Signal Quality (e.g., Timing Jitter, Distortion, Signal-to-noise Ratio) Patents (Class 702/69)
  • Patent number: 8886485
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that determines whether a cooling device in a computer system is responsive to control signals. During operation of the computer system, a control signal is sent to the cooling device. Next, a response of the computer system to the control signal is measured, wherein the response includes a temperature profile. The frequency content of the control signal is then compared to the frequency content of the temperature profile to determine whether the cooling device is responsive to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kalyanaraman Vaidyanathan, Kenny C. Gross, Aleksey M. Urmanov
  • Patent number: 8874396
    Abstract: A processing device configured to induce, during a listening scan of a sense array, an injected touch to produce similar data as would be present during a touch scan of the sense array with a conductive object at a known location on the sense array. The processing device is further configured to compute, using the data, an estimate of a noise metric based on the injected touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Dana Olson, Andriy Maharyta, Steve Kolokowsky
  • Publication number: 20140316725
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a power noise histogram of a computer system. The computer system includes a skitter circuit with multiple skitter bins, each skitter bin of the multiple skitter bins being connected to a signal line at one or more clock cycles. The method includes: connecting each skitter bin to an individual counter circuit; and incrementing a counter when the respective skitter bin is enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin ECKERT, Hubert HARRER, Thomas STRACH
  • Patent number: 8843335
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the removal of significant broad-band noise from waveforms acquired for time domain network analysis. The method may include the steps of providing the noisy waveform as an input waveform, determining a frequency domain noise shape associated with the input waveform, calculating a wavelet domain noise shape from the frequency domain noise shape, calculating a discrete wavelet transform of the input waveform to form a wavelet domain waveform, and estimating the noise statistics from the wavelet domain waveform. A threshold may be calculated from the estimated noise statistics and the wavelet domain noise shape, and the threshold may be applied to the wavelet domain waveform to form a denoised wavelet domain waveform. Finally, an inverse discrete wavelet transform of the denoised wavelet domain waveform may be calculated to form a denoised waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Pupalaikis, Anirudh Sureka, Kaviyesh Doshi
  • Patent number: 8825420
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining a timing variation for an edge of a waveform under simultaneous switching noise (SSN) conditions is provided. The method includes characterizing an impact of mutual inductive relationships on a pin while the pin is at a quiet state and characterizing a signal edge applied to the pin. The signal edge can be characterized by the slew rate in one embodiment. A voltage change related to a curve characterizing the impact of mutual inductive relationships is identified and the voltage change is applied to a curve characterizing an impact of SSN on the signal edge. The method includes calculating a timing variation correlated to the voltage change applied to the curve characterizing the impact of SSN on the signal edge and presenting the calculated timing variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Geping Liu, Kundan Chand, Zhe Li, Wui Hung Moo, Joseph Boon Hock Kho
  • Patent number: 8803716
    Abstract: A chip with a built-in self-test (BIST) component capable of testing the linearity of an ADC is described herein. The BIST component uses hardware registers to facilitate a sliding histogram technique to save space on the chip. A subset of detected digital codes are analyzed, and DNL and INL calculations are performed by a controller to determine whether any of the digital codes in the subset exceed maximum or minimum DNL and INL thresholds. New digital codes being detected by the ADC are added to the subset as lower-value digital codes are pushed out of the subset, maintaining the same number of digital codes being analyzed as the subset moves from lower codes detected during lower voltages to higher codes detected at higher voltages. A synchronizer and pointer ensure that the subset moves through the digital codes at the same rate as the analog input ramp source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Ravindranath Ramalingaiah Munnan, Raghu Ravindran, Ravi Shekhar
  • Patent number: 8791689
    Abstract: Disclosed is a probe for an oscilloscope comprising a multi-stage transistor amplifier that acts as an impedance transformer. Said amplifier is a d.c.-coupled emitter follower circuit that is composed of bipolar transistors or a d.c.-coupled source follower circuit which is composed of field effect transistors and the successive amplifier elements of which are dimensioned and tuned to each other in such a way that the resulting offset direct voltage between the input and the output is minimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Peschke, Alexander Schild
  • Patent number: 8762109
    Abstract: Estimating impedance of energy storage devices includes generating input signals at various frequencies with a frequency step factor therebetween. An excitation time record (ETR) is generated to include a summation of the input signals and a deviation matrix of coefficients is generated relative to the excitation time record to determine crosstalk between the input signals. An energy storage device is stimulated with the ETR and simultaneously a response time record (RTR) is captured that is indicative of a response of the energy storage device to the ETR. The deviation matrix is applied to the RTR to determine an in-phase component and a quadrature component of an impedance of the energy storage device at each of the different frequencies with the crosstalk between the input signals substantially removed. This approach enables rapid impedance spectra measurements that can be completed within one period of the lowest frequency or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Jon P. Christophersen, John L. Morrison, William H. Morrison, Chester G. Motloch, David M. Rose
  • Patent number: 8749641
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting media source quality are provided. The system includes a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for the detection of media source quality; a processor that executes the program of instructions; a video data receiver to receive video raw data, the video raw data corresponding to an uploaded and transcoded video; a video improver to apply a video improvement technique to the received video raw data to produce a modified version of the video raw data; and a video quality assessor to compare the received video raw data and the modified version of the video raw data, and based on the modified version of the video raw data improving on a factor associated with the video improvement technique, the video quality assessor indicates a phenomena affecting the quality of the uploaded and transcoded video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Meng Wang, Sang-Uok Kum, Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 8731855
    Abstract: A method and device for monitoring the noise from a sensor and a use of the method in automobiles for determining a frictional value between tires of a motor vehicle and a road surface, in particular an economical and reliable method for monitoring a sensor noise and a corresponding device for obtaining, amongst other things, system-relevant information may be achieved, wherein an influence on spectral components of the sensor noise signal is determined and compared with set values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Zheng-Yu Jiang, Matthias Kretschmann, Herbert Preis
  • Patent number: 8712716
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an NDT/NDI inspection device deploying digital circuitry to conduct detection and compensation of phase and amplitude shift in responding signals. A digital waveform generator, such as a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) is used to generate a digital sine-wave of a specific frequency and amplitude, mimicking the pulser frequency and amplitude. The sine-wave is converted to analog signal through a DAC and transmitted to the transducer. The received analog sine-wave from the transducer is converted back to a digital signal through an ADC. The transmitted and received digital signals are then compared for phase and amplitude differences. A null circuit involving another waveform generating component is employed to compensate the detected phase and amplitude differences. As a result the phase and amplitude differences are effectively eliminated before being further processed and analyzed for defects information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus NDT inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Thomas, Marc Dulac
  • Patent number: 8706438
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring s-parameters using as few as one pulser and two samplers is described. The apparatus calibrates itself automatically using the internal calibration standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J Pupalaikis, Kaviyesh Doshi, Roger Delbue, Anirudh Sureka
  • Patent number: 8706435
    Abstract: A test and measurement instrument converts digital data that represents an input signal into a plurality of bitmaps, and then subtracts one of the bitmaps from another one of the bitmaps to produce a difference bitmap. The difference bitmap does not contain density values that are common to the two bitmaps, but instead only contains the density differences between the two, thereby revealing very small density variations in the presence of large density values. In some embodiments, the difference bitmap is displayed on a display device. In other embodiments, the difference bitmap is used to generate a trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Kathryn A. Engholm, John F. Turpin
  • Patent number: 8700347
    Abstract: An intelligent electronic device IED has enhanced power quality and communications capabilities. The IED can perform energy analysis by waveform capture, detect transient on the front-end voltage input channels and provide revenue measurements. The IED splits and distributes the front-end input channels into separate circuits for scaling and processing by dedicated processors for specific applications by the IED. Front-end voltage input channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for transient detection, waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively. Front-end current channels are split and distributed into separate circuits for waveform capture analysis and revenue measurement, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
    Inventors: Joseph Spanier, Andrew J. Werner, Frederick B. Slota, Hai Zhu, Wei Wang, Dulciane Siqueira da Silva, Erran Kagan
  • Patent number: 8694248
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the accuracy of a global positioning system (GPS) receiver in a marine vessel utilize a GPS receiver receiving a plurality of satellite signals, calculating a global position of the GPS receiver based on the plurality of signals, and determining a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of each signal in the plurality of signals; and a control circuit having a computer readable medium having executable code, and being connected to the GPS receiver by a communication link. The control circuit calculates an average SNR of the plurality of signals and compares the average SNR to a threshold SNR. In one example the threshold SNR varies depending upon a number of satellites sending the plurality of signals and a speed at which the marine vessel is traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Jason S. Arbuckle, William R. Robertson
  • Publication number: 20140095095
    Abstract: A process variable transmitter, includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter that receives a sensor signal provided by a sensor that senses a process variable and converts the sensor signal to a digital signal. A processor receives the digital signal and provides a measurement output indicative of the digital signal. A noise detector receives the sensor signal and generates a first value indicative of a number of positive noise events relative to a positive threshold value and a second value indicative of a number of negative noise events relative to a negative threshold value. The processor evaluates the noise count and generates a noise output, indicative of detected noise, based on the first and second values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Jason Harold Rud, Loren Michael Engelstad
  • Patent number: 8688400
    Abstract: A device and method for generation of Intersymbol interference (ISI) effects on serial data by direct digital synthesis is described. The features of the present invention allow a user to set parameters such as data rate, voltage amplitude, encoding scheme etc. as per requirements. An ISI parameter value is selected and applied to the serial data to produce ISI effects in the serial data. Alternatively according to another feature the patterns may be set as per industry standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Tektronix International Sales GmbH
    Inventors: Sampathkumar R. Desai, Muralidharan A. Karapattu
  • Patent number: 8686741
    Abstract: A noise figure deriving device is provided to precisely obtain the noise figure (NF) of a receiver. The noise figure deriving device includes a first NF deriving unit that derives a first noise figure, which is a noise figure when a predetermined receiver-side pin pin1R is connected to a receiver, based on a ratio Y of one power to the other power of two types of reference noise. The noise figure deriving device also includes a second NF deriving unit that derives a second noise figure, which is a noise figure when receiver-side pins pin2R, pin3R, and pin4R are connected to the receiver, based on an inter-measurement-device-side-terminal difference and the first noise figure. The inter-measurement-device-side-terminal difference is a difference between the first noise figure and the second noise figure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 8679369
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for prediction of a film material such as a raw material for organic EL. In the method, a film material having an evaporation rate (V(%)) represented by the formula below can be predicted based on the values of the constant (Ko) and the activation energy (Ea). V=(Ko/P)×e?Ea/kT wherein Ko represents a constant (%·Torr), P represents a pressure (Torr), Ea represents an activation energy (eV), k represents a Boltzmann constant, and T represents an absolute temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Shozo Nakayama, Hironori Ito
  • Publication number: 20140077849
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase-locked loop with loop gain calibration and methods for measuring an oscillator gain, gain calibration and jitter measurement for a phase-locked loop. The method for measuring an oscillator gain of a phase-locked loop includes the steps of providing a varying code at an input end of the oscillator; outputting excess reference phase information by a reference phase integral path and outputting excess feedback phase information based on the varying code by a feedback phase integral path; and obtaining an estimated gain information of the oscillator based on the excess reference phase information and the excess feedback phase information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: NATIONAL CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Wei-Zen Chen, Shu-Chin Chuang
  • Publication number: 20140081586
    Abstract: A procedure for obtaining noise temperatures of a field effect transistor (FET) embedded on a wafer through an analytical procedure which processes measured noise figure data over transistor's size Pd within a frequency range at constant voltage and current density. The parasitic elements associated with an electrical model of the embedding structures are determined. Then, for each of n=1, 2, . . . N FETs, the scattering parameters and noise figure Fmeas,n are measured, the components of the core model, normalized to the periphery Pd are determined, and the noise contributions of the parasitic components are de-embedded from Fmeas,n. The noise temperatures tgs, tds, and tgd are found by solving the equation 4 ? N i ? G s ? ( F meas , n - 1 ) - y s + ? C T A ? y s - y s + ? T B , n ? T A ? C T C ? T A + ? T B , n + ? y s P d n = A n ? t ds + B n ? t gs + C n ? t gd using at least three values of Fmeas,n and Pd,n.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Luciano Boglione
  • Patent number: 8676543
    Abstract: Mechanical oscillators employ the use of resonance parameters, frequency and the quality factor Q, for the measurement of corrosion or deposition. The ability of a mechanical oscillator to measure small amounts of metal loss or deposition is not only dependent upon the mechanical design but is limited by the precision in determining the resonance frequency and Q. Methods for measuring these resonance parameters with a high precision in the presence of noise are provided. The increased degree of precision improves the utility of these devices as sensitive probes for corrosion and deposition (fouling) measurement. The increased degree of precision is enabled in part by employing curve fitting consistent with modeling the mechanical oscillator as a simple harmonic oscillator. This curve fitting procedure, combined with averaging and utilizing signal processing parameters to mitigate noise effects, adds precision in measuring resonance parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: H. Alan Wolf, Chung-Min Cheng, Dalia G. Yablon, Alan M. Schilowitz, Manuel S. Alvarez, Yvonne Mathez
  • Patent number: 8670947
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method to measure and represent the measured value of a limit in terms of another measurement, such as clock values or cycles of the system. The system can include, for example, a test and measurement instrument such as an oscilloscope. In another embodiment of the present invention, slew rate de-rated values may be automatically determined through the use of configurable lookup tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.
    Inventors: G. R. N. Prasanth, Pechluck Pongched, Raghavendran N., Mark L. Guenther, Krishna N. H. Sri, Manisha D. Ajgaonkar, Anuradha V.
  • Patent number: 8666688
    Abstract: A system and a method is provided for the detection and capture, and in particular for an ultra high speed detection and capture, of transients in input voltages by an intelligent electronic device. The system and method detects transients for input voltages in either phase to phase or phase to neutral measurements and permits a user to set threshold levels for detecting transients in input voltages. In an embodiment, the system and method further provides a field programmable gate array as a controller for managing transient detection. The field programmable gate array includes a state machine for determining the state of the sampled signal with respect to a threshold level at a specified waveform sample period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
    Inventors: Joseph Spanier, Hai Zhu, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 8660811
    Abstract: A system for estimating bit error rates (BER) may include using a normalization factor that scales a BER to substantially normalize a Q-scale for a distribution under analysis. A normalization factor may be selected, for example, to provide a best linear fit for both right and left sides of a cumulative distribution function (CDF). In some examples, the normalized Q-scale algorithm may identify means and probabilistic amplitude(s) of Gaussian jitter contributors in the dominant extreme behavior on both sides of the distribution. For such contributors, means may be obtained from intercepts of both sides of the CDF(Qnorm(BER) with the Q(BER)=0 axis, standard deviations (sigmas) may be obtained from reciprocals of slopes of best linear fits, and amplitudes may be obtained directly from the normalization factors. In an illustrative example, a normalized Q-scale algorithm may be used to accurately predict bit error rates for sampled repeating or non-repeating data patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Miller
  • Patent number: 8645090
    Abstract: A system for estimating a baseline of a signal exhibits a signal generator and a processor. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal exhibiting a plurality of peaks and a baseline. The processor is configured to perform operations including determining an estimator indicating at least one region of the signal that exhibits a peak, determining a weight indicating at least one region of the signal that does not exhibit a peak based on the estimator, and estimating the baseline of the signal based on at least the determined weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Javier E. Satulovsky
  • Patent number: 8645091
    Abstract: A method and associated system for evaluating a high-frequency signal (SNE) at a point of interest on a signal path. The high-frequency signal (SNE) at the point of interest on the signal path is calculated by applying an inverse transfer function (iG) for the signal path to an argument of a remote signal (SFE) measured at a remote pickup point on the signal path, wherein the point of interest and the remote pickup point are two distant points on the signal path, wherein the high-frequency signal (SNE) and the remote signal (SFE) are represented as a respective time domain variable, and wherein said calculating is performed by a time domain evaluation process that operates in test equipment for electrical devices. The calculated high-frequency signal (SNE) is transferred to an output device of the test equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Curtis Diepenbrock, Roland Frech
  • Patent number: 8645097
    Abstract: A method for analyzing the output of a rotary sensor, such as that coupled to a vehicle wheel assembly. In one embodiment, the method detects periodic irregularities in the output of an incremental rotary sensor and uses those irregularities with a reference signal and a pattern comparison technique to determine the absolute angular position of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Oblizajek, John D. Sopoci
  • Patent number: 8639461
    Abstract: A circuit and method for digitizing jitter in a high speed digital signal receives a digital signal using a comparator and supplies a clock signal to a counter. The circuit and method determine the frequency of the digital signal using the clock signal and the counter, and calculate the period of the digital signal based on the frequency (using a logic element). The method and circuit provide a linearized delay for jitter analysis based on the period of the digital signal (using a delay shift circuit) and output a delayed digital signal from the digital signal based on the linearized delay (using a measure delay circuit). The circuit and method supply the digital signal and the delayed digital signal to a programmable unit. The programmable unit comprises flip flops. The circuit and method count transitions of the flip flops within the programmable unit using the counter. The flip flops transition when the digital signal differs from the delayed digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Sweeney, James Mallabar
  • Patent number: 8638841
    Abstract: A transmitting/receiving system includes two transmitting/receiving apparatuses connected through a transmission cable having two one-direction signal lines. Each apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits a signal, a receiving unit that receives a signal, a calculator, a controller, a storage, and an estimating unit. The calculator calculates an Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio of the received signal. The controller controls the calculation by obtaining, as a first value, a strength of a signal caused by a check signal transmitted during absence of a check signal being received, obtaining, as a second value, a strength of a check signal received during absence of a check signal being transmitted, and dividing the second value by the first value. The storage stores relationship between a predetermined transmission-cable S/N ratio and temporal signal fluctuation. The estimating unit estimates temporal signal fluctuation from the calculated S/N ratio and the relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuaki Konishi
  • Publication number: 20130332096
    Abstract: A device and method for measuring jitter includes a capacitive element capable of being selectively charged, wherein the selection is made by a received signal from which an accumulated jitter value is to be determined. An analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the capacitive element to determine a voltage across the capacitive element after a number of cycles of the received signal. A determination module is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter to output the accumulated jitter value of the received signal using the voltage, wherein the accumulated jitter value is accumulated over the number of cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mihai A. Sanduleanu
  • Patent number: 8599910
    Abstract: Provided is a jitter injection apparatus that injects jitter into a signal, comprising: a plurality of jitter injecting sections that are provided in series in a transmission path that propagates the signal; an output section that selects the signal that is passed from a jitter injecting section at a first stage through a designated jitter injecting section, and outputs the selected signal; and a plurality of branch-path jitter injecting sections that (i) are provided in a plurality of branch paths that propagate the signal output by each jitter injecting section from the transmission path to the output section and (ii) are relays having frequency characteristics of attenuating a high-frequency band more than a low-frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Nagatani, Takayuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8599051
    Abstract: A time-interleaved A/D converter apparatus has a primary signal A/D converter circuit group that is time-interleaved with a combination of N A/D converter circuits, a correction signal generation part operable to receive the input analog signal and a 1/m-sampling signal having a speed that is 1/m of a rate of the sampling signal inputted to the primary signal A/D converter circuit group, to extract a dispersion of a transmission line that is immanent in the input analog signal, and to output the dispersion as a dispersion compensation control signal used for digital signal compensation, and a signal processing part operable to convert the N digital signals into one digital signal based upon the dispersion compensation control signal and to compensate a dispersion included in the converted digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhide Yoshida, Hidemi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8594962
    Abstract: A technique includes determining a first difference between a time that a first network element of a seismic acquisition network receives a first frame pulse from a second network element of the seismic acquisition network and a time that the first network element transmits a second frame pulse to the second network element. The technique includes determining a second difference between a time that the second network element receives the second frame pulse and a time that the second network element transmits the first frame pulse. The technique includes determining a transmission delay between the first and second network elements based on the first and second time differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: WesternGeco L.L.C.
    Inventor: Geir A. M. Drange
  • Patent number: 8583423
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for processing of a speech quality estimate, which involve adaption of a speech quality estimate based on information related to the bandwidth of a reference signal used when determining said speech quality estimate, such that the adapted speech quality estimate is independent of the bandwidth of the reference signal. The method and arrangement enable objective speech quality measurements or assessments to be performed on a unified bandwidth scale, independent of the bandwidth of a reference signal, which allows e.g. a more relevant comparison of communication systems and/or equipment, such as e.g. codecs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventor: Volodya Grancharov
  • Patent number: 8577291
    Abstract: A method and system for optimizing data throughput in a Bluetooth communication system is provided. The method may include determining the bit error rate (BER) of a first Bluetooth packet type of a plurality of Bluetooth packet types transmitted at a first power output level by a Bluetooth transmitter and selecting a second packet type from the plurality of Bluetooth packet types in response to determining the bit error rate. The different packet types may comprise DM1, DM3, DM5, DH1, DH3, DH5, HV1, HV2, HV3, 2DH1, 2DH3, 2DH5, 3DH1, 3DH3, and 3DH5 Bluetooth packets. The method may also include estimating the BER from the packet error rate (PER) of the first Bluetooth packet type, where the PER may be computed by comparing a number of packets of said first Bluetooth packet type with good CRCs to a number of packets of said first Bluetooth packet type with bad CRCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Siukai Mak
  • Publication number: 20130289914
    Abstract: Methods are directed towards determining a total measurement uncertainty for LME and LEE UEs. Methods include representing the at least one quantity subject to measurement as a function of at least one physically observably quantity. Methods also include obtaining a value of the at least one quantity subject to measurement. Based on the obtained values, values of the sources of uncertainty are derived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: ZTE (USA) INC.
    Inventor: Carolyn Taylor
  • Patent number: 8571822
    Abstract: A method for testing an integrated circuit, the method including performing a series of at least three tests, each including: selecting two nodes among at least three nodes for taking a clock signal from an integrated circuit, taking two clock signals at the two selected taking nodes during a test duration, detecting and counting events appearing in a jitter signal between the two clock signals taken, during the test duration, and determining from numbers of events counted a test result proportional to a sum of jitter variances of the two clock signals taken, and at the end of the series of tests, determining by a matrix calculation the jitter variance of each clock signal taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventor: Herve Le-Gall
  • Patent number: 8555325
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are described for testing a data connection provided over a power supply line. A testing apparatus is coupled to a socket of the power supply line. The AC power supply line communicatively couples the testing apparatus to a communication device or another testing apparatus. The testing apparatus identifies the signal strengths of signals received by the testing apparatus and identifies the signal strengths of signals received by the communication device. The testing apparatus outputs an indicator of the first signal strength and the second signal strength to a user and this information may be utilized to detect noise or other problems in the data connection provided over the AC power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Anthony Kozlowski, David Belt, Benjamin Cooke
  • Patent number: 8547082
    Abstract: An internal pulse waveform shaping circuit provided to an IC chip generates an internal pulse monitor signal that changes in a predetermined direction at a rise timing of an internal pulse signal during a period in which a first enable signal is asserted and a second enable signal is de-asserted and then continues in the changed state for a predetermined period of time or longer, and generates the internal pulse monitor signal that changes in the predetermined direction at a fall timing of the pulse signal during a period in which the first enable signal is de-asserted and the second enable signal is asserted and then continues in the changed state for the predetermined period of time or longer. The generated internal pulse monitor signal is output to a tester for detecting the pulse width of the internal pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Hirota
  • Patent number: 8541972
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for suppressing a speed ripple occurring during an operation of an AC motor by using a torque compensator based on an activation function. The method includes the steps of calculating a speed error ?err based on a reference speed ?ref and an actual speed ?act; calculating a controller output Trm by using the speed error ?err as an input of a PI control and an operation of a compensated torque Tcom; and determining a torque variation based on the controller output Trm and a reference torque Tref and operating the torque variation in relation to an anti-windup gain Ka to use torque variation as an input of an integral (I) control. The method suppresses the speed ripple by compensating for the torque ripple through a controller which calculates the compensated torque by taking the signs of the speed error and the differential speed error into consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Kyungsung University Industry Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Dong Hee Lee, Jin Woo Ahn
  • Patent number: 8527214
    Abstract: A mechanical seal monitoring system and method that measure the wear of seal faces of a mechanical seal where the mechanical seal seals a rotating machine portion from another portion of the machine. The system preferably uses a wear probe movable relative to a rotating seal component so that the wear probe can contact the rotating component. The wear of the seal is preferably determined by the relative movement that is required for the wear probe to contact the rotating component. Preferably, stress waves induced by the rubbing between the probe and the rotating component are detected by a stress-wave sensor, processed by a signal processor, and either displayed to the user numerically or reported to a monitoring computer. A signal intensity comparison method is preferably used to make the detection process insensitive to background noise generated by sources other than the contact of the wear probe and the rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Inventor: Michael N. Horak
  • Publication number: 20130226489
    Abstract: A distortion estimation apparatus for estimating distortion includes a feedback element, a nonlinearity determiner, and a distortion simulator. The feedback element provides a feedback signal derived from a distorted output signal of the distorting element. A signal processing quality of the feedback element is lower than an associated signal property of the distorted output signal. The nonlinearity determiner receives the feedback signal and an input signal to the distorting element or a signal derived from the input signal. The nonlinearity determiner determines an estimated transmission characteristic of the distorting element by relating signal properties of the feedback signal and the input signal or the signal derived from the input signal. The distortion simulator estimates the distortion caused by the distorting element based on the input signal or the signal derived from the input signal and the estimated transmission characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Sogl, Alexander Belitzer, Andrea Camuffo, Jan-Erik Mueller
  • Patent number: 8494797
    Abstract: An energy detection method is provided. The method obtains an initial time point of an input signal with reference to a digital signal corresponding to the input signal. An ith sample value is obtained by sampling the digital signal. The (i?M?N+1)th to the (i?N)th sample values and the (i?N+1)th to the ith sample value are buffered. The weighting coefficient is set to with initial value. A first parameter is obtained according to the weighting coefficient and the (i?M?N+1)th to the (i?N)th sample values, and a second parameter is obtained according to the (i?N+1)th to the ith sample values. A comparison between the first parameter and the second parameter is made, and the sampling time point of the (i?N+1)th sample value is determined as the signal initial time point when the second parameter is greater than the first parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Jian-Yu Chen, Shun-Chang Lo, Gene C. H. Chuang
  • Patent number: 8473248
    Abstract: A first transform unit transforms clock change point information which indicates the change timing of a clock signal into information with respect to the frequency domain thereof so as to generate first clock change point frequency information. A digital filter performs filtering of the first clock change point frequency information so as to generate second clock change point frequency information. A second transform unit inverse-transforms the second clock change point frequency information into information with respect to the time domain so as to generate second clock change point information. A judgment unit evaluates a DUT based upon difference data between the change timing represented by the data change point information and the change timing represented by the second clock change point information in increments of phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Okayasu
  • Patent number: 8473233
    Abstract: A clock timing signal derived from a clock timing source is converted into samples obtained at a plurality of sample times, each sample representing an amplitude of a clock timing signal at a corresponding sample time. A time-domain histogram of deterministic jitter (DJ) is derived from a plurality of the samples. A set of measurement-based data that is not derived from the samples is also received, from which a time-domain histogram of random jitter (RJ) is derived. A jitter measurement is determined by convolving the time-domain histograms of DJ and RJ. Tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage devices can contain instructions that when carried out on processor(s) carry out the above process An apparatus has a clock sampling unit and a signal analyzer to derive the measure of jitter. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Gary K. Giust
  • Patent number: 8452560
    Abstract: Identifying periodic jitter in a signal includes identifying transition regions of the signal, where the transition regions correspond to regions of the signal where the signal changes between different levels, determining lengths of the transition regions; and performing a statistical analysis that is based on the lengths of the transition regions in order to obtain a value indicative of a level of periodic jitter in the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir M. Novikov, Thomas L. Boyd, Ye Shen, Dwayne R. Wedlaw, Alfred Jesse Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 8447547
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that estimates a total static noise margin of a bit cell of a memory. The method includes determining a correlation coefficient of a left static noise margin of the bit cell as compared to a right static noise margin of the bit cell and estimating a total static noise margin of the bit cell by evaluating an analytical function based on the correlation coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Seong-Ook Jung, Seung-Chul Song, Hyunkook Park
  • Patent number: 8442788
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement apparatus that measures a signal under measurement, including a strobe timing generator that sequentially generates strobes arranged at substantially equal time intervals; a level comparing section that detects a signal level of the signal under measurement at a timing of each sequentially provided strobe; a capture memory that stores therein a data sequence of the signal levels sequentially detected by the level comparing section; a window function multiplying section that multiplies the data sequence by a window function; a frequency domain converting section that converts the data sequence multiplied by the window function into a spectrum in the frequency domain; and an instantaneous phase noise calculating section that calculates instantaneous phase noise on a time axis of the signal under measurement, based on the spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Harry Hou, Takahiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8412475
    Abstract: A synchronized pseudorandom sequence injector is provided for injecting a plurality of pseudorandom signals at selected locations in a power system having a plurality of locations forming a transmission and distribution grid. A synchronization pulse generator generates an accurate reference clocking signal. A pseudorandom clocking and sequence generator receives the clocking signal and generates a string of pseudorandom sequences. A binary drive control creates a tri-state voltage output from a logic level output of the pseudorandom clocking and sequence generator. A signal conditioning interface processes the voltage output to attenuate any protection related carrier signals from a pseudorandom signal injection point at a selected location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Southern Company Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Olin A. Williams, Jr.