Patents by Inventor Paul-Aymeric Fontaine

Paul-Aymeric Fontaine 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: 9825642
    Abstract: A subsystem configured to implement an analog to digital converter that includes a high speed comparator with an embedded reference voltage level that functions as a calibrated threshold. A calibration element applies power to a reference voltage system. The calibration element then selects a differential analog voltage and applies the differential analog voltage to the inputs of the comparator. A digitally coded signal then configures an array of switches that connect complements of integrated resistors to each input of the comparator so that the switching point of the comparator occurs coincident with the applied differential analog reference voltage, nulling out the effect of the applied differential analog voltage and comparator errors. The calibration element then removes power from the reference voltage system. As a result, the comparator is configured with an embedded threshold that equals the differential analog reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Balaji Narendran Chellappa, Paul Aymeric Fontaine
  • Publication number: 20160352348
    Abstract: A subsystem configured to implement an analog to digital converter that includes a high speed comparator with an embedded reference voltage level that functions as a calibrated threshold. A calibration element applies power to a reference voltage system. The calibration element then selects a differential analog voltage and applies the differential analog voltage to the inputs of the comparator. A digitally coded signal then configures an array of switches that connect complements of integrated resistors to each input of the comparator so that the switching point of the comparator occurs coincident with the applied differential analog reference voltage, nulling out the effect of the applied differential analog voltage and comparator errors. The calibration element then removes power from the reference voltage system. As a result, the comparator is configured with an embedded threshold that equals the differential analog reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Balaji NARENDRAN CHELLAPPA, Paul Aymeric FONTAINE
  • Patent number: 9419638
    Abstract: A subsystem configured to implement an analog to digital converter that includes a high speed comparator with an embedded reference voltage level that functions as a calibrated threshold. A calibration element applies power to a reference voltage system. The calibration element then selects a differential analog voltage and applies the differential analog voltage to the inputs of the comparator. A digitally coded signal then configures an array of switches that connect complements of integrated resistors to each input of the comparator so that the switching point of the comparator occurs coincident with the applied differential analog reference voltage, nulling out the effect of the applied differential analog voltage and comparator errors. The calibration element then removes power from the reference voltage system. As a result, the comparator is configured with an embedded threshold that equals the differential analog reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Balaji Narendran Chellappa, Paul Aymeric Fontaine
  • Patent number: 7376400
    Abstract: A communications system comprising a processor, a variable oscillator, a radio frequency (RF) quadrature demodulator, a variable capacitor, a continuous-time, sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a frequency divider, all integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The ADC samples the RF quadrature demodulator output. The processor sets the communications system frequency by controlling the oscillator, the frequency divider and the variable capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Paul-Aymeric Fontaine
  • Patent number: 7061989
    Abstract: A digital transmitter (20) that may be advantageously used in a high-frequency transceiver, such as a wireless telephone handset, is disclosed. The transmitter (20) includes digital upconverter functions (36I, 36Q) that operate in combination with a digital band-pass sigma-delta modulator (40) to generate modulated digital signals at a sample frequency that is a multiple of the transmit frequency. The digital band-pass sigma-delta modulator (40) applies a noise transfer function in a feedback filter (72) in which the center of the pass band corresponds to the transmit frequency, and in which notches in the characteristic can be symmetrically or asymmetrically selected to correspond to specific frequencies, such as the receive band frequency, in which transmit noise is to be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Paul-Aymeric Fontaine
  • Publication number: 20050265481
    Abstract: A digital transmitter (20) that may be advantageously used in a high-frequency transceiver, such as a wireless telephone handset, is disclosed. The transmitter (20) includes digital upconverter functions (36L, 36Q) that operate in combination with a digital band-pass sigma-delta modulator (40) to generate modulated digital signals at a sample frequency that is a multiple of the transmit frequency. The digital band-pass sigma-delta modulator (40) applies a noise transfer function in a feedback filter (72) in which the center of the pass band corresponds to the transmit frequency, and in which notches in the characteristic can be symmetrically or asymmetrically selected to correspond to specific frequencies, such as the receive band frequency, in which transmit noise is to be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Paul-Aymeric Fontaine
  • Publication number: 20050068213
    Abstract: A continuous time sigma delta modulator having minimal excess loop delay. The continuous-time sigma delta modulator in accordance with the present invention includes at least one integrator stage coupled to receive an input signal and a resultant integrator output signal from a previous stage for providing a resultant integrator output. At least one output stage connects to the at least one integrator stage to receive the resultant integrator output signal from the previous integrator stage for providing a resultant integrator output. A sample and hold circuit connects to receive the second integrator input signal. A multiplier connects to the sample and hold circuit to provide a resultant sampled signal. An analog-to-digital converter quantizer couples to receive the resultant sampled signal and to produce a quantized output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Paul-Aymeric Fontaine, Ahmed Mohieldin
  • Publication number: 20050070325
    Abstract: A communications system comprising a processor, a variable oscillator, a radio frequency (RF) quadrature demodulator, a variable capacitor, a continuous-time, sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a frequency divider, all integrated on a single semiconductor chip. The ADC samples the RF quadrature demodulator output. The processor sets the communications system frequency by controlling the oscillator, the frequency divider and the variable capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Paul-Aymeric Fontaine