Patents by Inventor Kristof Blutman
Kristof Blutman 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).
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Patent number: 11163346Abstract: An electronic device including a power source providing a source voltage, a capacitor, a primary regulator circuit, an always-on load that is active during a low power mode, and a recycle control circuit. The primary regulator circuit receives the source voltage and has an output that maintains a charge on the capacitor during an active mode. The primary regulator circuit does not contribute to a charge on the capacitor during the low power mode. The recycle control circuit includes a select circuit and a select control circuit. The select circuit selects, based on a control signal, between the voltage of the capacitor and at least one supply voltage including or otherwise developed using the source voltage to provide power to the always-on load during the low power mode. The select control circuit provides the control signal to control power provided to the always-on load during the low power mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2018Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Kristof Blutman, Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Jurgen Geerlings, Hamed Fatemi
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Patent number: 10739846Abstract: An electronic device includes a digital circuit, a power delivery subsystem configured to provide a supply voltage and a body-biasing voltage to the digital circuit, and a controller a controller coupled to the power delivery subsystem. The controller is configured to determine a process parameter for the electronic device, determine a current temperature parameter for the electronic device, concurrently determine a first coarse-grain level for the supply voltage and a second coarse-grain level for the body-biasing voltage based on the process parameter, the current temperature parameter, and a frequency of a clock signal to be supplied to the digital circuit, and to determine a fine-grain level for the supply voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2018Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar, Kristof Blutman, Sebastien Antonius Josephus Fabrie, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Hamed Fatemi
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Publication number: 20200183486Abstract: An electronic device includes a digital circuit, a power delivery subsystem configured to provide a supply voltage and a body-biasing voltage to the digital circuit, and a controller a controller coupled to the power delivery subsystem. The controller is configured to determine a process parameter for the electronic device, determine a current temperature parameter for the electronic device, concurrently determine a first coarse-grain level for the supply voltage and a second coarse-grain level for the body-biasing voltage based on the process parameter, the current temperature parameter, and a frequency of a clock signal to be supplied to the digital circuit, and to determine a fine-grain level for the supply voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar, Kristof Blutman, Sebastien Antonius Josephus Fabrie, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Hamed Fatemi
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Publication number: 20200073453Abstract: An electronic device including a power source providing a source voltage, a capacitor, a primary regulator circuit, an always-on load that is active during a low power mode, and a recycle control circuit. The primary regulator circuit receives the source voltage and has an output that maintains a charge on the capacitor during an active mode. The primary regulator circuit does not contribute to a charge on the capacitor during the low power mode. The recycle control circuit includes a select circuit and a select control circuit. The select circuit selects, based on a control signal, between the voltage of the capacitor and at least one supply voltage including or otherwise developed using the source voltage to provide power to the always-on load during the low power mode. The select control circuit provides the control signal to control power provided to the always-on load during the low power mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2018Publication date: March 5, 2020Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Kristof Blutman, Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Jurgen Geerlings, Hamed Fatemi
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Patent number: 10270448Abstract: A level shifter circuit is described herein for shifting a signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain. The level shifter circuit includes two current paths between a supply terminal of the first voltage domain and a supply terminal of the second voltage domain. The first and second current paths each include a differential transistor that receives a signal from a pulse generator in a first voltage domain. The pulse generator provides pulses to the differential transistors based on an input signal to be translated to the second voltage domain. The level shifter includes a latch circuit in the second voltage domain that includes two inputs where each input is biased at a node of one of the current paths. Each current path includes a bias transistor whose control terminal receives a compensated biasing voltage for biasing the bias transistor. The compensated biasing voltage is compensated to account for drive strength variation of at least one transistor in each current path.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2018Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Kristof Blutman, Sebastien Antonius Josephus Fabrie, Juan Diego Echeverri Escobar, Ajay Kapoor, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Hamed Fatemi
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Patent number: 9917588Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to communications between respective power domains (circuitry) that may operate in a stacked arrangement in which the each domain operates over a different voltage range. A first circuit provides differential outputs that vary between first and second voltage levels, based on transitions of an input signal received from a first one of the power domains. First and second driver circuits are respectively coupled to the first and second differential outputs. A third driver circuit operates with the first and second circuits to level-shift the input signal from the first power domain to an output signal on a second power domain by driving an output circuit at the second voltage level in response to the input signal being at the first voltage level, and driving the output circuit at a third voltage level in response to the input signal being at the second voltage level.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Kristof Blutman, Ajay Kapoor, Jose Pineda de Gyvez, Arnoud van der Wel
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Patent number: 9912335Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure are directed to level-shifting approaches with communications between respective circuits. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments characterized herein, a voltage level of communications passed between respective circuits are selectively shifted. Where the respective circuits operate under respective power domains that are shifted in voltage range relative to one another, the voltage level of the communications is shifted. This approach may, for example, facilitate power-savings for stacked circuits in which a low-level voltage of one circuit is provided as a high-level voltage for another circuit. When the respective circuits operate under a common power domain, the communications are passed directly between the respective circuits (e.g., bypassing any level-shifting, and facilitating fast communication).Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2015Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: NXP B.V.Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Kristof Blutman, Jose Pineda de Gyvez, Arnoud van der Wel
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Publication number: 20170012628Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to communications between respective power domains (circuitry) that may operate in a stacked arrangement in which the each domain operates over a different voltage range. A first circuit provides differential outputs that vary between first and second voltage levels, based on transitions of an input signal received from a first one of the power domains. First and second driver circuits are respectively coupled to the first and second differential outputs. A third driver circuit operates with the first and second circuits to level-shift the input signal from the first power domain to an output signal on a second power domain by driving an output circuit at the second voltage level in response to the input signal being at the first voltage level, and driving the output circuit at a third voltage level in response to the input signal being at the second voltage level.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2015Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Kristof Blutman, Ajay Kapoor, Jose Pineda de Gyvez, Arnoud van der Wel
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Publication number: 20170012627Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure are directed to level-shifting approaches with communications between respective circuits. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments characterized herein, a voltage level of communications passed between respective circuits are selectively shifted. Where the respective circuits operate under respective power domains that are shifted in voltage range relative to one another, the voltage level of the communications is shifted. This approach may, for example, facilitate power-savings for stacked circuits in which a low-level voltage of one circuit is provided as a high-level voltage for another circuit. When the respective circuits operate under a common power domain, the communications are passed directly between the respective circuits (e.g., bypassing any level-shifting, and facilitating fast communication).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2015Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: Ajay Kapoor, Kristof Blutman, Jose Pineda de Gyvez, Arnoud van der Wel