Patents by Inventor Anton Koch

Anton Koch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7683655
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided having at least one terminal for coupling and/or decoupling of electric signals, particularly of digital signals, and having integrated reference potential means, assigned to the terminal, for providing an electric reference potential to the terminal. It is provided according to an embodiment of the invention that the reference potential means is switchable, particularly by an override process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Koch
  • Publication number: 20080197875
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided having at least one terminal for coupling and/or decoupling of electric signals, particularly of digital signals, and having integrated reference potential means, assigned to the terminal, for providing an electric reference potential to the terminal. It is provided according to an embodiment of the invention that the reference potential means is switchable, particularly by an override process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Anton Koch
  • Patent number: 7130175
    Abstract: At least one or more terminals of an integrated circuit, such as a low- or high-side driver stage, are protected against transient or over-voltages by two pairs of diodes. A first pair of diodes includes a regular diode (D1 or D1?) and a Zener-diode (ZD1 or ZD1?). A second pair of diodes also includes a regular diode (D2 or D3) and a Zener-diode (ZD2 or ZD3). These diode pairs are looped into the respective circuit and cooperate with an n-channel MOSFET or a p-channel MOSFET to provide the required over-voltage protection, particularly for transmitter/receiver circuits and databus systems especially in motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Dietz, Lars Hehn, Manfred Klaussner, Anton Koch
  • Patent number: 7116140
    Abstract: An integrated circuit preferably to be connected to a motor vehicle battery is selectively switchable between sleep and normal operating modes. The IC may include a useful control logic circuit, a wake-up circuit evaluating an input signal and responsively outputting a wake-up signal dependent on the input signal, and an input control and supply circuit connected between the wake-up circuit and the control logic circuit. The wake-up circuit includes at least one recognition circuit having an amplifier arrangement to selectively amplify the input signal, and an evaluation circuit having a switch arrangement controlled by the amplified signal and an amplifier producing the output signal. The wake-up circuit has a very low current consumption while monitoring the input signal, and produces the wake-up signal only if the input signal suitably exceeds or falls below a specified voltage threshold. The wake-up signal may activate the control circuit, which may activate the logic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Koch
  • Publication number: 20050088206
    Abstract: An integrated circuit preferably to be connected to a motor vehicle battery is selectively switchable between sleep and normal operating modes. The IC may include a useful control logic circuit, a wake-up circuit evaluating an input signal and responsively outputting a wake-up signal dependent on the input signal, and an input control and supply circuit connected between the wake-up circuit and the control logic circuit. The wake-up circuit includes at least one recognition circuit having an amplifier arrangement to selectively amplify the input signal, and an evaluation circuit having a switch arrangement controlled by the amplified signal and an amplifier producing the output signal. The wake-up circuit has a very low current consumption while monitoring the input signal, and produces the wake-up signal only if the input signal suitably exceeds or falls below a specified voltage threshold. The wake-up signal may activate the control circuit, which may activate the logic circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Applicant: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Koch
  • Publication number: 20050024801
    Abstract: At least one or more terminals of an integrated circuit, such as a low- or high-side driver stage, are protected against transient or over-voltages by two pairs of diodes. A first pair of diodes includes a regular diode (D1 or D1?) and a Zener-diode (ZD1 or ZD1?). A second pair of diodes also includes a regular diode (D2 or D3) and a Zener-diode (ZD2 or ZD3). These diode pairs are looped into the respective circuit and cooperate with an n-channel MOSFET or a p-channel MOSFET to provide the required over-voltage protection, particularly for transmitter/receiver circuits and databus systems especially in motor vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Applicant: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Dietz, Lars Hehn, Manfred Klaussner, Anton Koch
  • Patent number: 5973513
    Abstract: In an integrated circuit arrangement with an open-collector transistor of the npn type, the collector of the open-collector transistor is connected through a collector resistor with preferably low ohmic resistance to an open-collector output of the circuit arrangement to which an output voltage is applied, and, through a parasitic diode which is switched in the reverse direction when the output voltage has a positive value, to a ground terminal of the circuit arrangement. The emitter of the open-collector transistor is connected to the ground terminal of the circuit arrangement and the base of the open-collector transistor is connected to a base current source that generates a base current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Anton Koch
    Inventor: Anton Koch
  • Patent number: 5331314
    Abstract: A circuit is described for monitoring of loads having measuring resistors in the load circuit. The circuit evaluates the measuring voltage drops obtained at the measuring resistors. The circuit comprises at least one comparator stage made up of a reference current section and a comparator section. A temperature-dependent reference current is formed in the reference current section and supplied to the comparator section, with the temperature-dependent reference current comprising a voltage-independent component and a voltage-dependent component. The comparator section comprises one or more input branches, corresponding comparator branches, and a reference branch. The comparator branch compares the reference current flowing in the reference branch with the input currents flowing in the input branches and representing a measure for the measuring voltage drops obtained at the measuring resistors and applied to the inputs of the comparator stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Anton Koch