Patents Examined by Patrick C Chen
  • Patent number: 11500403
    Abstract: A system-on-a-chip (SoC) is designed to operate within optimal voltage and frequency ranges. If an SoC is provided power outside of the optimal voltage range, the SoC can be placed in a high-stress state, exposing the chip to a security attack. Embodiments of the present systems and method limit the minimum and maximum voltage supplied to an SoC from a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). Embodiments can also track a number of requests to provide power outside of the optimal range and can signal a warning of repeated attempts to take an SoC outside of the SoC's optimal range, which may be indicative of a malicious attack on the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Meunier, Maxime Clairet, Alaa Eldin Y El Sherif, Pierre Turpin
  • Patent number: 11489240
    Abstract: A high-frequency switch circuit includes a first switch configured to electrify or cut off connection between an antenna terminal and an input terminal, and a second switch configured to electrify or cut off connection between the antenna terminal and an output terminal. The first switch has a transmission line connecting the antenna terminal and the input terminal; a diode having an anode connected to a first node between the transmission line and the input terminal, and a cathode connected to a second node; and a capacitor connected to the second node and a first power supply voltage. A first control terminal is connected to the first node via a first resistor and a first inductor. The first switch further includes a charging/discharging circuit connected to a second power supply voltage and the first control terminal and charging and discharging the capacitor from the second node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Taizo Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 11483006
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus comprising: a multi-modulus divider; and a phase provider to receive a multiphase periodic signal and operable to rotate phases of the multiphase periodic signal to generate an output which is received by the multi-modulus divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Mingwei Huang
  • Patent number: 11476865
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sensor device includes a switch, a control circuit and an A/D converter. The switch is connected to a sensor element configured to store charge and provided to read the charge stored in the sensor element from the sensor element. The control circuit is configured to control the switch so as to partially and sequentially read the charge stored in the sensor element. The A/D converter is connected to the switch, which is configured to output a digital signal obtained by A/D-converting an analog signal according to the charge, for each charge partially read via the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventor: Yuta Haga
  • Patent number: 11476866
    Abstract: An Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) for a multiplier accumulator generates a digital output associated with a charge transfer bus made of weighted charge transfer lines with capacitance associated with each charge transfer line, the charge transfer bus connected to groups of ADC unit elements (UE) which add or remove charge from each line of the charge transfer line, each group of ADC unit elements having a sign bit input and a step size input and controlled by an ADC controller which switches the groups of ADC UE in a successive approximation according to a comparison of a summed charge from the weighted charge transfer lines until the ADC UE charge equals the charge transfer line capacitance, each comparison generating a bit value of the digital output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Ceremorphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Kraemer, Ryan Boesch, Wei Xiong
  • Patent number: 11462991
    Abstract: Some aspects of the present disclosure provide for a circuit. In at least some examples, the circuit includes an integrator coupled between a first node and a second node and a filter coupled between the second node and a third node. The circuit further includes a buffer coupled between the third node and a fourth node and a first switch coupled between the fourth node and a fifth node. The circuit further includes a first capacitor coupled between the fifth node and a ground node, a first resistor comprising a first terminal coupled to the fifth node and a second terminal, a second switch coupled between the second terminal of the first resistor and the ground node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jiancong Ruan, Runqin Tan, Zhicheng Hu
  • Patent number: 11458914
    Abstract: An AC inverter in a vehicle operates using a 24 V input when a vehicle powertrain is in a parked/idling state. A first 12 V battery is connected with a first bus segment. A second 12 V battery is connected with a second bus segment. A switch module selectably interconnects the first and second bus segments. In a nominal 12 V state, the batteries are connected in parallel from the bus segments to ground. In a dual voltage state, the batteries are connected in series so the first bus segment is at 12 V and the second bus segment is at 24 V. A first alternator driven by the powertrain provides a regulated voltage to the second bus segment, wherein the regulated voltage corresponds to 12 V when the switch module is in the nominal state and corresponds to 24 V when the switch module is in the dual voltage state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Zeljko Deljevic, Phillip M. Marine, Daniel J. Martin, William C. Taylor, Hanyang B. Chen
  • Patent number: 11463072
    Abstract: The present invention is a computationally-efficient compensator for removing nonlinear distortion. The compensator operates in a digital post-compensation configuration for linearization of devices or systems such as analog-to-digital converters and RF receiver electronics. The compensator also operates in a digital pre-compensation configuration for linearization of devices or systems such as digital-to-analog converters, RF power amplifiers, and RF transmitter electronics. The adaptive Volterra compensator effectively removes nonlinear distortion in these systems by implementing an adaptive background algorithm to periodically update actual filter coefficients to maintain optimal performance in operating conditions varying over time (e.g., temperature, frequency, signal level, and drift); or both. The xadaptive background algorithm calculates the optimal nonlinear filter coefficients to reduce nonlinear distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Linearity, LLC
    Inventors: Scott R. Velazquez, Ramsin Khoshabeh
  • Patent number: 11451196
    Abstract: A dynamic comparator includes a differential amplifier stage, a switching unit and a switching charge storage unit. The switching charge storage unit includes a plurality of switching transistors, and a charge storage capacitor electrically connected to the plurality of switching transistors. When an operational mode of the dynamic comparator is switched from a comparison state to a reset state, a voltage on one of a first terminal and a second terminal of the charge storage capacitor is increased from a half of the system voltage to a system voltage, so as to implement a charge recycle effect. The dynamic comparator of the present invention can have lower power consumption and lower charge-discharge current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chung Ming Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11451238
    Abstract: To allow a time-series change among signal values to be recorded easily for a process of recording the respective time-series values of input signals, a recording device includes: a determination reference value obtaining section configured to obtain a determination reference value on a basis of signal values during a reference time period, the reference time period being a predetermined time period after a start of input of time-series signal values, the determination reference value indicating a feature of the signal values during the reference time period, and a recording control section configured to (i) obtain information on a recording start condition on a basis of the determination reference value, the recording start condition indicating whether, as compared to the signal values during the reference time period, there has been a large change among signal values after the reference time period has elapsed, and (ii) start recording signal values in response to the recording start condition becoming sati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 11444618
    Abstract: An electrical system includes a motor and a plurality of switch pairs, each switch pair having a high-side switch, a low-side switch, and a switch node coupled to the motor. The electrical system also includes gate driver circuitry coupled to each switch of the plurality of switch pairs. The electrical system also includes a controller coupled to the gate driver circuitry. The controller is configured to direct the gate driver circuitry to provide a first set of gate drive signals together with (i.e., overlapping pulses) a second set of gate drive signals, wherein the first set of gate drive signals is phase-shifted relative to the second set of gate drive signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Manu Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 11443222
    Abstract: A signal generating system is provided. The signal generating system provides a microwave signal to a plurality of qubits. The signal generating system includes a generator, an oscillator, a mixer, and a splitter. The oscillator generates an oscillator signal including a constant frequency. The generator generates a generator signal including an initial frequency. The mixer is electrically coupled to the generator and the oscillator. The mixer combines the generator and oscillator signals to produce the microwave signal. The splitter is electrically coupled to the mixer. The splitter fans-out the microwave signal to a plurality of physical lines. Each of the plurality of physical lines is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of qubits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jerry M. Chow, Antonio D. Corcoles-Gonzalez, Jay M. Gambetta
  • Patent number: 11444632
    Abstract: A tracking analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for a power converter includes a first tracking loop and a second tracking loop. The first tracking loop is configured to track a voltage input to the tracking ADC using one or more comparators and has a re-clocking circuit to mitigate the impact of comparator output metastability, but introduces multi-cycle latency which increases a residual error of the voltage tracking provided by the first tracking loop. The second tracking loop is configured to supplement the voltage tracking provided by the first tracking loop and to reduce the residual error of the voltage tracking for dynamic changes at the voltage input. The second tracking loop has a single-cycle latency and is implemented with logic that is less sensitive to logic errors due to comparator metastability. Corresponding methods of voltage tracking and an electronic system are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Sujata Sen, Mattia Oddicini, Luca Petruzzi, Benjamim Tang
  • Patent number: 11428718
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a period defining block suitable for generating a period defining signal corresponding to a predetermined test time period based on a test mode signal and one or more command signals; and a monitoring block suitable for generating a monitoring signal corresponding to an oscillation signal during the test time period based on the period defining signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc
    Inventors: Yu-Ri Lim, Jong-Man Im
  • Patent number: 11422599
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for soft start scheme to control inrush current for VCONN in USB-C interface. The system includes: a serial shift register having flip-flops and adapted to obtain clock with programmable clock divider, frequency of clock changes dynamically by programming programmable clock divider; a resistor DAC unit configured to increment voltage in step-wise manner; a pass gate switch comprising NMOS gate switch and a PMOS gate switch connected in parallel and operatively coupled to the resistor DAC unit and configured to control an input voltage to a VCONN charge pump, said input voltage being in incremental steps such that the VCONN charge pump pumps an output voltage; and a VCONN switch gate operatively coupled to the VCONN charge pump and configured to supply the output voltage in controlled, incremental steps, such that the output voltage is ramped slowly to control the inrush current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SILICONCH SYSTEMS PVT LTD
    Inventors: Ashok Kumar Jyani, Satish Anand Verkila, Shubham Paliwal, Rakesh Kumar Polasa
  • Patent number: 11424737
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device capable of product-sum operation, variations in transistor characteristics are reduced. The semiconductor device includes a first circuit including a driver unit, a correction unit, and a holding unit, and an inverter circuit. The first circuit has a function of generating an inverted signal of a signal input to an input terminal of the first circuit and outputting the inverted signal to an output terminal of the first circuit. The driver unit includes a p-channel first transistor and an n-channel second transistor having a back gate. The correction unit has a function of correcting the threshold voltage of one or both of the first transistor and the second transistor. The holding unit has a function of holding the potential of the back gate of the second transistor. The output terminal of the first circuit is electrically connected to an input terminal of the inverter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Tatsunori Inoue
  • Patent number: 11418198
    Abstract: In certain aspects, a digital circuit comprises a delay line to generate a plurality of delayed versions of an input clock. The digital circuit also comprises selection circuitry to provide a selected one of the plurality of delayed versions of the input clock based on a clock selection signal and feedback circuitry to generate the clock selection signal based on the selected one of the plurality of delayed versions of the input clock and based on the input clock. The clock selection signal is further used for selecting and generating other clocks and/or for variation control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Farshid Nowshadi, John Bruce
  • Patent number: 11411490
    Abstract: Charge pumps with accurate output current limiting are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a charge pump includes an output terminal for providing a regulated output voltage, a switched capacitor, and switches that control connectivity of the switched capacitor to selectively charge or discharge the switched capacitor. The switches are operable in two or more phases including a charging phase in which the switched capacitor is charged with a charging current and a discharging phase in which the switched capacitor is coupled to the output terminal. The charge pump further includes an output current limiting circuit that controls the charging current to limit an amount of output current delivered by the charge pump to the output terminal. The output current limiting circuit limits the output current based on comparing a reference signal to an integral of an observation current that changes in relation to the charging current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventor: William L. Walter
  • Patent number: 11381222
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing baseline wander correction (BLWC) with the aid of differential wander current sensing includes filters and a correction circuit. The filters are positioned in a front-end circuit of a receiver and coupled to a set of input terminals of the receiver, and filter a set of input signals on the set of input terminals to generate a set of differential signals on a set of secondary terminals, for further usage by the receiver. The correction circuit is positioned in the frontend circuit and electrically connected to the set of input terminals and the set of secondary terminals, and performs BLWC on the set of differential signals according to the set of input signals. In the correction circuit, amplifiers and resistors form a differential wander current sensor to sense differential wander current, and a set of current mirrors generate corresponding baseline wander compensation current to perform BLWC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: FARADAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION, Faraday Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ling Chen, Andrew Chao, Xiao-Dong Fei
  • Patent number: 11368180
    Abstract: A switch circuit includes first and second transistor stacks coupled in parallel between first and second ports. The first transistor stack includes a first plurality of transistors coupled in series between the first and second ports to provide a first variably-conductive path between the first and second ports. Each transistor of the first plurality of transistors has a gate terminal coupled to a first control terminal. The second transistor stack includes a second plurality of transistors coupled in series between the first and second ports to provide a second variably-conductive path between the first and second ports. Each transistor of the second plurality of transistors has a gate terminal coupled to a second control terminal. When implemented in a transceiver, first and second drivers are configured to simultaneously configure the first and second variably-conductive paths in a low-impedance state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Venkata Naga Koushik Malladi