Patents Assigned to Texas Instruments
  • Method to engineer the inverse narrow width effect (INWE) in CMOS technology using shallow trench isolation (STI)
    Patent number: 7045436
    Abstract: A method (200) of forming an isolation structure is disclosed, and includes forming an isolation trench in a semiconductor body (214) associated with an isolation region, and filling a bottom portion of the isolation trench with an implant masking material (216). An angled ion implant is performed into the isolation trench (218) after having the bottom portion thereof filled with the implant masking material, thereby forming a threshold voltage compensation region in the semiconductor body. Subsequently, the isolation trench is filled with a dielectric material (220).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Amitava Chatterjee, Alwin Tsao, Manuel Quevedo-Lopez, Jong Yoon, Shaoping Tang
  • Automated teller machine, a personal wireless device and methods of transferring funds therebetween
    Publication number: 20060100961
    Abstract: An automated teller machine (ATM), a personal wireless device (PWD) and methods of transferring funds therebetween. In one embodiment, the ATM includes (1) a user interface configured to receive direct input from a user, (2) a personal wireless device (PWD) authenticator associated with the user interface and configured to authenticate a PWD based on a unique identification code contained therein and (3) an order transmitter associated with the PWD authenticator and configured to employ the direct input to transmit an electronic funds transfer order to the PWD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Paterno, Leonardo Estevez
  • System and method for securing the initialization of an inherently non-secure smartcard controller
    Publication number: 20060097040
    Abstract: A system and method for securing the initialization of a Smartcard controller and a Smartcard terminal incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a firmware loader associated with a Smartcard controller and configured to receive and authenticate firmware and provide an associated Smartcard driver digital signature and (2) a Smartcard driver associated with the Smartcard controller and configured to be authenticated using the Smartcard driver digital signature and authenticate the firmware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: Texas Instruments, Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel Castillo, Keith Mowery, Cheng Xu
  • Substrate via pad structure providing reliable connectivity in array package devices
    Publication number: 20060097400
    Abstract: A substrate via pod structure providing reliable connectivity in array package devices. The reliability is attained by providing a protruding metal stud in the via area, with the stud being connected to a conductive metal trace (which provides conductive path to a bond pad of an integrated circuit). Due to the presence of the metal stud, increased area of contact is obtained between a solder ball and the conductive metal trace. In an embodiment, the stud contains a well surrounded by protruding portions. The slopes of the protruding portions lead to enhanced resistance in different directions to various cohesive forces that would be present during mounting operations, thereby avoiding solder ball cracking problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark Cruz, Jerry Cayabyab, Joel Medina
  • High performance, low leakage SRAM device and a method of placing a portion of memory cells of an SRAM device in an active mode
    Publication number: 20060098474
    Abstract: An SRAM device a method of placing a portion of memory cells of an SRAM device in an active mode. In one embodiment, the SRAM device includes (1) a set of memory cells and (2) biasing circuitry, coupled to the set, configured to bias a subset of the set based on a memory address associated therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Luan Dang, Hiep Van Tran
  • Video correction system and method using logarithmic conversion
    Patent number: 7042523
    Abstract: A video correction system and method are disclosed that provide video correction for an input signal. The system includes a logarithmic converter that creates a logarithmic representation of the input signal. A configurable corrector/converter comprises a plurality of associated components operative to process the logarithmic representation of the input signal. The configurable corrector/converter produces an output signal having at least one desirable signal characteristic. A switch control selects a configuration for the corrector/converter. The configuration indicates at least one of the plurality of associated components that will process the logarithmic representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Towfique Haider, Walter H. Demmer, Bart DeCanne
  • Power-line, differential, isolation loss detector
    Patent number: 7042690
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an integrated differential isolation loss detector is disclosed that generates a first temperature that is a function of a high side current and a second temperature that is a function of a low side current. A temperature sensor senses the difference between the first and second temperatures and provides an output signal that is indicative of the magnitude and the polarity of the sensed difference. A controller receives the output signal and if the difference is greater than a predetermined magnitude the high side current, the low side current, or both can be disconnected from the load. In another embodiment, an integrated differential isolation loss detector is disclosed that includes a first temperature difference generator that generates first and second temperatures where the difference between the first and second temperatures is a function of the magnitude of the high side current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Barry Jon Male
  • Slide case with pivotable stand member for handheld computing device
    Patent number: 7042713
    Abstract: A handheld computing device includes a display screen, a main housing portion, a removable case, and a stand member. The main housing retains the display screen. The removable case is adapted to slidably fit over at least part of the main housing. The stand member is pivotably coupled to the case. The stand member, the case, and the main housing are configured so that the main housing may be retained at a tilt angle relative to a surface by the stand member and the case when the case is laying on the surface and when the stand member is pivoted relative to the case to form a stand angle between the stand member and the case. Preferably, the handheld computing device is a system adapted to have a storage configuration, a laying usage configuration, and a tilted usage configuration. The handheld computing device may be a graphing calculator, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Matthew Thomas Nicolosi
  • Synchronization of clock signals in a multi-clock domain
    Patent number: 7042250
    Abstract: A synchronizer circuit which synchronizes an input clock signal to a sampling clock to generate a synchronized signal. In an embodiment, an adaptive module detects the occurrence of a positive edge in an input clock signal after a logic low corresponding to a prior negative edge is propagated to as a synchronized signal, and provides a logic high as an input to a sampling module. The sampling module propagates the signal led at the input as the synchronized signal. The adaptive module causing the input to remain at logic high at least until the synchronization module provides logic level as the synchronized signal. The negative edges in the input signal may also be processed similarly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Pranab Ghosh, Amitabha Banerjee, Sanchayan Sinha
  • Method for reducing stress concentrations on a semiconductor wafer by surface laser treatment including the backside
    Patent number: 7041578
    Abstract: A method for treating an area of a semiconductor wafer surface with a laser for reducing stress concentrations is disclosed. The wafer treatment method discloses treating an area of a wafer surface with a laser beam, wherein the treated area is ablated or melted by the beam and re-solidifies into a more planar profile, thereby reducing areas of stress concentration and stress risers that contribute to cracking and chipping during wafer singulation. Preferably, the treated area has a width less than that of a scribe street, but wider than the kerf created by a wafer dicing blade. Consequently, when the wafer is singulated, the dicing blade will preferably saw through treated areas only. It will be understood that the method of the preferred embodiments may be used to treat other areas of stress concentration and surface discontinuities on the wafer, as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard L. Mahle, Peter J. Sakakini
  • Output stage circuit for an operational amplifier
    Patent number: 7042290
    Abstract: An output stage circuit is configured for enabling an output of an amplifier circuit to be pulled upwards and/or downwards to or beyond an upper power supply or below a lower power supply. The exemplary output stage circuit comprises a pair of output transistors configured to provide an output voltage, and a controlled resistive circuit. The controlled resistive element is configured to enhance the gain of the output stage circuit by modifying the dynamic impedance effect of the upper output transistor during pull-up operation, or the lower output transistor during pull-down operation. During normal operation, the controlled resistive element operates with low resistance, e.g., acts as a “short,” but during the pull-up or pull-down operation the controlled resistive element can be configured to add resistance to modify the dynamic impedance of the upper or lower output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joy Y. Zhang, Rodney T. Burt
  • Estimating current density parameters on signal leads of an integrated circuit
    Patent number: 7043705
    Abstract: Estimating current density parameters on signal leads of an integrated circuit using computer aided design (CAD) tools. The signal leads are modeled as an impedance network (e.g., containing resistors and capacitors) and the driver cells are modeled as triangle (current) signal. The parameters of the triangle signal (e.g. peaks, periodicity) may be determined based on the characterization data of corresponding driver cell. By measuring the signals transferred on the impedances, the current density parameters on signal leads may be estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ananth G Somayaji, Sugandhini Karunanidhi
  • Overhead material handling system and track block
    Patent number: 7040238
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a material handling system (100) and method (200) for isolating a carrier mechanism (110) from the system. The system (100) comprises a track (103) having a channel (105), a turntable (115), and a carrier mechanism (110) coupled to the track structure via the channel. The system (100) further comprises a maintenance station (125), comprising a stub track (130), wherein the stub track is operably coupled to the track structure (103) via the turntable (115). The maintenance station (125) further comprises a power supply (135) and one or more connectors (140) operable to electrically couple the carrier (110) to the power supply (135). One or more stop blocks (145) are provided which are removably coupled to the stub track (130), wherein the stop blocks each comprise a body (155) having a rod (160) extending therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard J. Davis, Leonard Paul Siemantel
  • Synchronizing on-chip data processor trace and timing information for export
    Patent number: 7043418
    Abstract: Emulation information indicative of internal operations of a data processor can be provided for use by an apparatus external to the data processor. A stream of emulation trace information indicative of data processing operations performed by the data processor is provided. A stream of timing information indicative of operation of a clock used by the data processor to perform data processing operations is also provided. The trace stream and the timing stream have inserted therein information indicative of a temporal relationship between the trace information and the timing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gary L. Swoboda, Robert A. McGowan
  • Shock protection for compressed audio on a CD player
    Patent number: 7042813
    Abstract: A media player permits multiple compressed media files to be concurrently stored in memory interval to the media player. By concurrently buffering more than one compressed media file at a time, any mechanical disturbance that occurs during the playing of a file or between files will not cause a cessation of audio. Further, skipping ahead or in reverse is advantageously expedited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas N. Millikan, Sreenivas Kothandaraman
  • Direct attachment of semiconductor chip to organic substrate
    Patent number: 7042070
    Abstract: A method for attaching an integrated circuit chip to an organic substrate comprising the steps of providing an integrated circuit chip having an active and a passive surface, said active surface including a protective polymer layer; activating said polymer layer by exposing it to reactive ion etching plasma, thereby increasing the surface roughness and imparting affinity to adhesion; providing an electrically insulating substrate having first and second surfaces; and contacting said second surface of said substrate to said activated polymer layer on said chip, whereby strong adhesion is exerted at the interface between said layer and said substrate, directly attaching said substrate to said chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Chee Kiang Yew, Masazumi Amagai
  • Modem transmission over packet networks
    Patent number: 7042833
    Abstract: A system for transmitting modern signals across a packet network with improved resistance to bursty network packet loss that includes a first and a second processor, which connect a first and second V.32 and above modem to a first and a second side of the packet network and which provide a modified V.42 error correction using a Link Access Procedure for Modems (LAPM). The first and second processors provide a local interface to the V.32 and above moderns, demodulate a first and second data stream from the corresponding V.32 modems into bits, packetize the bits for transport over the packet network according to an Internet Protocol (IP), and remodulate data streams received from a remote end. The modified V.42 error correction includes a staggered redundancy of packet data, in which the staggered redundancy attaches data from a packet n1 to a subsequent packet nL, where L>2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ted George, Erhan Guven, Frank Edward Fruth
  • High speed gain amplifier and method in ADCs
    Patent number: 7042383
    Abstract: An ADC implemented according to an aspect of the present invention contains a non-zero bit stage followed by a zero-bit stage. The non-zero bit stage generates a sub-code, which is used in generating a digital code corresponding to an input analog signal, and the zero-bit stage does not provide any such sub-codes. Such a feature may be attained by using a gain amplifier provided according to another aspect of the present invention. The gain amplifier contains a main-amplifier which operates as a zero bit stage, and is also used by the non-zero bit stage. The same capacitance value may be maintained between the input terminal and output terminal of the main-amplifier to implement the zero bit stage, which enables the main-amplifier to be implemented with a low gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vineet Mishra, Visvesvaraya A. Pentakota
  • Background noise estimation method for an improved G.729 annex B compliant voice activity detection circuit
    Patent number: 7043428
    Abstract: A method of initializing an ITU Recommendation G.729 Annex B compliant voice activity detection (VAD) device is disclosed, having the steps of (1) determining a first set of running average background noise characteristics in accordance with Recommendation G.729B; (2) determining a second set of running average background noise characteristics; and (3) substituting the second set of running average background noise characteristics for the first set when a specific event occurs. The specific event is a divergence between the first and second sets of running average background noise characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Dunling Li
  • High density memory array
    Patent number: 7042030
    Abstract: The memory array contains two layers representing word lines of different rows. Each row contains multiple bit cells sharing the same word line. The two layers are stacked one on top of another to form a high density memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Suresh Balasuramanian, Stephen Wayne Spriggs, George Jamison, Mohan Mishra