Patents Assigned to Atmel Automotive GmbH
  • Patent number: 8884580
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first input current from a battery through a first connection and a second connection and generating a first output current through a third connection to a first node and a fourth connection to a second node. The first and second nodes are configured to output the first output current to an energy store configured to store a charge. The method includes receiving a second input current through the third connection from the first node and the fourth connection from the second nodes and generating a second output current through the first and second connections to charge the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Roeper
  • Patent number: 8810199
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit comprising a first set of one or more semiconductor switches coupled to a first node and a first terminal of an energy store configured to store energy, and a second set of one or more semiconductor switches coupled to a second node and a second terminal of the energy store, each of the first and second sets of semiconductor switches being configured to couple to a terminal of a battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Roeper
  • Patent number: 8749244
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit includes a measuring circuit coupled to an accumulator cell. A first output of the measuring circuit outputs a current signal based on a cell voltage of the accumulator cell. The circuit includes an interface circuit coupled to the first output of the measuring circuit and a second output of a level-shifter circuit configured to change a voltage level on the first output at the interface circuit. The level-shifter circuit includes a first input coupled to the first output and one or more transistors coupled in series with one or more gate terminals that are each coupled to each of one or more terminals of the accumulator cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Clemens Hauser
  • Publication number: 20130335049
    Abstract: A control circuit adjusts the duty cycle of a PWM control signal. An analog processing component within the control circuit receives an analog feedback input signal and compares it to an analog reference signal to generate a pre-processed signal. A sigma-delta modulator within the analog processing component generates a quantized signal based on the pre-processed signal. A digital processing component stores a value. The controller then adjusts the duty cycle of the PWM signal to correspond to the value. A clock keeps the system synchronized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: ATMEL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Schubert
  • Patent number: 8552899
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first analog signal at a first input; receiving a second analog signal at a second input; mixing the first analog signal with a first oscillator signal having a first frequency; mixing the second analog signal with a second oscillator signal having a second frequency; converting a sum signal to a digital signal; generating a first control signal based on a first digital value of a first function and the digital signal; and generating a second control signal based on a second digital value of a second function and the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Lourans Samid, Johannes Schaefer, Thomas Janz
  • Publication number: 20120074907
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit comprising a first set of one or more semiconductor switches coupled to a first node and a first terminal of an energy store configured to store energy, and a second set of one or more semiconductor switches coupled to a second node and a second terminal of the energy store, each of the first and second sets of semiconductor switches being configured to couple to a terminal of a battery cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Roeper
  • Publication number: 20120074895
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first input current from a battery through a first connection and a second connection and generating a first output current through a third connection to a first node and a fourth connection to a second node. The first and second nodes are configured to output the first output current to an energy store configured to store a charge. The method includes receiving a second input current through the third connection from the first node and the fourth connection from the second nodes and generating a second output current through the first and second connections to charge the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Roeper
  • Publication number: 20120038364
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit includes a measuring circuit coupled to an accumulator cell. A first output of the measuring circuit outputs a current signal based on a cell voltage of the accumulator cell. The circuit includes an interface circuit coupled to the first output of the measuring circuit and a second output of a level-shifter circuit configured to change a voltage level on the first output at the interface circuit. The level-shifter circuit includes a first input coupled to the first output and one or more transistors coupled in series with one or more gate terminals that are each coupled to each of one or more terminals of the accumulator cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: ATMEL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Clemens Hauser
  • Patent number: 7928838
    Abstract: Wheel Electronics and Tire Control System for Measuring a Measurand is provided. The wheel electronics may include a receiving device for picking up and digitizing an amplitude-modulated request signal, which has a carrier frequency for encoding a request, having a first evaluation device, which checks the request signal for the presence of a request contained therein, and having a digital counter for generating an envelope of the request signal, which has a counter input for coupling the request signal, which is clocked at a clock signal frequency different from the carrier frequency and is determined from the clock signal frequency and the request signal of its envelope. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tire control system for measuring a measurand with this type of wheel electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Christof Abt
  • Patent number: 7899099
    Abstract: A laser drive circuit and use of digital-to-analog converters is provided, each with a current input and a current output to set current values of partial currents switchable by means of digital channel signals to provide a laser current pulse at least on the basis of a sum of partial currents, wherein at least one current output of one of the digital-to-analog converters is connected to at least one current input of an additional digital-to-analog converter via an analog switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Guenther Bergmann, Karl-Josef Gropper, Herbert Knotz, Stefan Schabel, Holger Vogelmann
  • Patent number: 7893518
    Abstract: A method for generating a layout, use of a transistor layout, and semiconductor circuit is provided that includes a matching structure, which has a number of transistors, whose structure is similar to one another, metallization levels with geometrically formed traces, which are formed directly above the transistors, and vias (in via levels), which are formed between two of the metallization levels. Whereby, within one and the same metallization level, the geometry of the traces above each transistor is formed the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Krauss
  • Patent number: 7893815
    Abstract: A method for selecting at least one transponder or a sensor in RFID or remote-sensor systems provided with a plurality of transponders or sensors (tags), in particular in systems provided with a plurality of reading devices, is disclosed. The inventive method includes the feature that in pre-selecting individual transponders or sensors by at least one reading device and, after the successful selection of at least one transponder or sensor, data, in particular for conforming the preselection, is asynchronously transmitted during at least one protocol section from the transponder or sensor to the reading device. The invention makes it possible to efficiently reduce the potentially disturbing control signals of the reading device(s), thereby improving the transmission characteristics of said systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Friedrich
  • Patent number: 7888952
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement is provided for balancing a resistance circuit, which has a field-effect transistor as a controllable resistor and a control circuit, by which the field-effect transistor can be controlled with a gate-source voltage so that there is a resistance between a drain electrode and a source electrode of the field-effect transistor in a predefinable ratio to a reference resistor. In a balancing operation mode, a reference current can be set by the drain-source path of the field-effect transistor and by the reference resistor, which depends on a differential voltage between a voltage drop, caused by the reference current at the reference resistor and a voltage drop, caused by the reference current, at the drain-source path of the field-effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Reiner Franke
  • Patent number: 7885369
    Abstract: A PLL frequency generator is disclosed for generating an output signal with a settable target frequency, comprising a) a voltage-controlled oscillator for generating the output signal depending on a control voltage, b) a switchable frequency divider, which is connected to the voltage-controlled oscillator and is designed to derive a frequency-divided signal whose instantaneous frequency depends on a value of an adjustable divisor, from the output signal c) a switchable delay unit, which is connected to the frequency divider and is designed to generate a delayed signal in that the frequency-divided signal is delayed by delay times that in each case depend on a control word and a control signal, and d) a phase detector, which is connected to the switchable delay unit and is designed to determine the phase difference between a reference signal and the delayed signal and to provide it for the generation of the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: ATMEL Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Sascha Beyer, Ralf Jaehne
  • Patent number: 7872567
    Abstract: A method for transponder access control is disclosed, in which a first identification is stored in the transponder, which is transmitted to a reader unit upon appropriate request by the unit. At least one second identification and an identification selection criterion are stored in the transponder, during a request by the reader unit depending on the identification selection criterion either the first identification or the at least second identification is transmitted and, when the second identification is transmitted, access to the transponder, particularly to the first identification, is released by the transponder when the reader unit transmits a password assigned to the second identification to the transponder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Friedrich
  • Patent number: 7868679
    Abstract: A circuit is provided that includes an input for a clock signal, a random event generator for outputting a random signal, in particular random numbers, a settable delay device that is connected to the input for the clock signal and is connected to the random event generator for the purpose of setting a delay of an edge of the clock signal (clk) by means of the random signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Riedel, Jeannette Zarbock, Tilo Ferchland
  • Patent number: 7868712
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for frequency modulation is provided, which includes a voltage-controlled oscillator having at least one varactor diode that is driven by a drive signal, wherein a capacitance of the varactor diode depends on the drive signal, includes a modulating unit that creates a modulation signal for frequency modulation of the voltage-controlled oscillator, and includes a drive unit that generates the drive signal for the at least one varactor diode from the modulation signal, wherein the drive unit generates the drive signal from the modulation signal in such a manner that a linear relationship results between the modulation signal and the capacitance of the varactor diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Hanselmann
  • Patent number: 7863874
    Abstract: A linear voltage regulator is provided having a first transistor connected between a terminal for an input voltage and a terminal for an output voltage, a reference voltage source for producing a reference voltage, a first resistor, a second resistor, a second transistor, wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, and the second transistor are series-connected between the terminal for the output voltage and a reference voltage, and constitute a voltage divider, wherein a divided output voltage is present at a tap of the voltage divider, and also having a differential amplifier with an inverting input and a non-inverting input, wherein the inverting input is connected to the reference voltage source, the non-inverting input is connected to the tap of the voltage divider, and an output terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to a control terminal of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Oelmaier
  • Patent number: 7859435
    Abstract: A method for a rate increase and a method for a rate reduction of a sampling input sequence into a sampling output sequence is provided. The sampling input sequence is subjected to signal processing. Signal processing maps a spreading with a first factor and an interpolation and a decimation with a second factor to generate the sampling output sequence with use of a counter. The counter and the signal processing are clocked with the higher rate, in each case, of the sampling input sequence or the sampling output sequence, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Tilo Ferchland, Eric Sachse, Michael Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7859387
    Abstract: A backscatter transponder for an HF communication system with modulated reradiation, is provided that includes an antenna for receiving high-frequency carrier signals, wherein the antenna has reflective characteristics, a control unit for providing transponder-specific parameters, and a modulator that can be driven by the control unit. The modulator altering the reflective characteristics of the antenna in accordance with at least one transponder-specific parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Friedrich