Patents Assigned to National Instruments
  • Patent number: 9083594
    Abstract: A system, method and memory medium for performing blind equalization. A block {un} of the baseband samples is received. A function J of a vector f is minimized to determine a minimizer fMIN. The function J depends on vector f according to J(f)=?(|yn|2??)2. The summation ? corresponds to a sequence {yn} of equalized samples. The sequence {yn} of equalized samples is related to the block {un} according to a convolution relation {yn}={un}*f. Parameter ? is a current modulus value. The current modulus value ? is updated to equal a ratio of a fourth moment of the sequence {yn} to a second moment of the sequence {yn}. The minimization and parameter update operations are repeated for a series of received blocks of baseband samples. The minimizer fMIN from a last of the repetitions is used to determine final equalized samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Pratik Prabhanjan Brahma, Baijayanta Ray
  • Patent number: 9065609
    Abstract: A mechanism for blind estimation of parameters for correcting I/Q impairments. Complex samples of a complex baseband signal are received from a receiver. A cross-correlation is computed between an I component and a Q component of the complex samples. A mean square value is computed for the I component of the complex samples; and a mean square value is computed for the Q component of the complex samples. A cross-channel gain estimate is: computed based on the cross-correlation value and one or both of the mean square values; and used to apply a cross-channel gain correction to the complex samples. An estimate of an I/Q gain imbalance is computed based on the mean square values. The gain imbalance estimate is useable to correct an I/Q gain imbalance present in the complex samples. The parameters may be supplied to the receiver, enabling the receiver to apply online corrections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: James W. McCoy
  • Patent number: 9048775
    Abstract: An engine system may include a specified number of individual injectors, and an engine control unit (ECU) having a specified number of pins coupling to the individual injectors. The ECU may include a controller capable of dynamically switching between different multiplexing configurations, with each multiplexing configuration coupling individual injectors across corresponding pairs of pins. Each pin may internally couple to one half of an H-bridge structure, with an injector coupled across two pins thereby completing a full H-bridge structure, providing the flexibility to achieve combined solenoid and Piezo injection control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Viele
  • Patent number: 9047007
    Abstract: Providing zooming within a system diagram. Initially, a diagram of a system may be displayed. The diagram may include a plurality of icons representing physical components of the system. These plurality of icons may be initially displayed at a first level of magnification. User input to zoom on a first physical component in the diagram may be received. Accordingly, the first physical component may be displayed at a second level of magnification and other ones of the physical components may be displayed at a third level of magnification. The second level of magnification may be greater than the first level of magnification and the third level of magnification may be less than the first level of magnification. Alternatively, or additionally, different representations for various components of the system may be displayed in the diagram during or after the zoom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Kodosky, David W Fuller, III, Jeffrey N. Correll, Mohammed Kamran Shah, Jacob Kornerup, Timothy J. Hayles, Adam K. Gabbert, Christopher G. Cifra, Jenifer M. Loy, Scott D. Postma, Richard M. Ashby, Charles E. Crain, II
  • Patent number: 9047168
    Abstract: System and method for generating documentation for a diagram including states and transitions. The diagram may be received or otherwise stored and may specify a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions between the states. The first diagram also specifies first functionality. User documentation may be automatically generated for the first diagram based on the first diagram. The user documentation may describe the first diagram, e.g., the plurality of states and the plurality of transitions of the first diagram. Automatic generation of the user documentation may be performed without manual user input specifying the user documentation. The user documentation may be displayed on a display and/or stored in a memory medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Shivananda, Ritesh Kumar Soni, Nicholas G. Neumann
  • Patent number: 9026987
    Abstract: System and method for performing program-related operations over a network via a web browser. A network connection is established between a server computer and a client computer over a network. A universal resource identifier (URI) is sent from the client computer to the server computer over the network, where the URI indicates a program, e.g., a graphical program (GP), or at least a portion of a graphical program interactive development environment (GPIDE), e.g., a graphical program editor, an execution engine, a static or dynamic analyzer, and/or compiler. The at least a portion of the GPIDE is received from the server computer over the network in response to the URI, and executed in a web browser of the client computer to perform some specified functionality with respect to the GP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher G. Cifra
  • Patent number: 9020019
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring transmitter and/or receiver I/Q impairments are disclosed, including iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using shared local oscillators, iterative methods for measuring transmitter I/Q impairments using intentionally-offset local oscillators, and methods for measuring receiver I/Q impairments. Also disclosed are methods for computing I/Q impairments from a sampled complex signal, methods for computing DC properties of a signal path between the transmitter and receiver, and methods for transforming I/Q impairments through a linear system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen L. Dark
  • Patent number: 9015938
    Abstract: A connector is disclosed. The connector includes a conductive housing. The conductive housing includes a wall region enclosing a space for receiving an adapter. The conductive housing also includes an annular end piece extending radially inward from a first end of the wall region and terminating the space. The annular end piece includes a flat annular surface, and a raised deformable annulus mounted on the flat annular surface. The raised deformable annulus is of a height such that an insertion of the adapter into the space deforms the raised deformable annulus to generate a physical contact connection between the flat annular surface and the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Ron J. Barnett, Gregory S. Gonzales
  • Patent number: 9020906
    Abstract: A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which are specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Peter Haub, Stefan Romainczyk, Ralf Deininger, Helmut Helpenstein, Andreas Krantz, Myrle Krantz
  • Patent number: 9002917
    Abstract: Provided is a system for generating coefficient values. The system may include a base function generator and a series of accumulators including a leading and a last accumulator. In the series of accumulators, the data output of each accumulator, except the last, may be coupled to the data input of a successive adjacent accumulator. The base function generator may be configured to output, to the leading accumulator, a series of data values that may correspond to a base function that is a specified order derivative of a filter function. Each accumulator may be configured to: add a data value currently at its data input to a currently stored data value to produce an updated data value that may correspond to a respective value of a specified order integral of the base function; store the updated data value in the accumulator; and output the updated data value at its data output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Hector Rubio, Garritt W. Foote
  • Patent number: 9003220
    Abstract: Devices and methods for synchronizing devices over a switched fabric. A switch receives a request packet from a device, transmits a completion packet to the device, determines an in-switch delay, and stores the in-switch delay. Another switch receives a packet from a first device, forwards the packet to a second device, determines an in-switch delay of the packet, and stores the in-switch delay. Storing of in-switch delays may include adding an in-switch delay to values in one or more transaction delay fields of a packet. Storing of in-switch delays may include storing the delays in a storage element of a switch. In-switch delay may be determined as a difference between a receiving time corresponding to reception of a packet and a forwarding or transmittal time corresponding to forwarding or transmitting of a packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Sundeep Chandhoke, Rodney D. Greenstreet
  • Patent number: 8995513
    Abstract: Device and method for outputting a leaked radio frequency (RF) signal useable for triggering devices under test (DUTs). The device may include a vector signal analyzer (VSA) which may also perform the method for triggering DUTs. The VSA may include a first component, configured to generate an RF signal, an input configured to receive RF signals transmitted from DUTs, and a received RF signal conditioning portion, each coupled to an internal switching portion. The VSA may be configured to generate the RF signal via the first component, leak the RF signal from the first component to the internal switching portion, generating a leaked RF signal, route the leaked RF signal to the input, bypassing the received RF signal conditioning portion and output the leaked RF signal which is useable to trigger DUTs via the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Roman R. Sandoval, Craig E. Rupp, William G. Reid, Jaffar Shah, Paulo A. Lamas De Anda
  • Patent number: 8992263
    Abstract: System and method for communicatively coupling a serial communication plug to a serial communication bus. The system may include a housing. The housing may include a receptacle that is configured to communicatively couple to a bus. The receptacle may include one or more internal retention springs situated inside the receptacle. The one or more internal retention springs may be configured to grip a male plug with a retention force, when the male plug is inserted into the receptacle. The housing may include or may be coupled to a clamp where the clamp is external to the receptacle. When the male plug is inserted into the receptacle, the clamp may be adjustable via a clamp adjustment mechanism to constrain the one or more internal retention springs, thus augmenting the retention force and further securing the male plug in the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew R. Fallon, Dennis Vance Toth, Christopher A. Rake
  • Publication number: 20150077195
    Abstract: A hybrid diplexer combining planar transmission line(s) and a waveguide is disclosed. In one embodiment, a diplexer includes first, second, and third ports. The diplexer also includes a first signal path and a second signal path. The first signal path may be used to convey lower frequencies, and may be implemented using planar transmission lines. The second signal path may be used to convey higher frequencies, and may be implemented, at least in part, using a waveguide. The first signal path may be coupled between the first port and the second port, while the second signal path may be coupled between the first port and the third port. In one embodiment, the first signal path may implement a low-pass filter, while the second signal path may implement a high-pass filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Amarpal S. Khanna, Irfan Ashiq
  • Patent number: 8984342
    Abstract: Method and system for a test process. The method may include performing tests on one or more units under test (UUTs). At least one test on one or more UUTs may be performed. A signal may be acquired from the UUT. A reference signal may be retrieved. The reference signal may be derived from a transmitted signal characteristic of the UUT. The signal may be analyzed with respect to the reference signal. Results, useable to characterize the one or more UUTs, from performing the at least one test on the one or more UUTs may be stored. The reference signal may be derived from an initial test and may be stored for subsequent retrieval. A respective reference signal may be retrieved for all UUTs of the one or more UUTs for a respective test. The signal may be a radio frequency signal. The UUT may be a wireless mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Craig E. Rupp, Gerardo Orozco Valdes, I. Zakir Ahmed, Vijaya Yajnanarayana
  • Patent number: 8957309
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus is disclosed. The measurement apparatus includes a lid configured to be removably affixed to a case. The lid is formed from a substrate composed of a first material. An interior surface of the lid includes a surface coating of a second material. A raised seal is affixed to the substrate and extends beyond the interior surface in a direction orthogonal to the interior surface. The raised seal includes an elastic deformable layer adjacent to the substrate. The raised seal also includes a surface conforming layer configured such that, when the lid is affixed to the case, the surface conforming layer is adjacent to the case along a side opposite the elastic deformable layer. The surface conforming layer is composed of a material of a yield strength less than a normal force generated by fixation of the lid to the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Ron Jay Barnett, Gregory Stephen Gonzales
  • Publication number: 20150035515
    Abstract: A power converter may have an input stage that includes a pair of transformer coils, switching circuitry to energize the pair of transformer coils according to an input supply voltage provided by an input source, and a limiting circuit coupled between the pair of transformer coils to cause the input stage to stop drawing current from the input source once the amount of charge drawn from the input source reaches a specific value. An output stage of the power converter may receive energy from the pair of transformer coils, and convert the received energy into an output supply voltage. The pair of transformer coils may continue providing energy stored in a leakage inductance of the pair of transformer coils to the output stage for at least a period of time, once the limiting circuit has caused the input stage to stop drawing current from the input supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Cornell
  • Patent number: 8948320
    Abstract: A system and method for performing frame and symbol timing synchronization on samples of a received signal that includes a series of frames. Each frame includes a known preamble and payload data. A start-of-frame time is estimated by scanning the received signal samples for the self similarity of two successive preambles. A carrier frequency offset (CFO) is estimated by maximizing a correlation between a magnitude spectrum of the received signal and a magnitude spectrum of a known preamble model. A fine estimate for the CFO is determined by computing a phase difference between samples separated by p repetitions of the base pattern for various values of index p, and computing a slope of a least squares affine fit to the phase differences. Additional operations are performed to find an optimal symbol starting point, to perform carrier phase synchronization and to detect the start of payload data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Baijayanta Ray, Nikhil A. Deshmukh
  • Patent number: 8943014
    Abstract: Systems/methods for computing a power spectral density estimate for a noise signal. Where the noise signal appears in two channels (a single channel), n successive data acquisitions from the two channels (the single channel) are used to compute n respective cross (power) spectral densities, which are then averaged. The averaged cross (power) spectral density may then be smoothed in the spectral domain. The magnitude of the smoothed cross (power) spectral density comprises an estimate for the noise power spectral density. An effective number of independent averages may be computed based on the number n, the time-domain window applied to the acquired sample sets, the amount of overlap between successive sample sets, and the shape of the frequency-domain smoothing function. A statistical error bound (or uncertainty measure) may be determined for the power spectral density estimate based on the effective number of averages and the averaged single-channel and cross-channel spectral estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Edward B. Loewenstein
  • Patent number: 8943469
    Abstract: A system and method for creating and using type generic graphical programs. The method may include storing a first graphical program on a memory medium. The first graphical program may have been created based on user input. The first graphical program may include a plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, and the plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes may be type generic. User input may be received specifying one or more data types of at least one input and/or at least one output of the first graphical program. The data types may be associated with the first graphical program in response to said user input specifying the one or more data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Satish V. Kumar, Duncan G. Hudson, III, Jeffrey L. Kodosky, Steven W. Rogers, Newton G. Petersen