Patents by Inventor Donald Kerth

Donald Kerth 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: 9095041
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Welland, Donald A. Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 9013232
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David Welland, Donald Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 9000838
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David Welland, Donald Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 8948708
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8843080
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Kerth, Richard Behrens, Jeffrey Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20140256279
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8682275
    Abstract: A converter in a radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes a feedback circuitry. The feedback circuitry has a shielded input and a shielded output. The shielded input and the shielded output of the feedback circuitry tend to reduce interference in the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta
  • Patent number: 8648653
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Welland, Donald A. Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 8532236
    Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) apparatus, which may reside in a receiver or transceiver, includes receive-path circuitry. The receive-path circuitry includes a poly-phase filter and a harmonic filter. The poly-phase filter accepts an input signal and generates two output signals. One output signal of the poly-phase filter constitutes an in-phase (I) signal. The other output signal of the poly-phase filter constitutes a quadrature (Q) signal. The a harmonic filter couples to the poly-phase filter. The harmonic filter accepts as input signals the in-phase and quadrature output signals of the poly-phase filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Donald A. Kerth
  • Patent number: 8489058
    Abstract: A receiver includes a memory, processing circuitry, and a memory protection unit. The processing circuitry is coupled to the memory, and has an input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an output for providing an output signal at another frequency. The processing circuitry includes one or more independently powered components adapted to write data to the memory. The memory protection unit is coupled to the memory, and monitors a power supply voltage level corresponding to each independently powered component and, if the power supply voltage level changes during a power supply transition of an independently powered component in which the power supply voltage remains sufficiently large to power the independently powered component, to prevent write operations received from a corresponding one of the one or more independently powered components from occurring at least while the power supply voltage level is changing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Brian D. Green, Augusto M. Marques
  • Patent number: 8467483
    Abstract: A radio-frequency apparatus includes an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes receiver analog circuitry, receiver digital circuitry, a digital-to-analog converter, and a signal selector. The receiver analog circuitry receives radio-frequency signals, and provides a first digital signal. The receiver digital circuitry receives the first digital signal, and provides a second digital signal. The digital-to-analog converter converts the second digital signal into a first analog signal. The signal selector receives the second digital signal and the first analog signal, and selectively provides one of the second digital signal and the first analog signal as an output signal of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, Donald A. Kerth, Jeffrey W. Scott, Richard T. Behrens, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu S. Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8421529
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Welland, Donald A. Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 8422964
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Shankar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8224259
    Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) receiver includes a receiver analog circuitry and a receiver digital circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry resides within a first integrated circuit and the receiver digital circuitry resides within a second integrated circuit. The second integrated circuit couples to the first integrated circuit via a one-bit digital interface. The receiver analog circuitry receives an RF signal and processes the received RF signal to generate a digital signal. The receiver analog circuitry provides the digital signal to the receiver digital circuitry. The receiver digital circuitry includes a digital down-converter circuitry that mixes the digital signal with an intermediate frequency (IF) local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a digital down-converted signal. The receiver digital circuitry also includes a digital filter circuitry that filters the digital down-converted signal to generate a filtered digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Richard T. Behrens, Tod Paulus, Mark S. Spurbeck, Vishnu S. Srinivasan, Donald A. Kerth, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Tyson Tuttle, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta
  • Patent number: 8154336
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for reducing interference in circuits. A management strategy is provided to reduce reference spurs and interference in circuits. The management strategy uses a combination of one or more techniques which reduce the digital current, minimize mutual inductance, utilize field cancellation, prevent leakage current, and/or manage impedance. These techniques may be used alone, or preferably, used on combination with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Welland, Donald A. Kerth, Caiyi Wang
  • Patent number: 8150358
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for performing dual mode image rejection calibration in a receiver. A first image correction factor is acquired using a first known signal associated with a first signal band during a startup mode. The first image correction factor has a plurality of bits including most significant bits (MSBs) and least significant bits (LSBs). The LSBs of the first image correction factor are adjusted incrementally during a normal operation mode. A radio frequency (RF) signal associated with the first signal band is received using the first image correction factor during the normal operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Tod Paulus, Donald A. Kerth, Srihari Adireddy, G. Diwakar Vishakadatta
  • Publication number: 20110246808
    Abstract: A receiver includes a memory, processing circuitry, and a memory protection unit. The processing circuitry is coupled to the memory, and has an input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an output for providing an output signal at another frequency. The processing circuitry includes one or more independently powered components adapted to write data to the memory. The memory protection unit is coupled to the memory, and monitors a power supply voltage level corresponding to each independently powered component and, if the power supply voltage level changes during a power supply transition of an independently powered component in which the power supply voltage remains sufficiently large to power the independently powered component, to prevent write operations received from a corresponding one of the one or more independently powered components from occurring at least while the power supply voltage level is changing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Brian D. Green, Augusto M. Marques
  • Publication number: 20110230158
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Shankar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 7979048
    Abstract: Image rejection factors are calibrated for a receiver circuit (106) during an initialization period. The image rejection factors are stored in a quasi non-volatile memory (124) associated with the receiver circuit (106). The quasi non-volatile memory (124) is powered from a first source (VDD A) during a first receiver mode and from a second source (VIO) during a second receiver mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Brian D. Green, Augusto M. Marques
  • Patent number: 7941102
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Shankar Srinivasan