Patents by Inventor Antonio S. Lopes

Antonio S. Lopes 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).

  • Programmable metal elements and programmable via elements in an integrated circuit
    Patent number: 8154053
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include one or more cells, with each cell comprising a first and a second input terminal, a first and a second output terminal, and a number of connection stages configured to couple each input terminal to a corresponding respective output terminal. The stages may include one stage per metal layer of the integrated circuit and one stage per VIA layer of the integrated circuit. Each stage may be configured with a pair of input ports and a pair of output ports. Each output port of a stage may serially connect to a corresponding respective input port of a first adjacent stage, and each input port of the stage may also serially connect to a corresponding respective output port of a second adjacent stage. The pair of input ports may also be configured to programmably connect to the pair of output ports within the same stage, according to one of two different connection patterns, to establish a respective connection within the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio S. Lopes, Steven Burstein
  • Metal or Via Programmable Element
    Publication number: 20100213515
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include one or more cells, with each cell comprising a first and a second input terminal, a first and a second output terminal, and a number of connection stages configured to couple each input terminal to a corresponding respective output terminal. The stages may include one stage per metal layer of the integrated circuit and one stage per VIA layer of the integrated circuit. Each stage may be configured with a pair of input ports and a pair of output ports. Each output port of a stage may serially connect to a corresponding respective input port of a first adjacent stage, and each input port of the stage may also serially connect to a corresponding respective output port of a second adjacent stage. The pair of input ports may also be configured to programmably connect to the pair of output ports within the same stage, according to one of two different connection patterns, to establish a respective connection within the stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Antonio S. Lopes, Steven Burstein