Patents Examined by Joseph Chang
  • Patent number: 10951166
    Abstract: The present document relates to oscillator circuits and a method. An oscillator circuit generates an oscillating voltage signal, wherein the crystal has a first electrode and a second electrode. The oscillator circuit has a power source with a supply terminal and a reference terminal. The oscillator circuit has a switching circuit arranged between the power source and the crystal. The switching circuit, in a start-up phase, alternately connects the supply terminal of the power source to the first and second electrode of the crystal such that an amplitude of the oscillating voltage signal is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor B.V.
    Inventors: Marinus Wilhelmus Kruiskamp, Bram Verhoef
  • Patent number: 10938380
    Abstract: A bias current circuit is disclosed. The bias current circuit includes a number of current sources that can selectively be coupled to a bias current node or an auxiliary node. The bias current may be provided through the bias current node. During a trimming operation, a control circuit may selectively couple particular ones of the current sources to the bias current node, in accordance with a desired bias current. Other ones of the current sources may be coupled to the auxiliary node, through which an auxiliary current is provided. Upon completing the trimming operation, the control circuit may cause the auxiliary current to be reduced to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammadhasan Fayazi, Pablo Moreno Galbis, Stanley Bo-Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 10938396
    Abstract: A quadrature based voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) local oscillator (LO) system is disclosed. The system includes a phase detector, a quadrature phase VCO, a quadrature control path, an in-phase control path, and an in-phase VCO. The phase detector is configured to compare and generate phase error between a reference clock and an in-phase VCO output. The quadrature control path configured to generate a quadrature control voltage based on a quadrature VCO output and the in-phase VCO output. The quadrature phase VCO configured to generate the quadrature VCO output based on the quadrature control voltage and the generated phase error. The in-phase control path configured to generate an in-phase control voltage based on the quadrature VCO output and the in-phase VCO output. The in-phase VCO is configured to generate the in-phase VCO output based on the in-phase control voltage and the generated phase error. An all digital dual mode phase locked/phase tracking loop LO generate system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Agrawal, Alon Cohen, Gil Horovitz, Somnath Kundu, Run Levinger, Stefano Pellerano, Jahnavi Sharma, Evgeny Shumaker, Izhak Hod
  • Patent number: 10931232
    Abstract: A crystal oscillator circuit (100, 200) is described that includes a crystal resonator (220); and a voltage source (204) configured to apply a voltage step across the crystal oscillator (220) where a polarity of the voltage source (204) applied to the crystal resonator (220) is switched in response to a sign of a current passing through the crystal resonator (220) and in response thereto a self-timed energy injection waveform is provided to the crystal resonator (220).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Ronan van der Zee, Joeri Lechevallier
  • Patent number: 10931285
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for hopping a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) among a plurality of channels, wherein a gain of the DCO KDCO is a nonlinear function of frequency. A first normalized tuning word (NTW) corresponding to a first channel of the plurality of channels is generated. A first normalizing gain multiplier X is generated based on the nonlinear function of frequency, on an estimate of the nonlinear function of frequency, at a first frequency corresponding to the first channel. The first NTW is multiplied by the first X to obtain a first oscillator tuning word (OTW). The first OTW is input to the DCO to cause the DCO to hop to the first channel. A system for hopping among a plurality of channels at a plurality of respective frequencies comprises a phase-locked loop (PLL), a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), a multiplexer, and an arithmetic module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Chao Chieh Li, Min-Shueh Yuan, Robert Bogdan Staszewski, Chia-Chun Liao
  • Patent number: 10924060
    Abstract: An ultra-low power (ULP) oscillator that down-converts the current of a resonator to DC, then amplifies it when its still in DC, followed by up-converting the amplified signal back to the oscillation frequency. The disclosed oscillator eliminates the minimum transconductance (gm) requirement of a Pierce oscillator, by processing the signal at DC. In addition, the circuit only requires the DC amplifier's feedback resistor to be greater than the resistive loss of the resonator, i.e., Rf>Rm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Sudhakar Pamarti, Hani Esmaeelzadeh
  • Patent number: 10923274
    Abstract: A power supply device includes a current transformer module capable of adjusting a power induction ratio in order to induce a certain power even when the current of a power line is changed and the current transformer module capable of minimizing the loss in power conversion while providing a certain power even when the current of the power line is changed. The disclosed current transformer module includes a magnetic core constituting a closed loop, a plurality of unit coils wound around the magnetic core, and a switch unit connected to the plurality of unit coils, and the plurality of unit coils include a plurality of unit coils for power-generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: AMOSENSE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin-Pyo Park, Won-San Na, Cheol-Seung Han
  • Patent number: 10910888
    Abstract: A power transfer system comprises a patient transport apparatus and a power transfer device. The power transfer system provides convenience and ease of connection between a power source and the patient transport apparatus to provide power to one or more electrically powered devices on the patient transport apparatus or to provide energy for an energy storage device on the patient transport apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin M. Patmore, Christopher Ryan Sweeney, Chad Conway Souke, Daniel V. Brosnan, Kurosh Nahavandi, Annie Desaulniers, Alexey Titov, Jeffrey S. Dunfee, II, Aaron D. Furman, Krishna S. Bhimavarapu
  • Patent number: 10911050
    Abstract: A frequency reference oscillator device and method of providing a frequency reference signal. The oscillator device includes a first oscillator including a first resonator having first long-term stability and a first frequency-vs-temperature turnover temperature, the first oscillator being capable of providing a first frequency signal. Further, the device includes and a second oscillator including a second resonator having second long-term stability, which is inferior to the first long-term stability, and a second frequency-vs-temperature turnover temperature, the second oscillator being capable of providing a second frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Tikitin Oy
    Inventors: Aarne Oja, Antti Jaakkola
  • Patent number: 10903681
    Abstract: A solar display device and a power switching method are disclosed. The solar display device includes a plurality of solar pixel components, a plurality of micro display components and a power control circuit. The solar pixel components are configured to generate a first solar power and a second solar power. The power control circuit is configured to compare the first solar power and a reference signal. The power control circuit is further configured to drive the micro display components by using one of a system power and the second solar power according to a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Jui-Chieh Hsiang, Chih-Chiang Chen
  • Patent number: 10903659
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for correcting deviations of power produced by a power plant which includes at least one wind turbine generator and possibly other types of power generating units. The power deviations, i.e. deviations from a power reference for the power plant, are determined as energy errors. The invention addresses solutions for determining and compensating the energy errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Mu Wei, Kouroush Nayebi, Søren Kappelgaard
  • Patent number: 10892712
    Abstract: A stacked-die oscillator package includes an oscillator circuit die having inner bond pads, and outer bond pads, and a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator die having a piezoelectric transducer with a first and second BAW bond pad on a same side coupled to a top and bottom electrode layer across a piezoelectric layer. A first metal bump is on the first BAW bond pad and a second metal bump is on the second BAW bond pad flip chip bonded to the inner bond pads of the oscillator circuit die. A polymer material is in a portion of a gap between the BAW and oscillator circuit die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ricky A. Jackson, Kurt Peter Wachtler
  • Patent number: 10886777
    Abstract: A back-feed protection circuit includes input circuits and a control circuit. Each input circuit includes an input for receiving an input DC voltage. The control circuit is configured to enable one of the first input circuit and the second input circuit having the highest input DC voltage, and disable the other input circuit to substantially prevent current from back feeding to the first input circuit and/or the second input circuit. Each input circuit additionally and/or alternatively includes a positive rail, a reference rail and a plurality of switching devices. A set of the switching devices are coupled in series in the positive rail of each input circuit, and another set of the switching devices are coupled in series in the reference rail of each input circuit. Other example back-feed protection circuits, and electric power supplies including back-feed protection circuits are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventors: Rochie Ligaya Sedillo Libby, Neil Maderas Reyes, Khanderao Madhav Gaikwad
  • Patent number: 10886901
    Abstract: A circuit includes multiple stages cascaded in a ring topology such that each stage has a preceding stage, a succeeding stage, an alternate-preceding stage, and an alternate-succeeding stage. Each stage includes a MOS transistor of a first type, a MOS transistor of a second type and a resistor. The MOS transistor of a first type receives a first input that is output from the preceding stage, and outputs a second output to the alternate-preceding stage. The MOS transistor of a second type receives a second input that is output from the alternate-succeeding stage, and outputs a first output to the succeeding stage. The resistor provides coupling and level-shifting between the first output and the second output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventor: Chia-Liang (Leon) Lin
  • Patent number: 10879652
    Abstract: A method of operating a power system includes connecting an external load to a power outlet of the power system while a power switch of the power system is turned off, where the power switch is coupled between a power supply of the power system and the power outlet; measuring one or more electrical characteristics of the external load while the power switch is turned off; determining, based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics of the external load, whether a demagnetization energy of the external load is within a safe operation range for the power system; and in response to determining that the demagnetization energy of the external load is within the safe operation range, turning on the power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andre Mourrier, Patrick Vaquette
  • Patent number: 10879858
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit uses a comparator, and the oscillator circuit controls charge-discharge of the Miller capacitance between the gate and the drain of a MOSFET serving as an amplifier of the gain unit and the gate capacitance of the MOSFET, and enables the comparator output to follow a relatively high-frequency control signal that is input externally. The oscillator circuit uses a comparator having a differential unit and a gain unit. The oscillator circuit includes a charge-discharge control unit that connects to the output of the differential unit and is configured to control charge-discharge of the Miller capacitance between the gate and the drain of a MOSFET (N2) serving as an amplifier of the gain unit and the gate capacitance of the MOSFET, and an output control unit configured to control the output of the gain unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Nakagomi
  • Patent number: 10879908
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for estimating the g-sensitivity of a quartz oscillator, which includes rotating the quartz oscillator successively around each of a plurality of axes constituting a full-rank system, measuring a frequency of the quartz oscillator at a predetermined rate as a function of time during rotation, and estimating an integral g-sensitivity vector while the quartz oscillator is rotated. Estimation can be performed utilizing a data fitting and estimation model, e.g., a Least Square Method (LSM) in one example, using the frequency measurements obtained while the quartz oscillator is in rotation around the axes. The method and system are especially useful for measuring g-sensitivity of quartz oscillators that are incorporated in high-precision systems, such as navigation receivers, which operate in environments that are subjected to vibrational effects and other mechanical forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Isaakovich Zhodzishsky, Vladimir Victorovich Beloglazov, Danila Svyatoslavovich Milyutin, Roman Valerievich Kurynin, Vadim Borisovish Kuzmitchev, Sergey Viktorovich Rogachkov
  • Patent number: 10879843
    Abstract: Embodiments of voltage-controlled oscillators for wireless transmission of data are disclosed herein. In one example, an oscillator circuit includes an active network, a passive differential network coupled to the active network, and a tail tank connected to the active network through a low impedance point of the active network is disclosed. The active network is configured to generate an activating signal for sustaining oscillation of the oscillator circuit. The passive differential network has a first input impedance magnitude peak at a first frequency and a second input impedance magnitude peak at a second frequency. The tail tank circuit has a third input impedance magnitude peak at a third frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: BESTECHNIC (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tao Zheng, Lu Chai
  • Patent number: 10868523
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided to improve lock time of a phase locked loop, wherein the apparatus comprises: a ring oscillator including at least two delay stages, wherein each delay stage has a controllable delay; and a multiphase frequency monitor coupled to the ring oscillator to monitor frequency at an output of at least two delay stages of the ring oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: William Li, Mohsen Nasroullahi, Khoa Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10868495
    Abstract: Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, a PLL and an electronic device. The apparatus comprises a voltage-to-current (V2I) converter, a current controlled oscillator and a compensation current. The V2I converter is operable to receive a first voltage and generate a first current based on the first voltage. The current controlled oscillator is coupled to the V2I converter and operable to generate an oscillation signal based on a second current from or to the V2I converter. The compensation circuit is coupled to the V2I converter and operable to receive a third current from or to the V2I converter. The second and third currents vary in response to at least one of temperature variation and supply voltage variation of the apparatus. Variation direction of the third current is opposite to variation direction of the second current and different frequencies may be provided for a low supply voltage domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: LATTICE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kai Lei, Shirley Li, Oliver Wu