Patents Examined by John W Poos
  • Patent number: 11698657
    Abstract: A communication circuit is disclosed. The communication circuit includes a clock input, and a clock divider configured to generate an output clock signal having a fundamental frequency which is substantially equal to a fundamental frequency of an input clock signal received at the clock input divided by a factor of (2N+1)/2N, where the clock divider is configured to generate 2N+1 pre-aligned phase shifted clock signals based at least in part on the input clock signal, generate 2N unique phase shifted clock signals based at least in part on the 2N+1 pre-aligned phase shifted clock signals, where the 2N unique phase shifted clock signals are substantially separated in phase by 360/2N degrees, and generate the output clock signal based at least in part on the 2N unique phase shifted clock signals, and a mixer, configured to receive the output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ahmed Emira, Mohamed Aboudina, Faisal Hussien
  • Patent number: 11695410
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is a voltage isolation circuit coupled to power supplies. The voltage isolation circuit comprises a series switch group controlled by a first control signal, a parallel switch group controlled by a second control signal, and a first high impedance element. The series switch group comprises a transistor arranged in a first current loop and having two channels connected to one of the power supplies respectively. The first high impedance element, coupled to the transistor in parallel, has a measurement terminal and two ends, connected to one of the power supplies respectively. When the series switch group is conducted, the power supplies are coupled in series in the first current loop. When the parallel switch group is conducted, the power supplies are coupled in parallel in a second current loop. Impedance values measured from the measurement terminal to each end of the first high impedance element are identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Chroma ATE Inc.
    Inventors: Yung-Lin Chen, Szu-Chieh Su, Lien-Sheng Hung, Chun-Tai Cheng, Hsi-Ping Tsai, Szu-Hsin Yeh
  • Patent number: 11676789
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device capable of detecting an abnormal state in which two fuses are both short-circuited or cut. The semiconductor device includes: a trimming circuit having a first fuse and a second fuse connected in series; a current source circuit configured to supply current to the trimming circuit; and a determination circuit configured to determine whether a connection state or disconnect state of the first fuse and the second fuse are abnormal or not based upon signals derived from an output signal of the trimming circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ABLIC Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiomi Shiina, Kenji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11672069
    Abstract: A control device configured for use in a load control system to control an electrical load external to the control device may comprise an actuation member having a front surface defining a capacitive touch surface configured to detect a touch actuation along at least a portion of the front surface. The control device includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a control circuit, a tactile switch, a controllably conductive device, and a drive circuit operatively coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive or non-conductive to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load. The control device also includes a capacitive touch PCB that comprises a touch sensitive circuit comprising one or more receiving capacitive touch pads located on the capacitive touch PCB and arranged in a linear array adjacent to the capacitive touch surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Dinesh Sundara Moorthy
  • Patent number: 11670388
    Abstract: A trimming method for adjusting electrical characteristics of an adjustment circuit, which is provided in a semiconductor substrate, by cutting a fuse resistor provided in the semiconductor substrate. In a case where a cutting current flows to the fuse resistor to cut the fuse resistor, at least one of switching devices provided in the semiconductor substrate is set to a conductible state to make the cutting current flow to the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideaki Katakura
  • Patent number: 11671092
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a receiver, including: a first bias circuit configured to bias a first and second transistor based upon an bias enable signal and a receive enable signal; a first node between the first transistor and a third transistor; a second node between the second transistor and a fourth transistor; and a second bias circuit configured to bias the first node and the second node based upon the bias enable signal, wherein the third transistor is connected to a first differential output and the gate of the third transistor is connected to a first differential input, and wherein the fourth transistor is connected to a second differential output and the gate of the fourth transistor is connected to a second differential input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Xu Zhang, Siamak Delshadpour, David Edward Bien
  • Patent number: 11671078
    Abstract: A device for generating first clock signals includes first circuits, each including a ring oscillator delivering one of the first clock signals and being connected to a first node configured to receive a first current. A circuit selects one the first clock signals, and a phase-locked loop delivers a second signal which is a function of a difference between a frequency of the first selected clock signal and a set point frequency. Each first circuit supplies the first node with a compensation current determined by the second signal, when this first circuit delivers the selected clock signal and operates in controlled mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Bruno Gailhard
  • Patent number: 11671083
    Abstract: A voltage-glitch detection and protection circuit and method are provided. Generally, circuit includes a voltage-glitch-detection-block (GDB) and a system-reset-block coupled to the GDB to generate a reset-signal to cause devices in a chip including the circuit to be reset when a voltage-glitch in a supply voltage (VDD) is detected. The GDB includes a voltage-glitch-detector coupled to a latch. The voltage-glitch-detector detects the voltage-glitch and generates a PULSE to the system-reset-block and latch. The latch receives the PULSE and generates a PULSE_LATCHED signal to the system-reset-block to ensure the reset-signal is generated no matter a width of the PULSE. In one embodiment, the latch includes a filter and a sample and hold circuit to power the latch, and ensure the PULSE_LATCHED signal is coupled to the system-reset-block when a voltage to the GDB or to the latch drops below a minimum voltage due to the voltage-glitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: Oren Shlomo
  • Patent number: 11664793
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of generating precision phase skews is disclosed. In some embodiments, a phase skew generator includes: a charge pump having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, wherein the first mode of operation provides a first current path during a first time period, and the second mode of operation provides a second current path during a second time period following the first time period; a sample and hold circuit, coupled to a capacitor, and configured to sample a voltage level of the capacitor at predetermined times and provide an output voltage during a third time period following the second time period; and a voltage controlled delay line, coupled to the sample and hold circuit, and having M delay line stages each configured to output a signal having a phase skew offset with respect to preceding or succeeding signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mao-Hsuan Chou, Ya-Tin Chang, Ruey-Bin Sheen, Chih-Hsien Chang
  • Patent number: 11658646
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a circuit for tripling frequency is configured to receive an input voltage (Vin) having a sinusoidal shape and a base frequency. The circuit has a first and a second transistor pair that are cross-coupled, and a trans-characteristics f(Vin) approximating a polynomial nominal trans-characteristic given by f ? ( V i ? n ) = ( 3 A ? V i ? n - 4 A 3 ? V i ? n 3 ) ? g m where A represents an amplitude of the input voltage and gm is a transconductance of transistors of the first and second transistor pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mahmoud Mahdipour Pirbazari, Andrea Mazzanti, Andrea Pallotta
  • Patent number: 11658650
    Abstract: A PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller includes a current detector, a current emulator, a voltage-to-current converter, and a current adder. The current detector detects a first current, and generates a second current according to the first current. The current detector receives an input voltage and outputs an output voltage. The current emulator obtains the relative information of a lower-gate current. The voltage-to-current converter draws a third current from the current emulator according to the input voltage and the output voltage. The current emulator generates a fourth current according to the relative information and the third current. The current adder adds the fourth current to the second current, so as to generate a sum current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jian-Ming Fu, Huan-Chien Yang
  • Patent number: 11650611
    Abstract: An electrosurgical generator with a high-voltage power supply that supplies a DC output voltage receives the DC output voltage of the high-voltage power supply and generates a high-frequency AC output voltage. When generator is operating, a control unit receives signals from an AC output voltage measuring unit and current measuring unit. The control unit limits an increase of DC output voltage of the high-voltage power supply as soon one predefined maximum value is reached or exceeded. When the generator is operating, the control unit configured to receive signals from a DC output voltage measuring unit that represent a respective current value of the DC output voltage, and to compare a respective current value of DC output voltage with a predefined minimum value for DC output voltage, and to cause the DC output voltage of the high-voltage power supply to increase as soon as it falls below the predefined minimum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventors: Fabian Janich, Jelle Dijkstra, Frank Breitsprecher
  • Patent number: 11646720
    Abstract: An active filter reduces Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) created by current flowing through a power line. The active filter connects to the power line at a single node through a connection capacitor. A sense current flows through the connection capacitor when the power line current changes. This sense current is applied to a gain control circuit having cross-coupled PNP transistors that drive currents to both terminals of a variable capacitor. The variable capacitor converts these currents to a voltage that is injected back into the power line through the connection capacitor as an injected compensation voltage that compensates for the sensed current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventors: Danting Xu, Kun Wu, Ziyang Gao
  • Patent number: 11646724
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system where indicators of the relative phase differences between combinations of clocks in a multi-phase clock system are developed and/or measured. These indicators convey information regarding which phase difference between a given pair of the clocks is greater than (or less than) the phase difference between another pair of the clocks. This information is used to sort/rank/order phase differences between the various combinations of pairs of clocks according to their phase differences. This ranking is used to select the pair of clocks to be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Walter Boecker, Roxanne Vu, Eric Douglas Groen
  • Patent number: 11646758
    Abstract: An emitting method, by an emitting device to at least one receiving station, of UWB messages, the emitting device including a simplex communication module for the emitting of UWB messages, a module for receiving wireless electrical energy suitable for receiving emitted electrical energy and for storing the electrical energy received in an electric accumulator, the method including a charging of the electric accumulator by the module for receiving wireless electrical energy, an evaluation of a criterion of sufficient electrical energy for the emitting of a UWB message, when the criterion of sufficient electrical energy for the emitting of a UWB message is satisfied, a selecting of a random emission delay and an emitting of the UWB message, by the simplex communication module, after the expiration of the random emission delay selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: UWINLOC
    Inventor: Jan Mennekens
  • Patent number: 11637534
    Abstract: In an example, a system includes an amplifier configured to produce a bandgap voltage reference. The system also includes a current source configured to provide a current to bias the amplifier. The system includes a switching circuit configured to receive a first current replica signal and a second current replica signal, the switching circuit further configured to cause the current source to provide the current to bias the amplifier based on either the first current replica signal or the second current replica signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Venkateswara Reddy Pothireddy
  • Patent number: 11637554
    Abstract: A device for buffering a reference signal comprises a regulator circuit configured to generate at least two replicas of the reference signal as regulated output signals. The device further comprises a receiving circuit configured to receive the regulated output signals in a switchable manner. In this context, the regulated output signals are configured to have different performance characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Nereo Markulic, Benjamin Hershberg, Jorge Luis Lagos Benites, Ewout Martens, Jan Craninckx
  • Patent number: 11632098
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes a polyphase transconductance-capacitor filter. The polyphase filter includes a DC bias voltage node, a plus in-phase filter unit, a minus in-phase filter unit, a plus quadrature-phase filter unit, and a minus quadrature-phase filter unit. Each filter unit respectively includes an input node, an output node, and a control node. The polyphase filter also includes a plus in-phase switch and a minus in-phase switch. The plus in-phase switch is coupled to the control node of the plus in-phase filter unit, the DC bias voltage node, and the input node of one or both of the plus quadrature-phase filter unit and the minus quadrature-phase filter unit. The minus in-phase switch is coupled to the control node of the minus in-phase filter unit, the DC bias voltage node, and the input node of one or both of the plus quadrature-phase filter unit and the minus quadrature-phase filter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy Donald Gathman, Lai Kan Leung, Chirag Dipak Patel, Xinmin Yu, Rajagopalan Rangarajan
  • Patent number: 11632115
    Abstract: A clock synthesizer is provided. The Clock synthesizer includes a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) configured to generate a clock signal based on a reference signal. A clock buffer is connected to the PLL. The clock buffer stores the clock signal. A Duty Cycle Controller and Phase Interpolator (DCCPI) circuit is connected to the clock buffer. The DCCPI circuit receives the clock signal from the clock buffer, adjusts a duty cycle of the clock signal to substantially equal to 50%, performs phase interpolation on the clock signal, and provides the clock signal as an output after adjusting the duty cycle substantially equal to 50% and performing the phase interpolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Wei Shuo Lin
  • Patent number: 11632088
    Abstract: A voltage converter comprising: a bootstrap circuit, comprising an output capacitor, an error amplifier, a charging control circuit and a charging circuit. The charging control circuit comprises: a detection circuit, configured to detect an output voltage of the output capacitor to generate a detection signal; and a power limiting circuit, configured to clamp an output voltage of the error amplifier to a specific range based on the detection signal. The charging circuit is configured to generate a charging signal according the output voltage of the error amplifier to the bootstrap circuit, to charge the output capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Elite Semiconductor Microelectronics Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Yang-Jing Huang, Deng-Yao Shih, Ya-Mien Hsu