Patents by Inventor Alexander G. MacInnis

Alexander G. MacInnis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8665735
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for quality of service management in a multi-standard mesh of networks are provided. In a wireless mobile communication device (WMCD) enabled to communicate utilizing a variety of communication networks, QoS information, such as latency, available bandwidth, and/or throughput, communicated to the WMCD may enable the coordination of data transfers to and/or from the WMCD. In this regard, the WMCD and each of the networks may comprise a QoS management entity. A QoS management entity may be enabled to poll other QoS management entities to discover QoS information. Similarly, a QoS management entity may be enabled to receive QoS information broadcast by other QoS management entities. A QoS management entity may enable selecting a network and/or communication protocol for the transmission and/or reception of data based on exchanged QoS information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: John Walley, Arya Behzad, Mark Buer, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Alexander G. MacInnis, Thomas Quigley
  • Patent number: 8659608
    Abstract: A video and graphics system on an integrated circuit chip includes an integrated system bridge controller to interface a CPU with devices internal to the system as well as external peripheral devices. The system bridge controller is capable of performing format conversion between big-endian data and little-endian data. The system bridge controller includes a PCI bridge to interface with PCI devices, an I/O bus bridge to interface with I/O devices such as RAM, ROM, flash memory and 68000-compatible peripheral devices, and a CPU interface block to interface the CPU to video processing devices on the integrated circuit chip such as an MPEG video decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Publication number: 20140016608
    Abstract: A wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may discover available networks, and available local and/or remote resources. The WMC device may configure routes utilizing one or more of discovered resources and one or more available networks. The routes may be utilized to performed operations requested via the WMC device. A standardized language and/or protocol may be utilized in discovering and/or communicating with available resources and/or networks. The standardized language and/or protocol may enable commonality among the discovered networks and/or resources, and encryption of data communicated through the established routes. The standardized language and/or protocol may be updated and/or modified to incorporate new resources either by direct interactions between said new resources and the WMC device, or via existing available resources and/or networks. The discovery of resources and/or establishment of routes may be user-triggered, or it may be based on user preference information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Buer, Thomas Quigley, Alexander G. MacInnis, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley
  • Patent number: 8619730
    Abstract: A Wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may maintain user preference information, which is unique to the WMC device capabilities and the device user. WMC devices located in near proximity of each other may be enabled to form an ad hoc wireless network wherein each WMC device within the network may function as a router for other devices. Utilizing such routing capability within an ad hoc wireless network may allow WMC devices that are out of their wireless coverage area to use other WMC devices within such ad hoc wireless network to route any impending communication through such other WMC devices wherein these devices may have wireless connectivity to their coverage networks. WMC devices that are may have external connectivity may be enable to be selective in routing information and/or data from other WMC devices in the ad hoc network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Quigley, Alexander G. MacInnis, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley, Mark Buer
  • Patent number: 8582031
    Abstract: Systems and methods that transmit and display progressive video with hints for interlaced display are provided. The systems and methods may find use in, for example, digital video compression systems. In one embodiment, a system or a method encodes video by following the native frame rate of the source material and, if desirable, embeds hint information for interlaced display into the coded bitstream. Presentation times for coded pictures may be generated using the hint information. The hint information may be used or ignored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman (Xuemin) Chen, Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8582591
    Abstract: Wireless mobile communication (WMC) devices located in operating proximity of each other may be enabled to form a mesh (ad hoc wireless) network. WMC devices in a mesh network may form a queuing system wherein each WMC device may store data forwarded to and/or from other WMC devices in the mesh network. Each WMC device in the mesh network may have different queuing capability based on a plurality of factors that may comprise internal factors such as processing, storage, power, and/or connectivity. The mesh network may comprise an internal addressing scheme that may enable utilization of the queuing system whether or not WMC devices in the mesh network are communicatively coupled to external networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Thomas Quigley, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley, Mark Buer
  • Patent number: 8582643
    Abstract: Presented herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus for an integrated circuit with conversion capabilities for transferring data to a portable media player. In one embodiment, there is presented an integrated circuit for providing video data. The integrated circuit comprises at least one input, at least one output, an encoder, and at least another output. At least one input receives video data. At least one output provides the video data to a display screen. The encoder encodes the video data into a particular compressed format. The at least another output for provides the video data in the particular compressed format to an interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8559797
    Abstract: A system and method for personal video recording (PVR) is provided for recording digitally encoded streams, and for playing back and decoding the recorded streams. The PVR system may receive the digitally encoded streams from a digital cable box or a network server. The system enables trick modes including fast forward and reverse mode displays at various speeds. The system an method for PVR may also be applied to digitally encoded streams without I-pictures, such as, for example, progressive refresh streams or HITS streams. Reverse decode and display may be implemented by starting at a suitable entry point, decoding quickly up to the point of the desired picture, and displaying the result, and repeating the process. Index tables of entry points may be used for proper operation in some modes where the entry points are entry pictures (E-pictures) which start a pattern of progressively refreshing I-slices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Publication number: 20130266073
    Abstract: Methods for removing redundancies in a video stream based on efficient pre-transmission detection of static portions of the video stream. In one embodiment supporting wireless transmission of a video stream having a series of video frames, a mathematical operation (such as a hash function, summing operation or CRC) is performed on (1) a (reconstructed) data block(s) of a video frame in order to generate a first check value and (2) a co-located data block(s) of a second, sequential video frame in order to generate a second check value. The first and second check values are compared to detect static video content in the video stream. When static video content in a video stream is detected, the static nature of the content is indicated in the compressed bit stream and the amount of wirelessly transmitted data corresponding to the static portions of the video stream may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Murat Mese, Brima B. Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 8553155
    Abstract: A system and method for improved comb filtering. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise method steps and system components that generate a signal indicative of the quality of a field-combed signal. A first signal indicative of inter-field and inter-line signal difference substantially inside the chroma frequency band may be generated. An indication of field comb quality may be determined based at least in-part on the first signal, and a corresponding signal may be generated. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise method steps and system components that generate a comb-filtered signal. A field comb signal and line comb signal may be generated. A comb-filtered signal may be generated based on the field comb signal, line comb signal, and the signal indicative of the field comb quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8553623
    Abstract: A wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may discover available networks, and available local and/or remote resources. The WMC device may configure routes utilizing one or more of discovered resources and one or more available networks. The routes may be utilized to performed operations requested via the WMC device. A standardized language and/or protocol may be utilized in discovering and/or communicating with available resources and/or networks. The standardized language and/or protocol may enable commonality among the discovered networks and/or resources, and encryption of data communicated through the established routes. The standardized language and/or protocol may be updated and/or modified to incorporate new resources either by direct interactions between the new resources and the WMC device, or via existing available resources and/or networks. The discovery of resources and/or establishment of routes may be user-triggered, or it may be based on user preference information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Buer, Thomas Quigley, Alexander G. MacInnis, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley
  • Patent number: 8516026
    Abstract: A filter engine that performs filtering operations on an input data stream comprising blocks of data. The filter engine includes a first memory element, a second memory element, a first shift register, a second shift register and a processor. The first and second memory elements store blocks of data to be processed. The first shift register receives and stores blocks of data from the first memory element. The second shift register receives and stores blocks of data from the second memory element. The first and second shift registers are adapted to selectively shift their contents by a predetermined number of bits corresponding to the size of a data element, such as a pixel. The processor receives blocks of data from the first and second shift registers and simultaneously performs filtering operations on blocks of data from the first and second shift registers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Vivian Hsiun
  • Patent number: 8493415
    Abstract: A method for processing video data includes performing by one or more processors and/or circuits in a video processing device, the one or more processors and/or circuits including a video scaler, a memory, and a scaler engine, functions including receiving a video image by the video processing device. The functions also include determining whether the video scaler requires less memory bandwidth to scale the video image before writing the video image to the memory or after reading the video image from the memory, and scaling the video image based on the determination. If the video scaler requires less memory bandwidth to scale the video image before writing the video image to the memory, performing by the one or more processors and/or circuits scaling of the video image in the video scaler using a video input clock of the video scaler to generate a first scaled video image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Xiaodong Xie, James T. Patterson, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Patent number: 8451908
    Abstract: Presented herein is a system and method for decoding flexibly ordered macroblocks. Slice groups are received, wherein the slice groups comprise non-contiguous macroblocks with respect to raster scan order. Each macroblock is associated with a particular context which serially provides each macroblock to a processor for decoding. The decoder selectively decodes the macroblock from the first context or second context, depending on which context includes the next macroblock in raster scan order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8453187
    Abstract: A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise transmitting a first video information stream representative of a unit of video information. For example, the transmitted first video information stream may correspond to a video channel. A second video information stream representative of the unit of video information may be transmitted simultaneously with the first video information stream. The second video information stream may also, for example, correspond to the video channel. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a plurality of simultaneously transmitted video information streams. A video information stream of the plurality of received video information streams may be identified that, when processed, is expected to result in the lowest latency in presenting the unit of video information to the user. The identified video information stream may then be so processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8441573
    Abstract: Systems and methods of coding progressive content with isolated fields for conversion to interlaced display are provided. Some systems and methods may find use in, for example, digital video compression systems and methods. Film material may be encoded as video material with an intended field polarity and an explicit 3:2 pull-down operation for interlaced display (e.g., a 30-frames-per-second display).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Sherman (Xuemin) Chen, Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Patent number: 8390635
    Abstract: A graphics display system integrated circuit processes analog video input, digital video input, and graphics input. The system incorporates a graphics accelerator that includes memory for graphics data. The accelerator preferably includes a coprocessor for performing vector type operations on a plurality of components of one pixel of the graphics data. The accelerator also includes an expanded instruction set for storing and loading data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Xiaodong Xie, James T. Patterson, Greg A. Kranawetter
  • Publication number: 20130022105
    Abstract: System and method for decoding digital video data. The decoding system employs hardware accelerators that assist a core processor in performing selected decoding tasks. The hardware accelerators are configurable to support a plurality of existing and future encoding/decoding formats. The accelerators are configurable to support substantially any existing or future encoding/decoding formats that fall into the general class of DCT-based, entropy decoded, block-motion-compensated compression algorithms. The hardware accelerators illustratively comprise a programmable entropy decoder, an inverse quantization module, a inverse discrete cosine transform module, a pixel filter, a motion compensation module and a de-blocking filter. The hardware accelerators function in a decoding pipeline wherein at any given stage in the pipeline, while a given function is being performed on a given macroblock, the next macroblock in the data stream is being worked on by the previous function in the pipeline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Jose' R. Alvarez, Sheng Zhong, Xiaodong Xie, Vivian Hsiun
  • Patent number: 8355706
    Abstract: A Wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may maintain user preference information, which is unique to the WMC device capabilities and the device user. The WMC device may modify and/or update the user preference information based on device use and information ascertained from applications running on the WMC device itself; for example scheduling applications. The user preference information may be utilized to create context data tags for generated data on the WMC device. Context data tags may comprise such information as time/date stamping, subject information, and/or location information. The context data tags may be utilized to tag the generated data, enabling continuous and improved cataloging. Improved cataloging may enable improved searchability of tagged data. Tagged data alternatively and/or additionally may be transferred and stored in a remote device for improved and secure back-up storage. The remote device may utilize context data tags for cataloging and storing received data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Quigley, Alexander G. MacInnis, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley, Mark Buer
  • Patent number: 8345591
    Abstract: A wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may be determine a quality of service (QOS) required to communicate data. The WMC device may utilize a plurality of physical layers available in the WMC device to retain the QOS throughout the data communication. The physical layers may comprise a plurality of wireless technologies and/or a plurality of transmission power levels within each wireless technology. Selection of physical layers that may be utilized may comprise determination of available QOS through the physical layers, available power in the WMC device, and/or power requirement for communicating data via the physical layers. Data encoding may also be utilized to alter size of communicated data while retaining the required QOS. Data encoding may comprise utilizing encoding schemes, data compression, and/or redundancy bits. A set of deadlines may be utilized to enable switching between available physical layers to ensure maintaining and/or achieving required QOS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Thomas Quigley, Arya Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, John Walley, Mark Buer