Patents by Inventor Douglas A. Vargha

Douglas A. Vargha 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: 6127882
    Abstract: Current sensing circuits having independently adjustable dual-level trip thresholds for use in hot swap controllers, solid state circuit breakers and other current sensing circuits. The dual-level trip threshold is user-programmable to provide one current level for power-up conditions and another current level for normal operation. The two separate thresholds are also useful during normal operation to monitor both the steady state current and to set a limit on the upper current which should never be exceeded. Various features and alternate embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Vargha, Bill Maney
  • Patent number: 6069516
    Abstract: Disclosed is a biasing circuit for bringing a power FET to a substantial full enhancement. The biasing circuit includes: (a) a rail power voltage that is coupled to a drain terminal of the power field effect transistor; (b) a load being coupled between an other potential and a source terminal of the power field effect transistor; and (c) a micromachined DC/DC converter that is coupled between a gate terminal of the power field effect transistor and the rail power voltage. The micromachined DC/DC converter is configured to produce an enhanced voltage that is greater than the rail power voltage to the gate terminal of the power field effect transistor to achieve a substantial enhancement of the power field effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas A. Vargha
  • Patent number: 6058027
    Abstract: The present invention comprises the combination of one or more micromachined circuit elements and a micromachined DC-to-DC step-up converter on the same or different substrates, so as to allow the operation of the micromachined circuit element at a different voltage, typically a higher or a negative voltage, in comparison to the input power supply to the system. The micromachined structure of such a converter requires little chip area and is normally fully compatible with the micromachined structure of other micromachined circuit elements, such switches and resonators, providing obvious advantages when formed on the same substrate as such devices. Similarly, micromachined switches have the advantage of providing substantially greater isolation between the signal being switched and the signal doing the switching, and provide a much better ratio between the off resistance to the on resistance than can be achieved with transistor switching devices, such as by way of example, MOS switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Vargha, Sean S. Cahill