Patents by Inventor Joseph Duncan

Joseph Duncan 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: 12273029
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for a switch-mode power supply with a network of flying capacitors and switches. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a switch-mode power supply with an inductor, a switching circuit, and a network of flying capacitors and switches. The switching circuit is coupled to the inductor. The network of flying capacitors and switches is coupled to the switching circuit and includes at least two flying capacitors and multiple switches. The multiple switches are configured to selectively connect the at least two flying capacitors in parallel between a first terminal of the network of flying capacitors and switches and a second terminal of the network of flying capacitors and switches or connect the at least two flying capacitors in series between the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Duncan, Chengwu Tao, Joseph Dale Rutkowski
  • Patent number: 12107497
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit using predictively precharged voltage rails is generally disclosed. For example, the voltage regulator circuit may include a main switching regulator configured to provide a target voltage, the main switching regulator having a first voltage node, a precharge switching regulator configured to provide a precharge voltage, the precharge switching regulator having a second voltage node, the precharge voltage based on a difference between the target voltage and a next target voltage to be provided by the main switching regulator, and a precharge switch circuit configured to selectively couple the second voltage node to an output voltage node based upon a transition from the target voltage to the next target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Chris Rosolowski, Todd Sutton, Orlando Santiago, Joseph Duncan, Rashed Hoque, Marko Koski, Zdravko Lukic
  • Publication number: 20240227374
    Abstract: Padded materials and corresponding systems and methods for forming the same are provided herein. A padded material comprises a first web of paper-based material defining a first and a second surface, and a second web of paper-based material defining a first and a second surface. The padded material defines a plurality of consecutive panel sections formed of a first edge, a second edge, a first panel breakline and a second panel breakline. A first adhesive is positioned between corresponding portions of the first web and the second web. A starch-based padding is sandwiched between the first web and the second web with a second adhesive. The starch-based padding defines a non-uniform placement density along the first web between 15%-40%. The placement density is the ratio of area covered by the starch-based particles to the web area defined between the first edge, second edge, first panel breakline, and second panel breakline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew Geoffrey Halcomb, Gary Norman Boettcher, Anand Viswanath, Marc Gerald Zanghi, Joseph Duncan, Thomas Lucas
  • Publication number: 20240176371
    Abstract: Managing temperature control of a heating element of an outdoor furniture piece, including identifying telemetry data associated with sensors of the outdoor furniture piece; receiving external data associated with environmental conditions of the outdoor furniture piece based on a geographic location of the outdoor furniture piece; training, based on the telemetry data and the external data, the temperature control management model, including generating a thermal policy including configuration rules, the configuration rules for automatically adjusting electrical energy output by a power source in communication with the heating element; monitoring the telemetry data associated with the sensors and the environmental conditions of the outdoor furniture piece; in response, i) accessing the temperature control management model including the thermal policy, ii) identifying configuration rules based on the monitored telemetry data and environmental conditions, and iii) applying configuration rules to perform adjustme
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Jeffrey Long, Alex Joseph Duncan
  • Publication number: 20240172874
    Abstract: An outdoor furniture piece, including: a plurality of members coupled together to form a structure of the outdoor furniture piece; a cushion positioned adjacent to one or more first members of the plurality of members of the structure; a heating element coupled to the cushion; and a power source coupled to a second member of the plurality of members, the power source in electrical communication with the heating element such that the power source provides electrical energy to the heating element, wherein when the heating element receives the electrical energy from the power source, the heating element converts the electrical energy to thermal energy at the cushion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Jeffrey Long, Alex Joseph Duncan
  • Publication number: 20240018725
    Abstract: Padded materials and corresponding systems and methods for forming the same are provided herein. A padded material comprises a first web of paper-based material defining a first and a second surface, and a second web of paper-based material defining a first and a second surface. A first layer of heat seal coating is disposed on the second surface of the first web, and a second layer of heat seal coating is disposed on the second surface of the second web. A starch-based padding is sandwiched between the first web and the second web such that the starch-based padding is positioned between the first surface of the first web and the second layer of heat seal coating disposed on the second surface of the second web. The padded material may be formed into a roll stock that is used in an automated packaging machine, such as an automated mailer formation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Andrew Geoffrey Halcomb, Gary Norman Boettcher, Anand Viswanath, Marc Gerald Zanghi, Joseph Duncan, Thomas Lucas
  • Publication number: 20230089910
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for a switch-mode power supply with a network of flying capacitors and switches. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes a switch-mode power supply with an inductor, a switching circuit, and a network of flying capacitors and switches. The switching circuit is coupled to the inductor. The network of flying capacitors and switches is coupled to the switching circuit and includes at least two flying capacitors and multiple switches. The multiple switches are configured to selectively connect the at least two flying capacitors in parallel between a first terminal of the network of flying capacitors and switches and a second terminal of the network of flying capacitors and switches or connect the at least two flying capacitors in series between the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Joseph Duncan, Chengwu Tao, Joseph Dale Rutkowski
  • Patent number: 11515786
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for continuous current sensing for a single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) regulator. One example method includes operating a plurality of switches of the SIMO regulator, via a plurality of control signals, according to a plurality of switching states using a switching controller, sensing currents associated with at least a portion of the plurality of switches of the SIMO regulator using a plurality of current sense circuits, and selectively outputting a sense current from one of the plurality of current sense circuits based on a change in the plurality of controls signals occurring between a transition from a first switching state to a second switching state of the plurality of switching states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Linfei Guo, Chengwu Tao, Joseph Duncan, Xiaocheng Jing, Amir Parayandeh, Xun Liu
  • Publication number: 20210408906
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit using predictively precharged voltage rails is generally disclosed. For example, the voltage regulator circuit may include a main switching regulator configured to provide a target voltage, the main switching regulator having a first voltage node, a precharge switching regulator configured to provide a precharge voltage, the precharge switching regulator having a second voltage node, the precharge voltage based on a difference between the target voltage and a next target voltage to be provided by the main switching regulator, and a precharge switch circuit configured to selectively couple the second voltage node to an output voltage node based upon a transition from the target voltage to the next target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Chris ROSOLOWSKI, Todd SUTTON, Orlando SANTIAGO, Joseph DUNCAN, Rashed HOQUE, Marko KOSKI, Zdravko LUKIC
  • Patent number: 11063514
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit using predictively precharged voltage rails is generally disclosed. For example, the voltage regulator circuit may include a main switching regulator configured to provide a target voltage, the main switching regulator having a first voltage node, a precharge switching regulator configured to provide a precharge voltage, the precharge switching regulator having a second voltage node, the precharge voltage based on a difference between the target voltage and a next target voltage to be provided by the main switching regulator, and a precharge switch circuit configured to selectively couple the second voltage node to an output voltage node based upon a transition from the target voltage to the next target voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Chris Rosolowski, Todd Sutton, Orlando Santiago, Joseph Duncan, Rashed Hoque, Marko Koski, Zdravko Lukic
  • Patent number: 10958168
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS). One example method generally includes comparing a signal representative of an amount of current across an inductive element of the SMPS with at least three thresholds, selecting a configuration of the SMPS based on the comparison, and configuring the SMPS based on the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Linfei Guo, Chengwu Tao, Joseph Duncan, Xiaocheng Jing, Amir Parayandeh, Justin Philpott
  • Publication number: 20210067035
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for continuous current sensing for a single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) regulator. One example method includes operating a plurality of switches of the SIMO regulator, via a plurality of control signals, according to a plurality of switching states using a switching controller, sensing currents associated with at least a portion of the plurality of switches of the SIMO regulator using a plurality of current sense circuits, and selectively outputting a sense current from one of the plurality of current sense circuits based on a change in the plurality of controls signals occurring between a transition from a first switching state to a second switching state of the plurality of switching states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Linfei GUO, Chengwu TAO, Joseph DUNCAN, Xiaocheng JING, Amir PARAYANDEH, Xun LIU
  • Patent number: 10924017
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS). One example method generally includes selecting a first output of a plurality of outputs of the SMPS based on a power demand associated with each of the plurality of outputs if a voltage at the first output is less than a reference voltage associated with the first output, by selecting as the first output one of the plurality of outputs having the highest power demand, and based on an amount of overcharge associated with the first output if the voltage at the first output is greater than the reference voltage, by selecting as the first output one of the plurality of outputs having the lowest amount of overcharge. The method may also include directing current across an inductive element of the SMPS to the first output based on the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Linfei Guo, Chengwu Tao, Joseph Duncan, Amir Parayandeh, Xiaocheng Jing, Justin Philpott, Lin Xue
  • Publication number: 20200395848
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS). One example method generally includes selecting a first output of a plurality of outputs of the SMPS based on a power demand associated with each of the plurality of outputs if a voltage at the first output is less than a reference voltage associated with the first output, by selecting as the first output one of the plurality of outputs having the highest power demand, and based on an amount of overcharge associated with the first output if the voltage at the first output is greater than the reference voltage, by selecting as the first output one of the plurality of outputs having the lowest amount of overcharge. The method may also include directing current across an inductive element of the SMPS to the first output based on the selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Linfei GUO, Chengwu TAO, Joseph DUNCAN, Amir PARAYANDEH, Xiaocheng JING, Justin PHILPOTT, Lin XUE
  • Publication number: 20200381993
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS). One example method generally includes comparing a signal representative of an amount of current across an inductive element of the SMPS with at least three thresholds, selecting a configuration of the SMPS based on the comparison, and configuring the SMPS based on the selection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Linfei GUO, Chengwu TAO, Joseph DUNCAN, Xiaocheng JING, Amir PARAYANDEH, Justin PHILPOTT
  • Patent number: 10831220
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit using precharge voltage rails is generally disclosed. For example, the voltage regulator circuit may include a first voltage regulator having a voltage output, an output capacitor coupled to the voltage output, and one or more precharge voltage circuits configured to selectively couple to the voltage output, each of the one or more precharge voltage circuits comprising a capacitor coupled between an output of a precharge voltage regulator and a reference potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Chris Rosolowski, Todd Sutton, Orlando Santiago, Joseph Duncan
  • Publication number: 20200344094
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for one wire communication are disclosed. An apparatus has a line driver adapted to power one or more slave devices coupled to a one-wire serial bus, a circuit for encoding and decoding data in signals transmitted over the serial bus, and a controller. The line driver may maintain the wire at or above a voltage base level during transactions conducted over the wire. A data-encoded signal provided by the coding circuit may be transmitted on the wire in a first transaction and a data-encoded signal received from the wire may be decoded during a second transaction. The line driver may power the one or more slave devices when it maintains the wire at or above the first voltage level. The first signal and the second signal transitions within a voltage range defined by the first voltage level and a second voltage level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Lalan Jee MISHRA, Joseph DUNCAN, Richard Dominic WIETFELDT
  • Patent number: 10749477
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for series voltage regulation in an envelope tracking modulated supply. One example of an envelope tracking modulated supply includes a switched-mode power supply (SMPS), a voltage regulator, and a power amplifier having a supply input coupled to an output of the first voltage regulator. In certain aspects, the first voltage regulator is coupled in series between the power amplifier and two or more outputs the SMPS and is configured to generate a voltage at the output of the first voltage regulator based on an envelope of a signal to be amplified by the first power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Duncan, Ngai Yeung Ho, Kevin Lee Cobley
  • Patent number: 10703152
    Abstract: An apparatus for pivotally fixing a non-driven wheel assembly to a vehicle frame is disclosed. The apparatus provides a trough through which non-driven wheel assembly components can be passed and protected. In one embodiment, the trough is circular in shape and is fully enclosed by the apparatus. In other embodiments, the trough has various shapes and comprises retaining members to secure and protect non-driven wheel assembly components. A suspension system interface is provided that allows the apparatus to suspend the non-driven wheel assembly. Openings used to pivotally and rigidly fix a mounting plate, suspension system, pivotal axes, and fender assemblies are also disclosed and claimed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Hall Labs LLC
    Inventors: David R. Hall, Stephen R. Hall, Christoper Johnson, Joseph Duncan, Eric Magleby
  • Patent number: RE50071
    Abstract: A comprehensive solution is provided to transforming locations and retail spaces into high-traffic virtual reality (VR) attractions that provide a VR experience blended with a real-world tactile experience. A grid-based stage and kit of fixed and moveable accessories suitable for a wide variety of commercial venues contain all of the necessary equipment, infrastructure, technology, and content to assemble and operate a tactile, on-site VR attraction. Utilizing a modular set of set design and physical props, the physical structure and layout of the installations are designed to be easily rearranged and adapted to new VR content without requiring extensive construction or specialized expertise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: FanX, Inc.
    Inventors: Kalon Ross Gutierrez, John Joseph Duncan, Douglas Griffin, Richard Schulze