Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20080238473
    Abstract: A push-pull pulse register circuit. The push-pull pulse register circuit includes a first logic inverter having first-inverter input and first-inverter output, a second logic inverter having second-inverter input and second-inverter output, a third logic inverter having third-inverter input and third-inverter output and configured to receive logic input data at the third-inverter input, a first logic gate having first-gate input, first-gate output, and first-gate control input, and a second logic gate having second-gate input, second-gate output, and second-gate control input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Zounes
  • Patent number: 7430082
    Abstract: A new technique for Hard Disk Drive (HDD) servo-burst demodulation is provided. A 4-samples per dibit Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) amplitude estimation is used to calculate the read-head servo-position error signal. Comparatively, the conventional method of burst demodulation—called burst integration—typically uses more than 8 samples/dibit. Consequently, the new 4-samples/dibit DFT burst-demodulation scheme requires fewer samples per dibit than does burst integration, thus reducing the disk space occupied by the burst data while increasing the performance as compared to burst integration. Furthermore, the DFT scheme does not require the samples to be synchronized to any particular points of the servo burst, and can include an averaging algorithm that further improves performance for a given Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Moreover, the same sample-clocking circuit that detects the Gray Code servo information can also implement the DFT burst-demodulation scheme to demodulate the servo burst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Fereidoon Heydari, Hakan Ozdemir
  • Patent number: 7430402
    Abstract: Counter-clockwise and clockwise quadrant transitions are detected and accumulated with respect to a received complex signal over a certain time period. These transitions may then be compared in order to obtain information indicative of both a magnitude and phase of a frequency offset error. Additionally, zero-crossings of the received complex signal over the same certain time period are detected and accumulated. The accumulated crossings provide information indicative of frequency offset magnitude. The determined magnitude and phase of the frequency offset error may then be used to adjust a local oscillator frequency to provide for improved receiver performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Aleksej Makarov
  • Publication number: 20080231306
    Abstract: An integrated circuit burn-in test system includes an integrated circuit and a tester. The integrated circuit includes operating circuitry, a heater for heating the operating circuitry, and burn-in test circuitry for testing the operating circuitry while being heated. A package surrounds the operating circuitry, the heater and the burn-in test circuitry. The burn-in test circuitry causes the operating circuitry to operate and generate data related thereto. The tester receives data from the burn-in test circuitry. The heater may be configured within the package to heat at least one predetermined portion of the operating circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc., State of Incorporation: Delaware
    Inventors: Riccardo Maggi, Massimo Scipioni
  • Publication number: 20080225795
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a communications protocol stack including a MAC layer and TCP layer separated by an IP layer. A cross-layer coordination module parallel to the communications protocol stack is coupled to both the MAC layer and TCP layer. The MAC layer generates a message sent to the cross-layer coordination module indicating that the mobile device is about to engage in a communications handover from a first base station to a second base station. The cross-layer coordination module passes handover information to the TCP layer so as to inform the TCP layer of the communications handover. If the mobile device is operating as a TCP sender, the TCP layer freezes its connection and state during the communications handover. If the mobile device is operating as a TCP receiver, the TCP layer sends a TCP ACK message to a TCP sender having an advertised window size set to a zero value so as to cause the TCP sender to freeze a connection and state during communications handover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Guobin Sun, Hongfei Zhu, Yanling yao
  • Patent number: 7425803
    Abstract: In a method for producing a control signal for regulating a drive current for driving an LED, a current through the LED is sensed, wherein the LED is driven by a power converter output, and wherein an output voltage of the power converter is proportionately controlled by a control signal. Next, a power supply voltage is sensed. The control signal is produced for the power converter, wherein the control signal is proportional to a difference between a reference voltage and the current through the LED. The control signal is then offset in response to the power supply voltage to reduce the current through the LED as the power supply voltage drops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianwen Shao, Clifford J. Ortmeyer, II
  • Patent number: 7425984
    Abstract: A compound camera system for generating an enhanced virtual image having a large depth-of-field. The compound camera system comprises a plurality of component cameras for generating image data of an object and a data processor for generating the enhanced virtual image from the image data. The data processor generates the enhanced virtual image by generating a first component virtual image at a first depth plane, generating a second component virtual image at a second depth plane, and inserting first selected pixels from the first component virtual image into enhanced the virtual image and inserting second selected pixels from the second component virtual image into the enhanced virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: George Q. Chen, Li Hong, Peter McGuinness
  • Publication number: 20080219480
    Abstract: An audio selection circuit. The audio selection circuit includes a control/switch circuit having a first input, a second input, and a first output, and a signal detector module configured to detect an audio signal on the second input. If the signal detector detects presence of the audio signal on the second input, the signal detector is configured to transmit a control signal to the control/switch circuit, and the control/switch circuit is configured in response to the control signal to disconnect the first input from the first output and to connect the second input to the first output. Otherwise, the control/switch circuit is configured to connect the first input to the first output and to disconnect the second input from the first output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas L. Hopkins
  • Publication number: 20080211513
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one circuit trimming fuse. A fuse sensor circuit is connected to the trimming fuse and operates in response to a fuse sensing initiation signal to initiate sensing of a state of the trimming fuse and generate an output indicative of the sensed state. A latch circuit, including multiple latch locations, redundantly latches the output indicative of the sensed state. A majority logic state in the latch locations is determined by a polling circuit coupled to the multiple latch locations. The polling circuit outputs that majority logic state as a fuse state output indicative of the sensed state of the fuse. A register in the integrated circuit is loadable with a value. A comparison circuit compares the loaded value in the register to a correct fuseword value and, if there is a match, generates the fuse sensing initiation signal for application to the fuse sensor circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Lysinger, Naren Sahoo
  • Patent number: 7420763
    Abstract: A servo control circuit provides seamless transition between seek and track modes while enabling both rapid seek mode operation and accurate tracking. The control circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter having a non-linear characteristic. The non-linear characteristic provides disproportionately large control voltages to derive speed and settling in the seek mode and essentially linear control voltages in the track mode to provide low noise and accurate tracking operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Callahan, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20080203975
    Abstract: A method and integrated circuit for preserving a battery's charge and protecting electrical devices is disclosed. A maximum and a minimum battery voltage value at the output port are stored in a memory. A steady state battery voltage at the output port is measured and stored in the memory. A processor compares the measured steady battery voltage value to the maximum and the minimum battery voltage values. If the measured steady state battery voltage value is greater than the maximum battery voltage value, an over voltage state is reported by the processor. If the measured steady state battery voltage value is less than the minimum battery voltage value, a low battery voltage state is reported by the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Burlak, Marian Mirowski
  • Publication number: 20080208491
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device and method for classifying electrical devices is disclosed. A reference current response of a plurality of electrical devices is determined and stored in a memory. Real-time current response of a specific electrical device is measured and stored in the memory. A processor compared the measured real-time current response of the specific electrical device to the reference current responses of the plurality of electrical devices. A classification of the electrical device is then made based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Burlak, Marian Mirowski
  • Publication number: 20080207204
    Abstract: Radio frequency (RF) architectures for spectrum access networks are provided. Embodiments of the invention generally provide a radio frequency (RF) architecture for customer premise equipment (CPE) for use in, for example, IEEE 802.22 wireless regional area networks (WRANs). In some embodiments, the CPE RF architecture includes two receive chains with a directional antenna and an omni-directional antenna, respectively. The CPE RF architecture facilitates opportunistic out-of-band spectrum sensing and WRAN signal receiving that are performed in parallel with data transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: George A. Vlantis, Wendong Hu
  • Publication number: 20080207192
    Abstract: A subframe structure for a wireless community uses a master common subframe and second master common subframe method to give BSs different priorities to serve overlapping areas in common subframes. The subframe structure and corresponding method can increase overlapping cells' capacity and reduce interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Liwen Chu
  • Publication number: 20080205352
    Abstract: A common control channel for base station (“BS”)/consumer premise equipment (“CPE”) communication in areas of overlapping coverage by wireless regional area network (“WRAN”) cells operating on different working channels is disclosed. A common control channel is selected from among the various working channels sensed in each of a plurality of overlapping WRAN cells so as to enable BS/CPE and BS/BS communication. Once chosen, each CPE within the overlapping area communicates with the controlling BS via an enhanced coexistence beacon protocol messages. These messages include timing and other synchronization information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Liwen Chu, Wendong Hu, George A. Vlantis
  • Publication number: 20080204033
    Abstract: An integrated circuit and method for monitoring and controlling power and for identifying an open circuit state at an output port is disclosed. A minimum open circuit current value of the output port is known. A steady state current at the output port is measured for a selected number of times at selected time intervals. A subset of the steady state current values are selected and an average current value is calculated. The average current value is compared to the minimum open circuit current value (if no loads detected) or to a learned open circuit current value (if a load or trailer is detected). A possible open circuit state at the output port is reported based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Burlak, Marian Mirowski
  • Publication number: 20080205332
    Abstract: Key scalability issues in the management of routing information at each node in wireless networks running a proactive routing protocol have been identified and a solution is set forth based on hybrid proactive on-demand routing with focus on the STA association information management at each MP in a WLAN mesh. A fisheye-scope-based GAB management scheme is described where the priority of an entry is the reverse of the hop count of its associated MAP/MPP from the MP, which can be easily applicable to the case of management of general routing information. For example, the GAB proposed can maintain only those entries whose associated MAPs/MPPs are two or less hops away from the MP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Kyeong-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20080205487
    Abstract: Clean and reliable channel sensing during dynamic frequency hopping over a plurality of overlapping wireless regional area network (WRAN) cells is conducted using a minimum number of channels. By coordinating a phase-shift of the operation periods of each WRAN cell over a minimum number of working channels, interruption-free communication and data transmission for each of the WRAN cells as well as interference-free channel sensing can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Wendong Hu, George A. Vlantis
  • Publication number: 20080206919
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor material substrate, an opto-electric component formed on the substrate, and a first transparent layer formed on an upper surface of the substrate over the component, the layer having a planar upper surface with a cavity formed therein. The first transparent layer has a selected thickness and a first index of refraction. The semiconductor device further includes a lens having a second index of refraction, the lens being formed in the cavity by flowing a flowable dielectric over the substrate. An upper surface of the lens and the upper surface of the transparent layer may be coplanar, or alternatively, they may lie in separate planes. The semiconductor device may also include a second transparent layer formed over the first layer and lens, as a passivation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Fuchao Wang, Ming Fang
  • Publication number: 20080207215
    Abstract: Fair usage of working channels in a wireless network is disclosed. A base station associated with a cell within a wireless community monitors the congestion of the working channel of neighboring communities. Upon determining that the congestion of the working channel of a neighboring community is less than that of its existing working channel, the base station initiates a switch to the neighboring community's working channel. Upon joining the new community, the frame structure and other networking parameters and attributes are adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Liwen Chu, George A. Vlantis