Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Aprille

Thomas J. Aprille 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: 4924459
    Abstract: A plurality of digital signals of one or more digital transmission bit rates are combined into a single transmission signal by employing a unique common channel frame format and one step multiplexing process. The channel frame format includes a plurality of data bit positions and a plurality of overhead bit positions. The number of data bit positions used is dependent on the particular incoming signal. Similarly, the number of frames generated during a specific common framing interval is dependent on the digital transmission bit rate of the particular signal. Specifically, the number of channel frames generated during the common channel frame interval is dependent on a number of equivalent so-called lowest transmission bit rate signals included in the particular signal being formatted. The overhead bits are distributed in the channel frame format. Digital words from the channel frames are inserted into predetermined groups of data word positions in a repetitive frame of a single transmission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: AT & T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Eric H. Angell, Thomas J. Aprille, Rong-Chin Fang, Byeong G. Lee, Jan-Dieter Spalink
  • Patent number: 4905228
    Abstract: A plurality of digital signals of one or more digital transmission bit rates are arranged to be combined by employing a unique common channel frame format. The channel frame format includes a plurality of data bit positions and a plurality of overhead bit positions. The number of data bit positions used is dependent on the particular incoming signal. Similarly, the number of frames generated during a specific common framing interval is dependent on the digital transmission bit rate of the particular signal. Specifically, the number of channel frames generated during the common channel frame interval is dependent on a number of equivalent so-called lowest transmission bit rate signals included in the particular signal being formatted. The overhead bits are distributed in the channel frame format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignees: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Eric H. Angell, Thomas J. Aprille, Rong-Chin Fang, Byeong G. Lee, Jan-Dieter Spalink
  • Patent number: 4716561
    Abstract: In a transmission system, adding and/or dropping any one or more of a plurality of digital signals of one or more digital transmission bit rates is facilitated by employing a unique transmission signal in which data words associated with individual digital signals are arranged in prescribed groups. The transmission signal data word groups are obtained by formatting the individual digital signals to be combined into a unique channel frame format common to all of the digital signals and by employing a unique one-step multiplexing process to insert digital words from the channel frames into the group of data word positions in the transmission signal associated with the particular signal being combined. Consequently, digital signals may be added to the transmission signal by formatting them into the common channel frame format and, then, inserting the digital words therefrom in the one-step multiplexing process into an associated group of data words positions in the transmission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Eric H. Angell, Thomas J. Aprille, Juan O. Azaret, Rong-Chin Fang, Byeong G. Lee, Brian C. Longwell, Craig A. Sharper, Jan-Dieter Spalink
  • Patent number: 4606043
    Abstract: The circuit (10) has a gain section which includes a first AGC circuit (12). The output of the gain section goes to a signal shaping section which includes a biquadratic filter (24), a summer (45), and a second AGC circuit (40). The two AGC circuits (12,40) are controlled by respective separate peak detectors (20, 50) and are noninteracting. For "short" cables, only the first AGC circuit (12) is active. For "long" cables, the first AGC circuit (12) is set at its gain breakpoint and the second AGC circuit (40) alone has active control. The shaping section includes a biquadratic filter (24) which is a tandem arrangement of a low-pass filter (26), an inverter (28), and an integrator (32). The low pass output (35) of the integrator (32) is connected to the noninverting (+) input of the a summing amplifier (45). The input (42) of the second AGC circuit (40) is connected to the band pass output (33) of the inverter (28), while its output (44) is connected to the inverting input (-) of the summing amplifier (45).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Thomas J. Aprille, Jr., Yen-long Kuo, Charles F. Walker