Patents by Inventor John L. Fagan

John L. Fagan 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: 8193846
    Abstract: A programmable pulse generator having a clock signal delay chain, multiplexer, and reduced voltage charge circuit. The clock delay chain comprises a plurality of propagated delays, coupled to the multiplexer. The multiplexer selects a particular clock delay signal from a plurality of delay chain taps. The multiplexer is driven by a tap select register coupled to a state machine. The state machine controls the programmable pulse output, encoding the data by varying the pulse width and delay between pulses. The delay of pulse outputs from the multiplexer are reduced by coupling a reduced voltage pre-charge circuit to the multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Fagan, Mark Bossard
  • Publication number: 20090284296
    Abstract: A programmable pulse generator having a clock signal delay chain, multiplexer, and reduced voltage charge circuit. The clock delay chain comprises a plurality of propagated delays, coupled to the multiplexer. The multiplexer selects a particular clock delay signal from a plurality of delay chain taps. The multiplexer is driven by a tap select register coupled to a state machine. The state machine controls the programmable pulse output, encoding the data by varying the pulse width and delay between pulses. The delay of pulse outputs from the multiplexer are reduced by coupling a reduced voltage pre-charge circuit to the multiplexer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Fagan, Mark A. Bossard
  • Patent number: 7482837
    Abstract: System and method for combining signals on a differential signal provided over a communication link. In one aspect, a system for providing a differential communication link includes a signal combination circuit that receives a data signal and a clock signal and outputs a modulated differential signal on a differential link, where the modulated differential signal includes a differential data signal having an offset modulated at a frequency of the clock signal. A receiving circuit receives the modulated differential signal and senses and recovers the data signal and the clock signal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 7471132
    Abstract: An electronic device selects one of a plurality of input signals for coupling to an output channel. Individual pulldowns provide a separate pathway for each input, and are coupled to a common node which: is pre-charged to a voltage less than a system voltage. Each pulldown is coupled to a select line for gating an associated input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Fagan, Mark A. Bossard
  • Patent number: 7283011
    Abstract: A modulation method, referred to as dual phase pulse modulation (DPPM), represents digital data as a series of high and low pulses whose widths represent groups of M data bits, with both the high and low pulses representing successive M-bit groups. Each of the 2M possible data values for a group of M data bits uniquely corresponds to one of 2M distinct pulse widths. This modulation method is essentially clockless, with data being decoded from a signal by detecting each pulse's width with respect to the last transition. Power consumption is reduced by having M data bits represented for each pulse transition, and by using both the high and low pulses to represent data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel S. Cohen, Daniel J. Meyer, John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 7260151
    Abstract: A system configured to transmit and receive data signals over a data link in serial fashion using dual phase pulse modulation (DPPM) is described. The data link may be, for example, a one or two wire unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. An exemplary system includes a configurable interface able to accept parallel data from an external source, such as a microprocessor or an imaging device. The interface is externally programmable for a particular data format. An encoder is coupled to the configurable interface and converts parallel data into serial output data, the serial output data having high and low data pulses with each of the high and low data pulses encoded to have one of 2M distinct data pulse widths. The system further includes a decoder coupled to the configurable interface, which is able to convert the serial input data into parallel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel S. Cohen, John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 7233185
    Abstract: A vernier time shifting circuit is used for fine-tuning capture of a clock signal and/or a data signal to compensate for fluctuations produced by the system or other variations within non-time invariant parts of the chip. Other variations can include process, temperature, or voltage differences. The vernier sample time shifting circuit allows shifting the signal in small steps to allow for optimal sampling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Fagan, Mark A. Bossard, Daniel S. Cohen
  • Patent number: 7157958
    Abstract: An electronic device selects one of a plurality of input signals for coupling to an output channel. Individual pulldowns provide a separate pathway for each input, and are coupled to a common node which is pre-charged to a voltage less than a system voltage. Each pulldown is coupled to a select line for gating an associated input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: John L. Fagan, Mark A. Bossard
  • Patent number: 7103110
    Abstract: An dual phase pulse modulation (DPPM) encoder circuit converts data into a series of high and low signal pulses, each of whose time durations or pulse widths represents a group of M data bits, with the alternating high and low pulses representing successive groups. The encoder circuit may include a set of parallel-in, serial-out shift registers that subdivide received data words into the M-bit groups, a state machine that specified the pulse durations for each received group, e.g., by incrementing a state that indicates selected signal pulse transition times, a system clock delay chain with multiple taps, a multiplexer controlled by the state machine for successively selecting different taps, and a toggle flip-flop that is clocked by the multiplexer output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel S. Cohen, John L. Fagan, Mark A. Bossard
  • Patent number: 4415993
    Abstract: A memory apparatus having a row and column decoder for controlling the read and write function to a transistor memory pair. A single power/chip select pad is utilized to both power the memory and select the memory chip. External control signals are applied directly to critical internal node within the memory apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Philip C. Smith, John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 4159540
    Abstract: An improved electrically alterable non-volatile memory for storing information is described incorporating an array of memory cells composed of variable threshold field effect transistors, means for writing and reading information into and out of the array which includes precharged circuitry to provide predetermined voltages on the gate, source and drain electrodes of the transistors in the array before writing or reading and row decode circuitry on both sides of the array to permit closer spacing of the variable threshold transistors in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1979
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Philip C. Smith, John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 4124900
    Abstract: An improved electrically alterable non-volatile memory for storing information is described incorporating an array of memory cells composed of variable threshold field effect transistors, means for writing and reading information into and out of the array which includes precharged circuitry to provide predetermined voltages on the gate, source and drain electrodes of the transistors in the array before writing or reading and row decode circuitry on both sides of the array to permit closer spacing of the variable threshold transistors in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1978
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Philip C. Smith, John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 4103348
    Abstract: A random access memory cell for storing information in both volatile and nonvolatile form is described incorporating a dual gate variable threshold transistor, a capacitor, and three field effect transistors. The dual gate variable threshold transistor may include a fixed threshold and a variable threshold field effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: John L. Fagan
  • Patent number: 4085441
    Abstract: An improved discrete analog filter incorporating analog delay and successive arithmetic stages utilizing charge coupled devices is described which may accept an analog input signal and calculate with the arithmetic stages the fast Fourier transform of the analog input signal to provide output signals indicative of the Fourier coefficients of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1978
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: John L. Fagan