Patents by Inventor John Laurence Melanson

John Laurence Melanson 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).

  • Publication number: 20040108947
    Abstract: An integrator stage for use in a delta sigma modulator includes an operational amplifier, an integration capacitor coupling an output of the operational amplifier and a summing node at an input of the operational amplifier, and a feedback path. The feedback path includes first and second capacitors having first plates coupled electrically in common at a common plate node and switching circuitry for sampling selected reference voltages onto second plates of the capacitors during a sampling phase. The integrator stage further includes a switch for selectively coupling the common plate node and the summing node during an integration phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: YuQing Yang, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6744392
    Abstract: A noise shaper including first and second quantizers and first and second feedback paths each providing feedback from a corresponding quantizer output. A loop filter system implements a plurality of transfer functions including a first non-zero transfer function between the first feedback path and an input of the first quantizer, a second non-zero transfer function between the first feedback path and an input of the second quantizer, a third non-zero transfer function between the second feedback path and the input of the first quantizer and a fourth non-zero transfer between the second feedback path and the input the second quantizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Publication number: 20040100328
    Abstract: A system 100 including a radio receiver 101/108 and switched mode circuitry 114/115 operating at a selected switching frequency is disclosed. Circuitry 207-209 sets the switching-circuitry of the switched mode circuitry 114/115 as a function of a frequency of a signal being received by a radio receiver 101/108.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6741123
    Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator for driving an output stage is disclosed. The delta-sigma modulator operates between first and second voltages and includes a loop filter, a quantizer, and a feedback loop coupling an output of the quantizer and an input of the loop filter. The feedback loop includes compensation circuitry for compensating for variations in the first and second voltages in response to a measured average of the first and second voltages and a measured difference between the first and second voltages. Measuring circuitry measures the average and the difference of the first and second voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Andersen, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6738003
    Abstract: A noise shaper including a filter system for generating a first set of poles and zeros characterizing noise attenuation in a signal baseband of a noise transfer function and at least one additional set of at least one pole and one zero characterizing noise attenuation in at least one additional band outside the baseband of the noise transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6727832
    Abstract: A digital to analog converter including a noise shaping modulator for modulating an input digital data stream, a plurality of output elements for generating a plurality of intermediate data streams from a modulated output stream from the modulator, and an output summer for summing the intermediate data streams to generate an output analog stream. The noise shaping modulator balances an edge transition rate of the output elements, such that the edge transition rate of two selected elements is approximately equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6724332
    Abstract: A noise shaper includes a first feedback loop for noise shaping a first feedback signal under normal operating conditions and having a first filter with a first signal transfer function and a second feedback loop that is stable under overload conditions and has a second filter having a second signal transfer function differing from the first signal transfer function. The noise shaper also includes an output circuit block including a quantizer and steering circuitry. The quantizer includes an input simultaneously responsive to outputs of the first and second filters. The steering circuitry steers a feedback from an output of the quantizer to input of the first and second feedback loops. The steering circuitry steers feedback from output of the quantizer to inputs of the first and second feedback loops, the steering circuitry including a first output for providing the first feedback signal to the first feedback loop and a second output for providing a second feedback signal to the second feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Publication number: 20040021594
    Abstract: A noise shaper including first and second quantizers and first and second feedback paths each providing feedback from a corresponding quantizer output. A loop filter system implements a plurality of transfer functions including a first non-zero transfer function between the first feedback path and an input of the first quantizer, a second non-zero transfer function between the first feedback path and an input of the second quantizer, a third non-zero transfer function between the second feedback path and the input of the first quantizer and a fourth non-zero transfer between the second feedback path and the input the second quantizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Publication number: 20040004565
    Abstract: A noise shaper including a filter system for generating a first set of poles and zeros characterizing noise attenuation in a signal baseband of a noise transfer function and at least one additional set of at least one pole and one zero characterizing noise attenuation in at least one additional band outside the baseband of the noise transfer function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6670902
    Abstract: An integrator stage for use in a delta sigma modulator includes an operational amplifier, an integration capacitor coupling an output of the operational amplifier and a summing node at an input of the operational amplifier, and a feedback path. The feedback path includes first and second capacitors having first plates coupled electrically in common at a common plate node and switching circuitry for sampling selected reference voltages onto second plates of the capacitors during a sampling phase. The integrator stage further includes a switch for selectively coupling the common plate node and the summing node during an integration phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: John Laurence Melanson, Yu Qing Yang
  • Publication number: 20030227401
    Abstract: An integrator stage for use in a delta sigma modulator includes an operational amplifier, an integration capacitor coupling an output of the operational amplifier and a summing node at an input of the operational amplifier, and a feedback path. The feedback path includes first and second capacitors having first plates coupled electrically in common at a common plate node and switching circuitry for sampling selected reference voltages onto second plates of the capacitors during a sampling phase. The integrator stage further includes a switch for selectively coupling the common plate node and the summing node during an integration phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: YuQing Yang, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6639531
    Abstract: A delta-sigma data converter includes a first quantizer responsive to outputs of first and second loop filters, the first quantizer introducing a quantization error during quantization. The first loop filter is responsive to an output of the first quantizer. A second quantizer quantizes an error data stream representing the quantization error introduced by the first quantizer. The second loop filter includes an integrator for integrating a quantized error data stream output from the second quantizer. An analog output path responsive to the output of the first quantizer and an output of the integrator generates the converter output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6617908
    Abstract: A switched capacitor circuit 300, including a sampling capacitor 303, switches 301, 304 for charging the sampling capacitor 303 during a charging phase, and switches 302, 305 for transferring charge from the sampling capacitor 303 to a load 313 in the feedback loop of an operational amplifier 312 during a dump phase. Circuitry 701 controls the discharge of sampling capacitor 303 during the dump phase to minimize transients at the input of the operational amplifier 312 and thereby minimize input threshold voltage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Axel Thomsen, Sherry Xiao hong Wu, John Laurence Melanson
  • Publication number: 20030151535
    Abstract: A method of amplitude control in a 1-bit digital system includes the step of scaling the stream of 1-bit data by a scaling factor corresponding to a selected output amplitude. The scaled data is modulated and the resulting modulated, scaled data is converted from digital to analog form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: John Laurence Melanson, Jason Powell Rhode
  • Patent number: 6597240
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for limiting the output current in a switched mode amplifier are implemented. The apparatus includes a driver amplifier configurable for selective operation in one of three modes. The amplifier is operable for transitioning between the first mode and one of the second and third modes in response to a state of an output node of the driver. Bias circuitry, configurable for selective coupling to the driver amplifier is operable for limiting the output current of the amplifier in the first operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Walburger, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6593806
    Abstract: A system and method for compensating switched mode amplifiers. The amplifier system includes an adaptive filter coupled to the output of circuitry that recovers the analog signal from the output of the switching amplifier circuitry. The adaptive filter derives an inverse transfer function of the forward path through the system. The derived inverse transfer function is used to generate a coefficient map which a compensation filter responsively compensates for from variations in the output load of the amplifier system. In the disclosed method, the deriving the inverse transfer function may further include calibrating the adaptive filter continuously, at system startup or in response to user demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6556159
    Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator 400 includes circuitry 407 for selectively varying an order of the modulator to vary a modulation index of the delta sigma modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaofan Fei, Johann G. Gaboriau, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6538590
    Abstract: A system for suppressing transient noise in switched-mode amplifier systems is disclosed. An amplifier, for amplifying a signal from a digital signal source includes a first complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) pair. A common node of the pair is serially coupled to an output node of the amplifier by a resistor. The first MOSFET pair is configured to drive a ramp on the output node of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Johann Guy Gaboriau, Eric Walburger, John Laurence Melanson, Xiaofan Fei
  • Patent number: 6529074
    Abstract: An output stage 300 includes a first output switch 201 having a current path for driving an output from a first voltage rail and a second output switch 202 having a current path for selectively driving the output from a second voltage rail. A first reference switch 301 is scaled with respects to first output switch 201 and has a current path coupled to the first voltage rail. A second reference switch 302 scaled with respects to second output switch 202 has a current path coupled to a current path of first reference switch 301 at a node and the second voltage rail. The logic measures an impedance mismatch between first and second reference switches 301, 302 and proportionally varies the impedance of a selected one of first and second output switches 201, 202 in response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: John Laurence Melanson, Eric Walburger, Johann Guy Gaboriau
  • Patent number: 6522273
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for power digital-to-analog converter protection are implemented. An attenuation value is set in response to the value of the supply voltage. The attenuation value is provided to a gain control, along with the input signal. A gain, offset by the attenuation value, determines the gain-adjusted output signal of the gain control generated from the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaofan Fei, Johann Guy Gaboriau, Jason Powell Rhode, John Laurence Melanson, Eric Walburger