Patents by Inventor Charaf Hanna

Charaf Hanna 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: 10075282
    Abstract: Upstream burst transmit times are dynamically communicated to the transmit unit in grants issued over time and in any order. A critical parameter is when to trigger the operation to order the buffered data stream for transmission. If the ordering operation is triggered too soon, a later grant of an earlier burst transmit time may not be accounted for and the subsequent transmission could violate the transmission order rule. If the ordering operation is triggered too late, the decision to transmit a burst at an earlier burst transmit time may violate the margin rule. To address these concerns, a fetch offset time in advance of each granted burst transmit time is assigned. As each fetch offset time is sequentially reached, a next partial data portion of the buffered data stream is prepared for burst communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Charaf Hanna, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Zhifang J Ni, John Wrobbel
  • Publication number: 20170244539
    Abstract: Upstream burst transmit times are dynamically communicated to the transmit unit in grants issued over time and in any order. A critical parameter is when to trigger the operation to order the buffered data stream for transmission. If the ordering operation is triggered too soon, a later grant of an earlier burst transmit time may not be accounted for and the subsequent transmission could violate the transmission order rule. If the ordering operation is triggered too late, the decision to transmit a burst at an earlier burst transmit time may violate the margin rule. To address these concerns, a fetch offset time in advance of each granted burst transmit time is assigned. As each fetch offset time is sequentially reached, a next partial data portion of the buffered data stream is prepared for burst communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Charaf Hanna, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Zhifang J. Ni, John Wrobbel
  • Patent number: 9363209
    Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a plurality of packets; identifying whether a particular packet, of the plurality of packets, is part of a sequenced flow; identifying whether a particular sequence number of the particular packet is being received within a time window; identifying whether the particular packet was a next expected packet for a particular flow; and forwarding the particular packet to a next destination. In more particular embodiments, packet inspection is used to set one or more flags for identifying characteristics associated with the plurality of packets. Certain packets in non-sequenced flows are routed directly from an input interface to an output interface of a resequencer module using a flow-through packet path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC., STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Glendon Leo Akins, III, Gale L. Shallow, Charaf Hanna, Andrew Graham Whitlow, Zhifang Ni, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Maynard Darvel Hammond
  • Patent number: 9325631
    Abstract: A system and method for improved upstream data transmission. In an embodiment, a cable modem includes a transceiver configured for transmitting data upstream once permission is granted. In between times when permission to transmit is granted, however, the cable modem is configured to prepare as much data as possible for immediate upstream transmission once that very permission is granted. Thus, prior to permission being granted, the cable modem assembles (pre-processes) the data into transmit frames such that the data frames may be stored in a local memory coupled to the transceiver in a “ready-to-go” format. In this manner, the entire amount of time/bandwidth allocated to the cable modem in response to its request for upstream data transmission may be dedicated to actually transmitting data upstream as opposed to consuming time and bandwidth processing the data into data frames after upstream data transmission has been granted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC., CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Charaf Hanna, Zhifang J. Ni, John Wrobbel, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Andrew Graham Whitlow, Gale L. Shallow, Maynard Darvel Hammond
  • Patent number: 9313131
    Abstract: A filter in a DOCSIS bridge performs IP Filtering of incoming Ethernet packets in hardware. The filter includes a parser circuit which, in hardware, parses each of the incoming Ethernet packets and then utilizes the parsed information in combination with a content-addressable memory (CAM) that stores filtering information, to filter and route the incoming Ethernet packets. Detailed statistical data may also be generated to provide information on the type of filtering being performed by the DOCSIS bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics, Inc., Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Maynard Darvel Hammond, Charaf Hanna, Zhifang J. Ni, Andrew Graham Whitlow, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Gale L. Shallow
  • Patent number: 9237109
    Abstract: A system and method suited for improved overall data transmission having a hardware-based transceiver configured for transmitting upstream data with suppressed data packets. In TCP sessions between devices, a server seeks an “acknowledgement” that the downstream data transmission has been received by a client. Some data packets sent upstream may contain only TCP acknowledgement data and therefore may be combined with other purely TCP acknowledgement data packets in order to reduce the impact of the TCP acknowledgement packets on the overall upstream data throughput. In addition, this results in increased TCP performance in the downstream transmission direction as well because the algorithm enables replacing earlier arriving ACK packets with later arriving ACK packets which allows the device to send all TCP ACK information known to the suppressor at the earliest possible time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC., CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Gale L. Shallow, Benjamin Nelson Darby, Jonathan Evans, Maynard Darvel Hammond, Zhifang J. Ni, Charaf Hanna
  • Publication number: 20150071302
    Abstract: A system and method for improved upstream data transmission. In an embodiment, a cable modem includes a transceiver configured for transmitting data upstream once permission is granted. In between times when permission to transmit is granted, however, the cable modem is configured to prepare as much data as possible for immediate upstream transmission once that very permission is granted. Thus, prior to permission being granted, the cable modem assembles (pre-processes) the data into transmit frames such that the data frames may be stored in a local memory coupled to the transceiver in a “ready-to-go” format. In this manner, the entire amount of time/bandwidth allocated to the cable modem in response to its request for upstream data transmission may be dedicated to actually transmitting data upstream as opposed to consuming time and bandwidth processing the data into data frames after upstream data transmission has been granted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc., STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Charaf HANNA, Zhifang J. NI, John WROBBEL, Benjamin Nelson DARBY, Andrew Graham WHITLOW, Gale L. SHALLOW, Maynard Darvel HAMMOND
  • Publication number: 20150071283
    Abstract: A filter in a DOCSIS bridge performs IP Filtering of incoming Ethernet packets in hardware. The filter includes a parser circuit which, in hardware, parses each of the incoming Ethernet packets and then utilizes the parsed information in combination with a content-addressable memory (CAM) that stores filtering information, to filter and route the incoming Ethernet packets. Detailed statistical data may also be generated to provide information on the type of filtering being performed by the DOCSIS bridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: CISCO SYSTEMS, INC., STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Maynard HAMMOND, Charaf HANNA, Zhifang J. NI, Andrew WHITLOW, Benjamin DARBY, Gale SHALLOW
  • Publication number: 20150071300
    Abstract: A system and method suited for improved overall data transmission having a hardware-based transceiver configured for transmitting upstream data with suppressed data packets. In TCP sessions between devices, a server seeks an “acknowledgement” that the downstream data transmission has been received by a client. Some data packets sent upstream may contain only TCP acknowledgement data and therefore may be combined with other purely TCP acknowledgement data packets in order to reduce the impact of the TCP acknowledgement packets on the overall upstream data throughput. In addition, this results in increased TCP performance in the downstream transmission direction as well because the algorithm enables replacing earlier arriving ACK packets with later arriving ACK packets which allows the device to send all TCP ACK information known to the suppressor at the earliest possible time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc., STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gale L. SHALLOW, Benjamin Nelson DARBY, Jonathan EVANS, Maynard Darvel HAMMOND, Zhifang J. NI, Charaf HANNA
  • Patent number: 7162680
    Abstract: A method for interlacing digital data to reduce transmission errors includes dividing a stream of digital data into consecutive blocks of bits, and interlacing each block of bits by writing to an interlacing table. The interlacing table is arranged in the form of rows and columns of memory addresses, with a number of the rows and columns corresponding to predetermined interlacing parameters. The access sequences to the memory addresses for interlacing the blocks of bits are different from each other. The method further includes reading a block of bits in the interlacing table according to a memory addresses access sequence, and also writing bits to a consecutive block of bits according to the memory addresses access sequence during the reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventor: Charaf Hanna
  • Publication number: 20030233605
    Abstract: A method for interlacing digital data to reduce transmission errors includes dividing a stream of digital data into consecutive blocks of bits, and interlacing each block of bits by writing to an interlacing table. The interlacing table is arranged in the form of rows and columns of memory addresses, with a number of the rows and columns corresponding to predetermined interlacing parameters. The access sequences to the memory addresses for interlacing the blocks of bits are different from each other. The method further includes reading a block of bits in the interlacing table according to a memory addresses access sequence, and also writing bits to a consecutive block of bits according to the memory addresses access sequence during the reading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventor: Charaf Hanna
  • Patent number: 6269118
    Abstract: A carrier recovery process for a received signal comprises estimating the signal carrier frequency, and estimating the signal phase after frequency estimating. During frequency estimating, signal equalizing is performed, during which an equalizer comprising a direct adaptive filter and a recursive adaptive filter adapts only the coefficients of the recursive adaptive filter. During phase estimating, the equalizer adapts only the coefficients of the recursive adaptive filter for a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventors: Charaf Hanna, Patrick Lopez, Sylvain Chevreau
  • Patent number: 5978883
    Abstract: A process for interleaving blocks of P packets each including L binary words, the interleaving being carried out by writing the data to an interleaving memory in a given order and by reading them back in an order corresponding to the interleaving. After having read, at a given address, a data item corresponding to a block b-1, a data item corresponding to the block b is written at the same address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Multimedia SA
    Inventor: Charaf Hanna
  • Patent number: 5963525
    Abstract: A process for reading binary information written on a carrier. The carrier has at least one track and the binary information is written onto the carrier at a frequency Fbit. The process includes the step of reading binary information at the sampling frequency F.sub.e to form a succession of successive read samples SAM(k) of the same track. SAM(k) is the read sample of order k, each read sample having a phase .phi.(k) lying between 0 and 2.pi.. The method further includes a step of interpolating to make it possible to calculate an interpolated sample I(k) with phase equal to .pi. which corresponds to read sample SAM(k) on the basis of the read sample and on the i+j read samples which bracket the original read sample SAM(k) such that:I(k)=a.sub.k-i SAM(k-i)+ . . . +a.sub.k SAM(k)+ . . . +a.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignees: Thomson-CSF, Thomson Multimedia
    Inventors: Michel Audoin, Charaf Hanna, Joseph Colineau, Mario De Vito
  • Patent number: 5835591
    Abstract: The object of the invention is a demultiplexing device.This device is characterized in that it comprises means for storing data of a multiplexed data stream (4), programmable means for storing data filters (8), comparison means (19) between the data of the multiplexed data stream and the data filters, and means (12) for transferring data of the multiplexed data stream to storage means (5) in relation to the comparisons made.The invention has a particular application in the field of digital television reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Thomson multimedia S.A.
    Inventors: Etienne Cochon, Albert Dorner, Charaf Hanna
  • Patent number: 5796710
    Abstract: System for recording/writing on a recording medium in which there are distributed, on the tracks, groups (G0) of tracks with positive continuous components and groups (G1) of tracks with negative continuous components. In reading, the values of the different signals are integrated for each track. Then, on the one hand, a first addition circuit S1 adds up the results of integration of the first tracks of each group of tracks and, secondly, a second addition circuit S2 adds up the results of integration of the last tracks of each group of tracks. A comparison circuit (CD) compares the results of additions of the two addition circuits to correct the track-following operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignees: Thomson-CSF, Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Fran.cedilla.ois Maurice, Joseph Colineau, Charaf Hanna, Michel Sonrier
  • Patent number: 5640285
    Abstract: System for recording/writing on a recording medium in which there are distributed, on the tracks, groups (G0) of tracks with positive continuous components and groups (G1) of tracks with negative continuous components. In reading, the values of the different signals are integrated for each track. Then, on the one hand, a first addition circuit S1 adds up the results of integration of the first tracks of each group of tracks and, secondly, a second addition circuit S2 adds up the results of integration of the last tracks of each group of tracks. A comparison circuit (CD) compares the results of additions of the two addition circuits to correct the track-following operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignees: Thomson-CSF, Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Fran.cedilla.ois Maurice, Joseph Colineau, Charaf Hanna, Michel Sonrier
  • Patent number: 5493553
    Abstract: A method and system for preventing cross-talk during reproduction of data recorded on a high density recording medium. The method includes the steps of receiving signals from at least three consecutively parallel information tracks on a recording medium, determining first and second cross-talk coefficients representing a degree of cross-talk between the three parallel information tracks, filtering the first and second cross-talk coefficients, correcting the cross-talk between the first, second, and third information tracks in accordance with the first and second cross-talk coefficients, forming a difference between the first and second cross-talk coefficients and integrating this difference to generate a track following correction signal, and repeating the above steps for each of the information tracks on the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignees: Thomson CSF, Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Francois Maurice, Michel Sonrier, Charaf Hanna, Joseph Colineau