Patents Issued in January 28, 2014
  • Patent number: 8638853
    Abstract: Improved video coding is described to encode video data within a sequence of video frames. To this end, at least a portion of a reference frame is encoded to include motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame. At least a portion of a predictable frame that includes video data predictively correlated to said portion of said reference frame is defined based on the motion information. At least said portion of the predictable frame is encoded without including corresponding motion information and including mode identifying data. The mode identifying data indicate that the encoded portion of the predictable frame can be directly derived using at least the motion information associated with the portion of the reference frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandros Tourapis, Feng Wu, Shipeng Li
  • Patent number: 8638854
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for compressing a video signal having at least one frame with at least one block of pixel data are disclosed. A target block is selected, and an alternate reference block that is a predictor for blocks of a sequence of frames is compared to a predictor block to determine whether to create a second alternate reference block as a predictor. When a difference between the alternate reference block and the predictor block is less than a threshold, certain blocks from the sequence of frames that are more different from the first alternate reference block than other non-selected blocks are selected, and the second alternate reference block is created using the selected blocks. In this way, a predictor block that is different from a golden frame predictor is made available when an existing alternate reference block is too similar to the golden frame predictor to be useful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: James Bankoski, Adrian Grange, Paul Wilkins
  • Patent number: 8638856
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes selecting a list 0 motion vector of the first block in the first picture as the motion vector for deriving list 0 and list 1 motion vectors of the bi-predictive block if the first block has both a list 1 motion vector and the list 0 motion vector, the first picture being permitted to be located temporally before the current picture and permitted to be located temporally after the current picture, deriving a first temporal distance between the current picture and a reference picture of the current picture, deriving a second temporal distance between the first reference picture and a reference picture of the first picture, scaling the selected motion vector based on the first and the second temporal distances and deriving at least one motion vector of the bi-predictive block by applying a bit operation to the scaled motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Byeong Moon Jeon
  • Patent number: 8638857
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes determining a motion vector of a current image block equal to a motion vector of an image block based on a reference picture index indicating a reference picture for the image block. For example, the motion vector of the current image block may be equal to the motion vector of the image block if the reference picture index indicates a long-term reference picture for the image block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Byeong Moon Jeon
  • Patent number: 8638858
    Abstract: A method for transforming an image expressed in terms of a first image encoding to a second image encoding, includes converting a set of original scene exposure-factor values into corresponding first and second image encoding values. A transform is then derived between the first image encoding values and the second image encoding values. The transform is then applied to an image encoded in said first image encoding. Examples of different encoding that can be transformed include Rec. 709, sRGB and other known image encoding standards. A system for performing such transformations as well as an electronic device that is capable of performing such transformations are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
    Inventors: Thomas E. Madden, John P. Spence, William V. Fintel, John T. Keech, Esther M. Betancourt
  • Patent number: 8638859
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding residual data based on a bit plane and a method thereof, capable of achieving a significant reduction in data traffic between a memory and a functional module in a parallel decoding system, include a variable length decoding module configured to generate residual data for each macroblock from a bit stream, divide the residual data into groups, and generate a bit plane regarding each of the groups, and a variable length decoding memory configured to store the bit plane generated from the variable length decoding module and store the residual data of the groups according to a value of the bit plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jae-Jin Lee, Kyung Su Kim, Jun Young Lee, Sang Heon Lee, Nak Woong Eum
  • Patent number: 8638860
    Abstract: Provided is a Vestigial Side Band Digital Television (DTV) transmitter/receiver based on Advanced Television System Committee A/53. The invention provides DTV transmitter/receiver having a dual stream structure through generation of robust data which has a transmission rate a fourth as fast as that of normal data, and a method thereof. The DTV transmitter includes: input means for receiving digital video data stream including normal and robust data; encoding means for performing ¼ rate coding on the digital video data stream so that one bit can be transmitted through two symbols; and transmitting means for modulating/transmitting output signals of the encoding means. This invention can reduce SNR and satisfy TOV of robust data by performing additional FEC on robust data, transmitting/receiving ¼ rate coded robust data, which are capable of transmitting one-bit data for two symbols, and improving decoding ability of an equalizer and a trellis decoder of a DTV receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Sung-Hoon Kim, Kum-Ran Ji, Jae-Young Lee, Seung-Won Kim, Soo-In Lee, Chieteuk Ahn
  • Patent number: 8638861
    Abstract: A reproducing apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes an input section; an operation input section; a first storage section; and a control section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kouichi Uchimura
  • Patent number: 8638862
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for upsampling images and design of upsampling filters. Some aspects relate to a determination of a phase offset position in a higher resolution picture relative to a lower resolution picture. Interpolation filter coefficients for some filters may then be selected based on the filter offset. Other aspects relate to selection of coefficients for filters that are not dependent on the phase offset. In certain implementations, a weighting factor may be used to combine the effects of a phase-offset-dependent filter and an independent filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Shijun Sun
  • Patent number: 8638863
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for filtering a decoded video stream having a plurality of frames, each frame having a plurality of blocks. The method can include selecting a current block from a current frame of the plurality of frames and an adjacent block from the current frame of the plurality of frames, the current block being adjacent to and sharing an edge with the adjacent block and filtering the edge between the current block and the adjacent block using a processor if an output from an edge-detection function of the values of at least four pixels located about the edge and within a line of pixels extending through both the current block and the adjacent block is less than an edge threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: James Bankoski, Paul Wilkins, Yaowu Xu
  • Patent number: 8638864
    Abstract: A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yung-Iyul Lee, Hyun-Wook Park
  • Patent number: 8638865
    Abstract: The present invention provides an aperiodic channel quality information sending method and a mobile terminal. The method comprises: a mobile terminal and network side pre-appointing one or more transmission modes which support the forming of dual flow beam, and aperiodic channel quality information CQI feedback mode(s) corresponding to the transmission modes; the network side indicating the mobile terminal with one pre-appointed transmission mode to be adopted, wherein when the mobile terminal receiving the indication of adopting the one pre-appointed transmission mode, the mobile terminal adopts the aperiodic CQI feedback mode corresponding to the one pre-appointed transmission mode to feed back the CQI information to the network side. The method of the present invention facilitates the reduction of signaling overhead and feedback overhead, the increase of the feedback dimensionality of the channel information, and the improvement of the throughput of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Jing Jiang, Chenchen Zhang, Junfeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8638866
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting power of a transmitter is herein described. A transmitter transmits a pattern to a receiver at a differential voltage. The length of the pattern, in one embodiment, is selected to be a reasonable length training pattern, as not to incur an extremely long training phase. If errors are detected at the receiver in the pattern, the transmitter steps the differential voltage until errors are not detected in the pattern at the receiver. The differential voltage, where no errors are detected, is scaled by a proportion of a target confidence level to a measured confidence level associated with the reasonable length training pattern. As a result, a training phase is potentially reduced and power is saved while not sacrificing confidence levels in error rates in the data exchange between the transmitter and receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew Martwick
  • Patent number: 8638867
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for communication using coordinated multi-point transmission. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises at least one processor and a memory storing a set of computer instructions, configured. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine a linear phase variation between at least first and second transmissions from first and second transmission points based at least in part on a propagation delay difference between the first and second transmissions, and transmit the phase variation information for at least the first and the second transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Timo E. Roman, Tommi T. Koivisto, Mihai Enescu, Karol Schober
  • Patent number: 8638868
    Abstract: Inter-cell interference coordination across layers of a communication network can be implemented by configuring a cell to transmit one or more downlink transmission resources having variably reduced transmission activity. A transmitting node, such as a macro cell, can transmit transmission resources, such as resource elements, resource blocks, subframes, and frames, having reduced transmission activity at varying predictable times according to a selected cell activity pattern. A receiving node, such as a user equipment, can decide to make received signal measurements according to the cell activity pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Daniel Larsson, Dirk Gerstenberger, Lars Lindbom, Iana Siomina
  • Patent number: 8638869
    Abstract: A communications apparatus accommodated in a communications system for exchange of information between a communications apparatuses by a multicarrier transmission mode using a plurality of subcarriers. The communications apparatus includes a dedicated transmission data generator for each communications apparatus, configured to generate frequency band information indicating which frequency band is to be used for transmission of data information between each communications apparatus; and a transmitter configured to transmit the dedicated frequency band information with dedicated control channel for each communications apparatus by using a specific frequency band which is set from among a plurality of frequency bands assigned to the communications system, in which the specific frequency band is set as a primary band in a frequency band assigned to the communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ode, Yoshihiro Kawasaki, Kazuo Kawabata
  • Patent number: 8638870
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to support multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) in an orthogonal uplink of a wireless communication system. A method of wireless multi-carrier communications comprises dividing sub-carriers on an uplink into non-overlapping groups, allocating a time-frequency block including a hopping duration and a non-overlapped group, respectively, assigning a different set of orthogonal codes to each user, spreading data (or pilot) symbols of each user over the allocated time-frequency block, wherein the data (or pilot) symbols of each user are spread using the different set of orthogonal codes assigned to each user, mapping each data (or pilot) symbol to a modulation symbol in the time-frequency block, generating an orthogonal waveform based on the mapped symbols, and transmitting the orthogonal waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Arak Sutivong, Avneesh Agrawal
  • Patent number: 8638871
    Abstract: Specifically, a method and system that performs MIMO and beamforming at a base station based on an uplink channel sounding (ULCS) from only one of the mobile station antennas and closed-loop multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) schemes based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the channel matrix. The ULCS is limited to sounding and the channel uses fewer than an optimal number of transmit antennas (e.g. one for WiMAX). The base station arrays may be configured for a full array transmitting mode or a sub-array transmitting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Thomas P. Krauss, Frederick W. Vook, Xiangyang Zhuang
  • Patent number: 8638872
    Abstract: Space-Time-State Block Coded MIMO communication system using reconfigurable antennas. One or more antennas are operates in accordance with a Space-Time-State Block Code (STS-BC) to effectuate channel coding of a signal being transmitted wirelessly between communication devices. In accordance with such an STS-BC, one or more antennas (being reconfigurable in nature) of a communication device are reconfigured in different radiation states. From some perspectives, this may be viewed as performing three-dimensional channel coding, in that, in addition to achieving at least time diversity of signals being transmitted (and also potentially including spatial diversity), state diversity may be achieved by adapting one or more characteristics of one or more antennas within the communication device. Such an STS-BC may operate in an open loop configuration without requiring any feedback from another communication device to which signals are transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Fatemeh Fazel, Alfred Grau Besoli, Hamid Jafakhani, Franco De Flaviis
  • Patent number: 8638873
    Abstract: Provided are a beamforming vector determining method and an apparatus which may compute a normalization factor of each of a plurality of terminals by normalizing a predetermined reference value using noise power occurring in each of the terminals. A leakage channel of each of the terminals may be estimated, and a beamforming vector for each of the terminals may be determined with respect to a plurality of base stations based on the leakage channel of each of the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea University Industrial & Academic Collaboration Foundation
    Inventors: Ki Il Kim, Bruno Clerckx, Jun Il Choi, Inkyu Lee, Seok Hwan Park, Hae Wook Park, Han Bae Kong
  • Patent number: 8638874
    Abstract: A system and method is proposed for progressively quantizing channel state information for application in a MIMO (multiple input multiple output) communication system. A method includes computing an estimate of a communications channel between a subscriber unit and a base station, quantizing the estimate with a first codebook, thereby producing a first quantized estimate, quantizing an (n?1)-th quantized estimate with an n-th codebook, thereby producing an n-th quantized estimate, where n is an integer value ranging from 2 to R, R is a total number of quantizations of the estimate, wherein the n-th codebook is a localized codebook. The method also includes incrementing n, repeating the quantizing an (n?1)-th quantized estimate until n=R, and transmitting information based on the R quantized estimates to the base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: FutureWei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wendell Heath, Jr., Tao Wu
  • Patent number: 8638875
    Abstract: A system includes a transmitting module, a mapping module, and an updating module. The transmitting module transmits a first set of data streams using N subcarriers when a wireless device operates in a first mode. The transmitting module transmits a second set of data streams using M subcarriers when the device operates in a second mode. N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. The mapping module maps the first set of data streams to a first set of antennas of the device based on a first set of mapping values and maps the second set of data streams to a second set of antennas of the device based on a second set of mapping values. The updating module generates the second set of mapping values based on the first set of mapping values when the device transitions from the first mode to the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongyuan Zhang, Rohit U. Nabar
  • Patent number: 8638876
    Abstract: A method for a user terminal to generate a preamble signal in a wireless communication system, the method including: generating an orthogonal sequence as a first sequence; performing cyclic shift on an antipodal version of the orthogonal sequence to generate a second sequence; and combining the first sequence and the second sequence to generate the preamble signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chao-Wang Huang, Cheng-Ming Chen, Pang-An Ting, Jen-Yuan Hsu, Yu-Tao Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8638877
    Abstract: An access unit transmits a first channel, a second channel and a third channel. The first channel is an access channel and the second channel carries traffic data. The third channel is transmitted on a condition that the access unit has not allocated resources for the second channel. The access unit produces an indication for transmission on the third channel. The transmitted indication is produced by a data value of one for a duration of at least one time slot and orthogonal sequences. The indication indicates that the access unit is requesting to be allocated the second channel to transmit traffic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Proctor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8638878
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a communication system having a digital to analog converter, a first input, a summation component, a compensation filter, and a compensation unit. The converter is configured to receive a first signal. The first input is configured to receive a phase modulation signal. The compensation filter generates a filtered frequency deviation signal to mitigate frequency distortions, such as those from a digital controlled oscillator. The compensation unit includes one or more inputs and is configured to generate a correction signal according to the filtered frequency deviation signal and the first signal. The correction signal at least partially accounts for estimated distortions of the phase modulation signal from the amplitude modulation path and mitigates frequency induced distortions. The summation component is configured to receive the phase modulation signal and the correction signal and to generate a corrected phase modulation signal as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Giuseppe Li Puma, Bruno Jechoux
  • Patent number: 8638879
    Abstract: All data symbols used in data transmission of a modulated signal are precoded by switching between precoding matrices so that the precoding matrix used to precode each data symbol and the precoding matrices used to precode data symbols that are adjacent to the data symbol along the frequency axis and the time axis all differ. A modulated signal with such data symbols arranged therein is transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Murakami, Tomohiro Kimura, Mikihiro Ouchi
  • Patent number: 8638880
    Abstract: Embodiments herein include a method in a user equipment (UE) for transmitting uplink control information in time slots of a subframe over a radio channel to a radio base station. The uplink control information is comprised in a block of bits. The UE maps the block of bits to a sequence of complex valued modulation symbols. The UE block spreads the sequence across Discrete Fourier Transform Spread-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFTS-OFDM) symbols. This is performed by applying a spreading sequence to the sequence of complex valued modulation symbols, to achieve a block spread sequence of complex valued modulation symbols. The UE further transforms the block-spread sequence, per DFTS-OFDM symbol. This is performed by applying a matrix that depends on a DFTS-OFDM symbol index and/or slot index to the block-spread sequence. The UE also transmits the block spread sequence, as transformed, over the radio channel to the radio base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Robert Baldemair, David Astely, Dirk Gerstenberger, Daniel Larsson, Stefan Parkvall
  • Patent number: 8638881
    Abstract: A digital broadcast transmitter comprising: a randomizer to receive a data stream of which stuff bytes are inserted into a specified position and to randomize the received data stream; a stuff-byte exchange unit to generate known data having a predefined pattern and to insert the known data into the specified position of the data stream into which the stuff bytes are inserted; an encoder to encode the data stream output from the stuff-byte exchange unit for an error correction; and a modulator and RF converter to modulate the encoded data stream, RF-convert the modulated data stream and transmit the RF-converted data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hae-joo Jeong, Yong-deok Chang, Eui-jun Park, Sung-woo Park
  • Patent number: 8638882
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for estimating an offset are provided. The method includes determining one of a frequency offset and a timing offset to be estimated first for pilot symbols detected from a received signal, estimating one of the frequency offset and the timing offset for the pilot symbols according to the determination, compensating for an offset of the pilot symbols based on the estimated offset, and estimating remaining one of the frequency offset and the timing offset which is not estimated for the offset compensated pilot symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyo-Yol Park, Yon-Woo Yoon, Hwa-Sun You, Hee-Won Kang
  • Patent number: 8638883
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a signal using a direct conversion receiver, while the receiver is set at a gain that is selected from a range of possible gain values. Multiple DC offset correction values are provided for use by a DC offset cancellation loop, each DC offset correction value being associated with a respective sub-range of the range of the possible gain values. A DC offset correction value is selected from among the multiple DC offset correction values based on the gain to which the receiver is set. A DC offset in the signal is canceled by setting the DC offset cancellation loop to the selected DC offset correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Rony Ashkenazi, Alexander Zaslavsky, Gregory Uehara, Brian Brunn
  • Patent number: 8638884
    Abstract: The data processing unit (15) for a receiver of signals carrying information (1) includes a clock and data recovery circuit (16) on the basis of a data signal (DOUT), and a processor circuit (17) connected to the clock and data recovery circuit. The clock and data recovery circuit is clocked by a local clock signal (CLK) and includes a numerical phase lock loop, in which a numerically controlled oscillator (25) is arranged. This numerically controlled oscillator generates an in-phase pulse signal (IP) and a quadrature pulse signal (QP) at output. The frequency and phase of the pulse signals IP and QP are adapted on the basis of the received data signal (DOUT). The processor circuit is arranged to calculate over time the mean and variance of the numerical input signal (NCOIN) of the numerically controlled oscillator (25), so as to determine the coherence of the data signal if the calculated mean and variance are below a predefined coherence threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Arnaud Casagrande
  • Patent number: 8638885
    Abstract: Embodiments of a space-time decoder and methods for decoding Alamouti-encoded signals in high-Doppler environments are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, soft-symbol outputs are generated from received symbols, a channel rate-of-change, and channel coefficients. Maximum-likelihood decoding may be performed to generate hard-symbol outputs from the soft-symbol outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Grigory Sergeevich Evseev, Ilya Vladimirovich Katsov, Andrey Vladimirovich Belogolovy, Andrey Gennadievich Efimov, Vladislav Alekseevich Chernyshev
  • Patent number: 8638886
    Abstract: A parallel implementation of the Viterbi decoder becomes more efficient when it employs end-state information passing as disclosed herein. The improved efficiency enables the usage of less area and/or provides the capacity to handle higher data rates within a given heat budget. In at least some embodiments, a decoder chip employs multiple decoders that operate in parallel on a stream of overlapping data blocks, using add-compare-select operations, to obtain a sequence of state metrics representing a most likely path to each state. Each decoder passes information indicative of a selected end-state for a decoder operating on a preceding data block. Each decoder in turn receives, from a decoder operating on a subsequent data block, the information indicative of the selected end-state. The end-state information eliminates any need for post-data processing, thereby abbreviating the decoding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Credo Semiconductor (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventor: Runsheng He
  • Patent number: 8638887
    Abstract: In a method of demodulating a signal transmitted via a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication channel, a data symbol vector is received, the data symbol vector including a plurality of data symbols that are received via a plurality of antennas. The received data symbol vector corresponds to a transmitted data symbol vector including a plurality of transmitted data symbols. A plurality of candidate vectors are generated for the transmitted data symbol vector, the plurality of candidate vectors being less than all possible vectors for the transmitted data symbol vector. One candidate vector is selected from the plurality of candidate vectors such that the one candidate vector minimizes a distance value corresponding to a Euclidean distance between the received data symbol vector and a channel estimate matrix multiplied with the candidate vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiwoong Choi, Jungwon Lee, Hui-Ling Lou
  • Patent number: 8638888
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to an analog correlation unit comprising a plurality of parallel correlation components configured to operating according to an advanced switched-capacitor low pass filter principle that increases coding gain of the unit. Each correlation component comprises a sampling stage and a correlation stage. The sampling stage may comprise a switched capacitor configured to sample a received baseband signal to determine a value (e.g., polarity) of the baseband signal. The sampled baseband signal is provided to the correlation stages, which may respectively comprise a plurality of switched integrators configured to selectively receive and integrate the sampled baseband signal over time depending upon values (e.g., polarity) of the correlation code to generate voltage potential values. The analog correlation result is evaluated by a comparison of an adjustable threshold voltage with the difference between the output voltage potential values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christian Hambeck, Stefan Mahlknecht, Thomas Herndl, Franz Darrer, Jakob Jongsma
  • Patent number: 8638889
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described that result in an improved acquisition of a received communication signal containing a large frequency offset. The method and apparatus raises a derotated sequence of data to a power of an integer provide a sinusoidal spectral component. The method and apparatus determines a cross product based upon the sinusoidal spectral component to provide a phase error. The method and apparatus determines an oscillator signal based upon the phase error. The method and apparatus adjusts the received communication signal based upon the oscillator signal to compensate for the large frequency offset to provide the derotated sequence of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce J. Currivan, Loke Kun Tan, Thomas Joseph Kolze, Lin He
  • Patent number: 8638890
    Abstract: A receiver may comprise a complex mixer for converting the modulated signal to a complex modulated signal comprising a first in-phase component and a first quadrature component. The receiver may further comprise a digital demodulator. The digital demodulator may comprise at least one processor circuit programmed for applying a phase differencer for generating an output function in terms of a phase difference of the complex modulated signal. Applying the phase differencer may comprise converting the first in-phase component to a function of a phase difference of the first in-phase component expressed in digital time, and converting the first quadrature component to a function of the phase difference of the first quadrature component expressed in digital time. The at least one processor circuit of the digital demodulator may also be programmed for applying a four quadrant inverse tangent to the output function to generate the information signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Rajendra Kumar
  • Patent number: 8638891
    Abstract: A communication system includes a physical communication channel. A signal is transmitted across the communication channel from a transmit end of the channel to a receive end of the channel. A plurality of processing branches process the signal at the receive end of the communication channel. This reduces complexity of the receive channel, without reducing a bandwidth of the given communication channel, and without comprising performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Mehmet Fatih Erden
  • Patent number: 8638892
    Abstract: An input signal that includes narrowband interference is spectrally enhanced by an adaptive circuit that supplies as output signal(s), portion(s) of NBI at one or more frequencies that change adaptively. The output signal(s) are used in one or more tone predictor(s) to generate, based on prior values of the NBI portion, one or more predicted tone signals that are subtracted from a received signal containing the NBI, and the result is used in the normal manner, e.g. decoded. The adaptive circuit and the one or more tone predictor(s), form a feed-forward NBI predictor wherein the received signal is supplied as the input signal of the adaptive circuit. The result of subtraction may be supplied to a slicer that slices the result, yielding a sliced signal which is subtracted from the received signal to generate a signal can be used as the input signal, to implement a feedback NBI predictor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
    Inventors: Dariush Dabiri, Maged F. Barsoum
  • Patent number: 8638893
    Abstract: Various embodiments of communication devices and associated methods for reducing I/Q impairments in signals used by the communication devices are described. A transmitter device 206 may perform filtering (or matrix multiplication) on digital I and Q signals to pre-correct them before converting them into analog I and Q signals. The pre-correction may pre-compensate for I/Q impairments which have not been introduced yet, but which will subsequently be introduced during digital to analog conversion, I/Q modulation, or other processing that occurs to produce a transmission signal from the original digital I and Q signals. A receiver device may receive a transmission signal, produce digital I and Q signals from it, and perform filtering on the digital I and Q signals to correct I/Q impairments at a plurality of frequency offsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen L. Dark, Daniel J. Baker
  • Patent number: 8638894
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a data communication technique which can reduce a size of a system by enabling bidirectional data communication, and enables a cheap system configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8638895
    Abstract: In one embodiment, receiving an Ethernet signal over a channel, the Ethernet signal comprising a preamble frame, an idle frame, and a data frame, the preamble frame comprising one or more preamble codes; synchronizing to the Ethernet signal based on the preamble frame; replicating the one or more preamble codes; and training a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) based on the one or more replicated codes, the training enabling the DFE to use decision values at the DFE output to track channel variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Chini, Mehmet Tazebay, Scott Powell
  • Patent number: 8638896
    Abstract: A circuit for clocking includes an input data path, a receiver, a set of flip-flops, at least one interpolator and a controller. The receiver is coupled to the input data path for receiving input data. The flip-flops, coupled to the receiver, sample the input data. A first interpolator, coupled to one or more of the flip-flops, receives the sampled input data. The controller, coupled to the first interpolator, controls the first interpolator by providing phase information regarding the input data to the first interpolator. The circuit reduces any jitter transferred from the input path to an output path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Netlogic Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean Liu, Marc J. Loinaz, Stefanos Sidiropoulos
  • Patent number: 8638897
    Abstract: In an underwater remote surface inspection method for a reactor constituting member, in order to improve the precision of an operation of inspecting a surface shape of the reactor constituting member, an underwater remote surface inspection apparatus includes a replica picking head, an ultrasonic vibrator, and a replica agent cartridge. The replica picking head is pressed against a surface of core internal structure as an inspection target. A replica agent is supplied from the replica agent cartridge into the replica agent supply region formed inside the replica picking head and contacting with the surface of the core internal structure. After the operation of supplying the replica agent ends, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from an ultrasonic vibrator to the replica agent inside the replica agent supply region. Accordingly, gas bubbles or liquid bubbles existing inside the replica agent supply region rise up so as to be discharged to the outside of the replica picking head through an air extracting hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Aoike, Masaaki Tanaka, Koichi Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8638898
    Abstract: A pressurized water nuclear reactor (PWR) has an internal pressurizer volume containing a steam bubble and is surrounded by a containment structure. A condenser is disposed inside the containment structure and is operatively connected with an external heat sink disposed outside of the containment structure. A valve assembly operatively connects the PWR with the condenser responsive to an abnormal operation signal such that the condenser condenses steam from the steam bubble while rejecting heat to the external heat sink and returns the condensed water to the PWR. A quench tank contains water with dissolved neutron poison. A valved tank pressurizing path selectively connects the steam bubble to the quench tank to pressurize the quench tank, and a valved soluble poison delivery path selectively connects the quench tank to the PWR such that the quench tank under pressure from the steam bubble discharges water with dissolved neutron poison into the PWR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox mPower, Inc.
    Inventor: John D. Malloy
  • Patent number: 8638899
    Abstract: Example embodiments are directed to methods and apparatuses for generating desired isotopes within water rods of nuclear fuel assemblies. Example methods may include selecting a desired irradiation target based on the target's properties, loading the target into a target rod based on irradiation target and fuel assembly properties, exposing the target rod to neutron flux, and/or harvesting isotopes produced from the irradiation target from the target rod. Example embodiment target rods may house one or more irradiation targets of varying types and phases. Example embodiment securing devices include a ledge collar and/or bushing that support target rods within a water rod and permit moderator/coolant flow through the water rod. Other example embodiment securing devices include one or more washers with one or more apertures drilled therein to hold one or more example embodiment target rods in a water rod while permitting coolant/moderator to flow through the water rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventors: David Grey Smith, William Earl Russell, II
  • Patent number: 8638900
    Abstract: An alignment plate that is attached to a core barrel of a pressurized water reactor and fits within slots within a top plate of a lower core shroud and upper core plate to maintain lateral alignment of the reactor internals. The alignment plate is connected to the core barrel through two vertically-spaced dowel pins that extend from the outside surface of the core barrel through a reinforcement pad and into corresponding holes in the alignment plate. Additionally, threaded fasteners are inserted around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad and into the alignment plate to further secure the alignment plate to the core barrel. A fillet weld also is deposited around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad. To accommodate thermal growth between the alignment plate and the core barrel, a gap is left above, below and at both sides of one of the dowel pins in the alignment plate holes through which the dowel pins pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: David A. Altman, David R. Forsyth, Richard E. Smith, Norman R. Singleton
  • Patent number: 8638901
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor having a liquid metal or molten salt coolant in a riser space 130?, has a cylindrical containment vessel 134 with a reactor vessel 120?, at least two lobes 121, preferably three to nine lobes 121, each lobe 121 interconnected with the other lobe(s) and each containing a fast reactor core, 116?, 116?, 116? and 116??.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Lahoda, Mario D. Carelli, Matthew J. Memmott
  • Patent number: 8638902
    Abstract: A method executed by a circuit for counting electrons in storage cells in an array of at least two storage cells is provided. The method includes providing a storage array of at least two storage cells, and each of said at least two storage cells containing an unknown amount of electrons. A receiving array of at least two receiving cells is provided, where said at least two receiving cells initially contain no electrons. Then, extracting a layer of said electrons from said storage array of cells and inserting said layer into corresponding locations in said receiving array. The method then repeats said steps of extracting and inserting while at least one of said at least two storage cells is not empty. The method counts, for each said storage cell in said storage array, a productive-extraction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd.
    Inventors: Dov Moran, Avi Klein, Itzhak Pomerantz, Menahem Lasser, Eyal Bychkov, Eran Leibinger, Avraham Meir
  • Patent number: 8638903
    Abstract: Provided is an X-ray imaging apparatus and a method of X-ray imaging, with which the apparatus can be reduced in size and a differential phase image or a phase image with consideration of an X-ray absorption effect of an object can be obtained. X-rays are spatially split, and a first attenuation element in which the transmission amount of X-rays continuously changes in accordance with the displacement when the X-rays pass through an object is used. Transmittance is calculated by using the first attenuation element and a second attenuation element that is different from the first attenuation element with respect to an amount of change or a characteristic of change in the transmission amount of X-rays in a direction of a displacement of the X-rays. A differential phase image and the like of the object are calculated using the transmittance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taihei Mukaide, Kazuhiro Takada, Kazunori Fukuda, Masatoshi Watanabe