Patents by Inventor Frank Ohnhaeuser

Frank Ohnhaeuser 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: 8665125
    Abstract: The device comprises a successive approximation register, a capacitive digital-to-analog converter comprising a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors being coupled with a first side to a common node; a comparator coupled to the common node and being adapted to make bit decisions by comparing a voltage at the common node with another voltage level, and a SAR control stage for providing a digital code representing a conversion result. The device is configured to operate in a calibration mode, where the device is configured to sample a reference voltage on a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors by coupling one side of the first capacitor to the reference voltage, to perform a regular conversion cycle with at least those capacitors of the plurality of capacitors having lower significance than the first capacitor and to provide the conversion result of the regular conversion cycle for calibrating the first capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Martin Allinger, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Patent number: 8624767
    Abstract: The modulator comprises a first and second integration stages, and a comparator, the first integration stage is fully differential having: an amplifier, sets of input sampling capacitors and feedback capacitors, and the first integration stage is configured to sample the analog input voltage on a set of input capacitors during a first portion of a clock cycle and on a set of input capacitors during a second portion of the clock cycle and to sample the feedback reference voltage on a set of feedback capacitors during the first portion of the clock cycle and on a set of feedback capacitors during the second portion of the clock cycle, and the first set of feedback capacitors and the second set of feedback capacitors are randomly selected out of the plurality of sets of feedback capacitors from cycle to cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Konstantin Schmid, Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Publication number: 20130278454
    Abstract: The modulator comprises a first and second integration stages, and a comparator, the first integration stage is fully differential having: an amplifier, sets of input sampling capacitors and feedback capacitors, and the first integration stage is configured to sample the analog input voltage on a set of input capacitors during a first portion of a clock cycle and on a set of input capacitors during a second portion of the clock cycle and to sample the feedback reference voltage on a set of feedback capacitors during the first portion of the clock cycle and on a set of feedback capacitors during the second portion of the clock cycle, and the first set of feedback capacitors and the second set of feedback capacitors are randomly selected out of the plurality of sets of feedback capacitors from cycle to cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instrument Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Konstantin Schmid, Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Publication number: 20130044015
    Abstract: The device comprises a successive approximation register, a capacitive digital-to-analog converter comprising a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors being coupled with a first side to a common node; a comparator coupled to the common node and being adapted to make bit decisions by comparing a voltage at the common node with another voltage level, and a SAR control stage for providing a digital code representing a conversion result. The device is configured to operate in a calibration mode, where the device is configured to sample a reference voltage on a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors by coupling one side of the first capacitor to the reference voltage, to perform a regular conversion cycle with at least those capacitors of the plurality of capacitors having lower significance than the first capacitor and to provide the conversion result of the regular conversion cycle for calibrating the first capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Martin Allinger, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Patent number: 8049654
    Abstract: Successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) generally employ capacitive digital-to-analog converters (CDACs) to perform data conversions. In these CDACs, matching of capacitive values is important, and for conventional high resolution SAR ADCs, complex trimming or calibration procedures can be too costly. Here, however, a SAR ADC is provided that performs error correction so as to reduce the overall cost compared to conventional SAR ADCs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser, Mikael Badenius
  • Patent number: 7965218
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided for analog to digital conversion using successive approximation. The device comprises a first ADC stage. The first ADC stage includes a first plurality of capacitors adapted to sample an input voltage, and adapted to be coupled to either a first reference signal level or a second reference signal level. At least one capacitor of the first plurality of capacitors is adapted to be left floating. A control stage is adapted to switch the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference signal level or the second reference signal level in response to an analog to digital conversion decision made by a second ADC stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Andreas Wickmann
  • Patent number: 7944387
    Abstract: An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided, which is adapted to be supplied with a single ended supply voltage. The device includes: a first analog-to-digital conversion stage including a first set of capacitors coupled with a side at a common node and adapted to sample an input voltage and to be coupled to either a first reference voltage level or a second reference voltage level, at least one capacitor of the first set of capacitors being adapted to be left floating, a control stage being adapted to connect the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference voltage level or the second reference voltage level in response to an analog-to-digital conversion decision made by a second analog-to-digital conversion stage. The first analog-to-digital conversion stage is operable to couple the common node to a supply voltage level, in particular ground, during analog-to-digital conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Texas InstrumentsDeutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Andreas Wickmann
  • Patent number: 7944379
    Abstract: An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided. There is a successive approximation register or SAR controller for providing a digital code representing a conversion result, and an integral non-linearity (INL) compensator configured to provide an INL compensation signal for reducing INL of the analog-to-digital conversion in response to the digital code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Michael Reinhold
  • Publication number: 20100214140
    Abstract: Successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) generally employ capacitive digital-to-analog converters (CDACs) to perform data conversions. In these CDACs, matching of capacitive values is important, and for conventional high resolution SAR ADCs, complex trimming or calibration procedures can be too costly. Here, however, a SAR ADC is provided that performs error correction so as to reduce the overall cost compared to conventional SAR ADCs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser, Mikael Badenius
  • Publication number: 20100207791
    Abstract: An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided. There is a successive approximation register or SAR controller for providing a digital code representing a conversion result, and an integral non-linearity (INL) compensator configured to provide an INL compensation signal for reducing INL of the analog-to-digital conversion in response to the digital code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Michael Reinhold
  • Publication number: 20100194619
    Abstract: An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided, which is adapted to be supplied with a single ended supply voltage. The device includes: a first analog-to-digital conversion stage including a first set of capacitors coupled with a side at a common node and adapted to sample an input voltage and to be coupled to either a first reference voltage level or a second reference voltage level, at least one capacitor of the first set of capacitors being adapted to be left floating, a control stage being adapted to connect the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference voltage level or the second reference voltage level in response to an analog-to-digital conversion decision made by a second analog-to-digital conversion stage. The first analog-to-digital conversion stage is operable to couple the common node to a supply voltage level, in particular ground, during analog-to-digital conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Andreas Wickmann
  • Publication number: 20100026546
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided for analog to digital conversion using successive approximation. The device comprises a first ADC stage. The first ADC stage includes a first plurality of capacitors adapted to sample an input voltage, and adapted to be coupled to either a first reference signal level or a second reference signal level. At least one capacitor of the first plurality of capacitors is adapted to be left floating. A control stage is adapted to switch the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference signal level or the second reference signal level in response to an analog to digital conversion decision made by a second ADC stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Andreas Wickmann
  • Patent number: 7196643
    Abstract: A resolver arrangement that is inexpensive and yet offers high resolution and high noise rejection includes a carrier signal generator and two processing channels each of which has an analog input connected a different one of the stator coils and a channel output. Each of the processing channels includes a sigma-delta modulator with an output that supplies a bit-stream representative of an analog input signal received from a respective stator coil. Each channel also includes a first digital filter that receives the bit-stream from the sigma-delta modulator and converts the bit-stream to intermediate digital data-words. In addition, each channel has a digital synchronous demodulator that demodulates the intermediate digital data-words in synchronism with the carrier signal providing demodulated data-words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Michael Reinhold, Mikael Badenius
  • Patent number: 7112950
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for use with an external Hall sensor that permits to at least substantially cancel out the temperature drifts of the Hall sensor, as caused by the temperature drift of the current supplied to the Hall sensor, and the gain of the Sigma-Delta modulator. Specifically, the circuit provides an integrated circuit for use with an external Hall sensor, that has an analog input for application of a Hall voltage from the Hall sensor, a digital data output and a current output for connection to a current input of the Hall sensor. The integrated circuit comprises a Sigma-Delta modulator with an input connected to the analog input and an output connected to the digital data output. An internal reference voltage source is also included in the integrated circuit, and an internal current source is connected to the current output for the Hall sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Publication number: 20060170579
    Abstract: A resolver arrangement that is inexpensive and yet offers high resolution and high noise rejection includes a carrier signal generator and two processing channels each of which has an analog input connected a different one of the stator coils and a channel output. Each of the processing channels includes a sigma-delta modulator with an output that supplies a bit-stream representative of an analog input signal received from a respective stator coil. Each channel also includes a first digital filter that receives the bit-stream from the sigma-delta modulator and converts the bit-stream to intermediate digital data-words. In addition, each channel has a digital synchronous demodulator that demodulates the intermediate digital data-words in synchronism with the carrier signal providing demodulated data-words.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Michael Reinhold, Mikael Badenius
  • Publication number: 20060043969
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for use with an external Hall sensor that permits to at least substantially cancel out the temperature drifts of the Hall sensor, as caused by the temperature drift of the current supplied to the Hall sensor, and the gain of the Sigma-Delta modulator. Specifically, the circuit provides an integrated circuit for use with an external Hall sensor, that has an analog input for application of a Hall voltage from the Hall sensor, a digital data output and a current output for connection to a current input of the Hall sensor. The integrated circuit comprises a Sigma-Delta modulator with an input connected to the analog input and an output connected to the digital data output. An internal reference voltage source is also included in the integrated circuit, and an internal current source is connected to the current output for the Hall sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Reinhold, Frank Ohnhaeuser
  • Patent number: 6433712
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter receiving an analog input signal (VIN) including an offset component, and includes a switched capacitor input circuit (101) configured to sample the analog input signal (VIN) to produce and store a signal representative of the sampled input signal between a first conductor (17) and a second conductor (27). A conversion circuit (1) is coupled to the first conductor (27) and the switched capacitor input circuit (101) to produce a digital output signal (DATA OUT). An offset correction circuit (4) includes an output coupled to the second conductor (27) and an input receiving a digital offset correction signal (DATA IN), the offset correction circuit (4) including a switched capacitor correction circuit (4A) operative in response to the offset correction control signal (DATA IN) to transfer charge to/from the second conductor (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Frank Ohnhaeuser, Miroslav Oljaca