Patents by Inventor Donald G. McMullin
Donald G. McMullin 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: 9686594Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus to allow an operator of a broadcast communication system, such as a cable television or satellite television service to provide some examples, to diagnose performance of this communication system remotely. The operator of a first communication device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to provide an example, may remotely diagnosis performance problems, or potential performance problems, occurring at a second communication device, such as a cable modem (CM) to provide an example, or a group of second communication devices. For example, the operator of the first communication device may view a spectrum analysis of communication signals being routed to, processed by, and/or provided by the second communication device, or group of second communication devices, to diagnose the performance problems, or the potential performance problems, in real time.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2012Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Ramon Alejandro Gomez, Leonard Dauphinee, Donald G. McMullin, Harold Raymond Whitehead
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Patent number: 9560420Abstract: The present invention is an integrated cable modem tuner. In one embodiment, the upstream path and the downstream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and digital receiver portion that is integrated on a common semiconductor substrate with the power amplifier of the upstream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the cable modem appears to be a single chip configuration to the user.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2013Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, Loke Tan
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Patent number: 8732788Abstract: The present invention is an integrated set-top box. In one embodiment, the up-stream path and the down-stream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and a digital receiver portion that is integrated on the common semiconductor substrate with a power amplifier of the up-stream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the set-top box appears to be a single chip configuration to the user.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2005Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, Loke Tan
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Publication number: 20140059632Abstract: The present invention is an integrated cable modem tuner. In one embodiment, the upstream path and the downstream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and digital receiver portion that is integrated on a common semiconductor substrate with the power amplifier of the upstream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the cable modem appears to be a single chip configuration to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2013Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMULLIN, Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, Loke Tan
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Patent number: 8578434Abstract: The present invention is an integrated cable modem tuner. In one embodiment, the upstream path and the downstream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and digital receiver portion that is integrated on a common semiconductor substrate with the power amplifier of the upstream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the cable modem appears to be a single chip configuration to the user.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2005Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, Loke Tan
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Publication number: 20130125183Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus to allow an operator of a broadcast communication system, such as a cable television or satellite television service to provide some examples, to diagnose performance of this communication system remotely. The operator of a first communication device, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to provide an example, may remotely diagnosis performance problems, or potential performance problems, occurring at a second communication device, such as a cable modem (CM) to provide an example, or a group of second communication devices. For example, the operator of the first communication device may view a spectrum analysis of communication signals being routed to, processed by, and/or provided by the second communication device, or group of second communication devices, to diagnose the performance problems, or the potential performance problems, in real time.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Ramon Alejandro GOMEZ, Leonard DAUPHINEE, Donald G. McMULLIN, Harold Raymond WHITEHEAD
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Patent number: 8334721Abstract: An upstream amplifier is integrated on a substrate with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to form an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a low-pass filter is also integrated on the substrate. The output signal level of the upstream amplifier is controllable. In embodiments, fine adjustments are made to the output signal level of the upstream amplifier by varying a bias current of the DAC. A software control bit is used to switch between a power-on mode of operation and a power-down mode of operation. The upstream amplifier transmits in a burst mode. The power consumption of the upstream amplifier scales with the amplifier's output signal level. A high degree of matching is attained between the positive and negative paths of the upstream amplifier. This provides high immunity from common-mode disturbances such as substrate noise, clock spurs, and glitches caused by a gain change.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2011Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Stephen A. Jantzi, Anilkumar V. Tammineedi, Jungwoo Song, Lawrence M. Burns, Donald G. McMullin, Agnes N. Woo
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Publication number: 20120086592Abstract: An upstream amplifier is integrated on a substrate with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to form an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a low-pass filter is also integrated on the substrate. The output signal level of the upstream amplifier is controllable. In embodiments, fine adjustments are made to the output signal level of the upstream amplifier by varying a bias current of the DAC. A software control bit is used to switch between a power-on mode of operation and a power-down mode of operation. The upstream amplifier transmits in a burst mode. The power consumption of the upstream amplifier scales with the amplifier's output signal level. A high degree of matching is attained between the positive and negative paths of the upstream amplifier. This provides high immunity from common-mode disturbances such as substrate noise, clock spurs, and glitches caused by a gain change.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Stephen A. Jantzi, Anilkumar V. Tammineedi, Jungwoo Song, Lawrence M. Burns, Donald G. McMullin, Anges N. Woo
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Patent number: 8013768Abstract: An upstream amplifier is integrated on a substrate with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to form an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a low-pass filter is also integrated on the substrate. The output signal level of the upstream amplifier is controllable. In embodiments, fine adjustments are made to the output signal level of the upstream amplifier by varying a bias current of the DAC. A software control bit is used to switch between a power-on mode of operation and a power-down mode of operation. The upstream amplifier transmits in a burst mode. The power consumption of the upstream amplifier scales with the amplifier's output signal level. A high degree of matching is attained between the positive and negative paths of the upstream amplifier. This provides high immunity from common-mode disturbances such as substrate noise, clock spurs, and glitches caused by a gain change.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Stephen A Jantzi, Anilkumar V Tammineedi, Jungwoo Song, Lawrence M Burns, Donald G McMullin, Agnes N Woo
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Patent number: 7983644Abstract: An apparatus and method for local oscillator calibration compensates for filter passband variation in a mixer circuit, such as a receiver circuit. The receiver includes at least a mixer circuit and a filter coupled to the output of the mixer. During operation, the mixer mixes an RF input signal with a first local oscillator (LO) signal to frequency translate a selected channel in the RF input signal into the passband of the filter. During a calibration mode, the RF input signal is disabled, and the first LO signal is injected into the filter input by leaking the first LO signal through the mixer circuit. The frequency of the LO signal is then swept over a frequency bandwidth that is sufficiently wide so that the actual passband is detected by measuring the signal amplitude at the output of the bandpass filter, thereby determining any variation in the passband of the filter from the expected passband.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2010Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Ramon A. Gomez, Lawrence M. Burns, Myles Wakayama
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Patent number: 7903598Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed to calculate the actual received desired channel power from the downstream transmit power of a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) when operating at the nominal line voltage and/or at the normal room temperature as per the DOCSIS specification. A Set-top Device produces a Downstream Power Management (DPM) gain measurement signal having a known power level. The Set-top Device embeds the DPM gain measurement signal onto a received downstream multi-channel communication signal. After embedding the DPM gain measurement signal onto the downstream multi-channel communication signal, the Set-top Device downconverts the combined DPM gain measurement signal and downstream multi-channel communication signal to recover one or more communication channels containing information of a broadcast.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2010Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Dongsoo Daniel Koh, Ramon Alejandro Gomez, Francesco Gatta, Harold Raymond Whitehead, Donald G. McMullin
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Publication number: 20100261446Abstract: An apparatus and method for local oscillator calibration compensates for filter passband variation in a mixer circuit, such as a receiver circuit. The receiver includes at least a mixer circuit and a filter coupled to the output of the mixer. During operation, the mixer mixes an RF input signal with a first local oscillator (LO) signal to frequency translate a selected channel in the RF input signal into the passband of the filter. During a calibration mode, the RF input signal is disabled, and the first LO signal is injected into the filter input by leaking the first LO signal through the mixer circuit. The frequency of the LO signal is then swept over a frequency bandwidth that is sufficiently wide so that the actual passband is detected by measuring the signal amplitude at the output of the bandpass filter, thereby determining any variation in the passband of the filter from the expected passband.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2010Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Ramon A. Gomez, Lawrence M. Burns, Myles Wakayama
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Publication number: 20100244926Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed to calculate the actual received desired channel power from the downstream transmit power of a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) when operating at the nominal line voltage and/or at the normal room temperature as per the DOCSIS specification. A Set-top Device produces a Downstream Power Management (DPM) gain measurement signal having a known power level. The Set-top Device embeds the DPM gain measurement signal onto a received downstream multi-channel communication signal. After embedding the DPM gain measurement signal onto the downstream multi-channel communication signal, the Set-top Device downconverts the combined DPM gain measurement signal and downstream multi-channel communication signal to recover one or more communication channels containing information of a broadcast.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Dongsoo Daniel Koh, Ramon Alejandro Gomez, Francesco Gatta, Harold Raymond Whitehead, Donald G. McMullin
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Patent number: 7778241Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed to calculate the actual received desired channel power from the downstream transmit power of a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) when operating at the nominal line voltage and/or at the normal room temperature as per the DOCSIS specification. A Set-top Device produces a Downstream Power Management (DPM) gain measurement signal having a known power level. The Set-top Device embeds the DPM gain measurement signal onto a received downstream multi-channel communication signal. After embedding the DPM gain measurement signal onto the downstream multi-channel communication signal, the Set-top Device downconverts the combined DPM gain measurement signal and downstream multi-channel communication signal to recover one or more communication channels containing information of a broadcast.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Dongsoo Daniel Koh, Ramon Alejandro Gomez, Francesco Gatta, Harold Raymond Whitehead, Donald G. McMullin
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Publication number: 20100167683Abstract: An apparatus and method for local oscillator calibration compensates for filter passband variation in a mixer circuit, such as a receiver circuit. The receiver includes at least a mixer circuit and a filter coupled to the output of the mixer. During operation, the mixer mixes an RF input signal with a first local oscillator (LO) signal to frequency translate a selected channel in the RF input signal into the passband of the filter. During a calibration mode, the RF input signal is disabled, and the first LO signal is injected into the filter input by leaking the first LO signal through the mixer circuit. The frequency of the LO signal is then swept over a frequency bandwidth that is sufficiently wide so that the actual passband is detected by measuring the signal amplitude at the output of the bandpass filter, thereby determining any variation in the passband of the filter from the expected passband.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2010Publication date: July 1, 2010Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Ramon A. Gomez, Lawrence M. Burns, Myles Wakayama
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Patent number: 7738040Abstract: System and methods for processing signals in a television system are disclosed and may include measuring relative power of RF carriers over a full bandwidth of one or more received TV channels. The method may also include determining based on the measured relative power, whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without demodulating the received TV channel. It may be determined whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without synchronizing and/or decoding the one or more received TV channels. The method may further include tuning to the one or more received TV channels. It may be determined whether an applied power gain for the one or more received TV channels is a maximum power gain.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2007Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Inventors: Jorge J. Wong, Donald G. McMullin, Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker
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Patent number: 7702306Abstract: An apparatus and method for local oscillator calibration compensates for filter passband variation in a mixer circuit, such as a receiver circuit. The receiver includes at least a mixer circuit and a filter coupled to the output of the mixer. During operation, the mixer mixes an RF input signal with a first local oscillator (LO) signal to frequency translate a selected channel in the RF input signal into the passband of the filter. During a calibration mode, the RF input signal is disabled, and the first LO signal is injected into the filter input by leaking the first LO signal through the mixer circuit. The frequency of the LO signal is then swept over a frequency bandwidth that is sufficiently wide so that the actual passband is detected by measuring the signal amplitude at the output of the bandpass filter, thereby determining any variation in the passband of the filter from the expected passband.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2003Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G McMullin, Ramon A Gomez, Lawrence M Burns, Myles Wakayama
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Publication number: 20090165070Abstract: Systems and methods for perform a method for reducing interference from Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MOCA) signals in a cable television double conversion tuner are provided. The method may include receiving an indication of the channel in which MoCA signals are operating. When the channel in which the MoCA signals are operating is in the same frequency band as an intermediate frequency of the tuner, the method may require shifting an intermediate frequency of the tuner out of the frequency band occupied by the channel in which the MoCA signals are operating.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Ramon A. Gomez
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Publication number: 20090141839Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed to calculate the actual received desired channel power from the downstream transmit power of a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) when operating at the nominal line voltage and/or at the normal room temperature as per the DOCSIS specification. A Set-top Device produces a Downstream Power Management (DPM) gain measurement signal having a known power level. The Set-top Device embeds the DPM gain measurement signal onto a received downstream multi-channel communication signal. After embedding the DPM gain measurement signal onto the downstream multi-channel communication signal, the Set-top Device downconverts the combined DPM gain measurement signal and downstream multi-channel communication signal to recover one or more communication channels containing information of a broadcast.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2008Publication date: June 4, 2009Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Dongsoo Daniel Koh, Ramon Alejandro Gomez, Francesco Gatta, Harold Raymond Whitehead, Donald G. McMullin
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Patent number: 7265793Abstract: A method and system is provided, which may detect digital QAM, VSB and analog TV signals in a faster and more efficient manner than conventional systems. The system and method may be deployed in, for example, cable TV set-top boxes, cable TV modems and television set receivers, which may be coupled to a cable TV or off-the-air terrestrial network. Power measurements of the RF carriers found in a cable TV channel may be utilized to determine whether a digital QAM signal, digital VSB signal, or an analog signal is present in a TV channel. In this regard, it is not necessary for a receiver to demodulate, lock, synchronize, decode and/or validate any video or audio information or digital bit stream in order to detect digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals, or not signal at all. Accordingly, the process of detecting digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals is shortened and simplified.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2004Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Jorge J. Wong, Donald G. McMullin, Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker