Patents Examined by Pablo Tran
  • Patent number: 9632522
    Abstract: Current mirror bias circuit with voltage adjustment. A biasing system can include an input configured to receive an input current and an output configured to provide an output current. The biasing system can include a first transistor having a first base coupled to the input and a first collector coupled to a supply voltage. The biasing system can further include a second transistor having a second base coupled to the output, a second collector coupled to the input, and a second emitter coupled to a ground voltage. The biasing system can include a voltage adjustment component having a voltage adjustment input coupled to a first emitter of the first transistor and a voltage adjustment output coupled to the output. The voltage adjustment component can be configured to reduce a voltage from the voltage adjustment input to the voltage adjustment output substantially independent of a magnitude of a current through the voltage adjustment component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Tony Quaglietta
  • Patent number: 9634694
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for performing digital up-conversion of a signal to a desired RF carrier frequency. The system and method efficiently perform digital up-conversion of the signal, in one example, by controlling a sample clock that is used by a DAC to sample and convert the up-converted signal from the digital domain to the analog domain to have a frequency that is four or eight times the desired RF carrier frequency. By controlling the sample clock of the DAC to have a frequency that is four or eight times the desired RF carrier frequency, the system and method can be implemented using currently available IC process geometries such that the implementation consumes much less area and/or power than an analog up-converter configured to have equivalent up-conversion functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: David Money Harris, David Garrett, Bob Lorenz
  • Patent number: 9628250
    Abstract: An advanced digital beam forming technique is achieved that is capable of simultaneously forming multiple beams and attenuating the cross-pol component at multiple locations. The proposed invention, comprising a series of signal inputs, optimization loops and weighting processes, successfully eliminates the side effect of an increase of the cross-pol in the process of beam-forming, thus reducing potential interference. This technique utilizes the orthogonally polarized signal component which is already available and can minimize both the horizontally polarized and vertically polarized cross-pol at the same time. The complexity of computation can be reduced by using only part of the orthogonal polarized components in the optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Spatial Digital Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. D. Chang, Frank Lu, Yulan Sun
  • Patent number: 9628166
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication at a wireless communications device. The device may use several antennas to receive a signal, one of which may be shared between two radios. During signal reception, a radio may detect when the shared antenna is abruptly taken over by the other radio. The radio may detect the loss of the antenna by measuring an impedance mismatch. Alternatively, the radio may reference an antenna switch control that is used to facilitate the switch. After detection, the radio may recover from the antenna loss by adjusting signal processing. For example, the radio may modify a maximal ratio combining (MRC) operation. In certain examples, the device may disregard the signal version from the shared antenna in the computation of MRC weights. In some cases, the device may interrupt an MRC weight computation and use MRC weights from a previous calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sandip HomChaudhuri, Gangadhar Burra, Alireza Raissinia
  • Patent number: 9614570
    Abstract: A cellular-phone case having a retractable card holding structure, intended to hold a card in such a way that the card is put into or taken out from the case. The cellular-phone case includes a case body and a card holding means. The case body has a seating space to allow a cellular phone to be seated therein, with an outlet formed at a predetermined position on a back portion of the case body in such a way as to communicate with the seating space. The card holding means includes a support panel fitted into the outlet, the card being disposed on the support panel, and an actuating body provided on a side of the support panel so as to be locked to the outlet. The outlet is provided in the case body, and the card holding means is provided to move into and out of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Mark and Draw, LLC.
    Inventor: Teak Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 9614793
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for sharing and distributing content using a mobile client on a cellular telephone. The mobile client may transmit the shared content to a service portal and the service portal may distribute the shared content to client devices. The content may include images, audio, video, documents, and any other content a user desires to share using the cellular telephone. The mobile client may be configured to operate in a variety of sharing modes. In some of the sharing modes, the mobile client may perform certain functions automatically in response to the creation of new content. Each item of content may be shared and distributed to one or more social groups. Each social group may include one or more users. Each of the users in a social group may be associated with a client device and may be associated with another cellular telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Inventors: Gurminder Singh, Manoranjan D. Jesudoss
  • Patent number: 9615274
    Abstract: Small anechoic chambers for evaluating a wireless device under test (DUT) are characterized by a set of antennas to which a test signal is applied and for which excitation coefficients are applied such that the test signal approximates a single plane wave or a preselected superposition of plane waves in the near field of the antennas. The test-equipment antennas in the chamber may be as close as one wavelength from the boundary of a test zone in which the DUT is disposed. Hence, the test zone can be in the near field of the test-equipment antennas and the test zone can be less than a wavelength from the chamber walls. Consequently, it is possible to perform tests in a small anechoic chamber that previously required a large anechoic chamber, e.g., advanced spatial channel-model tests and antenna-pattern measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: AZIMUTH SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Thorkild Hansen
  • Patent number: 9608677
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for energy conversion. For example, the apparatus can include a trans-impedance node, a reactive element, and a trans-impedance circuit. The reactive element can be configured to transfer energy to the trans-impedance node. The trans-impedance circuit can be configured to receive one or more control signals and to dynamically adjust an impedance of the trans-impedance node. The trans-impedance node, as a result, can operate as an RF power switching supply based on the one or more control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: PARKER VISION, INC
    Inventors: Gregory S. Rawlins, David F. Sorrells
  • Patent number: 9590662
    Abstract: An apparatus interworking with a metal member used both as an antenna and a sensor element in a portable terminal is disclosed. The apparatus includes the metal member, responsive to a sensed body, and for transmitting and receiving a signal in at least one or more communication service bands, and a main board having a communication module for processing a signal transmitted and received by the metal member and a sensor module for obtaining information in response to the approach of a sensed body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gyu-Bok Park, Hee-Jun Lee, Cheol-Hong Son, Austin Kim, Joon-Ho Byun, Se-Hyun Park, Seong-Tae Jeong
  • Patent number: 9577609
    Abstract: A method of operating a single-tuner radio includes tuning into a first frequency. A pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency is detected. Tuning is switched from the first frequency to a second frequency. A signal quality metric for the second frequency is measured. Tuning is switched from the second frequency to the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Shree Jaisimha, Mohammad Kanji, Donald Thomas, Jason Hingerton
  • Patent number: 9552188
    Abstract: A media player device and method for receiving and playing a playlist is provided. The device has a transceiver to wirelessly send and receive communication, a memory, a control system connected to the memory and the transceiver, and at least one speaker to play the plurality of songs. The control system and method receive a command to log into an account before receiving a playlist, receive and display the playlist identifying a plurality of songs in a menu with context sensitive icons representing different functions, receive and display information associated with an artist from a currently playing song of the plurality of songs in the playlist, receive and display information on a related song that is from a genre similar to that of one of the currently playing song, and receive and display advertising. The method provides for the speaker to play the plurality of songs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Black Hills Media, LLC
    Inventors: Safi Qureshey, Daniel D. Sheppard
  • Patent number: 9549001
    Abstract: An electronic device and method for sourcing and/or constructing a playlist are provided. An assignment of a playlist identifying a plurality of songs is received. A plurality of devices from which the plurality of songs may be retrieved is determined. The availability of the plurality of devices is determined. At least one of the plurality of devices is connected to in order to to access at least one of the plurality of songs. Memory of the electronic device can be scanned for stored songs to incorporate into the playlist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Black Hills Media, LLC
    Inventors: Safi Qureshey, Daniel D. Sheppard
  • Patent number: 9543997
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes a mixer having a signal input port, a local oscillator input port and an output port, a lowpass filter circuit having an input coupled to the output port of the mixer and a terminal configured to be connected to a shunt capacitor, and a difference circuit having a first input coupled to the output port of the mixer, and a second input coupled to an output of the lowpass filter. The output of the difference circuit substantially rejects a DC signal component at the output port of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Johann Peter Forstner, Markus Ortner
  • Patent number: 9537456
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) amplification system or transmitter includes one or more power amplifiers and a controller that is configured to adjust amplitudes and phases of RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers and supply voltages applied to the one or more power amplifiers. The system may include a single digital-to-RF modulator and a power divider to drive multiple power amplifiers. A power combiner may also be provided to combine outputs of the power amplifiers. In at least one implementation, amplitude adjustment of the RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers may be used to provide transmit power control and/or power backoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Eta Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Briffa, Joel L. Dawson, David J. Perreault, Oguzhan Uyar
  • Patent number: 9521405
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that may include an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) module configured to automatically adjust the gain of a receiver, which is configured to receive a signal. The signal includes a number of commands, which have a characteristic command length and a characteristic command interval. The command length may have a substantially shorter duration than the command interval. The system may also include a slicer configured to interface to a command processor. The system includes a command processor communicatively coupled with the AGC module and/or the slicer for providing a notification to the AGC module and/or the slicer associated with the ends of the commands. The AGC module is configured to adjust the gain of the receiver and the slicer threshold voltage is updated when the notification is received from the command processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew G. Zocher, Richard D. Davis, Theron L. Jones, Luiz A. Razera, Jr., Robert R. Rotzoll
  • Patent number: 9515612
    Abstract: A parallel amplifier and an offset capacitance voltage control loop are disclosed. The parallel amplifier has a parallel amplifier output, which is coupled to an envelope tracking power supply output via an offset capacitive element. The offset capacitive element has an offset capacitive voltage. The offset capacitance voltage control loop regulates the offset capacitive voltage, which is adjustable on a communications slot-to-communications slot basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, Michael R. Kay, Manbir Singh Nag
  • Patent number: 9516482
    Abstract: Provided are a call request processing method and device. The method includes: obtaining state information of a second communication identification card located in a same terminal with a first communication identification card; processing a call request according to the state information, wherein the call request is used for calling the first communication identification card. According to the solution, the technical problem that because only one radio frequency transceiving chip is set in a dual-mode dual-card phone, if one card is in a communication state, a call to another card is easily lost is solved, thereby reducing call loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: ZTE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shihong Liu, Yu Zhang, Tie Tang, Zhengmiao Yang, Yongping Shao, Guolin Ding
  • Patent number: 9515690
    Abstract: A radio receiver has a front end having a shared amplification path for both radio frequency signals and intermediate frequency signals. In one example, the shared amplification path can include a low noise amplifier and an attenuator. By amplifying both radio frequency (RF) signals and intermediate frequency (IF) signals with the same shared amplification path, gains in power efficiency, and reductions in cost and circuit size can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Interstate Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: David Duane Chapman
  • Patent number: 9503143
    Abstract: An electronic device performs a method for controlling a transmission output based on an input mode entrance. The electronic device includes a display configured to detect an input and a processor configured to control a transmission output according to whether an input is detected by the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 9490752
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier system or transmitter includes one or more power amplifiers and a controller that is configured to adjust amplitudes and phases of RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers and supply voltages applied to the one or more power amplifiers. In embodiments where multiple power amplifiers are used, a combiner may be provided to combine outputs of the power amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ETA DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark A. Briffa, Joel L. Dawson, John E. DeRoo, Krenar Komoni, David J. Perreault, Oguzhan Uyar