Patents Represented by Attorney Rene E. Grossman
  • Patent number: 5655709
    Abstract: A temperature control system is shown in which a thermostat circuit is combined with a power supply to produce a higher anticipator current for a W1 signal while reducing power consumption and heat generation of the circuit. A first relay power signal is provided by an unbalanced bridge rectifier (D1, D2, D3, D4, D7, D8) while current drawn through the anticipator resistor (AR1) by means of an additional bridge rectifier circuit (D7, D8, D9, D10) is merged with the first relay power signal. In a second embodiment, an unbalanced bridge rectifier (D1, D4, D7, D2, D3, D8) has an output connected to a first stage relay power signal line as well as to second and third relay power signal lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald E. Garnett, Walter H. Bailey
  • Patent number: 5653379
    Abstract: Ceramic to metal stock or substrates having a relatively large and thick metal core and a relatively thin ceramic layer or layers are bonded to the metal core or a selected portion thereof by providing a metal core material having a temperature coefficient of expansion which is tailored to the temperature coefficient of expansion of the ceramic layer to be bonded thereto. The typical core materials include multilayer composite metal laminates embodying Cu/Mo/Cu, Cu/Kovar/Cu, Cu/Invar/Cu and the like and including powdered metal composites embodying Cu-W, Ag-Mo, Ag-W, Al-Si, Cu/Mo/Cu, Cu/Kovar/Cu, SiC-Cu, Ni-Fe alloys having from about 20% Ni to about 80% Ni, etc. The ceramic layer is chosen primarily for the properties of dielectric strength and isolation properties and typically include such ceramics as alumina, beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James Forster, Premkumar Hingorany, Henry F. Breit
  • Patent number: 5646068
    Abstract: A method of making a microelectronic circuit and the connection pattern therefor including the steps of providing a substrate (3), preferably silicon and preferably including a layer of nickel (38) under a layer of gold (36) thereon. Regions are formed on the substrate for connection of electrical components to the substrate using a first metallurgy, preferably gold and a pattern of bumps (5, 7) is formed of a second metallurgy different from the first metallurgy, preferably lead/tin solder. An interconnection pattern is formed on the substrate contacting at least one bump and at least one pad. The pattern of solder bumps is formed by providing a coupon (31) and patterning the bumps on the coupon and applied to the substrate while attached to the coupon, then heated to cause flow of the bumps onto the substrate. The coupon is then removed from the bumps with the bumps remaining on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Arthur M. Wilson, Mark A. Kressley, Dean L. Frew, Juanita G. Miller, John E. Hanicak, Philip E. Hecker, James M. Drumm
  • Patent number: 5639684
    Abstract: A low-capacitance antifuse (34 or 76) is provided for use in user-programmable integrated circuitry. The antifuse includes first (38 or 80) connection metal layers and second (54 or 94) connection metal layers. Between the metal layers is dielectric layer (52 or 82), and between the dielectric layer and at least one of the metal layers is a conductive layer in the form of pillar (40) or stack (81). The pillar or stack extends the separation between the metal layers thereby decreasing the capacitance of the antifuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Siang Ping Kwok
  • Patent number: 5635407
    Abstract: A HgCdTe S-I-S (semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor) two color infrared detector wherein the semiconductor regions are group II-VI, preferably HgCdTe, with different compositions for the desired spectral regions. The device is operated as a simple integrating MIS device with respect to one semiconductor. The structure can be grown by current MBE techniques and does not require any significant additional steps with regard to fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael W. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 5628635
    Abstract: A socket has a main socket body 10 and a plurality of contact members 12 adapted for making electrical contact with electrical parts (20, 30) of both small outline package (SOP) type and small outline J-leaded package (SOJ) type. The contact members 12 have a base part 12a that is fixed in the main socket body, a contact part (12d, 12e and 12f) which guides and makes pressure contact with the connection terminals (22, 32) of the electrical part (20, 30) and a connective part 12c which integrally connects the base part (12a) and the contact part (12d, 12e and 12f). Each contact also includes a spring reinforcement and current bypass part (12h). The contact part further includes an upper guide portion (12f), a lower guide portion (12d) and a contact portion (12e).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Kiyokazu Ikeya
  • Patent number: 5630221
    Abstract: Receiver dynamic range is improved while maintaining system processing fidelity by placing a processor control attenuator in front of the synchronous detector or other circuitry and A/D converter circuits. This is followed by a digital circuit which reinserts the attenuation that was taken out previously to maintain signal processing fidelity. The control for the attenuator function is from the processor and is determined by looking at the prior pulse repetition intervals (PRIs) of the radar system data and determining from that data what attenuator value to use for the next PRI. This is done for each range bin to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Stanley V. Birleson
  • Patent number: 5617001
    Abstract: A starting circuit for use with single phase induction motors such as capacitor run and capacitor start, capacitor run motors is shown having a triggerable semiconductor (Q1, Q2 and Q3) serially connected to the auxiliary winding (AW) across the power supply (L1, L2). A resistor (RA) is serially connected at (J1) to the main winding (MW) to form a voltage divider to aid in providing triggering current to the triggerable semiconductor. A thermistor (PTC) is connected between the gate and the voltage divider junction (J1). The triggerabIe semiconductor is shown as a triac (Q1) in certain embodiments and as back to back SCRs (Q2 and Q3) in other embodiments. In high current motors the voltage divider resistor (RA) is shown thermally coupled to the thermistor (PTC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Stanley J. Nacewicz, Stephen P. Geishecker
  • Patent number: 5611866
    Abstract: A method of removing B.sub.2 O.sub.3 encapsulant from a structure which includes providing a structure having a melting temperature and having a layer of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 thereon. This structure with the layer of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 thereon is placed in a chamber at a temperature in excess of 400.degree. C. and below the melting temperature of the structure and at some pressure and the pressure in the chamber is decreased, preferably to about -14.7 psig, until the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 foams. Then the temperature in the chamber is lowered to below 400.degree. C. and preferably to about ambient temperature external of the chamber. The structure with the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 thereon is washed in an alcohol, preferably one of methanol and isopropanol, after the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 has foamed and the structure is then washed with the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 thereon after the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 has foamed in a liquid non-reactive with the structure to remove the B.sub.2 O.sub.3 from the structure, preferably water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Paul Klocek
  • Patent number: 5609297
    Abstract: A fuel atomization device 10 is provided for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection system with fuel injectors 15. The fuel atomization device is sealingly secured on a nozzle lip of the fuel injector nozzle. The device includes a base 1 in which a plurality of heating elements and profiled vaporizer contact baffles 3 are arranged in a sandwich-like manner. Vaporizer chambers 8 are formed between the heating elements 2 and the vaporizer contact baffles 3 for providing a passage for the fuel through the base 1. The fuel undergoes a rise in temperature and pressure while in the device; and as it exits the device at fuel outlet 6, it is atomized fuel at a lower pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Herbert Gladigow, Wolfgang Schaetzing
  • Patent number: 5607522
    Abstract: An electrical contact material having metal oxide particles dispersed in a silver metal matrix and having an easily brazeable backing layer is made free of internal oxide depletion zones by bonding a conventional internally oxidizable silver alloy to a thin backing layer of a second silver alloy to form a composite metal. The first silver alloy is selected to be internally oxidizable under selected oxidizing conditions. The second alloy is selected so that under the selected oxidizing conditions an oxygen-impenetrable barrier is quickly established on the surfaces of the composite formed by the second alloy. In that way, the first alloy layer is forced to be internally oxidized unidirectionally from the opposite surface of the composite to form the desired metal oxide dispersal extending substantially throughout the first alloy layer free of any internal oxide depletion zone in the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Donald G. McDonnell
  • Patent number: 5606454
    Abstract: A system wherein the observer can be positioned at the interior of a three dimensional display and observe the display looking outwardly therefrom. In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, the rotating disk of the prior art is made sufficiently large and at sufficient angle, preferably 45 degrees with respect to the shaft rotating the disk, so that the observer or a camera can be located in a conical portion of the cylinder swept out by the disk wherein the disk does not travel. In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, the rotating shaft onto which the disk is anchored is a hollow, transparent cylinder and is sufficiently large to retain a viewer or a camera within the cylinder. In this way, the observer can rotate 360 degrees within the cylinder to view the entire display looking outwardly from the interior thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Rodney D. Williams, Felix Garcia, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5601742
    Abstract: A heating device for heating an item such as a carburetor uses a first PTC heating element 12 positioned compactly within a housing 10 which is directly adjacent the item to be heated. A Second PTC element 14 having a great electrical resistance increase at a prescribed temperature level is also compactly contained in the housing and is electrically connected in series to the first PTC element 12. This second PTC element 14 restricts the electric current flow through the device when the ambient temperature exceeds the prescribed temperature level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Takahisa Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5602475
    Abstract: A single-mode semiconductor laser for optical pumping in H.sup.e and .sup.4 He and high-sensitivity magnetometers based upon these systems. A distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) or distributed feedback (DFB) single mode, preferably InGaAs laser diode (1) which obviates the need for optomechanical arrangements and their inherent instabilities as required by the prior art laser pumped magnetometers. By constructing a DBR or DFB region (28) within the laser diode structure, the laser is forced to operate within a single-mode at a wavelength that is jointly determined by the gain of the laser medium and feedback from the Bragg grating. This wavelength is controllable in one of three ways: (1) temperature control (13) of the laser diode junction and grating, (2) injection current control (12) within the gain region, (3) current control (11) of the Bragg grating region or any combination of the three.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Christopher L. Bohler
  • Patent number: 5600138
    Abstract: With a controlled scanning device (5, 6, 7), such as a FLIR, the scene which provides a modulated source is scanned with the scanning frequency being changed. This results in scanning of the scene with two different known scanning frequencies. By knowing the change in sampling frequency and correlating the changes in the Fourier frequency results in a spectrum analyzer (13), the frequency of the modulated source, including a source modulated at frequencies higher than the sampling rate of the sensor, is remotely measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Kenneth K. Colson, Bryan S. Reese
  • Patent number: 5593902
    Abstract: A substantial portion of the material at the pn junction (27) of the photodiode (37, 41) having an implanted region extending to a surface thereof is selectively removed (39), leaving a very small junction region (35, 43) with the remainder of the p-type (23) and n-type (25) material of each photodiode being spaced apart or electrically isolated at what was originally the junction. In the ion implanted n-type on p-type approach, the majority of the signal is created in the implanted n-type region while the majority of the noise is generated in the p-type region. By selectively removing p-type material, n-type material or both from the pn junction of the diode or otherwise electrically isolating most of the p-type and n-type regions from each other at the pn junction and thereby minimizing the pn junction area, noise is greatly reduced without affecting the signal response of the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter D. Dreiske, Arthur M. Turner, David I. Forehand
  • Patent number: 5591353
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a printed wiring board (1) and a printed wiring board module (17) by providing a first board (1) having a pair of major opposing surfaces, a via (3) having walls extending between the surfaces and a layer of copper (5) disposed on at least one surface and extending along the walls of the via. The copper disposed in the via is protected against a subsequent etching of the copper on the surface by filling the remaining portion of the via with an epoxy (7) and then reducing the thickness of the layer of copper on the surface. The layer of copper and the epoxy are then planarized. A core layer and a second board are then provided and the first and second boards are secured to opposing sides of the core layer. A second via having walls and extending through the first and second boards and the core layer is then formed and a layer of copper is disposed on the walls of the second via and the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: John J. Davignon, Don J. Jermain, Leslie O. Connally
  • Patent number: 5585990
    Abstract: An electronic motor protection system is shown having a power supply usable with multivoltage supplies and providing protection from over-temperature conditions caused by various fault conditions. The system also has optional features of a time delay for re-energization and for low voltage protection. The system is mounted on a circuit board and encased in potting material which also locks the two housing parts together. A miswiring feature is also provided to prevent connecting line voltage to the control circuit or sensor terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: William R. Manning, Jeffrey P. Rudd, Byron T. Yarboro, Stanley J. Nacewicz
  • Patent number: 5583338
    Abstract: A HgCdTe S-I-S (semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor) two color infrared detector wherein the semiconductor regions are group II-VI, preferably HgCdTe, with different compositions for the desired spectral regions. The device is operated as a simple integrating MIS device with respect to one semiconductor. The structure can be grown by current MBE techniques and does not require any significant additional steps with regard to fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael W. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 5583074
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a semiconductor circuit on a single chip, preferably of gallium arsenide, wherein insulating layers with vias therein for receiving metallization include a thin silicon nitride layer beneath a relatively much thicker silicon oxide layer with the nitride exposed on the via side walls to contact gold in the metallization within the via. The disclosure further includes metallization formed as a TiW/Au/TiW sandwich wherein the TiW layer contacting the insulator on the substrate is formed of a first tensile film of TiW with a compressive film of TiW of substantially the same thickness thereover and in contact therewith to lower the tensile force applied by the tensile layer, yet maintain the resultant force tensile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Clyde R. Fuller, Joseph B. Delaney, Robbie W. Skinner