Patents by Inventor Barend Van Liempd

Barend Van Liempd 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: 9979376
    Abstract: A tunable impedance network includes at least one variable impedance bank comprising a plurality of digitally controlled unit cells each connected from at least a first end to a routing wire. The tunable impedance network is provided with selection means arranged for selecting, based on a desired impedance, a corresponding predetermined digital control signal to be supplied to the variable impedance bank to switch-on a corresponding combination of the unit cells. Between each pair of unit cells in the variable impedance bank, a routing wire section is provided having a respective routing impedance. Each of the predetermined digital control signals is provided for switching-on a combination of unit cells in such a way that the routing impedance of the routing wire section is exploited to fine-tune the actual impedance generated by the variable impedance bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Benjamin Poris Hershberg, Barend van Liempd
  • Patent number: 9548715
    Abstract: A tunable impedance network and a method for tuning the tunable impedance network are disclosed. In one aspect, the tunable impedance network comprises a plurality of transformers connected in series. Each transformer has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformers have a voltage transformation ratio of N:1 with N>1. An impedance structure, acting as a resonant circuit together with the inductance of the secondary winding, is connected at the secondary winding of each transformer. A control circuit or processor is configured to tune the imaginary part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its resonance frequency to mimic a reference impedance. The control circuit is further configured to tune the real part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its Q-factor to mimic the reference impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Barend Van Liempd, Jonathan Borremans
  • Publication number: 20160182004
    Abstract: A tunable impedance network includes at least one variable impedance bank comprising a plurality of digitally controlled unit cells each connected from at least a first end to a routing wire. The tunable impedance network is provided with selection means arranged for selecting, based on a desired impedance, a corresponding predetermined digital control signal to be supplied to the variable impedance bank to switch-on a corresponding combination of the unit cells. Between each pair of unit cells in the variable impedance bank, a routing wire section is provided having a respective routing impedance. Each of the predetermined digital control signals is provided for switching-on a combination of unit cells in such a way that the routing impedance of the routing wire section is exploited to fine-tune the actual impedance generated by the variable impedance bank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Benjamin Poris Hershberg, Barend van Liempd
  • Publication number: 20140176388
    Abstract: A tunable impedance network and a method for tuning the tunable impedance network are disclosed. In one aspect, the tunable impedance network comprises a plurality of transformers connected in series. Each transformer has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The transformers have a voltage transformation ratio of N:1 with N>1. An impedance structure, acting as a resonant circuit together with the inductance of the secondary winding, is connected at the secondary winding of each transformer. A control circuit or processor is configured to tune the imaginary part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its resonance frequency to mimic a reference impedance. The control circuit is further configured to tune the real part of at least one of the impedance structures so as to change its Q-factor to mimic the reference impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Barend Van Liempd, JONATHAN BORREMANS