Patents by Inventor Ehrentraud Hager

Ehrentraud Hager 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: 12057821
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include a resonator formed from FinFET devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. Each of the drive cells may include at least two drive transistors having fins coupled to a drive terminal. Each sense cell may include two sense transistors having one fin coupled to a sense terminal and another fin coupled to ground. Adjacent drive and sense cells may be separated by an intervening region that can accommodate a number of fins. Configured in this way, the resonator can exhibit a high quality factor, low phase noise, and can operate at a frequency that is less than the characteristic resonant frequency as defined by the fin pitch of the drive and sense transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ehrentraud Hager, Harald Pretl
  • Publication number: 20240128929
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include oscillator circuitry having a resonator formed from fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. The resonator may be connected in a feedback loop within the oscillator circuitry. The oscillator circuitry may include an amplifier having an input coupled to the sense cells and an output coupled to the drive cells. The oscillator circuitry may also include a separate inductor and capacitor based oscillator, where the resonator serves as a separate output filter stage for the inductor and capacitor based oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Harald Pretl, Ehrentraud Hager, Aly Ismail
  • Patent number: 11894807
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include oscillator circuitry having a resonator formed from fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. The resonator may be connected in a feedback loop within the oscillator circuitry. The oscillator circuitry may include an amplifier having an input coupled to the sense cells and an output coupled to the drive cells. The oscillator circuitry may also include a separate inductor and capacitor based oscillator, where the resonator serves as a separate output filter stage for the inductor and capacitor based oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harald Pretl, Ehrentraud Hager, Aly Ismail
  • Publication number: 20220337191
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include oscillator circuitry having a resonator formed from fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. The resonator may be connected in a feedback loop within the oscillator circuitry. The oscillator circuitry may include an amplifier having an input coupled to the sense cells and an output coupled to the drive cells. The oscillator circuitry may also include a separate inductor and capacitor based oscillator, where the resonator serves as a separate output filter stage for the inductor and capacitor based oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Harald Pretl, Ehrentraud Hager, Aly Ismail
  • Publication number: 20220311413
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include a resonator formed from FinFET devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. Each of the drive cells may include at least two drive transistors having fins coupled to a drive terminal. Each sense cell may include two sense transistors having one fin coupled to a sense terminal and another fin coupled to ground. Adjacent drive and sense cells may be separated by an intervening region that can accommodate a number of fins. Configured in this way, the resonator can exhibit a high quality factor, low phase noise, and can operate at a frequency that is less than the characteristic resonant frequency as defined by the fin pitch of the drive and sense transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ehrentraud Hager, Harald Pretl
  • Patent number: 11323070
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include oscillator circuitry having a resonator formed from fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) devices. The resonator may include drive cells of alternating polarities and sense cells interposed between the drive cells. The resonator may be connected in a feedback loop within the oscillator circuitry. The oscillator circuitry may include an amplifier having an input coupled to the sense cells and an output coupled to the drive cells. The oscillator circuitry may also include a separate inductor and capacitor based oscillator, where the resonator serves as a separate output filter stage for the inductor and capacitor based oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harald Pretl, Ehrentraud Hager, Aly Ismail