Patents by Inventor John Poulton

John Poulton 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: 20080094109
    Abstract: A wide-range multi-phase clock generator having a first clock generating circuit, a frequency divider circuit, and a plurality of multiplexers. The first clock generating circuit generates a plurality of first clock signals, each having a first frequency and a respective one of a plurality of different phase angles. The frequency divider circuit receives the plurality of first clock signals from the first clock generating circuit, and generates a plurality of second clock signals, each having a second frequency and a respective one of the plurality of different phase angles. The multiplexers each have a first input coupled to receive a respective one of the first clock signals and a second input coupled to receive a respective one of the second clock signals having substantially the same phase angle as the one of the first clock signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Ramin Farjad-rad, John Poulton, John Eble, Thomas Greer, Robert Palmer
  • Publication number: 20070241821
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a variable-gain amplifier, memory circuit and gain control update circuit. The variable-gain amplifier generates an amplified signal having an amplitude according to a gain control value that is stored, at least during a first interval, within the memory circuit. The update circuit generates an updated gain control value based on the amplified signal during the first interval, and outputs the updated gain control value to the memory circuit to be stored therein at a conclusion of the first interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: William Dally, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20070058306
    Abstract: A power supply shunt for an electronic circuit. The power supply shunt includes at least two Field Effect Transistors (FETs), a first of the FETs having its drain coupled to a terminal of an electronic circuit and its source coupled to another of the FETs, and a second of the FETs having its source coupled to ground and its drain coupled to another of the FETs. The first FET has a bulk terminal that floats with respect to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventor: John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060236147
    Abstract: Described are a system and method to control interface timing and/or voltage operations of signals transmitted between devices. A processor may be coupled through one or more bus interfaces of a bus to one or more corresponding interface timing and/or voltage comparison circuits and corresponding interface timing and/or voltage adjustment circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Scott Best, Stephen Tell, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060214742
    Abstract: An oscillating signal in an oscillator is caused to phase shift toward the phase of an input signal coupled to the oscillating signal. The resonant frequency of the oscillator is about equal to an integer multiple of the frequency of the input signal. The input signal may be generated in a pulse generator to have an input pulse duration less than or equal to that of the oscillating signal. The oscillator circuit may be used as a filter to filter pulse width variations or to filter jitter from a reference clock. The oscillator circuit may also serve as a buffer by amplifying the input signal. Phase interpolation can be obtained by coupling at least one input signal with at least one oscillating signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: William Dally, Ramin Farjad-Rad, John Poulton, Thomas Greer, Hiok-Tiaq Ng, Teva Stone
  • Publication number: 20060188043
    Abstract: A signaling system includes a pre-emphasizing transmitter and an equalizing receiver coupled to one another via a high-speed signal path. The receiver measures the quality of data conveyed from the transmitter. A controller uses this information and other information to adaptively establish appropriate transmit pre-emphasis and receive equalization settings, e.g. to select the lowest power setting for which the signaling system provides some minimum communication bandwidth without exceeding a desired bit-error rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Jared Zerbe, Fred Chen, Andrew Ho, Ramin Farjad-Rad, John Poulton, Kevin Donnelly, Brian Leibowitz
  • Publication number: 20060165185
    Abstract: A data communication system comprises a transmission line between first and second integrated circuits. An encoder on the first integrated circuit encodes an input data stream to produce a sequence of codewords, wherein codewords in the sequence are members of a set of codewords representing data in the input data stream, and the members of the set are substantially DC balanced, such as a Manchester encoded symbol set. An integrating circuit on the second integrated circuit integrates codewords by integrating for a first interval with a positive polarity within a particular symbol cell, and integrating for a second interval with a negative polarity within the particular symbol cell, to produce output representing the codewords. A sense circuit produces an output data stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: RAMBUS, INC.
    Inventors: William Dally, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060165195
    Abstract: A receiver for a data communication system which comprises a transmission line between first and second integrated circuits. An encoder on the first integrated circuit encodes an input data stream to produce a sequence of codewords, wherein codewords in the sequence are members of a set of codewords representing data in the input data stream, and the members of the set are substantially DC balanced, such as a Manchester encoded symbol set. An integrating circuit on the second integrated circuit integrates codewords by integrating for a first interval with a positive polarity within a particular symbol cell, and integrating for a second interval with a negative polarity within the particular symbol cell, to produce output representing the codewords. A sense circuit produces an output data stream based on the samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: RAMBUS, INC.
    Inventors: William Dally, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060164264
    Abstract: A transmitter for a data communication system that comprises a transmission line between first and second integrated circuits. An encoder on the first integrated circuit encodes an input data stream to produce a sequence of codewords, wherein codewords in the sequence are members of a set of codewords representing data in the input data stream, and the members of the set are substantially DC balanced, such as a Manchester encoded symbol set. An integrating circuit on the second integrated circuit integrates codewords by integrating for a first interval with a positive polarity within a particular signaling cell, and integrating for a second interval with a negative polarity within the particular signaling cell, to produce output representing the codewords. A sense circuit produces an output data stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: RAMBUS, INC.
    Inventors: William Dally, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060131654
    Abstract: A diode having reduced forward-bias resistance and shunt capacitance. The diode includes a lightly doped region of a semiconductor substrate, a carrier injection region and an ohmic contact region. The carrier injection region is disposed within the lightly doped region and has a plurality of sides of substantially uniform length. The ohmic contact region is disposed about a perimeter of the carrier injection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventor: John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060132996
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit having first and second cross-coupled diodes. The first diode has a cathode coupled to a first power supply conductor and an anode coupled to a first signal conductor, and the second diode has a cathode coupled to the first signal conductor and an anode coupled to the first power supply conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventor: John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060119430
    Abstract: A high-speed serial-link driver transmits a differential data signal to a conventional differential receiver via a differential channel. The driver employs termination voltages that are high, relative to the supply voltage employed by the transmitter core logic, to support communication with legacy devices. Cascode amplifiers using an adaptive biasing scheme allow the driver to include voltage-sensitive, high-performance transistors despite the relatively high termination voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventor: John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20060082399
    Abstract: A phase comparison of timing signals is made by combinational circuitry which receives the timing signals and a window signal, the window signal identifying edges of the timing signals to be compared. The comparison may result in a charge pumped output which can be fed back to control the phase of one of the timing signals. The phase comparator and charge pump circuit can be included in a multiplier circuitry in which the phase of an input signal is directly compared to the phase of an edge of the multiplied signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: Rambus, Inc.
    Inventors: William Dally, Ramin Farjad-Rad, Teva Stone, Xiaoying Yu, John Poulton
  • Publication number: 20050258883
    Abstract: A wide-range multi-phase clock generator having a first clock generating circuit, a frequency divider circuit, and a plurality of multiplexers. The first clock generating circuit generates a plurality of first clock signals, each having a first frequency and a respective one of a plurality of different phase angles. The frequency divider circuit receives the plurality of first clock signals from the first clock generating circuit, and generates a plurality of second clock signals, each having a second frequency and a respective one of the plurality of different phase angles. The multiplexers each have a first input coupled to receive a respective one of the first clock signals and a second input coupled to receive a respective one of the second clock signals having substantially the same phase angle as the one of the first clock signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Ramin Farjad-rad, John Poulton, John Eble, Thomas Greer, Robert Palmer
  • Publication number: 20050231291
    Abstract: An oscillating signal in an oscillator is caused to phase shift toward the phase of an input signal coupled to the oscillating signal. The resonant frequency of the oscillator is about equal to an integer multiple of the frequency of the input signal. The input signal may be generated in a pulse generator to have an input pulse duration less than or equal to that of the oscillating signal. The oscillator circuit may be used as a filter to filter pulse width variations or to filter jitter from a reference clock. The oscillator circuit may also serve as a buffer by amplifying the input signal. Phase interpolation can be obtained by coupling at least one input signal with at least one oscillating signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Applicant: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: William Dally, Ramin Farjad-Rad, John Poulton, Thomas Greer, Hiok-Tiaq Ng, Teva Stone