Patents by Inventor Thomas Robert Wik

Thomas Robert Wik 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: 9780722
    Abstract: A solar panel that attains very low cost/Watt objectives is achieved by applying an optical concentrator with planar symmetry in combination with a simple 1-axis tracking system. The concentrator uses a Cassegrain optical system to provide moderate concentration factors that can be adjusted by varying the ratio of the focal lengths of the concave and convex reflecting surfaces. Concentrator dimensions can be scaled to any convenient size. They can be arrayed in parallel to form a solar panel that has the same form factor as a 1-sun solar panel. One-axis tracking is achieved by simply rotating the collector elements in synchronism so the sun is maintained in the plane of symmetry for each of the collector elements that comprise the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas Robert Wik
  • Patent number: 9762261
    Abstract: A ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) is disclosed. The TCAM includes a memory array, a data match module, and compare circuitry. The memory array stores a data entry for a data word and a corresponding duplicate data entry for the data word. The data match module compares the data entry to an input word to produce a first match output, and compares the duplicate data entry to the input word to produce a second match output. The compare circuitry compares the first match output and the second match output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: eSilicon Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Zampaglione, Thomas Robert Wik
  • Patent number: 9529669
    Abstract: A binary content addressable memory (BCAM) is disclosed. The BCAM includes a memory array, data signature circuitry, and a data match module and compare circuitry. The memory array is configured to store a data entry for a data word and a corresponding data signature for the data entry. The data signature circuitry is configured to calculate the data signature for the data entry and to calculate the data signature for an input word. The data match module compares the data entry to the input word to produce a content match output, and compares the data signature for the data entry to the data signature of the input word to produce a signature match output. The compare circuitry compares the content match output and the data signature match output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: eSilicon Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Zampaglione, Thomas Robert Wik
  • Publication number: 20150095738
    Abstract: A ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) is disclosed. The TCAM includes a memory array, a data match module, and compare circuitry. The memory array stores a data entry for a data word and a corresponding duplicate data entry for the data word. The data match module compares the data entry to an input word to produce a first match output, and compares the duplicate data entry to the input word to produce a second match output. The compare circuitry compares the first match output and the second match output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Zampaglione, Thomas Robert Wik
  • Publication number: 20150095740
    Abstract: A binary content addressable memory (BCAM) is disclosed. The BCAM includes a memory array, data signature circuitry, and a data match module and compare circuitry. The memory array is configured to store a data entry for a data word and a corresponding data signature for the data entry. The data signature circuitry is configured to calculate the data signature for the data entry and to calculate the data signature for an input word. The data match module compares the data entry to the input word to produce a content match output, and compares the data signature for the data entry to the data signature of the input word to produce a signature match output. The compare circuitry compares the content match output and the data signature match output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Zampaglione, Thomas Robert Wik
  • Patent number: 8921680
    Abstract: A low-cost solar collector employs a concave reflecting surface and a convex reflecting surface configured as a cylindrical Cassegrain optical system with planar symmetry to concentrate sunlight for photovoltaic solar panels. The collector achieves high concentration factors exceeding 20× and maintains focus of concentrated sunlight on the photovoltaic cells using a simple mechanical means to rotate the collector. A plurality of solar collectors is arranged in parallel in a conventional solar panel form factor and driven by a single drive system to maintain the sun continuously in the plane of symmetry of each of the solar collectors that comprise the solar panel. This reduces the area of photovoltaic cells required to convert a given quantity of light energy to electrical energy. Cost of electrical energy generated is reduced significantly because the cost per unit area of the solar collectors is much less than the cost of photovoltaic cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Robert Wik
  • Patent number: 7746921
    Abstract: Power savings are achieved for digital data transport over short distances by using the characteristics of resonant LC circuits. Economy of circuit elements is achieved by enabling a single pair of resonant circuits to drive large numbers of digital data lines or nodes in parallel. This maximizes power efficiency and minimizes area and cost. Resistance is minimized by insuring that all switches in the current path are fully “ON” whenever significant current is flowing through them. All other parasitic resistances in the circuits, consisting primarily of parasitic interconnect resistances, are minimized. This enables the data transmission circuits to achieve maximum Q or quality factor, which minimizes power dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventor: Thomas Robert Wik
  • Patent number: 7603509
    Abstract: A crossbar switch is optimized for area, performance, and power by grouping the data lines that comprise the input ports and output ports of the switch into a plurality of separate cross-point blocks. Each cross-point block contains a complete set of input and output ports but the number of data lines comprising the input and output ports of each separate cross-point block is reduced to fraction of the number of data lines contained in each port of the crossbar switch. This fraction is equal to one divided by the number of separate cross-point blocks. Area, performance, and power of the crossbar switch are improved provided the area of the crossbar switch without grouping of data lines into separate cross-point blocks is determined by the pitch of the data lines rather than the area of the cross-point circuits. The number of blocks can be selected to optimize area, performance and power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Adaptive Design Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Robert Wik