Patents by Inventor James W. Zhao

James W. Zhao 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).

  • ESD protection circuit for a switching power converter
    Patent number: 8345394
    Abstract: An ESD protection circuit for a switching power converter which includes a high-side switching element connected between a supply voltage and the switching node, and a low-side switching element connected between the switching node and a common node. A current conduction path couples an ESD event that occurs on the switching node to an ESD sense node, and an ESD sensing circuit coupled to the sense node generates a trigger signal when an ESD event is sensed. A first logic gate keeps the high-side switching element off when the trigger signal indicates the sensing of an ESD event, and a second logic gate causes the low-side switching element to turn on when an ESD event is sensed such that the low-side switching element provides a conductive discharge path between the switching node and common node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Zhao, Reed W. Adams, Kenji Tomiyoshi, Bin Shao, Atsushi Matamura, Yogesh Sharma, Todd Thomas
  • ESD PROTECTION CIRCUIT FOR A SWITCHING POWER CONVERTER
    Publication number: 20110080678
    Abstract: An ESD protection circuit for a switching power converter which includes a high-side switching element connected between a supply voltage and the switching node, and a low-side switching element connected between the switching node and a common node. A current conduction path couples an ESD event that occurs on the switching node to an ESD sense node, and an ESD sensing circuit coupled to the sense node generates a trigger signal when an ESD event is sensed. A first logic gate keeps the high-side switching element off when the trigger signal indicates the sensing of an ESD event, and a second logic gate causes the low-side switching element to turn on when an ESD event is sensed such that the low-side switching element provides a conductive discharge path between the switching node and common node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: JAMES W. ZHAO, REED W. ADAMS, KENJI TOMIYOSHI, BIN SHAO, ATSUSHI MATAMURA, YOGESH SHARMA, TODD THOMAS