Patents by Inventor Gerald Champagne

Gerald Champagne 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: 9712261
    Abstract: A circuit includes a controller configured to determine a calibration state of a circuit, to determine an active mode state of the circuit, and to select a type of calibration operation based on the calibration state. The controller is configured to control timing of the selected type of calibration operation in response to determining the calibration state to correspond to a time when the circuit is not active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Champagne, David Shen
  • Patent number: 9525440
    Abstract: A method includes estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit, which is associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit. The method includes, based on the estimated temperature change, regulating at least one parameter that is associated with the pending transmission to maintain a temperature of the integrated circuit below a temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Champagne, David Mervine
  • Publication number: 20150189788
    Abstract: A method includes estimating a temperature change to an integrated circuit, which is associated with a pending transmission from the integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Champagne, David Mervine
  • Patent number: 8970287
    Abstract: A circuit includes a temperature sensor configured to determine a circuit temperature and includes an analog circuit including one or more controllable circuit elements. The analog circuit includes at least one adjustable parameter. The circuit further includes a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to select a threshold temperature. The controller is configured to control the analog circuit in response to the circuit temperature to selectively adjust at least one adjustable parameter of the analog circuit when the temperature exceeds the selected threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: David Shen, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20150048877
    Abstract: A circuit includes a temperature sensor configured to determine a circuit temperature and includes an analog circuit including one or more controllable circuit elements. The analog circuit includes at least one adjustable parameter. The circuit further includes a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to select a threshold temperature. The controller is configured to control the analog circuit in response to the circuit temperature to selectively adjust at least one adjustable parameter of the analog circuit when the temperature exceeds the selected threshold temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratiories Inc.
    Inventors: David Shen, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20150048878
    Abstract: A circuit includes a controller configured to determine a calibration state of a circuit, to determine an active mode state of the circuit, and to select a type of calibration operation based on the calibration state. The controller is configured to control timing of the selected type of calibration operation in response to determining the calibration state to correspond to a time when the circuit is not active.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Champagne, David Shen
  • Patent number: 8666349
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital signal processor, a clock synthesizer, and a microcontroller. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital signal processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, and a signal output for providing an IF output signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving a clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The a microcontroller has an input for receiving a channel selection signal, wherein the microcontroller provides the clock control signal to control a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to place a sub-harmonic at a tolerable frequency of a selected channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Publication number: 20130244601
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital signal processor, a clock synthesizer, and a microcontroller. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital signal processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, and a signal output for providing an IF output signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving a clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The a microcontroller has an input for receiving a channel selection signal, wherein the microcontroller provides the clock control signal to control a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to place a sub-harmonic at a tolerable frequency of a selected channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Patent number: 8463223
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital processor, a clock synthesizer, and a microcontroller. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital signal processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, and a signal output for providing an IF output signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving a clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The a microcontroller has an input for receiving a channel selection signal, wherein the microcontroller provides the clock control signal to control a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to reduce interference of sub-harmonics created by the clock signal on the analog receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Publication number: 20120250809
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital processor, a clock synthesizer, and a microcontroller. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital signal processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, and a signal output for providing an IF output signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving a clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The a microcontroller has an input for receiving a channel selection signal, wherein the microcontroller provides the clock control signal to control a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to reduce interference of sub-harmonics created by the clock signal on the analog receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Patent number: 8224279
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital processor, and a clock synthesizer. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, a signal output for providing an IF output signal, and a control output for providing a clock control signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving the clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The digital processor controls a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to reduce interference of sub-harmonics created by the digital processor on the analog receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Patent number: 8126091
    Abstract: A method is provided that contemplates including filtered decode values in an RDS/RBDS output signal. The filtered decode values are generated from reliable values. The reliable values are generated from corresponding received values from each of at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data in an RDS/RBDS input signal. The method also comprises preventing an error correction code (ECC) unit from modifying the filtered decode values in the RDS/RBDS output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Dana Taipale, Gerald Champagne
  • Patent number: 8060066
    Abstract: A receiver including first circuitry configured to combine corresponding soft decision values from at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data transmitted as part of a broadcast channel to generate a set of combined values and second circuitry configured to identify a subset of the combined values that indicate a relatively constant subset of the received values from the at least two groups of the RDS/RBDS data is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Gregg, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20110158298
    Abstract: A tuner circuit includes a digital signal processor to generate a digital data stream related to a radio frequency signal and a transceiver circuit coupled to the digital signal processor and configurable to generate an inter-chip communication frame having a start portion and a plurality of channels. The plurality of channels includes a first data channel to carry a portion of the digital data stream and a control channel to carry control data. The transceiver circuit is configurable to send the inter-chip communication frame to an additional tuner circuit through an inter-chip communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Younes Djadi, Russell Croman, Scott Thomas Haban, Javier Elenes, Gerald Champagne, Michael Robert May
  • Publication number: 20110151819
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital processor, and a clock synthesizer. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, a signal output for providing an IF output signal, and a control output for providing a clock control signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving the clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The digital processor controls a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to reduce interference of sub-harmonics created by the digital processor on the analog receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Terry Dickey, Gerald Champagne, Brian Mirkin
  • Patent number: 7864893
    Abstract: A receiver including first circuitry configured to combine corresponding soft decision values from at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data transmitted as part of a broadcast channel to generate a set of combined values and second circuitry configured to identify a subset of the combined values that indicate a relatively constant subset of the received values from the at least two groups of the RDS/RBDS data is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Dana Taipale, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20100080326
    Abstract: A method is provided that contemplates including filtered decode values in an RDS/RBDS output signal. The filtered decode values are generated from reliable values. The reliable values are generated from corresponding received values from each of at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data in an RDS/RBDS input signal. The method also comprises preventing an error correction code (ECC) unit from modifying the filtered decode values in the RDS/RBDS output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Dana Taipale, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20090068964
    Abstract: A receiver including first circuitry configured to combine corresponding soft decision values from at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data transmitted as part of a broadcast channel to generate a set of combined values and second circuitry configured to identify a subset of the combined values that indicate a relatively constant subset of the received values from the at least two groups of the RDS/RBDS data is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Christopher Gregg, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20090028250
    Abstract: A receiver including first circuitry configured to combine corresponding soft decision values from at least two groups of RDS/RBDS data transmitted as part of a broadcast channel to generate a set of combined values and second circuitry configured to identify a subset of the combined values that indicate a relatively constant subset of the received values from the at least two groups of the RDS/RBDS data is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Dana Taipale, Gerald Champagne
  • Publication number: 20070213021
    Abstract: A frequency modulation (FM) radio receiver includes a processing unit that may generate a magnitude value corresponding to a signal strength of each of a plurality of digital samples of a received FM signal. The receiver also includes a noise estimation unit that may filter the magnitude values using a high pass filter and may generate a noise value representative of a noise portion of the received FM signal based upon the filtered magnitude values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventors: Dana Taipale, G. Tuttle, Gerald Champagne, Javier Elenes