Patents by Inventor Norman Hopkins

Norman Hopkins 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).

  • Method and apparatus for providing a plurality of protocol serial communications
    Patent number: 5758127
    Abstract: A digital communication system including a digital controller (11), a master circuit (14) capable of communicating in a variety of serial protocols, and at least one slave circuit (16). The digital controller is preferably a microprocessor. The master circuit is configured in a selected serial protocol by the digital controller in response to data words provided by the digital controller. The slave circuit is connected to the master circuit and communicates in the master circuit's selected serial protocol under the control of data words sent from the digital controller to the master circuit. The master circuit is a bi-directional, parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel interface circuit having three programmable channels (CHANNEL 0, 1, 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian MacAulay, Norman Hopkins, Brian C. Daellenbach, Paul Denman, Jamie Osbourne