Patents Assigned to Analog Devices, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20120306013
    Abstract: Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) protection circuits and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a pad, a p-type MOS (PMOS) transistor, and first and second n-type MOS (NMOS) transistors. The first NMOS transistor includes a drain, a source and a gate electrically connected to the pad, a first supply voltage, and a drain of the PMOS transistor, respectively. The second NMOS transistor includes a gate, a drain, and a source electrically connected to a bias node, a second supply voltage, and a source of the PMOS transistor, respectively. The source of the second NMOS transistor is further electrically connected to a body of the PMOS transistor so as to prevent a current flowing from the drain of the PMOS transistor to the second supply voltage through the body of PMOS transistor when a transient signal event is received on the pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Colm Donovan, Javier A. Salcedo
  • Patent number: 8326569
    Abstract: Methodology and circuitry for determining if a device, such as a cellular phone or personal digital assistant has been tapped is disclosed. The device includes an accelerometer and in response to an acceleration, the accelerometer outputs an acceleration signal. The accelerometer may continuously output an acceleration signal even if no acceleration occurs. A tap detection device receives the temporally sampled acceleration signal and takes the first derivative of the temporally sampled acceleration signal producing one or more derivative values. The tap detection system compares each derivative value to a threshold value and if the derivative value exceeds the threshold a tap is detected. By taking the derivative of the acceleration signal, the noise floor for the acceleration signal is reduced leading to more accurate results with less false positives and less positive negatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Lee, Jon Austen Williams
  • Patent number: 8324962
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for demodulation are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an input signal having a frequency that varies in relation to a state of the signal, calculating a sine and cosine of a phase control signal, generating a first signal proportional to the sine of a product of a first quantity and the frequency of the input signal, generating a second signal proportional to the cosine of a product of the first quantity and the frequency of the input signal, and summing a product of the first signal and the cosine of the phase control signal with a product of the second signal and the sine of the phase control signal to generate a demodulator output for resolving the state of the input signal. In certain implementations, the phase control signal is controlled so as to reduce a frequency error of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth Mulvaney
  • Patent number: 8324966
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electronic amplification are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first differential amplification block, providing a second differential amplification block, electrically connecting the first and second differential amplification blocks in a stack between a first voltage reference and a second voltage reference, amplifying a first signal using the first differential amplification block, and amplifying a second signal using the second differential amplification block. A voltage difference between the first and second voltage references defines a power supply voltage, and the first differential amplification block operates over a first range of the power supply voltage and the second differential amplification block operates over a second range of the power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Marc Goldfarb
  • Patent number: 8325790
    Abstract: The problem of inefficient channel impulse-response processing is addressed by processing different parts of a channel impulse response to accurately locate channel taps, and to generate more than one set of equalization coefficients. This allows the most-suited equalization coefficient to be selected based on a selection criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Haim Primo, Yosef Stein, Wei An
  • Patent number: 8319552
    Abstract: An amplifier having an imbalance between pull-up and pull-down sections may include a counterpart section to balance the output sections and/or enable them to be driven by balanced drive signals. In one embodiment, a rail-to-rail output stage may include a current minor to drive one side of the circuit. The other side may be driven by a transistor having a counterpart transistor to balance the circuit. A drive section may include a balance point to facilitate balancing the drive signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Barrie Gilbert
  • Patent number: 8321744
    Abstract: A channel adaptive iterative turbo decoder for computing with MAP decoders a set of branch metrics for a window of received data, computing the forward and reverse recursive path state metrics and computing from the forward and reverse recursive path state metrics the log likelihood ratio for 1 and 0 and interleaving the decision bits; and identifying those MAP decoder decision bits which are non-convergent, computing a set of branch metrics for the received data, computing from the forward and reverse recursive path state metrics the log likelihood ratio (LLR) for 1 and 0 for each non-converged decision bit and interleaving the non-convergent decision bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Yosef Stein, Hazarathaiah Malepati, Haim Primo
  • Patent number: 8319553
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for biasing amplifiers are provided. In certain implementations, a bias circuit is provided for controlling the drain-source voltage of input transistors electrically connected to the inputs of a transconductance amplification circuit. For example, the bias circuit can maintain a relatively constant drain-source voltage in the input transistors by using a feedback loop that includes a feedback amplifier for adjusting the bias current of the input transistors based upon a difference between the drain and source voltages of the input transistors. In certain implementations, the feedback amplifier has an offset voltage equal to about the desired value of the drain-source voltage, and the feedback amplifier is configured to adjust the bias current until the difference between the inputs of the feedback amplifier is equal to about the offset voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Evgueni Ivanov
  • Patent number: 8321490
    Abstract: An instruction-based parallel median filtering processor and method sorts in parallel each combination of pairs of inputs into greater and lesser values; determines from that sorting the minimum, maximum and median filter values of the inputs; processes one of those values and provides the processed value as an input; and applies an instruction for providing one of the values to the processing step, and at least one other instruction for enabling indication of at least one of the maximum, minimum, median filter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James Wilson, Joshua A. Kablotsky, Yosef Stein, Gregory M. Yukna
  • Patent number: 8320091
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for electronic circuit protection are disclosed. In one embodiment, an actively-controlled protection circuit includes a detector, a timer, a current source and a latch. The detector is configured to generate a detection signal when the detector determines that a transient signal satisfies a first signaling condition. The timer is configured to receive the detection signal, and to generate a current control signal. The current control signal is provided to a current source, which produces a trigger current at least partly in response to the control signal. The trigger current is provided to a node of the latch, thereby enhancing the conductivity modulation of the latch and selectively controlling the activation voltage of the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Javier A. Salcedo, Colin McHugh
  • Patent number: 8319567
    Abstract: An oscillator synchronization system employs two oscillators, each of which includes an integrator which provides a ramping signal at its output, a comparator which receives the ramping signal and a reference signal at respective inputs and toggles an output when the ramping voltage crosses the reference signal, and a one-shot circuit that generates the integrator's reset signal when triggered. The system is preferably arranged such that the oscillators can be operated independently, in which case each oscillator's one-shot is triggered by its own comparator output, or synchronously, in which case each oscillator's one-shot is triggered by the other oscillator's comparator output—with the ramp signal of each oscillator operating to reset the integrator of the other oscillator. The oscillators are typically out-of-phase when synchronized, with the phase difference varying with the magnitude of the reference signals applied to the comparators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Mark Audy
  • Patent number: 8321776
    Abstract: An error correction method corrects and replaces erroneous digital signal samples (having N companded bits) in a receiver after ascertaining by parity check that a sample is erroneous. The method chooses M MSBs where M is less than or equal to N, and produces M test samples, each of the M test samples being obtained by inverting a single bit from the M bits, keeping other bits unaltered. Each test sample is expanded and passed through a selected low pass filter (e.g., 15 kHz) to obtain a filtered output and a differential value between the test sample and its filtered output. The test sample producing the least differential value is chosen to replace the erroneous signal sample. The technique is especially applicable in NICAM demodulators receiving 14 bit sample signals (at 32 kHz) companded to (N) 10 bits from which (M) 6 MSB parity encoded bits are chosen for producing test samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nilesh Bhattad, Suraj Sreekanta
  • Publication number: 20120293904
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for integrated circuit protection are provided. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a first pad, a second pad, a third pad, a first protection subcircuit coupled between the first pad and a common node, a second protection subcircuit coupled between the second pad and the common node, and a third protection subcircuit coupled between the third pad and the common node. The first, second, and third protection subcircuits each include one or more building blocks for maintaining the voltage of each of the pads within a predefined safe range, as well as to maintain the voltage between each of the pads within acceptable limits. A portion of the building blocks used to provide transient signal protection can be shared between pads, thereby reducing the area of the pad protection circuit relative to a scheme using a separate stack of building blocks for each pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Javier A. Salcedo, Paul Cheung
  • Patent number: 8314770
    Abstract: Methods and devices for calculating the position of a movable device are disclosed. The device may include multiple optical detectors (ODs) and the movable device may include light sources. Optics may be above the ODs. A controller may calculate the position of the light source based on data from the ODs and properties of the optics. The device may be a game console, and the light source may be a game controller. The roles of the OD and light sources may be interchanged. The rotation of the movable device may be determined using multiple light sources and/or multiple ODs on the movable device. The movable device may calculate its position and transmit it to a console. The light sources may be modulated by time or frequency to distinguish between the light sources. There may be two or more movable devices. There may be two or more consoles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Shrenik Deliwala
  • Patent number: 8309386
    Abstract: A method of forming a microphone forms a backplate, and a flexible diaphragm on at least a portion of a wet etch removable sacrificial layer. The method adds a wet etch resistant material, where a portion of the wet etch resistant material is positioned between the diaphragm and the backplate to support the diaphragm. Some of the wet etch resistant material is not positioned between the diaphragm and backplate. The method then removes the sacrificial material before removing any of the wet etch resistant material added during the prior noted act of adding. The wet etch resistant material then is removed substantially in its entirety after removing at least part of the sacrificial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason W. Weigold
  • Patent number: 8310282
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing multi-mode clock signals are disclosed. In some embodiments, a multi-mode driver configured to receive a first clock signal, and to selectively output a different clock signal in response to one or more signals from a controller is provided. The driver can include an H-bridge circuit without substantial increases in the size of the design area. Advantageously, lower jitter and improved impedance matching can be accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: John Kevin Behel
  • Patent number: 8305200
    Abstract: A device and method are provided to drive piezoelectric elements in haptic applications. In one embodiment, a pattern generator provides user programmable PWM waveforms to a driver. The load of the driver is an inductor in series with the piezoelectric element. The filtration of the inductor in series with the capacitance of the piezoelectric element suppresses the high-frequency components of the PWM pulse train, and recovers a value commensurate with the duty cycle of the PWM pulse train. The resulting waveform across the piezoelectric element is converted to physical motion, thereby creating a haptic effect on a user interface. Advantageously, there is reduced power loss, reduced switching induced noise, and a more haptic rich environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Murphy, Alan Gillespie, Eoin Edward English, Donal Geraghty, Dennis A. Dempsey
  • Patent number: 8304861
    Abstract: A microchip has a bonding material that bonds a first substrate to a second substrate. The bonding material has, among other things, a rare earth metal and other material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Martin, Christine H. Tsau, Timothy J. Frey
  • Patent number: 8299744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a drive signal for a motor-driven mechanical system whose frequency distribution has zero (or near zero) energy at the expected resonant frequency of the mechanical system. The drive signal may be provided as a pair of steps sufficient to activate movement of the mechanical system and then park the mechanical system at a destination position. The steps are spaced in time so as to have substantially zero energy at an expected resonant frequency fR of the mechanical system. The drive signal may be filtered to broaden a zero-energy notch at the expected resonant frequency fR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Lyden, Javier Calpe-Maravilla, Mark Murphy, Eoin English
  • Patent number: 8299871
    Abstract: In a directional coupler having flaps on a pair transmission lines to be coupled, structural characteristics such as the distance between adjacent flaps, the length and width of a flap, the direction of projection of the flaps, and whether and to what degree the flaps on the two transmission lines overlap can be selected in order to optimize electrical characteristics of the coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Rodrigo Carrillo-Ramirez