Patents Assigned to Syntropy Systems, LLC
  • Patent number: 9209829
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. One such apparatus includes an input line for accepting an input signal that is continuous in time and continuously variable, multiple processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the processing branches. Each of the processing branches includes a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit coupled to an output of the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a digital bandpass filter coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit, and a line coupling an output of the digital-to-analog converter circuit back into the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 9130584
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one implementation, an apparatus includes multiple processing branches, each including: a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit, and a digital bandpass filter. A combining circuit then combines signals at the processing branch outputs into a final output signal. The continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits include adjustable circuit components for changing their quantization-noise frequency-response minimum, and the digital bandpass filters include adjustable parameters for changing their frequency passbands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 9048865
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a discrete-time quantized signal into a continuous-time, continuously variable signal. An exemplary converter preferably includes: (1) multiple oversampling converters, each processing a different frequency band, operated in parallel; (2) multirate (i.e., polyphase) delta-sigma modulators (preferably second-order or higher); (3) multi-bit quantizers; (4) multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters, such as resistor ladder networks or current source networks; (5) adaptive nonlinear, bit-mapping to compensate for mismatches in the multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters (e.g., by mimicking such mismatches and then shifting the resulting noise to a frequently range where it will be filtered out by a corresponding bandpass (reconstruction) filter); (6) multi-band (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 9000967
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal, which includes an input line for accepting an input signal, multiple processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the plurality of processing branches. Each of the processing branches includes a sampling/quantization circuit and a digital bandpass interpolation filter having an input coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit. The digital bandpass interpolation filters in different ones of the processing branches have frequency responses that are centered at different frequencies. The digital bandpass interpolation filter in at least one of the processing branches includes: (i) a quadrature downconverter, (ii) a first lowpass filter and a second lowpass filter, (iii) a first interpolator and a second interpolator, each having an input for inputting a variable interpolant value, and (iv) a quadrature upconverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8943112
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. One such apparatus includes an input line for accepting an input signal that is continuous in time and continuously variable, multiple processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the processing branches. Each of the processing branches includes a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit coupled to an output of the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a digital bandpass filter coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit, and a line coupling an output of the digital-to-analog converter circuit back into the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8917198
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one implementation, an apparatus includes multiple processing branches, each including: a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit, and a digital bandpass filter. A combining circuit then combines signals at the processing branch outputs into a final output signal. The continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits include adjustable circuit components for changing their quantization-noise frequency-response minimum, and the digital bandpass filters include adjustable parameters for changing their frequency passbands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8896471
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a discrete-time quantized signal into a continuous-time, continuously variable signal. An exemplary converter preferably includes: (1) multiple oversampling converters, each processing a different frequency band, operated in parallel; (2) multirate (i.e., polyphase) delta-sigma modulators (preferably second-order or higher); (3) multi-bit quantizers; (4) multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters, such as resistor ladder networks or current source networks; (5) adaptive nonlinear, bit-mapping to compensate for mismatches in the multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters (e.g., by mimicking such mismatches and then shifting the resulting noise to a frequently range where it will be filtered out by a corresponding bandpass (reconstruction) filter); (6) multi-band (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20140266843
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one implementation, an apparatus includes multiple processing branches, each including: a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit, and a digital bandpass filter. A combining circuit then combines signals at the processing branch outputs into a final output signal. The continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits include adjustable circuit components for changing their quantization-noise frequency-response minimum, and the digital bandpass filters include adjustable parameters for changing their frequency passbands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8819101
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses methods and techniques for performing multi-bit quantization. One such apparatus includes an input signal line; a first comparator having a first input coupled to the input signal line, a second input coupled to a first reference signal, and an output; a rectifier having an input coupled to the input signal line and also having an output; and a second comparator having a first input coupled to the output of the rectifier, a second input coupled to a second reference signal, and an output, with the first comparator and the second comparator being clocked so as to produce sequences of quantized samples at substantially the same times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20140043177
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal, which includes an input line for accepting an input signal, multiple processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the plurality of processing branches. Each of the processing branches includes a sampling/quantization circuit and a digital bandpass interpolation filter having an input coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit. The digital bandpass interpolation filters in different ones of the processing branches have frequency responses that are centered at different frequencies. The digital bandpass interpolation filter in at least one of the processing branches includes: (i) a quadrature downconverter, (ii) a first lowpass filter and a second lowpass filter, (iii) a first interpolator and a second interpolator, each having an input for inputting a variable interpolant value, and (iv) a quadrature upconverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8604957
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one representative embodiment, an apparatus includes multiple quantization-noise-shaping continuous-time filters, each in a separate processing branch and having an adder that includes multiple inputs and an output; an input signal is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder; the output of the adder is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a first filter; and the output of a sampling/quantization circuit in the same processing branch is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a second filter, with the second filter having a different transfer function than the first filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8581768
    Abstract: Provided is, among other things, an apparatus that includes an input line for accepting an input signal that is continuous in time and continuously variable. Multiple processing branches are coupled to the input line, each including: (a) an analog bandpass filter, (b) a sampling/quantization circuit coupled to an output of the analog bandpass filter, and (c) a digital bandpass filter coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit. An adder is coupled to outputs of the processing branches. The digital bandpass filters in different ones of the processing branches have frequency response bandwidths that are centered at different frequencies, and the analog bandpass filters in different ones of the processing branches have frequency responses with bandwidths that are at least 25% greater than the frequency response bandwidths of the digital bandpass filters in their respective processing branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8299947
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one representative embodiment, an apparatus includes multiple continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits, each in a separate processing branch and having an adder that includes multiple inputs and an output; an input signal is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder; the output of the adder is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a first filter; and the output of a sampling/quantization circuit in the same processing branch is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a second filter, with the second filter having a different transfer function than the first filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8294605
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a discrete-time quantized signal into a continuous-time, continuously variable signal. An exemplary converter preferably includes: (1) multiple oversampling converters, each processing a different frequency band, operated in parallel; (2) multirate (i.e., polyphase) delta-sigma modulators (preferably second-order or higher); (3) multi-bit quantizers; (4) multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters, such as resistor ladder networks or current source networks; (5) adaptive nonlinear, bit-mapping to compensate for mismatches in the multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters (e.g., by mimicking such mismatches and then shifting the resulting noise to a frequently range where it will be filtered out by a corresponding bandpass (reconstruction) filter); (6) multi-band (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8264390
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a discrete-time quantized signal into a continuous-time, continuously variable signal. An exemplary converter preferably includes: (1) multiple oversampling converters, each processing a different frequency band, operated in parallel; (2) multirate (i.e., polyphase) delta-sigma modulators (preferably second-order or higher); (3) multi-bit quantizers; (4) multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters, such as resistor ladder networks or current source networks; (5) adaptive non-linear, bit-mapping to compensate for mismatches in the multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters (e.g., by mimicking such mismatches and then shifting the resulting noise to a frequently range where it will be filtered out by a corresponding bandpass (reconstruction) filter); (6) multi-band (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20120127009
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. One such apparatus includes an input line for accepting an input signal that is continuous in time and continuously variable, multiple processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the processing branches. Each of the processing branches includes a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit coupled to an output of the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a digital bandpass filter coupled to an output of the sampling/quantization circuit, and a line coupling an output of the digital-to-analog converter circuit back into the continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Patent number: 8089382
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one representative embodiment, an apparatus includes multiple quantization-noise-shaping continuous-time filters, each in a separate processing branch and having an adder that includes multiple inputs and an output; an input signal is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder; the output of the adder is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a first filter; and the output of a sampling/quantization circuit in the same processing branch is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a second filter, with the second filter having a different transfer function than the first filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Syntropy Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20110163900
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one implementation, an apparatus includes multiple processing branches, each including: a continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuit, a sampling/quantization circuit, and a digital bandpass filter. A combining circuit then combines signals at the processing branch outputs into a final output signal. The continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits include adjustable circuit components for changing their quantization-noise frequency-response minimum, and the digital bandpass filters include adjustable parameters for changing their frequency passbands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20110140942
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, apparatuses, methods and techniques for converting a discrete-time quantized signal into a continuous-time, continuously variable signal. An exemplary converter preferably includes: (1) multiple oversampling converters, each processing a different frequency band, operated in parallel; (2) multirate (i.e., polyphase) delta-sigma modulators (preferably second-order or higher); (3) multi-bit quantizers; (4) multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters, such as resistor ladder networks or current source networks; (5) adaptive non-linear, bit-mapping to compensate for mismatches in the multi-bit-to-variable-level signal converters (e.g., by mimicking such mismatches and then shifting the resulting noise to a frequently range where it will be filtered out by a corresponding bandpass (reconstruction) filter); (6) multi-band (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli
  • Publication number: 20110095927
    Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for converting a continuous-time, continuously variable signal into a sampled and quantized signal. According to one representative embodiment, an apparatus includes multiple continuous-time quantization-noise-shaping circuits, each in a separate processing branch and having an adder that includes multiple inputs and an output; an input signal is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder; the output of the adder is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a first filter; and the output of a sampling/quantization circuit in the same processing branch is coupled to one of the inputs of the adder through a second filter, with the second filter having a different transfer function than the first filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: SYNTROPY SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Pagnanelli