Patents by Inventor Michael Fitton

Michael Fitton 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: 9483233
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 9083139
    Abstract: A mount for an optical element such as in a laser, optical amplifier, or other optical system, is disclosed. The mount is a mounting vane (100) for cooling the optical element (125) by a fluid stream. The optical element may be a gain medium generating heat. The mounting vane comprises: an input section with a leading edge (110) for meeting the fluid stream; a diffuser section (130) which tapers to a trailing edge (135); and a plane section (120) with an aperture for receiving the optical element (125) for cooling by the fluid stream, the plane section arranged between the input section and diffuser section, wherein the diffuser section (130) includes one or more flow guiding fins (140) protruding from the diffuser section. The mounting vane may be stacked with a plurality of other mounting vanes in a manifold. The shape of the vane plate results in a turbulent fluid flow improving the heat exchange between a laser disc heated by optical pumping and a cryogenic He gas used for cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
    Inventors: Klaus Ertel, Michael Fitton, Tristan Davenne
  • Patent number: 9000802
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for interfacing between hard logic elements and soft logic elements implemented on an integrated device. In particular, a configurable interface is provided that includes interconnects between hard logic and soft logic, which enable signals to be selectively routed between the inputs and outputs of hard logic blocks and soft logic modules. The interconnects allow for certain hard logic blocks to be bypassed in favor of soft logic functionality. Moreover, the interconnects allow soft logic to augment the processing of hard logic blocks, e.g., by providing additional signals to the hard logic block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Benjamin Thomas Cope, Kellie Marks, Lei Xu
  • Patent number: 8897784
    Abstract: There is provided a processor for a base station control unit, the base station control unit being associated with a plurality of antennas; the processor comprising a plurality of processing streams, each stream being suitable for generating signals for at least one user in a plurality of users; wherein any of the processing streams can be used to generate the signals for any user in the plurality of users and for transmission by any antenna in the plurality of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Publication number: 20140328360
    Abstract: A mount for an optical element such as in a laser, optical amplifier, or other optical system, is disclosed. The mount is a mounting vane (100) for cooling the optical element (125) by a fluid stream. The optical element may be a gain medium generating heat. The mounting vane comprises: an input section with a leading edge (110) for meeting the fluid stream; a diffuser section (130) which tapers to a trailing edge (135); and a Direction of plane section (120) with an aperture for receiving the optical element (125) for cooling by the fluid stream, the plane section arranged between the input section and diffuser section, wherein the diffuser section (130) includes one or more flow guiding fins (140) protruding from the diffuser section. The mounting vane may be stacked with a plurality of other mounting vanes in a manifold. The shape of the vane plate results in a turbulent fluid flow improving the heat exchange between a laser disc heated by optical pumping and a cryogenic He gas used for cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Klaus Ertel, Michael Fitton, Tristan Davenne
  • Publication number: 20140125379
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for interfacing between hard logic elements and soft logic elements implemented on an integrated device. In particular, a configurable interface is provided that includes interconnects between hard logic and soft logic, which enable signals to be selectively routed between the inputs and outputs of hard logic blocks and soft logic modules. The interconnects allow for certain hard logic blocks to be bypassed in favor of soft logic functionality. Moreover, the interconnects allow soft logic to augment the processing of hard logic blocks, e.g., by providing additional signals to the hard logic block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Benjamin Thomas Cope, Kellie Marks, Lei Xu
  • Publication number: 20140019500
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: ALTERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8629691
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for interfacing between hard logic elements and soft logic elements implemented on an integrated device. In particular, a configurable interface is provided that includes interconnects between hard logic and soft logic, which enable signals to be selectively routed between the inputs and outputs of hard logic blocks and soft logic modules. The interconnects allow for certain hard logic blocks to be bypassed in favor of soft logic functionality. Moreover, the interconnects allow soft logic to augment the processing of hard logic blocks, e.g., by providing additional signals to the hard logic block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Benjamin Thomas Cope, Kellie Marks, Lei Xu
  • Patent number: 8555031
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8548078
    Abstract: A ranging code present in a transmission from a transmitter to a receiver can be detected, and hence a time offset can be determined. For each of the possible ranging codes in a transmitted signal, a correlation is formed between a received signal and the ranging code for multiple subcarriers in the received signal. For multiple adjacent ranging subcarriers, the correlation is multiplied by a conjugate of the correlation of an adjacent ranging subcarrier in order to form a differential phase value. At least one ranging code in the transmitted signal can then be determined based on the differential phase values for said plurality of subcarriers. A time offset in the transmission from the transmitter to the receiver can then be determined, based on the differential phase values for the subcarriers, and based on the determined ranging code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Mehul Mehta
  • Patent number: 8433322
    Abstract: There is provided a processor for a base station control unit, the base station control unit being associated with a plurality of antennas; the processor comprising a plurality of processing streams, each stream being suitable for generating signals for at least one user in a plurality of users; wherein any of the processing streams can be used to generate the signals for any user in the plurality of users and for transmission by any antenna in the plurality of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8428179
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for crest factor reduction, in which an input time domain signal is clipped to generate a clipped signal and a difference signal, and processing operations are carried out on the difference signal, before the processed difference signal is combined with the clipped signal to generate an output time domain signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Lei Xu, Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8359458
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Publication number: 20120319730
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for interfacing between hard logic elements and soft logic elements implemented on an integrated device. In particular, a configurable interface is provided that includes interconnects between hard logic and soft logic, which enable signals to be selectively routed between the inputs and outputs of hard logic blocks and soft logic modules. The interconnects allow for certain hard logic blocks to be bypassed in favor of soft logic functionality. Moreover, the interconnects allow soft logic to augment the processing of hard logic blocks, e.g., by providing additional signals to the hard logic block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: ALTERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Benjamin Thomas Cope, Kellie Marks, Lei Xu
  • Patent number: 8307021
    Abstract: A matrix decomposition circuit is described. In one implementation, the matrix decomposition circuit includes a memory, one or more memory counters to track one or more memory counter values regarding data stored in the memory, a processing unit that calculates elements of an output matrix, and a scheduler that determines an order for calculating the elements of the output matrix, where the scheduler uses one or more memory counter values to determine whether data needed for processing an element of the output matrix is available in the memory. In one specific implementation, the scheduler schedules processing of a diagonal element of the output matrix to occur as soon as the scheduler determines that each element of the output matrix needed for calculating the diagonal element is available in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Kulwinder Dhanoa, Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8156171
    Abstract: In one aspect, there is provided a digital logic circuit that comprises circuitry for generating a new iteration xn+1 of the reciprocal square root of A from the previous iteration xn by (i) multiplying the previous iteration xn by the number A; (ii) multiplying the result of (i) by the previous iteration xn; (iii) subtracting the result of (ii) from 3; and (iv) multiplying the result of (iii) by half of the previous iteration xn. According to another aspect there is provided a calculator unit for determining an initial value for use in a iterative process for calculating an estimate of the reciprocal square root of a number A, the calculator unit comprising circuitry for (a) rounding the number A to the nearest number of the form 2J, where J is an integer; (b) if J is odd, rounding J up to the nearest even number to give J?; (c) if J is even, setting J to J?; and (d) calculating 2?(J?/2) to determine the initial value for the reciprocal square root of A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 8121203
    Abstract: A ranging code present in a transmission from a transmitter to a receiver can be detected, and hence a time offset can be determined. For each of the possible ranging codes in a transmitted signal, a correlation is formed between a received signal and the ranging code for multiple subcarriers in the received signal. For multiple adjacent ranging subcarriers, the correlation is multiplied by a conjugate of the correlation of an adjacent ranging subcarrier in order to form a differential phase value. At least one ranging code in the transmitted signal can then be determined based on the differential phase values for said plurality of subcarriers. A time offset in the transmission from the transmitter to the receiver can then be determined, based on the differential phase values for the subcarriers, and based on the determined ranging code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Fitton, Kulwinder Dhanoa, Mehul Mehta
  • Publication number: 20120011344
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: ALTERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 7979673
    Abstract: A processor is adapted for performing a QR-decomposition. The processor has a program memory, a program controller, connected to the program memory to receive program instructions, and at least one processing unit. The processing unit includes a CORDIC calculation block, and has a distributed memory structure, with separate memory blocks for storing respective parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton
  • Patent number: 7961669
    Abstract: There is provided a processor for a base station control unit, the base station control unit being associated with a plurality of antennas; the processor comprising a plurality of processing streams, each stream being suitable for generating signals for at least one user in a plurality of users; wherein any of the processing streams can be used to generate the signals for any user in the plurality of users and for transmission by any antenna in the plurality of antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Fitton