Patents by Inventor Gwilym Francis Luff

Gwilym Francis Luff 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: 11736011
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, a window comparator structure is provided that is capable of generating control signals for use in buck, boost and buck-boost modes of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 11038425
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, the controller includes a low-Iq synthetic ripple generator for use in implementing hysteretic control of a buck-boost controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 10707760
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, an asynchronous controller of a buck-boost converter implements a state diagram for controlling PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20200169172
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, a window comparator structure is provided that is capable of generating control signals for use in buck, boost and buck-boost modes of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20200106361
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, the controller includes a low-Iq synthetic ripple generator for use in implementing hysteretic control of a buck-boost controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics America Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 10498238
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, the controller includes a low-Iq synthetic ripple generator for use in implementing hysteretic control of a buck-boost controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 10491121
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, a window comparator structure is provided that is capable of generating control signals for use in buck, boost and buck-boost modes of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20190140542
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, an asynchronous controller of a buck-boost converter implements a state diagram for controlling PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis LUFF
  • Publication number: 20190131877
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, the controller includes a low-Iq synthetic ripple generator for use in implementing hysteretic control of a buck-boost controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis LUFF
  • Publication number: 20190131876
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to power controllers, and more particularly to synthetic current hysteretic control of a buck-boost DC-DC controller. In one or more embodiments, a controller includes PFM-PWM and Buck-Boost transitions with minimal circuitry and power consumption. In these and other embodiments, a window comparator structure is provided that is capable of generating control signals for use in buck, boost and buck-boost modes of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis LUFF
  • Patent number: 8212614
    Abstract: A buffer stage includes a flipped voltage follower and an emitter follower. The flipped voltage follower is connected between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. The emitter follower is also connected between the high voltage rail and the low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. A resistor connects the output of the flipped voltage follower to the output of the emitter follower. The input of the flipped voltage follower and the input of the emitter follower are connected together and provide an input of the buffer stage. The output of the emitter follower provides an output of the buffer stage. A differential buffer stage can be implemented using a pair of such buffer stages. Such a differential buffer stage can provide the output stage for a fully differential operational amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20120119833
    Abstract: A buffer stage includes a flipped voltage follower and an emitter follower. The flipped voltage follower is connected between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. The emitter follower is also connected between the high voltage rail and the low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. A resistor connects the output of the flipped voltage follower to the output of the emitter follower. The input of the flipped voltage follower and the input of the emitter follower are connected together and provide an input of the buffer stage. The output of the emitter follower provides an output of the buffer stage. A differential buffer stage can be implemented using a pair of such buffer stages. Such a differential buffer stage can provide the output stage for a fully differential operational amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 8120424
    Abstract: A buffer stage includes a flipped voltage follower and an emitter follower. The flipped voltage follower is connected between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail and include an input and an output. The emitter follower is also connected between the high voltage rail and the low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. A resistor connects the output of the flipped voltage follower to the output of the emitter follower. The input of the flipped voltage follower and the input of the emitter follower are connected together and provide an input of the buffer stage. The output of the emitter follower provides an output of the buffer stage. A differential buffer stage can be implemented using a pair of such buffer stages. Such a differential buffer stage can provide the output stage for a fully differential operational amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20110304393
    Abstract: A buffer stage includes a flipped voltage follower and an emitter follower. The flipped voltage follower is connected between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail and include an input and an output. The emitter follower is also connected between the high voltage rail and the low voltage rail and includes an input and an output. A resistor connects the output of the flipped voltage follower to the output of the emitter follower. The input of the flipped voltage follower and the input of the emitter follower are connected together and provide an input of the buffer stage. The output of the emitter follower provides an output of the buffer stage. A differential buffer stage can be implemented using a pair of such buffer stages. Such a differential buffer stage can provide the output stage for a fully differential operational amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 7724080
    Abstract: A chopper stabilized amplifier has differential inputs, an output, and a low frequency path and a high frequency path from the differential inputs to the output. Chopping occurs, at a chopping frequency, of a differential signal at differential inputs and outputs of an amplifier stage of the low frequency path to thereby produce a chopped differential signal that has a DC offset of the amplifier stage frequency shifted up to the chopping frequency. A continuous time filter embedded between a pair of further amplifier stages of the low frequency path is used to attenuate chopper frequency ripple resulting from the chopping at the chopping frequency. Additionally, a buffer is used to allow feedback through a compensation capacitor for the low frequency path, yet prevent chopper frequency ripple from feeding forward through the compensation capacitor to the output of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Publication number: 20090309653
    Abstract: A chopper stabilized amplifier has differential inputs, an output, and a low frequency path and a high frequency path from the differential inputs to the output. Chopping occurs, at a chopping frequency, of a differential signal at differential inputs and outputs of an amplifier stage of the low frequency path to thereby produce a chopped differential signal that has a DC offset of the amplifier stage frequency shifted up to the chopping frequency. A continuous time filter embedded between a pair of further amplifier stages of the low frequency path is used to attenuate chopper frequency ripple resulting from the chopping at the chopping frequency. Additionally, a buffer is used to allow feedback through a compensation capacitor for the low frequency path, yet prevent chopper frequency ripple from feeding forward through the compensation capacitor to the output of the amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 7076217
    Abstract: A radio transceiver comprises a reception path, a transmission path, and a frequency generator with a programmable phase lock loop. The reception path, the transmission path, and the frequency generator share a maximum amount of common circuitry to facilitate implementation of the entire radio transceiver on a single integrated circuit. The reception path includes an amplifier and a quadrature mixer for producing low intermediate frequency signals. The transmission path can be controlled by either a modulated voltage controlled transmitter or an in-phase and quadrature modulator transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Micro Linear Corporation
    Inventors: Gwilym Francis Luff, Jerry Loraine
  • Patent number: 7027792
    Abstract: The mixer circuit is a singled ended input to a double balanced high dynamic range mixer with only two base-emitter junctions across the supply. It provides for the use of bondwires to off chip ground as DC block and DC feed elements. The single ended input and differential output balanced mixer is well suited for the input stage of an integrated radio receiver—off chip circuitry is usually single ended, but on chip circuits are usually differential. No off chip differential RF circuits or baluns are required which reduces off chip component count and improves radio performance. The mixer circuit has lower LO drive requirements because of the DC coupled LO port. This results in better radio performance and a smaller die area because of the DC coupled IF port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Micro Linear Corporation
    Inventors: Gwilym Francis Luff, Selcuk Sen
  • Patent number: 6987816
    Abstract: A data recovery algorithm for implementation in a radio transmitter or receiver that includes a direct current level setting circuit with a preamble detector which will establish a threshold for a simplified decision simplified equalizer slicer that improves receiver performance in a feedback manner by utilizing an analog comparator, a one symbol long one bit resolution delay line and a summing junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Micro Linear Corporation
    Inventor: Gwilym Francis Luff
  • Patent number: 6055282
    Abstract: A digital phase quantized frequency modulation (FM) detector (300) is for a communication receiver (100). A digital phase FM quantizer receives (310) I and Q signals (221, 222) derived from a received FM signal (119) and generates a coded position word (381) of width M bits at the beginning of each period of a sample clock (190) that identifies a sector location of a phasor representing the I and Q signals. A two's complement converter (400) converts the coded position word into a two's complement position word of width M bits. A differentiator (420) of width M bits generates a two's complement difference word which represents a change of a phase angle of the phasor in magnitude and direction during each period of the sample clock. A digital post detection filter filters consecutive two's complement difference words and generates therefrom a reconstructed digital demodulated signal (461).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola
    Inventors: James David Hughes, Gwilym Francis Luff