Patents by Inventor Jerome Johnston

Jerome Johnston 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: 6487674
    Abstract: A data clock pin SCLK may be used to receive an SCLK signal as well as sleep and reset signals. During normal operation, the SCLK input pin may receive the SCLK signal, a square wave type clock signal. However, the SCLK signal may also be coupled to a one-shot within the device. When signal SCLK is held high for a predetermined period of time, the one-shot is triggered and a SLEEP signal is generated. The device reacts to this SLEEP signal by entering a sleep mode. Similarly, if the SCLK signal is held low for a predetermined period of time, the one-shot may output a low level RESET signal. This RESET signal resets the device into an initial condition state. Other modes of operation, such as test modes and the like may be entered into by holding the SCLK signal high or low in conjunction with a predetermined logic level on another pin (e.g., VREF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe White, Jerome Johnston, Douglas F. Pastorello
  • Patent number: 6377198
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus to define and sustain such a physical level by connecting the output through a transmission gate to an input pin. For a certain state of the output, one level of an input may be fed through to the output to generate an output voltage level. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a chip select signal {overscore (CS)} is used to define a low level logic signal. An control logic selectively switches a high level logic signal voltage (e.g., V+supply voltage) or the low level logic signal voltage ({overscore (CS)}) to produce an output digital logic signal. In a further embodiment of the present invention, separate logic level signals INH and INL may be selectively switched by control logic to generate an output logic level signal independent of supply voltages V+ and V−.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Johnston, Saibun Wong, Qicheng Yu, Douglas F. Pastorello