Patents by Inventor I-Ning Ku
I-Ning Ku 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: 9756699Abstract: A sensor interface includes on-chip relaxation oscillator circuit and a PLL that operate cooperatively to generate a highly accurate clock signal on-chip using low-power components. A photodiode generates a current signal based on an optical signal that is representative of a sensor signal. An ADC that operates based on the highly accurate clock signal generates a digital signal based on the current signal generated by the photodiode, and a processor processed the digital signal to estimate sensor data within the sensor signal. Examples of characteristics that may be sensed can include environmental characteristics (e.g., temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, etc.) and/or biomedical characteristics (e.g., body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, etc.). If desired, an amplifier processes the photodiode-provided current signal before it is provided to the ADC. Also, one or more CDACs that generate feedback currents may be used to reduce noise sensitivity of the sensor interface.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. LtdInventors: Todd Lee Brooks, Xicheng Jiang, Iuri Mehr, David Joseph Stoops, Vinod Jayakumar, Min Gyu Kim, Hui Zheng, I-Ning Ku, Vinay Chandrasekhar, Yee Ling Cheung
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Patent number: 9564794Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods provided for ping-pong charge pumps. Flying capacitors present in ping-pong charge pumps are operated out of phase to increase equalization periods. Out-of-phase operation also decreases voltage differences between flying capacitors during equalization periods thus decreasing ping-pong charge pump output voltage ripple and snapback. The voltages of the flying capacitors may be equalized without the use of an equalization switch. Differential control currents that are based on the voltage difference between the flying capacitors are used to enable or disable the flying capacitors from driving an output load of the ping-pong charge pump during certain phases of operation. A capacitor with a lower voltage may be disabled, thus providing for voltage equalization as the enabled capacitor sources current to the output load. The flying capacitors are also equalized during overlapping time periods in which the flying capacitors are charging.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2013Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: I-Ning Ku, Hui Zheng, Jungwoo Song, Xicheng Jiang
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Patent number: 9225234Abstract: A circuit for a charge-pump low-dropout (LDO) regulator may include a comparator circuit configured to control a pass transistor based on an error signal. A pre-charge path may be provided between a supply voltage and an output node of the regulator. The pre-charge path may be configured to allow charging of an output capacitor to a pre-charge voltage during a pre-charge operation mode. The output capacitor may be coupled between the output node of the regulator and ground potential. The pass transistor may be configured to allow charging of the output capacitor during an LDO mode of operation. A charge-pump circuit may be configured to provide a current for charging the output capacitor during the LDO mode of operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: I-Ning Ku, Hui Zheng, Xicheng Jiang
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Publication number: 20150155771Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods provided for ping-pong charge pumps. Flying capacitors present in ping-pong charge pumps are operated out of phase to increase equalization periods. Out-of-phase operation also decreases voltage differences between flying capacitors during equalization periods thus decreasing ping-pong charge pump output voltage ripple and snapback. The voltages of the flying capacitors may be equalized without the use of an equalization switch. Differential control currents that are based on the voltage difference between the flying capacitors are used to enable or disable the flying capacitors from driving an output load of the ping-pong charge pump during certain phases of operation. A capacitor with a lower voltage may be disabled, thus providing for voltage equalization as the enabled capacitor sources current to the output load. The flying capacitors are also equalized during overlapping time periods in which the flying capacitors are charging.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2013Publication date: June 4, 2015Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: I-Ning Ku, Hui Zheng, Jungwoo Song, Xicheng Jiang
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Publication number: 20150066438Abstract: A sensor interface includes on-chip relaxation oscillator circuit and a PLL that operate cooperatively to generate a highly accurate clock signal on-chip using low-power components. A photodiode generates a current signal based on an optical signal that is representative of a sensor signal. An ADC that operates based on the highly accurate clock signal generates a digital signal based on the current signal generated by the photodiode, and a processor processed the digital signal to estimate sensor data within the sensor signal. Examples of characteristics that may be sensed can include environmental characteristics (e.g., temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, etc.) and/or biomedical characteristics (e.g., body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, etc.). In desired, an amplifier processes the photodiode-provided current signal before it is provided to the ADC. Also, one or more CDACs that generate feedback currents may be used to reduce noise sensitivity of the sensor interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2014Publication date: March 5, 2015Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATIONInventors: Todd Lee Brooks, Xicheng Jiang, Iuri Mehr, David Joseph Stoops, Vinod Jayakumar, Min Gyu Kim, Hui Zheng, I-Ning Ku, Vinay Chandrasekhar, Yee Ling Cheung
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Patent number: 8923492Abstract: A multi-mode line driver circuit designed to be fabricated in a CMOS process and capable of supporting a plurality of operating modes corresponding, for example, to different profiles of communication standards such as xDSL standards. The line driver circuit incorporates integrated mode switches with a two-stage amplifier architecture to relax amplifier requirements by distributing the signal gain into two amplifier stages. Reconfigurable feedback loops are provided to permit design optimization for particular modes of operation (e.g., ADSL and VDSL compliant modes). In one embodiment implemented as a Class-H amplifier, lift amplifier(s) are provided between a first amplifier stage and a second amplifier stage for controlling voltage supply levels of the second amplifier stage. The lift amplifiers may be enabled by voltage threshold detection circuitry that monitors either the input or the output signals of the first amplifier stage depending on the operable transmission mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Hui Zheng, Sasi Kumar Arunachalam, Alex Jianzhong Chen, Aravind Kumar Padyana, I-Ning Ku, Jungwoo Song, Xicheng Jiang
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Publication number: 20140266099Abstract: A circuit for a charge-pump low-dropout (LDO) regulator may include a comparator circuit configured to control a pass transistor based on an error signal. A pre-charge path may be provided between a supply voltage and an output node of the regulator. The pre-charge path may be configured to allow charging of an output capacitor to a pre-charge voltage during a pre-charge operation mode. The output capacitor may be coupled between the output node of the regulator and ground potential. The pass transistor may be configured to allow charging of the output capacitor during an LDO mode of operation. A charge-pump circuit may be configured to provide a current for charging the output capacitor during the LDO mode of operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: I-Ning Ku, Hui Zheng, Xicheng Jiang
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Publication number: 20140254779Abstract: A multi-mode line driver circuit designed to be fabricated in a CMOS process and capable of supporting a plurality of operating modes corresponding, for example, to different profiles of communication standards such as xDSL standards. The line driver circuit incorporates integrated mode switches with a two-stage amplifier architecture to relax amplifier requirements by distributing the signal gain into two amplifier stages. Reconfigurable feedback loops are provided to permit design optimization for particular modes of operation (e.g., ADSL and VDSL compliant modes). In one embodiment implemented as a Class-H amplifier, lift amplifier(s) are provided between a first amplifier stage and a second amplifier stage for controlling voltage supply levels of the second amplifier stage. The lift amplifiers may be enabled by voltage threshold detection circuitry that monitors either the input or the output signals of the first amplifier stage depending on the operable transmission mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2013Publication date: September 11, 2014Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Hui Zheng, Sasi Kumar Arunachalam, Alex Jianzhong Chen, Aravind Kumar Padyana, I-Ning Ku, Jungwoo Song, Xicheng Jiang