Patents Examined by Brian Young
  • Patent number: 9825649
    Abstract: An apparatus including a Huffman decoder circuit is described. In a first embodiment, the Huffman decoder circuit includes a register file with simultaneous parallel load capability. The register file is to keep multiple copies of same decoded values in different entries of the register file. The different entries are to be addressed by respective addresses having a same leading edge encoded symbol. The parallel load capability is to simultaneously load a same decoded value for those register file addresses having a same leading edge encoded symbol. In a second embodiment, the Huffman decoder circuit includes a CAM circuit coupled to a register file, wherein respective match lines of the CAM circuit are coupled to respective entries of the register file. The CAM circuit is to keep encoded symbols. The register file is to keep decoded values of the encoded symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sudhir K. Satpathy, Sanu K. Mathew, Vikram B. Suresh
  • Patent number: 9813077
    Abstract: Asynchronous electrical circuitry produces a stationary carrier signal and encodes a system input signal amplitude into output signal time-sequence information by establishing at a digitizer an operating point value as an average amplitude of the system input signal. It applies to the digitizer a multicomponent digitizer-input signal corresponding to a sum of a passband signal component and a feedback signal component to produce a pulse-width modulated digitizer output signal representing the system input signal. An asynchronous time delay is introduced to produce the pulse-width modulated system output signal. The circuitry performs digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) to the pulse-width modulated system output signal to produce a DAC output signal. The DAC output signal or its summation with the passband signal component is integrated to produce the feedback signal component. Additional, multiple-order embodiments include sequential feedback paths or carrier-shaping functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Indice Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: James Hamond, Robert D. Batten
  • Patent number: 9806721
    Abstract: A counter includes a buffer unit and a ripple counter. The buffer unit generates at least one least significant signal of a count by buffering at least one clock signal until a termination time point. The ripple counter generates at least one most significant signal of the count by sequentially toggling in response to at least one of the least significant signal. The counter performs multiple data rate counting with enhanced operation speed and reduced power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-min Kim, Kyoung-min Koh, Yoon-seok Han
  • Patent number: 9806412
    Abstract: A variably controlled stagger antenna array architecture is disclosed. The array employs a plurality of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged having each radiating element or element groups orthogonally movable relative to a main vertical axis. This provides a controlled variation of the antenna array's azimuth radiation pattern without excessive side lobe radiation over full range of settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Gang Yi Deng, Alexander Rabinovich, Nando Hunt, John J. Dickson, John Stewart Wilson
  • Patent number: 9806552
    Abstract: A charge rebalancing integration circuit can help keep an output node of a front-end integration circuit within a specified range, e.g., without requiring resetting of the integration capacitor. The process of monitoring and rebalancing the integration circuit can operate on a much shorter time base than the integration time period, which can allow for multiple charge balancing charge transfer events during the integration time period, and sampling of the integration capacitor once per integration time period, such as at the end of that integration time period. Information about the charge rebalancing can be used to adjust subsequent discrete-time signal processing, such as digitized values of the samples. Improved dynamic range and noise performance is possible. Computed tomography (CT) imaging and other use cases are described, including those with variable integration periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices Global
    Inventors: Paraic Brannick, Colin G. Lyden, Damien J. McCartney, Gabriel Banarie
  • Patent number: 9806739
    Abstract: An optical data coding method includes at least steps of selecting a modulation scheme comprising an X-polarization constellation format having first and second amplitude rings with circular grids corresponding to predetermined phase angles and a Y-polarization constellation format having the first and second amplitude rings with the circular grids corresponding to the predetermined phase angles, arranging a first part of the symbol on a first circular grid of the first amplitude ring on the X-polarization constellation format, and arranging a second part of the symbol on a second circular grid of the second amplitude ring on the Y-polarization constellation format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Kojima, Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Toshiaki Koike-Akino, David Millar, Kieran Parsons
  • Patent number: 9804573
    Abstract: A time-to-digital converter utilizes both coarse and fine quantizers and addresses mismatch by using redundant bits in the coarse time representation and the fine time representation. The redundant bits are compared and if the redundant bits are the same, no mismatch correction is required but if the redundant bits are different a correction is applied to correct the redundant portion of the coarse time information. The redundant portion includes the most significant bit generated by the fine quantizer and the least significant bit of the coarse quantizer. The correction adds to or subtracts from the redundant information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Brian G. Drost, Ankur Guha Roy
  • Patent number: 9800265
    Abstract: The data serialization circuit includes a delay circuit, a data serializer, a first data sampler and a second data sampler. The delay circuit receives an input clock signal and generates a plurality of delayed clock signals. The delayed clock signals includes a first delayed clock signal generated by a first delay stage and a second delayed clock signal generated by a second delay stage. The data serializer receives parallel data and a final stage delayed clock signal of the delayed clock signals, and converts the parallel data into serial data according to the final stage delayed clock signal. Wherein, the first data sampler samples the serial data according to the first delayed clock signal to generate a first output serial data, and the second data sampler samples the first output serial data according to the second delayed clock signal to generate a second output serial data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Shih-Chun Lin, Ren-Hong Luo, Mu-Jung Chen, Yung-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 9793605
    Abstract: A modal antenna array is described where modal antenna elements capable of generating multiple radiation modes are used to form array radiation patterns. Nulls in the array radiation pattern can be formed and positioned by proper modal antenna element mode selection, with these nulls used to provide interference suppression or mitigation. The shift in array radiation pattern maxima generated by modal element mode selection can be used to improve communication system link quality by optimizing array radiation pattern characteristics. Specifically, a ring or circular array configuration is described where a simplified common feed port can be implemented to feed multiple modal antenna elements used to form the array. A switch can be used to connect or disconnect one modal element from the array, with this feature providing additional unique array beam states. The modal array can be commanded via a look-up table or algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ETHERTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Laurent Desclos, Jeffrey Shamblin, Lynn Chiu, Abhishek Singh
  • Patent number: 9787291
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a switched capacitor circuit includes pre-charging a capacitor using a voltage buffer having an input coupled to an input node of the switched capacitor circuit and an output coupled to the capacitor, coupling the input node to the capacitor, wherein a first charge is collected on the capacitor, and integrating the first charge using an integrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christian Reindl, Michael Kropfitsch, Peter Bogner
  • Patent number: 9787320
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may comprise a method and apparatus for an analog-to digital converter (ADC). Methods and apparatus for an ADC according to various aspects of the present invention may operate in conjunction with a reference voltage that varies according to the frequency of a timing signal. By varying the reference voltage according to the frequency of the timing signal, the ADC generates a digital output having a substantially fixed voltage regardless of the frequency of the timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Akinobu Onishi
  • Patent number: 9780803
    Abstract: A built-in self-test (BIST) circuit is provided for testing an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). A multi-order sigma-delta (??) modulator has an input that receives an input signal, a first output generating analog test signal derived from the input signal and applied to an input of the ADC and a second output generating a binary data stream. A digital recombination and filtering circuit has a first input that receives the binary data stream and a second input that receives a digital test signal output from the ADC in response to the analog test signal. The digital recombination and filtering circuit combines and filters the binary data stream and digital test signal to generate a digital result signal including a signal component derived from an error introduced by operation of the ADC. A correlation circuit is used to isolate that error signal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Ankur Bal, Chandrajit Debnath, Neha Bhargava
  • Patent number: 9780807
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes a circuit selecting unit and a decoding processor. The circuit selecting unit selects a decoder circuit for each data part of encoded target data. The decoder circuit is suitable for an arrangement of run lengths in the data part. The decoding processor performs reconfiguration to form the decoder circuit selected for the data part, and decodes the target data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Kukimiya, Junichi Okuyama
  • Patent number: 9774344
    Abstract: A converter may include multiple converter stages connected in series. Each converter stage may receive a clock signal and an analog input signal, and may generate an analog output signal and a digital output signal. Each converter stages may include an encoder generating the digital output signal, a decoder generating a reconstructed signal, a delaying converter generating a delayed signal, and an amplifier generating a residue signal, wherein the delayed signal may be a continuous current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
    Inventor: Hajime Shibata
  • Patent number: 9762221
    Abstract: An integrated constant time delay circuit utilized in continuous-time (CT) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) can be implemented with an RC lattice structure to provide, e.g., a passive all-pass lattice filter. Additional poles created by decoupling capacitors can be used to provide a low-pass filtering effect in some embodiments. A Resistor-Capacitor “RC” lattice structure can be an alternative to a constant-resistance Inductor-Capacitor “LC” lattice implementation. ADC architectures benefit from the RC implementation, due to its ease of impedance scaling and smaller area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES GLOBAL
    Inventors: Yunzhi Dong, Victor Kozlov, Wenhua W. Yang, Trevor Clifford Caldwell, Hajime Shibata
  • Patent number: 9755659
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides asynchronous successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (ASAR ADC) circuits and signal conversion method thereof. An exemplary ASAR AC circuit includes a sample/hold circuit configured to input a first analog signal and output a second analog signal; a digital-to-analog converter circuit configured to output a third analog signal; a first voltage comparison circuit configured to respond to a valid level of a latch signal, and output a first logic level and a second logic level; a first logic circuit configured to respond to a valid level of a flag signal, and identify a comparison result of the first voltage comparison circuit and output the first digit signal; and a pulse generation circuit configured to generate the latch signal and the flag signal with a generation time of the valid levels independently from the first logic level and the second logic level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ben Peng Xun, Fei Liu, Meng Meng Guo, Hua Tang, Haifeng Yang
  • Patent number: 9748963
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) unit to receive a first portion of a differential analog signal and convert the first portion of the differential analog signal into a first digital value; a second VCO ADC unit to receive a second portion of the differential analog signal and convert the second portion of the differential analog signal into a second digital value; a combiner to form a combined digital signal from the first and second digital values; a decimation circuit to receive the combined digital signal and filter the combined digital signal into a filtered combined digital signal; and a cancellation circuit to receive the filtered combined digital signal and generate a distortion cancelled digital signal, based at least in part on a coefficient value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Abdulkerim L. Coban, Mustafa H. Koroglu
  • Patent number: 9748970
    Abstract: A built-in-self-test (BIST) circuit is connected to a processor and a sigma-delta modulator (SDM) and includes an averaging circuit, a reference signal generator, and a comparator. The averaging circuit calculates an average of a sum of a set of bit signals of the SDM output signal over a period of time period, and generates an average SDM signal. The reference signal generator generates a reference SDM signal based on an SDM input signal. The comparator compares the voltage levels of the average SDM and reference SDM signals with a threshold value, and generates a test output signal based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Zhou Fang, Song Huang, Chao Liang, Yifeng Liu, Wanggen Zhang
  • Patent number: 9742427
    Abstract: An electrical circuit includes a signal processing chain and a controller. The signal processing chain includes an integrator configured to integrate an input signal over an integration time. The controller is connected to a signal output of the signal processing chain to receive and evaluate an output signal of the signal processing chain. The controller is further configured to adapt the integration time based on the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Michael Hackner, Hans-Peter Hohe, Markus Sand
  • Patent number: 9742437
    Abstract: Lossless data compression and depression devices and lossless data compression and decompression methods are provided. The lossless data compression device includes a processor and an entropy coding circuit. The processor is arranged to determine whether a raw data stream matches data items in a dictionary when a compression command for the raw data stream is received and output corresponding codewords according to the determination result. The entropy coding circuit is arranged to perform entropy coding on the corresponding codewords to obtain a compressed data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Minxue Liang