Patents Examined by Diana J Cheng
  • Patent number: 12047072
    Abstract: A latch circuit comprising a tristate driver and a storage feedback loop and having minimal circuit elements is disclosed. The tristate driver and feedback loop couple to internal nodes of a separate latch circuit to reduce total circuit element count by collapsing elements with common functionality into a single circuit element. The latch circuit presents only one transistor gate load to a clock signal, and the output of the separate latch is coupled to the input of the latch circuit to form a flip-flop. The flip-flop generates an output signal based on a received input signal when the clock signal is at second level and stores the received input signal when the clock signal is at first level. The flip-flop is fully static, contention-free, with near-zero setup time, with less circuit elements than prior arts, and can be configured to integrate multi-input logic functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Inventor: Steve Dao
  • Patent number: 12028082
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) that generates a VCO clock in response to a voltage control signal, a divider that divides the VCO clock to output a division clock, a phase-frequency error detector that receives a reference clock and outputs a first error compensation signal, a sampler that receives the reference clock and oversamples the reference clock at a rising edge or a falling edge to output a sampling clock, a window phase error detector that receives the reference clock and outputs a second error compensation signal, a residue phase error detector that outputs a third error compensation signal, an adder that accumulates the first error compensation signal, the second error compensation signal, and the third error compensation signal to output a final error compensation signal, and a loop filter that converts and output the final error compensation signal into the voltage control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Ja Yol Lee
  • Patent number: 12028021
    Abstract: A current mode end-to-end signal path includes, a digital to analog converter (DAC), operating in current mode and an upconverting mixer, operating in current mode and operatively coupled to the DAC, wherein analog inputs and analog outputs of the DAC and the upconverting mixer are represented as currents, and the DAC generates a baseband signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sudipto Chakraborty, David James Frank, John Francis Bulzacchelli, Rajiv Joshi, Daniel Joseph Friedman
  • Patent number: 12019406
    Abstract: A system delays input clock signals using time-to-digital converters (TDCs) to convert edges or the clock signals to digital values and storing the digital values in a memory. The digital values are retrieved from the memory based on a desired delay. A time counter used by the TDCs to determine the edges is also used determine the delay. The accuracy and range of the delay depends on the time counter and size of the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnan Balakrishnan, James David Barnette
  • Patent number: 12021528
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for driving an inductive load. The semiconductor device includes an output-stage switch connected to the inductive load for operating the inductive load; a voltage detection circuit configured to output a detection signal responsive to an overvoltage being higher than or equal to a clamp voltage; a drive circuit configured to apply a drive signal having a first threshold voltage to a gate of the output-stage switch, responsive to the overvoltage being lower than the clamp voltage, to turn on the output-stage switch; and a voltage application circuit configured to apply a voltage signal having a second threshold voltage higher than the first threshold voltage to the gate of the output-stage switch, responsive to the overvoltage being higher than or equal to the clamp voltage and upon receiving the detection signal from the voltage detection circuit, to turn on the output-stage switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Morio Iwamizu
  • Patent number: 12009847
    Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide apparatus and techniques to reduce a direct current (DC) voltage offset between a transmitter and receiver. Embodiments include a shared reference voltage signal generated by a reference voltage source. The receiver may include a first unit gain buffer to receive a reference voltage signal from the reference voltage source. The transmitter may be communicatively coupled to the receiver via one or more connections and may include a second unit gain buffer communicatively coupled to the first unit gain buffer via one of the connections. An amplifier (e.g., an operation amplifier) of the transmitter may include multiple positive inputs coupled to the second unit gain buffer and an offset tracker. The offset tracker may compensate for a DC offset caused by at least a power supply and/or a ground bounce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hongrui Wang, Abbas Komijani, Xinhua Chen
  • Patent number: 12003218
    Abstract: A mixer with a filtering function and a method for linearization of the mixer are provided. The mixer includes at least one amplifier, a transconductance device and a feedback network. The at least one amplifier is configured to output a filtered voltage signal according to an input voltage signal. The transconductance device is coupled to the at least one amplifier, and is configured to generate a filtered current signal according to the filtered voltage signal. The feedback network is coupled between any output terminal among at least one output terminal of the transconductance device and an input terminal of the at least one amplifier. More particularly, the mixer is configured to output a modulated signal according to the filtered current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Tse-Yu Chen, Chun-Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 11990869
    Abstract: A circuit device includes an oscillation circuit configured to oscillate a resonator to thereby generate an oscillation signal, a waveform shaping circuit to which the oscillation signal is input, and which is configured to output a clock signal obtained by performing waveform shaping on the oscillation signal, a first duty adjustment circuit configured to perform a duty adjustment of the clock signal, and an output buffer circuit configured to output a first output clock signal and a second output clock signal to an outside based on the clock signal. The output buffer circuit includes a second duty adjustment circuit configured to perform a duty adjustment of the second output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11984899
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit includes a phase frequency detector (PFD) circuit, a digital code generator circuit, a frequency divider and an oscillator circuit. The PFD circuit is configured to detect a difference in phase and frequency between a reference clock and a feedback clock to generate a first control signal and a second control signal. The digital code generator circuit is configured to process the second control signal to generate a digital code. The frequency divider is configured to receive an output clock to generate the feedback clock. The oscillator circuit is configured to generate the output clock according to the first control signal and the digital code. A frequency of the output clock is determined according to a first control parameter and a second control parameter of different types. The first and second control parameters are adjusted in response to the first control signal and the digital code respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: M31 TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ching-Hsiang Chang, Yu-Hsun Chien
  • Patent number: 11984876
    Abstract: In at least one example, an apparatus includes a logic circuit having a switch control output and first and second logic circuit inputs. A pulse generator has a generator output coupled to the first logic circuit input. An elevated temperature detector has a detector output and a temperature sensor. The detector output is coupled between the second logic circuit input and the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Robert Allan Neidorff, Robert Kenneth Oppen
  • Patent number: 11979155
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: first and second transistors provided between a first power source and an output terminal; a step-down circuit that generates a second power source from the first power source; a power source switch circuit that outputs, as a fourth power source, a higher one of potentials of the second power source and a third power source; and a level shifter circuit that transits between the first power source and a fourth power source. The first transistor has a gate connected to an output of the level shifter circuit; the second transistor has a gate connected to the fourth power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventors: Masahisa Iida, Masahiro Gion
  • Patent number: 11979165
    Abstract: A frequency multiplier circuit includes a first multiplier circuit to generate a first digital value representing a received reference signal having a reference frequency and reference phase, the multiplier circuit to multiply the first digital value by a multiplier value. Comparison circuitry compares the first digital value to an output digital value representing an output signal having an output frequency and an output phase, the comparison circuitry to generate an error signal based on the comparison. A programmable loop filter generates a control signal based at least in part on the error signal. A frequency generation circuit produces the output signal having the output frequency and phase. A phase-to-digital converter generates and feeds the output digital value to the phase comparison circuitry. A programmable transition controller controls a transitioning frequency relationship between a first signal frequency of a first locked output signal and a desired second signal frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Movellus Circuits Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Howe, Xiao Wu, Jeffrey Alan Fredenburg
  • Patent number: 11973509
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop (PLL) that provides a local oscillator signal for a radio. An oscillator of the PLL supplies an oscillator output signal. Control logic receives a request to change the oscillator output signal to a new frequency and responds to the request by setting a first capacitor circuit of the oscillator to a first capacitance that corresponds to a predetermined frequency of the oscillator output signal. The control logic also responds to the request by setting one or more other capacitor circuits of the oscillator according to temperature and according to a frequency difference between the predetermined frequency and the new frequency. After responding to the request by setting the first capacitor circuit and the one or more other capacitor circuits, the PLL locks to the new frequency using a signal from the PLL loop filter to adjust another capacitor circuit in the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Rangakrishnan Srinivasan, Zhongda Wang, Francesco Barale, Wenhuan Yu, Mustafa H. Koroglu, Yan Zhou, Terry L. Dickey
  • Patent number: 11967961
    Abstract: A clock generation circuit includes a control clock generation circuit and first and second clock synchronization circuits. The control clock generation circuit compares a reference voltage with first and second feedback clock signals to generate first and second control clock signals. The first clock synchronization circuit makes the first and second feedback clock signals transit in synchronization with the first and second control clock signals. The second clock synchronization circuit generates first and second phase clock signals in synchronization with the first feedback clock signal and the second feedback clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Chul Lee
  • Patent number: 11967965
    Abstract: Clock generation circuit generating multiple divided signals satisfying respective desired offsets. A phase locked loop (PLL) is used to generate a PLL output having a frequency which is a desired multiple of that of a reference clock. The circuit divides the PLL output by a corresponding divisor to generate a corresponding divided signal, wherein each divided signal is offset from a common reference by at least an associated desired time offset. The common reference is timed with respect to the reference clock when the reference clock is available and with respect to a time reference signal otherwise. This arrangement is extended to use the internal time reference signal even for the cases where the reference clock is present by blocking the reference clock while the output systems across PLLs are aligned using the internal time reference signal to ensure desired offsets across different PLLs with a small uncertainty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Shaoxing Yuanfang Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Raja Prabhu J, Ankit Seedher, Srinath Sridharan, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Nitesh Naidu, Shivam Agrawal, Jeevabharathi G, Purva Choudhary
  • Patent number: 11962304
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include a pre-pulse switching system. The pre-pulsing switching system may include: a power source configured to provide a voltage greater than 100 V; a pre-pulse switch coupled with the power source and configured to provide a pre-pulse having a pulse width of Tpp; and a main switch coupled with the power source and configured to provide a main pulse such that an output pulse comprises a single pulse with negligible ringing. The pre-pulse may be provided to a load by closing the pre-pulse switch while the main switch is open. The main pulse may be provided to the load by closing the main switch after a delay Tdelay after the pre-pulse switch has been opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: EHT VENTURES LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Miller, James R. Prager, Ilia Slobodov, Julian F. Picard
  • Patent number: 11962311
    Abstract: A sub-sampling phase locked loop includes a slope generating and sampling circuit, first and second transconductance circuits, a constant transconductance bias circuit, a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator. The slope generating and sampling circuit generates a sampling voltage based on a reference clock signal and an output clock signal. The first and second transconductance circuits generate first and second output control voltages based on the sampling voltage, a reference voltage and a control current. The constant transconductance bias circuit includes a switched capacitor resistor. The constant transconductance bias circuit is configured to generate the control current. The loop filter is connected to output terminals of the first and second transconductance circuits. The voltage controlled oscillator generates the output clock signal based on the first and second output control voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gyusik Kim, Seungjin Kim, Seunghyun Oh
  • Patent number: 11962055
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to waveguide band-stop filter arrangement adapted to be connected to a waveguide transmission line at a filter interface, where the waveguide transmission line is adapted for a main propagation extension. The band-stop filter arrangement comprises a first pair of cavities, where each cavity in the first pair, each first pair cavity, comprises a corresponding inductive first pair aperture arrangement that is adapted to connect the corresponding first pair cavity to the waveguide transmission line. The first pair cavities are positioned adjacent each other along a stacking extension perpendicular to the main propagation extension such that they share a first common wall and are adapted to be positioned adjacent the waveguide transmission line. The first pair of cavities comprises a first capacitive aperture arrangement in the first common wall, mutually connecting the first pair cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Anatoli Deleniv, Peter Melin, Ove Persson
  • Patent number: 11955958
    Abstract: An electronic power switch drive module for a power semiconductor unit, comprising a gate drive and a current transducer mounted on one or more circuit boards, the gate drive comprising at least one circuit portion for controlling at least one transistor of a power semiconductor module of said power semiconductor unit, the current transducer configured to be coupled to an output of the power semiconductor module for measuring an output current of the power semiconductor module, said at least one circuit portion connected to an output potential of the output current to be measured. The current transducer comprises at least one magnetic field sensor, the current transducer being connected to said at least one circuit portion of the gate drive at said output potential in a non-isolated manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: LEM International SA
    Inventors: Dominik Schläfli, Stephan Trombert
  • Patent number: 11942972
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for radio frequency (RF) switch control are provided. In certain embodiments, a level shifter for an RF switch includes a first level-shifting n-type transistor, a first cascode n-type transistor in series with the first level-shifting n-type transistor between a negative charge pump voltage and a first output that provides a first switch control signal, a first level-shifting p-type transistor, a first cascode p-type transistor in series with the first level-shifting p-type transistor between a positive charge pump voltage and the first output, and a second cascode p-type transistor between a regulated voltage and a gate of the first level-shifting n-type transistor and controlled by a first switch enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Nagarajan, Abhishekh Devaraj, Florinel G. Balteanu, Yunyoung Choi