Patents by Inventor Eric J. King
Eric J. King 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).
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Patent number: 11652455Abstract: A signal processing system may include a signal path and a chop management circuit. The signal path may comprise a chopper configured to chop a differential input signal to the signal path at a chopping frequency and a low-pass filter downstream of the chopper and configured to filter out intermodulation products of a direct current offset of the signal path and intermodulation products of an aggressor on the differential input signal in order to generate an output signal. The chop management circuit may be communicatively coupled to the chopper and configured to, based on operational parameters associated with the signal path, dynamically manage energy of one or more clock signals used to define the chopping frequency.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Ravi K. Kummaraguntla, Christophe J. Amadi, John L. Melanson, Axel Thomsen, John C. Tucker, Eric J. King
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Publication number: 20230132872Abstract: Pulse width modulation (PWM) driver circuitry comprising: a loop filter configured to receive an analog input signal and to output a digital loop filter output signal based on the analog input signal and an analog feedback signal; and a PWM modulator configured to receive a digital signal based on the digital loop filter output signal and to output a PWM signal, wherein the PWM driver circuitry further comprises a feedback path coupled to an output of the PWM driver circuitry for the analog feedback signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: John L. MELANSON, Eric J. KING, Thomas H. HOFF, Lingli ZHANG
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Publication number: 20230106891Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a battery and a power converter coupled to the battery and configured to be coupled between the battery and a power source. The power converter may be configured to, in a first mode, couple to the power source having a source voltage and charge the battery with a charging voltage significantly smaller than the source voltage. The power converter may be further configured to, in a second mode, couple between at least one downstream component of the electronic device and the battery to provide electrical energy to the at least one downstream component from the battery at a boost voltage significantly larger than a battery voltage generated by the battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2022Publication date: April 6, 2023Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Christian LARSEN, Eric J. KING
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Patent number: 11616434Abstract: A battery management system configured to electrically couple to a battery may include a boost converter comprising a plurality of switches arranged to provide a boosted output voltage at an output of the boost converter from a source voltage of the battery and a bypass switch coupled between the battery and the output, wherein the battery management system is operable in a plurality of modes comprising a bypass mode wherein the source voltage is bypassed to the output and when the battery management system is in the bypass mode, at least one switch of the plurality of switches is enabled to increase a conductance between the battery and the output.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2022Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Eric J. King, John L. Melanson, Graeme G. Mackay, Lingli Zhang
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Patent number: 11606642Abstract: The application describes a switched driver (401) for outputting a drive signal at an output node (402) to drive a load such as a transducer. The driver receives respective high-side and low-side voltages (VinH, VinL) defining an input voltage at first and second input nodes and has connections for first and second capacitors (403H, 403L). A network of switching paths is configured such that each of the first and second capacitors can be selectively charged to the input voltage, the first input node can be selectively coupled to a first node (N1) by a path that include or bypass the first capacitor, and the second input node can be selectively coupled to a second node (N2) by a path that includes or bypasses the second capacitor. The output node (402) can be switched between two switching voltages at the first or second nodes. The driver is selectively operable in different operating modes, where the switching voltages are different in each of said modes.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2021Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Anthony S. Doy, Eric J. King
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Patent number: 11594958Abstract: Driver circuitry for driving a load based on an input signal, comprising: at least one variable boost stage comprising: first and second input nodes configured to receive a first voltage and a second voltage respectively; first and second flying capacitor nodes for connection to a flying capacitor therebetween; a network of switching paths for selectively connecting the first and second input nodes with the first and second flying capacitor nodes; an output stage for selectively connecting a driver output node to each of the first and second flying capacitor nodes; and a controller operable in a first boost mode to: control the output stage to selectively connect the driver output node to the first flying capacitor node; control the network of switching paths to switch connection of the second flying capacitor node between the first and second input nodes at a controlled duty cycle; and in a first charge top-up cycle, control the network of switching paths to connect the first input node to the first flying cType: GrantFiled: November 30, 2021Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Eric J. King, Axel Thomsen, Anthony S. Doy, Thomas H. Hoff, John L. Melanson
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Publication number: 20220393576Abstract: A battery management system configured to electrically couple to a battery may include a boost converter comprising a plurality of switches arranged to provide a boosted output voltage at an output of the boost converter from a source voltage of the battery and a bypass switch coupled between the battery and the output, wherein the battery management system is operable in a plurality of modes comprising a bypass mode wherein the source voltage is bypassed to the output and when the battery management system is in the bypass mode, at least one switch of the plurality of switches is enabled to increase a conductance between the battery and the output.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Eric J. KING, John L. MELANSON, Graeme G. MACKAY, Lingli ZHANG
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Patent number: 11515707Abstract: A power delivery system may include a power converter configured to electrically couple to a power source and further configured to supply electrical energy to one or more loads electrically coupled to an output of the power converter, and control circuitry configured to select a constraint factor from a plurality of different constraint factors based on at least one of an input voltage to the power converter and a power level available to the power converter, and control the power converter in accordance with the constraint factor.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Graeme G. Mackay, Ajit Sharma, Jason W. Lawrence, Eric J. King
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Publication number: 20220376618Abstract: This application relates to methods and apparatus for driving a transducer. A transducer driver has a switch network is operable to selectively connect a driver output to any of a first set of at least three different switching voltages. which are, in use, maintained throughout a switching cycle of the driver apparatus. The switch network is also operable to selectively connect the driver output to flying capacitor driver. A controller is configured to control the switch network and flying capacitor driver to generate a drive signal at the driver output based on an input signal, wherein in one mode of operation the driver output is switched between two of the first set of switching voltages with a controlled duty cycle and in another mode of operation the driver output is connected to the flying capacitor driver which is switched between first and second states with a controlled duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Yongjie CHENG, Lingli ZHANG, John L. MELANSON, Thomas H. HOFF, Eric J. KING, Zhaohui HE
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Publication number: 20220368325Abstract: This application relates to methods and apparatus for driving a transducer with switching drivers. A switching driver has first and second supply node for receiving supply voltages and includes an output bridge stage, a capacitor and a network of switches. The network of switches is operable in different switch states to provide different switching voltages to the output bridge stage. A controller is configured to control the switch state of the network of switches and a duty cycle of output switches of the output bridge stage based on an input signal to generate an output signal for driving the transducer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Axel THOMSEN, Eric J. KING, Thomas H. HOFF, John L. MELANSON, Angus BLACK, Ross C. MORGAN, Malcolm BLYTH
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Publication number: 20220344958Abstract: A battery management system, may include an input configured to couple to a power supply, an output configured to couple to a battery, and battery management circuitry coupled between the power supply and the battery and configured to deliver electrical energy to the output at a significantly higher peak-to-average power ratio than receipt of electrical energy to the input.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2021Publication date: October 27, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: John L. MELANSON, Eric J. KING, Emmanuel MARCHAIS
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Patent number: 11476759Abstract: A system may include a power converter comprising at least one stage having a dual anti-wound inductor constructed such that its windings generate opposing magnetic fields in its magnetic core and a current control subsystem for controlling an electrical current through the dual anti-wound inductor. The current control subsystem may be configured to minimize a magnitude of a magnetizing electrical current of the dual anti-wound inductor to prevent core saturation of the dual anti-wound inductor and regulate an amount of output electrical current delivered by the power converter to the load in accordance with a reference input signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Jason W. Lawrence, John L. Melanson, Eric J. King
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Patent number: 11476766Abstract: A system for controlling a current in a power converter may include an outer control loop configured to use an outer set of output voltage thresholds for an output voltage generated by the power converter in order to provide hysteretic control of the current, an inner control loop configured to use an inner set of output voltage thresholds for the output voltage in order to provide continuous control of the current, the inner control loop further configured to measure a time duration required for the output voltage to cross a single pair of two output voltage thresholds of the inner set of output voltage thresholds in order to determine an input-referred estimate of a current load of the power converter and set a peak current threshold and a valley current threshold for the current based on the input-referred estimate of the current load.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Jason W. Lawrence, Eric J. King, Graeme G. Mackay, Theodore M. Burk
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Patent number: 11469661Abstract: A battery management system configured to electrically couple to a battery may include a boost converter comprising a plurality of switches arranged to provide a boosted output voltage at an output of the boost converter from a source voltage of the battery and a bypass switch coupled between the battery and the output, wherein the battery management system is operable in a plurality of modes comprising a bypass mode wherein the source voltage is bypassed to the output and when the battery management system is in the bypass mode, at least one switch of the plurality of switches is enabled to increase a conductance between the battery and the output.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Eric J. King, John L. Melanson, Graeme G. MacKay, Lingli Zhang
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Publication number: 20220320999Abstract: A power delivery system may include an inductive power converter comprising a shared connection to a shared voltage from a battery, multiple inductive phases, each of the multiple inductive phases configured to generate a respective voltage from the shared voltage, multiple regulated voltage connections, and one or more switches configured and arranged to selectively assign at least one of the multiple inductive phases to a regulated voltage connection selected from the multiple regulated voltage connections.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2021Publication date: October 6, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Emmanuel MARCHAIS, Ross C. MORGAN, Ivan PERRY, Eric J. KING
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Patent number: 11463008Abstract: A system may include a power converter configured to convert a source voltage from a power source to an output voltage at an output capacitor at an output of the power converter, a dual-mode power converter electrically coupled to the power converter, the dual-mode power converter having a plurality of switches and a power inductor, an energy storage element electrically coupled to the dual-mode power converter, and control circuity configured to, when the output voltage is below a threshold voltage magnitude, control the plurality of switches to operate the dual-mode power converter as a buck converter in order to transfer energy from the energy storage element to the output capacitor via an electrical current through the power inductor.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2020Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Graeme G. Mackay, Eric J. King, Ajit Sharma
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Patent number: 11456704Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include a circuit having a power converter and an amplifier, wherein the power converter is configured to generate an intermediate voltage, provide the intermediate voltage as an amplifier supply voltage to the amplifier, and share the intermediate voltage with one or more additional circuits external to the circuit, wherein at least one of the one or more additional circuits is configured to generate the intermediate voltage.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2019Date of Patent: September 27, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Allen May, Eric J. King, Firas Azrai
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Publication number: 20220286050Abstract: A system may include a power converter having a maximum allowable input power drawn from a power source, an energy storage element coupled to an output of the power converter at a top plate of the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is configured to store excess energy, and control circuity configured to, when an input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power, cause excess energy stored in the energy storage element to be consumed by circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, and in order to maintain positive voltage headroom for the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter, selectively couple a bottom plate of the energy storage element to the power source such that excess energy stored by the circuitry coupled to the output of the power converter is consumed from the energy storage device when the input power of the power converter exceeds the maximum allowable input power.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2022Publication date: September 8, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Eric J. KING, Ajit SHARMA, Lingli ZHANG, Christian LARSEN, Graeme G. MACKAY
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Publication number: 20220286046Abstract: Driver circuitry for driving a load based on an input signal, comprising: at least one variable boost stage comprising: first and second input nodes configured to receive a first voltage and a second voltage respectively; first and second flying capacitor nodes for connection to a flying capacitor therebetween; a network of switching paths for selectively connecting the first and second input nodes with the first and second flying capacitor nodes; an output stage for selectively connecting a driver output node to each of the first and second flying capacitor nodes; and a controller operable in a first boost mode to: control the output stage to selectively connect the driver output node to the first flying capacitor node; control the network of switching paths to switch connection of the second flying capacitor node between the first and second input nodes at a controlled duty cycle; and in a first charge top-up cycle, control the network of switching paths to connect the first input node to the first flying cType: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2021Publication date: September 8, 2022Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.Inventors: Eric J. KING, Axel THOMSEN, Anthony S. DOY, Thomas H. HOFF, John L. MELANSON
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Patent number: 11437935Abstract: A method may include controlling commutation of a plurality of switches of an output stage comprising the plurality of switches in order to transfer charge between an energy storage device and a load to generate an output voltage across the load as an amplified version of an input signal, wherein the load comprises capacitive energy storage and controlling the power converter in order to regulate a cumulative electrical energy present in the system at an energy target, wherein the power converter is configured to transfer electrical energy from a source of electrical energy coupled to an input of the power converter to the energy storage device coupled to the output of the power converter and configured to store the electrical energy transferred from the source of electrical energy.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2018Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventors: Eric J. King, John L. Melanson