Patents by Inventor James N. Giddings

James N. Giddings 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: 5596282
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of programming, testing, or burn-in integrated circuits. A testing device is disclosed whereby contact with the leads of an integrated circuit is made while the integrated circuit is in the shipping tray. Contact is made from a jig which is lowered onto the integrated circuit and makes contact at the shoulder of the leads of the integrated circuit, thereby contacting the integrated circuit at the strongest point of the lead and insuring good contact to the desired lead. The testing mechanism may include one jig or more jigs up to one jig for each integrated circuit in an integrated circuit storage tray. The invention allows for the testing of integrated circuits with a minimum of physical movement and manipulation of the integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James N. Giddings, Robert P. Howell
  • Patent number: 5036221
    Abstract: A circuit for reducing the metastable events produced by a data signal asynchronous to a system clock signal is provided. The circuit includes an edge detector (32) for detecting a transistion of the data signal. The edge detector (32) controls a clock disable/reenable circuit (46) which will disable a system clock directed to a clocked device (36). The period of disablement is the minimum setup time for the clocked device (36). After the minimum setup time has passed, the disable/reenable circuit (42) will reenable the system clock to the clocked device (36). The system clock may be modified by a duration limit circuit (68). Data directed to the clocked device (36) may be delayed via a delay circuit (70).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Louis S. Brucculeri, James N. Giddings