Patents by Inventor Christopher T. Maxwell

Christopher T. Maxwell 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: 9350180
    Abstract: Conventionally, current detection in load switches is implemented by monitoring the voltage across a small value sense resistor in series with the load switch, where the differential voltage across is applied to a comparator to generate a control signal corresponding to a light load condition, a normal load condition, or an over-load condition. Detecting the light load condition, however, can be difficult to determine using this arrangement due to the low differential voltage. Here, however, a integrated circuit (IC) is provided that employs an internal voltage supply and comparators to examine the load current to determine whether a light load condition is present, which does not suffer from the same problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher T. Maxwell, John M. Perry, Aline C. Sadate, James C. Spurlin, Nakshatra S. Gajbhiye
  • Publication number: 20120274153
    Abstract: Conventionally, current detection in load switches is implemented by monitoring the voltage across a small value sense resistor in series with the load switch, where the differential voltage across is applied to a comparator to generate a control signal corresponding to a light load condition, a normal load condition, or an over-load condition. Detecting the light load condition, however, can be difficult to determine using this arrangement due to the low differential voltage. Here, however, a integrated circuit (IC) is provided that employs an internal voltage supply and comparators to examine the load current to determine whether a light load condition is present, which does not suffer from the same problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher T. Maxwell, John M. Perry, Aline C. Sadate, James C. Spurlin, Nakshatra S. Gajbhiye
  • Publication number: 20110128659
    Abstract: Load switches are relatively common and in use with a variety of applications, and conventional load switches have been designed to have continually operating protection circuitry, which can consume a great deal of power. Here, a load switch integrated circuit (IC) is provided where a controller within the IC activates and deactivates various protection circuits in a sequence, allowing the protection circuit to protect the IC while also reducing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Aline C. Sadate, Christopher T. Maxwell, Nakshatra S. Gajbhiye, Mustapha El-Markhi
  • Patent number: 7940505
    Abstract: Load switches are relatively common and in use with a variety of applications, and conventional load switches have been designed to have continually operating protection circuitry, which can consume a great deal of power. Here, a load switch integrated circuit (IC) is provided where a controller within the IC activates and deactivates various protection circuits in a sequence, allowing the protection circuit to protect the IC while also reducing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Aline C. Sadate, Christopher T. Maxwell, Nakshatra S. Gajbhiye, Mustapha El-Markhi
  • Patent number: 7167038
    Abstract: A power efficiency control circuit eliminates short circuit power consumption associated with a CMOS output buffer in a manner that substantially increases the buffer operating efficiency. The technique is implemented to allow for a reduction of power associated with the output buffer pre-driver stage. The methodology employs a power efficiency control circuit that tri-states the output buffer before every transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Christopher T. Maxwell
  • Patent number: 7138830
    Abstract: An output buffer having a first pull-up transistor and a first pull-down transistor connected in series between two nodes of a power supply, their common connection node being connected to the output node. A logic circuit receives an input signal at a logic level and controls the voltage at the gates of the first pull-up transistor and the first pull-down transistor to provide the logic level at the output node. A second pull-up transistor and a second pull-down transistor are connected in series between the two nodes of the power supply, their common connection node being connected to the output node. A control circuit provides an output indicating when the supply voltage is below a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instrument Incorporated
    Inventor: Christopher T. Maxwell