Patents by Inventor Robert A. Astle

Robert A. Astle 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: 20040051095
    Abstract: A communication semiconductor integrated circuit has an oscillator circuit forming part of a transmission PLL circuit fabricated on a single semiconductor chip together with an oscillator circuit forming part of a reception PLL circuit and an oscillator circuit for an intermediate frequency. The oscillator circuit forming part of the transmission PLL circuit is configured to be operable in a plurality of bands. A circuit for measuring the oscillating frequency of the oscillator circuit forming part of the transmission PLL circuit is also used for measuring the oscillating frequency of the oscillator circuit forming part of the reception PLL circuit or for measuring the oscillating frequency of the oscillator circuit for the intermediate frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Hirotaka Oosawa, Jiro Shinbo, Noriyuki Kurakami, Masumi Kasahara, Robert Astle Henshaw
  • Publication number: 20040053595
    Abstract: A communication semiconductor integrated circuit has an oscillator circuit forming part of a transmission PLL circuit fabricated on a single semiconductor chip together with an oscillator circuit forming part of a reception PLL circuit and an oscillator circuit for an intermediate frequency. The oscillator circuit for the transmission PLL circuit is configured to be operable in a plurality of bands. The communication semiconductor integrated circuit also comprises a circuit for measuring the oscillating frequency of the oscillator circuit for the transmission PLL circuit, and a storage circuit for storing the result of measurement made by the measuring circuit. A band to be used by the oscillator circuit for the transmission PLL circuit is determined based on values for setting the oscillating frequencies of the oscillator circuit forming part of the reception PLL circuit and the intermediate frequency oscillator circuit, and the result of measurement stored in the storage circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Jiro Shinbo, Hirotaka Oosawa, Noriyuki Kurakami, Masumi Kasahara, Robert Astle Henshaw
  • Publication number: 20030224740
    Abstract: A transmitter adopting a polar loop system including a phase control loop for controlling the phase of a carrier signal outputted from a transmitting oscillator and an amplitude control loop for controlling the amplitude of a transmitting output signal outputted from a power amplification circuit, and designed to be capable of performing transmission using a GMSK modulation mode and transmission using an 8-PSK modulation mode. In the transmitter, the phase control loop is shared as a phase control loop for use in the GMSK modulation mode and a phase control loop for use in the 8-PSK modulation mode. A component similar to any one of components constituting a loop filter is provided in parallel therewith so that the component can be connected or disconnected in accordance with the modulation mode, for example, by use of a switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Ryoichi Takano, Kazuhiko Hikasa, Yasuyuki Kimura, Hiroshi Hagisawa, Patrick Wurm, Robert Astle Henshaw, David Freeborough
  • Publication number: 20030223510
    Abstract: In a polar loop based radio-communications apparatus having a phase control loop for controlling the phase of a carrier outputted from an oscillator for transmission, and an amplitude control loop for controlling the amplitude of a transmission output signal outputted from a power amplification circuit, the phase control loop is first started while maintaining the amplitude control loop in an off state at the outset of transmission, and the amplitude control loop is started after stabilizing the phase control loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kurakami, Patrick Wurm, Robert Astle Henshaw, David Freeborough
  • Publication number: 20030224749
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device for communication is provided with a PLL circuit or the like formed therein, the PLL circuit which is capable of realizing the compensation of fluctuation due to temperature change, the inhibition of increase in the chip area and the ensurement of the performance margin, and which controls a VCO having multiple oscillation frequency bands. In the case where automatic calibration is performed by switching a switch to a side of a DC voltage source in the PLL circuit using a VCO having multiple oscillation bands, a tuning voltage (Vtune) of an RFVCO is fixed to a voltage value of a DC voltage source. However, since a temperature characteristic of canceling a VCO oscillation frequency is given to the DC voltage source, it is possible to minimize the influence on the band selection when a calibration table comes to no optimum one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Toshiya Uozumi, Satoshi Tanaka, Masumi Kasahara, Hirotaka Oosawa, Yasuyuki Kimura, Robert Astle Henshaw
  • Publication number: 20030158005
    Abstract: A basketball goal system having a lightweight blow molded support frame and a transparent acrylic backboard is disclosed. The support frame includes an outer periphery and a support structure that is disposed within the outer periphery. The support structure divides the frame into two or more sections and at least a portion of the two or more sections are preferably covered by the acrylic backboard. Advantageously, the support structure and frame can create a lightweight basketball backboard with consistent rebounding characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Barry D. Mower, Robert Astle, Carl R. Stanford, Stephen F. Nye
  • Publication number: 20030013422
    Abstract: An antenna circuit for a mobile telecommunication device. The circuit comprises a power amplifier for amplifying, in use, a signal to be transmitted. An antenna transmits signals output from the power amplifier. Switching means introduces, dependent upon the gain setting of the power amplifier, an attenuator between the output of the power amplifier and the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Astle Henshaw, David Freeborough, Patrick Wurm
  • Patent number: D481550
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Astle
  • Patent number: D484200
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis Nye, Robert A. Astle, Christopher Anthony Parada, Kevin Bingham
  • Patent number: D484933
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl R. Stanford, Robert A. Astle
  • Patent number: D486190
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Winter, L. Curtis Strong, S. Curtis Nye, Kent Ashby, Robert A. Astle
  • Patent number: D486329
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Curtis Strong, Robert A. Astle