Patents Examined by Colleen J O Toole
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Patent number: 10705558Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an input clock switching system, including: a clock source configured to output a reference clock signal; a clock generator circuit connected to the clock source and configured to output a plurality of input clock signals based on the reference clock signal; an output clock multiplexer, configured to: receive the plurality of input clock signals; receive an output clock selection signal; and output a first clock signal, wherein the first clock signal is one of the input clock signals; and a glitch suppression circuit, configured to: receive the first clock signal; receive a glitch suppression signal; output a clock output signal, wherein the clock output signal is: the first clock signal when the glitch suppression signal is in a first state; and a logic low signal when the glitch suppression signal is in a second state.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Yu Huang, Nam Dang
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Patent number: 10671911Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a driver circuit including a first amplifier having a voltage follower configured to control a first node to maintain a voltage of the first node at a constant value. By maintaining the first node voltage, the first amplifier having the voltage follower is further configured to have a first amplifier output current into the first node at a value without the effect of the voltage fluctuation. The driver circuit further includes a second amplifier configured to control a second node, wherein the second amplifier is in a current mirror configuration with respect to the first amplifier such that a second amplifier current output is a highly precise mirror of the first amplifier current output.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2016Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Mark B. Ritter, Takeo Yasuda
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Patent number: 10666272Abstract: A COT control circuit for DC-DC converter. The COT control circuit has a synchronizing signal generator, an on time generator and a frequency locking circuit. The synchronizing signal generator generates a synchronizing signal and a frequency-modulated signal. The on time generator receives an input voltage signal, an output voltage signal, an error signal and the frequency-modulated signal to generate an on time signal. The error signal is generated by the frequency locking circuit based on the on time signal and the synchronizing signal. The operation frequency of a steady state of the DC-DC converter is regulated through changing the value of the frequency-modulated signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.Inventor: Lei Li
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Patent number: 10659033Abstract: A power supply system for USB Power Delivery includes a current source drive circuit to control a power FET to regulate the supply of power along a power path. The current source drive circuit includes a cascode current source and a cascode protection circuit formed by a source follower and a feedback voltage divider. The source follower can be a transistor with its gate connected to a cascode node between upper- and lower-stage transistors of the cascode current source. The divider node of the voltage divider is connected to the gate of the lower-stage transistor. The current source drive circuit can operate within the gate-source voltage specifications of 30-volt DEPMOS devices, and can provide high output impedance to the gate of power FET and a current limit circuit during current limiting operation, without requiring an extra high-voltage mask during fabrication.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2017Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Sujan Kundapur Manohar, Michael James Mills, Justin Patrick Vogt
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Patent number: 10643125Abstract: Embodiments include methods and systems of neuron leaky integrate and fire circuit (NLIFC). Aspects include: receiving an input current having both AC component and DC component at an input terminal of the NLIFC, extracting AC component of input current, generating a number of swing voltages at a swing node using extracted AC component of the input current, transferring charge from a pull-up node to a neuron membrane potential (NP) node through an integration diode and a pull-up diode to raise a voltage at NP node over an integration capacitor gradually and the voltage at NP node shows integration value of AC component of input current, implementing leaky decay function of the neuron leaky integrate and fire circuit, detecting a timing of neuron fire using an analog comparator, resetting a neuron membrane potential level for a refractory period after neuron fire, and generating fire output signal of the NLIFC.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2016Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Mark B. Ritter, Takeo Yasuda
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Patent number: 10601423Abstract: A Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (differential signaling) driver circuit (10) comprising enable circuitry for enabling and disabling the differential signaling driver circuit (10) in accordance with an control signal is described. The differential signaling driver circuit (10) comprises: a differential output (12, 13) connected or connectable to a differential signaling receiver circuit via a differential transmission line; current control circuitry (14) for driving a signal current through the differential output (12, 13) in accordance with a driver signal; feedback circuitry (16) for driving the current control circuitry (14) to counteract a difference between a common mode voltage of the differential output (12, 13) and a reference voltage from a reference voltage provider; and the enable circuitry (18).Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: NXP USA, INC.Inventors: Alexey Michailovich Balashov, Andrey Evgenevich Malkov
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Patent number: 10594299Abstract: The present disclosure provides an analog counter circuit for use in a minimal-sized circuitry. The analog counter circuit of the present disclosure can provide much higher resolution versus power consumption and layout area as compared to conventional digital counters. The analog counter circuit of the present disclosure can also provide much better bias supply management, step accuracy, multi-element step uniformity and lower supply spiking as compared to conventional analog counter architectures. The compact size of the disclosed counter circuit allows better integration of arrayed elements, such as, an array of image sensing pixels or an array of artificial neurons.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: SENSEEKER ENGINEERING, INC.Inventors: Kenton Veeder, Aaron Bluestone, Christoph von Jutrzenka Trzebiatowski, Nishant Dhawan
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Patent number: 10586796Abstract: A circuit has first and second semiconductor switches, each of which has a load path and control terminal connected in series. Each switch includes a first semiconductor device having a load path and a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of its switch, and a second semiconductor device having a load path between first and second load terminals, and a control terminal. Each second semiconductor device has its load path connected in series to the load path of the corresponding first semiconductor device. The semiconductor devices are coupled such that the second semiconductor devices are controlled by a load path voltage of the first semiconductor devices. The switches are integrated in a common semiconductor body. The first switch is implemented in a first area of the semiconductor body, and the second switch is implemented in a second area. In a horizontal plane, the first area surrounds the second area.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2019Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Rolf Weis
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Patent number: 10574228Abstract: The signal multiplexer 1 inputs two selection signals CLK<1>, CLK<2> that sequentially reach significant levels, inputs two input signals IN<1>, IN<2>, and outputs, from an output terminal 14, a signal OUT that depends on an m-th input signal IN<m> of the two input signals when an m-th selection signal CLK<m> of the two selection signals is at the significant level. The signal multiplexer 1 includes a resistance unit 20 and two drive units 301, 302. Each of the drive units 30m includes a driving switch 31m, a selecting switch 32m, and a potential stabilizing switch 33m. When one of the selecting switch 32m and the potential stabilizing switch 33m in each of the drive units 30m is in a closed state, the other is in an open state.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: THINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Yusuke Fujita, Satoshi Miura, Shunichi Kubo
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Patent number: 10548201Abstract: The power supply device includes a power switch including one terminal to which an input voltage is transferred; an inductor including one terminal connected to another terminal of the power switch; a diode connected between a ground and a floating ground; a sensing resistor connected between the floating ground and the one terminal of the inductor. A switch controller compares a modulation sensing voltage depending on a sensing voltage generated from the sensing resistor with a high peak reference and a low peak reference when a LED string is connected between an inductor and the ground. The switch controller controls a switching operation of a power switch according to the comparison result. The high peak reference and the low peak reference are references for controlling an upper limit and a lower limit of an LED current flowing through the LED string, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2019Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventors: Young-Je Lee, Gye-Hyun Cho, Jae-Yong Lee, Yoon-Woong Chung, Ji-Hoon Jang
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Patent number: 10541683Abstract: A high-ohmic circuit includes a plurality of high-ohmic branches coupled in parallel between a first node and a second node. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches includes a first plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a first series path from the first node to the second node, each of the first plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a first diode-connected transistor. Each of the plurality of high-ohmic branches further includes a second plurality of series connected resistive elements forming a second series path from the first node to the second node, each of the second plurality of series connected resistive elements comprising a second diode-connected transistor. The high-ohmic circuit further includes a plurality of switches, each of the switches being coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of high-ohmic branches and the second node.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Cesare Buffa, Elmar Bach
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Patent number: 10536139Abstract: A power-gate circuit includes a power-gate transistor operable to switch to decouple a first supply voltage from a second supply voltage during an idle mode, and to couple the first supply voltage to the second supply voltage during a full operational mode. Part of the charge stored at a gate terminal of the power-gate transistor, would have been otherwise flushed to ground while turning on the power-gate transistor, is routed to the rail of the second supply voltage of the logic block. Part of the charge on the rail of the second supply voltage is used to charge the gate terminal of the power-gate transistor to deactivate the power-gate transistor if the logic block goes to the idle mode. Energy is saved both ways because of the charge recycling and the ability to use the power-gate circuit even in cases where the duration of the idle mode may be short.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2018Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Shai Rotem, Norbert Unger, Michael Zelikson
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Patent number: 10523211Abstract: A divider includes ? divider stages that may be turned off without toggling to extend the divide range of the divider while also reducing the impact of spurs on the divider output, and preserving the timing margin to update the divide ratio glitchlessly. A ? divider stage responds to an input enable signal being deasserted and a modulus input signal being asserted to remain in a disabled state in which the divider stage does not toggle by ensuring storage elements outputs in the divider stage remain constant. The divider further selects an update clock for the divide ratio of the divider utilizing an output from a most downstream stage that remains enabled.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2016Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.Inventor: Brian G. Drost
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Patent number: 10505526Abstract: A high frequency multichannel pulse width modulation (PWM) control apparatus includes a pre-scaler configured to divide a frequency of a main clock signal to generate a first clock signal, and a multichannel PWM generator including first to n-th PWM generators, the PWM generators comprising corresponding periods and duties, configured to generate, respectively, first to n-th PWM signals, through first and second N/2-bit counting for the main clock signal, using the first clock signal, wherein each of the first to n-th PWM generators performs the first N/2-bit counting on the main clock signal based on the first clock signal, a corresponding coarse duty value, and a corresponding coarse period value to generate a fine clock signal, and performs the second N/2-bit counting on the fine clock signal based on a corresponding fine duty value and a corresponding fine period value to generate a corresponding PWM signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Jin Yong Kang
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Patent number: 10432193Abstract: A switch architecture suitable for use in high frequency RF applications. A switching circuit includes a common port and one or more user ports, any of which may be selectively coupled to the common port by closing an associated path switch; non-selected, unused ports are isolated from the common port by opening an associated path switch. Between each path switch and a port are associated split shunt switches for selectively coupling an associated signal path to circuit ground. Between each path switch and a port is an associated split absorptive switch module. Each split absorptive switch module includes a split resistor coupled in parallel with a switch. The combination of the split resistor and the switch of the split absorptive switch module is placed in series with a corresponding signal path from each port to the common port.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2016Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: pSemi CorporationInventor: Eric S. Shapiro
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Patent number: 10418809Abstract: A power management integrated circuit includes pairs of high-side and low-side drivers, sensing circuitry, and a processor. The high-side and low-side drivers are used in combination with external discrete NFETs to drive multiple windings of a motor. The N-channel LDMOS transistor of each high-side driver has an associated isolation structure and a tracking and clamping circuit. If the voltage on a terminal of the integrated circuit pulses negative during a switching of current flow to the motor, then the isolation structure and tracking and clamping circuit clamps the voltage on the isolation structure and blocks current flow from the substrate to the drain. An associated ESD protection circuit allows the voltage on the terminal to pulse negative. As a result, a large surge of current that would otherwise flow through the high-side driver is blocked, and is conducted outside the integrated circuit through a body diode of an external NFET.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2019Assignee: Active-Semi, Inc.Inventor: Steven Huynh
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Patent number: 10418899Abstract: A switch circuit includes a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor of a same conductivity type connected in parallel between a first terminal and a second terminal. The first and second MOS transistors have respective gate terminals coupled to the control terminal to receive a control signal to turn the switch circuit on or off where the control signal transitions from a first voltage level to a second voltage level at a slow rate of change. The first MOS transistor has a first threshold voltage and the second MOS transistor has a second threshold voltage where the first threshold voltage is less than the second threshold voltage.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2014Date of Patent: September 17, 2019Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor IncorporatedInventors: Sik K. Lui, Daniel S. Ng, Xiaobin Wang
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Patent number: 10382034Abstract: An apparatus for sensing distributed load currents provided by power gating circuit. The apparatus includes a power gating circuit including a set of bulk transistors coupled in series with a set of circuits between first and second voltage rails. The apparatus includes a current sensor with a first ring oscillator, a first frequency-to-code (FTC) converter, a second ring oscillator, a second FTC converter, and a subtractor. The first ring oscillator includes a first set of one or more inverters configured to receive a first voltage at a node between the power gating circuit and the first circuit, and a second set of one or more inverters configured to receive a second voltage at a second node between the power gating circuit and the second circuit. The first ring oscillator is configured to generate a signal including a frequency related to the voltage drops across the first and second sets of transistors.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Guoan Zhong, Junmou Zhang, Nan Chen
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Patent number: 10382036Abstract: Disclosed is circuitry for operating a switch which sees high voltage swings across its source, gate, drain, and bulk terminals. The circuitry generates one or more bias voltages in proportion to an input voltage swing. The one or more bias voltages may be used to bias the gate and bulk terminals to provide reliable and improved turn OFF performance in the switch.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Alok Prakash Joshi, Gireesh Rajendran
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Patent number: 10334668Abstract: Disclosed is an LED driver adapted to an electronic transformer, where the LED driver can ensure that the electronic transformer meets minimum load current requirements, and operates during an entire AC period by clamping the minimum inductor current. By controlling the LED load current through a current stabilization control circuit, the LED load can operate with relatively high control accuracy and fast response speed. In addition, the LED driver can match various electronic transformers based on traditional circuit structures, and the LED load can operate without flicking.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTDInventors: Fenghong Fan, Qiukai Huang