Patents by Inventor James E. Chloupek

James E. Chloupek 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: 7154725
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hard disk drive system having overvoltage protection circuits for various types of overvoltage conditions. For example, the system comprises one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips residing on a board and a hard disk drive power plug receptacle residing on the board having two different value power supply ports associated therewith. The receptacle is operable to receive a power plug therein, wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in a proper orientation the two different value voltages are properly supplied to the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips, and wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in an improper orientation the two different value voltages are switched with respect to their intended values. The system comprises a reverse power plug orientation protection circuit coupled between the hard disk drive power plug receptacle and at least one of the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Robert E. Whyte, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7106567
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hard disk drive system having overvoltage protection circuits for various types of overvoltage conditions. For example, the system includes one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips residing on a board and a hard disk drive power plug receptacle residing on the board having two different value power supply ports associated therewith. The receptacle is operable to receive a power plug therein, wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in a proper orientation the two different value voltages are properly supplied to the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips, and wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in an improper orientation the two different value voltages are switched with respect to their intended values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Robert E. Whyte, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20040095815
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hard disk drive system having overvoltage protection circuits for various types of overvoltage conditions. For example, the system comprises one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips residing on a board and a hard disk drive power plug receptacle residing on the board having two different value power supply ports associated therewith. The receptacle is operable to receive a power plug therein, wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in a proper orientation the two different value voltages are properly supplied to the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips, and wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in an improper orientation the two different value voltages are switched with respect to their intended values. The system comprises a reverse power plug orientation protection circuit coupled between the hard disk drive power plug receptacle and at least one of the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Robert E. Whyte
  • Publication number: 20040070905
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hard disk drive system having overvoltage protection circuits for various types of overvoltage conditions. For example, the system comprises one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips residing on a board and a hard disk drive power plug receptacle residing on the board having two different value power supply ports associated therewith. The receptacle is operable to receive a power plug therein, wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in a proper orientation the two different value voltages are properly supplied to the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips, and wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in an improper orientation the two different value voltages are switched with respect to their intended values. The system comprises a reverse power plug orientation protection circuit coupled between the hard disk drive power plug receptacle and at least one of the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Robert E. Whyte
  • Patent number: 6707282
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for generating regulated voltages includes a storage circuit to store the voltages, a control circuit to control the level of stored voltage, and a pump circuit to shift the input voltage to a higher voltage. A shunt circuit to shunt inductor ringing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Patent number: 6617758
    Abstract: A driver (40) for supplying drive signals to a piezo element (48) of a milli-actuator device (21) in a mass data storage device (10) in a charge mode of operation has a first circuit (96, 98) for providing a charging current to a sense capacitor (58) in response to head position control signals. The first circuit is powered by a voltage supply (VM) that is referenced to a substrate potential, or a ground potential (AGND). A second circuit (104, 106) for mirroring a current in the first circuit at a predetermined mirror ratio (1x:Nx) to provide drive currents to the piezo element (48). The substrate potential may be, for example, an analog ground potential. If desired, the integrated circuit may also include a first switch (60) connected to selectively disable the first circuit (96, 98) a second switch (62) connected to selectively provide a feedback path from the second circuit (104, 106) to an input of the second circuit (104, 106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Terence J. Murphy, James E. Chloupek
  • Patent number: 6548973
    Abstract: A circuit (10) for braking a polyphase dc motor (12) includes a circuit (38) for producing an output signal indicating that the motor has slowed at least to an actual rotational speed and a braking circuit (42-44, 26-28) to brake the motor (12) when the output signal indicates that the motor has slowed at least to an actual rotational speed. The circuit (38) for producing an output signal indicating that the motor (12) has slowed at least to an actual rotational speed includes a first counter (70) for counting pulses of a speed signal, which may be a standard tach signal. The first counter (70) produces a first output when the first counter (70) reaches a first predetermined pulse count. A second counter (72) counts clock pulses from a clock generator (48) to produce a second output when the second counter (72) reaches a second predetermined pulse count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Edward N. Jeffrey
  • Publication number: 20030015997
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for generating regulated voltages includes a storage circuit to store the voltages, a control circuit to control the level of stored voltage, and a pump circuit to shift the input voltage to a higher voltage and detection circuit to disable current limit sensing from ending the charge cycle if the output regulated voltage is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Publication number: 20030002307
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for generating regulated voltages includes a storage circuit to store the voltages, a control circuit to control the level of stored voltage, and a pump circuit to shift the input voltage to a higher voltage and a detection circuit to disable the regulator if the output-regulated voltage is very low due to a connection fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Publication number: 20030001553
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for generating regulated voltages includes a storage circuit to store the voltages, a control circuit to control the level of stored voltage, and a pump circuit to shift the input voltage to a higher voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Publication number: 20020175592
    Abstract: A driver (40) for supplying drive signals to a piezo element (48) of a milli-actuator device (21) in a mass data storage device (10) in a charge mode of operation has a first circuit (96,98) for providing a charging current to a sense capacitor (58) in response to head position control signals. The first circuit is powered by a voltage supply (VM) that is referenced to a substrate potential, or a ground potential (AGND). A second circuit (104, 106) for mirroring a current in the first circuit at a predetermined mirror ratio (1x:Nx) to provide drive currents to the piezo element (48). The substrate potential may be, for example, an analog ground potential. If desired, the integrated circuit may also include a first switch (60) connected to selectively disable the first circuit (96,98)a second switch (62) connected to selectively provide a feedback path from the second circuit (104, 106) to an input of the second circuit (104, 106).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Terence J. Murphy, James E. Chloupek
  • Publication number: 20020071231
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hard disk drive system having overvoltage protection circuits for various types of overvoltage conditions. For example, the system comprises one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips residing on a board and a hard disk drive power plug receptacle residing on the board having two different value power supply ports associated therewith. The receptacle is operable to receive a power plug therein, wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in a proper orientation the two different value voltages are properly supplied to the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips, and wherein when the power plug is inserted therein in an improper orientation the two different value voltages are switched with respect to their intended values. The system comprises a reverse power plug orientation protection circuit coupled between the hard disk drive power plug receptacle and at least one of the one or more hard disk drive integrated circuit chips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Robert E. Whyte
  • Patent number: 5821717
    Abstract: A system for driving a hard disk drive spindle motor is disclosed. The system comprises a spindle motor control circuit (120) and a spindle motor power circuit (220). The system also includes at least one disk (22) attached to a rotatable spindle (21) and a spindle motor (400) which receives power signals from the spindle motor power circuit (220) and controls the rotation of the spindle (21). The spindle motor control circuit (120) comprises a multiplexor (127) which transmits either a pulse width modulation signal or a current control signal in response to a mode selection signal, and a spindle predriver (125) which receives the multiplexor output signal and transmits spindle motor control signals to the spindle motor power circuit (220).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mehedi Hassan, Robert E. Whyte, James E. Chloupek
  • Patent number: 5633569
    Abstract: A method of driving a motor without initial back rotation includes the steps of identifying a rest position 22 of a storage medium 20, mapping the rest position of storage medium 20 to a motor drive sequence, and driving the motor with the motor drive sequence, thereby enabling motor start-up without back rotation. The method is applicable to unipolar and bipolar drive methods as well as inductive read type and magneto-resistive type heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, William R. Krenik, Michael G. Machado
  • Patent number: 5479091
    Abstract: A control system (10) is provided which comprises a control circuit (12) and a driver circuit (14). The driver circuit (14) has a current reference circuit (36) which supplies a reference current (34) to an output current mirror circuit (32). The output current mirror circuit creates output currents which are proportional to the reference current (34). The reference current (34) represents a zero temperature coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Patent number: 5376833
    Abstract: Accordingly, an integrated control circuit is provided that allows for a central current reference circuit that supplies a reference current signal that employ a zero temperature coefficient. This current reference signal can be proportionally mirrored to a variety of output drivers to allow for a driving of peripheral systems with exact current requirements. Due to the fact that the reference current will not exhibit substantial variation with respect to temperature, the variability in the current supplies to the output drivers is small. As such, the output drivers can be designed to minimize the waste of current and power dissipation in the integrated system. Said output driver circuit (38) provides an output current to a load through an output pin. A output current mirror formed of a plurality of bipolar transistors (180, 188, and 194) provides the output current responsive to a control signal T1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: James E. Chloupek
  • Patent number: 4804928
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit having a charge pump and a voltage controlled oscillator which includes a phase/frequency comparator having a single circuit for operating in phase or frequency modes and which uses the discharge signal from the oscillator flip flop to trigger resetting of the input flip flop and which uses a one-shot in the phase compare mode for high frequency operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James E. Chloupek, Richard E. Boucher