Patents Examined by Joseph Lauture
  • Patent number: 9054735
    Abstract: A method for encoding using a variable length coding is provided, which includes at an encoding system, determining variable length codes for coding a data set to be encoded, dividing a corresponding code corresponding to a specific data included in the data set into a first partial code and a second partial code and storing the divided first and second partial codes at the encoding system, and compressing a first partial code, which is a set of the first partial code, and storing the compressed result at the encoding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Fingram Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young Cheul Wee
  • Patent number: 9054720
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a system, an apparatus and a method are presented that relate to determining and correcting signal imbalances between output samples of an analog-to-digital (A-D) converter array (that may be implemented as part of a wideband ADC). A statistic module and correction module are associated with the A-D converter array. The statistic module is configured to receive digital samples from the plurality of A-D converters, and generate a statistical sample value for each A-D converter using a set of digital samples received therefrom. The correction module is configured to, for at least one of the plurality of A-D converters, determine an offset value by comparing the statistical sample value for the at least one of the plurality of A-D converters with a reference value, and apply the offset value to a digital sample from that at least one A-D converter to generate a corrected digital sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas P. Cowley, Isaac Ali
  • Patent number: 9054721
    Abstract: Systems and methods of calibrating a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are disclosed. A plurality of capacitor stages, a first capacitor array, and a first capacitor stage are coupled in parallel. A capacitance of the first capacitor stage is compared to a sum of capacitances of the plurality of capacitor stages and of the first capacitor array. In response to the comparing, the capacitance of the first capacitor stage is increased by increasing the capacitance of a second capacitor array if the capacitance of the first capacitor stage is less than the sum of the capacitances of the plurality of capacitor stages and of the first capacitor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Li, Weiqi Ding, Yanjing Ke
  • 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: 9048857
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter circuit includes a plurality of conversion stages that are cascaded to be coupled in series. Each of the plurality of conversion stages includes a signal holding circuit configured to hold an input voltage, an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the input voltage into a digital signal based on a first reference voltage, a digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a first voltage according to the digital signal, the first reference voltage, and the input voltage, an amplifier configured to amplify the first voltage to generate an output voltage, and a reference holding circuit configured to hold a holding voltage that is in proportion to the first reference voltage. The amplifier is coupled to the reference holding circuit to receive and amplify the holding voltage to generate a second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ide
  • Patent number: 9044614
    Abstract: A successive approximation ADC made of a low voltage configurable differential amplifier and low voltage logic circuits which can convert a high voltage analog input to a digital equivalent. The differential amplifier can be configured as either an op amp or a comparator depending upon the mode of operation. An input capacitor C1 is switchably coupled to an electrode selected for voltage sampling. A switched capacitor array C2 is coupled across the differential amplifier input and output. A SAR coupled to the switched capacitor array provides a digital output corresponding to the sampled analog voltage. During a sampling interval and a charge transfer interval, the differential amplifier is configured as an op amp. During the transfer interval, the voltage on the input capacitor multiplied by the ratio C1/C2 is transferred to the switched capacitor array. During an analog to digital conversion interval, the ADC converts the analog voltage to an equivalent digital output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research
    Inventor: Edward K. F. Lee
  • Patent number: 9048856
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed such as those that operate to encode data bits transmitted on a plurality of channels according to at least one of multiple Data Bus Inversion (DBI) algorithms. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy M. Hollis
  • Patent number: 9041567
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, method, and data structure for compressing an input data stream. A determination is made of consecutive data units in the input data stream that match consecutive data units in a history buffer. A copy pointer symbol indicates a copy pointer symbol referencing previously received data units in the history buffer. A determination is made of a relative displacement count in the history buffer at which the number of matching consecutive data units start. A determination is made of a range of relative displacement counts comprising one of a plurality of ranges of displacement counts including the determined relative displacement count. A determination is made of the encoding scheme associated with the determined range. An encoding of the relative displacement count is determined from the determined encoding scheme. The determined encoding of the relative displacement count is indicated in the copy pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Glen A. Jaquette
  • Patent number: 9030344
    Abstract: A system includes a pipeline analog-to-digital converter as a first stage to process an input signal, and a successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter as a second stage to process the input signal. The SAR analog-to-digital converter includes a power adjustment element to adjust a reference voltage of the SAR analog-to-digital converter to match a full scale voltage of the pipeline-analog-to-digital converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Ying Chen, Wei-Ta Shih, Rong Wu, Young Shin, Karthik Raviprakash, Tao Wang, Chia-Jen Hsu, Tianwei Li
  • Patent number: 9019134
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for reading a file into a universal representation and translating from that universal representation into various file formats. For example, a method according to one embodiment comprises: reading compressed audio data from a first audio file, the first audio file comprising audio data compressed using a first compression algorithm and bookkeeping data having a first format, the bookkeeping data specifying a location of the compressed audio data within the first audio file; and generating a universal representation of the first audio file without decompressing and recompressing the audio data, the universal representation having bookkeeping data of a second format specifying the location of compressed audio data within the universal representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Walker J. Eagleston, Kazuhisa Ohta, Takayuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9019136
    Abstract: A sigma-delta modulator is provided for generating a digital output signal. The sigma-delta modulator is used to generate a digital output signal. The sigma-delta modulator includes a multi-stage loop filter and a quantizer. The multi-stage loop filter receives an analog input signal and generates an integrated output signal according to the analog input signal. The quantizer is coupled to the multi-stage loop filter. The quantizer receives the integrated output signal and quantizes the integrated output signal to generate the digital output signal. Different feed-forward paths of the sigma-delta modulator are available for different frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Chen-Yen Ho, Hung-Chieh Tsai, Yu-Hsin Lin
  • Patent number: 9007241
    Abstract: A method for encoding a reduced polar code is disclosed. The method generally includes steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may generate the intermediate codeword by polar code encoding input data. Step (B) may remove one or more bits from one of (i) a first part of the intermediate codeword and (ii) a second part of the intermediate codeword. Step (C) may generate an output codeword by concatenating the first part of the intermediate codeword with the second part of the intermediate codeword after the bits are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: AbdelHakim S. Alhussien, Erich F. Haratsch, Yue Li
  • Patent number: 8994570
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter employs one or more reference ladders for generating reference voltages with which to compare the analog signal for quantization. Selected impedances of the reference ladder can be dynamically decoupled from the input signal in dependence on the value of the output signal in order to reduce headroom in the reference ladders, thus making possible accurate quantization in low-voltage applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited
    Inventor: Hashem Zare-Hoseini
  • Patent number: 8994568
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling supply voltage for a successive approximation register analog to digital converter and comparator common mode voltage. The method comprises: measuring a successive approximation register conversion time; comparing the successive approximation register conversion time with a desired conversion time; and if necessary, performing a closed loop adjustment of at least one of the supply and/or comparator common mode voltage. The apparatus consists of a common mode voltage and regulator correction module. The common mode voltage and regulator correction module includes a phase frequency detector, a charge pump and may include a transconductance cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Karthik Nagarajan, Dinesh J Alladi
  • Patent number: 8994563
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method for operating a signal converter includes converting an analog input signal to a digital output signal, comprising by comparing the analog input signal to an analog comparison signal, and detecting whether the analog input signal exceeds a predetermined maximum or minimum threshold by comparing the analog input signal to an analog threshold signal. The analog comparison signal and the analog threshold signal are generated by a same digital-to-analog converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Heimo Hartlieb, Clemens Kain, Michael Hausmann
  • Patent number: 8988265
    Abstract: A comparison circuit is provided and includes first and second comparators and a first time-to-digital comparator. The first comparator with a first offset voltage receives an input signal and generates a first comparison signal and a first inverse comparison signal. The second comparator receives the input signal and generates a second comparison signal and a second inverse comparison signal. The first offset voltage is larger than the second offset voltage. The first time-to-digital comparator receives the first comparison signal and the second inverse comparison signal and generates first and second determination signals according to the first comparison signal and the second inverse comparison signal. The first and second determination signals indicate whether a voltage of the input signal is larger than a first middle voltage. The first middle voltage is equal to a half of the sum of the first offset voltage and the second offset voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventor: Yun-Shiang Shu
  • Patent number: 8981980
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a mechanism by which digital signals can be converted to analog signals with an efficient structure that reduces the number of filters required by providing a mechanism for cancelling images that would otherwise be generated. By adjusting three parameters in the system, a selection can be made as to whether to generate upper sidebands, lower sidebands and in which direction the envelope of the output from the system will be skewed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Branislav Petrovic
  • Patent number: 8976048
    Abstract: A method of decoding Huffman-encoded data may comprise receiving a symbol associated with the Huffman encoded data, selecting a target group for the symbol based on a bit length value associated with the symbol, associating the symbol with the target group, associating the symbol with a code, and incrementing a starting code for each of a plurality of groups associated with a starting code that is equal to or greater than the starting code of the target group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Adavanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Winthrop J. Wu
  • Patent number: 8976049
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to storing sequence read data. The invention can involve obtaining a plurality of sequence reads from a sample, identifying one or more sets of duplicative sequence reads within the plurality of sequence reads, and storing only one of the sequence reads from each set of duplicative sequence reads in a text file using nucleotide characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Good Start Genetics, Inc.
    Inventors: Caleb Kennedy, Niru Chennagiri
  • Patent number: 8976053
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for a Vernier ring time to digital converter having a single clock input and an all digital circuit that calculates a fixed delay relationship between a set of slow buffers and fast buffers. A method for calibrating a Vernier Delay Line of a TDC, comprising the steps of inputting a reference clock to a slow buffer and to a fast buffer, determining a delay ratio of the slow buffer and fast buffer; and adjusting the delay ratio of the slow buffer and fast buffer to a fixed delay ratio value wherein an up-down accumulator generates control signals to adjust the slow buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Amlogic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weicheng Zhang, Ming Shi, Wei-Hua Zou, Shu-Sun Yu, Chieh-Yuan Chao