Patents by Inventor Alfredo R. Linz

Alfredo R. Linz 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: 9209685
    Abstract: A variable resistance device may be used in a dimmer compatibility circuit to reduce power dissipation in an integrated circuit of the dimmer compatibility circuit. For example, the integrated circuit may include switches coupled to resistors external to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may operate the switches to commutate among the external resistors and select a voltage drop that reduces a voltage at a drain voltage of the switches. The reduced drain voltage reduces power dissipation in the switches and instead dissipates the power in the external resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Shatam Agarwal, Kan Wang
  • Publication number: 20150145438
    Abstract: A variable resistance device may be used in a dimmer compatibility circuit to reduce power dissipation in an integrated circuit of the dimmer compatibility circuit. For example, the integrated circuit may include switches coupled to resistors external to the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may operate the switches to commutate among the external resistors and select a voltage drop that reduces a voltage at a drain voltage of the switches. The reduced drain voltage reduces power dissipation in the switches and instead dissipates the power in the external resistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: CIRRUS LOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Shatam Agarwal, Kan Wang
  • Patent number: 8912734
    Abstract: A lighting system includes methods and systems to mix colors of light emitted from at least two LED emitters. In at least one embodiment, the lighting system includes a controller that responds to phase-cut angles of the dimming signal and correlates the phase-cut angles with a predetermined black body radiation function to dynamically adjust a color spectra of the mixed light in response to changes in phase cut angles of the phase-cut dimming level signal. In at least one embodiment, the controller utilizes the predetermined black body radiation function to dynamically adjust the color spectra of the mixed, emitted light in response to changes in phase cut angles of a phase-cut dimming level signal. In at least one embodiment, the predetermined black body radiation function specifies correlated color temperatures (CCTs) that model the CCTs of an actual non-LED based lamp, such as an incandescent lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Melanson, Alfredo R. Linz, Michael A. Kost, Sahil Singh
  • Patent number: 8823289
    Abstract: A lighting system includes one or more methods and systems to control the color spectrum of a lamp in response to both temperature and dim levels. In at least one embodiment, the lighting system includes a controller to control a correlated color temperature (CCT) and intensity of the lamp by independently adjusting currents to electronic light sources based on a dim level of the lighting system and temperature of the lighting system. The controller controls a first current to a first set of LEDs and a second current to a second set of LEDs. The control of the first current by the controller is jointly dependent on a dim level and temperature in the lighting system. In at least one embodiment, the control of the second current is dependent on the dim level or the dim level and temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Michael A. Kost, Sahil Singh
  • Publication number: 20120242242
    Abstract: A lighting system includes one or more methods and systems to control the color spectrum of a lamp in response to both temperature and dim levels. In at least one embodiment, the lighting system includes a controller to control a correlated color temperature (CCT) and intensity of the lamp by independently adjusting currents to electronic light sources based on a dim level of the lighting system and temperature of the lighting system. The controller controls a first current to a first set of LEDs and a second current to a second set of LEDs. The control of the first current by the controller is jointly dependent on a dim level and temperature in the lighting system. In at least one embodiment, the control of the second current is dependent on the dim level or the dim level and temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Michael A. Kost, Sahil Singh
  • Patent number: 6621831
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided. The method includes providing an enable signal to a configuration device for generating a preselected signal, providing the preselected signal to a peer station over a subscriber line, and adjusting a transmission path of a signal to the peer station through the subscriber line in response to the preselected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 6611564
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for delivering data within a frame to a peer station, the frame having at least a first and a second symbol. The method comprises determining whether the data in the first symbol is greater than or equal to a coding-gain threshold, loading at least a portion of the data within at least the second symbol in response to determining the data in the first symbol is greater than or equal to the coding-gain threshold to provide a new frame, and transmitting the new frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Terry L. Cole
  • Patent number: 6424674
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for supporting a plurality of user transceivers with a host transceiver. The method includes allocating at least one symbol of a DMT frame to a first user transceiver of the plurality of transceivers, providing a control signal from a second user transceiver of the plurality of transceivers to the host transceiver, allocating at least one symbol of the DMT frame to the second user transceiver in response to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Terry L. Cole, Vijayakumaran V. Nair
  • Patent number: 6272465
    Abstract: A monolithic integrated circuit for providing enhanced audio performance in personal computers. The monolithic circuit includes a wavetable synthesizer; a full function stereo coding and decoding circuit including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion; data compression, and mixing and muxing of analog signals; a local memory control module for interfacing with external memory; a game-MIDI port module; a system bus interface; and a control module for compatibility and circuit control functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry D. Hewitt, Jeffrey M. Blumenthal, Geoffrey E. Brehmer, Glen W. Brown, Carlin Dru Cabler, Ryan Feemster, David Guercio, Dale E. Gulick, Michael Hogan, Alfredo R. Linz, David Norris, Paul G. Schnizlein, Martin P. Soques, Michael E. Spak, David N. Suggs, Alan T. Torok
  • Patent number: 6219377
    Abstract: A method and modem is provided for communicating data using a plurality of tones. The modem includes an IFFT unit capable of providing a signal comprising a plurality of tones, an interpolator capable of interpolating the signal to produce an interpolated signal, and a tone adder capable of adding a tone having a first preselected frequency and the interpolated signal to produce an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Legerity, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 6061410
    Abstract: A communication system includes a data sampling rate converter that uses a closed-loop control arrangement to convert an input signal at a first sampling rate to a second, asynchronous, sampling rate without requiring extensive input buffering. A number of data registers in a first-in-first-out input buffer are used to receive and store data samples at the first rate and to pass the data samples from the input buffer at a controlled rate. The input buffer indicates the current capacity of the input buffer circuit for use by a frequency ratio estimation circuit, which is arranged to respond by providing an estimate of the actual ratio between the first rate and the second rate. A control circuit responds to the frequency ratio estimation circuit by generating the controlled rate at which the data samples are to be passed from the input buffer. In this manner, the data samples are passed from the input buffer at the controlled rate for processing and outputting the data at the second rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 6005901
    Abstract: A communication system includes a data sampling rate converter that uses a closed-loop control arrangement to convert an input signal at a first sampling rate to a second, asynchronous, sampling rate without requiring extensive output buffering. A small number of data registers in a first-in-first-out output buffer is used to receive and store computed data samples at a controlled rate and to pass these data samples to the output at a second rate. The output buffer indicates, the current capacity of the output buffer for use by a frequency ratio estimator, which is arranged to respond by providing an estimate of the actual ratio between the first rate and the second rate. A controller responds to the frequency ratio estimator by generating the controlled rate at which the computed data samples are to be passed to the output buffer. In this manner, the processed data samples are passed to the output buffer at the controlled rate and are output at the second rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 5659466
    Abstract: A digital wavetable audio synthesizer is described. The synthesizer can generate up to 32 high-quality audio digital signals or voices, including delay-based effects, at either a 44.1 KHz sample rate or at sample rates compatible with a prior art wavetable synthesizer. The synthesizer includes an address generator which has several modes of addressing wavetable data. The address generator's addressing rate controls the pitch of the synthesizer's output signal. The synthesizer performs a 10-bit interpolation, using the wavetable data addressed by the address generator, to interpolate additional data samples. When the address generator loops through a block of data, the signal path interpolates between the data at the end and start addresses of the block of data to prevent discontinuities in the generated signal. A synthesizer volume generator, which has several modes of controlling the volume, adds envelope, right offset, left offset, and effects volume to the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: David Norris, Jeffrey M. Blumenthal, Geoffrey E. Brehmer, Glen W. Brown, Carlin Dru Cabler, Ryan Feemster, David Guercio, Dale E. Gulick, Larry D. Hewitt, Michael Hogan, Alfredo R. Linz, Paul G. Schnizlein, Martin P. Soques, Michael E. Spak, David N. Suggs, Alan T. Torok
  • Patent number: 5648778
    Abstract: A stereo audio CODEC, including means for performing D/A and A/D conversions, means for reducing digitally induced noise during attenuation/gain changes, data format conversion means, analog and digital filtering means, analog mixing means, on-chip 16-sample, 32-bit wide record and playback FIFOs, serial interface with external serial DSP, large local memory for supplementing on-chip record and playback FIFOs, control registers, register data bus and synthesizer DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Carlin Dru Cabler, Glen W. Brown, Martin P. Soques
  • Patent number: 5646621
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital conversion circuit is described which includes a front end sigma-delta modulator circuit, a multi-stage digital decimation filter circuit, and a digital compensation filter circuit. An overrange detect circuit is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlin Dru Cabler, Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 5621675
    Abstract: This invention is for a multi-stage digital decimation filter, which includes a sinc.sup.6 filter, a half-band linear phase FIR filter and a symmetric, linear phase, FIR filter and a digital compensation filter. The multi-stage decimation filter down-samples the output of a sigma-delta modulator by a factor of about 64. The compensation filter provides compensation for rolloff introduced by the multi-stage decimation filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Glen Brown
  • Patent number: 5598158
    Abstract: A digital noise shaper circuit is provided which includes a signal transfer function and a noise transfer function, with associated coefficients and gain scaling factors, which ensures a predetermined frequency response, signal passband and noise stopband, and which converts a multi-bit digital signal to a 1-bit digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 5589830
    Abstract: A stereo audio CODEC, including means for performing D/A and A/D conversions, means for reducing digitally induced noise during attenuation/gain changes, data format conversion means, analog and digital filtering means, analog mixing means, on-chip 16-sample, 32-bit wide record and playback FIFOs, serial interface with external serial DSP, large local memory for supplementing on-chip record and playback FIFOs, control registers, register data bus and synthesizer DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfredo R. Linz, Carlin D. Cabler, Glen W. Brown, Martin P. Soques
  • Patent number: 5585802
    Abstract: This invention is for a digital-to-analog conversion circuit (DAC) which includes an interpolation filter circuit, a noise shaper circuit and a semi-digital FIR filter circuit. The entire DAC circuit provides noise shaping, analog filtering and oversampling functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlin D. Cabler, Alfredo R. Linz
  • Patent number: 5579004
    Abstract: A digital interpolation circuit is described which has a first interpolation stage, a second interpolation stage, a third interpolation stage and a noise shaping stage. The first stage oversamples a multi-bit digital input signal to twice the sample rate of the multi-bit signal. The second stage oversamples the signal to 4 times the sample rate of the multi-bit input signal. The third stage oversamples the signal to 64 times the sample rate of the multi-bit digital input signal. The noise shaping stage converts the multi-bit digital signal output from the third interpolation stage to a 1-bit signal at the same sampling rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfredo R. Linz