Patents Examined by Bryce Aisaka
  • Patent number: 9754068
    Abstract: A method includes providing a layout of a portion of a photomask. The layout includes a plurality of target features having a shape in accordance with a corresponding one of a target shape. For each of the target shapes, a local map specifying a respective value of a local sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) usefulness for each of a plurality of positions relative to the target shape is provided. For each of the target features, an assignment of a part of the values of the local SRAF usefulness of the local map for the target shape corresponding to a target feature to a position relative to the portion of the photomask is provided. A global map specifying a global SRAF usefulness for each of the positions relative to the portion of the photomask is provided on the basis of the assignment of the values of the local SRAF usefulness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventor: Andrey Lutich
  • Patent number: 9735029
    Abstract: A technique relates to a method of optimizing self-aligned double patterning. Predefined locations for required metal cuts are provided in order to form metal wires from metal fills that have been cut. Extended locations for extended metal cuts are provided in order to cut adjacent metal fills. The adjacent metal fills are the metal fills that are adjacent to the predefined locations for the required metal cuts, and the extended metal cuts extend beyond the required metal cuts. The required metal cuts into the metal fills are performed and the extended metal cuts into the adjacent metal fills are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Albert M. Chu, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Ximeng Guan, Myung-Hee Na
  • Patent number: 9716294
    Abstract: A battery controller with monitoring logic for a model-based battery control of a battery performs battery current characterizing, parameter and state variable abnormality detection, and bound checking of error signals between measured and predicted output variables to generate an output. Switching between closed-loop operation (i.e., the model-based battery control) and open-loop operation (i.e., a traditional battery control) is done based on the output of the monitoring logic such that closed-loop stability and performance are reasonably guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yonghua Li, Richard Dyche Anderson, Anthony Mark Phillips, Xu Wang
  • Patent number: 9711992
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel including at least one electrode, and a panel driving unit configured to drive the display panel. The display device further includes a power storage unit configured to store received power, and a switching unit configured to electrically connect the at least one electrode to one of the panel driving unit and the power storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myoung-hoon Jung, Jung-woo Kim, Young-Jun Yun
  • Patent number: 9703908
    Abstract: A method to generate a reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model is provided. The method may include measuring near-end S-parameter components and far-end S-parameter components of a twinaxial cable, reducing an original time delay of the far-end S-parameter components by multiplying each of the far-end S-parameter components by a complex exponential based on an equivalent delay length, a signal frequency, and an effective dielectric constant, simulating a signal transmitted across a twinaxial cable by running a 4-port SPICE model using the near-end S-parameter components and the multiplied far-end S-parameter components, and recording a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted signal with respect to frequency as outputs of the reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Zhaoqing Chen
  • Patent number: 9703189
    Abstract: In a method of calculating a shift value of a cell contact, a reference region and a correction region may be set on an image of an actual cell block. The cell block may include a plurality of actual cell contacts formed using a mask. Each of preliminary shift values of the actual cell contacts with respect to target cell contacts in a target cell block to be formed using the mask may be measured based on the image. The preliminary shift values of the actual cell contacts in the reference region may be minimized. Actual shift values of the actual cell contacts in the correction region with respect to the minimized preliminary shift values may be calculated. Thus, the mask may be corrected using the accurately measured shift values so that the cell contacts may have designed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ki-Ho Yang, Sibo Cai, Seung-Hune Yang
  • Patent number: 9698620
    Abstract: A wireless power charging system and a method thereof are provided. The system includes a power transmitter configured to charge one or more power receivers. The power transmitter includes a signal and control unit configured to detect the one or more power receivers present within a radio frequency range of a power transmitter, transmit a request for discovering each of the one or more power receivers, and determine whether a response is received from each of the one or more power receivers. The power transmitter further includes a regulator unit connected to the signal and control unit configured to modulate an amount of radiation to be transmitted based on the number of power receivers that provided a response and a power conversion unit connected to the regulator unit transmitting energy radiation to charge the one or more power receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ranjeet Kumar Patro, Thenmozhi Arunan
  • Patent number: 9697311
    Abstract: A method to generate a reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model is provided. The method may include measuring near-end S-parameter components and far-end S-parameter components of a twinaxial cable, reducing an original time delay of the far-end S-parameter components by multiplying each of the far-end S-parameter components by a complex exponential based on an equivalent delay length, a signal frequency, and an effective dielectric constant, simulating a signal transmitted across a twinaxial cable by running a 4-port SPICE model using the near-end S-parameter components and the multiplied far-end S-parameter components, and recording a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted signal with respect to frequency as outputs of the reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Zhaoqing Chen
  • Patent number: 9697312
    Abstract: A design system is provided. In one embodiment the design system includes an input module to receive specification data for a designed circuit including a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The configurable IC includes a number of analog elements for which parameters can be set by the design system, and a plurality of configurable signal path elements including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that is utilized in a plurality of different signal paths. The design system further includes a design module to generate a design for the designed circuit based on the specification data, and an output module to set parameters of at least one of the analog elements based on the design. Other embodiments are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: David A LeHoty, Antonio Visconti
  • Patent number: 9672300
    Abstract: A pattern generation method for generating a pattern of a cell used to generate a pattern of a mask using a computer, includes obtaining data of pattern of the cell, calculating image of the pattern of the cell to obtain an evaluation value of the image by repeatedly changing a parameter value of an exposure condition when the mask which has the pattern of the cell is illuminated to project image of the pattern of the cell onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and a parameter value of the pattern of the cell, and determining parameter value of the pattern of the cell when the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined evaluation standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Mikami, Tadashi Arai, Hiroyuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 9672301
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for test pattern selection for computational lithography model calibration. According to some aspects, the pattern selection algorithms of the present invention can be applied to any existing pool of candidate test patterns. According to some aspects, the present invention automatically selects those test patterns that are most effective in determining the optimal model parameter values from an existing pool of candidate test patterns, as opposed to designing optimal patterns. According to additional aspects, the selected set of test patterns according to the invention is able to excite all the known physics and chemistry in the model formulation, making sure that the wafer data for the test patterns can drive the model calibration to the optimal parameter values that realize the upper bound of prediction accuracy imposed by the model formulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Yu Cao, Wenjin Shao, Jun Ye, Ronaldus Johannes Gijsbertus Goossens
  • Patent number: 9659920
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an arrangement and a method of performance-aware buffer zone placement for a high-density array of unit cells. A first feature density of the array is measured and maximum variation for a parameter within a unit cell is determined. A look-up table of silicon data is consulted to predict a buffer zone width and gradient value that achieves a variation that is less than the maximum variation for the unit cell. The look-up table contains a suite of silicon test cases of various array and buffer zone geometries, wherein variation of the parameter within a respective test structure is measured and cataloged for the various buffer zone geometries, and is also extrapolated from the suite of silicon test cases. A buffer zone is placed at the border of the array with a width that is less than or equal to the buffer zone width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mu-Jen Huang, Hsiao-Hui Chen, Cheok-Kei Lei, Po-Tsun Chen, Yu-Sian Jiang
  • Patent number: 9653929
    Abstract: A battery charging apparatus and charging method thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a battery including a battery pack including at least one battery cell, a battery management system (BMS) configured to control the generation of a terminal voltage based on a type of the battery pack, and a terminal unit including electrodes configured to receive the terminal voltage. The apparatus further includes a charger including a controller configured to determine the type of the battery pack based on the terminal voltage and control the generation of a charging voltage corresponding to the type of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Woo Kam, Hiroaki Takechi, Won-Chull Han
  • Patent number: 9641014
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for controlling skin temperature of an electronic device. In one embodiment, a thermal sensor is configured on a case of a handheld electronic device. The thermal sensor is coupled to a battery charger having a current limit circuit. If the sensed temperature of the case increases above a threshold, a current limit is reduced to reduce current in the battery charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Christian G Sporck, Giovanni Garcea, Shadi Hawawini, Todd R Sutton
  • Patent number: 9639648
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided to correctly handle obstacles during cell partitioning, thereby preventing electronic design automation (EDA) tools from being subject to performance penalties during subsequent operations that are performed by the EDA tools on the cell partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
    Inventor: Aydin O. Balkan
  • Patent number: 9619595
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses related to the generation of test stimuli are described. In some embodiments, a finite state machine is generated based on a mission profile, and test stimuli are generated based on the mission profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Nirmaier, Georg Pelz
  • Patent number: 9613171
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to multi-cycle signal identification for static timing analysis. An aspect includes identifying, in a circuit under test, a multi-cycle signal, the multi-cycle signal having a longer period than a main clock signal of the circuit under test. Another aspect includes mapping a plurality of additional signals of the circuit under test onto the multi-cycle signal, the plurality of additional signals each having a shorter period than the multi-cycle signal. Yet another aspect includes performing static timing analysis of the circuit under test based on the multi-cycle signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Vasant B. Rao, William J. Wright, Xin Zhao
  • Patent number: 9600620
    Abstract: System and method of automatically performing repeater insertions in physical design of an integrated circuit. Repeaters are inserted in interconnects in a staggered fashion and spaced apart to accommodate potential flip-flop insertions. The sufficient spacing between the repeaters in combination with the staggered pattern ensures that flip-flop insertions can be performed at any of the repeater locations without space limitation. When rerouting is needed following a flip-flop insertion on an interconnect, automatic rerouting is performed but restricted to a short and specified region along the interconnect. Thereby, the resulted alteration from the current routing configuration is minimal and deterministic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: XPLIANT
    Inventors: Daman Ahluwalia, Nikhil Jayakumar
  • Patent number: 9588438
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for optimizing a lithographic projection apparatus including optimizing projection optics therein. The current embodiments include several flows including optimizing a source, a mask, and the projection optics and various sequential and iterative optimization steps combining any of the projection optics, mask and source. The projection optics is sometimes broadly referred to as “lens”, and therefore the optimization process may be termed source mask lens optimization (SMLO). SMLO may be desirable over existing source mask optimization process (SMO) or other optimization processes that do not include projection optics optimization, partially because including the projection optics in the optimization may lead to a larger process window by introducing a plurality of adjustable characteristics of the projection optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Duan-Fu Hsu, Luoqi Chen, Hanying Feng, Rafael C. Howell, Xinjian Zhou, Yi-Fan Chen
  • Patent number: 9583965
    Abstract: A device and method for controlling a charging path of a mobile terminal are provided. The charging path control device of a mobile terminal includes a power supply unit touch screen uniting a battery. The charging path control device also includes a charging unit configured to charge the battery by wire from an external power source and charge the battery by wireless from the external power source. The charging path control device also includes a controller configured to control a charging path to one of a wire charging path, wireless charging path, and wired and wireless simultaneous charging path based on a charge efficiency level to perform charge through the charging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junghoon Park