Patents Examined by David Mis
  • Patent number: 8198949
    Abstract: The present application relates to a digital modulator comprising an output stage comprising a number of unit cell arrays, and a sampling stage. The present application relates also to a communication device comprising said digital modulator, a method for digitally modulating and a computer program product. More particularly, the digital modulator comprises an output stage comprising a number of unit cell arrays, wherein the output stage comprises at least one carrier frequency signal input terminal configured to receive a carrier frequency signal. The digital modulator comprises a sampling stage connectable to the output stage, wherein the sampling stage is configured to oversample at least one data input signal. The digital modulator comprises at least one sampling clock generating device configured to generate at least one sampling clock signal depending on the number of arranged unit cell arrays and the carrier frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Xin He, Jan Van Sinderen, Manuel Collados Asensio, Nenad Pavlovic
  • Patent number: 8198948
    Abstract: A vibrator element includes: a base part; and a vibrating arm extended from the base part in a first direction, the vibrating arm including a first region, a second region, and a third region sequentially arranged from the base part side in the first direction, the first region to the third region including first electrodes and second electrodes that generate electric fields in second directions perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view and are electrically independent from each other, wherein electric field directions of the first region and the third region and an electric field direction of the second region are opposite to each other, and the vibrating arm is expanded and contracted in the first direction by the electric fields in the second directions, and the vibrating arm is vibrated in third directions as directions perpendicular to the respective first direction and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Nishizawa, So Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8198950
    Abstract: A power amplifier that amplifies an RF modulation signal containing an amplitude modulation component and a phase modulation component, including a polar modulator that outputs an amplitude component signal that is the amplitude modulation component of the RF modulation signal, a direct current power supply that outputs a direct current voltage, a pulse modulator that pulse-modulates the amplitude component signal, a pulse amplification circuit that amplifies a pulse modulation signal, a combining circuit that adds a direct current voltage that is outputted from the direct current power supply to an output signal of the pulse amplification circuit, a low pass filter that smoothens an output signal of the combining circuit, and an RF amplifier that not only amplifies the RF modulation signal, but also amplitude-modulates the amplified signal with an output signal of the low pass filter and outputs the resultant signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Yamanouchi, Kazuaki Kunihiro, Kazumi Shiikuma
  • Patent number: 8188799
    Abstract: Provided is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that includes a first structure and second structure. The first structure and second structure may each include a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate of each structure may have first and second surfaces that face each other. The first substrate may include a via etching hole pattern penetrating the first surface and the second surface and a first non-via etching hole pattern penetrating the first surface. The second substrate of each structure may have third and fourth surfaces that face each other. The second substrate may include a second non-via etching hole pattern penetrating the third surface in a position corresponding to the via etching hole pattern of the first substrate. In the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) the second surface of the first substrate and the third surface of the second substrate may be bonded together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chan-wook Baik, Seog-woo Hong, Hwan-soo Suh
  • Patent number: 8188804
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a circuit device is disclosed that includes a data generator adapted to output a random pulse sequence having a particular spectral shape. The circuit device further includes a pulse edge control circuit to selectively apply a carrier suppression operation to at least one pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal in response to the random pulse sequence to produce at least one modulated PWM output signal. The spectral energy associated with a PWM carrier of the modulated PWM output signal at a carrier frequency and associated harmonics is changed such that the modulated PWM output signal has a spectral shape defined by the particular spectral shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alderson, John Khoury, Richard Beale
  • Patent number: 8184890
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system using computer-aided detection (CAD) algorithms to aid diagnosis and visualization of tomosynthesis mammography data. The proposed CAD algorithms process two-dimensional and three-dimensional tomosynthesis mammography images and identify regions of interest in breasts. The CAD algorithms include the steps of preprocessing; candidate detection of potential regions of interest; and classification of each region of interest to aid reading by radiologists. The detection of potential regions of interest utilizes two dimensional projection images for generating candidates. The resultant candidates in two dimensional images are back-projected into the three dimensional volume images. The feature extraction for classification operates in the three dimensional image in the neighborhood of the back-projected candidate location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Three Palm Software
    Inventors: Heidi Daoxian Zhang, Patrick Bernard Heffernan
  • Patent number: 8180134
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to methods and systems for optical coherence imaging. A method for optical coherence imaging may comprise scanning a sample with an incident beam from a light source; detecting one or more spectral interference signals from the sample; modulating the one or more spectral interference signals by a linear translation of a reference mirror while scanning the sample in a cross-sectional direction; and obtaining at least one image of the sample from the modulated one or more spectral interference signals, the at least one image including a selected one of a full range structural image of the sample and a separated structure/flow image of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Oregon Health & Science University
    Inventor: Ruikang K. Wang
  • Patent number: 8174328
    Abstract: A dual-band wideband local oscillation signal generator includes an oscillation unit, a division unit, a poly phase filter (PPF), a switch unit, and a single side band (SSB) mixer. The oscillation unit is configured to generate a positive in-phase (IP) signal, a negative in-phase (IN) signal, a negative quadrature-phase (QN) signal, and a positive quadrature-phase (QP) signal. The division unit is configured to divide frequencies of the IP signal and the IN signal and generate an RF signal. The PPF is configured to receive the IP signal and the IN signals inputted to the division unit, and generate an LO IP signal, an LO IN signal, an LO QP signal, and an LO QN signal. The switch unit is configured to receive the generated LO signals and select a high band frequency signal or a low band frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Bong-Hyuk Park, Kwang-Chun Lee, Hyun-Kyu Chung
  • Patent number: 8174310
    Abstract: A quadrature demodulation circuit includes: first to fourth mixers to receive a modulation signal; a phase shifter to supply to the first and third mixers a first local frequency signal, to supply to the second mixer a second local frequency signal having a designated phase difference relative to the first local frequency signal, and to supply to the fourth mixer a third local frequency signal that is an inverse in phase to the second local frequency signal; a first adder to add a signal output from the first mixer and a signal output from the second mixer and to output a first demodulation signal; and a second adder to add a signal output from the third mixer and a signal output from the fourth mixer and to output a second demodulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Shingo Sakamoto, Kotaro Murakami
  • Patent number: 8174333
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a transmission circuit and related method of shaping the transmission spectrum of a carrier signal. The transmission circuit may comprise a plurality of switching amplifier stages that are controlled by a modulation sequence produced by a transmission (TX) modulator. The TX modulator may receive the transmission data as a sequence of bit groups and may produce a modulation sequence including a plurality of control bits that may drive each of the switching amplifier stages. In some embodiments, one or more pulse-shaping filters may modify in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) phase components of the transmission data. The modified components may directly shape spectral content of the output signal produced by a transmission driving circuit. Higher quantities of amplifier stages included in the transmission driving circuit may add higher granularity to the shape of the spectrum of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Norbert Philips, Steven Mark Thoen
  • Patent number: 8169272
    Abstract: A multi-phase pulse-modulated polar transmitter and a method of generating a pulse-modulated envelope signal carrying modulated RF signal. Multi-phase pulse modulation technique or similar multi-phase pulse modulation techniques are employed in conjunction with a plurality of power amplifiers to enhance the bandwidth of the transmitter and to reduce out-of-band emissions and noises while easily synchronizing the phase and envelope of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Jau-Horng Chen, Yi-Jan Emery Chen
  • Patent number: 8164394
    Abstract: Provided is a modulation apparatus that outputs an output signal having a designated amplitude and a designated phase, comprising a first variable delay section that outputs a first delayed signal obtained by delaying a periodic signal by a set delay time; a second variable delay section that outputs a second delayed signal obtained by delaying the periodic signal by a set delay time; an adding section that adds together the first delayed signal and the second delayed signal, and outputs the result as the output signal; and a setting section that sets the delay times for the first variable delay section and the second variable delay section according to the designated amplitude and the designated phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8164395
    Abstract: A signal modulator that can control transmission power if level adjustment of a continuous signal from an oscillator is executed is provided. A pulse generator of one example of a signal modulator includes an oscillator, a control signal generator, a multiplier, a filter, and a control section. The oscillator and the multiplier are active circuits formed of active elements. A continuous signal is output from the oscillator and is input to the multiplier and the multiplier intermittently operates by a control signal output from the control signal generator, whereby a pulse signal is generated and the power level is easily adjusted by a signal from the control section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Kobayashi, Michiaki Matsuo, Junji Sato
  • Patent number: 8159288
    Abstract: A low power BPSK demodulator having a simple architecture, compact design and reliable is provided. The BPSK demodulator includes a first branch (210) having a first mixer (212) and a first low pass filter (214), a second branch (220) coupled to the first branch at the output of the first low pass filter (214) and input of the first mixer (212) and having a second mixer (222), and a third branch (230) coupled to the second branch at the input and output of the second mixer (222) and having a third mixer (232) a second low pass filter (234) and a voltage control oscillator (236), wherein the third branch and the second branch form a charge pumped based phase lock loop that locks onto a carrier frequency of the BPSK demodulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: Zhenying Luo, Sameer Sonkusale
  • Patent number: 8160264
    Abstract: A transfer function estimating device for estimating a transfer function of a sound, includes: a sound receiving module receiving a sound from a given sound source and converting the sound into a tone signal; a storage module storing first transfer functions of the sound propagating from the given sound source to the sound receiving module and transformation coefficients for converting the first transfer functions into given second transfer functions so as to associate with each other; a reference tone signal acquiring module acquiring a reference tone signal of the sound source; an acquiring module acquiring a transfer function of the sound received by the sound receiving module on the basis of the tone signal and the reference tone signal; a specifying module acquiring a cross-correlation value between the transfer function acquired by the acquiring module and each of the first transfer functions stored in the storage module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Taisuke Itou, Naoshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8159291
    Abstract: An RFID reader device (31), of the type comprising a demodulator (6) for receiving from a RFID tag (11) an AM (Amplitude Modulation) wave (20) having a predetermined frequency (f) and for retrieving, from the AM wave (20), a demodulated output (6a) associated to predetermined positive or negative Amplitudes of said AM wave (20), said demodulated output having a portion with a frequency F. The AM demodulation system comprises at least a second demodulator (26) for receiving the AM wave (20) and retrieving a second demodulated output (26a) associated to Amplitudes opposite to the predetermined positive or negative Amplitudes, said second demodulated output having a portion with said frequency F; the RFID reader includes a block (27) having, in input, the demodulated output (6a) and the second demodulated output (26a) and returning, in output, an enforced demodulated output (30) with a portion with frequency (f1) doubled with respect to said frequency (F).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Datamars S.A.
    Inventor: Aydin Arrigo
  • Patent number: 8159290
    Abstract: Provided is a test apparatus for testing a device under test that outputs, as an output signal, an amplitude-phase modulated signal having a level and a transition point phase selected from among a plurality of levels and a plurality of phases according to transmission data, the test apparatus comprising a comparing section that compares the output signal to a first comparison level, which is less than the expected level, before the expected phase, and compares the output signal to a second comparison level, which is greater than the expected level, and to a third comparison level, which is less than the expected level, after the expected phase; and a judging section that judges that the output signal matches the expected values on a condition that (i) the output signal is less than or equal to the first comparison level before the expected phase and (ii) the output signal is less than or equal to the second comparison level and greater than or equal to the third comparison level after the expected phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Okayasu
  • Patent number: 8159309
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to using windowing to reduce the bandwidth of an amplitude modulation (AM) power supply input signal (PSIS), which is fed to an AM power supply to provide envelope power to an RF power amplifier stage via an AM power supply output signal. By reducing the bandwidth, noise levels from the AM power supply may be reduced. However, although the bandwidth of the AM PSIS is reduced, the AM power supply output signal may track the AM of the RF power amplifier stage closely enough to meet linearity requirements and to provide high efficiency. The windowing may be based on dividing a stream of AM input samples into a stream of input windows, from which a stream of output windows is created to provide a stream of windowed AM input samples that are used to provide a windowed AM PSIS to the AM power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, David Reed
  • Patent number: 8155414
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods of in-vivo varix detection. For example, a system may include a processor to automatically detect a varix in an in-vivo image. The processor may automatically identify a protrusion into a lumen of a gastro-intestinal tract. The processor may automatically identify substantially blue areas of the protrusion. The processor may generate an indication to a user that a varix was detected in an in-vivo image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Given Imaging Ltd.
    Inventor: Daniel Shmuel Afik
  • Patent number: 8154358
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a circuit device includes a pulse edge control circuit to receive at least one pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal from a PWM source. The pulse edge control circuit is adapted to selectively invert and swap the at least one PWM signal with a logic-inverted duty-cycle complement of the at least one PWM signal at discrete time intervals to produce at least one modulated PWM signal having a changed power spectrum. The pulse edge control circuit provides the at least one modulated PWM signal to at least one output of the pulse edge control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Beale, John Khoury