Patents by Inventor James Donald Quarfoot

James Donald Quarfoot 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).

  • Zero-overhead class G amplifier with threshold detection
    Patent number: 6614310
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for operating driver amplifier (20) of a line driver circuit (10) from a lower set of power supply voltages, and from a higher set of voltages only when the amplitude of the signal (12) being transmitted by the line driver (20) requires it as determined by a comparator (18). Advantageously, this reduces the power dissipation in the line driver (10) by operating the line amplifier (20) the majority of the time from the lower supply voltage. A delay circuit (14) delays the signal to be amplified sufficient to allow the transitioning of the power supply voltages provided to the amplifier hysteresis of this power supply voltage switching may also be used to further reduce power dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James Donald Quarfoot, Marco Corsi, Richard Knight Hester, Kenneth George Maclean
  • Zero-overhead class G amplifier with threshold detection
    Publication number: 20030080816
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for operating driver amplifier (20) of a line driver circuit (10) from a lower set of power supply voltages, and from a higher set of voltages only when the amplitude of the signal (12) being transmitted by the line driver (20) requires it as determined by a comparator (18). Advantageously, this reduces the power dissipation in the line driver (10) by operating the line amplifier (20) the majority of the time from the lower supply voltage. A delay circuit (14) delays the signal to be amplified sufficient to allow the transitioning of the power supply voltages provided to the amplifier hysteresis of this power supply voltage switching may also be used to further reduce power dissipation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: James Donald Quarfoot, Marco Corsi, Richard Knight Hester, Kenneth George Maclean