Patents by Inventor Victor T. Hou

Victor T. Hou 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: 8478236
    Abstract: An access device receives content from a broadband IP network to be communicated to a wireless handset over a radio access network (RAN). The access device acquires a user profile utilized in the radio network for the wireless handset. Based on the acquired user profile, the access device determines transmission parameters utilized for communicating the received content to the wireless handset using an air interface protocol over the radio access network. A security level and/or a security protocol, a transcoding mechanism, and/or transmission bit rate are determined based on the acquired user profile. A resolution, transmission bit rate, coding structure, security protocol and/or security level for transmitting the received content to the wireless handset are adjusted based on the acquired user profile. Alternately, the access device is enabled to receive content from the wireless handset using a transmission profile determined based on user profile of the wireless handset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Xuemin (Sherman) Chen, Charles Abraham, Wael William Diab, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8446836
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for supporting a plurality of providers via a single femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may determine characteristics of one or more VLANs to which it is virtually communicatively coupled via a non-cellular connection and via a cellular connection. Based on the determined characteristics of the one or more VLANs, a cellular transmitter and/or receiver of the femtocell may be controlled to transmit and/or receive packets belonging to the one or more VLANs via the non-cellular connection and/or via the cellular connection. The characteristics of the one or more VLANs may comprise one or more of: cellular standards utilized by the one or more VLANs, cellular frequencies utilized in the one or more VLANs, access technologies utilized by the one or more VLANs, and a duplexing method utilized by the one or more VLANs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wael William Diab, Charles Abraham, Xuemin Sherman Chen, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8442544
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for mitigating interference among femtocells via intelligent channel selection are provided. In this regard, signals which may interfere with cellular communications between a femtocell and a cellular communication device may be detected via the femtocell. Based on the detection, the femtocell may be configured to transmit and/or receive signals on one or more frequencies and/or channels. The one or more frequencies and/or channels may be determined in the femtocell and/or in a network management entity. Detecting interfering signals and configuring the one or more femtocells may occur periodically, upon installation of a femtocell, upon power-up of a femtocell, and/or upon command from a network administrator. The results of the detection may be communicated to one or more other femtocells and/or to a network management entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Abraham, Xuemin Sherman Chen, Wael William Diab, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8441960
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive data via an upstream path and transmit data via a downstream path. One of the upstream path and downstream path may comprise a cellular path and the other may comprise a non-cellular path. One or both of the upstream path and the downstream path may be audio video bridging (AVB) paths. Data may be stored in the femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of the upstream path and the downstream path. Data may be delivered to the femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and the data may be forwarded by the femtocell with guaranteed quality of service. Resources in the femtocell may be reserved and/or synchronized, utilizing AVB protocols, for communication of one or more data streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wael William Diab, Charles Abraham, Xuemin (Sherman) Chen, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Publication number: 20130070784
    Abstract: A method for increasing upstream bandwidth per cable modem user in a cable communications system that includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a plurality of cable modems is provided. The method permits a cable modem to transmit data to the CMTS on multiple upstream channels simultaneously using a technique called “channel bonding.” Channel bonding allows smaller bandwidth upstream channels to be bonded together to create a larger bandwidth pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa Voigt Denney, Niki Roberta Pantelias, A. Scott Hollums, Victor T. Hou, John Daniel Horton, JR., David Michael Pullen
  • Patent number: 8380881
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products to synchronize timing of data transmissions between wireless and wired networks using a combined wireless gateway and cable modem are provided herein. The method includes the step of generating an indicator prior to a look-ahead time period and transmitting a poll to a wireless device upon sending the indicator. The look-ahead time period is a time period from transmitting the indicator to transmitting the DOCSIS frame. The method further includes the step of receiving data from the wireless device and encapsulating the data in a DOCSIS format to generate a DOCSIS frame. The method also includes transmitting the DOCSIS frame at a start of a next transmit opportunity to a cable modem termination system (CMTS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon Yong Li, Victor T. Hou, Xuemin Chen
  • Patent number: 8369433
    Abstract: Embodiments of a digital up-converter and an N-channel modulator are provided herein. The embodiments of the digital up-converter, in combination with the N-channel modulator, are capable of efficiently filling the spectrum of one or more RF signals with one or more types of information signals. For example, the digital up-converter can fill the spectrum of one or more RF signals with both broadcast and narrowcast video and data signals. In addition, the digital up-converter is capable of flexibly mapping the information signals to one or more channels of the one or more RF signals using a novel, three-level switching architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Joel I. Danzig, Richard S. Prodan, Niki Pantelias, Thomas Kolze, Victor T. Hou, Taruna Tjahjadi
  • Publication number: 20130012197
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for communication are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive messages from a plurality of different sources comprising one or more other femtocells, one or more cellular enabled communication devices, and one or more non-cellular network nodes. The femtocell may select, based on the received messages, a master clock within one of the plurality of different sources as a master clock for synchronization of the plurality of different sources. A femtocell clock, a global navigational satellite signal (GNSS) clock, a cellular base station clock, or a cellular enabled communication device clock may be selected as the master clock. The femtocell may transmit and/or receive synchronization messages to and/or from the one or more cellular enabled communication devices and the one or more non-cellular network nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wael William DIAB, Charles Abraham, Xuemin (Sherman) Chen, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8346267
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for controlling data distribution via cellular communications with an integrated femtocell and set-top-box (IFSTB) device are provided. In this regard, a cellular enabled communication device may detect when it is within cellular communication range of a femtocell. Upon detection of the femtocell, the cellular enabled communication device may communicate instructions to a content source instructing the content source to deliver multimedia content to the femtocell. In instances that multimedia content is already being delivered to the cellular enabled communication device prior to the detection, the instructions from the cellular enabled communication device may instruct the content source to redirect the multimedia content to the femtocell. In this regard, the multimedia content may be delivered from the content source to the cellular enabled communication device via the femtocell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Xuemin Sherman Chen, Charles Abraham, Wael William Diab, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Publication number: 20120287918
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for preserving content timing across femtocell interfaces via timestamp insertion are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive a first time-stamped packet via a first interface and transcode the time-stamped packet. The femtocell may buffer the transcoded packet based on a time-stamp recovered from the packet and may transmit the buffered transcoded packet via a second interface. One of the first interface and the second interface may utilize the Internet Protocol. One of the first interface and the second interface may be a non-cellular interface and the other interface may be a cellular interface. The femtocell may be operable to generate a timestamp corresponding to a time instant at which a time-stamped packet arrived via the first interface or the second interface. The timestamp may be referenced to a clock within a cellular enabled communication devices communicatively coupled to the femtocell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Charles ABRAHAM, Xuemin Sherman CHEN, Wael William DIAB, Vinko ERCEG, Victor T. HOU, Jeyhan KARAOGUZ, Mark KENT
  • Patent number: 8305955
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for communication are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive messages from a plurality of different sources comprising one or more other femtocells, one or more cellular enabled communication devices, and one or more non-cellular network nodes. The femtocell may select, based on the received messages, a master clock within one of the plurality of different sources as a master clock for synchronization of the plurality of different sources. A femtocell clock, a global navigational satellite signal (GNSS) clock, a cellular base station clock, or a cellular enabled communication device clock may be selected as the master clock. The femtocell may transmit and/or receive synchronization messages to and/or from the one or more cellular enabled communication devices and the one or more non-cellular network nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wael William Diab, Charles Abraham, Xuemin Sherman Chen, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8279892
    Abstract: A method for increasing upstream bandwidth per cable modem user in a cable communications system that includes a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a plurality of cable modems is provided. The method permits a cable modem to transmit data to the CMTS on multiple upstream channels simultaneously using a technique called “channel bonding.” Channel bonding allows smaller bandwidth upstream channels to be bonded together to create a larger bandwidth pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa Voigt Denney, Niki Roberta Pantelias, A. Scott Hollums, Victor T. Hou, John Daniel Horton, Jr., David Michael Pullen
  • Publication number: 20120243527
    Abstract: Upstream burst noise measurement and characterization. One or more communication devices is implemented to detect and measure burst noise event(s) within channel(s) associated with communication link(s) within communication system(s) or network(s). Detection and measurement of a burst noise event may be made during active communications on one or more other channels, and may be made during active communications on two channels respectively adjacent to the channel on which the burst noise event is being detected and measured. The channel on which the burst noise event is detected and measured may be an unused channel. The detection and measurement of the burst noise event may be made during a quiet time slot within one of the channels. Correlation (e.g., with respect time) may be determined with respect to different respective layers within a communication device (e.g., with respect to MAC and PHY layers).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Thomas J. Kolze, Jonathan S. Min, Victor T. Hou
  • Publication number: 20120243648
    Abstract: Characterization and assessment of communication channel average group delay variation. A signal having repeated signal components therein is received by a communication device, and that signal undergoes appropriate processing to determine respective amplitude and phase of a number of frequency bins. The phase difference from bin to bin (including respecting unwrapping, and proper normalization) is used to determine the group delay of a communication channel, or portion thereof, as a function of frequency. Multiple respective group delay measurements may be averaged to generate a wideband group delay of the communication channel as a function of frequency. Overlap between different respective band-edge portions of the communication channel may assist in generating a seamless continuous wideband spectrum estimation for use in determining the wideband group delay of the communication channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Thomas J. Kolze, Jonathan S. Min, Victor T. Hou
  • Publication number: 20120243597
    Abstract: Upstream frequency response measurement and characterization. Signaling is provided between respective communication devices within a communication system. Based upon at least one of these signals, one of the communication devices captures a number of sample sets corresponding thereto at different respective frequencies (e.g., a different respective center frequencies, frequency bands, etc.). Then, spectral analysis is performed with respect to each of the sample sets to generate a respective and corresponding channel response estimate there from. After this number of channel response estimates is determined, they are combined or splice together to generate a full channel response estimate. In implementations including an equalizer, different respective sample sets may correspond to those that have undergone equalization processing and those that have not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Thomas J. Kolze, Jonathan S. Min, Victor T. Hou
  • Publication number: 20120230385
    Abstract: Narrowband ingress estimation and characterization using equalizer taps. A equalizer including a feed forward equalizer (FFE) and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is implemented to process an input signal thereby generating an output signal. Analysis of the frequency response of the equalizer including the FFE and the DFE of the equalizer allows for the determination of whether or not narrowband ingress exists within the signal received by the equalizer. For example, analysis of the signal output from the equalizer provides for determination of the overall frequency response of the equalizer. In addition, analysis of the respective equalizer coefficients within one or both of the FFE and the DFE of the equalizer may be used to determine the overall frequency response of the equalizer. Narrowband ingress may be identified when the combination of the FFE (having a notch therein) and the DFE provides for an overall flat frequency response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Thomas J. Kolze, Roger Fish, Victor T. Hou
  • Publication number: 20120230383
    Abstract: Linear distortion and interference estimation using decision feedback equalizer coefficients. Processing of different respective groups of equalizer coefficients may be made to determine the residual frequency response of an equalizer and/or device in which the equalizer is implemented. Such an equalizer may be in woman within any of a number of respective communication devices including those operative within satellite, wireless, wired, fiber-optic, and/or mobile communication systems. A first group of equalizer coefficients corresponds to certain filtering characteristics of the equalizer and/or device in which the equalizer is implemented. The equalizer is implemented to process a signal to generate a second group of equalizer coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Thomas J. Kolze, Roger Fish, Victor T. Hou
  • Patent number: 8259617
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive data via an upstream path and transmit data via a downstream path. One of the upstream path and downstream path may comprise a cellular path and the other may comprise a non-cellular path. One or both of the upstream path and the downstream path may be audio video bridging (AVB) paths. Data may be stored in the femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of the upstream path and the downstream path. Data may be delivered to the femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and the data may be forwarded by the femtocell with guaranteed quality of service. Resources in the femtocell may be reserved and/or synchronized, utilizing AVB protocols, for communication of one or more data streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Abraham, Xuemin Sherman Chen, Wael William Diab, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Patent number: 8254931
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for communication between a plurality of femtocells to mitigate interference between the femtocells are provided. In this regard, a first of a plurality of femtocells in a network may receive interference information from one or more other femtocells, one or more base stations, and/or one or more communication devices in the network. The first femtocell may determine configuration information for the first femtocell and one or more other femtocells in the network based on the communicated interference information. The first femtocell and the other femtocells in the network may be configured based on the determined configuration information. The interference between the plurality of femtocells may be mitigated based on configuring the first femtocell and the other femtocells in the network based on the determined configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Vinko Erceg, Charles Abraham, Xuemin Chen, Wael William Diab, Victor T Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent
  • Publication number: 20120190349
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive data via an upstream path and transmit data via a downstream path. One of the upstream path and downstream path may comprise a cellular path and the other may comprise a non-cellular path. One or both of the upstream path and the downstream path may be audio video bridging (AVB) paths. Data may be stored in the femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of the upstream path and the downstream path. Data may be delivered to the femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and the data may be forwarded by the femtocell with guaranteed quality of service. Resources in the femtocell may be reserved and/or synchronized, utilizing AVB protocols, for communication of one or more data streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Wael William DIAB, Charles Abraham, Xuemin (Sherman) Chen, Vinko Erceg, Victor T. Hou, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Mark Kent