Patents by Inventor Darrell Eugene Tinker

Darrell Eugene Tinker 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: 10489104
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating harmonics using polynomial non-linear functions. Polynomial functions are used to produce harmonics of an input signal up to a predetermined order, and that match a preferred set of characteristics. The preferred characteristics include approximating a sine function to generate odd harmonics, and using a function with zero slope at ?1, 0, and +1 to generate even harmonics. The polynomial coefficients may be chosen such that most of the coefficients for the odd polynomial function are scaled by the same constant as the coefficients for the even polynomial function, so that the calculation is shared between the two polynomials. In one embodiment, a digital signal processor having a pipelined ALU and a MAC is used to calculate the desired polynomial non-linear functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TEMPO SEMICONDUCTOR, LLC
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 10216700
    Abstract: A ternary pulse width modulation (“PWM”) method and apparatus. In one embodiment, the start of the pulse sequence in the “current” frame is referenced to the end of the pulse sequence in a previous, “reference” frame, rather than to the frame boundary at the start of the current frame, thereby allowing the compensation portion of the pulse sequence to overlap into the preceding or following frame, thus achieving a higher modulation index without dropping the compensation pulses. Although in most instantiations, the reference frame will be the frame immediately preceding in time the current frame, in other instances, the reference frame may be any frame preceding the current frame that falls within the constraints of the timing facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 9940303
    Abstract: A pipelined decimation in frequency FFT butterfly method, and an apparatus to perform this method comprising: a data memory with at least one read port and one write port; an add/subtract unit receiving data from the memory; a multiply/accumulate unit receiving data from the add/subtract unit; a source of coefficients, from logic gates or a coefficient memory, to supply FFT twiddle factors to the multiply/accumulate unit; a shifter receiving data from at least one of the add/subtract unit and the multiply/accumulate unit, the shifter supplying data to the write port of the data memory; wherein the apparatus performs these calculations in four cycles of the add/subtract unit and in four cycles of the multiply/accumulate unit, using complex arithmetic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20170170816
    Abstract: A ternary pulse width modulation (“PWM”) method and apparatus. In one embodiment, the start of the pulse sequence in the “current” frame is referenced to the end of the pulse sequence in a previous, “reference” frame, rather than to the frame boundary at the start of the current frame, thereby allowing the compensation portion of the pulse sequence to overlap into the preceding or following frame, thus achieving a higher modulation index without dropping the compensation pulses. Although in most instantiations, the reference frame will be the frame immediately preceding in time the current frame, in other instances, the reference frame may be any frame preceding the current frame that falls within the constraints of the timing facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 9571265
    Abstract: A sample rate converter for an oversampled data stream develops interpolated samples at a first oversample rate, from samples at a second oversample rate; wherein the first oversample rate is a non-integer multiple of the second oversample rate. When the samples at the second oversample rate are changing state, at least two interpolated samples are generated or the interpolation is at least second order. When the sample at the second oversample rate is not changing state, the sample at the second oversample rate is passed substantially unchanged. In one embodiment of the invention, asynchronous sample rate conversion is performed, and the first oversample rate is a varying non-integer multiple of the second oversample rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Tempo Semicondutor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20170011005
    Abstract: A pipelined decimation in frequency FFT butterfly method, and an apparatus to perform this method comprising: a data memory with at least one read port and one write port; an add/subtract unit receiving data from the memory; a multiply/accumulate unit receiving data from the add/subtract unit; a source of coefficients, from logic gates or a coefficient memory, to supply FFT twiddle factors to the multiply/accumulate unit; a shifter receiving data from at least one of the add/subtract unit and the multiply/accumulate unit, the shifter supplying data to the write port of the data memory; wherein the apparatus performs these calculations in four cycles of the add/subtract unit and in four cycles of the multiply/accumulate unit, using complex arithmetic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20170011004
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating harmonics using polynomial non-linear functions. Polynomial functions are used to produce harmonics of an input signal up to a predetermined order, and that match a preferred set of characteristics. The preferred characteristics include approximating a sine function to generate odd harmonics, and using a function with zero slope at ?1, 0, and +1 to generate even harmonics. The polynomial coefficients may be chosen such that most of the coefficients for the odd polynomial function are scaled by the same constant as the coefficients for the even polynomial function, so that the calculation is shared between the two polynomials. In one embodiment, a digital signal processor having a pipelined ALU and a MAC is used to calculate the desired polynomial non-linear functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: Tempo Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20170012767
    Abstract: A sample rate converter for an oversampled data stream develops interpolated samples at a first oversample rate, from samples at a second oversample rate; wherein the first oversample rate is a non-integer multiple of the second oversample rate. When the samples at the second oversample rate are changing state, at least two interpolated samples are generated or the interpolation is at least second order. When the sample at the second oversample rate is not changing state, the sample at the second oversample rate is passed substantially unchanged. In one embodiment of the invention, asynchronous sample rate conversion is performed, and the first oversample rate is a varying non-integer multiple of the second oversample rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: TEMPO SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 9231562
    Abstract: A system includes a decimation module having an adjustable decimation rate and a filter module responsive to the decimation module. A digital phase lock loop is operable to control a decimation rate of the decimation module. The decimation module is a cascade integrator comb decimation module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SIGMATEL, INC.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20140101218
    Abstract: A system includes a decimation module having an adjustable decimation rate and a filter module responsive to the decimation module. A digital phase lock loop is operable to control a decimation rate of the decimation module. The decimation module is a cascade integrator comb decimation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: SIGMATEL, INC.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 8635261
    Abstract: A system includes a decimation module having an adjustable decimation rate and a filter module responsive to the decimation module. A digital phase lock loop is operable to control a decimation rate of the decimation module. The decimation module is a cascade integrator comb decimation module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20110060783
    Abstract: A system includes a decimation module having an adjustable decimation rate and a filter module responsive to the decimation module. A digital phase lock loop is operable to control a decimation rate of the decimation module. The decimation module is a cascade integrator comb decimation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: SigmaTel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 7856464
    Abstract: A system and method for decimating a digital signal is disclosed. The system includes an input to receive digital data, a control input to receive a desired decimation rate, and an integrator stage responsive to the input. The system also includes a variable rate down sampling module responsive to the integrator stage and a differentiator stage responsive to the variable rate down sampling module. The down sampling module has a decimation rate that is dynamically adjustable based on the desired decimation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 7773006
    Abstract: A system and method for using one or more clock signals is disclosed. The system includes a clock translator that has a first input to receive a first reference clock signal and a second input to receive a second reference clock signal. The clock translator also includes an output to provide a bit rate clock signal having a clock frequency in a first ratio with respect to the frequency of the first reference clock but having a resolution based on at least a portion of the second reference clock signal. The second reference clock has a faster rate than the first reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 7724861
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a clock rate of a digital phase lock loop is disclosed. The system includes a first input to receive a first clock signal, an output to provide a second clock signal, and a dividerless initial clock rate determination module to calculate an initial clock rate value based on an reciprocal of a pulse length of the first clock signal. In a particular embodiment, the dividerless initial clock rate determination module performs a piecewise linear operation to calculate the initial clock rate value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Publication number: 20090033527
    Abstract: A system and method for using one or more clock signals is disclosed. The system includes a clock translator that has a first input to receive a first reference clock signal and a second input to receive a second reference clock signal. The clock translator also includes an output to provide a bit rate clock signal having a clock frequency in a first ratio with respect to the frequency of the first reference clock but having a resolution based on at least a portion of the second reference clock signal. The second reference clock has a faster rate than the first reference clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (formerly known as SigmaTel, Inc.)
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker
  • Patent number: 7453288
    Abstract: A system and method for using one or more clock signals is disclosed. The system includes a clock translator that has a first input to receive a first reference clock signal and a second input to receive a second reference clock signal. The clock translator also includes an output to provide a bit rate clock signal having a clock frequency in a first ratio with respect to the frequency of the first reference clock but having a resolution based on at least a portion of the second reference clock signal. The second reference clock has a faster rate than the first reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Sigmatel, Inc.
    Inventor: Darrell Eugene Tinker