Patents by Inventor Michael A. Bourland

Michael A. Bourland 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: 20190107569
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure includes a transistor-under-test (TUT) to charge/discharge a capacitor; changing an oscillation state when a capacitor voltage crosses a threshold and turning OFF the TUT; discharging the capacitor using the TUT; commencing precharging the capacitor after detecting the capacitor reaches a transition voltage; commencing discharging the capacitor after a precharger time delay; sustaining a relaxation oscillator waveform, wherein the relaxation oscillator waveform is based on turning OFF/ON the TUT; and generating a digital representation of a TUT current associated with a relaxation oscillator period of the relaxation oscillator waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: David Kidd, Ardavan Moassessi, Angelo Pinto, Albert Kumar, Yi Lou, Bipin Duggal, Amar Gulhane, Michael Bourland, Mustafa Badaroglu, Paul Penzes
  • Patent number: 7609190
    Abstract: A current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is tested using a test component having a relaxation oscillator with an oscillation frequency based on the output current of the DAC. A series of test values is provided in sequence to the DAC for conversion to an output current with a magnitude that varies with the test values. The test component counts the number of oscillations (“the oscillation count”) of the relaxation oscillator over a fixed duration that is substantially equal for each test value. As the number of oscillations over the fixed duration depends on the oscillation frequency of the relaxation oscillator, which in turn is based on the magnitude of the output current, the oscillation count can be used as a relative measure of the magnitude of the output current for the corresponding test value. Accordingly, the oscillation counts for the test values can be used to determine operational characteristics of the DAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Ramaswami, Michael A. Bourland, Feng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20090261999
    Abstract: A current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is tested using a test component having a relaxation oscillator with an oscillation frequency based on the output current of the DAC. A series of test values is provided in sequence to the DAC for conversion to an output current with a magnitude that varies with the test values. The test component counts the number of oscillations (“the oscillation count”) of the relaxation oscillator over a fixed duration that is substantially equal for each test value. As the number of oscillations over the fixed duration depends on the oscillation frequency of the relaxation oscillator, which in turn is based on the magnitude of the output current, the oscillation count can be used as a relative measure of the magnitude of the output current for the corresponding test value. Accordingly, the oscillation counts for the test values can be used to determine operational characteristics of the DAC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Ravi Ramaswami, Michael A. Bourland, Feng Zhao
  • Patent number: 7236014
    Abstract: A fully differential peak detection circuit includes programmable sensitivity and an autozero function. The peak detector has a fully differential charge-coupled analog signal path. The entire analog signal path is autozeroed upon enable and/or in response to sensing a logic zero at the output, where the logic zero follows a logic one. The peak detector includes a differential gain stage for receiving an analog input signal. The differential gain stage includes offset error compensation. The offset error compensation is selected upon enable and/or in response to an output signal of the peak detection circuit and automatically zeros an offset error voltage in response to a predetermined logic state of the output signal. The output of the gain stage is provided to a comparator stage. A plurality of capacitors coupled to the comparator stage stores a predetermined voltage for setting a sensitivity of the peak detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale J. McQuirk, Michael A. Bourland
  • Publication number: 20070126480
    Abstract: A fully differential peak detection circuit includes programmable sensitivity and an autozero function. The peak detector has a fully differential charge-coupled analog signal path. The entire analog signal path is autozeroed upon enable and/or in response to sensing a logic zero at the output, where the logic zero follows a logic one. The peak detector includes a differential gain stage for receiving an analog input signal. The differential gain stage includes offset error compensation. The offset error compensation is selected upon enable and/or in response to an output signal of the peak detection circuit and automatically zeros an offset error voltage in response to a predetermined logic state of the output signal. The output of the gain stage is provided to a comparator stage. A plurality of capacitors coupled to the comparator stage stores a predetermined voltage for setting a sensitivity of the peak detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Dale McQuirk, Michael Bourland