Patents Assigned to NXP B.V.
  • Patent number: 11709225
    Abstract: Exemplary aspects are directed to or involve a radar transceiver to transmit signal and receive reflected radar signals via a communication channel. The exemplary method includes radar receiver data processing circuitry that may be used to differentiate a subset of representations of the received signals. This differentiation may be used to select signals that are more indicative of target(s) having a given range than other ones of the received signals. The received signal's representations may then be compressed by using variable-mantissa floating-point numbers having mantissa values that vary based, at least in part, on at least one strength characteristic of the respective representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Jan Gerrit Bekooij, Feike Guus Jansen
  • Patent number: 11697413
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a signal processing IC unit that outputs image processing data; a recognition processing IC unit that performs recognition processing of the external environment of a vehicle to output external environment data obtained through the recognition processing; a judgment processing IC unit that performs judgment processing for cruise control of the vehicle; a power management unit capable of controlling an on or off state of a recognition function of the external environment of the vehicle in the recognition processing IC unit according to the conditions of the vehicle; and a bypass path for enabling data communications from the signal processing IC unit to the judgment processing IC unit without performing the recognition processing of the external environment of the vehicle by the recognition processing IC unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Eiichi Hojin, Kiyoyuki Tsuchiyama, Masato Ishibashi, Daisuke Hamano, Tomotsugu Futa, Daisuke Horigome, Atsushi Tasaki, Yosuke Hashimoto, Yusuke Kihara, Arnaud Van Den Bossche, Ray Marshal, Leonardo Surico
  • Patent number: 11699208
    Abstract: A method is provided for watermarking a machine learning model used for object detection or image classification. In the method, a first subset of a labeled set of ML training samples is selected. The first subset is of a predetermined class of images. In one embodiment, the first pixel pattern is selected and sized to have substantially the same dimensions as each sample of the first subset or each bounding box in the case of an object detector. Each sample of the first subset is relabeled to have a different label than the original label. An opacity of the pixel pattern may be adjusted independently for different parts of the pattern. The ML model is trained with the labeled set of ML training samples and the first subset of relabeled ML training samples. Using multiple different opacity factors provides both reliability and credibility to the watermark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Petrus Adrianus Johannus Michiels, Frederik Dirk Schalij
  • Publication number: 20230215937
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and fabrication method are described for manufacturing a heterojunction bipolar transistor by forming a silicon collector region in a substrate which includes a lower collector layer, a dopant diffusion barrier layer, and an upper collector layer, where the formation of the dopant diffusion barrier layer reduces diffusion of dopants from the lower collector layer into the upper collector layer during one or more subsequent manufacturing steps which are used to form a trench isolation region in the substrate along with a heterogeneous base region and a silicon emitter region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Josephus Theodorus Marinus Donkers, Petrus Hubertus Cornelis Magnee, Ronald Willem Arnoud Werkman
  • Publication number: 20230216705
    Abstract: A Controller Area Network (CAN) system, method, and circuit are provided with a dual mode bus line termination circuit connected between signal lines of a serial bus and optimized for both differential and single-ended communication modes over the serial bus, where the dual mode bus line termination circuit includes first and second resistance termination paths connected in parallel between first and second bus wires of the serial bus to provide an odd mode termination impedance (RODD) that matches an impedance of the serial bus when operating in the differential communication mode, and to also provide an even mode termination impedance (REVEN) that matches an impedance of the serial bus when operating in the single-ended communication mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Lucas Pieter Lodewijk van Dijk, Adrien Manfred Schoof
  • Patent number: 11694761
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method for storing and reading data from a memory. Data words stored in the memory may be grouped, and word specific parity information and shared parity information is generated, and the shared parity information is distributed among the group of words. During reading of a word, if more errors are detected than can be corrected with word parity data, the shared parity data is retrieved and used to make the error corrections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Soenke Ostertun, Bjorn Fay, Vitaly Ocheretny
  • Patent number: 11696237
    Abstract: One example discloses a first near-field device, including: a near-field antenna; a tuning circuit; a communications unit coupled to the near-field antenna and tuning circuit; a controller coupled to the tuning circuit and the communications unit; wherein the first near-field device is configured to have a near-field communications channel path-loss with respect to a second near-field device; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a first channel path-loss before contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; wherein the controller is configured to set the path-loss to a second channel path-loss after contact detected between the first and second near-field devices; and wherein the first path-loss is greater than the second path-loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Anthony Kerselaers, Liesbeth Gommé
  • Patent number: 11695374
    Abstract: A method for a fast settling ripple reduction loop for high speed precision chopper amplifiers includes amplifying an input signal with a signal path to generate a first output, the signal path comprising chopping the input signal to generate a first chopper output, amplifying the first chopper output with an amplifier to generate an amplifier output and chopping the amplified output to generate a second chopper output. An output ripple of the first output is reduced with a Ripple Reduction Loop comprising chopping the second chopper output to generate a third chopper output, filtering the third chopper output with a filter to generate a Direct Current (DC) offset correction, and combining the DC offset correction with the amplifier output, wherein the third chopper output is driven to the output voltage of the filter and the RRL is disconnected from the low frequency signal path in response to a non-linear event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Ranga Seshu Paladugu, Hanqing Xing, Soon G Lim
  • Patent number: 11695447
    Abstract: In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit configured to set up a UWB communication channel with a first external communication device; a further communication unit configured to set up a further communication channel with a second external communication device; an antenna configured to be selectively used by the UWB communication unit and the further communication unit; wherein the UWB communication unit is operatively coupled to the further communication unit, and wherein the further communication unit is configured to grant the UWB communication unit access to said antenna in response to receiving a request from the UWB communication unit. This aspect represents a solution to the problem of how to facilitate avoiding that UWB ranging rounds fail in a co-existence system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Srivathsa Masthi Parthasarathi, Brian Charles Cassidy, Atmaram Kota Rajaram, Ghiath Al-kadi, Hendrik Ahlendorf
  • Patent number: 11694970
    Abstract: Wafer processing techniques, or methods for forming semiconductor rides, are disclosed for fabricating plated pillar dies having die-level electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield layers. In embodiments, the method includes depositing a metallic seed layer over a semiconductor wafer and contacting die pads thereon. An electroplating process is then performed to compile plated pillars on the metallic seed layer and across the semiconductor wafer. Following electroplating, selected regions of the metallic seed layer are removed to produce electrical isolation gaps around a first pillar type, while leaving intact portions of the metallic seed layer to yield a wafer-level EMI shield layer. The semiconductor wafer is separated into singulated plated pillar dies, each including a die-level EMI shield layer and plated pillars of the first pillar type electrically isolated from the EMI shield layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Douglas Michael Reber, Rishi Bhooshan
  • Patent number: 11694497
    Abstract: The method includes one or more turnstiles using a non-secure ranging process to detect a proximity of one or more mobile computing devices carried by respective users. The method also includes one of the turnstiles, on making a proximity determination in respect of a first of said mobile computing devices, commencing a secure authentication process to authenticate a user carrying the first mobile computing device. The method further includes, in response to a determination that the user carrying the first mobile computing device has been authenticated, allowing the user carrying the first mobile computing device to pass through the turnstile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Srivathsa Masthi Parthasarathi, Sunil Dilipkumar Jogi, Ghiath Al-kadi
  • Patent number: 11694015
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) layout includes various memory blocks arranged in rows and columns, and a memory controller arranged in parallel to one of the rows and the columns. The IC layout further includes metal routes that are created over the memory blocks for coupling the memory and the memory controller and facilitating signal routing therebetween. Each memory block is coupled with the memory controller by way of one or more metal routes. When the memory controller is arranged in parallel to the rows, the one or more metal routes are created over memory blocks that are included in a column, whereas when the memory controller is arranged in parallel to the columns, the one or more metal routes are created over memory blocks that are included in a row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Himanshu Mangal, Pankaj Mudgil, Siddhartha Jain
  • Patent number: 11695193
    Abstract: A Wilkinson power combiner (202) is described that includes a high-pass, HP, frequency circuit (500, 550), wherein the HP frequency circuit (500, 550) comprises at least one of: (i) one input port (510) coupled to at least two output ports (512, 514) via at least two paths; and an input shunt inductor (520) coupling the input port (510) to ground; wherein the one input port (510) is coupled to the at least two output ports (512, 514) via respective series capacitances (230, 238) on the at least two paths, which in cooperation with the input shunt inductor (520) forms a first HP frequency circuit; and (ii) at least one resistor (554, 528)-inductor (552, 524), R-L isolation circuit (500, 550) configured to couple the at least two output ports (512, 514) that forms a second HP frequency circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Xin Yang, Mark Pieter van der Heijden
  • Patent number: 11695377
    Abstract: An amplifier including a P-channel transistor having current terminals coupled between a first node and a second node and having a control terminal coupled to a third node receiving an input voltage, an N-channel transistor having current terminals coupled between a fourth node developing an output voltage and a supply voltage reference and having a control terminal coupled to the second node, a first resistor coupled between the first node and a supply voltage, a second resistor coupled between the first and fourth nodes, and a current sink sinking current from the second node to the supply reference node. The amplifier may be converted to differential form for amplifying a differential input voltage. Current devices may be adjusted for common mode, and may be moved or added to improve headroom or to improve power supply rejection. Chopper circuits may be added to reduce 1/f noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Robert van Veldhoven, John Pigott
  • Patent number: 11695327
    Abstract: Embodiments of a power converter are disclosed. In an embodiment, the power converter comprises a power factor correction (PFC) stage circuit, an emulation circuit and a controller. The PFC stage circuit is configured to produce an output signal on an output terminal. The PFC stage circuit includes an inductor coupled between a rectifier and the output terminal and a switch coupled to the inductor. The emulation circuit is connected to the PFC stage circuit to generate an emulated current that corresponds to current through the inductor of the PFC stage circuit. The emulated current is generated based on a voltage signal at a node between the inductor and the output terminal and a sensed current at a sense resistor connected to the rectifier. The controller is connected to the emulation circuit to receive the emulated current and generate a control signal for the switch of the PFC stage circuit based on the emulated current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Hans Halberstadt, Alfred Grakist
  • Patent number: 11693966
    Abstract: A method for managing operation of a circuit includes activating a trigger engine, receiving signals from a target circuit, and detecting a hardware trojan based on the signals. The trigger engine may generate a stimulus to activate the hardware trojan, and the target circuit may generate the received signals when the stimulus is generated. The trigger engine may be a scan chain which performs a circular scan by shifting bit values through a series of flip-flops including a feedback path. The target circuit may be various types of circuits, including but not limited to a high-speed input/output interface. The hardware trojan may be detected based on bit-error rate information corresponding to the signals output from the target circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Jan-Peter Schat
  • Publication number: 20230204748
    Abstract: A vehicle radar system, apparatus and method use a radar control processing unit to control an RF transmitter unit to generate a radiated beam by a long and medium range radar (LMRR) beam shaping antenna array which has a range coverage pattern with more power concentrated along a central direction axis for long range detection and less power spread off to sides of the central direction axis for medium range detection, wherein the LMRR beam shaping antenna array includes a plurality of transmit radiator elements stacked over a power dividing feeding network and separated by a conductive coupling aperture layer comprising a plurality of coupling apertures such that each transmit radiator element is aligned through a corresponding coupling aperture to a corresponding feeding line conductor from the power dividing feeding network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Dongyin Ren, Ryan Haoyun Wu, Satish Ravindran
  • Patent number: 11688112
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating a visualization for explaining a behavior of a machine learning (ML) model, the method includes inputting an image into a machine learning (ML) model for an inference operation. A first heatmap is generated for the image using a first visualization method. An area of highest attention is selected on the first heatmap based a predetermined threshold. The selected area is cropped from the image. The cropped selected area is upscaled. A second heatmap is generated for the cropped and upscaled selected area of the image. A final visualization is presented for analysis. In another embodiment, a computer program comprising instructions for executing the method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Doliwa
  • Patent number: 11689265
    Abstract: An antenna system for a mobile communications base station and a method of operating a communications network including a base station is described. The antenna system includes an antenna array for beamforming and is configured either as a radar sensor, a communications antenna or a combined radar sensor. A radar image may be used to determine a map of objects in the vicinity of the antenna system and to adapt the beamsteering or beamforming of the antenna system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Paul Mattheijssen, Konstantinos Doris, Dominicus Martinus Wilhelmus Leenaerts, Mark Tomesen
  • Patent number: 11685647
    Abstract: A nanosheet MEMS sensor device and method are described for integrating the fabrication of nanosheet transistors (61) and MEMS sensors (62) in a single nanosheet process flow by forming separate nanosheet transistor and MEMS sensor stacks (12A-16A, 12B-16B) of alternating Si and SiGe layers which are selectively processed to form gate electrodes (49A-C) which replace the silicon germanium layers in the nanosheet transistor stack, to form silicon fixed electrodes using silicon layers (13B-2, 15B-2) on a first side of the MEMS sensor stack, and to form silicon cantilever electrodes using silicon layers (13B-1, 15B-1) on a second side of the MEMS sensor stack by forming a narrow trench opening (54) in the MEMS sensor stack to expose and remove remnant silicon germanium layers on the second side in the MEMS sensor stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Douglas Hall, Tushar Praful Merchant, Anirban Roy