Patents Assigned to Silicon Laboratories
  • Patent number: 8878570
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a configurable interface. The configurable interface includes an operational amplifier, a programmable gain amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter and a first select circuit. The first select circuit is configured to selectively couple the operational amplifier to the analog-to-digital converter in response to a first control signal. The first select circuit is further configured to selectively couple the programmable gain amplifier to the analog-to-digital converter in response to the first control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Axel Thomsen
  • Patent number: 8875578
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device including a mass anchored to a substrate. The MEMS device is configured to generate an output signal indicative of motion of the mass with respect to the substrate. The MEMS device includes a feedback module configured to provide a control signal to the MEMS device. The control signal is based on the output signal. The MEMS device is configured to apply a damping force to the mass in response to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Eric B. Smith
  • Patent number: 8880018
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a mixer circuit to receive and generate a mixed signal from a radio frequency (RF) signal and a master clock signal, a switch stage coupled to an output of the mixer circuit to rotatingly switch the mixed signal to multiple gain stages coupled to the switch stage, and a combiner to combine an output of the gain stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc
    Inventors: Aslamali A. Rafi, Alessandro Piovaccari
  • Patent number: 8878528
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor utilizes a MEMS device that has at least one vibrating member and at least one conductive path integral with the vibrating member so that a current flows along the vibrating member and in the presence of a magnetic field interaction of the magnetic field and the point charges in the current on the conductive path due to the Lorentz force causes a change in vibration of the vibrating member. That change can be used to provide a measure of the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Emmanuel P. Quevy
  • Patent number: 8874060
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver with frequency planning includes an analog receiver, a digital processor, and a clock synthesizer. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, a signal output for providing an IF output signal, and a control output for providing a clock control signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving the clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal, and is controllable to adjust a frequency of the clock signal to a selected one of a predetermined number of frequencies within a predetermined frequency range in response to the clock control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Sherry X. Wu, Mustafa H. Koroglu, Alessandro Piovaccari, Ramin K. Poorfard
  • Patent number: 8872554
    Abstract: Externally configurable power-on-reset systems and methods for integrated circuits are disclosed that utilize internal power-on-reset circuitry and reset control circuitry to provide operational configurations determined by external connections. In one configuration where no dedicated external reset signal is desired, the reset control circuitry relies upon the internal power-one-reset circuitry to generate the internal reset control signal. In another configuration where an external reset signal is utilized, the reset control circuitry relies upon the external reset signal, which overrides the internal power-on-reset circuitry, to generate the internal reset control signal. In further configurations, the reset control circuitry utilizes logic circuitry controlled through a digital interface to determine when the internal reset control signal can be de-asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Pio Balmelli
  • Publication number: 20140306623
    Abstract: A method of operating a system including a MEMS device of an integrated circuit die includes generating an indicator of a device parameter of the MEMS device in a first mode of operating the system using a monitor structure formed using a MEMS structural layer of the integrated circuit die. The method includes generating, using a CMOS device of the integrated circuit die, a signal indicative of the device parameter and based on the indicator. The device parameter may be a geometric dimension of the MEMS device. The method may include, in a second mode of operating the system, compensating for a difference between a value of the signal and a target value of the signal. The method may include re-generating the indicator after exposing the MEMS device to stress and generating a second signal indicating a change in the device parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron J. Caffee, Brian G. Drost, Emmanuel P. Quevy
  • Publication number: 20140307759
    Abstract: A first integrated circuit die receives input data from a plurality of input channels and combines the input data from the plurality of input channels into combined data. The first integrated circuit die transmits the combined data across an isolation communication channel. A second integrated circuit die that is coupled to the isolation communication channel decodes the transmitted combined data and supplies the decoded transmitted combined data to respective output channels corresponding to the input channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Siddharth Sundar, Michael J. Mills, Hua Zhu, Riad Wahby, Jeffrey L. Sonntag, Yunteng Huang, Anantha Nag Nemmani
  • Patent number: 8861229
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a regulator circuit that generates a voltage in response to an input current being supplied to an input terminal and functional circuitry, powered by the voltage generated by the regulator circuit. The functional circuitry, e.g., an oscillator, generates a signal using the generated voltage, the signal indicative that the current is being supplied to the apparatus. The signal can be provided over an isolation link to provide a control signal for controlling a high voltage driver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Alfano, Timothy J. Dupuis, Zhiwei Dong, Brett E. Etter
  • Patent number: 8860514
    Abstract: A fractional-N divider supplies a divided clock signal. An adjusted divided clock signal is generated in a digital-to-time converter circuit having a delay linearly proportional to digital quantization errors of the fractional-N divider. The adjusted divided clock signal is generated based on first and second capacitors charging to a predetermined level. The charging of the first and second capacitors is interleaved in alternate periods of the divided clock. The charging of each capacitor with a current corresponding to respective digital quantization errors is interleaved with charging with a fixed current. A first edge of a first pulse of the adjusted divided clock signal is generated in response to the first capacitor charging to a predetermined voltage and a first edge of a next pulse of the adjusted divided clock signal is generated in response to the second capacitor charging to the predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Weltin-Wu, Yunteng Huang, Manu Seth
  • Patent number: 8852513
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for packaging integrated circuit (IC) gas sensor systems that employ at least one gas sensor that is formed as part of an integrated circuit and configured to sense the presence and/or concentration of a target gas or other gas characteristics that may be present in the ambient gaseous environment surrounding the packaged IC gas sensor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Speer, Leon Cavanagh, Peter Smith, John Pavelka
  • Patent number: 8852984
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit including a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes forming a first structural layer above at least one semiconductor device formed on a substrate. The method includes forming a second structural layer above the first structural layer. The second structural layer has a thickness substantially greater than a thickness of the first structural layer. The MEMS device comprises at least one portion of at least one of the first and second structural layers. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the method is carried out at one or more temperatures less than a tolerable threshold temperature for the at least one semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories
    Inventors: Emmanuel P. Quevy, Carrie W. Low, Jeremy Ryan Hui, Zhen Gu
  • Patent number: 8854130
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to peak detection. In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes an amplifier configured to amplify a signal. The apparatus further includes a peak detector DC coupled to an output of the amplifier. The peak detector includes a first comparator stage configured to perform subtraction of a threshold signal from the amplified signal. The peak detector further includes a second comparator stage is configured to amplify a differential output signal of the first comparator stage indicative of a result of the subtraction. In some embodiments, the amplifier and peak detector are included within automatic gain control system in a path for an in-phase or quadrature channel of the receiver chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Abdulkarim Coban, Wenhuan Yu
  • Patent number: 8848170
    Abstract: A technique includes using at least one emitter to generate a first optical signal to propagate along a first optical path to interact with a target, to generate a second optical signal and generate a third optical signal to propagate along a second optical path other than the first optical path to generate a fourth optical signal. The technique includes using at least one receiver to acquire a first measurement of the second optical signal and acquire a second measurement of the fourth optical signal. The technique includes generating an indication of a parameter that is associated with a target, which includes scaling a ratio of the first and second measurements based at least in part on optical communication between the emitter(s) and the receiver(s) that does not involve interaction with the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Christophe Jean Erez Hakim, Geoffrey Byron Noakes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8848110
    Abstract: A receiver circuit includes an analog front-end and a digital processing unit. The analog front-end includes an input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first control input for receiving a gain adjustment signal, a second control input for receiving a timing signal, and a signal output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The analog front-end updates gains of a plurality of gain stages according to the gain adjustment signal and in synchronism with the timing signal. The digital processing unit is configured to produce at least one output signal derived from the digital IF signal. The digital processing unit includes a timing recovery circuit configured to generate the timing signal based on the digital IF signal to control timing of the updating gains of each of the plurality of adjustable gain stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Alan F. Hendrickson, Alessandro Piovaccari, David S. Trager, Aslamali A. Rafi, Abdulkerim L. Coban, David Le Goff
  • Patent number: 8843080
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Kerth, Richard Behrens, Jeffrey Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8836392
    Abstract: A Micro Electrical Mechanical System (MEMS) oscillator supplies a MEMS clock signal to a digital locked loop that generates an output clock signal having a frequency that corresponds to a desired frequency ratio between the MEMS oscillator output signal and the digital locked loop output signal. The frequency ratio may be determined, at least in part, as a function of temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Sonntag
  • Patent number: 8837646
    Abstract: A technique includes using a receiver to process a radio frequency (RF) signal to downconvert spectral content from a first frequency band to a second frequency band to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The technique includes controlling a location of the second frequency band based at least in part on a selectable channel bandwidth of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Hendricus De Ruijter
  • Patent number: 8837611
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method may include storing information from a first frame of an incoming broadcast signal in a memory coupled to a demodulator, decoding a first preamble symbol of the first frame to determine a transmission mode, accessing at least some of the stored information from the memory and decoding at least one second preamble symbol of the first frame from the accessed information to determine pilot pattern information, and receiving data symbols of the first frame and synchronizing the demodulator based on the received data samples and the pilot pattern information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Vapillon, Gaetan Guillaume, Emmanuel Gautier
  • Publication number: 20140256279
    Abstract: Radio-frequency (RF) apparatus includes receiver analog circuitry that receives an RF signal and provides at least one digital signal to receiver digital circuitry that functions in cooperation with the receiver analog circuitry. The receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry are partitioned so that interference effects between the receiver analog circuitry and the receiver digital circuitry tend to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu Srinivasan