Patents by Inventor Eric Gaalaas

Eric Gaalaas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8564327
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Gaalaas, Mark Cantrell
  • Patent number: 8525547
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Gaalaas, Mark Cantrell
  • Patent number: 8477856
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a multi-bit digital signal isolation system including a plurality of micro-transformers, each having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a transmitter circuit receiving a multi-bit signal and transmitting an encoded logic signal across the plurality of micro-transformers corresponding to the multi-bit signal, the primary winding of each micro-transformer receiving a signal corresponding to one of at least three possible states, and a receiver circuit receiving the encoded logic signal from the secondary windings of the plurality of transformers, decoding the encoded logic signal and reconstructing the received multi-bit signal based upon the decoded signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Gaalaas
  • Patent number: 8432182
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Gaalaas, Mark Cantrell
  • Publication number: 20120205979
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Eric GAALAAS, Mark CANTRELL
  • Publication number: 20120206164
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Eric GAALAAS, Mark CANTRELL
  • Patent number: 7872522
    Abstract: Noise reduction for a switching amplifier system having a differential output stage and demodulator filter responsive to complementary PWM signals includes generating in-phase PWM signals and gradually adjusting their duty cycle between a low duty cycle and the full duty cycle of the complementary PWM signals, generating full duty cycle PWM signals and gradually shifting their relative phase between in-phase and out-of-phase; and in response to a turn-on signal, adjusting the in-phase PWM signals from low to full duty cycle and shifting the relative phase from in-phase to out-of-phase, and in response to a turn-off signal shifting the relative phase from out-of-phase to in-phase and adjusting the in-phase PWM signals from full to low duty cycle for maintaining balanced charge on the demodulation filter to reduce audible noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Menard, Eric Gaalaas
  • Publication number: 20100246646
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a multi-bit digital signal isolation system including a plurality of micro-transformers, each having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a transmitter circuit receiving a multi-bit signal and transmitting an encoded logic signal across the plurality of micro-transformers corresponding to the multi-bit signal, the primary winding of each micro-transformer receiving a signal corresponding to one of at least three possible states, and a receiver circuit receiving the encoded logic signal from the secondary windings of the plurality of transformers, decoding the encoded logic signal and reconstructing the received multi-bit signal based upon the decoded signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Eric GAALAAS
  • Publication number: 20100250820
    Abstract: A USB-based isolator system conveys USB signals between a pair of galvanically isolated circuit systems and supports controlled enumeration by a downstream device on upstream USB signal lines. The isolator system provides a multi-mode voltage regulator to support multiple voltage supply configurations. The isolator system further provides control systems for each of the isolated circuit systems and provides robust control in a variety of start up conditions. Additionally, the isolator system includes refresh timers and watchdog mechanisms to support persistent operation but manage possible communication errors that can arise between the isolated circuit systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric GAALAAS, Mark CANTRELL
  • Publication number: 20080111620
    Abstract: Noise reduction for a switching amplifier system having a differential output stage and demodulator filter responsive to complementary PWM signals includes generating in-phase PWM signals and gradually adjusting their duty cycle between a low duty cycle and the full duty cycle of the complementary PWM signals, generating full duty cycle PWM signals and gradually shifting their relative phase between in-phase and out-of-phase; and in response to a turn-on signal, adjusting the in-phase PWM signals from low to full duty cycle and shifting the relative phase from in-phase to out-of-phase, and in response to a turn-off signal shifting the relative phase from out-of-phase to in-phase and adjusting the in-phase PWM signals from full to low duty cycle for maintaining balanced charge on the demodulation filter to reduce audible noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Gabriel Menard, Eric Gaalaas
  • Patent number: 7053807
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the state variable of an integrator stage in a modulator including a detector circuit for generating an overload signal when the modulator is overdriven, a control circuit responsive to the overload signal for generating switching control signals during the overdriven condition, and an integrating capacitance circuit having an unswitched portion and a switched portion and responsive to the switching signals for repeatedly connecting the switched portion between the unswitched portion and a discharge path to receive and drain charge when the modulator is overdriven to increase the lossiness of the integrator stage and control a state variable of the modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Gaalaas
  • Patent number: 6924757
    Abstract: A sigma delta modulator includes a modulator module that includes a quantizer with variable hysteresis, which receives an input signal to perform necessary modulation operations. A non-linear mapping module receives a signal associated with said input signal and tabulates the necessary hysteresis control information so as to reduce the transition rate of the modulator module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Adams, David Hossack, Eric Gaalaas
  • Publication number: 20050012649
    Abstract: A sigma delta modulator includes a modulator module that includes a quantizer with variable hysteresis, which receives an input signal to perform necessary modulation operations. A non-linear mapping module receives a signal associated with said input signal and tabulates the necessary hysteresis control information so as to reduce the transition rate of the modulator module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Adams, David Hossack, Eric Gaalaas
  • Patent number: 6266002
    Abstract: A multi-bit DAC (109) is provided as part of a digital-to-analog data converter (DAC). The multi-bit DAC is comprised of a plurality of single-bit DACs (503) which have the values thereof selected through a digital encoder (505). The digital encoder (505) performs dynamic element matching (DEM) on an input data value. The sequence of selection is performed such that the element mismatch noise response of the DAC (109) is shaped. The outputs are summed at a summing junction (507) and then filtered with a low pass filter (113). In the noise shaping response, a cyclical second order response is provided with a Data Weighted Averaging (DWA) technique wherein the outputs of the DACs are restricted to one of two states. To achieve this, select ones of the output values are changed in order to comply with this restriction, thus deviating from a uniform element selection algorithm. This provides a constrained second order response which accounts for mismatching of the DAC elements (503).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xue-Mei Gong, Eric Gaalaas, Mark Alexander
  • Patent number: 6011501
    Abstract: Digital-to-analog conversion circuitry 100 is shown including a path for processing data in a 1-bit format. First portion of an analog finite impulse response filter 300 includes pre-selected number of delay elements 301 for receiving stream of data in the 1-bit format and outputting a plurality of signals in response. A switched capacitor digital-to-analog converter 106 forms a second portion of the finite impulse response filter 301 and has a plurality of elements each receiving one of the plurality of signals as selected to effectuate a set of filter coefficients, converter 106 summing the plurality of signals and outputting an analog data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xue-Mei Gong, John James Paulos, Mark Alexander, Eric Gaalaas, Dylan Hester