Patents by Inventor Lawrence M. Burns
Lawrence M. Burns 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: 8320864Abstract: An active splitter circuit arrangement includes a first amplification module having a number of first input ports and first output ports. The first amplification module is configured to provide first stage amplification to a received input signal and produce from the amplified input signal a number of output signals, each substantially matching the input signal. Also included is a first gain control device having a number of gain input ports respectively coupled to the first output ports and a gain output port coupled to at least one of the first input ports. The first gain control device is configured to control a gain of the first amplification module. Next, a number of second amplification modules corresponding to the number of output signals has a number of second input ports respectively coupled to the first output ports.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2009Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Adel Fanous, Leonard Dauphinee, Lawrence M. Burns, Donald McMullin
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Publication number: 20120274297Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of controlling a bypass resistance of a voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a regulated output voltage based upon a switching voltage. The switching voltage is generated through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, the series switch element and the shunt switch element being connected between voltages based on an input voltage. Control of a duty cycle of the switching voltage is provided by sensing and feeding back the regulated output voltage. The bypass resistance is controlled based on an integration of a difference between the duty cycle and a maximum duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: James E.C. Brown, Bret Rothenberg, Lawrence M. Burns
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Publication number: 20120257311Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of generating a regulated voltage are disclosed. One apparatus includes a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator includes regulator circuitry for generating a regulated voltage from a first power supply and a second power supply, and voltage spike protection circuitry for voltage-spike-protecting the regulator circuitry. The voltage spike protection circuitry includes a charge-storage circuit, and at least one switching element, wherein the at least one switching element comprises a plurality of switching block segments. The charge-storage circuit includes charge-storage circuit segments, and each charge-storage circuit segment is physically closer to at least one of the plurality of switching block segments the charge-storage circuit segment protects, than any other switching block segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2012Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Publication number: 20120244916Abstract: Embodiments for at methods, apparatus and systems for operating a voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating, by a switching controller, a switching voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element. Further, the method includes generating, by a switchable output filter, a regulated output voltage by filtering the switching voltage, wherein the switchable output filter comprises a plurality of capacitors that are selectively included within the switchable output filter.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: James E. C. Brown, Daniel Dobkin, Pablo Moreno Galbis, Cory Severson, Lawrence M. Burns
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Publication number: 20120229102Abstract: Another embodiment includes a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator includes a series switch element connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, the series switch element comprising an NMOS series switching transistor, a shunt switch element connected between the common node and a second voltage supply, the shunt switch element comprising an NMOS shunt switching transistor. The voltage regulator further includes means for closing the series switch element during a first period by applying a switching gate voltage to a gate of the NMOS series switch transistor of the series switch element, wherein the switching gate voltage has a voltage potential of at least a threshold voltage greater than a voltage potential of the common node, means for closing the shunt switch element during a second period, the shunt switch element comprising an NMOS shunt switching transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Patent number: 8248044Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of controlling a bypass resistance of a voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a regulated output voltage based upon a switching voltage. The switching voltage is generated through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, the series switch element and the shunt switch element being connected between voltages based on an input voltage. A control of a duty cycle of the switching voltage is provided by sensing and feeding back the regulated output voltage. The bypass resistance is controlled based on a parameter related to the duty cycle, wherein the control of the duty cycle is persistent during the control of the bypass resistance.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2010Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: R2 Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: James E. C. Brown, Bret Rothenberg, Lawrence M. Burns
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Patent number: 8233250Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of generating a regulated voltage are disclosed. One apparatus includes a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator includes regulator circuitry for generating a regulated voltage from a first power supply and a second power supply, and voltage spike protection circuitry for voltage-spike-protecting the regulator circuitry, wherein the voltage spike protection circuitry includes a dissipative element and a charge-storage circuit. One method includes a method of generating a regulated voltage. The method includes regulator circuitry generating a regulated voltage from an input voltage, and voltage-spike-protecting the regulator circuitry with voltage spike protection circuitry, wherein the voltage spike protection circuitry includes a dissipative element and a charge-storage circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: R2 Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Patent number: 8212536Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of generating a regulated voltage are disclosed. One method includes generating the regulated voltage though controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and shunt switch element, the series switch element being connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, and the shunt switch being connected between the common node and a second supply voltage. The series switch element includes an NMOS series switching transistor stacked with an NMOS series protection transistor, and closing the series switch element during a first period includes applying a switching gate voltage to a gate of the NMOS series switch transistor of the series switch element, wherein the switching gate voltage has a voltage potential of at least a threshold voltage greater than a voltage potential of the common node.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: R2 Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Publication number: 20120105034Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of controlling a dead time of a switching voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a regulated output voltage based upon a switching voltage. The method included generating the switching voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, wherein the dead time comprises time that both the series switch element and the shunt switch element are open. The duration of the dead time is adjusted based on a rate of change of the switching voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: James E. C. Brown, Lawrence M. Burns
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Publication number: 20120105045Abstract: Embodiments for methods and apparatuses for controlling a skew time of switches of a switching voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a switching voltage through closing and opening of a series switch and a shunt switch as controlled by a series switch control signal and a shunt switch control signal. An error signal is generated that is proportional to a relative displacement of an on-interval of the series switch and an off-interval of the shunt switch. A relative delay of the series switch control signal and the shunt switch control signal is adjusted based on the error signal, and a regulated output voltage is generated based upon the switching voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, James E.C. Brown
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Publication number: 20120086592Abstract: An upstream amplifier is integrated on a substrate with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to form an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a low-pass filter is also integrated on the substrate. The output signal level of the upstream amplifier is controllable. In embodiments, fine adjustments are made to the output signal level of the upstream amplifier by varying a bias current of the DAC. A software control bit is used to switch between a power-on mode of operation and a power-down mode of operation. The upstream amplifier transmits in a burst mode. The power consumption of the upstream amplifier scales with the amplifier's output signal level. A high degree of matching is attained between the positive and negative paths of the upstream amplifier. This provides high immunity from common-mode disturbances such as substrate noise, clock spurs, and glitches caused by a gain change.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2011Publication date: April 12, 2012Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Stephen A. Jantzi, Anilkumar V. Tammineedi, Jungwoo Song, Lawrence M. Burns, Donald G. McMullin, Anges N. Woo
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Patent number: 8094033Abstract: A process monitor measures the absolute value of unit sample resistors and transistors on a common Integrated Circuit (IC) substrate. This information can be used to adjust the gain of an amplifier assembly to a desired value, or to determine the true, corrected gain of such the amplifier assembly. Also, process information about process variations corresponding to the common IC substrate can be collected from the process monitor. Gain correction factors are derived and applied to the amplifier assembly to compensate for the process variations using the gain value and the process information.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2008Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Leonard Dauphinee, Lawrence M. Burns
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Publication number: 20110284840Abstract: A system or apparatus for monitoring an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip includes: a sense circuit at least partially constructed on the IC chip and configured to produce one or more sense signals each indicative of a corresponding process-dependent circuit parameter of the IC chip; and a digitizer module configured to produce, responsive to the one or more sense signals, one or more digitized signals each representative of a corresponding one of the sense signals. A controller is configured to determine a value of one or more of the process-dependent circuit parameters based on one or more of the digitized signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2010Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, James Y.C. Chang
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Publication number: 20110234187Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of controlling a bypass resistance of a voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a regulated output voltage based upon a switching voltage. The switching voltage is generated through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, the series switch element and the shunt switch element being connected between voltages based on an input voltage. A control of a duty cycle of the switching voltage is provided by sensing and feeding back the regulated output voltage. The bypass resistance is controlled based on a parameter related to the duty cycle, wherein the control of the duty cycle is persistent during the control of the bypass resistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2010Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: R2 Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: James E. C. Brown, Bret Rothenberg, Lawrence M. Burns
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Patent number: 8013768Abstract: An upstream amplifier is integrated on a substrate with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to form an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a low-pass filter is also integrated on the substrate. The output signal level of the upstream amplifier is controllable. In embodiments, fine adjustments are made to the output signal level of the upstream amplifier by varying a bias current of the DAC. A software control bit is used to switch between a power-on mode of operation and a power-down mode of operation. The upstream amplifier transmits in a burst mode. The power consumption of the upstream amplifier scales with the amplifier's output signal level. A high degree of matching is attained between the positive and negative paths of the upstream amplifier. This provides high immunity from common-mode disturbances such as substrate noise, clock spurs, and glitches caused by a gain change.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Stephen A Jantzi, Anilkumar V Tammineedi, Jungwoo Song, Lawrence M Burns, Donald G McMullin, Agnes N Woo
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Patent number: 7983644Abstract: An apparatus and method for local oscillator calibration compensates for filter passband variation in a mixer circuit, such as a receiver circuit. The receiver includes at least a mixer circuit and a filter coupled to the output of the mixer. During operation, the mixer mixes an RF input signal with a first local oscillator (LO) signal to frequency translate a selected channel in the RF input signal into the passband of the filter. During a calibration mode, the RF input signal is disabled, and the first LO signal is injected into the filter input by leaking the first LO signal through the mixer circuit. The frequency of the LO signal is then swept over a frequency bandwidth that is sufficiently wide so that the actual passband is detected by measuring the signal amplitude at the output of the bandpass filter, thereby determining any variation in the passband of the filter from the expected passband.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2010Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Donald G. McMullin, Ramon A. Gomez, Lawrence M. Burns, Myles Wakayama
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Patent number: 7969241Abstract: A Variable Gain Amplifier (VGA) amplifies an input signal according to a gain, to produce an amplified signal. A detector module detects a power indicative of a power of the amplified signal. A comparator module compares the detected power to a high threshold, a low threshold and a target threshold intermediate the high and low thresholds. A controller module changes the gain of the VGA so as to drive the detected power in a direction toward the middle threshold when the comparator module indicates the detected power is not between the high and low thresholds.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2010Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Leonard Dauphinee, Lawrence M. Burns
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Publication number: 20110148200Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of generating a regulated voltage are disclosed. One apparatus includes a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator includes regulator circuitry for generating a regulated voltage from a first power supply and a second power supply, and voltage spike protection circuitry for voltage-spike-protecting the regulator circuitry, wherein the voltage spike protection circuitry includes a dissipative element and a charge-storage circuit. One method includes a method of generating a regulated voltage. The method includes regulator circuitry generating a regulated voltage from an input voltage, and voltage-spike-protecting the regulator circuitry with voltage spike protection circuitry, wherein the voltage spike protection circuitry includes a dissipative element and a charge-storage circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Publication number: 20110148368Abstract: Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of generating a regulated voltage are disclosed. One method includes generating the regulated voltage though controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and shunt switch element, the series switch element being connected between a first voltage supply and a common node, and the shunt switch being connected between the common node and a second supply voltage. The series switch element includes an NMOS series switching transistor stacked with an NMOS series protection transistor, and closing the series switch element during a first period includes applying a switching gate voltage to a gate of the NMOS series switch transistor of the series switch element, wherein the switching gate voltage has a voltage potential of at least a threshold voltage greater than a voltage potential of the common node.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: R2 SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Lawrence M. Burns, David Fisher
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Patent number: 7843205Abstract: A system or apparatus for monitoring an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip includes: a sense circuit at least partially constructed on the IC chip and configured to produce one or more sense signals each indicative of a corresponding process-dependent circuit parameter of the IC chip; and a digitizer module configured to produce, responsive to the one or more sense signals, one or more digitized signals each representative of a corresponding one of the sense signals. A controller is configured to determine a value of one or more of the process-dependent circuit parameters based on one or more of the digitized signals.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2008Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: Broadcom CorporationInventors: Lawrence M. Burns, Leonard Dauphinee, Ramon A. Gomez, James Y. C. Chang