Patents by Inventor Nigel J Tolson

Nigel J Tolson 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: 8054220
    Abstract: A method of variable rate measurements in a device. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an intermediate signal conveying both a position of the device and a velocity of the device in response to a plurality of navigation signals received from external the device, (B) calculating an extrapolated position of the device at a second time based on the position and the velocity both measured at a first time, (C) adjusting an interval between the second time and a third time in response to a difference between the extrapolated position and the position measured at the second time and (D) generating a position signal conveying the position and the velocity, wherein the third time occurs after the second time and the second time occurs after the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: u-blox AG
    Inventors: David P. Tester, Stephen P. Graham, Nigel J. Tolson, Ian G. Watson
  • Patent number: 7642847
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Publication number: 20090189689
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Patent number: 7515002
    Abstract: In a portable dual mode receiver circuit, a dual modulus clock system is provided which can, by selective use of integer division on a multiplied master clock, select specific channels with two different channel spacings in several different bands, providing power and space savings and achieving simplicity of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Nigel J. Tolson
  • Patent number: 7460064
    Abstract: A method of variable rate measurements in a device. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an intermediate signal conveying both a position of the device and a velocity of the device in response to a plurality of navigation signals received from external the device, (B) calculating an extrapolated position of the device at a second time based on the position and the velocity both measured at a first time, (C) adjusting an interval between the second time and a third time in response to a difference between the extrapolated position and the position measured at the second time and (D) generating a position signal conveying the position and the velocity, wherein the third time occurs after the second time and the second time occurs after the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Air Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventors: David P. Tester, Stephen P. Graham, Nigel J. Tolson, Ian G. Watson
  • Patent number: 7127226
    Abstract: A communication filter circuit useful in a dual-mode receiver comprises a cascade of an active twin-T filter and a passive twin-T filter sections defining sharp notches at the center of second adjacent and of third adjacent channels, respectively, and specifically providing most attenuation at 60 kHz and at 90 kHz, for operation in the ISM136 band which has 30 kHz channel spacing. Since communication is channelized and limited in bandwidth, an active/passive twin-T notch filter structure is effective for signal attenuation. In a circuit in which real and imaginary signal components are processed, active-passive twin-T filters are provided in each of four signal paths, namely I and ?I, Q and ?Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nigel J. Tolson
  • Patent number: 7038536
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Patent number: 7020230
    Abstract: In a portable dual mode receiver circuit, a dual modulus clock system is provided which can, by selective use of integer division on a multiplied master clock, select specific channels with two different channel spacings in several different bands, providing power and space savings and achieving simplicity of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventor: Nigel J. Tolson
  • Patent number: 6924695
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Publication number: 20040201418
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Patent number: 6781452
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Publication number: 20030160658
    Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, uses multiple selectable power supply paths, a saturation detector, or combinations of the same to achieve efficient power supply processing. In one aspect of the invention, a power supply processing circuit includes a first switched converter stage and a second linear stage. Depending on the power supply desired, the first stage may be bypassed to avoid conversion losses. In another aspect of the invention, a saturation detector is used to control the first stage such that the second stage operates efficiently just short of saturation, thereby avoiding distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Cioffi, Nigel J. Tolson, Earl W. McCune
  • Publication number: 20030125004
    Abstract: A communication filter circuit useful in a dual-mode receiver comprises a cascade of an active twin-T filter and a passive twin-T filter sections defining sharp notches at the center of second adjacent and of third adjacent channels, respectively, and specifically providing most attenuation at 60 kHz and at 90 kHz, for operation in the ISM136 band which has 30 kHz channel spacing. Since communication is channelized and limited in bandwidth, an active/passive twin-T notch filter structure is effective for signal attenuation. In a circuit in which real and imaginary signal components are processed, active-passive twin-T filters are provided in each of four signal paths, namely I and −I, Q and −Q.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventor: Nigel J. Tolson
  • Publication number: 20030123596
    Abstract: In a portable dual mode receiver circuit, a dual modulus clock system is provided which can, by selective use of integer division on a multiplied master clock, select specific channels with two different channel spacings in several different bands, providing power and space savings and achieving simplicity of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Tropian, Inc.
    Inventor: Nigel J. Tolson
  • Patent number: 6212367
    Abstract: A mobile phone apparatus which is capable of meeting the stringent specifications on transmitter noise in the receive band. The mobile phone apparatus has a modulator for producing a signal to be transmitted in a transmit band, a power amplifier for supplying the signal to be transmitted to an aerial, a tunable filter disposed between the modulator and the power amplifier and having a passband and an attenuation band, and a control circuit for tuning the filter such that the passband is at the transmit band and the attenuation band is at a receive band of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Nigel J Tolson