Patents Examined by Simon D Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8194587
    Abstract: A wireless network infrastructure supporting a plurality of wireless end point devices containing a wireless access point and a plurality of end point wireless devices that supports single transmission and reception and/or concurrent interfering transmission and reception. The wireless access point transmits data to the end point wireless devices that supports single transmission and reception during a first portion of a first data transmission period and simultaneously transmits data to the end point wireless devices that supports concurrent interfering transmission and reception during a second portion of the first data transmission period. The wireless access point simultaneously receives data from the end point wireless devices that supports concurrent interfering transmission and reception during a second data transmission period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: James D. Bennett
  • Patent number: 8170513
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and demodulating data transmissions in wireless communication systems. In one aspect, a decision-directed detector detects for data transmissions in a received signal by utilizing received data symbols as well as received pilot symbols. The decision-directed detector may be designed to perform differential detection in the frequency domain or coherent detection in the time domain, and may be used with multi-carrier modulation (e.g., OFDM). In another aspect, an adaptive threshold is used to perform detection of received data transmissions. A threshold may be determined for each data transmission hypothesized to have been received. The threshold may be computed, for example, based on the signal plus noise energy of the hypothesized data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, Mark S. Wallace
  • Patent number: 8145179
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and demodulating data transmissions in wireless communication systems are presented. In one aspect, a decision-directed detector detects for data transmissions in a received signal by utilizing received data symbols as well as received pilot symbols. The decision-directed detector may be designed to perform differential detection in the frequency domain or coherent detection in the time domain, and may be used with multi-carrier modulation (e.g., OFDM). In another aspect, an adaptive threshold is used to perform detection of received data transmissions. A threshold may be determined for each data transmission hypothesized to have been received. The threshold may be computed, for example, based on the signal plus noise energy of the hypothesized data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: J. Rodney Walton, Mark S. Wallace
  • Patent number: 8103229
    Abstract: A multimode communication device with a shared signal path programmable filter and a method for utilizing a shared signal path programmable filter in a multimode communication device. Various aspects of the present invention comprise a first module adapted to receive a first communication signal (e.g., corresponding to a first communication protocol) and a second module adapted to receive a second communication signal (e.g., corresponding to a second communication protocol). A shared filter, communicatively coupled to the first and second modules, may be adapted to filter the first and/or second communication signals in accordance with a plurality of selectable sets of filter response characteristics (e.g., associated with the first and second communication protocols). A filter control module may be adapted to select a set of filter response characteristics from a plurality of such sets and program the shared filter to filter a communication signal in accordance with the selected set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Arya Behzad, Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8090332
    Abstract: A tracking filter for attenuating out-of-band signals and adjacent channel signals in a receiver is described. In one exemplary design, an apparatus includes a tracking filter, an LNA, and a downconverter. The tracking filter includes a summer, a filter, and an upconverter. The summer subtracts a feedback signal from an input signal and provides a first signal. The LNA amplifies the first signal and provides a second signal. The downconverter frequency downconverts the second signal and provides an output signal. The filter filters (e.g., differentiates) the output signal and provides a third signal. The filter blocks a desired signal and passes out-of-band signal components. The upconverter frequency upconverts the third signal and provides a fourth signal from which the feedback signal is derived. The tracking filter has an equivalent bandpass filter response and a variable center frequency determined based on the frequency of the desired signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM, Incorporated
    Inventors: Gurkanwal Singh Sahota, Chiewcharn Narathong, Ravi Sridhara
  • Patent number: 8054768
    Abstract: Method of and system for transmitting signals, e.g. control signals, request signals, interrogation signals etc. to a node in the form of a controllable unit associated with a device, e.g. a controllable device, measuring means, etc. and wherein said controllable unit may be linked to at least one further node by means of a communication bus, at least one of said nodes comprising radio frequency receiving means, said method comprising the steps of a) transmitting a signal from a controller, b) reception of said signal by at least said node comprising radio frequency receiving means, c) detection of at least part of said signal indicating a destination node, and d) retransmittal of said signal or part of said signal by said more comprising radio frequency receiving means to said destination node via said communication bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignees: Homecontrol A/S, Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Martin Sandal Neilsen, Erik Bundsbaek Mouridsen, Henning Sorensen, Jakob Trelborg
  • Patent number: 8041317
    Abstract: A system includes a radio frequency transceiver. A baseband processor includes an automatic gain control module. The automatic gain control module has a gain that changes from and subsequently returns to a predetermined value each time the radio frequency transceiver receives a radio frequency signal. The baseband processor is configured to selectively generate an interrupt signal each time a radio frequency signal is received based on a magnitude of the change in the gain of the automatic gain control module and a length of time in which the gain returns to the predetermined value. A control module is configured to identify a radio frequency signal received by the radio frequency transceiver as a radar signal in response to the baseband processor having generated a plurality of interrupt signals at substantially equal time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Milind Kopikare, Hui Yao Lin, James Yee, Chuong Vu
  • Patent number: 8023904
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for scheduling mobile stations (MSs) to download data to and/or to control the rate of downloading to an MS from a base station (BS) as a function of downlink channel condition information are described. Artificial channel variations, which can be measured at the MS, and feedback to a BS for scheduling purposes, are introduced through the use of two or more transmitter antennas at a BS. Each of the antennas transmits a signal at the same frequency having the same information content, e.g., modulated data. However the signals are made to differ with time in their phase and/or amplitude. Multiple signals having the same transmission frequency and information content are received and interpreted as a single composite signal by a receiving MS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Pramod Viswanath, Rajiv Laroia, David N. C. Tse
  • Patent number: 8019310
    Abstract: Selectable sizes for a local oscillator (LO) buffer and mixer are disclosed. In an embodiment, LO buffer and/or mixer size may be increased when a receiver operates in a high gain mode, while LO buffer and/or mixer size may be decreased when the receiver operates in a low gain mode. In an embodiment, LO buffer and mixer sizes are increased and decreased in lock step. Circuit topologies and control schemes for specific embodiments of LO buffers and mixers having adjustable size are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Gurkanwal Singh Sahota, Frederic Bossu, Ojas M. Choksi
  • Patent number: 8014748
    Abstract: A communication system is enclosed. In one embodiment, the communication system includes a communication device configured to puts itself into an activated state or into a deactivated state at alternate times. The communication device receives time information in a first operating state of the activated state, takes the received time information as a basis for ascertaining the later time at which useful information is transmitted to the communication device, receives the useful information at the later time in a second operating state of the activated state, and with individual components of the communication device being able to be put into an activated state or into a deactivated state independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Xiaolei Shi, Guido Stromberg
  • Patent number: 8010074
    Abstract: A balanced mixer circuit (300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800) in a baseband receiver (202) includes an oscillator circuit (212), a mixer (214 and 215), a digital-to-analog converter (258 and 259) and a digital signal processor (250). The mixer includes CMOS devices (301, 302, 303 and 304). In response to differential outputs from the mixer, the digital signal processor controls the digital-to-analog converter to output bias voltages for the gate of at least one of the CMOS devices of the mixer to compensate for imbalance in the differential output of the mixer that may be caused by mismatch among two or more CMOS devices of the mixer or caused by other reasons, in order to increase second order intercept point of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Kaczman, Lawrence E. Connell, Joseph P. Golat, Manish N. Shah
  • Patent number: 8010045
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having an antenna, an asynchronous counter, and a circuit is provided. The antenna converts a carrier wave into an electrical signal. The asynchronous counter has a plurality of flip-flop circuits, each of which has a plurality of thin film transistors. Alternatively, each of the plurality of flip-flop circuits has a plurality of transistors each including a channel portion formed of single crystal silicon. The circuit generates a power supply voltage using the electrical signal and supplies the generated power supply voltage to the asynchronous counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 8005519
    Abstract: A communications device (125) and capacitor assembly (100) having a first capacitor electrode formed by a conductive keypad mount (110) coupled to a conductive part of a housing (120) of the communications device (125). The keypad mount (110) has keypad apertures (210) aligned with keys (140) of a keypad (145) and the conductive part of the housing (120) has an external housing covering insulator in the form of the window sub-housing (121). There is a circuit board (130) providing support for a second capacitor electrode (150). The circuit board (130) has an array of keypad actuators (135) aligned with the keys (140).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Kai Kang, Zheng-Zhuang Wang, Guang Ping Zhou
  • Patent number: 7970349
    Abstract: The present invention improves a system capacity and satisfaction rate with a quality of service in packet communications performed through a radio link established between a transmitting station and a receiving station by dynamically limiting transmission power of packets in the transmitting station and keeping an increase of an interference level in the receiving station, which belongs to another cell, within a TPC margin. The present invention includes a resource allocator 115 configured to set transmission power of packets in a next step period, by use of transmission power of packets in a preceding step period (slot) and an interference level of the receiving station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Lan Chen, Daisuke Kitazawa, Hidetoshi Kayama, Narumi Umeda
  • Patent number: 7969930
    Abstract: A wireless access point monitors a wireless wide area network (WWAN) reverse link (RL) channel assigned to a multi-mode wireless communication device identified by a wireless wide area network (WWAN) as positioned proximate a geographical area at least partially including a wireless local area network (WLAN) service area of the access point. The access point sends a device proximity message to the WWAN based on a WWAN RL signal transmitted by the multi-mode wireless communication device and received at the access point. The device proximity message may indicate a request to perform a WLAN acquisition procedure to establish WLAN service from the access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Amit Kalhan
  • Patent number: 7962107
    Abstract: In a transmission device including an RF power amplifier with less number of terminals for monitoring an input/output signal of the RF power amplifier, there are provided with an input signal detector detecting the input signal; an output signal detector detecting the output signal; a first power amplifier switch switching ON or OFF the power amplifier; a monitor terminal; and an RF switch selecting an input signal or output signal of the power amplifier to be transmitted to the monitor terminal, in association with the first power amplifier switch being switched ON or OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hideharu Shako, Takeshi Ohba, Tomoyoshi Nohira
  • Patent number: 7957331
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling bandwidth allocation in a wireless local area network (wLAN). The method comprises: expressing device bandwidth allocations in terms of a time base; in response to expressing the bandwidth allocation in terms of a time base, monitoring network communications; and, measuring the allocated bandwidths. The method may further comprise: establishing polling schedules in response to expressing the bandwidth allocation in terms of a time base; and, de-energizing devices in response to the polling schedules. Expressing device bandwidth allocations in terms of a time base includes establishing: an inter-transmission opportunity (TXOP) interval; and, a TXOP jitter. These fields are supplied in the IEEE 802.11e transmit specification (TSPEC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivas Kandala, John Kowalski, Yoshihiro Ohtani, Shugong Xu
  • Patent number: 7957762
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to sense proximity of an object and operate a proximity sensor of a portable device. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an ambient light sensor (ALS) output, and altering, based on the ALS output, an effect of a proximity sensor output on control of a proximity determination. The ALS sensor and the proximity sensor may be located adjacent to an earpiece of a portable device. In some cases, the proximity determination may be a proximity of an object to the proximity sensor, and altering the effect may include changing the proximity of the object from a proximity greater than a first threshold to a proximity less than the first threshold. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Herz, Roberto G. Yepez, Wayne C. Westerman, Steven P. Hotelling
  • Patent number: 7957707
    Abstract: A system (100, FIG. 1) performs digital pre-distortion using gain values stored in a lookup table (150). A method for performing digital pre-distortion includes identifying (310, FIG. 3) a lookup table entry, based on input data, and updating the lookup table entry by writing an updated gain value into the lookup table entry. In an embodiment, update tracking information corresponding to the lookup table entry may be updated (324) to indicate that the lookup table entry has been updated. Another embodiment includes identifying (412, FIG. 4) consecutive lookup table entries based on input data, determining (413) whether the consecutive lookup table entries have been previously updated, and performing (414) a weighted interpolation process to produce an output gain value. A previous gain value (158, FIG. 1) is used in the weighted interpolation process when at least one of the consecutive lookup table entries has not been updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Staudinger, George B. Norris
  • Patent number: RE42697
    Abstract: A network and method of operating a network of wireless service providers adapted to interact with a plurality of omni-modal wireless products within a given geographic area in a manner to permit the wireless service providers to “borrow” radio frequencies from other wireless service providers within the same geographic region. As a cellular service provider in a given region finds that one of its service areas or cells has become nearly or fully loaded, frequency could be borrowed from a competitor, such as a PCS provider serving the same region. Selected omni-modal wireless product users in the overloaded area would be told to switch their omni-modal to the “leased” frequency but to use the non-PCS communications protocol appropriate to the type of service desired by the user. Implementation of this method broadly within a given geographic region will have the effect of insuring that the available radio spectrum is used to its maximum capacity to serve the needs of the wireless users on a real time basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: MLR, LLC.
    Inventors: Joseph B. Sainton, Charles M. Leedom, Jr., Eric J. Robinson