IP Library Granted Patent US 9,876,595
Granted Patent B2
US 9,876,595 · App. 13/760,253 · Granted Jan 23, 2018

Method and system for a distributed receiver

Inventors: Curtis Ling (Carlsbad, CA); Timothy Gallagher (Encinitas, CA); Glenn Chang (Carlsbad, CA)
Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
H04H40/90H04L1/0048H04L25/061H04L25/067H04L27/38H04N5/4401H04N5/455H04N21/42607
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,876,595
App. No.
13/760,253
Granted
Jan 23, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first semiconductor die may comprise an interface circuit and a demodulation circuit. The interface circuit may be operable to receive an externally generated signal and recover decisions of a symbol de-mapper carried in the externally generated signal. The demodulation circuit may be operable to recover one or more transport streams based on the decisions of the symbol de-mapper. The first semiconductor die may comprise circuitry operable to combine a plurality of signals from a plurality of second semiconductor dice, where each of the plurality of signals comprises decisions of a respective one of a plurality of symbol de-mappers.

Claims (31)

1. A system comprising:

a first semiconductor die comprising an interface receiver circuit and a demodulation circuit, wherein:

said interface receiver circuit is operable to:

receive an externally-generated signal that carries decision outputs of a symbol de-mapper that is external to said first semiconductor die, said externally-generated signal comprising a plurality of time stamps, each one of said plurality of time stamps corresponding to one of said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper; and

process the externally-generated signal to recover said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper carried in said externally-generated signal; and

said demodulation circuit is operable to recover one or more datastreams based on said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper.

2. The system of claim 1 , said first semiconductor die comprising circuitry operable to combine a plurality of signals from a plurality of second semiconductor die, each of said plurality of signals comprising decision outputs of a respective one of a plurality of symbol de-mappers that are external to the first semiconductor die.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

said first semiconductor die resides in a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) indoor unit; and

each of said plurality of second semiconductor dice resides in a respective one of a plurality of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) reception assemblies.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein said first semiconductor die resides in cable television customer premise equipment.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein:

said first semiconductor die resides in a baseband unit of a cellular basestation; and

each of said plurality of second semiconductor dice resides in a respective one of a plurality remote radio units of a satellite basestation.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said interface receiver circuit is operable to recover equalizer settings carried in said externally generated signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper are formatted as log-likelihood ratios.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper are hard decision outputs when a corresponding signal-to-noise ratio is below a determined threshold and are soft decision outputs when said corresponding signal-to-noise ratio is above said determined threshold.

9. A method comprising:

in a first semiconductor die comprising an interface receiver circuit and a demodulation circuit:

recovering, via said interface receiver circuit, decision outputs of a symbol de-mapper carried in an externally generated signal, wherein said symbol de-mapper is external to said first integrated circuit, said externally generated signal comprising a plurality of time stamps, each one of said plurality of time stamps corresponding to one of said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper; and

recovering, via said demodulation circuit, one or more datastreams based on said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising combining, via circuitry of said first semiconductor die, a plurality of signals from a plurality of second semiconductor die, each of said plurality of signals comprising decision outputs of a respective one of a plurality of symbol de-mappers that are external to the first semiconductor die.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

said first semiconductor die resides in a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) indoor unit; and

each of said plurality of second semiconductor dice resides in a respective one of a plurality of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) reception assemblies.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said first semiconductor die resides in cable television customer premise equipment.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first semiconductor die resides in a baseband unit of a cellular basestation; and

each of said plurality of second semiconductor dice resides in a respective one of a plurality remote radio units of a satellite basestation.

14. The method of claim 9 , comprising recovering, via said interface receiver circuit, equalizer settings carried in said externally generated signal.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper are formatted as log-likelihood ratios.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein said decision outputs of said symbol de-mapper are hard decision outputs when a corresponding signal-to-noise ratio is below a determined threshold and are soft decision outputs when said corresponding signal-to-noise ratio is above said determined threshold.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2021
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; EXAR CORPORATION; MAXLINEAR COMMUNICATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 056656/0204 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 042453 / FRAME 0001) Recorded Jul 1, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053115/0842 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2018
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.
To: RADIOXIO, LLC
Reel/Frame 047264/0199 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN CERTAIN PATENTS Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (F/K/A ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.); EXAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046737/0594 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN CERTAIN PATENTS Recorded Aug 3, 2018
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (F/K/A ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.); EXAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046704/0473 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 12, 2017
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (F/K/A ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.); EXAR CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042453/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2013
From: LING, CURTIS; GALLAGHER, TIMOTHY; CHANG, GLENN
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 029763/0322 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 61595654 · Feb 6, 2012
Provisional Application 61667460 · Jul 3, 2012
Provisional Application 61702799 · Sep 19, 2012
Related Publication 20130201406A1 · Aug 8, 2013