Patents Examined by Timothy P. Callahan
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Patent number: 7239186Abstract: A system and method for controlling an input/output driver. The system includes a control system configured to receive a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage and generate a control signal, and a first transistor including a first gate, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The first gate is configured to receive the control signal, and the first terminal is configured to receive the first supply voltage. Additionally, the system includes a second transistor including a second gate, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, and the second gate is coupled to the second terminal. Moreover, the system includes a third transistor including a third gate, a fifth terminal, and a sixth terminal, and the third gate is configured to receive the control signal. Also, the system includes an input/output pad coupled to the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2005Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) CorporationInventors: Ta-Lee Yu, Lei Wang, Li An Da
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Patent number: 7236042Abstract: To prevent blowing of a fuse resistor due to application of static electricity to a trimming pad. In a fuse trimming circuit capable of switching the input level of a CMOS input circuit by supplying a voltage or a current to a trimming pad so as to blow a fuse resistor, a P-channel MOS transistor is inserted and connected between the trimming pad and the fuse resistor, and the MOS transistor is controlled to be turned on at a time of trimming. Thus, at the time of the trimming, electrical connection can be established between the trimming pad and the fuse resistor. At all times except the time of the trimming, electrical disconnection can be performed between the trimming pad and the fuse resistor if a control signal is not supplied to the control pad. Further, the parasitic diode of the MOS transistor functions as a static protection diode.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: NEC Electronics CorporationInventor: Hirokazu Kawagoshi
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Patent number: 7236028Abstract: A delay-locked loop circuit receiving an input clock signal and generating an output clock signal whose delay is locked to the input clock includes a voltage controlled delay line (VCDL), a multiplexer, a phase detection control loop and a phase selection control loop. The VCDL generates a set of multi-phase delayed clock signals. The multiplexer selects one of the delayed clock signals as the output clock signal based on a select signal. The phase detection control loop measures the phase difference between the input and output clock signals and generate a control voltage for driving the VCDL. The phase selection control loop measures the control voltage and generates the select signal based on the control voltage, causing the multiplexer to select a delayed clock signal with increased or decreased amount of phase delay relative to the currently selected delayed clock signal or to hold the currently selected delayed clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: National Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Dong-Myung Choi
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Patent number: 7236039Abstract: Disclosed is a spread spectrum clock generator comprising a phase interpolator, which receives a clock signal from a clock input terminal and a control signal (an up signal and/or down signal), for adjusting the phase of an output clock signal in accordance with said control signal and outputting the resultant clock signal, and a control circuit receiving and counting the clock signal that enters from the clock input terminal and outputting said control signal (up signal or down signal), which is for varying the phase of the output clock signal based upon the result of the count, to the phase interpolator. The phase of the output clock signal from the phase interpolator varies with time and the output clock signal is frequency-modulated within a prescribed frequency range.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: NEC Electronics CorporationInventor: Kazuo Ogasawara
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Patent number: 7236035Abstract: A first logic circuit has its supply voltage controlled. A second logic circuit operates in response to an external clock signal. An adjustment circuit includes a first delay circuit supplied with the external clock signal, and a detection circuit which detects a skew between timing of a first clock signal output from the first logic circuit and a second clock signal output from the second logic circuit section. The adjustment circuit adjusts the delay time of the first delay circuit according to the result of the detection by the detection circuit and applies an output signal of the first delay circuit to the first logic circuit as a third clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2004Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Shinichiro Shiratake, Yukihito Oowaki, Fumitoshi Hatori, Mototsugu Hamada, Hiroyuki Hara
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Patent number: 7236034Abstract: The self correcting scheme to match pull up and pull down devices includes: a first comparator for comparing a common mode signal to a high reference limit; a second comparator for comparing the common mode signal to a low reference limit; a first flip flop having an input coupled to an output of the first comparator; a second flip flop having an input coupled to an output of the second comparator; a counter having inputs coupled to the first and second flip flops; and a delay device controlled by an output of the counter, wherein the delay device provides a pull down control signal that is delayed relative to a pull up control signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2004Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Wayne T. Chen, Narasimhan R. Trichy
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Patent number: 7236037Abstract: A delay loop (e.g., a voltage-controlled delay loop) has (at least) two devices (e.g., interpolators) for generating clock signals for injection into the delay elements of the delay loop in a leap-frog manner, in which, while one interpolator is generating the clock signal currently selected for injection, the other interpolator can be controlled to generate the next clock signal to be selected for injection. This leap-frog technique can provide more settling time for generating injected clock signals than implementations that rely on a single interpolator.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Abel, Vladimir Sindalovsky, Craig B. Ziemer
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Patent number: 7236036Abstract: An apparatus for generating pulses includes: (a) A delay unit having an input delay locus for receiving a delay unit input signal and an output delay locus for presenting an output delay signal. The delay unit output signal is delayed by a delay interval with respect to the input delay signal. (B) A latch coupled with the delay unit to selectively keep the delay unit input signal at at least one predetermined signal level.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorportedInventors: Charles M. Branch, Steven C. Bartling
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Patent number: 7236045Abstract: A bias generator is provided that includes a central bias generator to provide a first bias voltage and a local bias generator to receive the first bias voltage and to provide a second bias voltage. The central bias generator may include a replica bias generator circuit substantially corresponding to the local bias generator.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: James W. Tschanz, Stephen H. Tang, Victor Zia, Badarinath Kommandur, Siva G. Narendra, Vivek K. De
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Patent number: 7233195Abstract: A reference voltage and reference current generator supplies a reference voltage and a reference current, both having stable levels regardless of temperature variation. The reference voltage and reference current generator includes a reference voltage generating unit, a first current mirror, a temperature compensation MOS transistor and a second current mirror. The reference voltage generating unit outputs a reference voltage having a stable level regardless of temperature variation and process variation by using junction voltage characteristic and thermal voltage characteristic of a bipolar transistor, and supplies an inner current corresponding to the thermal voltage characteristic. The first current mirror supplies a first current by mirroring the inner current. The temperature compensation MOS transistor supplies a second current corresponding to the reference voltage through the source-drain stage.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Magnachip Semiconductor, Ltd.Inventor: Hack-Soo Oh
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Patent number: 7233181Abstract: A prescaler circuit includes: a frequency number switching part including first to sixth D-type flip-flop circuits, first and second AND circuits and first and second OR circuits; and a frequency division switching control part including a third AND circuit, a third OR circuit and first and second NOR circuits. The frequency number switching part has a function of controlling the frequency division among frequency division numbers of 1/N, 1/(N+1) and 1/(N+2) via the first and the second AND circuits by controlling modulus signals input to the first and the second NOR circuits. The frequency division switching control part has a function of controlling the frequency division between ?-frequency-division and 1/16-frequency-division by controlling a modulus signal input to the third AND circuit. A margin for a delay time that causes misoperation at the time of the switching of frequency division numbers can be increased.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shinichi Osako
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Patent number: 7233187Abstract: A pulse generator electrical circuit capable of operating as both a clock-based pulse generator and a delay-based pulse generator while minimizing the limitations of these two types of pulse generators is disclosed. When the pulse generator operates in “delay mode,” the smallest output pulse width possible corresponds to the minimum set point delay between the two delay circuits. The largest possible output pulse width corresponds to the difference between the maximum and minimum of the delay circuits. When the pulse generator operates in “clock mode,” the output of one of the delay circuits is blocked so that the output of the gate depends solely on the output of other delay circuit. This limits the lower pulse width interval to that of the retimer clock, but allows for an arbitrarily long (wide) pulse.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: MagiQ Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Harry Vig
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Patent number: 7233175Abstract: An amplitude limiting value can be set to an intended value of a designer and the dependence of the amplitude limiting value on the temperature can be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2004Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tadamasa Murakami
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Patent number: 7230464Abstract: A device includes a number of output circuits to drive a number of output signals. The output signals have timing relationship among each other. The device also includes a control loop circuit serving as a feedback loop to adjust any mismatch between the timing relationships of the output signals.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Mamun Ur Rashid
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Patent number: 7230458Abstract: Delta/sigma frequency discriminator (1) for converting a frequency (Fv) of an input signal into a digital output signal (C) comprising a frequency divider (8) which divides the input signal at a frequency dividing ratio which can be switched in dependence on the digital output signal (C), with at least one sampling register (12) which samples the divided input signal by means of a reference clock signal for generating the digital output signal (C), and with a dither circuit (15) which varies the clock period (T) of the reference clock signal so that interfering modulation tones in the signal spectrum of the digital output signal (C) are suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventor: Nicola DaDalt
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Patent number: 7230459Abstract: A static frequency divider circuit includes a first and second latch that are interconnected by a series path circuit and by a feedback path circuit. Each of the latches includes a reading BALLSACKbranch and a latching branch. The series path circuit includes a push-pull current driver to speed state transitions between the latching branch of the first latch and the reading branch of the second latch. Similarly, feedback path circuit includes a push-pull current driver to speed state transitions between the latching branch of the second latch and the reading branch of the first latch.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.Inventor: Jingqiong Xie
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Patent number: 7230468Abstract: In one embodiment, a distributed redundant control signal distribution system comprises a first control signal source co-located with a first set of control signal controlled circuit elements, at least one second control signal source co-located with a second set of control signal controlled circuit elements, at least one controller for providing control signals from the first control signal source to control both the first and second sets of controlled circuit elements, the controller operable for substituting signals from the second control signal source for signals from the first signal control source if the signals from the first control signal source become unavailable to either the first or second circuit elements.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Brad Underwood, Stuart C. Haden
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Patent number: 7230461Abstract: Circuits and methods for retiming a frequency-divided clock are provided. A first sampling circuit samples the frequency-divided clock with a rising edge of a sampling clock. A second sampling circuit samples the frequency-divided clock with a falling edge of the sampling clock. A multiplexer in communication with the first and second sampling circuits selects one of the samples as a retimed version of the frequency-divided clock. The particular sample selected is preferably the sample less likely to produce an erroneous retimed version of the frequency-divided clock.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Marvell International, Ltd.Inventor: Jafar Savoj
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Patent number: 7230462Abstract: The invention relates to a clock signal synchronizing method, and to a clock signal synchronizing device for synchronizing clock signals. In particular the device and method synchronizes a clock signal used internally in a memory chip with a clock signal input externally into the memory chip.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Rajashekhar Rao, Alessandro Minzoni
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Patent number: 7230471Abstract: A charge pump circuit of a liquid crystal display driver integrated circuit (LDI) is provided, which can reduce unnecessary current consumption when a load of an output node varies is provided, where, in a gradient mode of a display-on mode, in which an output node of the charge pump circuit has a maximum load, the current driving capability of a driver in the charge pump circuit is increased, and where, in a binary mode, in which the output node of the charge pump circuit has a smaller load than in the gradient mode, the current driving capability of the driver is lower, to prevent unnecessary current consumption caused by too large driving transfer transistors in the driver and to maintain boost efficiency at a proper level.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2005Date of Patent: June 12, 2007Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Chul Choi, Jae-Hyuck Woo, Jae-Goo Lee