Patents Assigned to Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 12218702
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a transmit path to receive, process and output a transmit radio frequency (RF) signal, the transmit path including a first power amplifier; a receive path to receive, process and output a receive RF signal, the receive path including a first low noise amplifier (LNA); and switching circuitry coupled to the transmit path and the receive path. In a transmit mode, the switching circuitry is to cause a RF filter to couple into the transmit path to filter the transmit RF signal and cause the filtered transmit RF signal to be provided to the first power amplifier and thereafter to an antenna. In a receive mode, the switching circuitry is to cause the receive RF signal to be provided to the RF filter and the first LNA, and thereafter to be provided to a digital processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Voor, Jeffrey L Sonntag, Luigi Panseri
  • Patent number: 12219599
    Abstract: A wireless communication device has a receiver to listen to a sequence of channels. A controller responds to a preamble being detected on a first channel while the receiver is tuned to the first channel by causing the receiver to stay on the first channel and decode packet(s) associated with the preamble. The controller responds to detection of a first symbol of a first transmission protocol and the preamble not being detected to cause the receiver to stay on the first channel for a predetermined time waiting for a retry. The controller responds to detection of a second symbol of a second transmission protocol and the preamble not being detected to cause the receiver to switch to an advertising channel of the second transmission protocol. If no preambles, noise, or symbols are detected, the receiver switches to listening to a next channel in the sequence after a fixed time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Terry L. Dickey, Yan Zhou, Wentao Li, Rangakrishnan Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 12212349
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes: a first radio frequency (RF) circuit configured to receive and process a first RF signal having a sub-gigahertz (GHz) frequency to output a first lower frequency signal and to transmit RF signals having the sub-GHz frequency; a second RF circuit configured to receive and process a second RF signal having a frequency of at least substantially 2.4 GHz to output a second lower frequency signal and to transmit RF signals at the at least substantially 2.4 GHz; shared analog circuitry coupled to the first RF circuit and the second RF circuit, the shared analog circuitry to receive at least one of the first RF signal or the second RF signal and output a digital output signal; and a digital circuit coupled to the shared analog circuit, the digital circuit to recover message information from the digital output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Euisoo Yoo, Arup Mukherji, Rangakrishnan Srinivasan, Vitor Pereira, Zhongda Wang, Sriharsha Vasadi
  • Patent number: 12210365
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an amplifier. The amplifier has two inputs, and an output. The amplifier has a pole in its transfer function. The frequency of the pole depends on the output current of the amplifier. The amplifier further includes a pole frequency tracking (PFT) circuit. The PFT circuit includes a source follower circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet Akif Altan, Steffen Skaug
  • Patent number: 12204891
    Abstract: Methods of performing updates to a software image that is disposed in a one time programmable (OTP) memory device are disclosed. The method includes writing an invalid opcode at the beginning of a function that has been modified. This invalid opcode causes an exception. The exception handler determines the address where the invalid opcode was located and searches a random access memory (RAM) dictionary. This RAM dictionary contains entries that each have an original address in the OTP Memory and the patch address in a volatile memory. The exception handler then causes the processing unit to jump to the patch address, where a modified function is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Marius Grannaes
  • Patent number: 12200761
    Abstract: A wireless network device configured to monitor multiple channels for clear channel assessment (CCA) is disclosed. The receiver circuit of the network device comprises at least one CCA block, which is used to indicated whether a particular channel is clear. In certain embodiments, the network device checks each channel sequentially, and if both channels are free, transmits at least one packet. The at least one packet may include a MODE SWITCH packet and a second packet sent using the new PHY mode. The network device may also have multiple CCA blocks. In this scenario, the channels may be checked concurrently, and if both channels are free, the network device transmits at least one packet. Alternatively, the network device monitors multiple channels concurrently and selected one of the channels on which to transmit a preferred PHY mode, thereby avoiding the need for a MODE SWITCH packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Hendricus de Ruijter
  • Patent number: 12193128
    Abstract: A system and method for the commissioning of a lighting system is disclosed. The lighting system includes a plurality of lighting devices and a plurality of locators. Each lighting device includes a light emitting element and a wireless tag. After the lighting system is installed, each lighting device transmits one or more packets that contain a constant tone extension (CTE). This CTE allows the locators to determine the angle of arrival of the incoming packet. By combining the angles of arrival from several locators, it is possible to ascertain the physical location of the lighting device that transmitted the CTE. In this way, the physical location of each lighting device can be correlated to its network address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Levente Kovacs
  • Patent number: 12192903
    Abstract: A low power wake on radio circuit detects if an RF signal is present on an input to the wake on radio circuit. An RF sense circuit supplies an RF sense signal indicating whether the RF signal is present on the input. The RF sense signal is used to incrementally turn on digital decode logic to determine if a radio transmission that is unique to the wake on radio circuit has been received. If the unique radio transmission have been received, the wake on radio circuit supplies a wakeup signal to the rest of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Pio Balmelli, Praveen Vangala, John M. Khoury
  • Patent number: 12192951
    Abstract: A system and method for accurately determining a distance between two network devices using a Channel Sounding application is disclosed. The network devices each guarantee a fixed phase relationship between the transmit circuit and the receive circuit. In one embodiment, this is achieved by disposing the divider outside the phase locked loop and using the output of the divider to create the clocks for both the transmit circuit and receive circuit. In another embodiment, one or more dividers are disposed outside the phase locked loop, each having a reset, such that they can be initialized to a predetermined state. Further, by utilizing a divider with a reset, the quadrature signal generator is guaranteed to output clocks for the transmit circuit and the receive circuit that have a constant phase relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Rangakrishnan Srinivasan, John Khoury
  • Patent number: 12189408
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: an amplifier to compare a reference voltage to a feedback voltage and to output a comparison signal based on the comparison; a first loop circuit coupled to the amplifier to receive the comparison signal and output a first feedback voltage for the amplifier to use as the feedback voltage in a first mode of operation; and a second loop circuit coupled to the amplifier. The second loop circuit may be configured to receive the comparison signal and output a second feedback voltage for the amplifier to use as the feedback voltage in a second mode of operation. The second feedback voltage may be greater than the first feedback voltage, and the second loop circuit may output a regulated voltage based on the comparison signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Ricky Setiawan, Hua Beng Chan, Rex Tak Ying Wong
  • Patent number: 12175118
    Abstract: An external nonvolatile memory device that includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory and a CMOS interface is disclosed. The interface includes a clock signal which is input to the external nonvolatile memory device. This clock signal is multiplied by an integer to create a memory serdes clock which is used to clock outgoing data. The memory serdes clock is also used to create a clock that is used to clock the incoming data from the main processing device. The external nonvolatile memory device also includes an encryption/decryption block that encrypts data read from the nonvolatile memory before it is transmitted over the interface, and decrypts data received from the interface before storing it in the nonvolatile memory. The encryption/decryption block may utilize a stream cipher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Saroshan David, Aslam Rafi, Joshua Norem, Adrianus Josephus Bink, Daniel Cooley
  • Patent number: 12177670
    Abstract: A system that is capable of detecting a Man in the Middle attack is disclosed. The system includes a receive circuit for receiving incoming packets. The system also includes a digitized model of at least part of the receive circuit and optionally part of the transmit circuit. The system compares the output from the digitized model with the output from the read circuit to determine the likelihood of a Man in the Middle Attack. In certain embodiments, the digitized model is a finite impulse response filter with multiple taps. The system correctly identifies Man in the Middle attacks more than 90% of the time when the signal to noise ratio is greater than 20 dB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Guner Arslan
  • Patent number: 12160241
    Abstract: A clock doubler circuit doubles the frequency of an input clock signal. The input clock signal is supplied to a duty cycle corrector (DCC) circuit, which generates a DCC output signal having a duty cycle corrected to fifty percent and has a frequency that equals the input frequency. A T/4 delay circuit receives the input clock signal and generates a T/4 delay output signal that has a delay of T/4 from the DCC output signal and has the same frequency as the input clock signal. T/4 is one quarter of a period of the input clock signal. An XOR gate combines the DCC output signal and the T/4 delay output signal to generate an output clock signal that is twice the frequency of the input clock signal. A duty cycle estimator generates correction factors used to generate the T/4 delay output signal and the DCC output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Patan Imran Khan, Hariharan Ganapathy Raman, Rahul Reghu
  • Publication number: 20240397368
    Abstract: A multi-thread communication system has several communications processors operative over a single interface for transmitting and receiving packets. The multi-thread communications processor is operative to sequentially handle multiple thread processes for each communications processor on a cycle by cycle basis according to a thread map register which determines the order of execution and how many cycles of a particular thread occur during a canonical interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Subba Reddy KALLAM, Partha Sarathy MURALI, Venkat MATTELA, Venkata Siva Prasad PULAGAM
  • Patent number: 12153542
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an array processor to process array data in response to information contained in a packet, wherein the packet comprises a set of fields specifying configuration information for processing the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Brandon Gately, Eric Jonathan Deal, Daniel Thomas Riedler
  • Patent number: 12153921
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an array processor to process array data in response to a set of macro-instructions. A macro-instruction in the set of macro-instructions performs loop operations, array iteration operations, and/or arithmetic logic unit (ALU) operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Brandon Gately, Eric Jonathan Deal, Mark Willard Johnson, Daniel Thomas Riedler
  • Patent number: 12146935
    Abstract: A system and method for performing production testing on high power semiconductor devices is disclosed. The system includes signal generators, RF meters, sockets, couplers and connectors which also function as switches when connected to an external cable. A calibration process is executed which allows the controller to create a correlation between measurements taken by the RF meter and the actual voltages, and power levels present at the device under test. By performing this calibration, it is possible to perform production testing of devices much more quickly and reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Anant Verma
  • Patent number: 12127144
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a method for measuring a distance between a first communications device including a first local oscillator and a second communications device including a second local oscillator includes unwrapping N phase values to generate N unwrapped phase values. N is an integer greater than one. Each of the N phase values indicate an instantaneous phase of a received signal. The method includes averaging the N unwrapped phase values to generate an average phase value. The method includes wrapping the average phase value to generate a final phase measurement of the first local oscillator with respect to the second local oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Khoury, Yan Zhou, Michael A. Wu, Wentao Li
  • Patent number: 12111407
    Abstract: A system having a locator device and a plurality of tag devices is disclosed. The locator device comprises an antenna array allowing it to determine an angle of arrival for incoming signals from each of the plurality of tag devices. The system also defines a sequence of time slots, where each time slot has a specific function. The sequence may start with a locator time slot, where the locator device transmits a packet that informs all of the tag devices that this is the start of the sequence. A sync slot follows the locator time slot, where new tag devices may transmit a sync request to the locator device. Upon receipt of a sync request, the locator device assigns the new tag device a tag slot. Following the sync slot are a plurality of tag slots, where each tag device transmits an AoA packet during its assigned tag slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Lauri Mikael Hintsala
  • Patent number: 12105213
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a position or a movable device is disclosed. The present system utilizes a movable device equipped with a locator device that has an antenna array such that it may determine the angle of arrival of a plurality of incoming beacon signals. In certain embodiments, the movable device is also able to measure its distance travelled. By knowing its distance moved and the angle of arrival from each beacon, the locator device is able to calculate its position as well as the position of each beacon. This procedure may be executed at regular intervals so that the movable device accurately determines its position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Sauli Johannes Lehtimaki, Mika Tapio Lansirinne, Jere Knaappila, Joel Kauppo