Patents by Inventor Fredrik Larsen
Fredrik Larsen 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: 9823285Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2015Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Patent number: 9417729Abstract: An apparatus of one embodiment includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor has first and second electrodes separated by an insulator. The controller includes measurement circuitry, a processor, and a memory comprising logic. The logic is operable to disconnect the second electrode from the measurement circuitry, induce a current on the second electrode by applying voltage to the first electrode, apply charge to the second electrode, connect the second electrode to the measurement circuitry after applying the charge to the second electrode, and determine a capacitance value associated with the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2014Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Steinar Myren, Fredrik Larsen, Trond J. Pedersen
-
Publication number: 20160042203Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Patent number: 9257969Abstract: A delay line of individually selectable delay elements can operate as an oscillator in an open loop mode to track process variation or drive a clock signal that varies with temperatures and voltages in the system. The delay line oscillator can also operate in a closed loop mode to match a frequency given by a tuner ratio and a reference clock. The delay line can also be used for measuring clock jitter or duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Tor Erik Leistad, Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20150355775Abstract: An apparatus of one embodiment includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor has first and second electrodes separated by an insulator. The controller includes measurement circuitry, a processor, and a memory comprising logic. The logic is operable to disconnect the second electrode from the measurement circuitry, induce a current on the second electrode by applying voltage to the first electrode, apply charge to the second electrode, connect the second electrode to the measurement circuitry after applying the charge to the second electrode, and determine a capacitance value associated with the second electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Steinar Myren, Fredrik Larsen, Trond J. Pedersen
-
Patent number: 9171188Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20150070313Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2014Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20140240022Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: Atmel CorporationInventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Patent number: 8723586Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2012Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20140125399Abstract: An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The apparatus also comprises a digital logic circuit that is configured for controlling an amount of current supplied or drawn by the controllable current source. The apparatus is configured for measuring a charge associated with an external source that is coupled to the first input of the comparator.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2012Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATIONInventor: Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20130027103Abstract: A delay line of individually selectable delay elements can operate as an oscillator in an open loop mode to track process variation or drive a clock signal that varies with temperatures and voltages in the system. The delay line oscillator can also operate in a closed loop mode to match a frequency given by a tuner ratio and a reference clock. The delay line can also be used for measuring clock jitter or duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Inventors: Tor Erik Leistad, Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen
-
Patent number: 8279015Abstract: A delay line of individually selectable delay elements can operate as an oscillator in an open loop mode to track process variation or drive a clock signal that varies with temperatures and voltages in the system. The delay line oscillator can also operate in a closed loop mode to match a frequency given by a tuner ratio and a reference clock. The delay line can also be used for measuring clock jitter or duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2010Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Tor Erik Leistad, Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen
-
Patent number: 8255722Abstract: The disclosed implementations provide for power reduction in microcontrollers by reactivating a clock in the microcontroller for one or more peripheral modules in response to an internal or external trigger event, thus allowing the one or more peripheral modules to respond to events while operating in a low-power sleep mode. In some implementations, one or more peripheral modules in a microcontroller provide a clock request signal to a clock generator in the microcontroller. In response to the clock request signal, the clock generator reactivates one or more oscillator sources. The clock generator resumes clock generation only for the one or more requesting peripheral modules, keeping power consumption in the microcontroller to a minimum and not disturbing other modules in the microcontroller.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen, Oyvind Skutlaberg
-
Patent number: 8223049Abstract: A low-cost charge injection mechanism may enable oversampling to be used on low frequency signals by injecting dither noise into the ADC input. The dither noise can reduce the quantization noise allowing even direct current (DC) signals to be oversampled correctly. A low-cost charge injection mechanism can also be used to improve the ENOB by characterizing the ADC and digitally correcting the converted signal for non-linearity errors such as INL. Reducing INL errors may also allow a higher degree of oversampling to be used to further improve the ENOB.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2010Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Fredrik Larsen, Frode Milch Pedersen, Jan Rune Herheim, Ronan Barzic
-
Publication number: 20120139767Abstract: A low-cost charge injection mechanism may enable oversampling to be used on low frequency signals by injecting dither noise into the ADC input. The dither noise can reduce the quantization noise allowing even direct current (DC) signals to be oversampled correctly. A low-cost charge injection mechanism can also be used to improve the ENOB by characterizing the ADC and digitally correcting the converted signal for non-linearity errors such as INL. Reducing INL errors may also allow a higher degree of oversampling to be used to further improve the ENOB.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 2, 2010Publication date: June 7, 2012Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATIONInventors: Fredrik Larsen, Frode Milch Pedersen, Jan Rune Herheim, Ronan Barzic
-
Publication number: 20120068775Abstract: A delay line of individually selectable delay elements can operate as an oscillator in an open loop mode to track process variation or drive a clock signal that varies with temperatures and voltages in the system. The delay line oscillator can also operate in a closed loop mode to match a frequency given by a tuner ratio and a reference clock. The delay line can also be used for measuring clock jitter or duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2010Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATIONInventors: Tor Erik Leistad, Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen
-
Publication number: 20100229011Abstract: The disclosed implementations provide for power reduction in microcontrollers by reactivating a clock in the microcontroller for one or more peripheral modules in response to an internal or external trigger event, thus allowing the one or more peripheral modules to respond to events while operating in a low-power sleep mode. In some implementations, one or more peripheral modules in a microcontroller provide a clock request signal to a clock generator in the microcontroller. In response to the clock request signal, the clock generator reactivates one or more oscillator sources. The clock generator resumes clock generation only for the one or more requesting peripheral modules, keeping power consumption in the microcontroller to a minimum and not disturbing other modules in the microcontroller.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2009Publication date: September 9, 2010Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATIONInventors: Frode Milch Pedersen, Fredrik Larsen, Oyvind Skutlaberg