Fine Tuning Patents (Class 455/182.3)
  • Patent number: 11706261
    Abstract: An electronic device and a method of operating the same are provided. The electronic device includes a communication circuit configured to transmit or receive data using a call channel established through a call connection with an external electronic device, and a processor configured to transmit content, which is pre-processed using a first transmission filter, to the external electronic device through the call channel, receive a first real-time control protocol (RTCP) message transmitted by the external electronic device through the call channel, identify a status of the call channel, based on the first RTCP message, determine whether or not to perform an operation of pre-processing the content to be transmitted to the external electronic device using a second transmission filter, transmit a second RTCP message using the second transmission filter to the external electronic device, and perform transmission of the content, based on the second transmission filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taewon Do, Yongtae Kim, Hoonjae Lee, Hyeyoung Jun
  • Patent number: 11244738
    Abstract: Provided are multi-chip packages. A multi-chip package includes a first memory chip and a second memory chip on a printed circuit board; a memory controller electrically connected to the first memory chip and the second memory chip via a first bonding wire and a second bonding wire; and a strength control module configured to control a drive strength of each of a first output driver of the first memory chip and a second output driver of the second memory chip, wherein the memory controller includes an interface circuit configured to receive each of first test data and second test data from the first output driver and the second output driver in which the drive strength is set by the strength control module, and output detection data for detecting whether the first bonding wire and the bonding wire are short-circuited based on the first and second test data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae Hoon Na, Jang Woo Lee, Jin Do Byun, Jeong Don Ihm
  • Patent number: 9680435
    Abstract: A method for improving acoustics of amplitude modulation (AM) audio signal, comprising: amplifying and mixing, with an amplitude modulation (AM) front-end module, an analog AM signal and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal from an AGC module; converting and sampling, with an analog-digital converter and down-sampling module, the amplified and mixed signal to generate a digital AM signal; digitally mixing, with a digital mixer module, the digital AM signal to generate a first digital AM envelope signal; compensating, with an AM compensator module, the first digital AM envelope signal by an AM compensating AGC signal from the AM compensator module to generate a second digital AM envelope signal; demodulating, with a demodulation module, the second digital AM envelope signal; and outputting, with an output module, a demodulated AM audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Beken Corporation
    Inventors: Yiming Huang, Weifeng Wang
  • Patent number: 9008599
    Abstract: A method of listening to radio broadcast in a portable terminal includes reproducing radio broadcasts on a frequency selected by a user; determining a change in a value of a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the selected frequency and analyzing a pattern of the change; and providing a complementary service based on the analyzed pattern when the radio broadcast over the selected frequency is not feasible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Doo-Yong Park
  • Patent number: 8948715
    Abstract: A mobile radio receiver for a vehicle. The mobile radio receiver includes a tuner front-end section, a location data port, a sensor port, and a data processing unit. The location data port is used for receiving tuner location data. The sensor port is used for receiving one or more sensor signals. The data processing unit is operably connected with the tuner front-end section, with the location data port, and with the sensor port. The data processing unit further comprises predetermined tuner location data and predetermined relationship data sets for determining a set of tuner front-end section parameters based on the sensor signals. The mobile radio receiver provides an operational mode, a checking mode, a tuner parameter adjustment mode, and a tuner parameter application mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Syaiful Bakhri, Wei Ming Dan Chia, Brian Sunil Nicholas Fernandes, Mintak Lee, Yinn Sinn Tang, Ye Yuan
  • Patent number: 8634501
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed to process a received single stream communication signal and/or a multiple stream communication. A communications receiver is configured to receive the received communication signal. A communications receiver determines whether the received communication signal includes a single stream communication signal or a multiple stream communication signal. The communications receiver determines whether a received communication signal complies with a known single stream communications standard. The communications receiver determines whether the received communication signal complies with a known multiple stream communications standard. The communications receiver decodes the received communication signal according to the known single stream communications standard upon determining the received communication includes the signal single stream communication signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Rohit V. Gaikwad
  • Patent number: 8570446
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a universal television receiver that is capable of processing television channel signals broadcast according to a variety of analog and digital broadcast standards. Analog processing includes using coarse filtering with pass bands that are wide enough to accommodate frequency shifts in a desired television channel signal and analog circuitry variability and digital processing includes tracking a carrier frequency of the desired television channel signal to generate and apply a frequency shift feedback signal to compensate for frequency shifts in the carrier frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventors: Chris Ouslis, Steve Selby, Lance Greggain, Vyacheslav Shyshkin, Larry Silver
  • Patent number: 8538361
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologiel Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8521111
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8463206
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a circuit comprises an input node configured to receive a current-mode input signal and an input stage that includes an input device communicatively coupled to the input node. The input device is configured to receive the input signal at the input node. The circuit additionally comprises bias circuitry communicatively coupled to the input stage and configured to provide a bias current for the input device. The bias circuitry is also configured to remove at least a portion of the bias current from the input signal through a feedback loop associated with the input node such that the input signal is received by the input device with at least a portion of the bias current removed. The circuit further comprises an output stage communicatively coupled to the input stage and configured to output a current-mode output signal based on the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Chuanzhao Yu, Omid Oliaei, David Newman, Michael L. Gomez
  • Patent number: 8428531
    Abstract: A radio wave receiver including an antenna for receiving a radio wave; a tuning unit that can discretely changing a frequency characteristic of the antenna; an oscillation generator that can oscillate the antenna and a circuit portion of the tuning unit; a reception processing section for extracting a signal of a desired wave out of a reception signal received from the antenna; a controller for generating an oscillation signal at the circuit portion by the oscillation generator, and switching a setting of the tuning unit to search a setting state of the tuning unit under which the oscillation signal is extracted by the reception processing section; and a compensator for applying a variation to a frequency characteristic of the oscillation signal or a frequency characteristic associated with signal extraction of the reception processing section when the controller searches the setting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Someya
  • Patent number: 8306492
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8306491
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if a frequency control instruction would cause a first capacitor bank to reach a limit and adjusting the first capacitor bank in a first direction using a calibration value and adjusting a second capacitor bank in a second direction if the first capacitor bank would reach the limit. Furthermore, the calibration value may be calculated and stored in accordance with other embodiments. In such manner, small changes in capacitance and correspondingly small changes in frequency may be effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Der, Dana Taipale, Scott Willingham
  • Patent number: 8260218
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques for providing a mixer circuit having a mixer core. The mixer circuit includes a variable current block that is arranged to feed the mixer core with an amplified input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan van Waasen, Anna-Maria Lann, Paul Stephansson, Fredrik Pusa, Jan Dahlin
  • Patent number: 8229380
    Abstract: A radio wave receiving apparatus includes: an antenna to receive a radio wave; a tuning member to allow a reception frequency of the antenna to be tuned to an intended frequency, in which tuning member a frequency characteristic is variable; a receiving member to receive a reception signal from the antenna to demodulate a modulation wave; a positive feedback member to perform a positive feedback in a signal path including the tuning member; and a switching member to turn on/off a feedback operation of the positive feedback member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Someya
  • Patent number: 8150349
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for audio conversion is provided to upgrade the resolution of transmission frequency of an FM (frequency modulation) transmitter and reduce the size of the FM transmitter by applying frequency coarse tune and fine tune. The apparatus comprises a digital FM modulator, a digital frequency synthesizer, a signal converter, and an analog frequency converter. The digital FM modulator modulates a digital audio input signal into a first digital audio signal. The digital frequency synthesizer converts the first digital audio signal into a second digital audio signal, whose frequency is determined according to a first frequency conversion parameter. The signal converter converts the second digital audio signal into an analog audio signal. The analog frequency converter generates an audio transmission signal with a predetermined frequency according to a second clock signal and the analog audio signal while the second clock signal is generated according to a first clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc
    Inventor: ShouFang Chen
  • Patent number: 8131237
    Abstract: Disclosed is a radio wave receiving apparatus including: an antenna to receive a radio wave; a tuning member to allow a reception frequency of the antenna to be tuned to an intended frequency, in which tuning member a frequency characteristic is variable; a receiving member to receive a reception signal from the antenna to demodulate a modulation wave; a positive feedback member to perform a positive feedback in a signal path including the tuning member; and a switching member to turn on/off a feedback operation of the positive feedback member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Someya
  • Patent number: 8090333
    Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes: a demodulating unit which demodulates an IF signal obtained by subjecting a received RF signal to frequency conversion; a detecting unit which detects a carrier wave frequency error contained in the IF signal; a frequency control unit which sets an initial value of a frequency in the demodulation process by the demodulating unit and for correcting a frequency error of a frequency used for the demodulation process by the demodulating unit based on the carrier wave frequency error detected by the detecting unit; and a control unit which controls a setting of an initial value of a frequency in the demodulation process by the demodulating unit by means of the frequency control unit after a receiving channel is switched, based on the carrier wave frequency error before a receiving channel is switched, the error being detected by the detecting unit, when a receiving channel is switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 8059731
    Abstract: A base station performs communication of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme with a mobile station by using any one of equal to or greater than two frequency bands. The base station includes means that transmits a synchronization channel and a control channel using a band that includes a center frequency fA on a raster of a first band (20 MHz) and that has a bandwidth equal to or greater than that of a second band (5 MHz of the end). The control channel includes center frequency information for specifying a center frequency fA? of the second band. Since the mobile station moves to a desired band after obtaining center frequency information using a band including the center frequency on a raster, the mobile station can connect to the desired band without searching frequencies that are not on the raster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Higuchi, Mamoru Sawahashi
  • Patent number: 7904040
    Abstract: Receiver architectures and associated methods are disclosed that provide initial analog coarse tuning of desired channels within a received signal spectrum, such as a set-top box signal spectrum for satellite communications. These architectures provide significant advantages over prior direct down-conversion (DDC) architectures and low intermediate-frequency (IF) architectures, particularly where two tuners are desired on the same integrated circuit. Rather than using a low-IF frequency or directly converting the desired channel frequency to DC, initial coarse tuning provided by analog coarse tuning circuitry allows for a conversion to a frequency range around DC. This coarse tuning circuitry can be implemented, for example, using a large-step local oscillator (LO) that provides a coarse tune analog mixing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Andrew W. Krone
  • Patent number: 7884886
    Abstract: A system includes a filter and a tuner formed on an integrated circuit. The filter receives an input signal comprising a first number of channels and communicates an intermediate output signal comprising a second number of channels less than the first number of channels. The tuner is coupled to the filter and receives the intermediate output signal and communicates an output signal comprising a third number of channels less than the second number of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Zoran Corporation
    Inventor: Nathan R. Belk
  • Patent number: 7831229
    Abstract: An FM receiver including an FM antenna that receives continuous wavelength signals, where the FM receiver is coupled to the FM antenna and operable to alter a center frequency of a gain profile of the FM antenna. The FM receiver includes a low noise amplifier module that is coupled to amplify the continuous wavelength signal to produce an amplified RF signal therefrom. A down conversion module is coupled to mix the amplified RF signal with a local oscillation to produce an information signal. A filter module is coupled to filter the information signal to produce a filtered information signal. A demodulation module is coupled to capture audio information from the filtered information signal. A signal monitoring module is coupled to monitor the FM signal quality of a received continuous wavelength signal. The signal monitoring module produces a signal quality indication therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jesus Alfonso Castaneda, Seema B. Anand, Maryam Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 7805118
    Abstract: A satellite receiving system (200, 300) and a method for adjusting a satellite receiving system include an input (113); a first oscillator (106) with theoretical frequency (FOSC1) and real frequency (FOSC1?), a first frequency mixer (105) delivering a signal at a first intermediate frequency (F2), a second oscillator (302) with frequency (FOSC2), a second frequency mixer (301) delivering a signal at a second intermediate frequency (FOUT), a microcontroller (202), which controls a real frequency (FVCO) of the second oscillator, and an output (110). An external signal (112) at a determined frequency (F1) is supplied to the input (113). A nominal value (FOSC2) of the frequency of the second oscillator is determined as a function of the input frequency (F1), the theoretical frequency (FOSC1) of the first oscillator and the second intermediate frequency (FOUT). The frequency of the second oscillator is controlled, via the microcontroller, at the determined nominal value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Jean-Yves Couet, Anis Ben Abdallah
  • Patent number: 7756500
    Abstract: An integrated front-end filter for a tuner provides an array of from several to a multitude of passbands, each for passing at least one but less than all channels designated in a band of frequencies. Each passband is exclusively selectable. The integrated front end filter includes at least one active filter unit with an active reactance element in either of fixed and variable filter configurations and a decoder coupled to said at least one active filter unit and being responsive to a control signal for selecting a one of the passbands. In one example a multitude of active filter units of fixed filter configuration provide the multitude of passbands. Each data is stored at a predetermined location and reproduced in response to a corresponding control data signal from a tuner controller. Each data characterizes one of the plurality of passbands. The filter element is switchable from one passband to another in response to the control data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: SiGe Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Fulga, David Rahn
  • Patent number: 7660339
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for estimating and correcting a frequency offset in a multiband-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Ultra-Wideband system using a time frequency hopping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Cheol-Ho Shin, Sung-Woo Choi, Sang-In Cho, Kyu-Min Kang, Sang-Sung Choi, Kwang-Roh Park
  • Publication number: 20090247101
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for automatic detection of channel spacing for broadcast bands in different regions that use different channel spacing. Using the described embodiments, channel spacing at a users' current location can be automatically detected so that manual settings by the user are not necessary, especially when a user travels with his/her radio across regions that use different channel spacing for radio broadcasting bands. This auto-detected channel spacing can then be used for later channel searching by the radio. More particularly, methods and systems are disclosed for auto-detection of channel spacing for AM broadcasts using different channel spacings, such as the standard 9 kHz and 10 kHz spacings, used today in different geographic regions of the world for AM broadcast bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Ligang Zhang, Steve W. Hanawalt, Greg Hodgson, Liang Wu
  • Patent number: 7587184
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if a frequency control instruction would cause a first capacitor bank to reach a limit and adjusting the first capacitor bank in a first direction using a calibration value and adjusting a second capacitor bank in a second direction if the first capacitor bank would reach the limit. Furthermore, the calibration value may be calculated and stored in accordance with other embodiments. In such manner, small changes in capacitance and correspondingly small changes in frequency may be effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence Der, Dana Taipale, Scott Willingham
  • Patent number: 7558546
    Abstract: A method in which one of a high-side mix mode and a low-side mix mode is selected in response to an interference characteristic of a desired channel of a radio frequency (RF) input signal is disclosed. In the high-side mix mode, a direct digital frequency synthesizer (130) is initialized to output a digital local oscillator signal at a first frequency suitable for performing a high-side mix of the desired channel to an intermediate frequency (IF). In the low-side mix mode, the direct digital frequency synthesizer (130) is initialized to output the digital local oscillator signal at a second frequency suitable for performing a low-side mix of the desired channel to said IF. The RF input signal is mixed with the digital local oscillator signal to provide an IF output signal at the IF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, James M. Nohrden, Li Gao
  • Publication number: 20090111408
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a dual-loop phase lock loop (PLL) for a radio-frequency (RF) receiver is provided. The dual-loop PLL may include coarse tuning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry. The coarse turning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry may be arranged in parallel. Both of the coarse tuning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry provide respective tuning signals to a voltage-controlled oscillator (e.g., a varactor tuned VCO). The coarse tuning circuitry and the fine tuning circuitry may provide the respective tuning signals simultaneously. In addition, coarse and fine tuning circuitry may be formed monolithically with other elements of the dual-loop PLL so as to provide a highly-integratable having a wide frequency lock range and high sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Eric RODAL
  • Patent number: 7493095
    Abstract: A device and a method for processing high data rate serial data includes circuitry for recovering a clock based on the high data rate input data stream. A transceiver includes a coarse loop of a phase-locked loop that selectively provides a clock having accuracy that is within a specified amount. In a sample mode of operation, only the coarse loop PLL is coupled to provide an error signal from which an oscillation signal and clock may be derived. In a second mode (lock) of operation, the transceiver may lock to the received serial data stream by coupling the fine loop PLL to provide an adjusted error signal. In a third mode of operation, (automatic) the transceiver initially performs coarse loop calibration by de-coupling the fine loop PLL and coupling the coarse loop PLL until a steady state has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Chuang, William C. Black, Scott A. Irwin
  • Patent number: 7403747
    Abstract: A method of tuning a station is disclosed, wherein a first pilot signal is applied on a circuit of the station and the resulting output power of the signal circuit is subsequently detected. A second pilot signal is then applied to the circuit and the resulting output power of the circuit is detected. The offset of the circuit is then tuned based on information of the resulting output power detected for the first and second signals. A station that is adapted to implement the method may be tuned by the manufacturer thereof or later after having already been taken into use. The tuning may occur automatically as response to a predefined event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Tapio Kuiri, Ville Salmi, Jorma Savolainen
  • Patent number: 7366486
    Abstract: An integrated receiver with channel selection and image rejection substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. A receiver front end provides programable attenuation and a programable gain low noise amplifier. Frequency conversion circuitry advantageously uses LC filters integrated onto the substrate in conjunction with image reject mixers to provide sufficient image frequency rejection. Filter tuning and inductor Q compensation over temperature are performed on chip. The filters utilize multi track spiral inductors. The filters are tuned using local oscillators to tune a substitute filter, and frequency scaling during filter component values to those of the filter being tuned. In conjunction with filtering, frequency planning provides additional image rejection. The advantageous choice of local oscillator signal generation methods on chip is by PLL out of band local oscillation and by direct synthesis for in band local oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Pieter Vorenkamp, Klaas Bult, Frank Carr
  • Patent number: 7359687
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, method and computer program product to obtain comprehensive vehicle radio listener statistics based on parameters such as radio status (e.g., on/off status and CD/Tape/AM/FM setting), radio volume, station preset information, current frequency setting (i.e., station identification), and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system coordinates is disclosed. A vehicle-mounted field unit for collecting and transmitting such parameters to a base station is also disclosed. The system monitors and stores all events related to the occupants' interaction with the vehicle's radio, including automatic detection of the selected radio station through a speaker port. The stored data is then transmitted to a base station's central collection computer for immediate compilation and analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Navigauge, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl D. Ceresoli, Bruce E. Layman, Alexander Birger, Mikhail Kvetny, Boris Smychkovich
  • Patent number: 7340230
    Abstract: Receiver architectures and associated methods are disclosed that provide initial analog coarse tuning of desired channels within a received signal spectrum, such as a set-top box signal spectrum for satellite communications. These architectures provide significant advantages over prior direct down-conversion (DDC) architectures and low intermediate-frequency (IF) architectures, particularly where two tuners are desired on the same integrated circuit. Rather than using a low-IF frequency or directly converting the desired channel frequency to DC, initial coarse tuning provided by analog coarse tuning circuitry allows for a conversion to a frequency range around DC. This coarse tuning circuitry can be implemented, for example, using a large-step local oscillator (LO) that provides a coarse tune analog mixing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Andrew W. Krone
  • Publication number: 20070264951
    Abstract: A PLL includes an open-loop automatic frequency calibration circuit. The open-loop automatic frequency calibration circuit includes a frequency detector, first and second sinks, a comparator and a bank selector. The frequency detector generates an up-signal and a down-signal responding to a frequency difference between a first phase difference signal having a phase difference from a reference oscillation signal and the second phase difference signal having a phase difference from a frequency division oscillation signal. The first and second sinks discharge the first and second capacitors respectively responding to the up-signal and the down-signal. The comparator compares voltages of the first and second capacitors. The bank selector selects a bank according to binary search, selects an optimum bank among two banks lastly searched, and outputs a bank selection signal. The voltage-controlled oscillation changes frequency features thereof in response to the bank selection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Seong-Hwan Cho, Kyung-Lok Kim, Jung-Hyup Lee, Joon-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 7295822
    Abstract: A radio wave receiver for receiving radio waves having a predetermined frequency, the receiver comprises an antenna, an variable capacitor connected to the antenna, a memory, and a controller which determines an optimum capacitance of the variable capacitor with which the radio wave receiver is in a predetermined reception state and writes optimum capacitance data into the memory and, controls the variable capacitor based on the optimum capacitance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Sano
  • Patent number: 7286804
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a receiver, a digital-analog converter and a tuning circuit in which temperature compensating components can be formed on a semiconductor substrate while reducing component costs. An FM receiver 100 is constituted by including an antenna 1, a high frequency receiving circuit 2, a local oscillator 3, two digital-analog converters (DACs) 4, 6, a control section 8, a mixing circuit 9, an intermediate frequency amplification circuit 10, a detection circuit 11, a low frequency amplification circuit 12 and the speaker 13. The DACs 4, 6 have a predetermined temperature coefficient, of which output voltage is changed in accordance with ambient temperature. When a characteristic of VCO 31 is changed with variations of ambient temperature so as to cause a control voltage applied to the VCO 31 to be changed, output voltages of the DACs 4, 6 are also changed similarly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Niigata Seimitsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyagi, Isami Kato
  • Patent number: 7224951
    Abstract: A device and a method for processing high data rate serial data includes circuitry for recovering a clock based on the high data rate input data stream. A transceiver includes a coarse loop of a phase-locked loop that selectively provides a clock having accuracy that is within a specified amount. In a sample mode of operation, only the coarse loop PLL is coupled to provide an error signal from which an oscillation signal and clock may be derived. In a second mode (lock) of operation, the transceiver may lock to the received serial data stream by coupling the fine loop PLL to provide an adjusted error signal. In a third mode of operation, (automatic) the transceiver initially performs coarse loop calibration by de-coupling the fine loop PLL and coupling the coarse loop PLL until a steady state has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Chuang, William C. Black, Scott A. Irwin
  • Patent number: 7184724
    Abstract: Frequency translation, such as frequency up conversion of a video baseband or intermediate frequency to a desired frequency division broadcast channel, is provided utilizing a single sideband or image reject mixer and filtering having relaxed selectivity requirements. According to a preferred embodiment, a first single sideband mixer accepts an input signal at an intermediate frequency and up converts this signal to a high intermediate frequency. The image rejection provided by the single sideband mixer in combination with simple filtering provide sufficient signal quality to achieve desired levels of desired signal isolation, such as on the order of 40 dB. Preferably, a second single sideband mixer accepts the high intermediate frequency signal and down converts this signal to a desired transmission or broadcast frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Microtune (Texas), L.P.
    Inventors: Kirk B. Ashby, Albert H. Taddiken, S. Vincent Birleson
  • Patent number: 7177640
    Abstract: A method of scanning channels in a digital television including (a) setting a starting frequency; (b) searching for a first available digital channel by searching a search frequency that is the starting frequency; adding a predetermined scan step to said search frequency if the first available channel is not found at the starting frequency, and adding additional predetermined scan steps to the search frequency until the first available channel is found if the first available channels is not found at the starting frequency plus the scan step; and (c) searching for a second available digital channel by searching at a first main frequency, which is the first available channel frequency plus a first predetermined bandwidth, wherein the step of searching for the second available digital channel includes searching at a plurality of scan steps around the first main frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-jin Lee
  • Patent number: 7167694
    Abstract: Multi-tuner receiver architectures and associated methods are disclosed that provide initial analog coarse tuning of desired channels within a received signal spectrum, such as transponder channels within a set-top box signal spectrum for satellite communications. These multi-tuner satellite receiver architectures provide significant advantages over prior direct down-conversion (DDC) architectures and low intermediate-frequency (IF) architectures, particularly where two tuners are desired on the same integrated circuit. Rather than using a low-IF frequency or directly converting the desired channel frequency to DC, initial coarse tuning provided by analog coarse tuning circuitry allows for a conversion to a frequency range around DC. This coarse tuning circuitry can be implemented, for example, using a large-step local oscillator (LO) that provides a coarse tune analog mixing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Andrew W. Krone
  • Patent number: 7076221
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a digital automatic fine tuning method and apparatus, which is capable of detecting a difference between a nominal frequency and an intermediate frequency generated in a tuner using a counter, and applying the counted data of the counter as a fine tuning value for the intermediate frequency without using a decoder by controlling the reset and preset operations of the counter that counts the frequency of the intermediate frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Young Jin Lee, Hyo Seok Kwon, Won Jin Baek, Jin Taek Lee, Hyun Hwan Yoo, Jeong Ki Choi
  • Patent number: 6980775
    Abstract: A radio device requires a tunable transceiver such that the transceiver can be accurately set to a desired frequency. When a signal with known frequency accuracy is being received, an offset detector can determine the frequency offset generated by the transceiver due to improper tuning. An automatic frequency control (AFC) system (100) is comprised of a tunable transceiver, an adaptive detector (102) for comparing an incoming sample from the tunable transceiver to an adaptive maximum deviation threshold for determining if a sample from the tunable transceiver should be used for the direct current (DC) component of the AFC, an offset detector (103) and an AFC control processor (105) for utilizing information from the offset detector to reduce the inaccuracy in frequency by tuning the transceiver towards the received signal frequency. The AFC control processor (105) utilizes one of more threshold levels for defining a maximum correction threshold (311) based upon the desired maximum offset correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Michael Alazraki, Amish Pravinbhai Shah, Jesus Francisco Corretjer
  • Patent number: 6952565
    Abstract: The present invention provides a communication terminal that enables precise communications with optimum receive sensitivity at any time regardless of any change in peripheral environments of an antenna thereof. The communication terminal including means for transmitting and receiving radio waves is provided with a training mechanism for enabling the communication terminal itself to conduct training mode for tuning receive sensitivity, and switching mechanism for switching between normal communication mode and the training mode. The communication terminal is particularly useful as a communication terminal for automobile in the Intelligent Transport System or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eriko Takeda, Kiichi Yamashita, Kenji Sekine, Ken Takei
  • Patent number: 6925290
    Abstract: A radio receiver embodying the present invention comprises, a front-end circuit for selecting a broadcasting wave of a certain frequency from broadcasting waves received, a memory for storing a channel registering table, tuning key, and a control circuit. A channel registering table has a plurality of channels registered therein, and a frequency and register time for each channel are written thereon. The control circuit specifies a channel of which register time is closest to time of the depression of the key out of a plurality of channels registered in the table upon the depression of the key to command tuning operation of the channel to the front-end circuit. Thus, the radio receiver can be realized wherein the device body is compact, and even when a listener does not remember a channel registered, a desired channel can be tuned in with easy manipulation for a short period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Hitomi, Akio Inoue, Yoshikazu Otsubo, Takayuki Hamabata
  • Patent number: 6925291
    Abstract: An electronic alignment system for a television signal tuner utilizes first and second controllers for generating respective first and second control signals for respective first and second signal processing circuits of a signal processing arrangement, with the first and second signal processing circuits having respective first and second tunable elements responsive to the respective first and second control signals. A deviation range of the first control signal is higher than a deviation range of the second control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventor: Michael A. Pugel
  • Patent number: 6898420
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for eliminating interference caused by spurious signals in communication signals communicated via a communication device on any one of a plurality of different channels, the communication device operating at a rate set by a system clock signal. The system clock frequency is generated at a first frequency, the first frequency generating spurious signals on at least one of the different channels. The system clock frequency is toggled by a first predetermined amount to a second frequency when the communication device is to be tuned to one of the different channels so as to remove the spurious signals from the tuned channel. The communication device is tuned to the at least one of the different channels. A return of the timing error to a predetermined value is synchronized at a start of a receive data capture event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory R. Black, Charles Philipp Binzel
  • Patent number: 6889175
    Abstract: A device for spatial positioning systems includes a programmable measurement filter that is dynamically tuned by the device signal processing unit. The signal processing unit analyzes available data including the measurement signal to determine the likelihood that a detected measurement comprises true device movement and adjusts the measurement filter bandwidth accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Francisco Roberto Green
  • Patent number: 6882691
    Abstract: Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver embodiments of the invention demodulate quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signals transmitted in the five GHz frequency band and digitally correct for frequency offset errors in their digital signal processing (DSP) units. A method comprises a step in which an OFDM transmission is I/Q sampled and a portion of the received packet is selected. It is assumed that the coarse frequency offset has been estimated and that the remaining frequency offset after coarse frequency offset compensation does not exceed ±10 kHz (valid for 802.11a PHY implementation only). It is also assumed that a timing reference has been determined. A cost function is used to determine a fine-frequency offset. Once the fine frequency offset is determined, the estimate is used in the downstream digital signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Proxim Corporation
    Inventor: Alain Chiodini
  • Patent number: 6862437
    Abstract: A dual band RF tuning circuit (1) has a first impedance element (4) and a second impedance element (5) between an RF input port (2) and an RF output port (3), tuning being provided by the impedance elements (4, 5) to a first RF signal, and a switching transistor (9) connected to the second impedance element (5) to open circuit the second impedance element (5) for tuning to a second RF signal by the first impedance element (4) alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Joseph McNamara