Patents Examined by Ryan Jager
  • Patent number: 11799460
    Abstract: A clock generator circuit including an integer divider, having a first input receiving a reference clock and configured to generate an intermediate clock at a frequency divided down from a frequency of the reference clock by an integer value, a digital delay stage configured to generate a delayed intermediate clock delayed from the intermediate clock by a number of fractional cycles of the reference clock selected responsive to a fractional cycle value, and an analog delay stage configured to generate an output clock delayed from the delayed intermediate clock by a delay value selected responsive to a fine adjustment value. The clock generator circuit further includes math engine circuitry configured to compute a phase adjustment code responsive to the phase adjustment word, the phase adjustment code comprising the integer value, the fractional cycle value, and the fine adjustment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Madusudanan Srinivasan Gopalan, Christopher Schell, Benyong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11791807
    Abstract: A multi-level pulser circuit comprises a set of first input pins for receiving respective positive voltage signals at different voltage levels, a set of second input pins for receiving respective negative voltage signals at different voltage levels, and a reference input pin configured to receive a reference voltage signal intermediate the positive voltage signals and the negative voltage signals. The circuit comprises an output pin configured to supply a pulsed output signal. The circuit further comprises control circuitry configured to selectively couple the output pin to one of the first input pins, the second input pins and the reference input pin to generate the pulsed output signal at the output pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Marco Viti
  • Patent number: 11782393
    Abstract: Time-to-digital converter (TDC) using multiple Vernier in a cascaded architecture reduces the timing jitter by decreasing the number of the ring oscillator cycles during the measurement processes. Time-to-digital converter (TDC) measurements using a third oscillator for the second Vernier process has significant advantages compared to changing the period of the second oscillator during the measurement cycle. The Vernier architecture described herein may operate with faster oscillators, reducing the number of intervals before converging and leading to a lower time conversion and a better timing jitter Adding multiple cascaded Vernier interpolation may further improve the TDC measurement resolution while having only a small increment of time required to resolve the time interval calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventors: Frédéric Nolet, Nicolas Roy, Jean-François Pratte, Frederik Dubois
  • Patent number: 11784635
    Abstract: A control circuit including a timer circuit and a voltage monitor circuit is provided. The timer circuit enables a trigger signal every a fixed time interval in response to a wake-up event. The voltage monitor circuit is configured to determine whether the operation voltage reaches the expected voltage and includes a signal-generating circuit, a first delay circuit, a second delay circuit, and a determination circuit. The signal-generating circuit generates a reference signal according to the trigger signal. The first delay circuit receives the operation voltage and delays the reference signal to generate a first delay signal. The second delay circuit delays the trigger signal to generate a second delay signal. The determination circuit enables a wake-up signal according to the reference signal, the first delay signal, and the second delay signal in response to the wake-up event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hen-Kai Chang, Chi-Ray Huang
  • Patent number: 11764770
    Abstract: A clock selector circuit receives a first input clock signal (CLK1) having a first frequency, and a second input clock signal (CLK2) having a second frequency. A phase difference detector is configured to detect when a phase difference occurs, over time, between the first input clock signal (CLK1) and the second input clock signal (CLK2), determined using when a clock edge crosses zero, and to signal this zero crossing to switching circuitry. The switching circuitry is configured, in response to receiving a zero-crossing signal from the phase difference detector, to detect an edge of opposite type to the predetermined type in the first input clock signal (CLK1) or in the second input clock signal (CLK2), and, in response to detecting said edge of opposite type, to switch an output clock signal (CLK_OUT) between the first input clock signal (CLK1) and the second input clock signal (CLK2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Nordic Semiconductor ASA
    Inventors: Bartosz Gajda, Frode Pedersen
  • Patent number: 11757441
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a gate controller coupled between an input terminal and an intermediate node, the gate controller including a first transistor coupled between the input terminal and a first node; a second transistor coupled between the first node and the intermediate node; a third transistor coupled between the input terminal and the intermediate node; and a charge pump coupled to the intermediate node; a switching network coupled between the intermediate node and an output terminal, the switching network including a high-side drive (HSD) transistor having a HSD gate terminal coupled to the intermediate node, the HSD transistor coupled between an input voltage and a switch node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Pavol Balaz
  • Patent number: 11757437
    Abstract: A phase interpolator includes a decoder, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and a phase mixer. The decoder generates first and second thermometer codes and a selection signal based on a code. The DAC includes unit cells, determines two of weight signals as first and second target weight signals based on the selection signal, and adjusts a current of the first and second target weight signals by controlling the unit cells based on the first and second thermometer codes and the selection signal. The phase mixer determines two of input clock signals as first and second target clock signals and generates an output clock signal based on the first and second target weight signals and the first and second target clock signals. A phase of the output clock signal is between phases of the first and second target clock signals. The unit cells include different first and second unit cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seuk Son, Hobin Song, Nakwon Lee
  • Patent number: 11757433
    Abstract: A spike generation circuit includes a first CMOS inverter connected between a first power supply and a second power supply, an output node of the first CMOS inverter being coupled to a first node that is an intermediate node coupled to an input terminal to which an input signal is input, a switch connected in series with the first CMOS inverter, between the first power supply and the second power supply, a first inverting circuit that outputs an inversion signal of a signal of the first node to a control terminal of the switch, and a delay circuit that delays the signal of the first node, outputs a delayed signal to an input node of the first CMOS inverter, and outputs an isolated output spike signal to an output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventor: Takeaki Yajima
  • Patent number: 11757432
    Abstract: A device of correcting duty cycle includes: a duty cycle correcting circuit, a controller of the duty cycle correcting circuit and a duty cycle detecting circuit. The duty cycle correcting circuit generates a pair of phase-shifting clocks in accordance with a pair of complementary clocks and regenerates a regenerated clock in accordance with the pair of phase-shifting clocks. The controller of the duty cycle correcting circuit couples to the duty cycle correcting circuit. The duty cycle detecting circuit couples to the duty cycle correcting circuit and the controller of the duty cycle correcting circuit, and generates a detecting output to the controller of the duty cycle correcting circuit in accordance with a current duty cycle of the regenerated clock. The controller of the duty cycle correcting circuit controls the duty cycle correcting circuit in accordance with the detecting output to adjust the pair of phase-shifting clocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: AP Memory Technology (Hangzhou) Limited Co
    Inventors: Xuan Zhang, Po Han Chen, Keng Lone Wong, Alessandro Minzoni
  • Patent number: 11750138
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for power line control of electrical fans. The system generates a sinusoidal wave using a crystal oscillator. Control information is added to the sinusoidal wave by routing the wave through a phase inversion circuit a predetermined intervals according to a protocol. The resulting control signal is sent on a power line. The control signal is received using a crystal filter, decoded and converted to executable instructions for controlling a fan motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Focus Universal Inc.
    Inventor: Desheng Wang
  • Patent number: 11742835
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit of an embodiment includes: a delay element array circuit in which a plurality of delay elements having a delay amount Tw are connected in series; a flip-flop group including a plurality of flip-flops each of which an input is connected to an output of a corresponding delay element; a delay element group configured to generate, from an input clock signal, a plurality of output clock signals each having a delay difference of a second delay amount smaller than the delay amount Tw; and a delay unit configured to set a third delay amount smaller than the second delay amount, and the delay element group and the delay unit are connected in series between an output terminal of an input signal CLK_DET and an input terminal of the flip-flop group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Nakata
  • Patent number: 11733364
    Abstract: Backend components for noise radar and techniques for operation of those components are provided. Some embodiments include noise radar apparatuses. A noise radar apparatus may include a first unit that generates a random signal or a broadband noise signal using asynchronous logic gates constituting the first unit. The noise radar apparatus also may include a second unit that generates a reference sequence using the generated random signal or the generated broadband noise signal. The second unit comprises at least one tapped delay line formed by second asynchronous logic gates having sampling functionality and storage functionality. The noise radar apparatus may further include a third unit that receives a return signal correlates the return signal and the reference sequence in nearly real-time using third asynchronous logic gates constituting the third unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: Kratos SRE, Inc., The University of Alabama in Huntsville
    Inventors: Seth D. Cohen, Aubrey Beal
  • Patent number: 11736108
    Abstract: A method for performing divided-clock phase synchronization in a multi-divided-clock system, an associated synchronization control circuit, an associated synchronization control sub-circuit and an associated electronic device are provided. The method may include: performing frequency division operations according to a source clock to generate a first divided clock and a second divided clock; performing phase relationship detection on the first divided clock according to the second divided clock to generate a phase relationship detection result signal; performing a logic operation on a first phase selection result output signal and the phase relationship detection result signal to generate a second phase selection result output signal; and outputting one of the second divided clock and an inverted signal of the second divided clock according to the second phase selection result output signal, for further use in a physical layer circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Faraday Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Ko-Ching Chao, Chih-Hung Wu, Po-Wen Hsiao, Zhou-Lun Liou
  • Patent number: 11736095
    Abstract: A clock driver circuit for low powered clock driving may include: a multiple phase divider; a buffer supplying at least one of multiple phases to the multiple phase divider at a center frequency that is an integer multiple of an input frequency; and wherein the multiple phase divider and the buffer share a same current from a supply rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Ramirez, Sudipto Chakraborty
  • Patent number: 11726790
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for specifying quantum operations such as qubit rotations in a quantum instruction. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a quantum instruction processing pipeline to process a quantum instruction having one or more opcodes to specify quantum operations and one or more operands and/or fields to specify values to be used to perform the quantum operations; a quantum waveform synthesizer to synthesize a waveform to control a qubit based on the values specified by the operands and/or fields of the quantum instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Nader Khammassi
  • Patent number: 11728796
    Abstract: An inverted group delay circuit is provided. The inverted group delay circuit can offset a group delay between a pair of signals. In a non-limiting example, the inverted group delay circuit can be configured to offset a group delay (e.g., negative group delay) between a time-variant voltage and a time-variant envelope of an analog signal. More specifically, the inverted group delay circuit can output an inverted time-variant voltage having an opposing phase and time-adjusted relative to the time-variant voltage to thereby offset the group delay between the time-variant voltage and the time-variant envelope. As such, the inverted group delay circuit can be provided in a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to improve timing alignment between a time-variant voltage(s) and a time-variant analog signal(s) at a power amplifier(s), thus helping to reduce potential amplitude distortion when the analog signal(s) is amplified by the power amplifier(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, Marcus Granger-Jones
  • Patent number: 11721987
    Abstract: A battery charger in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first attachment portion, a second attachment portion, a first converter, a second converter, a fan, a first control circuit, a second control circuit, and a signal output circuit. The first control circuit (i) controls the first converter and (ii) transmits a command to drive the fan in response to a first drive condition being fulfilled. The second control circuit (i) controls the second converter and (ii) transmits a command to drive the fan in response to a second drive condition being fulfilled. The signal output circuit outputs a drive signal in response to the first control circuit and/or the second control circuit transmitting the command(s) to drive the fan. The fan feeds a cooling air flow to the first convertor and the second converter in response to receiving the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yushi Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 11716075
    Abstract: A buffer circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, and a communications device are disclosed. The buffer circuit includes a buffer, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The buffer is coupled to a frequency divider, and the buffer is configured to receive a first signal output by the frequency divider, and output a fourth signal by using an output terminal of the buffer circuit when driven by the first signal, where the first signal is obtained by the frequency divider by performing frequency division on a group of differential signals, and the differential signals include a second signal and a third signal. The first control circuit is configured to perform delay control on a rising edge of the fourth signal based on the second signal. The second control circuit is configured to perform delay control on a falling edge of the fourth signal based on the third signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lin Qin
  • Patent number: 11716072
    Abstract: Examples of contactor controllers, systems and methods time-modulate levels of high-side (HS) and low-side (LS) clamp voltages in a contactor controller to switch a path through which current flows during quick-turn-off (QTO) of the contactor controller. One of the clamp voltages is at a high level and the other is at a low level. The output voltage of the contactor controller is held at the low level. The path switching may be a function of one or more parameters. In a configuration, the level of a supply voltage of the contactor controller is monitored and used to control the path switching. In a configuration, temperatures of HS and LS transistors of the contactor controller are monitored and used to control the path switching. Control of the path switching may be performed to dissipate power in a larger area to increase thermal performance of the contactor controller. Both clamps may remain active throughout the QTO process, providing redundancy and safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ashish Ojha, Priyank Anand, Anand Gopalan, Krishnamurthy Shankar
  • Patent number: 11698659
    Abstract: Provided is an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of clock generators configured to respectively generate a plurality of clock signals, a plurality of logic circuits configured to operate in synchronization with the plurality of clock signals, and controller circuitry configured to identify meta-stability information based on frequencies of the plurality of clock signals, and configured to control at least one clock generator so that at least one of the plurality of clock signals is randomly delayed in response to the meta-stability information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jieun Ahn, Sungcheol Park, Kiseok Bae