Patents Examined by Patrick O'Neill
  • Patent number: 12388448
    Abstract: An apparatus has a phase lock loop with an adaptive loop filter that has a reset circuit controlled by a power gating pulse circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Kuan-Yueh Shen
  • Patent number: 12387805
    Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to third transistors and a capacitor. In the first transistor, one of a source and a drain is supplied with a first signal, the other of the source and the drain is connected to a gate of the second transistor and one electrode of the capacitor, and a gate is supplied with a second pulse signal. In the second transistor, one of a source and a drain is supplied with a first pulse signal, and the other of the source and the drain is connected to the other electrode of the capacitor and one of a source and a drain of the third transistor. In the third transistor, the other of the source and the drain is supplied with the first potential, and a gate is supplied with a second signal that is an inverted signal of the first signal. The first pulse signal is a clock signal, and the second pulse signal has a duty ratio of 55% or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Kawashima, Manabu Sato, Koji Kusunoki, Hidenori Mori, Hironori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 12388427
    Abstract: A disclosed flip-flop includes primary and secondary sections connected to switchable and continuous power supplies, respectively. The primary section includes logic outputting first control signals, a primary latch controlled by the first control signals, and a data output device connected to an output terminal of the primary latch. The secondary section includes logic outputting second control signals and a secondary latch. A first transmission gate controlled by the second control signals is connected between the output terminal of the primary latch and an input terminal of the secondary latch. A second transmission gate controlled by the first and second control signals is connected between output and input terminals of the secondary latch. In a normal mode, both sections receive power and the first transmission gate is conductive. In a retention mode, the primary section is powered down, the first transmission gate is non-conductive and the second transmission gate is conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Dzung T. Tran, Navneet K. Jain, Uttam Saha
  • Patent number: 12388428
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first inverter and a first transmission gate constructed with wide type-one transistors and wide type-two transistors. The integrated circuit also includes a first clocked inverter constructed with narrow type-one transistors and narrow type-two transistors. A latch is formed with the first inverter and the first clocked inverter. The first transmission gate is connected to between an output of the first inverter. The wide type-one transistors are formed in a wide type-one active-region structure and the narrow type-one transistors are formed in a narrow type-one active-region structure. The wide type-two transistors are formed in a wide type-two active-region structure and the narrow type-two transistors are formed in in a narrow type-two active-region structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ching-Yu Huang, Jiann-Tyng Tzeng, Wei-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 12381542
    Abstract: A reference system is provided for generating a clock signal with a tunable noise pedestal for driving a signal generator. The reference system includes a reference source configured to generate a reference signal and a multiplier chain, including a noise pedestal generator. The noise pedestal generator includes a noise pedestal attenuator configured to attenuate the reference signal to degrade a noise floor of the reference signal, a VGA configured to adjust the attenuated reference signal to a desired signal level, a bandpass filter configured to filter out excess noise from the adjusted reference signal to form a noise pedestal, and a switch arrangement configured to selectively input the reference signal to a first path including the noise pedestal attenuator and the VGA, and a second path bypassing the noise pedestal attenuator and the VGA. The clock signal includes the noise pedestal when the first path is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Ferrara, Naveed Edalati
  • Patent number: 12366605
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a digital circuit includes an OR gate and a flip-flop. The OR gate includes a first input and a second input. The first input of the OR gate is coupled to a control signal, and the second input of the OR gate is coupled to an uncovered functional combination logic of the digital circuit. The first input of the OR gate is configured to be pulled low by the control signal in response to setting the digital circuit in a configuration to test the uncovered functional combination logic. The flip-flop includes a reset pin or a set pin coupled to the output of the OR gate. The output of the flip-flop is configured to be observed during a testing of the uncovered functional combination logic to detect defects in the digital circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Venkata Narayanan Srinivasan, Umesh Chandra Srivastava, Shiv Kumar Vats, Manish Sharma
  • Patent number: 12368434
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a D flip-flop having a multiplexer function, including: a first transmission gate whose data input end is configured to receive a first data signal and whose clock input end is configured to receive a first clock signal; a second transmission gate whose data input end is configured to receive a second data signal and whose clock input end is configured to receive a second clock signal; an inverted latch unit whose data input end is connected to an output end of the first transmission gate and an output end of the second transmission gate and whose clock input end is configured to receive a third clock signal; and an inverter whose input end is connected to an output end of the inverted latch unit and whose output end provides an output of the D flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: SHENZHEN MICROBT ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhijun Fan, Wenbo Tian, Weixin Kong, Zuoxing Yang, Haifeng Guo
  • Patent number: 12361906
    Abstract: To suppress malfunctions in a shift register circuit. A shift register having a plurality of flip-flop circuits is provided. The flip-flop circuit includes a transistor 11, a transistor 12, a transistor 13, a transistor 14, and a transistor 15. When the transistor 13 or the transistor 14 is turned on in a non-selection period, the potential of a node A is set, so that the node A is prevented from entering into a floating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Umezaki
  • Patent number: 12362027
    Abstract: The disclosure introduces a shift register is configured to enter a low power mode by disabling a portion of flip-flops (FFs) that handles upper bits of input data. The shift register includes first FF(s), second FF(s) and gating circuit. The first flip-flop (FF), includes input terminal coupled to first portion of input data. The second FF includes input terminal coupled to second portion of input data, an output terminal, a clock terminal coupled to a clock signal, a power terminal coupled to a supply power. The second portion of the input data is subsequent to the first portion of the input data. The gating circuit is coupled to the output terminal of the first FF, and configured to disable the second FF for storing the second portion of a subsequent input data according to output data currently being stored in the first FF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Win-San Khwa, Yi-Lun Lu, Jui-Jen Wu, Meng-Fan Chang
  • Patent number: 12341502
    Abstract: A driver circuitry includes first-fifth inverters which have lower withstand voltage, and first-sixth transistors which have higher withstand voltage. In the first transistor, a first voltage is applied to a first end, and a second end is connected to the high withstand voltage element. The second transistor is connected to the first transistor. The second inverter is connected to the first inverter and the first transistor. The third inverter is connected to the first inverter. The third transistor is connected to the second inverter. The fourth transistor is connected to the third transistor. The fifth transistor is connected to the third inverter. The sixth transistor is connected to the fifth transistor. The fourth inverter is connected to the sixth transistor and the second transistor. The fifth inverter is connected to the fourth transistor, the fourth inverter, and the fourth inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Isoe, Yuichi Goto
  • Patent number: 12341509
    Abstract: A memory device includes a level shifting circuitry. The level shifting circuitry includes an input circuitry configured to receive an input to the level shifting circuitry in a first voltage domain. The level shifting circuitry also includes a cross-junction circuitry electrically coupled to a first node of the input circuitry comprising multiple transistors that are electrically coupled in a cross-junction. The level shifting circuitry also includes an output staging circuitry electrically coupled to a second node of the cross-junction circuitry. The output staging circuitry is configured to transmit an output in a second voltage domain. The output staging circuitry includes a transistor and voltage stress reduction circuitry configured to mitigate degradation of the transistor by reducing voltage stresses across the transistor during transitions in the level shifting circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Tae H. Kim
  • Patent number: 12334928
    Abstract: A level shifter can achieve a level shift by a wide margin. The level shifter includes a latch circuit, a protection circuit, and an input circuit. The latch circuit is coupled between a high-voltage terminal and the protection circuit. The protection circuit including a first protection transistor pair and a second protection transistor pair is set between the latch circuit and the input circuit, and is configured to prevent an excessive voltage drop between the input circuit and a pair of output terminals, wherein the pair of output terminals is set between the first and the second protection transistor pairs and used for outputting a pair of output signals. The input circuit includes an input transistor pair coupled between the second protection transistor pair and a low-voltage terminal and configured to operate according to a pair of input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chien-Hui Tsai, Hung-Chen Chu, Yung-Tai Chen
  • Patent number: 12326752
    Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronizing multiple of output clocks. The system includes: a plurality of frequency dividers configured to receive a plurality of input clock signals and produce a plurality of output clock signals, wherein each of the plurality of output clock signals are lower in frequency than a corresponding input clock signal; and a circuit. The circuit is configured to: compare a first output clock signal of the plurality of output clock signals to a second output clock signal of the plurality of output clock signals to determine whether the first output clock signal is synchronized with the second output clock signal, generate a slip signal in response to determining that the first output clock signal is not synchronized with the second output clock signal, and apply the slip signal to the second output clock signal to synchronize the second output clock signal with the first output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited
    Inventor: Robert C. Schell
  • Patent number: 12323154
    Abstract: Disclosed is a frequency detector. The frequency detector includes a first flip-flop sampling a clock signal based on a data signal to generate a first signal, a second flip-flop sampling a delayed-phase component of the clock signal based on the data signal or sampling the clock signal based on a delayed-phase component of the data signal to generate a second signal, a third flip-flop generating a third signal representing a polarity of a frequency difference between a data rate of the data signal and a frequency of the clock signal based on the first signal and the second signal, and a delay cell generating the delayed-phase component of the clock signal or the delayed-phase component of the data signal. The delayed-phase component has a delay amount set to a value smaller than about 0.25 UI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jahoon Jin, Sangho Kim, Kyunghwan Min, Soomin Lee, Sodam Ju
  • Patent number: 12323156
    Abstract: The present invention provides a clock signal generation circuit including a global PLL and a plurality of local PLLs. In the operation of the clock signal generation circuit, the global PLL is configured to receives a reference clock signal to generate a synchronization clock signal, and the plurality of local PLLs receive the synchronization clock signal to generate a plurality of clock signals, respectively, and the plurality of clock signals are used to generate a plurality of output clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: LiJun Gu
  • Patent number: 12316334
    Abstract: A circuit includes a phase detector configured to produce a first up signal and a first down signal based on a difference between a reference clock and a feedback clock and a harmonic detector coupled to the phase detector, the harmonic detector configured to produce a second up signal based on the first up signal and whether the harmonic detector detects a harmonic lock between the reference clock and the feedback clock based on a first clock phase and a second clock phase. Additionally, the circuit includes a false lock detector coupled to the phase detector and to the harmonic detector, the false lock detector configured to produce a second down signal based on the first down signal and whether the false lock detector detects a false lock between the reference clock and the feedback clock based on a third clock phase and a fourth clock phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Venkateswara Pothireddy, Bhavesh G. Bhakta
  • Patent number: 12287268
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based multi-channel dynamic light scattering (DLS) autocorrelation system and method. The system includes a DLS generation apparatus, a photon correlator, and a host computer, where the photon correlator includes an FPGA and a universal serial bus (USB) communication module; the DLS generation apparatus is connected to the FPGA; the FPGA is configured to count and perform correlation calculation on photon pulses generated by the DLS generation apparatus; the USB communication module is connected to the host computer; the FPGA includes a dual counter module and a correlation calculation module; the dual counter module is connected to the DLS generation apparatus and the correlation calculation module; the correlation calculation module is connected to the USB communication module; the dual counter module includes a plurality of dual counters; and the correlation calculation module includes a plurality of correlators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: National Institute of Metrology, China
    Inventors: Lu Huang, Yuqi Fang, Sitian Gao, Miao Sun
  • Patent number: 12287665
    Abstract: A clock circuit constructed in a processor integrated circuit includes a phase lock loop PLL, a clock tree, and a clock grid. The clock tree includes a plurality of clock buffers in a layered structure, The clock tree is configured to receive a first clock signal clk_1 that is output by the phase lock loop PLL, and to output a second clock signal clk_2. A plurality of child node circuits (400) are disposed on some nodes of the clock grid, and are configured to generate a third clock signal clk_3 based on the second clock signal clk_2. The clock grid (330) and the clock tree (320) are distributed on multiple dies in a three-dimensional structure of the processor integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wen Yin
  • Patent number: 12283409
    Abstract: A variable circuit includes a switch including a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals and an external wiring line. The multiple input terminals include a first input terminal to which a first input signal is inputted and a second input terminal to which a second input signal is inputted. The multiple output terminals include a first output terminal from which a first output signal is outputted and a second output terminal from which a second output signal is outputted. The switch is capable of forming at least one internal connection path electrically connecting any one of the multiple input terminals and any one of the multiple output terminals. The external wiring line is disposed outside the switch and is configured to electrically connect the second output terminal to the second input terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Ikegami, Wataru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 12278604
    Abstract: A voltage follower circuit includes a first MOS transistor which has a source connected to an input port, a second MOS transistor which has a source connected to an output port and has a gate and a drain connected to a gate of the first MOS transistor, a first constant current source connected between a drain of the first MOS transistor and a second power supply terminal, a second constant current source connected between the drain of the second MOS transistor and the second power supply terminal, and a depletion type third MOS transistor which has a gate connected to the drain of the first MOS transistor, has a drain connected to a first power supply terminal, and has a source connected to the output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: ABLIC Inc.
    Inventor: Kosuke Takada