Apparatus and method for dynamic diversity based upon receiver-side assessment of link quality
Granted: October 27, 2009
Patent Number:
7610019
An apparatus for dynamic diversity signal reception based upon receiver-side link quality assessments includes two or more antennae. At least one switch is connected to the two or more antennae. A dynamic diversity controller is connected to the at least one switch. The dynamic diversity controller includes a link quality assessor to assess link quality and generate a link characterization value. A diversity configuration selector, responsive to the link characterization value,…
RAM-based fast fourier transform unit for wireless communications
Granted: June 30, 2009
Patent Number:
7555512
A wireless communication technique enables fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) and inverse fast Fourier transforms (IFFTs) to be performed with reduced latency and reduced memory requirements. In particular, an FFT/IFFT unit receives input data representative of a communication symbol. The FFT/IFFT unit applies an FFT operation to the input data to generate intermediate data. The FFT/IFFT unit stores the intermediate data in a random access memory (RAM). The intermediate data stored in the…
Capacitive feedback circuit
Granted: May 19, 2009
Patent Number:
7535208
An improved capacitive feedback circuit (20) comprises a feedback capacitor (23) having its output terminal connected to a high-impedance node (N). More particularly, the improved capacitive feedback circuit comprises a first branch (24) having a bias current source (25), an amplifying element (26), and a current sensor (27) connected in series, the amplifying element having a high-impedance control terminal (26c). The feedback capacitor (23) has its output terminal connected to said…
Method for fetching data from a non-volatile memory in an integrated circuit and corresponding integrated circuit
Granted: May 19, 2009
Patent Number:
7536509
The method uses an integrated circuit comprising a processor (603), a non-volatile memory (602), especially a flash memory, a system clock and an interface (605), which is connected on the one side to the processor (602) and on the other side to the non-volatile memory (602). When the address (ba[ ]) provided by the processor (603) has changed, the interface (605) leads the address (ba[ ]) to the non-volatile memory (602), creates a strobe signal (CL; DCR) within the system clock cycle…
CCK demodulation via symbol decision feedback equalizer
Granted: April 28, 2009
Patent Number:
7526050
Demodulation techniques for a wireless communication system make use of a decision feedback equalization (DFE) technique to mitigate the effects of multipath channel characteristics on receiver performance. The techniques may be particularly useful in the demodulation of complementary code keying (CCK) symbols. A demodulator that performs such techniques may include a time-variant or time-invariant matched filter, a feedback intersymbol interference (ISI) canceller, a transform unit, a…
Method of synchronizing a mobile station with a base station
Granted: April 28, 2009
Patent Number:
7526302
The invention relates to a method of synchronizing a mobile station with a base station in a wireless communications system, to a mobile station for a wireless communications system, as well as to a wireless communications system of this kind. In order to enable faster ultimate synchronization, it is proposed to compare components of the received data not only with a stored synchronization pattern, but also with a stored identification pattern prior to the adaptation of the timing of the…
Method and apparatus for testing data converters
Granted: April 21, 2009
Patent Number:
7522077
An apparatus and method for testing a unit comprising of digital-to-analog converter and an analog-to-digital converter, by determining offset and gain-difference between the two converters, and then testing the pair using a wide range of values. During the testing, the gain-control is injected into the unit in order to set the unit size of one of the converters, and the offset is subtracted from the output signal of the unit, so that the transfer functions of the converters are matched.…
Complex filter with higher order pole
Granted: March 3, 2009
Patent Number:
7499963
Pairs of second-order filters with feedback and cross coupling may be used to implement pairs of complex poles. The cross coupling may be frequency-dependent cross coupling or frequency-independent cross coupling. Frequency independent cross coupling may include coupling an internal node of a biquad filter. The pairs of second-order filters can be used together to form a complex filter. The complex filter can be used to readily provide higher order poles. The resulting complex filter can…
Method and device for supplying power to LEDs
Granted: January 20, 2009
Patent Number:
7479741
The invention relates to a device for lighting at least one light emitting diode to be supplied with predefined minimum forward voltage and maximum current. It comprises: —voltage supply means for supplying voltage to the light emitting diode, —a pulse generator for generating a cyclic pulse signal having predefined on-times and off-times, —a switch, controlled by the pulse generator to be turned on during said on-times to short-circuit the light emitting diode and turned off…
Voltage converter
Granted: December 16, 2008
Patent Number:
7466114
A voltage converter comprises an inductive circuit (L) for storing energy during an inductive magnetizing mode and transferring energy during an inductive demagnetizing mode. In addition the voltage converter comprises at least two non-inverting branches (12, 13, 14) for providing at least two non-inverted output voltages (Va, Vb, Vc) and an inverting branch (15) for providing an inverted output voltage. The inverting (15) and non-inverting (12, 13, 14) branches being parallely coupled…
Medium access control with software -and hardware- based components in a wireless network
Granted: December 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7461164
A MAC architecture for WLAN stations partitions functionality between a software-based MAC component and a hardware-based MAC component that work together to balance function and performance. In general, the fulcrum for this balance centers on timing requirements. Accordingly, the hardware-based MAC component is designed to handle many of the functions that are processor-intensive and/or must be performed under strict timing constraints. The software-based MAC component is designed to…
Phase locked loop demodulator with gain control
Granted: September 2, 2008
Patent Number:
7420409
The invention relates to a demodulator to demodulate frequency-modulated signals FM including a phase locked loop PLL including at least a phase detector, a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator function VCO?, characterized in that said voltage controlled oscillator function VCO? has modifiable gain. The invention allows to eliminate drawbacks presented by the conventional use of a complex gain modifiable amplifier at the input of demodulated signal processing means.…
Apparatus and method for fetching data from memory
Granted: June 17, 2008
Patent Number:
7389384
The integrated circuit according to the invention comprises a processor (603), a non-volatile memory (602) and an interface (605), where said interface (605) contains a first cache memory (601.1) and a second cache memory (601.2) and connects the processor (603) to the non-volatile memory (602). The interface (605) gets data from the non-volatile memory (602) and stores them in said first or said second cache memory (601.1, 601.2) intermediately and provides the processor (603) with data…
Analog to digital converter with ping-pong architecture
Granted: October 2, 2007
Patent Number:
7277040
The invention provides a receiver for use in a wireless communication system that substantially reduces mismatch between an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component of a received signal. The receiver achieves this by sharing or “ping-ponging” an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) between the I and Q components. By sharing a single pipelined ADC between the I and Q components, both the I and Q components are processed by the same circuitry inside the pipelined ADC thereby…
Automatic level control for radio frequency amplifiers
Granted: September 18, 2007
Patent Number:
7271674
The disclosure relates to an automatic level control technique for RF amplifiers in a communication system, such as a wireless communication system. The invention provides an automatic level control technique to compensate for variations in the gain of an RF amplifier, which may be a transmitter amplifier or a receiver amplifier. In accordance with the invention, the gain of the RF amplifier can be controlled as a function of the output of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit…
Digital phase locked loop
Granted: September 18, 2007
Patent Number:
7272175
Digital communication signals that encode information in the phase may be susceptible to phase error from many sources. The invention corrects for carrier and sampling phase errors, as well as additive phase noise. A digital phase locked loop simultaneously tracks the carrier phase error and the sampling phase error, and corrects the signal in the frequency domain. The invention may use the sampling phase error to advance or delay the sampling window used to convert the signal from the…
Decoding architecture for low density parity check codes
Granted: July 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7246304
Architectures for decoding low density parity check codes permit varying degrees of hardware sharing to balance throughput, power consumption and area requirements. The LDPC decoding architectures may be useful in a variety of communication systems in which throughput, power consumption, and area are significant concerns. The decoding architectures implement an approximation of the standard message passing algorithm used for LDPC decoding, thereby reducing computational complexity.…
Radio frequency CMOS amplifier with enhanced linearity and power efficiency
Granted: April 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7205846
In general, the disclosure is directed to techniques for enhancing power efficiency and linearity in an RF power amplifier. In accordance with the invention, a combination of different class power amplifiers is implemented in a parallel configuration to overcome the trade-off that exists between power efficiency and linearity. In particular, a class A amplifier and a class B amplifier are arranged in parallel to produce a combined amplifier output for an input signal. With bias voltages…
Tunable inductor
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202768
In general, the invention is directed to a tunable inductor that makes use of eddy current effect to tune the inductance of an inductor. The tunable inductor may include a spiral or helical inductor in proximity to one or more sets of eddy current coils. Each eddy current coil may be coupled to a corresponding switch that controls whether the eddy current coil is grounded or floating. In operation, a first time-varying current through the inductor induces a first magnetic field that, in…
Digital front-end for wireless communication system
Granted: March 13, 2007
Patent Number:
7190748
A digital front-end for a wireless communication system incorporates gain control, signal detection, frame synchronization and carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation and correction features configured for use with multiple receive antennas. The digital front-end may be applied to a wireless communication system in which transmitted signals carry a repeated signal pattern, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. An example of a repeated signal pattern is the…
