Patents by Inventor Brian Wall
Brian Wall 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).
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Patent number: 9888205Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes initiating a mobile device operable to continuously capture a live media stream such that recording of the live media stream is deactivated. The method further includes refraining from recording the live media stream while recording of the live media stream is deactivated. In addition, the method includes monitoring environmental conditions for one or more preconfigured indicators that the mobile device has exited the defined physical area. Also, the method includes, responsive to detection of at least one of the one or more preconfigured indicators, determining to activate recording of the live media stream.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2017Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: WatchGuard, Inc.Inventors: Mark Todd McHenry, James Walter Exner, Michael John Von Ahnen, William Brian Wall, Brent G. Robertson
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Publication number: 20170373761Abstract: An optical receiver that recovers data is disclosed. The optical receiver includes a photodetector configured to convert an optical signal into a current signal, and a TIA (Transimpedance Amplifier) configured to operate according to a set of parameters to convert the current signal to a voltage signal. The optical receiver also includes an equalizer configured to process the voltage signal to produce a processed signal having recovered data from the optical signal, and to produce one or more equalization metrics. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the optical receiver has a feedback processor configured to automatically tune operation of the TIA by adjusting at least one of the parameters of the TIA based on the one or more equalization metrics. This may effect a change in performance or power consumption of the optical receiver while receiving and recovering data. A corresponding method for recovering data is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2016Publication date: December 28, 2017Inventors: Kevin Parker, Lawrence Tse, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Stephane Dallaire, Florin Pera
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Publication number: 20170272046Abstract: Split cascade circuits include multiple cascade paths coupled between voltage supply rails. Each cascade path includes a pair of controllable switches. A feedback path is provided for at least one of the cascade circuit paths. An active load circuit may also have a split cascade structure. Multiple-stage circuits, for implementation in Trans-Impedance Amplifiers (TIAs) or analog Receive Front-End modules (RXFEs), for example, include multiple stages of split cascade circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2016Publication date: September 21, 2017Applicant: INPHI CORPORATIONInventors: FLORIN PERA, STEPHANE DALLAIRE, BRIAN WALL
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Publication number: 20170150090Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes initiating a mobile device operable to continuously capture a live media stream such that recording of the live media stream is deactivated. The method further includes refraining from recording the live media stream while recording of the live media stream is deactivated. In addition, the method includes monitoring environmental conditions for one or more preconfigured indicators that the mobile device has exited the defined physical area. Also, the method includes, responsive to detection of at least one of the one or more preconfigured indicators, determining to activate recording of the live media stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2017Publication date: May 25, 2017Applicant: Enforcement Video, LLCInventors: Mark Todd McHenry, James Walter Exner, Michael John Von Ahnen, William Brian Wall, Brent G. Robertson
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Patent number: 9602761Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes initiating a mobile device operable to continuously capture a live media stream such that recording of the live media stream is deactivated. The method further includes refraining from recording the live media stream while recording of the live media stream is deactivated. In addition, the method includes monitoring environmental conditions for one or more preconfigured indicators that the mobile device has exited the defined physical area. Also, the method includes, responsive to detection of at least one of the one or more preconfigured indicators, determining to activate recording of the live media stream.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2015Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Enforcement Video, LLCInventors: Mark Todd McHenry, James Walter Exner, Michael John Von Ahnen, William Brian Wall, Brent G. Robertson
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Patent number: 9231635Abstract: A circuit having a component for signal recovery, such as an adaptive equalizer, may be tested in order to ensure that the component operates properly. Unfortunately, external test equipment may be expensive and prone to being damaged. According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a circuit including BIST (Built-in Self-Test) circuitry for testing a component for signal recovery with a stress signal that simulates an imperfect signal received over a communication channel. The circuit also has a detector for determining whether the component is operating properly with the stress signal. Thus, no external test equipment is needed for testing the component. In some implementations, the BIST circuitry includes a low-pass filter for filtering a transmit signal into the stress signal. Thus, the amount of circuitry involved in generating the stress signal can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2014Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventor: Brian Wall
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Publication number: 20150103874Abstract: A circuit having a component for signal recovery, such as an adaptive equalizer, may be tested in order to ensure that the component operates properly. Unfortunately, external test equipment may be expensive and prone to being damaged. According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a circuit including BIST (Built-in Self-Test) circuitry for testing a component for signal recovery with a stress signal that simulates an imperfect signal received over a communication channel. The circuit also has a detector for determining whether the component is operating properly with the stress signal. Thus, no external test equipment is needed for testing the component. In some implementations, the BIST circuitry includes a low-pass filter for filtering a transmit signal into the stress signal. Thus, the amount of circuitry involved in generating the stress signal can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2014Publication date: April 16, 2015Inventor: Brian Wall
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Patent number: 8966332Abstract: A circuit having a component for signal recovery, such as an adaptive equalizer, may be tested in order to ensure that the component operates properly. Unfortunately, external test equipment may be expensive and prone to being damaged. According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a circuit including BIST (Built-in Self-Test) circuitry for testing a component for signal recovery with a stress signal that simulates an imperfect signal received over a communication channel. The circuit also has a detector for determining whether the component is operating properly with the stress signal. Thus, no external test equipment is needed for testing the component. In some implementations, the BIST circuitry includes a low-pass filter for filtering a transmit signal into the stress signal. Thus, the amount of circuitry involved in generating the stress signal can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventor: Brian Wall
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Publication number: 20140164861Abstract: A circuit having a component for signal recovery, such as an adaptive equalizer, may be tested in order to ensure that the component operates properly. Unfortunately, external test equipment may be expensive and prone to being damaged. According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a circuit including BIST (Built-in Self-Test) circuitry for testing a component for signal recovery with a stress signal that simulates an imperfect signal received over a communication channel. The circuit also has a detector for determining whether the component is operating properly with the stress signal. Thus, no external test equipment is needed for testing the component. In some implementations, the BIST circuitry includes a low-pass filter for filtering a transmit signal into the stress signal. Thus, the amount of circuitry involved in generating the stress signal can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2012Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventor: Brian Wall
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Patent number: 8184686Abstract: According to a first aspect, there is provided a circuit for recovering data received over a communication channel. The circuit includes an adaptive equalizer operable to remove ISI (intersymbol interference) from a received signal and a timing recovery circuit operable to sample recovered data. The timing recovery circuit includes a detector based on a Hogge Phase detector. According to another aspect, there is provided a module in which the circuit may be implemented. According to another aspect, there is provided a method for recovering data received over a communication channel. The method involves removing ISI from a received signal using an adaptive equalizer, and sampling recovered data using a detector based on a Hogge phase detector. According to another aspect, the timing recovery circuit includes a plurality of phase detectors, each one being operable to sample recovered data. A selector is provided for selecting which sampled recovered data is to be output.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2007Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventors: Brian Wall, Stephane Dallaire, Stephen Alie, Kenji Suzuki
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Patent number: 7912161Abstract: A novel method and apparatus is disclosed, that embeds with, or otherwise makes available to an adaptive equalizer, suitable for use in IEEE 1OG-LRM standard compliant receivers, digital logic that monitors some of the Layer 1 and preferably some of the Layer 2 processing that typically occurs after the equalization step during decoding and processing of the record data stream. From this additional logic information, the equalizer is able to make a much more accurate prediction of equalizer convergence by counting processing errors and prove convergence by calculation of BER. The novel method and apparatus are applicable to ASIC embodiments and the complexity of the logic information obtained can be programmably scaled back or enhanced as appropriate in light of the particular communication environment.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2006Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventors: Alex Nicolescu, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Michael McDonnell
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Patent number: 7848474Abstract: Signal timing phase selection and timing acquisition apparatus and techniques are disclosed. A timing phase that is most closely aligned with a phase of information carried by a received signal is selected from a plurality of timing phases. The selected timing phase may be used, for example, as a reference signal for a phase detector in a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). The received signal may be sampled one or more times per timing phase. In a multiple-sample implementation, the samples may be used for timing phase selection, for detection of a known initial pattern of a burst of information to thereby detect the start time of a an information burst, or both.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2007Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Cortina SyStems, Inc.Inventors: Colin Cramm, Shawn Scouten, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Malcolm Stevens
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Patent number: 7519750Abstract: The present invention discloses a host receiver synchronizer for passive optical networks, and in particular a burst clock data recovery circuit in a host receiver in a bursty asynchronous communication system having a non-data preamble of less than 250 ns, for recovering a clock signal from a subscriber data burst. The circuit comprises: an adjustable oscillator for generating an output clock signal in response to a signal at an input thereof; a first comparator for comparing a frequency and phase of the output clock signal to that of a reference signal and feeding back a first feedback signal to the oscillator input; and a second comparator for comparing the frequency and phase of the output clock signal to that of the data burst and feeding back a second feedback signal to the oscillator input once the output clock signal is locked in frequency with the reference signal. The output clock signal is locked in frequency and phase to the data burst before receipt of the last bit of the preamble.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Cortina Systems, Inc.Inventors: Shawn Scouten, Colin Cramm, Malcolm Stevens, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Med Belhadj
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Publication number: 20090016477Abstract: Signal timing phase selection and timing acquisition apparatus and techniques are disclosed. A timing phase that is most closely aligned with a phase of information carried by a received signal is selected from a plurality of timing phases. The selected timing phase may be used, for example, as a reference signal for a phase detector in a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). The received signal may be sampled one or more times per timing phase. In a multiple-sample implementation, the samples may be used for timing phase selection, for detection of a known initial pattern of a burst of information to thereby detect the start time of a an information burst, or both.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2007Publication date: January 15, 2009Inventors: Colin Cramm, Shawn Scouten, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Malcolm Stevens
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Publication number: 20080165841Abstract: According to a first aspect, there is provided a circuit for recovering data received over a communication channel. The circuit includes an adaptive equalizer operable to remove ISI (intersymbol interference) from a received signal and a timing recovery circuit operable to sample recovered data. The timing recovery circuit includes a detector based on a Hogge Phase detector. According to another aspect, there is provided a module in which the circuit may be implemented. According to another aspect, there is provided a method for recovering data received over a communication channel. The method involves removing ISI from a received signal using an adaptive equalizer, and sampling recovered data using a detector based on a Hogge phase detector. According to another aspect, the timing recovery circuit includes a plurality of phase detectors, each one being operable to sample recovered data. A selector is provided for selecting which sampled recovered data is to be output.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2007Publication date: July 10, 2008Inventors: Brian Wall, Stephane Dallaire, Stephen Alie, Kenji Suzuki
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Publication number: 20080107165Abstract: A novel method and apparatus is disclosed, that embeds with, or otherwise makes available to an adaptive equalizer, suitable for use in IEEE 10G-LRM standard compliant receivers, digital logic that monitors some of the Layer 1 and preferably some of the Layer 2 processing that typically occurs after the equalization step during decoding and processing of the record data stream. From this additional logic information, the equalizer is able to make a much more accurate prediction of equalizer convergence by counting processing errors and prove convergence by calculation of BER. The novel method and apparatus are applicable to ASIC embodiments and the complexity of the logic information obtained can be programmably scaled back or enhanced as appropriate in light of the particular communication environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2006Publication date: May 8, 2008Inventors: Alex Nicolescu, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Michael McDonnell
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Publication number: 20080022143Abstract: The present invention discloses a host receiver synchronizer for passive optical networks, and in particular a burst clock data recovery circuit in a host receiver in a bursty asynchronous communication system having a non-data preamble of less than 250 ns, for recovering a clock signal from a subscriber data burst. The circuit comprises: an adjustable oscillator for generating an output clock signal in response to a signal at an input thereof; a first comparator for comparing a frequency and phase of the output clock signal to that of a reference signal and feeding back a first feedback signal to the oscillator input; and a second comparator for comparing the frequency and phase of the output clock signal to that of the data burst and feeding back a second feedback signal to the oscillator input once the output clock signal is locked in frequency with the reference signal. The output clock signal is locked in frequency and phase to the data burst before receipt of the last bit of the preamble.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2006Publication date: January 24, 2008Applicant: CORTINA SYSTEMS CORP.Inventors: Shawn Scouten, Colin Cramm, Malcolm Stevens, Kenji Suzuki, Brian Wall, Med Belhadj
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Patent number: 7308060Abstract: An eye opener circuit is provided which performs a data re-timing/eye opening function on a data signal after having been corrupted by jitter. The circuit uses a PLL driven by a clock source which was the same clock source used in timing the data signal originally. The PLL generates a local clock used to re-time the data. A phase error may be introduced into the PLL, or into the data signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2003Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Cortina Systems CorporationInventors: Brian Wall, Shawn Scouten, Kenji Suzuki, Malcolm Stevens
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Patent number: 5441051Abstract: A method and apparatus for ultrasonically detecting an embolus in blood flow includes an ultrasound transducer for transmitting ultrasound pulses into the blood flow being interrogated and receiving reflections from acoustic impedance changes in the body. The reflected signals are converted to an electronic signal representation which is subsequently processed to detect and classify emboli in the blood flow. A short duration, broad bandwidth ultrasound signal is used to preserve the polarity of the reflected signal. The polarity is then used to classify the emboli based on a positive or negative reflection coefficient. Emboli having a negative reflection coefficient are classified as either gaseous or fat particles, and emboli having a positive reflection coefficient are classified as solid particles. The emboli can be further classified based on the amplitude of the reflected signal, or designated features of the time waveform or FFT of the reflected signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1995Date of Patent: August 15, 1995Inventors: Ronald E. Hileman, Brian Wall, David A. Stump