Patents Assigned to Entropic Communications
-
Patent number: 8373803Abstract: The invention relates to a multistandard receiver circuit for analogue and digital broadcasting, particularly analogue and digital television broadcasting, having a demodulator arrangement with an input for applying digital or digitized values (d) for both analogue and digital broadcasting signals from a tuner (1) and with components and/or an algorithm for processing the values (d). Emphasis should be given to an embodiment and/or controller for processing the values (d) for all processing steps which are to be performed in the field of intermediate-frequency processing with shared components.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2008Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Stefan Keller, Hans Stoorvogel, Erik Venema
-
Patent number: 8363714Abstract: A compressed data stream modifier 270 is disclosed. The stream modifier modifies an input data stream that may comprise audio and video data streams conforming to any one of the well-known video compression standards, for example, MPEG or AVC. The input stream is first de-multiplexed to obtain a single video elementary stream. The video elementary stream is then decoded by means of a variable-length decoder and provided to the data stream modifier. A decoding complexity of each frame is estimated by an estimator 210 and provided to a controller 250. The controller selects a number of regions from each frame based on some psycho-visual criteria, such that a method of modification of these regions can bring the decoding complexity within an available capacity at a decoder. An efficient means of adapting a decoding complexity to an available capacity is thus obtained.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2005Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Geert Vanderheijden, Hans Tichelaar
-
Patent number: 8363681Abstract: According to various embodiments of the disclosure, systems, methods and apparatuses are provided for using ranging to improve network efficiency. In particular, various embodiments of the disclosure provide ranging to improve local clock time synchronization. According to one embodiment, a method for synchronizing a plurality of nodes on a communication network is provided, comprising: exchanging local clock times between a first node and a second node over the communication network; performing a ranging method between the first and second nodes based on the local clock times exchanged between the first and second nodes, wherein the ranging method results in an estimated propagation delay between the first and second nodes; and adjusting the local clock times of the first and second nodes based on the estimated propagation delay, thereby resulting in a synchronized local clock time at the first and second nodes.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2009Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Arndt Mueller
-
Patent number: 8362716Abstract: A frame drive circuit for a CRT device having a deflection processor (14) which develops a deflection processor output signal includes a frame coil (16) having a first core half (12) and a second core half (18), and a first driver (20) and a second driver (22). The deflection processor output signal is applied to each of the first driver (20) and the second driver (22). Each of the first driver (20) and the second driver (22) are selectively operative independently of each other to develop respectively a first coil drive signal (24 OUT) and a second coil drive signal (26 OUT) as a function of the deflection processor output signal. The first coil drive signal (24 OUT) and the second coil drive signal (26 OUT) are applied to a respective one of the first coil half (12) and said second coil half (18).Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2003Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Adriaan P. D. De Pauw
-
Patent number: 8350963Abstract: A video-processing device is provided for processing a main video data flow and a secondary video data flow. The secondary video data flow constitutes a scaled version of the main video data flow. The video-processing device comprises a tap-off unit (T, T2) having an input for receiving the main video data flow. The tap-off unit (T, T2) comprises at least a first and second output, wherein each of the outputs corresponds to the input of the tap-off unit. A first H- and V-scaling unit (HVS1) is coupled to the first output of the tap-off unit (T, T2) for performing a first H- and V-scaling on the main video flow. A second H- and V-scaling unit (HVS2) is coupled to the second output of the tap-off unit for performing a second H- and V-scaling on the secondary video flow to provide a scaled secondary video flow. By tapping-off the main video flow there is no need for the device to access a memory to extract the video data from the main video flow to provide a secondary video flow.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Johannes Y. Tichelaar
-
Patent number: 8352569Abstract: In one embodiment a communication method comprises the steps of receiving a query at Layer 2 from an entry node by way of a coordinated network, the query requesting data rates of network resources of the coordinated network; transmitting a Layer 2 request for an available data rate to each of a plurality of nodes connected to the coordinated network in response to the query; receiving a first Layer 2 response to said request from one or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the first response includes a data rate with which each of the one or more nodes is capable of transmitting or receiving data; and transmitting a list of the received data rates to at least the entry node on the coordinated network.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Robert L. Hare, Jr., Inderjit Singh, Bradley Thomas Hyslop, Shlomo Ovadia
-
Patent number: 8352256Abstract: An audio input signal is filtered using an adaptive filter to generate a prediction output signal with reduced noise, wherein the filter is implemented using a plurality of coefficients to generate a plurality of prediction errors and to generate an error from the plurality of prediction errors, wherein the absolute values of the coefficients are continuously reduced by a plurality of reduction parameters.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2010Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Joern Fischer
-
Patent number: 8351368Abstract: A technique for communicating multimedia data between nodes over coaxial cable, wherein the nodes are connected via a coaxial cable network, is disclosed. In an embodiment, the technique involves establishing a primary channel for communicating between first and second nodes of the coaxial cable network, establishing a secondary channel for communicating between the first and second nodes of the coaxial cable network, wherein the primary and secondary channels are in different frequency bands and wherein the primary channel is used for communicating media access control frames, and communicating a time series of data frames between the first and second nodes using both the primary channel and the secondary channel.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Rahul Malik, Vipin Aggarwal, Albert Garrett, Etan Cohen, Cimarron Mittelsteadt
-
Patent number: 8345734Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for estimating a symbol time error in a broadband transmission system, comprising: - determination a timing error signal of an input-signal of a discrete Fourier-transformation block (5) in a data symbol stream on the basis of intersymbol correlation using a predetermined period in each received symbol, - selecting as a predetermined period a number of samples of different useful data parts of a symbol, - determining the time error value (?) based on the intersymbol interference of the selected samples of the different parts of said symbol.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2007Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Volker Aue
-
Patent number: 8345798Abstract: A channel stacking system includes first and second downconverting stages, first and second analog to digital converters, and a digital switching and signal processor. The first downconverting stage includes a first downconverter circuit having an input for receiving a first RF input signal which includes a multitude of first channels. The first downconverter circuit frequency downconverts the first RF input signal to a first IF signal which includes the multitude of first channels. The first analog-to-digital converter converts the first IF signal to a first digital IF signal. The second downconverter stage includes a second downconverter circuit having an input for receiving a second RF input signal which includes a multitude of second channels. The second downconverter circuit frequency downconverts the second RF input signal to a second IF signal including said multitude of second channels.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Branislav Petrovic, Itzhak Gurantz, Keith Bargroff
-
Patent number: 8340616Abstract: A tuner uses a bank of tracking filters to preselect a channel to be received. Each tracking filter covers a range of frequencies. The tracking filters are tunable in frequency using switched capacitors and are tunable in gain by using switched resistors. The switched resistors can be controlled by an automatic gain control circuit that monitors the selected signal and adjust the tracking filter gain to achieve a desired signal level. A switch directs the received signal or signal from a test tone generator into the tracking filters. The test tone, generated by a frequency agile circuit, can be used to calibrate the filters, both in frequency and gain.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2005Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Peter Jivan Shah, YongSik Youn, Martin Christopher Alderton
-
Patent number: 8340125Abstract: A method includes receiving a request for bandwidth from a first network node of a coordinated network and broadcasting a first transmission schedule to a plurality of network nodes including the first network node. The first transmission schedule allocates bandwidth for the first network node to transmit data to a second network node. An acknowledgement (ACK) message is received from the second network node identifying that the second network node successfully received the data from the first network node.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Arndt J. Mueller
-
Patent number: 8335392Abstract: A method for reducing image artifacts in an image that includes a number of pixels each of which includes at least one video information value, includes generating a plurality of filter coefficients for at least some of the pixels of the image, on the basis of which the video information values of the pixels can be reconstructed. Artifact detection is performed to detect artifact regions within the image. At least some filter coefficients of those pixels that lie within the artifact regions are modified to generate modified filter coefficients. The video information values are synthesized using the filter coefficients, the modified filter coefficients being employed for the synthesis for pixels lying within the artifact regions.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2008Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Ulrich Niedermeier, Peter Rieder
-
Patent number: 8331491Abstract: A receiver, for example a receiver of broadcast digital terrestrial television signals modulated using COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), imposes a phase adjustment on a received signal. Phase adjustment may be effected, for example, by sample alignment of the signal, such as for cyclic prefix removal, or by shifting a window setting for a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processor. Before channel estimation or decoding is performed on the information stream, the information stream is derotated to compensate for the phase adjustment previously imposed on the received signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2003Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Martin Vickers, Thomas Foxcroft
-
Patent number: 8325858Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for estimating noise variance using a long-term data aided algorithm and an interference variance using a short-term data aided algorithm. Using these estimations, an interference hypothesis may be determined. Some embodiments compute the variance for a decision directed noise sample, convert the variance for the decision directed noise to a true noise variance per packet, and convert the variance for the decision directed noise to a true noise variance per symbol. The interference hypothesis may be based on the noise variance estimations per symbol and the noise variance estimation per packet. Some embodiments determine the presence of noise based on a comparison of the noise variance per packet, the noise variance per symbol, and each hypothesis and compute the long-term noise variance. Using the long-term noise variance in place of the variance for a decision directed noise sample for a subsequent determination of interference.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2008Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Saeid Safavi
-
Publication number: 20120300823Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a mechanism by which digital signals can be converted to analog signals with an efficient structure that reduces the number of filters required by providing a mechanism for cancelling images that would otherwise be generated By adjusting three parameters in the system, a selection can be made as to whether to generate upper sidebands, lower sidebands and in which direction the envelope of the output from the system will be skewed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Branislav PETROVIC
-
Patent number: 8319890Abstract: Arrangement for generating a pull-down switch-off signal The invention relates to an arrangement (1) for generating a pulldown switch-off signal for a video compression encoder, which signal is determined by the arrangement (1) in dependence on a converted signal which is produced from an NTSC signal by means of an inverse 3:2 pull down conversion, wherein the circuit arrangement includes a M(ean) A(bsolute) D(istortion) (MAD) detector (2) and a circuit (3) for determining Hadamard coefficients, wherein the MAD detector (2) produces a MAD signal which indicates for each block of predefined size the difference between the picture contents of two consecutive frames, wherein the circuit (3) for determining the Hadamard coefficients delivers two coefficients in blocks per frame, from which coefficients a first coefficient indicates the sum of the differences of the pixels of adjacent scanning lines i and i+1 and a second coefficient indicates the sum of the differences of the pixels of scanning lines i and i+2, aType: GrantFiled: December 20, 2004Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Olaf Seupel
-
Patent number: 8319756Abstract: Apparatus (50) for processing a differential input signal. The apparatus (50) comprises a minimum peak detector (51) with a differential input (28). The peak detector (51) provides a first voltage being proportional to an average voltage peak at the peak detector's differential input (28). A compressor (53) is provided for processing the first voltage in order to provide a second voltage. The compressor (53) is followed by a voltage controllable current source providing a trim current that is adjustable by the second voltage. A hysteresis equipped circuit (67.1) whose hysteresis characteristics are adjustable by the trim current is part of the apparatus (50).Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2003Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Francesco Alex Maone, Antonius Petrus Welbers
-
Patent number: 8320566Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that allow multiple transmitting network devices to transmit under an orthogonal frequency divisional multiple access (OFDMA) mode to a receiving network device. The multiple transmitting network devices may be configured to perform constellation scrambling on the symbols they will be transmitting using a predetermined scrambling sequence. They may be further configured to synchronize their use of the sequence, for example, by advancing the sequence for each available subcarrier, such that the receiving device may view the payload as if it were sent by a single transmitter. Accordingly, these multiple transmissions may be descrambled using only one instance of a sequence generator.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2009Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventor: Arndt Mueller
-
Patent number: 8320451Abstract: An apparatus processes a video stream signal. The video stream signal represents a succession of frames, comprising a plurality of dependent frames that each provide for prediction of visual content using selectable ones of a preceding and following anchor frame that precede and follow the plurality of frames respectively. When a shortage of transmission bandwidth occurs, the apparatus generates a processed version of the video stream signal wherein a bit-rate alteration is performed starting from one of the dependent frames before an end of said plurality. Said alteration is executed by substituting a standard prediction from the following anchor frame at least for data in the video stream signal that encodes a region in said one of the dependent frames.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2007Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.Inventors: Ewot Brandsma, Albert M. A. Rijckaert