Patents by Inventor Donald Edward Major

Donald Edward Major 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).

  • Publication number: 20140319640
    Abstract: A photodiode structure provides light sensitivity to both front side and backside illumination. The photodiode may include a deep N well (DNW) that extends over a Psub substrate. The DNW may be discontinuous, or may extend continuously over the Psub substrate. Additional DNW area under the diode area proportionally increases the sensitivity to backside illumination. In addition, the photodiode may use a lightly doped anode region to increase the depletion region between the anode region and the deep N well. The anode region may be lightly doped Psub, as opposed to Pwell, in order to increase the topside light sensitive area percentage of the total area. One highly sensitive implementation uses Psub doping in the anode region, and a deep N well under the entire diode. This provides maximum areal density of the diode intrinsic regions nearest the wafer backside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Donald Edward Major, Chih-Chieh Shen
  • Patent number: 8064873
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Publication number: 20110133895
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Patent number: 7890080
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Publication number: 20100148929
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Patent number: 7689195
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Patent number: 7583179
    Abstract: A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jiangfeng Wu, Donald Edward Major
  • Publication number: 20090080135
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for substrates with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection are described. A substrate includes first and second ground planes and a trace that couples the first ground plane to the second ground plane. A signal passed by the first ground plane resulting from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event interacts with a signal passed by the second ground plane resulting from the ESD event. The first and second ground planes are substantially isolated from each other when the first and second ground planes are coupled to a ground plane of a printed circuit board (PCB).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Edward MAJOR