Patents Examined by Thomas J. Hiltunen
  • Patent number: 11854759
    Abstract: An arrangement of conduction-cooled travelling wave tubes includes multiple travelling wave tubes mounted on a common base, wherein the travelling wave tubes are thermally connected to the base so that during operation of the travelling wave tubes the base forms a heat sink for the travelling wave tubes, and the base is designed to accommodate multiple travelling wave tubes in terms of their dimensions along their beam axes so as to increase the number of travelling wave tubes per surface area unit of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Thales Deutschland GmbH Electron Devices
    Inventors: Christof Dietrich, Stefan Brunner
  • Patent number: 11853089
    Abstract: A current source has at least one gain component having a constant gain at frequencies below a frequency point, and having a gain inversely proportional to frequency at frequencies above the frequency point, the gain component having an input and an output, a source resistor connected in series with the output of the gain component, the gain component to regulate a voltage across the source resistor to be a source voltage, such that the gain of the gain component limits regulation by the gain component of the source voltage and an output voltage across a load between a high terminal and a low terminal, and a feedback component to receive at least a portion of the output voltage, the feedback component connected to the input of the gain component, the feedback component configured to reduce the gain of the gain component available to regulate the source voltage across the source resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventor: Wayne C. Goeke
  • Patent number: 11848666
    Abstract: Methods and devices to reduce the switching time of radio frequency (RF) switches including antenna switches are disclosed. The disclosed teachings include selective bypassing of the capacitive and resistive elements of the circuit during the transition of RF switches from one state to another. Several implementations of the disclosed methods and devices are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Porter Slaton, Parvez Daruwalla
  • Patent number: 11846957
    Abstract: One example discloses a signal driver circuit, including: an input configured to receive an input signal; an output configured to transmit an output signal; a low drop-out voltage regulator (LDO) having a regulated voltage output; a set of voltage-modulated amplifiers having a first input coupled to the regulated voltage output, and a second input configured to receive the input signal; wherein the voltage-modulated amplifier is configured to amplify the input signal and transmit an amplified input signal on the output of the signal driver circuit; a de-emphasis controller, including a set of de-emphasis levels; wherein the de-emphasis controller is configured to selectively switch-on a first subset of the set of voltage-modulated amplifiers and switch-off a second subset of the set of voltage-modulated amplifiers based on the de-emphasis levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoqun Liu, Siamak Delshadpour
  • Patent number: 11846958
    Abstract: A system-on-chip according to an embodiment includes a core including a header switch circuit configured to transmit a power supply voltage applied to a first power rail as a supply voltage to a second power rail and a logic circuit configured to operate based on the supply voltage from the second power rail, and a low-dropout (LDO) regulator configured to regulate a magnitude of first current output to the second power rail based on a change in the supply voltage, wherein the LDO regulator is further configured to control on/off of a plurality of first header switches included in the header switch circuit based on an amount of the change in the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seki Kim, Sangho Kim, Yongjin Lee, Hyongmin Lee, Dongha Lee, Byeongbae Lee, Sungyong Lee
  • Patent number: 11838008
    Abstract: A current detection circuit includes normally-on-type and a first normally-off-type switching elements with main current paths that are connected in series, and a second normally-off-type switching element that has a source and a gate that are connected to a source and a gate of the first normally-off-type switching element and a drain that is connected to a constant current source, and executes a division process by using drain voltages of the two normally-off-type switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventor: Hideaki Majima
  • Patent number: 11835978
    Abstract: Methods and devices to reduce or remove slumps in power supplies are disclosed. The disclosed teachings can serve various applications, such as applications implementing RF switches. Using such teachings, an integrated method can benefit from two different modes of operation where either an external or an internal charge pump can be used to provide a desired negative voltage to various components within the integrated circuit. This can be done by disposing a larger load capacitor outside the integrated circuit and without compromising any die space requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: pSemi Corporation
    Inventors: Ravindranath D. Shrivastava, Payman Shanjani
  • Patent number: 11829172
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure relates to an apparatus including: an integrated circuit (IC) including one or more cores, and a current limit detection circuit; a voltage regulator; an inductor coupled between the voltage regulator and the one or more cores of the IC; and a current sensing circuit including inputs coupled across the inductor and an output coupled to the current limit detection circuit of the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Vijayakumar Ashok Dibbad, Fredrick Bontemps, Matthew Severson, Timothy Zoley
  • Patent number: 11829169
    Abstract: In described examples, a source circuit can have an input and an output. The input can be adapted to be coupled to an input voltage source configured to provide an input voltage. The source circuit can be configured to output power at an output based on a power delivery mode. The source circuit can include a timer and power delivery (PD) controller. The PD controller can be configured to control the power delivery mode responsive to the input voltage and the timer. The PD controller can be further configured to set a respective power delivery mode and initiate the timer for a timer duration based on the input voltage relative to an input voltage threshold. The PD controller can be further configured to continue operating in the respective power delivery mode for the timer duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: John Mitchell Perry, Yoon Jae Lee, Pasupathy Visuvanadan, Jeffrey Howard Enoch
  • Patent number: 11815927
    Abstract: A bandgap reference circuit includes a feedback transistor, a reference setting circuit, an amplification circuit and an output transistor. A source of the feedback transistor is configured to connect to a first power supply, and a drain of the feedback transistor is configured to connect to a first node. The reference setting circuit includes a first bridge arm and a second bridge arm which are connected in parallel. An inverting input terminal of the amplification circuit is connected to the first bridge arm, and a non-inverting input terminal of the amplification circuit is connected to the second bridge arm. A gate of the output transistor is connected to an output terminal of the amplification circuit, and a source of the output transistor is connected to the first power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Jianyong Qin
  • Patent number: 11817853
    Abstract: A semiconductor module including first and second transistors coupled in parallel to a first line receiving a power supply voltage, a driver circuit configured to apply, to a second line, a first voltage to turn on the first and second transistors in response to an input signal, a first resistor having two ends respectively coupled to the second line and a control electrode of the second transistor, a second resistor having two end respectively coupled to one of the two ends of the first resistor and a control electrode of the first transistor, a third resistor coupled to the second transistor, a third transistor coupled to one of the two ends of the second resistor, and a terminal coupled to the first to third transistors, the third resistor, and a load, such that the load receives a current from the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigemi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 11815924
    Abstract: A bandgap reference starting circuit with ultra-low power consumption includes a current generating unit and a first bias voltage generating unit respectively connected with a power supply voltage. The current generating unit generates an nA-level current and a starting voltage for the first bias voltage generating unit. The first bias voltage generating unit is started and generates a first bias voltage according to the starting voltage, and output the first bias voltage to a bandgap reference circuit to start up the bandgap reference circuit. The starting circuit can normally start up a bandgap reference circuit of nA level, and has an nA-level working current, thereby reducing power consumption and saving the cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: IPGOAL MICROELECTRONICS (SICHUAN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Li, Xiangyang Guo
  • Patent number: 11815926
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a respective signal from each of a plurality of respective sensor circuits, wherein each respective signal is indicative of a voltage or a current detected by each of the plurality of respective sensor circuits and performing an operation to determine whether one or more of the received signals meets a criterion. The method further includes generating a voltage management control signal in response to a determination that the one or more of the received signals meets the criterion, transferring the voltage management control signal to a voltage regulator, and generating, by the voltage regulator, a voltage signal in response to receipt of the voltage management control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leon Zlotnik, Leonid Minz, Ekram H. Bhuiyan
  • Patent number: 11817855
    Abstract: A selection circuit architecture makes it possible to perform upward and/or downward transitions in sets of sequences of slow and fast phases so as at the same time to solve the problems of inductive switching noise and the problems of currents in the supply rails. This solution has multiple advantages linked to the ease of implementation and flexibility of configurations that are possible for adapting to the specific constraints when designing the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Mohamad Awad, Gaƫl Pillonnet
  • Patent number: 11809207
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a temperature compensation circuit that generates a temperature-compensated current and an integrated semiconductor circuit using the temperature compensation circuit. The temperature compensation circuit includes: a first PTAT current source which has a first emitter area ratio and generates a first current, the first current having a first temperature coefficient proportional to the absolute temperature; a second PTAT current source which has a second emitter area ratio and generates a second current, the second current having a second temperature coefficient proportional to the absolute temperature; an adjustment circuit which adjusts the current generated by the first PTAT current source; and a differential circuit which outputs the difference between the current adjusted by the adjustment circuit and the current generated by the second PTAT current source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Masafumi Nakatani, Kimihisa Hiraga
  • Patent number: 11811446
    Abstract: A bias circuit for a low noise amplifier of a front end interface of a radio frequency communication device including a bias generator providing a bias voltage on a bias node for the low noise amplifier, a first resistive device coupled between the bias node and an input of the low noise amplifier, a first switch coupled in parallel with the first resistive device, and mode control circuitry receiving a mode signal indicative of a mode change, in which the mode control circuitry, in response to a mode change, momentarily activates the first switch to bypass the first resistive device and momentarily increases current capacity of the bias generator. The mode control circuitry may also momentarily activate a second switch to bypass a second resistive device of the bias circuit. The mode control circuitry may increase a sink current of the bias generator in response to the mode change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Luigi Panseri, Yu Su, Mustafa H. Koroglu
  • Patent number: 11811406
    Abstract: A driving device and a driving-program updating method are provided. The driving device includes a signal converter, a storage circuit, a controller, a driver, and a detection circuit. The signal converter receives a first signal and converts the first signal into a second signal. The storage circuit stores a driving program. The controller provides a control signal in response to the second signal and the driving program. The driver drives a fan unit in response to the control signal. The detection circuit detects whether the first signal includes a program update command. When the first signal includes the program update command, the detection circuit updates the driving program stored in the storage circuit based on the program update command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Midastek Microelectronics Inc.
    Inventor: Chung-Ping Tan
  • Patent number: 11811199
    Abstract: A system and method for differentiating between different modes of pulsed electrical discharges via of an amplitude to time (ATC) conversion circuit is described. A bipolar ATC circuit is used to add together the positive and negative portions of an attenuated and filtered signal derived either from the voltage or current of a pulse. Alternatively, a unipolar ATC circuit may be employed. The resulting processed signal is compared against a reference voltage to generate an output signal that is active for the amount of time that the processed signal exceeds the reference voltage. Discharge mode is determined based on three factors: did a pulse occur, if a pulse occurred when did the pulse start relative to the original pulse event, and what is the duty cycle of the pulse. Subsequent pulse generated may be controlled accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TRANSIENT PLASMA SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph F. Fitzpatrick, Mark A. Thomas, Alonzo Gomez, Jason M. Sanders
  • Patent number: 11803204
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an apparatus including: a first set of one or more field effect transistors (FETs) coupled between a first voltage rail and a load; a second set of one or more FETs coupled between the first voltage rail and the load; a gate voltage control circuit configured to: provide a first set of gate voltages to first and second gates of the first and second sets of one or more FETs in accordance with a first mode of operation, respectively; and provide a second set of gate voltages to the first and second gates of the first and second sets of one or more FETs in accordance with a second mode of operation, respectively; and a voltage droop compensation circuit configured to control an output voltage across the load during a transition from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiaodong Meng, Fan Yang, Yufei Pan, Hua Guan, Kuan Chuang Koay, Jize Jiang
  • Patent number: 11804835
    Abstract: Operating a bi-directional double-base bipolar junction transistor (B-TRAN). One example is a method comprising: injecting charge carriers at a first rate into an upper base of the transistor, the injecting at the first rate results in current flow through the transistor from an upper collector-emitter to a lower collector-emitter, and the current flow results in first voltage drop measured across the upper collector-emitter and the lower collector-emitter; and then, within a predetermined period of time before the end of a first conduction period of the transistor, injecting charge carriers into the upper base at a second rate lower than the first rate, the injecting at the second rate results in second voltage drop measured across the upper collector-emitter and the lower collector-emitter, the second voltage drop higher than the first voltage drop; and then making the transistor non-conductive at the end of the conduction period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: IDEAL POWER INC.
    Inventor: Alireza Mojab