Patents by Inventor Francis J. Smith

Francis J. Smith 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).

  • Publication number: 20080159453
    Abstract: Various apparatuses and methods are described to reduce interference in signals subject to intermodulation products and high power narrow band interfering signals on lower power wideband signals. Apparatuses and methods described herein also provide the capability for supporting multi-standards, multi-modes and multi-bands in wireless and wired applications with a single receiver or a receiver with minor variations. The receiver described herein samples the entire band in which there can be signals of interest or signals that can generate interference. All of these signals are sampled in one bit stream and the bit stream is processed to isolate signals of interest and interfering signals. The isolated interfering signals are then cancelled out of the signals of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7346134
    Abstract: Various apparatuses and methods are described to reduce interference in signals subject to intermodulation products and high power narrow band interfering signals on lower power wideband signals. Apparatuses and methods described herein also provide the capability for supporting multi-standards, multi-modes and multi-bands in wireless and wired applications with a single receiver or a receiver with minor variations. The receiver described herein samples the entire band in which there can be signals of interest or signals that can generate interference. All of these signals are sampled in one bit stream and the bit stream is processed to isolate signals of interest and interfering signals. The isolated interfering signals are then cancelled out of the signals of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Finesse Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 7321735
    Abstract: A method and system for converting an optical signal to electrical information signals, including demodulated baseband information signals and modulated baseband signals at multiple harmonics. In an embodiment, the optical information signal is amplitude modulated with information. The method converts an optical signal to electrical charge, accumulates the electrical charge, and periodically transfers the accumulated electrical charge to a storage device, whereby the periodically transferred electrical charge forms the electrical signals. An exemplary system includes an optical transducer and a universal frequency translator coupled to an output of the optical transducer. The optical transducer receives an optical signal and converts the optical signal to electrical charge. The universal frequency translator periodically transfers energy from the electrical charge and forms the electrical signals from the transferred energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis J. Smith, Michael J. Bultman, Robert W. Cook, Richard C. Looke, Charley D. Moses, Jr., Gregory S. Rawlins, Michael W. Rawlins, Robert T. Short, David F. Sorrells, Danny E. Stoneking
  • Patent number: 7027786
    Abstract: Coherent detection of a received EM signal using universal frequency translation (UFT) is described herein. The received EM signal is sampled according to a sub-harmonic LO signal, where the LO signal is in frequency and phase coherence with the received EM signal. The coherent receiver includes a down-converter/demodulator and a synthesizer/loop filter that are both implemented using UFT technology. The down-converter/demodulator samples the EM input signal using a UFT module according to the coherent sub-harmonic LO signal that is generated by the synthesizer/loop filter. The synthesizer/loop filter generates the coherent LO signal using a phase detector, a loop filter, and an up-converter. The phase detector and up-converter are implemented using UFT modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
    Inventors: Francis J. Smith, Michael J. Bultman, Robert W. Cook, Richard C. Looke, Charley D. Moses, Jr., Gregory S. Rawlins, Michael W. Rawlins, Robert T. Short, David F. Sorrells
  • Patent number: 6694128
    Abstract: Frequency translation and applications of same are described herein, including frequency synthesizers that employ universal frequency translation technology. The universal frequency translation technology includes a device for switching, a device for storing, and an energy transfer signal for controlling the switching device. The energy transfer signal may include pulses having apertures sufficiently wide to effect substantial energy transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
    Inventors: David F. Sorrells, Michael J. Bultman, Robert W. Cook, Richard C. Looke, Charley D. Moses, Jr., Gregory S. Rawlins, Michael W. Rawlins, Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 6690738
    Abstract: A trellis coded modulation system for use with a plurality of QAM modes that allows a choice of modulation scheme tailored to a communication channel. The system comprises an encoder and a decoder. The decoder uses input and output look-up tables that allow the use of a single decoder/encoder arrangement comprising a Viterbi decoder and a convolutional encoder to map trellis coded modulation to/from multiple modulation constellations. The size of the look-up tables used in the decoder is minimized because recognizable sequences (6 bits) are passed to the Viterbi decoder. The input look-up table provides minimal information about which region the symbol was found. The output look-up table processes the resulting information appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corp.
    Inventors: Norman L. Swenson, Francis J. Smith, Theodore J. Wolcott
  • Publication number: 20030021367
    Abstract: Various apparatuses and methods are described to reduce interference in signals subject to intermodulation products and high power narrow band interfering signals on lower power wideband signals. Apparatuses and methods described herein also provide the capability for supporting multi-standards, multi-modes and multi-bands in wireless and wired applications with a single receiver or a receiver with minor variations. The receiver described herein samples the entire band in which there can be signals of interest or signals that can generate interference. All of these signals are sampled in one bit stream and the bit stream is processed to isolate signals of interest and interfering signals. The isolated interfering signals are then cancelled out of the signals of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventor: Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5898737
    Abstract: Improvements to amplitude phased keyed digital communications systems and to the processing of amplitude phase keyed symbols transmitted over radio frequency channels. The present invention provides for an amplitude phased keyed digital communications system including an adaptive baseband equalizer, a digital symbol recovery circuit in accordance with the present invention, and a quadrature demodulator. The adaptive baseband equalizer receives amplitude phased keyed signals and outputs in-phase and quadrature digital amplitude values corresponding to the received amplitude phased keyed signals. The digital symbol recovery circuit comprises a programmable addressable random access memory that stores a plurality of eight bit words comprising decoded symbol sets of the received amplitude phased keyed signals, and outputs the decoded symbol sets in response to addresses corresponding to the in-phase and quadrature output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Chethik, Richard Koralek, Donald R. Pandori, Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5751769
    Abstract: An equalizer that mitigates both linear and nonlinear distortions for amplitude phase keyed signals that are processed thereby. Algorithms employed in the equalizer are based on correcting received signals based on symbol transitions between successive symbols. The linear portion of the equalizer is programmable and can use any available algorithm. Programmable linear taps of the equalizer may be programmed in a nonlinear manner by using the lookup tables as amplitude dependent equalizers that are used to process one symbol at a time. In the equalizer, each amplitude level has it's own correction factor by using amplitude dependent coefficients. The equalizer can implement both linear and nonlinear equalization. Equalizer corrections are implemented using predetermined values stored in lookup tables. The equalization corrections are determined in an external computer and are loaded into the lookup tables for each amplitude level of the received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Aerospace Corp.
    Inventors: James Pressey, Richard Koralek, Francis J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5442663
    Abstract: An equalizer employed with a receiver for cancelling an interfering signal due to low cross-polarization isolation. The present equalizer provides a simple and inexpensive cross-polarization interference cancellation system. The equalizer uses an error signal generated in a residual carrier detector to determine the magnitude of an interfering signal and inputs a cancelling signal to the co-polarized channel until power in the error signal is minimized. In the equalizer, the determination of the magnitude of the interfering signal is performed at baseband (after demodulation but prior to data detection) and the cancellation is performed at RF, prior to dispersive microwave elements. In the receiver, co- and cross-polarized signals are received and amplified. A copy of the cross channel input signal is supplied to each receiver channel. An RF vector modulator is used to control the phase and amplitude of the cross-polarized signal prior to summation with a desired co-polarized signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Loral Aerospace Corp.
    Inventors: Steven Andersen, James Berman, Chris Hinkle, Michael Jacobson, Richard Koralek, James F. Lebar, Francis J. Smith