Patents by Inventor Thomas L. Spieker

Thomas L. Spieker 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: 7738040
    Abstract: System and methods for processing signals in a television system are disclosed and may include measuring relative power of RF carriers over a full bandwidth of one or more received TV channels. The method may also include determining based on the measured relative power, whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without demodulating the received TV channel. It may be determined whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without synchronizing and/or decoding the one or more received TV channels. The method may further include tuning to the one or more received TV channels. It may be determined whether an applied power gain for the one or more received TV channels is a maximum power gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Inventors: Jorge J. Wong, Donald G. McMullin, Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker
  • Patent number: 7265793
    Abstract: A method and system is provided, which may detect digital QAM, VSB and analog TV signals in a faster and more efficient manner than conventional systems. The system and method may be deployed in, for example, cable TV set-top boxes, cable TV modems and television set receivers, which may be coupled to a cable TV or off-the-air terrestrial network. Power measurements of the RF carriers found in a cable TV channel may be utilized to determine whether a digital QAM signal, digital VSB signal, or an analog signal is present in a TV channel. In this regard, it is not necessary for a receiver to demodulate, lock, synchronize, decode and/or validate any video or audio information or digital bit stream in order to detect digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals, or not signal at all. Accordingly, the process of detecting digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals is shortened and simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jorge J. Wong, Donald G. McMullin, Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker
  • Patent number: 7020812
    Abstract: Presented herein are system(s), method(s), and apparatus f or detecting and recovering from false synchronization. When incorrect checksums are encountered, false synchronization and general noisy considerations are distinguished as causes of the incorrect checksums by examining the header data. For example, in one embodiment, a count can be kept and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the number of detected null packets. In another embodiment, a count of detected PAT packets can be kept, and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the number of detected PAT packets. In another embodiment, continuity information can be monitored and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the continuity of the data packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker, Jorge J. Wong
  • Patent number: 6920592
    Abstract: Presented herein are a system(s), method(s), and apparatus for detecting and recovering from false synchronization. False synchronization can be detected on the fly through either on an interrupt-driven basis or polling-driven basis. The number of incorrect checksums is compared to the number of uncorrectable errors detected. If the number of incorrect checksums is large compared to the number of uncorrectable errors detected, resynchronization occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. Spieker, Frederick G. Walls, Jorge J. Wong
  • Publication number: 20040030967
    Abstract: Presented herein are a system(s), method(s), and apparatus for detecting and recovering from false synchronization. When incorrect checksums are encountered, false synchronization and general noisy considerations are distinguished as causes of the incorrect checksums by examining the header data. For example, in one embodiment, a count can be kept and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the number of detected null packets. In another embodiment, a count of detected PAT packets can be kept, and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the number of detected PAT packets. In another embodiment, continuity information can be monitored and false synchronization and noisy conditions can be distinguished based on the continuity of the data packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Frederick G. Walls, Thomas L. Spieker, Jorge J. Wong
  • Publication number: 20040030966
    Abstract: Presented herein are a system(s), method(s), and apparatus for detecting and recovering from false synchronization. False synchronization can be detected on the fly through either on an interrupt-driven basis or polling-driven basis. The number of incorrect checksums is compared to the number of uncorrectable errors detected. If the number of incorrect checksums is large compared to the number of uncorrectable errors detected, resynchronization occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas L. Spieker, Frederick G. Walls, Jorge J. Wong
  • Patent number: 6064334
    Abstract: A ranging device is disclosed that monitors for changes in a scene of interest. The ranging device includes a transmitter that sends pulses into the scene, a receiver that generates pulse samples in response to pulse returned from the scene, and a target discriminator that analyzes the pulse samples. The target discriminator detects targets entering the scene, targets leaving the scene, and targets moving in the scene through the use of at least one non-averaging statistical characteristic of the pulse samples. The target discriminator may generate short term and long term high order statistical samples in response to the pulse samples as well as detector samples consisting of the ratio of high order statistical samples. The detector samples are highly indicative of the presence or absence of a target in the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Ike A. Ikizyan, Thomas L. Spieker, Greg A. Shreve