Patents by Inventor Wim Van Houtum

Wim Van Houtum 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: 10581476
    Abstract: A communications device includes aspects for improving reception of transmissions with first-adjacent co-channel interference signals corresponding to digitally-modulated side-bands of in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasted signals. The communications device may include a radio frequency (RF) signal-reception circuit including two RF-signal paths driven in response to signals received via at least two respective antennas, and configured to respond to signals carried in the respective RF-signal paths by providing pre-processed RF output signals. The communications device may further include a beam-forming circuit driven in response to signals received at the at least two respective antennas and configured and arranged to facilitate first-adjacent interference cancellation (FAC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 10530630
    Abstract: An input selector for selecting an input of a convolution encoder of a transmitter is disclosed. The input selector comprises a shaper block and an input-select block. The shaper block is configured to receive an input comprising a first number of input bits, the shaper block configured to generate a shaped bit stream corresponding to the first number of input bits. The input-select block is configured to generate an encoder input bit stream for the encoder based on the shaped bit stream, wherein the input-select block generates the encoder input bit stream such that, when input into the encoder, a first bit of the encoder input bit stream sets a state of the encoder in order that a subsequent second bit of the encoder input bit stream causes the encoder to generate a bit of the shaped bit stream at a pre-determined position in an encoder output bit stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: NCP B.V.
    Inventors: Yunus Can Gultekin, Frans Willems, Wim Van Houtum, Semih Serbetli
  • Patent number: 10523474
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the disclosure are directed to a method for communicating data from a transmitting circuit to a receiving circuit over a noisy channel. The method can be performed by logic circuitry, and can include encoding data, for transmission over the noisy channel. The data can be encoded, as a shaped-coded modulation signal by shaping the signal based on an amplitude selection algorithm that leads to a symmetrical input and by constructing a trellis having a bounded-energy sequence of amplitude values selected by computing and storing a plurality of channel-related energy constraints based on use of a nonlinear-estimation process, and therein providing an index for the bounded-energy sequence of amplitudes. The method can also include receiving over the noisy channel, the shaped-coded modulation signal, and decoding the data from the shaped-coded modulation signal by using the index to reconstruct the bounded-energy sequence of amplitudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Yunus Can Gultekin, Wim van Houtum, Frans M. J. Willems, Semih Serbetli
  • Patent number: 10523480
    Abstract: A method for k-bit Enumerative Sphere Shaping (ESS) of multidimensional constellations includes converting a first set of a plurality of uniformly distributed data bits from a serial data bit stream to a first unsigned amplitude sequence comprising a plurality of amplitudes bounded by a spherical constellation of maximum energy levels of a plurality of energy levels, wherein the first unsigned amplitude sequence has a Gaussian distribution and each of the energy levels is determined by a respective one of the amplitudes in the amplitude sequence. The first unsigned amplitude sequence is converted to a first shaped data bit sequence. The first shaped data bit sequence is combined with a second set of a one or more uniformly distributed data bits from the serial data bit stream to form a combined data stream. The combined data stream is mapped to a combined amplitude stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Yunus Can Gultekin, Frans M. J. Willems, Wim van Houtum, Semih Serbetli
  • Publication number: 20190386857
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the disclosure are directed to a method for communicating data from a transmitting circuit to a receiving circuit over a noisy channel. The method can be performed by logic circuitry, and can include encoding data, for transmission over the noisy channel. The data can be encoded, as a shaped-coded modulation signal by shaping the signal based on an amplitude selection algorithm that leads to a symmetrical input and by constructing a trellis having a bounded-energy sequence of amplitude values selected by computing and storing a plurality of channel-related energy constraints based on use of a nonlinear-estimation process, and therein providing an index for the bounded-energy sequence of amplitudes. The method can also include receiving over the noisy channel, the shaped-coded modulation signal, and decoding the data from the shaped-coded modulation signal by using the index to reconstruct the bounded-energy sequence of amplitudes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Yunus Can Gultekin, Wim van Houtum, Frans M.J. Willems, Semih Serbetli
  • Publication number: 20190356347
    Abstract: A communications device includes aspects for improving reception of transmissions with first-adjacent co-channel interference signals corresponding to digitally-modulated side-bands of in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasted signals. The communications device may include a radio frequency (RF) signal-reception circuit including two RF-signal paths driven in response to signals received via at least two respective antennas, and configured to respond to signals carried in the respective RF-signal paths by providing pre-processed RF output signals. The communications device may further include a beam-forming circuit driven in response to signals received at the at least two respective antennas and configured and arranged to facilitate first-adjacent interference cancellation (FAC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 10382231
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising an averaging-processing-block that is configured to receive an OFDM signal. The OFDM signal comprises a plurality of sample-values, wherein the sample-values comprise: a middle-sample-value; a lower-sample-value-group; and a higher-sample-value-group. The averaging-processing-block can determine an averaged-sample-value for the middle-sample-value by performing an averaging operation on the sample-values of the lower-sample-value-group and the higher-sample-value-group, but not on the middle-sample-value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Publication number: 20190052511
    Abstract: An input selector for selecting an input of a convolution encoder of a transmitter is disclosed. The input selector comprises a shaper block and an input-select block. The shaper block is configured to receive an input comprising a first number of input bits, the shaper block configured to generate a shaped bit stream corresponding to the first number of input bits. The input-select block is configured to generate an encoder input bit stream for the encoder based on the shaped bit stream, wherein the input-select block generates the encoder input bit stream such that, when input into the encoder, a first bit of the encoder input bit stream sets a state of the encoder in order that a subsequent second bit of the encoder input bit stream causes the encoder to generate a bit of the shaped bit stream at a pre-determined position in an encoder output bit stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Yunus Can GULTEKIN, Frans WILLEMS, Wim VAN HOUTUM, Semih SERBETLI
  • Patent number: 10014893
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising a beamformer and an MRC-block. The beamformer configured to: apply combination-weighting-values to a first-BF-input-signal and a second-BF-input-signal in order to provide a BF-combination-signal; and apply suppression-weighting-values to the first-BF-input-signal and the second-BF-input-signal in order to provide a BF-suppression-signal. The MRC-block comprising: a first-demodulator configured to demodulate the BF-combination-signal in order to provide a demodulated-combination-signal that comprises bit metrics; a second-demodulator configured to demodulate the BF-suppression-signal in order to provide a demodulated-suppression-signal that comprises bit metrics; and a combiner configured to combine the demodulated-combination-signal with the demodulated-suppression-signal in order to provide an MRC-output-signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 10003440
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising: an input terminal configured to receive an input-signal; an interfering-signal-strength-calculator configured to determine an interfering-signal-strength-indicator based on the input signal; a compensation-block configured to apply a co-channel-interference compensation operation to the input-signal in order to generate a compensated-input-signal; a compensation-weighting-component configured to apply a compensation-weighting-factor to the compensated-input-signal in order to generate a weighted-compensated-input-signal, wherein the compensation-weighting-factor is based on the interfering-signal-strength-indicator; a delay-block configured to apply a delay to the input-signal in order to generate a delayed-input-signal; a delayed-weighting-component configured to apply a delayed-weighting-factor to the delayed-input-signal in order to generate a weighted-delayed-input-signal, wherein the delayed-weighting-factor is based on the interfering-signal-strength-indicator; and a signa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 9929790
    Abstract: A receiver system comprising: an input terminal configured to receive input signalling comprising a plurality of antenna-signals, wherein the plurality of antenna-signals each comprise information that corresponds to a first-frequency-bin and a second-frequency-bin. AoA-blocks can determine a first-angle-of-arrival and a second-angle-of-arrival associated with the first- and second-frequency-bins. A first-weighting-determination-block configured to, based on the first-angle-of-arrival and the second-angle-of-arrival, either: set first-weighting-values as values for constructively combining the information that corresponds to the first-frequency-bins of the plurality of antenna-signals; or set first-weighting-values as values for destructively combining the information that corresponds to the first-frequency-bins of the plurality of antenna-signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Wim van Houtum, Yan Wu
  • Publication number: 20180083660
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising a beamformer and an MRC-block. The beamformer configured to: apply combination-weighting-values to a first-BF-input-signal and a second-BF-input-signal in order to provide a BF-combination-signal; and apply suppression-weighting-values to the first-BF-input-signal and the second-BF-input-signal in order to provide a BF-suppression-signal. The MRC-block comprising: a first-demodulator configured to demodulate the BF-combination-signal in order to provide a demodulated-combination-signal that comprises bit metrics; a second-demodulator configured to demodulate the BF-suppression-signal in order to provide a demodulated-suppression-signal that comprises bit metrics; and a combiner configured to combine the demodulated-combination-signal with the demodulated-suppression-signal in order to provide an MRC-output-signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Publication number: 20180034670
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising an averaging-processing-block that is configured to receive an OFDM signal. The OFDM signal comprises a plurality of sample-values, wherein the sample-values comprise: a middle-sample-value; a lower-sample-value-group; and a higher-sample-value-group. The averaging-processing-block can determine an averaged-sample-value for the middle-sample-value by performing an averaging operation on the sample-values of the lower-sample-value-group and the higher-sample-value-group, but not on the middle-sample-value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 9838100
    Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for improving reception of transmissions with first adjacent interference signals, the method including selecting one or more time samples from each of two or more antennas; generating a lower first adjacent interference (LFAI) signal, a desired signal, and an upper first adjacent interference (UFAI) signal for each of the time samples; calculating a lower weighting co-efficient based on the LFAI signal; calculating a middle weighting co-efficient based on the desired signal; calculating a upper weighting co-efficient based on the UFAI signal; combining the lower weighting co-efficient with a filtered LFAI signal into a weighted lower signal; combining the middle weighting co-efficient with a filtered desired signal into a weighted middle signal; combining the upper weighting co-efficient with a filtered UFAI signal into a weighted upper signal; and combining the weighted lower signal, the weighted middle signal, and the weighted upper signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Publication number: 20170331545
    Abstract: A receiver system comprising: an input terminal configured to receive input signalling comprising a plurality of antenna-signals, wherein the plurality of antenna-signals each comprise information that corresponds to a first-frequency-bin and a second-frequency-bin. AoA-blocks can determine a first-angle-of-arrival and a second-angle-of-arrival associated with the first- and second-frequency-bins. A first-weighting-determination-block configured to, based on the first-angle-of-arrival and the second-angle-of-arrival, either: set first-weighting-values as values for constructively combining the information that corresponds to the first-frequency-bins of the plurality of antenna-signals; or set first-weighting-values as values for destructively combining the information that corresponds to the first-frequency-bins of the plurality of antenna-signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Wim van Houtum, Yan Wu
  • Publication number: 20170214499
    Abstract: A receiver circuit comprising: an input terminal configured to receive an input-signal; an interfering-signal-strength-calculator configured to determine an interfering-signal-strength-indicator based on the input signal; a compensation-block configured to apply a co-channel-interference compensation operation to the input-signal in order to generate a compensated-input-signal; a compensation-weighting-component configured to apply a compensation-weighting-factor to the compensated-input-signal in order to generate a weighted-compensated-input-signal, wherein the compensation-weighting-factor is based on the interfering-signal-strength-indicator; a delay-block configured to apply a delay to the input-signal in order to generate a delayed-input-signal; a delayed-weighting-component configured to apply a delayed-weighting-factor to the delayed-input-signal in order to generate a weighted-delayed-input-signal, wherein the delayed-weighting-factor is based on the interfering-signal-strength-indicator; and a signa
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Patent number: 9602231
    Abstract: The invention provides a reception method and apparatus which provides a series of frequency shifts and filtering operations to sideband signals (lower, upper, and middle), to enable detection if the central part of a signal is analog or digital, and to enable effective co-channel interference compensation. The invention enables (H)IBOC signals for example to be processed with a narrower bandwidth and therefore a lower processing clock speed and complexity is made possible compared to the conventional (H)IBOC-signal processing approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Publication number: 20160142119
    Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for improving reception of transmissions with first adjacent interference signals, the method including selecting one or more time samples from each of two or more antennas; generating a lower first adjacent interference (LFAI) signal, a desired signal, and an upper first adjacent interference (UFAI) signal for each of the time samples; calculating a lower weighting co-efficient based on the LFAI signal; calculating a middle weighting co-efficient based on the desired signal; calculating a upper weighting co-efficient based on the UFAI signal; combining the lower weighting co-efficient with a filtered LFAI signal into a weighted lower signal; combining the middle weighting co-efficient with a filtered desired signal into a weighted middle signal; combining the upper weighting co-efficient with a filtered UFAI signal into a weighted upper signal; and combining the weighted lower signal, the weighted middle signal, and the weighted upper signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum
  • Publication number: 20150358040
    Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure are directed to steering antennas for receiving signals. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes two or more antennas that receive radio signals, a first circuit that directs the antennas and a second circuit that combines signals received by the antennas. The first circuit operates in a first mode by electronically directing the antennas using an analog portion of received signals to modify a radiation pattern of the receive antennas, based on estimated phase-shifts and/or estimated amplitude of the signals. In a second mode, the first circuit uses a digitally-modulated portion of the signals to electronically direct the antennas by modifying the radiation pattern of the receive antennas based on at least one of estimated phase-shifts and estimated amplitude of the signals. Accordingly, null-steering can be effected to eliminate interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Wim van Houtum, Kave Kianush
  • Publication number: 20150222382
    Abstract: The invention provides a reception method and apparatus which provides a series of frequency shifts and filtering operations to sideband signals (lower, upper, and middle), to enable detection if the central part of a signal is analogue or digital, and to enable effective co-channel interference compensation. The invention enables (H)IBOC signals for example to be processed with a narrower bandwidth and therefore a lower processing clock speed and complexity is made possible compared to the conventional (H)IBOC-signal processing approach.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventor: Wim van Houtum