Patents by Inventor Kevin William Ziemer

Kevin William Ziemer 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).

  • Multiple chip synchronization via single pin monitoring of an external timing capacitor
    Patent number: 10651844
    Abstract: An IC chip, a system and a method of operating the IC chip in response to an event trigger are provided. The method includes responsive to the event trigger, coupling a pin to a source of constant current to charge an external capacitor coupled to the pin and monitoring a capacitor voltage on the pin. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a rising threshold, detection of a falling threshold is enabled. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a voltage threshold, a first response is triggered and the pin is coupled to the lower rail to discharge the external capacitor. If detection of the falling threshold is enabled and the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is less than the falling threshold, the first response is also triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Lawrence James Gewax, Kevin William Ziemer, Ricky Dale Jordanger, Hector Torres
  • MULTIPLE CHIP SYNCHRONIZATION VIA SINGLE PIN MONITORING OF AN EXTERNAL TIMING CAPACITOR
    Publication number: 20190386657
    Abstract: An IC chip, a system and a method of operating the IC chip in response to an event trigger are provided. The method includes responsive to the event trigger, coupling a pin to a source of constant current to charge an external capacitor coupled to the pin and monitoring a capacitor voltage on the pin. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a rising threshold, detection of a falling threshold is enabled. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a voltage threshold, a first response is triggered and the pin is coupled to the lower rail to discharge the external capacitor. If detection of the falling threshold is enabled and the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is less than the falling threshold, the first response is also triggered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Lawrence James Gewax, Kevin William Ziemer, Ricky Dale Jordanger, Hector Torres