Patents by Inventor Fredrick W. Trafton
Fredrick W. Trafton 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: 7130169Abstract: Short circuit protection is provided for an isolation component that has a parasitic diode as an inherent part of its construction. The isolation component may or may not be contained in an integrated circuit. In response to detecting a short circuit condition based on voltages at one or more input terminals of the integrated circuit, or based on current between the terminals, the isolation component is activated to facilitate current flow through the isolation component, such as to reduce total power dissipation in the isolation component during at least part of the short circuit condition.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2002Date of Patent: October 31, 2006Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Kevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton
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Patent number: 6917240Abstract: A configurable voltage regulator (128) operable in either of two selectable modes or topologies is disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, the voltage regulator (128) can operate as a charge pump regulator or a switching regulator, to generate a negative polarity regulated voltage. The voltage regulator (128) includes an output driver (80), for example including first and second drive transistors (81A, 81B), that are used in both of the selectable modes.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2003Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Fredrick W. Trafton, Tanchu Shih, Juergen Luebbe
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Publication number: 20040263231Abstract: A configurable voltage regulator (128) operable in either of two selectable modes or topologies is disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, the voltage regulator (128) can operate as a charge pump regulator or a switching regulator, to generate a negative polarity regulated voltage. The voltage regulator (128) includes an output driver (80), for example including first and second drive transistors (81A, 81B), that are used in both of the selectable modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2003Publication date: December 30, 2004Applicant: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Fredrick W. Trafton, Tanchu Shih, Juergen Luebbe
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Patent number: 6728084Abstract: A protection system for an integrated circuit is disclosed. A detection system detects an overvoltage condition and provides an overvoltage condition signal to indicate a condition in which overvoltage protection may be desired. In response to the overvoltage condition signal, one or more variable resistance devices in the system, such as power devices of associated driver circuitry, are controlled to limit the voltage across such devices.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2002Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Inventors: Kevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton, Alaa-Eldin Y. El-Sherif, Mehedi Hassan
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Publication number: 20030193764Abstract: Short circuit protection is provided for an isolation component that has a parasitic diode as an inherent part of its construction. The isolation component may or may not be contained in an integrated circuit. In response to detecting a short circuit condition based on voltages at one or more input terminals of the integrated circuit, or based on current between the terminals, the isolation component is activated to facilitate current flow through the isolation component, such as to reduce total power dissipation in the isolation component during at least part of the short circuit condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2002Publication date: October 16, 2003Inventors: Kevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton
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Publication number: 20030169549Abstract: A protection system for an integrated circuit is disclosed. A detection system detects an overvoltage condition and provides an overvoltage condition signal to indicate a condition in which overvoltage protection may be desired. In response to the overvoltage condition signal, one or more variable resistance devices in the system, such as power devices of associated driver circuitry, are controlled to limit the voltage across such devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2002Publication date: September 11, 2003Inventors: Kevin W. Ziemer, Fredrick W. Trafton, Alaa-Eldin Y. El-Sherif, Mehedi Hassan
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Patent number: 6603366Abstract: The present invention relates to a trimmable oscillator circuit which comprises a comparator circuit operable to compare an output voltage of the oscillator circuit to a reference voltage and output a control signal in response thereto. The oscillator circuit further comprises an output capacitor, wherein a voltage at a node of the capacitor comprises the output voltage of the oscillator circuit, and the oscillator circuit also comprises a selectively trimmable charge/discharge circuit coupled between the comparator circuit and the output capacitor. The charge/discharge circuit is operable to charge or discharge the output capacitor based on the control signal, wherein a rate of charge or discharge is dictated by one or more user selectable control signals. Thus an oscillation frequency of the oscillator circuit may be trimmed.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2001Date of Patent: August 5, 2003Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Congzhong Huang, Fredrick W. Trafton, Marcus M. Martins
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Publication number: 20030030499Abstract: The present invention relates to a trimmable oscillator circuit which comprises a comparator circuit operable to compare an output voltage of the oscillator circuit to a reference voltage and output a control signal in response thereto. The oscillator circuit further comprises an output capacitor, wherein a voltage at a node of the capacitor comprises the output voltage of the oscillator circuit, and the oscillator circuit also comprises a selectively trimmable charge/discharge circuit coupled between the comparator circuit and the output capacitor. The charge/discharge circuit is operable to charge or discharge the output capacitor based on the control signal, wherein a rate of charge or discharge is dictated by one or more user selectable control signals. Thus an oscillation frequency of the oscillator circuit may be trimmed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2001Publication date: February 13, 2003Inventors: Congzhong Huang, Fredrick W. Trafton, Marcus M. Martins
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Patent number: 6510394Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring a voltage level of a charge pump device. The system and method employ a first charging device that is coupled to an output of a charge pump through a switching system. The first charging device is then decoupled from the output of the charge pump device and coupled to a second charging device. The charge on the first charging device is then redistributed between the first charging device and the second charging device. The output of the second charging device is a reduced voltage (e.g., below 5 volts) based on the ratio of the charge distribution between the first and second charging devices. The output of the second charging device can then be compared to a reference voltage to determine if the voltage of the charge pump device is at an adequate voltage level.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2001Date of Patent: January 21, 2003Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Congzhong Huang, Fredrick W. Trafton, Kirk D. Peterson
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Patent number: 6462496Abstract: A control circuit for motor current including a circuit to generate a voltage to indicate the actual motor current, a first convert circuit to convert the voltage indicative of the motor current to a current, a compare circuit to compare the current indicating the motor current with a reference current and generate a difference current between the current indicating the motor current and the reference current, and a second convert circuit to convert the difference current to a voltage to indicate a difference in motor current from the reference current.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 1999Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Mehedi Hassan, Fredrick W. Trafton, Bert J. White, Vincent T. Ng
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Publication number: 20020107646Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring a voltage level of a charge pump device. The system and method employ a first charging device that is coupled to an output of a charge pump through a switching system. The first charging device is then decoupled from the output of the charge pump device and coupled to a second charging device. The charge on the first charging device is then redistributed between the first charging device and the second charging device. The output of the second charging device is a reduced voltage (e.g., below 5 volts) based on the ratio of the charge distribution between the first and second charging devices. The output of the second charging device can then be compared to a reference voltage to determine if the voltage of the charge pump device is at an adequate voltage level.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2001Publication date: August 8, 2002Inventors: Congzhong Huang, Fredrick W. Trafton, Kirk D. Peterson
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Patent number: 6008611Abstract: A method of driving an electric motor includes generating a periodic, driving voltage. The driving voltage comprises a sequence of first, second, and third waveforms. The first waveform in the sequence is a generally constant, high voltage. The second waveform in the sequence is a down hook voltage. The third waveform in the sequence is an up hook voltage. The method also includes applying the driving voltage to a coil of the motor to generate a generally sinusoidal current through the coil of the motor.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1998Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Hao Chen, Edward N. Jeffrey, Fredrick W. Trafton
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Patent number: 5796672Abstract: A method and circuit for routing data to registers in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The circuit comprises an I/O port (100) for receiving data and address signals, and a plurality of distributed memory modules (200-900) having registers (210-217). Each memory module is associated with and located adjacent to a circuit functional block. All of the memory modules (200-900) are connected to the I/O port (100) via a single data bus (40).Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 1997Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Jeanne K. Pitz, Fredrick W. Trafton, Richard C. Pierson
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Patent number: 5442311Abstract: A circuit (12) for controlling the gain of a gain cell (14) is provided. Circuit (12) comprises a circuit (16) for generating a control current. A circuit (22) generates a reference voltage. A circuit (18) uses the reference voltage to generate a first control voltage. A circuit (20) uses the control current to generate a second control voltage. The first and second control voltages comprise a differential control output of circuit (12). The gain of the gain cell is exponentially related to the control current.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 1994Date of Patent: August 15, 1995Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventor: Fredrick W. Trafton