Patents by Inventor James Chow

James Chow 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: 20040233190
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a selectively configurable differential signal interface and a selection control input for selecting one of a plurality of standard differential signal interfaces for configuration of the differential signal interface. The selection control input selects one of the following plurality of standard differential signal interfaces: reduced swing differential signaling (RSDS), low voltage differential signaling (LVDS), mini low voltage differential signaling (mini-LVDS), and bussed low voltage differential signaling (BLVDS), for configuration of the differential signal interface. The electronic circuit may also include a plurality of selectable voltage sources (611, 612, 613) and a plurality of selectable current sources (614, 615, 616, 617), for selecting, in response to an input signal at the selection control input, at least one of an operating D.C. voltage, a standard differential signal voltage, and a standard differential signal current for the differential signal interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: James Chow
  • Publication number: 20030226062
    Abstract: An error response test system and method with increased functionality and improved performance is provided. The error response test system provides the ability to inject errors into the application under test to test the error response of the application under test in an automated and efficient manner. The error response test system injects asynchronous errors into the application under test by inserting code sequences of application code that are desired to create an error in the application under test. The error response test system inserts the error creation code directly into the object of the application under test. The inserted error creation code causes an error in the application under test at the specific point of insertion. The error creation code is designed to implement asynchronous errors that cannot normally be tested. Furthermore, the error creation code can be inserted in any location in the application under test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas K. Gender, James Chow
  • Publication number: 20030225961
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flash memory management system and method with increased performance. The flash memory management system provides the ability to efficiently manage and allocate flash memory use in a way that improves reliability and longevity, while maintaining good performance levels. The flash memory management system includes a free block mechanism, a disk maintenance mechanism, and a bad block detection mechanism. The free block mechanism provides efficient sorting of free blocks to facilitate selecting low use blocks for writing. The disk maintenance mechanism provides for the ability to efficiently clean flash memory blocks during processor idle times. The bad block detection mechanism provides the ability to better detect when a block of flash memory is likely to go bad. The flash status mechanism stores information in fast access memory that describes the content and status of the data in the flash disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: James Chow, Thomas K. Gender
  • Publication number: 20030193350
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a selectively configurable differential signal interface and a selection control input for selecting one of a plurality of standard differential signal interfaces for configuration of the differential signal interface. The selection control input selects one of the following plurality of standard differential signal interfaces: reduced swing differential signaling (RSDS), low voltage differential signaling (LVDS), mini low voltage differential signaling (mini-LVDS), and bussed low voltage differential signaling (BLVDS), for configuration of the differential signal interface. The electronic circuit may also include a plurality of selectable voltage sources (611, 612, 613) and a plurality of selectable current sources (614, 615, 616, 617), for selecting, in response to an input signal at the selection control input, at least one of an operating D.C. voltage, a standard differential signal voltage, and a standard differential signal current for the differential signal interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: James Chow
  • Publication number: 20030174906
    Abstract: A feature coding unit extracts and encodes a feature of a video signal so as to generate a feature stream. A feature identifying unit checks a decoded feature obtained as a result of decoding the feature stream against a search key from a user for a match so that a video content requested by the user is retrieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunichi Sekiguchi, Yoshihisa Yamada, James Chow, Kohtaro Asai
  • Patent number: 6611628
    Abstract: A feature coding unit extracts and encodes a feature of a video signal so as to generate a feature stream. A feature identifying unit checks a decoded feature obtained as a result of decoding the feature stream against a search key from a user for a match so that a video content requested by the user is retrieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunichi Sekiguchi, Yoshihisa Yamada, James Chow, Kohtaro Asai
  • Publication number: 20030118138
    Abstract: A differential data sampling circuit is provided for sampling an input signal line with precise timing so as to provide reduced sensitivity to noise. The differential data sampling circuit includes a latch circuit for initially sampling a differential data signal in response to a first strobe signal. The latch circuit operates to rapidly capture the signal level present on the input signal line. The output of the latch circuit is then sampled by a strobe circuit in order to capture and hold the output of the latch circuit based on a second strobe signal. In preferred embodiments, the latch circuit has a high input impedance. A digital data receiver including such a differential data sampling circuit is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: James Chow, Khin Lay, Kenny D. Wen
  • Publication number: 20020184577
    Abstract: A closed loop delay line system (700) includes a phase lock loop that provides a phase lock output signal (715). A delay line (702) includes a clock input, a delay line output, and a delay line bias input. A bias signal provided to the delay line bias input (727) adjusts the speed of the delay line (702). A phase detector (720) compares phase between a first timing signal input (704) and the delay line output (706). A bias adjust circuit (726) mixes the phase compare output signal (725) and the phase lock output signal (715) to provide a combination bias signal (727) to the delay line (702). Additionally, the relative timing position of strobe outputs (734) from the delay line (702) can be individually adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: James Chow, Kenny Wen
  • Patent number: 6490005
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (112) for sampling high speed video signals includes Pre-amplifiers (502, 504, 506) electrically coupled to Post-amplifiers (508, 510, 512) that are electrically coupled to output latches (514, 517, 519, 521, 523, 525, and 527). A sampling clock signal (116) clocks the output latches (514, 517, 519, 521, 523, 525, and 527) to sample an input analog electronic signal to provide a digital representation thereof. The ADC (112) includes an auto-zeroing function to cancel bias voltages at the Post-amplifiers (508, 510, 512) during a video signal horizontal blanking time period. The ADC (112) includes a bit dithering function by alternating sets of reference voltages into the Pre-amplifiers (502, 504, 506) increasing bit resolution. The ADC (112) includes wired interconnect interpolation between the Pre-amplifiers (502, 504, 506) and Post-amplifiers (508, 510, 512) and between the Post-amplifiers (508, 510, 512) and the output latches (514, 517, 519, 521, 523, 525, and 527).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Günter W. Steinbach, James Chow, Kenny Wen, Khin Lay
  • Patent number: 6281715
    Abstract: A low voltage differential signaling (“LVDS”) line driver includes a pre-emphasis circuit to increase the drive capability of the LVDS line driver. A current source provides a first drive current to a current steering circuit. The pre-emphasis circuit includes a second current source, a current sourcing circuit coupled to the second current source and the current steering circuit and a current sinking circuit coupled to the second current source and the current steering circuit. In this way, first and second drive currents are provided to during the switching of the signal states of an input signal, so that more drive current is supplied to the output of the LVDS line driver circuit. Thus, the time it takes for the current steering circuit to switch the drive current between the first and second directions is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Larry W. DeClue, James Chow, Kenny Wen