Patents by Inventor Philip J. Armitage

Philip J. Armitage 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).

  • Apparatus and method of interrupt detection in an optical disc environment
    Patent number: 6762982
    Abstract: A method of determining interrupts in data on an optical disc, the data supported in a signal envelope subject to variation by mirror modulation and said interrupts. The method comprises the steps of (A) filtering the signal envelope to generate a first signal; (B) re-biasing the first signal to produce an intermediate signal having voltage swings attributable to the mirror modulation; (C) defining a slice level below a reference level to sample the mirror modulation to produce a mirror signal; (D) slicing the intermediate signal to generate the mirror signal containing a pulse resulting from a level transition through the slice level associated with re-biasing of the positive transition component; and (E) registering the presence of the pulse during the on-track mode of operation to identify the interrupt in data on the optical disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Philip J. Armitage
  • Apparatus and method providing a mirror averaging function to generate a mirror signal from optical data on an optical disc
    Patent number: 6735162
    Abstract: In the context of mirror modulation (56, 90, 104) extraction during track seek or jump modes of an optical disc reading device (12), such as a DVD ROM, a mirror averaged level (i.e. the dc level (52) of the RF envelope (34)) is held so that the mirror modulation (90) is seen as a swing below a set mirror rebias level (86) at an output of a mirror amplifier (72), as shown in FIG. 3. With the holding of the dc level (52) by a ground-referred capacitor (302) during seek operation of the device (12), a first input (nin) to the mirror amplifier varies with the mirror modulation, whereas a second input (pin) to the mirror amplifier (72) does not vary. This phenomenon enables the top level of a RFRP signal (82) to be defined by the mirror rebias level (86) and the mirror component swing (during seek operation) to be optimized and always to occur below the mirror rebias level (86).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Armitage, David I. Boddy
  • Mixer with stepped gain and constant common mode DC output bias voltage
    Patent number: 6429721
    Abstract: An mixer includes a differential signal input, a differential local oscillator input, a gain control input and a differential signal output. The mixer has a stepped signal gain from the differential signal input to the differential signal output which is variable from a first gain to a second, different gain as a function of the gain control input and has a substantially constant DC common mode output bias voltage at the differential signal output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Armitage, Brian E. Merrigan
  • Apparatus and method providing a mirror averaging function to generate a mirror signal from optical data on an optical disc
    Publication number: 20020093904
    Abstract: In the context of mirror modulation (56, 90, 104) extraction during track seek or jump modes of an optical disc reading device (12), such as a DVD ROM, a mirror averaged level (i.e. the dc level (52) of the RF envelope (34)) is held so that the mirror modulation (90) is seen as a swing below a set mirror rebias level (86) at an output of a mirror amplifier (72), as shown in FIG. 3. With the holding of the dc level (52) by a ground-referred capacitor (302) during seek operation of the device (12), a first input (nin) to the mirror amplifier varies with the mirror modulation, whereas a second input (pin) to the mirror amplifier (72) does not vary. This phenomenon enables the top level of a RFRP signal (82) to be defined by the mirror rebias level (86) and the mirror component swing (during seek operation) to be optimized and always to occur below the mirror rebias level (86).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: LSI LOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip J. Armitage, David I. Boddy
  • Apparatus and method of interrupt detection in an optical disc environment
    Publication number: 20020093894
    Abstract: A method of determining interrupts in data on an optical disc, the data supported in a signal envelope subject to variation by mirror modulation and said interrupts. The method comprises the steps of (A) filtering the signal envelope to generate a first signal; (B) re-biasing the first signal to produce an intermediate signal having voltage swings attributable to the mirror modulation; (C) defining a slice level below a reference level to sample the mirror modulation to produce a mirror signal; (D) slicing the intermediate signal to generate the mirror signal containing a pulse resulting from a level transition through the slice level associated with re-biasing of the positive transition component; and (E) registering the presence of the pulse during the on-track mode of operation to identify the interrupt in data on the optical disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: LSI LOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Philip J. Armitage