Patents by Inventor Stephen J. Sheafor

Stephen J. Sheafor 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: 20080250175
    Abstract: Techniques for improving the quality or fidelity of a digital signal transmitted via a two-wire bus interconnect utilizing an open-terminal configuration at one or both end devices of the bus interconnect are disclosed. An intermediate two-wire bus is used to connect two open-terminal-based two-wire busses. A bus adapter device is utilized at each end of the intermediate two-wire bus, whereby the bus adapter device communicates signaling on the corresponding open-terminal-based two-wire bus using open-terminal ports and communicates signaling on the intermediate two-wire bus using push-pull ports. The bus adapter device can utilize control logic to implement a state machine or other function to control the interactions between the different two-wire buses. The bus adapter devices may be implemented as interchangeable integrated circuit devices that can change configuration based on connection, thereby permitting their implementation at either end of a bus transmission system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Kenneth W. Egan, Geoffrey E. Brehmer, Gregory T. Chandler
  • Publication number: 20080250184
    Abstract: Techniques for improving the quality or fidelity of a digital signal transmitted via a two-wire bus interconnect utilizing an open-terminal configuration at one or both end devices of the bus interconnect are disclosed. An intermediate two-wire bus is used to connect two open-terminal-based two-wire busses. A bus adapter device is utilized at each end of the intermediate two-wire bus, whereby the bus adapter device communicates signaling on the corresponding open-terminal-based two-wire bus using open-terminal ports and communicates signaling on the intermediate two-wire bus using push-pull ports. The bus adapter device can utilize control logic to implement a state machine or other function to control the interactions between the different two-wire buses. The bus adapter devices may be implemented as interchangeable integrated circuit devices that can change configuration based on connection, thereby permitting their implementation at either end of a bus transmission system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Kenneth W. Egan, Geoffrey E. Brehmer, Gregory T. Chandler
  • Publication number: 20080250170
    Abstract: Techniques for improving the quality or fidelity of a digital signal transmitted via a two-wire bus interconnect utilizing an open-terminal configuration at one or both end devices of the bus interconnect are disclosed. An intermediate two-wire bus is used to connect two open-terminal-based two-wire busses. A bus adapter device is utilized at each end of the intermediate two-wire bus, whereby the bus adapter device communicates signaling on the corresponding open-terminal-based two-wire bus using open-terminal ports and communicates signaling on the intermediate two-wire bus using push-pull ports. The bus adapter device can utilize control logic to implement a state machine or other function to control the interactions between the different two-wire buses. The bus adapter devices may be implemented as interchangeable integrated circuit devices that can change configuration based on connection, thereby permitting their implementation at either end of a bus transmission system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Publication number: 20080247414
    Abstract: Techniques for improving the quality or fidelity of a digital signal transmitted via a two-wire bus interconnect utilizing an open-terminal configuration at one or both end devices of the bus interconnect are disclosed. An intermediate two-wire bus is used to connect two open-terminal-based two-wire busses. A bus adapter device is utilized at each end of the intermediate two-wire bus, whereby the bus adapter device communicates signaling on the corresponding open-terminal-based two-wire bus using open-terminal ports and communicates signaling on the intermediate two-wire bus using push-pull ports. The bus adapter device can utilize control logic to implement a state machine or other function to control the interactions between the different two-wire buses. The bus adapter devices may be implemented as interchangeable integrated circuit devices that can change configuration based on connection, thereby permitting their implementation at either end of a bus transmission system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Kenneth W. Egan, Gregory T. Chandler
  • Publication number: 20080246626
    Abstract: Techniques for improving the quality or fidelity of a digital signal transmitted via a two-wire bus interconnect utilizing an open-terminal configuration at one or both end devices of the bus interconnect are disclosed. An intermediate two-wire bus is used to connect two open-terminal-based two-wire busses. A bus adapter device is utilized at each end of the intermediate two-wire bus, whereby the bus adapter device communicates signaling on the corresponding open-terminal-based two-wire bus using open-terminal ports and communicates signaling on the intermediate two-wire bus using push-pull ports. The bus adapter device can utilize control logic to implement a state machine or other function to control the interactions between the different two-wire buses. The bus adapter devices may be implemented as interchangeable integrated circuit devices that can change configuration based on connection, thereby permitting their implementation at either end of a bus transmission system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Kenneth W. Egan
  • Publication number: 20080198945
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for spreading the power associated with digital signals being transmitted to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions by receiving, via a first transmission line, a first power spread signal representative a first digital signal modified using a first power spreading digital noise signal, modifying the power spread signal using a second power spreading digital noise signal substantially similar to the first power spreading digital noise signal to generate a second digital signal substantially similar to the first digital signal, modifying the second digital signal using a third power spreading digital noise signal to generate a second power spread signal and providing the second power spread signal for output to a second transmission line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: VIZIONWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Egan, Gregory T. Chandler, Jitendra K. Budwal, James J. Remedi, Ted Beck, Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Patent number: 7386028
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for spreading the power associated with digital signals being transmitted to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions by receiving, via a first transmission line, a first power spread signal representative a first digital signal modified using a first power spreading digital noise signal, modifying the power spread signal using a second power spreading digital noise signal substantially similar to the first power spreading digital noise signal to generate a second digital signal substantially similar to the first digital signal, modifying the second digital signal using a third power spreading digital noise signal to generate a second power spread signal and providing the second power spread signal for output to a second transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: VizionWare, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Egan, Gregory T. Chandler, Jitendra K. Budwal, James J. Remedi, Ted Beck, Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Publication number: 20070206643
    Abstract: Transmit-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more active signal management processes to a digital signal at a transmit side of an interconnect. At the receive side of the interconnect, receive-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more corresponding active signal management processes, as appropriate, to the received digital signal to recover the information represented by the original digital signal. The interconnect can include a cable used to transmit the signals between a source device and a destination device, whereby one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry is implemented at a corresponding cable receptacle of the cable. Alternately, one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry can be implemented at a cable adaptor, thereby permitting the use of a passive cable interconnect to transmit the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: X-EMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Egan, Gregory T. Chandler, Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Publication number: 20070206642
    Abstract: Transmit-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more active signal management processes to a digital signal at a transmit side of an interconnect. At the receive side of the interconnect, receive-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more corresponding active signal management processes, as appropriate, to the received digital signal to recover the information represented by the original digital signal. The interconnect can include a cable used to transmit the signals between a source device and a destination device, whereby one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry is implemented at a corresponding cable receptacle of the cable. Alternately, one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry can be implemented at a cable adaptor, thereby permitting the use of a passive cable interconnect to transmit the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: X-EMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Egan, Gregory T. Chandler, Geoffrey E. Brehmer, Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Publication number: 20070206640
    Abstract: Transmit-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more active signal management processes to a digital signal at a transmit side of an interconnect. At the receive side of the interconnect, receive-side active signal management circuitry applies one or more corresponding active signal management processes, as appropriate, to the received digital signal to recover the information represented by the original digital signal. The interconnect can include a cable used to transmit the signals between a source device and a destination device, whereby one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry is implemented at a corresponding cable receptacle of the cable. Alternately, one or both of the transmit-side active signal management circuitry and the receive-side active signal management circuitry can be implemented at a cable adaptor, thereby permitting the use of a passive cable interconnect to transmit the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: X-EMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Egan, Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Patent number: 6473813
    Abstract: An address translation arrangement and associated method for use in a digital system are described. The system includes a plurality of modules and a bus arrangement which interconnects the modules for executing data transactions using the bus arrangement. Each data transaction includes an address portion which defines a data portion. A first one of the modules is configured for initiating the address portion of the data transaction on the bus arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sitera, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Sheafor
  • Patent number: 6223242
    Abstract: A crossbar routing arrangement is disclosed for use in a digital system having three or more buses. An associated method is also disclosed. The routing arrangement is configured for transferring a set of data received from any particular one of the buses to any other selected one of the buses and includes a control arrangement associated with each bus for dividing the set of data into at least first and second subsets of data and for adding self-routing signals to each data subset which signals identify the selected bus. A switching arrangement is configured for directing the first and second data subsets in a predetermined way responsive to the self-routing signals. The control arrangement cooperates with the switching arrangement to transfer the data subsets over physically distinct data transfer paths defined between the switching arrangement and the control arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Sifera, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Christopher Koerner, Bradford C. Lincoln, Robert Sugar, Jonathan L. Huie
  • Patent number: 4649384
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for serial communication of digital information in an information processing system for high throughput fault tolerant communication is disclosed. High throughput is achieved by providing a multiplicity of communication circuits, which are preferably four-wire, full duplex bidirectional channels for serial communication of digital information, and by providing full duplex, bidirectional communication of messages at a first rate and half duplex, unidirectional communication of large blocks of data at a second higher rate over the communication circuits. Fault tolerance for serial communication of digital information is provided by the multiplicity of communication circuits so that if one communication circuit is inoperative the remainder of the communication circuits is available for communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Dialogic Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Sheafor, Ken K. S. Weng