Patents Assigned to MaxLinear, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140037030
    Abstract: An automatic gain control loop disposed in a receiver is adapted to compensate for varying levels of out of band interference sources by adaptively controlling the gain distribution throughout the receive signal path. One or more intermediate received signal strength indicator (RSSI) detectors are used to determine a corresponding intermediate signal level. The output of each RSSI detector is coupled to an associated comparator that compares the intermediate RSSI value against a corresponding threshold. The take over point (TOP) for gain stages is adjusted based in part on the comparator output values. The TOP for each of a plurality of gain stages may be adjusted in discrete steps or continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis LING, Madhukar REDDY, John WETHERELL
  • Publication number: 20140029703
    Abstract: A receiver includes a static I/Q calibration block and a correlation/integration block. The static I/Q calibration block is configured to substantially eliminate mismatches between in-phase and quadrature components of a portion of the spectrum having associated I/Q mismatches that are relatively frequency-independent. The correlation/integration block is configured to substantially eliminate mismatches between the in-phase and quadrature components of portions of the spectrum having associated I/Q mismatches that are relatively frequency-dependent in accordance with a pair of signals generated by the static I/C calibration block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: MAXLINEAR, INC.
    Inventor: MAXLINEAR, INC.
  • Publication number: 20140026176
    Abstract: A coupling device for use in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network may be configured to disable an upstream path through it when there is only noise incident on the upstream path, and enable the upstream path through it when a desired transmission from a cable modem downstream of the coupling device is incident on the upstream path. The coupling device may be a trunk amplifier, a distribution amplifier, a splitter, or the like. The coupling device may comprise a single upstream interface coupled to a plurality of downstream interfaces. The enabling and/or disabling may be in response to a signal strength indicated by the SSI being below a threshold and/or in response to one or more control messages indicating whether any downstream cable modem is, or will be, transmitting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Sridhar Ramesh, Timothy Gallagher
  • Publication number: 20140022105
    Abstract: A system for processing signals may be configured to detect occurrence of particular errors, comprising meta-stability events, during digital conversion to analog signals, and to handle any detected meta-stability event, such as by adjusting at least a portion of a corresponding digital output based on detection of the meta-stability event. The adjusting of the digital output may comprise setting at least the portion of the digital output, such as to one of a plurality of predefined digital values or patterns. The system may comprise a code generator for generating and/or outputting the predefined digital values or patterns. The system may comprise a selector for adaptively selecting, for portions of the digital output, between output of normal processing path and between predefined values or patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Xuefeng Chen, Kok Lim Chan, Eric Fogleman, Sheng Ye
  • Publication number: 20140022926
    Abstract: A cable modem termination system (CMTS) may communicate with a plurality of cable modems using a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) subcarriers. The CMTS may determine a performance metric of each of the cable modems. For each of the OFDM subcarriers and each of the cable modems, the CMTS may select physical layer parameters to be used for communication with that cable modem on that OFDM subcarrier based on a performance metric of that cable modem. The parameters may be selected for each individual modem and/or each individual subcarrier, or may be selected for groups of modems and/or groups of subcarriers. The parameters may include, for example, one or more of: transmit power, receive sensitivity, timeslot duration, modulation type, modulation order, forward error correction (FEC) type, and FEC code rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Sridhar Ramesh, Timothy Gallagher
  • Publication number: 20140022943
    Abstract: A cable modem termination system (CMTS) may determine, for a plurality of cable modems served by the CMTS, a corresponding plurality of SNR-related metrics. The CMTS may assigning the modems among a plurality of service groups based on the SNR-related metrics. For any one of the modems, the CMTS may configure physical layer communication parameters to be used by the one of the modems based on a SNR-related metric of a service group to which the one of the modems is assigned. The physical layer communication parameters may include one or more of: transmit power, receive sensitivity, timeslot duration, modulation type, modulation order, forward error correction (FEC) type, and FEC code rate. The CMTS and the modems may communicate using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) over a plurality of subcarriers, and the physical layer communication parameters may be determined on a per-subcarrier basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Sridhar Ramesh, Timothy Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8634485
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for achieving fast resynchronization of received signals in a time slice in DVB-T/H systems. When the clock drift is low, the location of the symbol window can be decided based on a previous time slice. When the clock drift is high and when there are large delay spreads, the location of the symbol window can be decided based on the detected scattered pilot positions. The placement of the symbol window can further be enhanced through processing of the received TPS bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Anand K. Anandakumar, Sridhar Ramesh
  • Patent number: 8611483
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver may comprise a first sampling module that is operable to sample in a first level at a particular main sampling rate; a plurality of second-level sampling modules, wherein each of the plurality of second-level sampling modules is operable to sample in a second level, an output of the first level, at a second sampling rate that is reduced compared to the main sampling rate; and a plurality of third-level modules, each comprising a plurality of third-stage sampling sub-modules that are operable to sample at a third sampling rate that is reduced compared to the second sampling rate, and a plurality of corresponding analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) sub-modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianyu Zhu, Sheng-Yu Peng, Rodney Chandler, Pawan Tiwari, Rahul Bhatia, Eric Fogleman
  • Patent number: 8599050
    Abstract: Nonlinearity correction in a device that performs analog-to-digital conversion on received analog signals, may be calibrated by generating correction-parameters estimation which when applied to the total spectral content reduces distortion resulting from said nonlinearity in originally-unoccupied spectral regions. Digital signals generated based on sampling of the received analog signals may then be corrected, to remove nonlinearity related distortion, based on the estimated correction-parameters. The nonlinearity calibration may be performed during reception and handling of said analog signals. The correction-parameters may be generated based on signals located in particular spectral regions, such as the originally-unoccupied spectral regions. These signals may be injected within the device, into the particular spectral regions, and the signal may have known characteristics to enable estimating the required correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Mansour Rachid, Timothy Gallagher, Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 8577319
    Abstract: An automatic gain control loop disposed in a receiver is adapted to compensate for varying levels of out of band interference sources by adaptively controlling the gain distribution throughout the receive signal path. One or more intermediate received signal strength indicator (RSSI) detectors are used to determine a corresponding intermediate signal level. The output of each RSSI detector is coupled to an associated comparator that compares the intermediate RSSI value against a corresponding threshold. The take over point (TOP) for gain stages is adjusted based in part on the comparator output values. The TOP for each of a plurality of gain stages may be adjusted in discrete steps or continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Madhukar Reddy, John Wetherell
  • Publication number: 20130268979
    Abstract: An electronic device may be operable to sample a signal during an analog-to-digital conversion using an analog-to-digital converter in the electronic device, and the signal may comprise a wide bandwidth and a plurality of channels. The electronic device may adaptively change a sample rate of the sampling to move aliasing out of a region of one or more desired channels of the plurality of channels. The electronic device may change the sample rate using a variable oscillator in the electronic device. The change of the sample rate may comprise, for example, increasing or decreasing the sample rate by a particular percentage. In response to the change of the sample rate, the electronic device may perform, using a variable rate interpolator in the electronic device, variable rate interpolation. The variable rate interpolator may comprise, for example, a finite impulse response filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Raja Pullela, Glenn Chang
  • Patent number: 8548411
    Abstract: A system may comprise a plurality of signal processing paths, a bin-wise combiner, an inverse transformation block, and a DAC. Each signal processing path may comprise a transformation block that is operable to transform a first time-domain digital signal to an associated frequency-domain signal having a plurality of subband signals. The bin-wise combiner may be operable to combine corresponding subband signals of the plurality of signal processing paths. The inverse transformation block may be operable to transform output of the bin-wise combiner to an second time-domain signal. The DAC may be operable to converts the second time-domain signal to a corresponding analog signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Anand K. Anandakumar, Curtis Ling, Sugbong Kang
  • Patent number: 8548075
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting timing in a communication system, such as an OFDM system are described. In one implementation an error signal is generated to adjust the timing of a variable rate interpolator so as to adjust FFT timing. The error signal may be based on detection of significant peaks in an estimate of the impulse response of the channel, with the peak locations being tracked over subsequent symbols and the system timing adjusted in response to changes in the peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Seung-Chul Hong, Anand Anandakumar, Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 8548034
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for power control in a communications device are described. Bonding of channels in a modem may be dynamically adjusted responsive to user activity or demand for bandwidth. Bonded channel configurations may be adjusted to single channel configurations for low power operation. Modem configuration may be dynamically adjusted so as to maintain only required synchronization and system information to facilitate rapid data transfer resumption upon demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Timothy Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8531333
    Abstract: A GNSS system operates intermittently and has adaptive activity and sleep time in order to reduce power consumption. The GNSS system provides an enhanced estimate of its position in the absence of GNSS signals of sufficient strength. The user's activity and behavior is modeled and used to improve performance, response time, and power consumption of the GNSS system. The user model is based, in part, on the received GNSS signals, a history of the user's positions, velocity, time, and inputs from other sensors disposed in the GNSS system, as well as data related to the network. During each activity time, the GNSS receiver performs either tracking, or acquisition followed by tracking. The GNSS receiver supports both normal acquisition as well as low-power acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxime Leclercq, Ioannis Spyropoulos, Anand K. Anandakumar, Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 8526898
    Abstract: A wideband receiver system is provided to concurrently receive multiple RF channels including a number of desired channels that are located in non-contiguous portions of a radio frequency spectrum and to group the number of desired channels into a contiguous frequency band. The system includes a wideband receiver having a complex mixer for down-shifting the multiple RF channels and transforming them to an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal in the baseband. The system further includes a wideband analog-to-digital converter module that digitizes the in-phase and quadrature signals and a digital frontend module that transforms the digital in-phase and quadrature signals to baseband signals that contains only the number of desired RF channels. that are now located in a contiguous frequency band. An up-converter module up-shifts the baseband signals to a contiguous band in an IF spectrum so that the system can directly interface with commercially available demodulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Madhukar Reddy, Curtis Ling, Tim Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8515375
    Abstract: A receiver includes a mixer, a filter, a received signal strength indicator, and a control loop. The mixer is adapted to convert the frequency of a received signal. The filter is adapted to filter out undesired signals that may be present in the output signal of the mixer. The received signal strength indicator is adapted to detect blocker (also known as jammer) signals that may be present in the output signal of the low-pass filter and generate a feedback signal in response. The control loop is adapted to vary its bandwidth in response to the feedback signal of the received signal strength indicator. The control loop supplies an oscillating signal to the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheng Ye, Paul Chominski
  • Patent number: 8497802
    Abstract: A GNSS receiver communicates with any connectivity device, such as a WiFi device that is, in turn, in communication with a wired network having access to the DTI timing. Such connectivity devices may set their timing and frame synchronization to the DTI and thus serve as Geoposition beacons, thereby enabling the GNSS receiver to accurately determine its position. The GNSS receiver may also use the DTI timing supplied by such a network to perform relatively long integration time so as to achieve substantially improved sensitivity that is necessary for indoor Geopositioning applications. Furthermore, the GNSS data, such as satellite orbital information, may also be propagated by such devices at high speed. By providing this data to the GNSS receivers via such connectivity devices in a rapid fashion, the GNSS receivers are enabled to receive the transmitted data associated with the satellite without waiting for the GNSS transmission from the satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 8488663
    Abstract: A noise abatement method and system for impulse noise in an RF receiver where the RF analog signal is converted to a digital signal prior to being connected to a demodulator. Two filters are used to detect impulse noise signals even under out-of-band interferer conditions, and prevent the impulse noise from reaching the input to the demodulator. A first of the two filters detects impulse noise using signals lower than the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal, and a second of the two filters detects impulse noise using signals higher the frequency bandwidth of the desired signal. A mean magnitude of the signal is detected over a predetermined time T and is used to select which filter to use for noise abatement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Andy Lo, Sugbong Kang
  • Patent number: 8478221
    Abstract: A wireless communication receiver includes a multitude of look-up tables each storing a multitude of DC offset values associated with the gains of an amplification stage disposed in the wireless communication receiver. The entries for each look-up table are estimated during a stage of the calibration phase. During such a calibration stage, for each selected gain of an amplification stage, a search logic estimates a current DC offset number and compares it to a previous DC offset estimate that is fed back to the search logic. If the difference between the current and previous estimates is less than a predefined threshold value, the current estimate is treated as being associated with the DC offset of the selected gain of the amplification stage and is stored in the look-up table. This process is repeated for each selected gain of each amplification stage of interest until the look-up tables are populated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Ling, Andy Lo, Tete Sedalo