Sierra Monolithics, Inc.

Time Domain Corporation

Semtech Corporation

Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Company

Alereon, Inc.

Celestron Acquisition, LLC

Celestron, LLC

David A Rowe

Craig A Hornbuckle

Lawrence E Larson

Preston Jett

Binneg Y Lao

Larry W Fullerton

James Lee Richards

Jean-Pierre Cole

Thomas W Krawczyk, Jr

Inho Kim

Samuel A Steidl

Danyal Medley

Eric J Kopit

Matthew D Pope

Bret A Pollack

Andrew Bonthron

William W Chen

Mark Ackermann

Corey Lee

Liping Zhang

James R Pulver

Thomas W Krawczyk

Robert E Dietterle

Tim DeBenedictis

An optical device such as a telescope may be oriented to view a subject. In one embodiment, an image capture device may be coupled to the optical device, and used to generate image data of a reference subject. The image data may be used to ascertain a first orientation of the optical device. A second orientation of the optical device, at which the subject is viewable using the optical device, may be ascertained. A rotation of the optical device needed to reorient the optical device from the first orientation to the second orientation may be calculated. Instructions may be outputted to the user, indicating how the user can apply the rotation to the optical device.

Pointing system for manual telescope

A telescope system may facilitate the capture of images of light, and may have a housing, a primary mirror, a Schmidt corrector plate, and a lens group. The housing may have a mirror end and an aperture end with an entrance aperture that receives the light. The primary mirror may be positioned proximate the mirror end, and may have a spherical shape. The Schmidt corrector plate may be positioned proximate the entrance aperture to direct the light toward the primary mirror in a manner that substantially compensates for the spherical shape. The lens group may include multiple lenses, one or more of which may be positioned within the housing proximate the aperture end such that the light is directed through the lens group by the primary mirror. The lens group may focus the light at a focal location further than the Schmidt corrector plate from the primary mirror.

Schmidt telescope with external image capture

Examples of circuits and methods are provided for common mode stability and bandwidth broadening. A current generator circuit may include a first and a second transistor. Each of the first and second transistors includes a first, second, and third terminal. The first and second transistors provide a first and a second output current at their corresponding third terminals. A first branch including a first resistor and a first capacitor coupled in series is coupled between the third terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal of the second transistor. A second branch including a second resistor and a second capacitor coupled in series is coupled between the third terminal of the second transistor and the first terminal of the first transistor. The first and the second branches are configured to enable the current generator circuit to provide the first and second currents with improved common mode stability.

Methods and circuits for common mode stability and bandwidth broadening in transistor amplifiers

A plate solving methodology determines celestial coordinates of an image. Star locations are extracted from the image in terms of pixel coordinates. A group of four stars, referred to as a 'test quad', is identified. A signature for the test quad is generated. In one embodiment, this test signature is derived by determining the separations of the four stars in the test quad, normalized by the largest separation. In one embodiment, the signature also includes the sum of these normalized separations. A query is performed, using the generated signature, against a database of reference signatures for known groups of stars (referred to as 'reference quads'). A geometric transform is determined, establishing the relationship between the test quad and a reference quad that matches within a specified tolerance. This geometric transform defines the celestial coordinates of the image. Additional verification steps can be performed to confirm the accuracy of the match.

Determining celestial coordinates for an image

An example of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter system for communication may include a transmit pre-distortion module configured to provide a second transmit calibration signal during a transmit calibration mode based on a first transmit calibration signal and one or more transmit calibration adjustment signals. The one or more transmit calibration adjustment signals may include an offset parameter associated with DC offset and an imbalance parameter associated with at least one of gain and phase imbalances. The system may include a transmit channel frequency converter coupled to the transmit pre-distortion module. The transmit channel frequency converter may be configured to provide a fourth transmit calibration signal during the transmit calibration mode based on a third transmit calibration signal and a transmit reference signal.

Apparatus and method for calibration of gain and/or phase imbalance and/or DC offset in a communication system

An example of a method for off-line calibration of a radio frequency (RF) communication system may include one or more of the following: enabling an off-line calibration mode for an RF communication system; generating an off-line calibration signal; applying to a frequency converter a first off-line calibration signal corresponding to the generated off-line calibration signal; translating the first off-line calibration signal into a second off-line calibration signal; evaluating one or more calibration adjustment signals associated with the calibration signal to reduce error in the communication system, wherein the one or more calibration adjustment signals may include an offset parameter associated with DC offset and an imbalance parameter associated with at least one of gain and phase imbalances; storing one or more calibration adjustment signals; disabling the off-line calibration mode; applying a communication signal; and adjusting the communication signal based on the stored one or more calibration adjustment signals.

An example of a radio frequency (RF) receiver system for communication may include a receive channel frequency converter configured to provide a second receive calibration signal during a receive calibration mode based on a first receive calibration signal and a receive reference signal. The system may include a receive pre-distortion module coupled to the receive channel frequency converter. The receive pre-distortion module may be configured to provide a fourth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode based on a third receive calibration signal and one or more receive calibration adjustment signals. The one or more receive calibration adjustment signals may comprise an offset parameter associated with DC offset and an imbalance parameter associated with at least one of gain and phase imbalances.

High-speed, high-performance, low-power transponders, serializers and deserializers are disclosed. A serializer may include a serdes framer interface (SFI) circuit, a clock multiplier unit, and a multiplexing circuit. A deserializer may include an input receiver circuit for receiving and adjusting an input data signal, a clock and data recovery circuit (CDR) for recovering clock and data signals, a demultiplexing circuit for splitting one or more data channels into a higher number of data channels, and a serdes framer interface (SFI) circuit for generating a reference channel and generating output data channels to be sent to a framer. The input receiver circuit may include a limiting amplifier. Each of the serializer and deserializer may further include a pseudo random pattern generator and error checker unit. The serializer and deserializer each may be integrated into its respective semiconductor chip or both may be integrated into a single semiconductor chip.

Highly integrated, high-speed, low-power serdes and systems

A channelization filter communication system comprises: a channelization filtering system, a calibration unit, amplifiers, communication channel frequency converters and a baseband processor. The channelization filtering system includes a selector input configured to receive a communication channel filter selector signal and selectable communication channel filter elements. The selectable communication channel filter elements include one or more resistors formed of a first resistor type and one or more capacitors formed of a first capacitor type. The calibration unit includes a calibration signal generator configured to provide a calibration signal and a frequency measurement unit. The calibration signal generator includes one or more resistors formed of the same first resistor type and one or more capacitors formed of the same first capacitor type. The frequency measurement unit includes a first input configured to receive the calibration signal and an output configured to provide information representing the frequency of the calibration signal.

Channelization filter communication systems and methods therefor

A radio frequency transceiver for off-line transmit and receive calibrations includes: a transmit pre-distortion module configured to receive a transmit calibration signal during a transmit calibration mode, a transmit communication signal during a transmit communication operation mode, and one or more transmit calibration adjustment signals; a transmit channel frequency converter; and a transmit calibration module configured to provide the one or more transmit calibration adjustment signals and the transmit calibration signal to the transmit pre-distortion module. It may also include a receive channel frequency converter; a receive pre-distortion module configured to receive a receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode, a receive communication signal during a receive communication operation mode, and one or more receive calibration adjustment signals; and a receive calibration module configured to provide the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals to the receive pre-distortion module and a receive calibration signal to the transmit pre-distortion module.

An integrated circuit includes a serdes framer interface (SFI) circuit for receiving a first set of data channels and a reference channel, generating first logic levels for the first set of data channels, and realigning the first set of data channels relative to a reference channel. The integrated circuit further includes a multiplexing circuit for receiving a second set of data channels and for merging the second set of data channels into one or more data channels. The second set of data channels is generated based on the first set of data channels. A data rate of the one or more data channels is higher than a data rate of the second set of data channels.

A communication system includes a front-end multi-throw switch, a back-end multi-throw switch, multiple filters and a switch controller. The front-end multi-throw switch includes front-end throws and a front-end pole. The front-end pole is coupled to a receive channel or a transmit channel. The front-end pole is switchably coupled to one of the front-end throws. The back-end multi-throw switch includes back-end throws and a back-end pole. Each of the back-end throws is associated with a corresponding one of the front-end throws. The back-end pole is coupled to the receive channel or the transmit channel. The back-end pole is switchably coupled to one of the back-end throws. The one of the back-end throws corresponds to the one of the front-end throws. The filters are interposed between the front-end multi-throw switch and the back-end multi-throw switch. Each of the filters has a first port coupled to one of the front-end throws and a second port coupled to one of the back-end throws. A first one of the filters includes a filter of a first bandwidth. A second one of the filters includes a filter of a second bandwidth. The first bandwidth is different from the second bandwidth. The switch controller is coupled to the front-end multi-throw switch and the back-end multi-throw switch. The switch controller is configured to synchronously switch the front-end pole to one of the front-end throws and the back-end pole to a corresponding one of the back-end throws.

Transmit and/or receive channel communication system with switchably coupled multiple filtering components

A multi-channel filtering system for use with a transceiver includes a front-end multi-pole, multi-throw switch, a back-end multi-pole, multi-throw switch, and a plurality of filters. The front-end switch includes a receive pole, a transmit pole, and a plurality of switch throws. The back-end switch also includes a receive pole, a transmit pole, and a plurality of switch throws. Each of the plurality of filters has first and second ports, each first port coupled to one of the switch throws of the front-end switch, and each second port coupled to one of the switch throws of the back-end switch. Using this configuration, filters of differing bandwidths can be switched in during signal reception and/or transmission, thereby tailoring the communication rate to the particular conditions.

Multi-channel filtering system for transceiver architectures

A precision timing generator includes a combiner that provides a timing signal by combining a coarse timing signal and a fine timing signal derived from a phase-shifted sinusoidal signal that has a desired phase shift. The coarse timing generator generates the coarse timing signal from a clock signal and a timing command input. The fine timing generator includes a sinusoidal-signal generator that receives the clock signal and generates a sinusoidal signal. The fine timing generator also includes a phase shifter that receives the sinusoidal signal and the timing command input and shifts the phase of the sinusoidal signal based on the timing input to generate the phase shifted sinusoidal signal.

Precision timing generator apparatus and associated methods

A baseband signal converter device for an impulse radio receiver combines multiple converter circuits and an RF amplifier in a single integrated circuit package. Each converter circuit includes an integrator circuit that integrates a portion of each RF pulse during a sampling period triggered by a timing pulse generator. The integrator capacitor is isolated by a pair of Schottky diodes connected to a pair of load resistors. A current equalizer circuit equalizes the current flowing through the load resistors when the integrator is not sampling. Current steering logic transfers load current between the diodes and a constant bias circuit depending on whether a sampling pulse is present.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

David A Rowe