Slope Control Of Leading Or Trailing Edge Of Rectangular (e.g., Clock, Etc.) Or Pulse Waveform Patents (Class 327/170)
  • Patent number: 11955971
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a signal transmitter and a sampling circuit coupled to the signal transmitter, wherein the sampling circuit is to sample output voltage levels of an output of the signal transmitter at different respective times. The integrated circuit further comprises a measurement circuit coupled to the sampling circuit, wherein the measurement circuit is to compare the output voltage levels of the output of the signal transmitter to corresponding reference voltages to identify a first time when a first output voltage level equals a first reference voltage and a second time when a second output voltage level equals a second reference voltage. A time difference between the first time and the second time is used to configure a slew rate adjustment control of the signal transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Palmer, Andrew Fuller, Hsuan-Jung Su
  • Patent number: 11923799
    Abstract: An apparatus for regulating a slew time of an output voltage of a motor driver system includes a gate current control circuit which has a first input coupled to receive a target slew time and a second input coupled to receive a slew time. The gate current control circuit provides an incremented gate current if the slew time is greater than the target slew time and provides a decremented gate current if the slew time is less than the target slew time. The apparatus includes a gate driver which has a first input coupled to receive a PWM signal and a second input coupled to receive the gate current. The gate driver provides a gate drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ashish Ojha, Krishnamurthy Shankar, Siddhartha Gopal Krishna, Priyank Anand, Ganapathi Hegde
  • Patent number: 11922996
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include one or more output drivers. An output driver may be adjusted for impedance matching by applying a body voltage to one or more transistors of the output driver. In some examples, the body voltage applied may be based on a comparison between a reference voltage and a voltage at an external terminal. In some examples, the semiconductor device may include a calibration circuit that includes a comparator and an up/down counter that, based on a signal from the comparator, generates a code indicating the body voltage to be applied. The body voltage may be applied by a voltage generator in some examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hyunui Lee, Won Joo Yun
  • Patent number: 11881847
    Abstract: A post driver and a chip with overdrive capability are shown. A first bias circuit is configured to provide a first voltage shift between the output terminal of the post driver and the gate terminal of the first p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor of a pull-up circuit when the pull-down circuit is enabled. A second bias circuit is configured to provide a second voltage shift between the output terminal of the post driver and the gate terminal of the first n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor of the pull-down circuit when the pull-up circuit is enabled. Accordingly, the PMOS transistors in the pull-up circuit and the NMOS transistors in the pull-down circuit are all well protected although they are powered by an overdrive voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Federico Agustin Altolaguirre, Hsin-Cheng Hsu
  • Patent number: 11863167
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a power switching transistor includes a first pull-up drive transistor connected in parallel with a second pull-up drive transistor, a first pull-down drive transistor coupled to the first and second pull-up drive transistors in series to drive the power switching transistor. When control signal is at a high level, the first pull-up driver is turned on, and the first pull-down driver is turned off. The second pull-up drive transistor being in turn-on or turn-off state is determined by comparing voltage of the power supply with the threshold value. When voltage of the power supply is lower than the threshold value, the first and second pull-up drive transistor are driven together. When voltage of the power supply is higher than the threshold value, the second pull-up driving transistor is turned on only after the driving output is slightly larger than the Miller plateau voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Nanjing Greenchip Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jianye Qiu
  • Patent number: 11855635
    Abstract: Circuits and methods that control a rate of change of a drain voltage as a function of time in a transistor are disclosed. In one aspect, the circuit includes a transistor having a gate terminal that controls operation of the transistor, and a control circuit coupled to the gate terminal and arranged to change a voltage at the gate terminal at a first rate of voltage with respect to time from a first voltage to a first intermediate voltage, and further arranged to change the voltage at the gate terminal at a second rate of voltage with respect to time from the first intermediate voltage to a second intermediate voltage, where the first rate is different than the second rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Hongwei Jia, Santosh Sharma, Daniel M. Kinzer, Victor Sinow, Matthew Anthony Topp
  • Patent number: 11811410
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to sensing states and changes of states of a signal and sensors for the same, including but not limited to, autonomous sensors. Such sensor may include an analog signal threshold detection circuit, a state detection circuit, and a measurement circuit. The analog signal threshold detection circuit may be configured to alternately assert and de-assert a threshold detected indication in response to an input signal and a state thereof. The state detection circuit may be configured to generate a signal state indication about a state of the input signal. The measurement circuit may be configured to generate a measurement in response to assertions of the threshold detected indication and the signal state indication, such as a count, a slew rate, or a frequency. In some embodiments, disclosed sensors may have programmable thresholds for sensing the signal states and changes therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Amund Aune
  • Patent number: 11652474
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a delay compensation circuit and a bias control circuit. The delay compensation circuit includes a variable delay circuit configured to generate an output signal by delaying an input signal and configured to compensate, according to a first bias control signal, for delay fluctuation caused by fluctuation of a power supply voltage between a first power source and a second power source. The bias control circuit is configured to generate the first bias control signal to compensate for the delay fluctuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: SK hynix Inc., Seoul National University R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: Soyeong Shin, Yongjae Lee, Jiheon Park, Deog-Kyoon Jeong
  • Patent number: 11646733
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a digital output driver circuit comprises an output stage having first and second transistors. A drive stage is configured to drive control terminals of the first and second transistors and comprising switching circuitry and current generator circuitry. In a first configuration, the driver circuit is configured to connect a control terminal of the second transistor to the reference node to turn off the second transistor; and connect a first capacitance to the current generator circuitry and to a control terminal of the first transistor to turn on the first transistor. In a second configuration, the driver circuit is configured to turn off the first transistor and connect the control terminal of the second transistor to the current generator circuitry and to the second capacitance to turn on the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Andrea Agnes
  • Patent number: 11632103
    Abstract: A high-speed voltage clamping circuit includes p-type field effect transistor (PFET) biasing circuit, an n-type field effect transistor (NFET) biasing circuit, and a field effect transistor (FET) clamp circuit. The PFET biasing circuit is configured to generate a PFET biasing voltage. The NFET biasing circuit is configured to generate a NFET biasing voltage. The FET clamp circuit is in signal communication with the PFET biasing circuit and the NFET biasing circuit. The PFET biasing circuit controls operation of the clamping circuit in response to a voltage overshoot event and the NFET biasing circuit controls operation of the clamping circuit in response to a voltage undershoot event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chad Andrew Marquart, Glen A. Wiedemeier, Daniel M. Dreps
  • Patent number: 11626872
    Abstract: A circuit includes first to third transistors. The first transistor includes a first terminal coupled to a first voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a connection. The second transistor includes a gate terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first transistor, a first terminal coupled to a second voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the connection. The third transistor includes a first terminal coupled to the connection, a second terminal coupled to a node between the second terminals of the first and second transistors. The third transistor is controlled to be turned ON at a beginning of a first edge of a driving signal on the connection to pull a voltage of the driving signal on the first edge toward a threshold voltage, and be turned OFF in response to and after the voltage of the driving signal on the first edge reaching the threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: TSMC CHINA COMPANY, LIMITED, TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Zhen Tang, Lei Pan, Miranda Ma
  • Patent number: 11606143
    Abstract: A system for improvement of waveform transmission and event detection includes a first transducer configured to receive acoustic waveforms, and a first transducer processor and transmitter configured to invert the phase of the received waveforms of the first transducer and transmit the inverted waveforms via light to a second transducer. The second transducer is configured to receive light waveforms from the first transducer processor and transmitter, receive acoustic waveforms from the second transducer, convert the first transducer light waveforms and the second transducer acoustic waveforms into electrical waveforms, and transmit a combined electrical waveform onwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Hyman David Chantz
  • Patent number: 11601301
    Abstract: A transceiver device for a bus system and a method for reducing conducted emissions. The transceiver device has a transmitting stage for transmitting a transmit signal to a first bus wire of a bus of the bus system, in which bus system an exclusive, collision-free access of a user station to the bus of the bus system is at least temporarily ensured, and for transmitting the transmit signal to a second bus wire of the bus, a receiving stage for receiving the bus signal transmitted on the bus wires, and an emission reduction unit for controlling a switch-on path of a first stand-off device in the transmitting stage as a function of whether or not a dominant stage of the transmit signal occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Sebastian Stegemann, Steffen Walker
  • Patent number: 11588480
    Abstract: A circuit is configured to drive a switch mode regulator and to control the slew rate at a switching terminal of the regulator. The circuit includes first and second transistors coupled between a voltage supply terminal and a switching terminal, and includes third and fourth transistors coupled between the voltage supply terminal and the switching terminal. The circuit includes a fifth transistor coupled to the fourth transistor in a current mirror configuration and a sixth transistor coupled between the voltage supply terminal and the third transistor. The circuit includes a first resistor coupled between the voltage supply terminal and the fifth transistor, and includes a second resistor coupled between the sixth transistor and the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tawen Mei
  • Patent number: 11526641
    Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure are directed to implementing formal gated clock conversion for field programmable gate array (FPGA) synthesis. For example, some aspects of this disclosure relate to a method, including receiving network representation of a circuit design, determining a gated clock function corresponding to a target component of the network representation, and constructing an edge function based at least in part on the gated clock function. The method further includes performing a minimization of the edge function, and in response to a determination that the minimization of the edge function comprises a first term and a second term, providing a clock enable signal to the target component based on the first term, and providing a clock signal to the target component based on the second term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
    Inventors: Lisa McIlwain, Fahim Rahim, Guillaume Plassan, Dipti Ranjan Senapati
  • Patent number: 11515848
    Abstract: An output buffer circuit includes an operational amplifier configured to generate an amplifier output voltage signal based on an input voltage signal and on a compensation current, a slew rate compensating circuit configured to generate the compensation current to increase a slew rate of the amplifier output voltage signal based on a difference between the input voltage signal and a feedback voltage signal, an output path circuit connected between the operational amplifier and an output pad, the output path circuit configured to transfer the amplifier output voltage signal to generate a pad output voltage signal through the output pad, and a feedback path circuit, the feedback path circuit connected between the slew rate compensating circuit and a feedback input node that is on the output path circuit, the feedback path circuit configured to generate the feedback voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youngbae Moon, Woonyoung Lee, Chanbong Yu, Yunseok Jang
  • Patent number: 11411501
    Abstract: In a power converter, a regulator that receives a first voltage couples to a switched-capacitor converter that provides a second voltage. Slew-control circuitry controls slew rate within the switched-capacitor converter during operation thereof. A controller controls the operation of both the regulator and the switched-capacitor converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PSEMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Giuliano, David Kunst
  • Patent number: 11387625
    Abstract: A pulsed signal generator generates a pulsed signal having a pulse width intended to be equal to a given fraction of a pulse width of a reference clock. A reference current source outputs current having a reference magnitude, and a comparison current source outputs current having a magnitude that is a function of the reference magnitude and the given fraction. A comparison circuit compares a total current output by one of the reference current source and the comparison current source during pulses of the reference clock to a total current output by the other of the reference current source and the comparison current source during pulses of the pulsed signal equal in number to the pulses of the reference clock in order to determine whether the pulse width of the pulse signal is less than or equal to the given fraction of the pulse width of the reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Marco Zamprogno, Alireza Tajfar
  • Patent number: 11329639
    Abstract: A novel delay circuit for quadrature clock generation with insensitivity to process, voltage, temperature (PVT) variations and equal rising/falling edges is disclosed. In one implementation, the delay circuit includes a first N-substage having a sinking current source, configured to receive an input signal and to generate a rising edge of an output signal of the delay circuit, wherein the output signal is a delayed version of the input signal. The delay circuit further includes a first P-substage having a sourcing current source, configured to receive the input signal and to generate a falling edge of the output signal, where the sinking current source and the sourcing current source are variable in response to respective ones of a plurality of bias voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Chiu Keung Tang, Zhiqin Chen
  • Patent number: 11271553
    Abstract: A buffer circuit configured to receive first and second input signals through first and second input transistors coupled to a first power voltage node, output a first output signal through a first output node and a second output signal through a second output node based on the first and second input signals. A load circuit is coupled among the first output node, the second output node, and a second power voltage node and a resistance value is adjusted based on at least one of the first and second output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sun Ki Cho, Dong Uc Ko, Yang Ho Sur, Jun Yong Song, Sung Gil Jang, Hae Kang Jung, Min Sung Cheon, Chang Kyu Choi, Tae Jin Hwang
  • Patent number: 11264982
    Abstract: A high voltage driving circuit for driving a load receives a low voltage input signal and generates a high voltage output signal. A short circuit protection circuit including a first electronic switch operated by the low voltage input signal and a second electronic switch operated by a low voltage signal obtained by a voltage division of the output high voltage signal. The first electronic switch causing a first pull-up current to be sent to a capacitive element whose voltage controls an input of a threshold comparator. A second electronic switch causes a second pull-down current to be drawn from the capacitive element whose voltage controls the input of the threshold comparator. A short circuit detection signal is generated at an output of said threshold comparator, indicating a short circuit and capable of inhibiting operation of the driving circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Marco Terenzi, Davide Ugo Ghisu
  • Patent number: 10931270
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for data transmission offset values in burst transmissions. An example apparatus may include offset logic configured to provide offset values associated with a receiver circuit of a memory device coupled to a signal line. The offset values are based on individual transition threshold voltages biases of sample circuits of the receiver circuit. The example apparatus may further include an input/output (I/O) circuit comprising a driver circuit. The driver circuit configured to receive a logic signal and the offset values and to provide an output signal to the signal line based on the logic signal and to adjust voltages of the output signal based on the offset values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuo Satoh, Kazutaka Miyano
  • Patent number: 10825507
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes an output signal line, and first and second tristate buffer circuits each having an output node connected to the output signal line in common. The output signal line includes a first section having first and second connection points, a second section having third and fourth connection points, a third section connected between the first and third connection points, and a fourth section connected between second and fourth connection points. At least a part of the first section of the output signal line is located on the first tristate buffer circuit, and at least a part of the second section of the output signal line is located on the second tristate buffer circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10770024
    Abstract: A display device includes a driving controller sensing a pattern of first image signals from a source external to the driving controller and outputting a compensation selection signal corresponding to the sensed pattern. A voltage generator generates a driving power voltage in response to the compensation selection signal. The voltage generator includes a power converter generating the driving power voltage in response to a power control signal, a comparator comparing the driving power voltage with a reference voltage to output a feedback signal to a first node, and a compensation circuit including a plurality of compensation units. A selected compensation unit is connected to the first node, and a power control circuit outputs the power control signal in response to the feedback signal. The slew rate of the feedback signal may be controlled by a compensation circuit to remove a ripple component from the driving power voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gwangsoo Ahn, Sanghyun Lee, Dongwon Park, Songyi Han
  • Patent number: 10769553
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) device and a circuitry. The IC includes a measurement circuit and a classifier circuit. The measurement circuit is configured to acquire a practical voltage. The classifier circuit is configured to: generate an information on an immature classification by comparing a default voltage and the practical voltage; receive an information on a reference classification, wherein the reference classification is acquired by manually comparing the default voltage and the practical voltage; update the default voltage to a learned voltage based on the immature classification and the reference classification; and generate a prediction, based on the learned voltage, for adjusting a slew rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chung-Peng Hao
  • Patent number: 10756510
    Abstract: A failsafe pulsed laser driver and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a laser array having a plurality of lasers; and a laser driver coupled to the laser array, wherein the laser driver comprises a current limiter to provide a maximum current at or below a threshold current of lasers in the laser array or at a current level to meet laser safety requirements under circuit failure conditions; one or more capacitors coupled to current limiter and the laser array, the one or more capacitors to be charged in response to current from the current limiter; and a switch coupled to the one or more capacitors operable to cause current from the one or more capacitors to flow through the laser array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Winer, Krishna Swaminathan
  • Patent number: 10720221
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device includes a first chip and a second chip each including a memory cell and configured to receive a same toggle signal. Upon receiving a first command, the first chip executes a first calibration operation to calibrate a duty ratio of an output signal generated in response to the toggle signal while data is read out from the second chip in response to the toggle signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensuke Yamamoto, Fumiya Watanabe, Shouichi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 10681293
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes: a pixel array suitable for generating a plurality of pixel signals corresponding to incident light; a comparison block suitable for comparing the pixel signals with a ramp signal to generate a plurality of comparison signals; a logic block suitable for adjusting slew rates of the respective comparison signals to generate a plurality of logic signals; a global count block suitable for generating a global count signal; and a storing block suitable for storing counted values of the global count signal based on the logic signals received from the logic block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Won-Seok Hwang
  • Patent number: 10651723
    Abstract: A multi-output gate driver system comprises a power device having a gate node; a first driver having an input and an output coupled to the gate node; a second driver having an input and an output coupled to the gate node; a first comparator having a first input coupled to the output of the second driver, a second input coupled to a first reference voltage, and an output; a second comparator having a first input coupled to the output of the second driver, a second input coupled to a second reference voltage, and an output; and a logic circuit having an input for receiving a control signal, a first output coupled to the input of the first driver, and a second output coupled to the input of the second driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Frank, Simone Fabbro, Karl Norling
  • Patent number: 10587251
    Abstract: The present invention provides a clock signal controller structure. The invention allows for the large-skew clock signals to be converted into small-skew clock signals. The technical solution of the present invention may be adopted to synchronize two large-skew clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ou He, Yan S H He, Wei A W Zhao
  • Patent number: 10469075
    Abstract: A driver circuit has pre-driver and transistor pairs coupled in parallel paths with different delays in different paths allowing the driver to automatically adjust to load conditions, providing a moderate driver with low output ringing for low capacitive loads, while the added delay in the different paths is negligible when driving heavy capacitive loads. The driver circuit automatically scales drive strength of the output driver during switching transients to the load capacitance, providing a good trade-off between fast transient and low output ringing for a variety of different capacitive loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: András V. Horváth
  • Patent number: 10469057
    Abstract: A gate driver integrated circuit (IC) and a method of operating the same is provided. The gate driver IC is configured to drive a transistor between switching states in a power circuit, and includes a memory configured to store at least one measurement window parameter that defines a measurement interval; measurement circuitry configured to measure, over the measurement interval, a value corresponding to an operation of the power circuit, the measured value being proportional to an input capacitance of the transistor; processing circuitry configured to determine a correction factor based on the measured value, the correction factor being proportional to the input capacitance of the transistor; and a gate controller configured to control a gate current of the transistor based on the switching states and the correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Frank, Christian Philipp Sandow
  • Patent number: 10459867
    Abstract: A dynamic bus communication apparatus for an electrosurgical system includes a data wire, a clock wire, a first variable resistor coupled to the data wire, a second variable resistor coupled to the clock wire, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a controller. The data wire is configured to transmit a data signal between a battery and an instrument powered by the battery. The clock wire is configured to transmit a clock signal between a battery and an instrument. The ADC is configured to sample the data signal and the clock signal at a substantially higher frequency than a frequency of the clock signal. The controller is configured to control a resistance of the first variable resistor and a resistance of the second variable resistor based on the digitally sampled data signal and the digitally sampled clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventor: Scott E. M. Frushour
  • Patent number: 10444782
    Abstract: A digital regulator at least includes a comparator, a hysteresis comparator, a first control circuit, a second control circuit, a first transistor, and a second transistor. The comparator compares a reference voltage with an internal voltage, so as to generate a first control voltage. The hysteresis comparator compares the reference voltage with the internal voltage, so as to generate a second control voltage. The first transistor is coupled between a relatively high internal voltage and a control node. The first transistor is controlled by the first control circuit according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage. The second transistor is coupled between the control node and the internal voltage. The second transistor is controlled by the second control circuit according to the first control voltage and the second control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chih-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 10404247
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high-frequency delay-locked loop and a clock processing method for the high-frequency delay-locked loop. The high-frequency delay-locked loop comprises a DLL circuit and a DCC circuit that are sequentially connected in series, and a pulse generating circuit used for generating a clock having a fixed pulse width. The fixed pulse width is a high-level width of the clock having the fixed pulse width and not smaller than a minimum pulse width required by the DLL circuit. The fixed pulse width enables a low-level width of the clock having the fixed pulse width to be not smaller than the minimum pulse width required by the DLL circuit. The clock having the fixed pulse width is input into the DLL circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: XI'AN UNIIC SEMICONDUCTORS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Alassandro Minzoni
  • Patent number: 10382232
    Abstract: A memory controller adjusts impedance matching of an output terminal and outputs a control signal that controls a memory through the output terminal. The memory controller includes a first driving and impedance matching circuit, a second driving and impedance matching circuit, and a logic circuit. The logic circuit, which is coupled to the first driving and impedance matching circuit and the second driving and impedance matching circuit, sets a first impedance and a first driving capability of the first driving and impedance matching circuit, sets a second impedance and a second driving capability of the second driving and impedance matching circuit, and enables the first driving and impedance matching circuit to cause the control signal to have a first level or enables the second driving and impedance matching circuit to cause the control signal to have a second level different from the first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shih-Hung Wang, Shen-Kuo Huang, Gerchih Chou, Wen-Shan Wang
  • Patent number: 10298868
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes: a pixel array suitable for generating a plurality of pixel signals corresponding to incident light; a comparison block suitable for comparing the pixel signals with a ramp signal to generate a plurality of comparison signals; a logic block suitable for adjusting slew rates of the respective comparison signals to generate a plurality of logic signals; a global count block suitable for generating a global count signal; and a storing block suitable for storing counted values of the global count signal based on the logic signals received from the logic block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Won-Seok Hwang
  • Patent number: 10291213
    Abstract: Various arrangements for decreasing harmonics of an output digital signal are presented. A programmable current rise-time circuit may be present that controls a rising edge of the output digital signal, wherein the output digital signal is output to an input/output (I/O) pad. A programmable current fall-time circuit may be present that controls a falling edge of the output digital signal. A feedback circuit may be present that monitors a rise-time of the rising edge of the output digital signal and fall-time of the falling edge of the output digital signal. A control circuit may be present that provides a first input to the programmable current rise-time circuit to adjust the rise-time of the rising edge of the output digital signal and a second input to the programmable current fall-time circuit to adjust the fall-time of the falling edge of the output digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SHENZHEN GOODIX TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hassan Elwan
  • Patent number: 10284157
    Abstract: An amplifier includes a dynamic bias circuit and an amplification circuit coupled to the dynamic bias circuit. The dynamic bias circuit includes a plurality of transistors coupled to a plurality of resistors. The dynamic bias circuit is configured to generate a bias current with a magnitude that increases in response to the dynamic bias circuit receiving a falling edge of an input signal and decreases in response to the dynamic bias circuit receiving a rising edge of the input signal. The amplification circuit is configured to receive the bias current and amplify the input signal based on the bias current to generate an output signal that has a higher slew rate for a falling signal than for a rising signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Charles Parkhurst
  • Patent number: 10284182
    Abstract: A complementary signal path may include an amplifier circuit configured to receive a pair of complementary input signals and a data alignment circuit configured to output a pair of complementary output signals in response to the pair of complementary input signals. A control circuit may detect duty cycle distortion in the pair of complementary output signals and perform a duty cycle correction process to remove the distortion. To do so, the control circuit may search for target current amounts in response to the duty cycle distortion and inject a control current into the amplifier circuit at the target current amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Primit Modi, Venkatesh Ramachandra, Tianyu Tang, Srinivas Rajendra
  • Patent number: 10276229
    Abstract: Example circuitry to adjust a rise-fall skew in a signal includes: a latch including a first latch input, a second latch input, and a latch output, each of the first latch input and the second latch input being responsive to a rising edge of a version of a signal to provide a predefined logic level at the latch output; a first delay circuit that is controllable to configure a first delay, the first delay circuit being electrically connected to the first latch input and being for adjusting a rise portion of a skew in a first version of the signal; and a second delay circuit that is controllable to configure a second delay, the second delay circuit being electrically connected to the second latch input and being for adjusting a fall portion of the skew in a second version the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.
    Inventor: Jan Paul Antonie van der Wagt
  • Patent number: 10243571
    Abstract: A source-synchronous clocking signal is sampled by an edge sampler triggered by a phase-adjusted version of the clocking signal. The output of the edge sampler is used as a phase-error indicator for a filtered feedback loop that aligns the phase-adjusted clocking signal to minimize, on average, the difference between the received source-synchronous clocking signal and the phase-adjusted version of the clocking signal minus the setup time of the sampler. This forms a delay-locked loop configuration. The phase adjustment information used to produce the aligned phase-adjusted clocking signal is then to produce a receiver clocking signal that is used to sample the source-synchronous data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Reza Navid
  • Patent number: 10175297
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for measuring a slew rate of a digital high speed repeating signal on-chip including, transforming the rising and the falling edges of the signal into a digital pulse signal each; and selecting the digital pulse signals corresponding either to the rising edge or to the falling edge of the signal. Further the method including converting the selected digital pulse signals into an average DC voltage equivalent to the pulse width of the respective digital pulse signal; as well as converting each DC voltage into a binary value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fatih Cilek, Guenther Hutzl, Michael Koch, Christian I. Menolfi, Dieter Nissler, Matthias Ringe
  • Patent number: 10171268
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of driver circuits and a control registers block. The plurality of driver circuits may be configured to drive a read line in response to a memory signal and a reference voltage. The control registers block generally configures the plurality of driver circuits to implement an asymmetric voltage swing of the read line about a voltage level that is half of the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Yue Yu, Craig DeSimone, Al Xuefeng Fang, Yanbo Wang
  • Patent number: 10141931
    Abstract: A memory device includes a main driver and a pre-driver. The main driver provides an output signal to a host based on a plurality of driving signals. The pre-driver provides the main driver with the plurality of driving signals in order to calibrate a slew rate of the output signal based on an output resistance value of the main driver and a resistance value of an on-die termination circuit of the host. The pre-driver is configured to generate a first driving signal of the plurality of driving signals in response to an input signal regardless of a control signal, and to generate a second driving signal of the plurality of driving signals in response to the input signal and the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hun-Dae Choi
  • Patent number: 10103711
    Abstract: A constant impedance switch dynamically manages switch impedance to eliminate or substantially reduce impedance glitches during switching events by stepping variable impedances through sequences of impedance values. As a result, VSWR may be reduced to or near 1:1, allowing programming and circuitry to be simplified. Switch impedance may be maintained for single and multi-throw switches having variable impedances of any order. Each variable impedance may comprise one or more configurable cells, subcells and elements controlled by thermometer, binary, hybrid or other coding technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Shawn Bawell, Jean-Marc Mourant, Olivier Hubert
  • Patent number: 10097175
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a first modulation circuit configured to generate a reference signal based on a first clock signal; a second modulation circuit configured to generate a feedback signal with a phase negative relative to a phase of the reference signal based on a second clock signal with a phase negative relative to a phase of the first clock signal; a comparator configured to compare the reference signal with the feedback signal to determine duty and generate a comparator signal; and a driver configured to output a drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kenichi Wakasugi
  • Patent number: 10015027
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for adding offset delays to signal lines of multi-level communication architectures are disclosed herein. An example method may include comparing a current channel state of a channel of a multi-level communication bus with a next channel state of the channel. The example method may further include, based on the comparison, applying an offset delay to a control signal configured to control transition of a signal line of the channel from a value associated with the current channel state to a value associated with the next channel state. The example method may further include after application of the offset delay, driving the signal line to the value associated with the next channel state responsive to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce W. Schober
  • Patent number: 9941873
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for balancing currents of two or more parallel-connected power semiconductor switches during an on-state of the switches. A control terminal of each switch is driven by a driver unit. The method includes determining ratios between the currents through the switches. For each switch, the method includes controlling the voltage at the control terminal on the basis of the ratios by controlling a level of a supply voltage of the driver unit of the switch, and after a turn-on commutation transient, modulating the output of the driver unit. The duty cycle of the modulation is controlled to minimize the time required for the transition of the voltage at the control terminal from the one voltage level to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Ignacio Lizama, Rodrigo Alonso Alvarez Valenzuela, Steffen Bernet, Matti Laitinen
  • Patent number: 9882529
    Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed driving one or more P-Intrinsic-N (PIN) diodes by receiving an input and generating a plurality of pulses based on the input, a first pulse of the plurality of pulses controls a rise time of an RF envelope generated by an RF interface and a second pulse of the plurality of pulses controls a fall time of the RF envelope generated by the RF interface. The methods and devices may further be disclosed combining the plurality of pulses to generate a drive signal, delivering the drive signal to the RF interface including one or more PIN diodes, and generating the RF envelope by driving the one or more PIN diodes with the drive signal, and the amplitude or a pulse width of the first pulse is independently adjustable from the amplitude or the pulse width of the second pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: David Larsen