessarily relying on a look-up table. In some cases, a one-dimensional calibration for multiple transmit variables may use fewer calibration points than a similarly accurate multi-dimensional calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alex Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi, Masoud Kahrizi
  • Patent number: 9578319
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for transmission variable delay and jitter indication. In one example, a method includes determining a variable delay reference (VDR) corresponding to an instantaneous jitter between an idealized transmission time associated with a packet for transmission in a transmission stream and an actual transmission time of the packet and providing the VDR to a receiver in a sub-header of the packet. In another example, a transmitter includes a MAC configured to include a VDR in a sub-header of a packet for transmission in a transmission stream and a PHY configured to transmit the packet including the VDR in the transmission stream. In another example, a method includes receiving a packet in a transmission stream; extracting a program clock reference (PCR) and a VDR from the packet information; and controlling timing of processing of the packet based upon the PCR and VDR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Alexander MacInnis
  • Publication number: 20170047667
    Abstract: An electronic device includes circuitry configured to determine an antenna operation mode for one or more antenna arrays. The circuitry is further configured to control the one or more antenna arrays to operate in a combined antenna mode via a Wilkinson combiner. The circuitry is also configured to control the one or more antenna arrays to operate in an isolated antenna mode via a single-pole, multi-throw switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Saikat SARKAR, Seunghwan YOON, Bagher AFSHAR, Michael BOERS, Jesus CASTANEDA, Tirdad SOWLATI
  • Publication number: 20170048147
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for dynamic and adaptive load balancing. An example method includes receiving, at a network device, a data packet to be sent via one or more aggregation groups, where the aggregation groups each comprise a plurality of aggregate members. The example method further includes determining, based on the data packet, a flow identifier of a flow to which the data packet belongs and determining a state of the flow. The example method also includes determining, based on the flow identifier and the state of the flow, an assigned member of the plurality of aggregate members for the flow and communicating the packet via the assigned member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Niranjan Shankar VAIDYA
  • Publication number: 20170048033
    Abstract: A wireless communication device (alternatively, device, WDEV, etc.) includes a processing circuitry configured to support communications with other WDEV(s) and to generate and process signals for such communications. In some examples, the device includes a communication interface and a processing circuitry, among other possible circuitries, components, elements, etc. to support communications with other WDEV(s) and to generate and process signals for such communications. A WDEV generates and transmits an OFDM packet that specifies resource allocation of a communication channel for other WDEVs. The WDEV then support communications with the other WDEVs based on the resource allocation of the communication channel. The OFDM packet includes an OFDMA indicator bit and a multi-purpose field that serves different purposes based on setting of the OFDMA indicator bit (e.g., the multi-purpose field is used for different purposes when the OFDMA indicator bit indicates OFDMA or non-OFDMA resource allocation).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ron Porat
  • Publication number: 20170048872
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for selecting almost-blank sub-frames (ABSs) in wireless networks. ABSs may be utilized as part of enhanced inter-cell interference cancellation (eICIC). In an embodiment, an ABS pattern is selected in a distributed fashion without use of a direct interface between neighboring base stations. Embodiments operate with a hybrid self-organizing network (SON) that includes a centralized self-organizing network (cSON) unit and a distributed self-organizing network (dSON) unit. The cSON may provide the dSON with information about a plurality of ABS patterns, and the dSON may utilize the information received from the cSON to select an ABS pattern from the plurality of ABS patterns. In some embodiments, a base station may select neighboring base stations to perform eICIC based on a reference signal received power (RSRP).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Fu-Hsuan Chiu, Guosen Yue
  • Patent number: 9570420
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for wirelessly communicating among integrated circuits and/or functional modules within the integrated circuits. A semiconductor device fabrication operation uses a predetermined sequence of photographic and/or chemical processing steps to form one or more functional modules onto a semiconductor substrate. The functional modules are coupled to an integrated waveguide that is formed onto the semiconductor substrate and/or attached thereto to form an integrated circuit. The functional modules communicate with each other as well as to other integrated circuits using a multiple access transmission scheme via the integrated waveguide. One or more integrated circuits may be coupled to an integrated circuit carrier to form Multichip Module. The Multichip Module may be coupled to a semiconductor package to form a packaged integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jesus Alfonso Castaneda, Arya Reza Behzad, Ahmadreza Rofougaran, Sam Ziqun Zhao, Michael Boers
  • Patent number: 9572176
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for antenna and radio front-end topologies for a system-on-a-chip (SOC) device that combines Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 b/g WLAN technologies. A single chip radio device that supports WLAN and Bluetooth technologies receives a WLAN signal in a WLAN processing circuitry of the radio front-end and in a Bluetooth processing circuitry of the radio front-end. Signals generated by the WLAN processing circuitry and the Bluetooth processing circuitry from the received WLAN signal may be combined in a diversity combiner that utilizes selection diversity gain combining or maximal ratio combining (MRC). When a generated signal is below a threshold value, the signal may be dropped from the combining operation. A single antenna usage model may be utilized with the single chip radio device front-end topology to support WLAN and Bluetooth communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Prasanna Desai, Brima Babatunde Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 9569003
    Abstract: A portable computing device includes a three-dimensional (3D) touch screen and a core module. The 3D touch screen includes a two-dimensional (2D) touch screen section and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) radar modules. The core module is operable to determine whether the 3D touch screen is in a 3D mode or a 2D mode. When the 3D touch screen is in the 3D mode, the core module is further operable to receive one or more radar signals via one or more of the plurality of RF radar modules and interpret the one or more radar signals to produce a 3D input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran, Maryam Rofougaran, Brima B. Ibrahim, Hooman Darabi