Patents by Inventor Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
Peter Harris Robert Popplewell 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: 10256921Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing the effects of an impedance mismatch between a communications system and a shared communications medium. A communication system, such as a transceiver within a cable modem, switches between various operating modes including a transmit mode, a receive mode, and a standby mode. The standby mode may be used while the transceiver is in an idle state between modes, such as while changing an amplifier gain states in between transmissions. While transitioning between modes, the impedance presented by the communications system can temporarily fluctuate causing unwanted signal reflections to propagate out of the communications system and on to the shared medium. Circuitry within the communications system, such as transmission circuitry including an adjustable attenuator, may be placed into a hybrid attenuation-isolation mode during the transition causing the magnitude of any unwanted signal reflections to be attenuated and reducing the impact on the shared medium.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Adrian John Bergsma, Peihua Ye, Thomas Obkircher, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Gregory Edward Babcock, William J. Domino
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Patent number: 10170989Abstract: Methods for fabricating an integrated circuit with a voltage regulator are provided. In some implementations, a method includes forming a primary regulator on a semiconductor substrate, including fabricating a switch, fabricating an amplifier for controlling the switch, and fabricating a voltage generator for biasing the amplifier to operate the primary regulator in a bypass mode or in a regulating mode. The method further includes forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the primary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, forming a secondary regulator on the substrate, forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the secondary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, and forming an electrical connection between the output terminal of the primary regulator and the input terminal of the secondary regulator.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Publication number: 20180294776Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter are provided. In certain configurations, a voltage converter includes an inductor connected between a first node and a second node, a plurality of switches, and a bypass circuit having an activated state and a deactivated state. The switches includes a first switch connected between a battery voltage and the first node, a second switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, a third switch connected between the second node and the ground voltage, and a fourth switch connected between the second node and the output. The bypass circuit includes a first pair of transistors connected between the first node and the second node and configured to turn on to bypass the inductor in the activated state and to turn off in the deactivated state.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2018Publication date: October 11, 2018Inventors: Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot, Florinel G. Balteanu, Martin Wilson, Mark Tuckwell
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Publication number: 20180159476Abstract: Envelope tracking for radio-frequency applications. In some embodiments, a low frequency loss correction circuit can include a signal error detection circuit configured to produce an error signal in response to detecting one or more frequency components of a tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through a capacitive path. The low frequency loss correction circuit can further include a drive circuit configured to convert the error signal into a low frequency correction signal, and provide the low frequency correction signal to a voltage supply line, the low frequency correction signal including at least some of the one or more frequency components of the tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through the capacitive path.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2017Publication date: June 7, 2018Inventors: Florinel G. BALTEANU, Jose Alejandro MACEDO, Peter Harris Robert POPPLEWELL, Jakub F. PINGOT
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Publication number: 20180138990Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reducing the effects of an impedance mismatch between a communications system and a shared communications medium. A communication system, such as a transceiver within a cable modem, switches between various operating modes including a transmit mode, a receive mode, and a standby mode. The standby mode may be used while the transceiver is in an idle state between modes, such as while changing an amplifier gain states in between transmissions. While transitioning between modes, the impedance presented by the communications system can temporarily fluctuate causing unwanted signal reflections to propagate out of the communications system and on to the shared medium. Circuitry within the communications system, such as transmission circuitry including an adjustable attenuator, may be placed into a hybrid attenuation-isolation mode during the transition causing the magnitude of any unwanted signal reflections to be attenuated and reducing the impact on the shared medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Adrian John Bergsma, Peihua Ye, Thomas Obkircher, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Gregory Edward Babcock, William J. Domino
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Publication number: 20180138866Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an oscillating signal for use as a clock in digital logic timing. The oscillating signal is generated via a differential RC relaxation oscillator including an oscillator core and biasing circuitry. The oscillator core may be configured such that the oscillating signal it generates is substantially sinusoidal or pseudo-sinusoidal and contains less harmonic content relative to a square wave signal. The biasing circuitry may be configured to have a reduced dependence on temperature so that the biasing values it provides vary less with temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Bang Li Liang, Thomas Obkircher, Adrian John Bergsma, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Publication number: 20180138877Abstract: Systems and methods for suppressing transient outputs from an amplifier system are provided. An amplifier having a plurality of bias levels may be controlled to initiate a change in the level of a bias signal provided to the amplifier. The level of the bias signal is ramped from an initial bias level to a final bias level over numerous steps. The steps include at least one step in which the level of the bias signal is between the initial bias level and the final bias level. An amplifier system having multiple stages may be controlled to enable each stage and selectively couple each stage in a sequence that couples an output stage to an output terminal at the completion of the sequence.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Adrian John Bergsma, Thomas Obkircher, Peihua Ye, Bang Li Liang, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, William J. Domino
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Patent number: 9971377Abstract: Apparatus and methods for voltage regulation are provided. In some implementations, a voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor including a source that receives a battery voltage from an input node and a drain coupled to an output node, an amplifier including an output coupled to a gate of the field-effect transistor, and a voltage generator that receives the battery voltage from the input node and provides a reference voltage and one or more bias voltages to the amplifier. The voltage generator controls the amplifier to operate the voltage regulator circuit in a regulation mode or in a bypass mode based on a voltage level of the battery voltage. The amplifier and the field-effect transistor regulate the battery voltage in the regulation mode to provide a regulated voltage at the output node, and the amplifier turns on the field-effect transistor in the bypass mode to provide a bypass voltage substantially equal to the battery voltage at the output node.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Patent number: 9973088Abstract: Voltage regulator circuits for wireless devices are provided. In some implementations, a transceiver module includes a transceiver circuit that generates a radio frequency (RF) signal, a power amplifier circuit that receives the RF signal and generates an amplified RF signal, and a voltage regulator circuit that receives an input voltage and provides a desired voltage to the power amplifier circuit. The voltage regulator circuit is operable in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage and in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage. The voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor (FET) electrically connected between the input voltage and the desired voltage, an amplifier that controls the FET, and a voltage generator that receives the input voltage and biases the amplifier.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Publication number: 20180131369Abstract: A radio-frequency switch includes a pole node, a throw node connected to the pole node via a radio-frequency signal path, the radio-frequency signal path including first, second, third and fourth field-effect transistors connected in series, each of the first, second, third and fourth field-effect transistors having a gate, a first coupling path coupling the gate of the first field-effect transistor to the gate of the second field-effect transistor, a second coupling path coupling the gate of the third field-effect transistor to the gate of the fourth field-effect transistor, and a third coupling path coupling the first coupling path to the second coupling pathType: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Inventors: Peter Harris Robert POPPLEWELL, Ambarish ROY, Guillaume Alexandre BLIN
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Publication number: 20180131339Abstract: Aspects and examples described herein provide a variable gain amplifier circuit and assembly. In one example, a variable gain amplifier circuit includes a signal input, a signal output, and a variable gain amplifier including a plurality of unit cell groups coupled between the signal input and the signal output, the variable gain amplifier configured to provide an adjustable gain to a signal received at the signal input during each of a plurality of amplify modes of the variable gain amplifier, each of the plurality of amplify modes corresponding to at least one unit cell group of the plurality of unit cell groups. A bypass path including a fixed attenuator is coupled in parallel with the variable gain amplifier between the signal input and the signal output to selectively couple the signal input to the signal output through the fixed attenuator during a bypass mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicant: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Peihua Ye, Patrick Marcus Naraine, Adrian John Bergsma, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Thomas Obkircher
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Patent number: 9948241Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter are provided. In certain configurations, a voltage converter includes an inductor connected between a first node and a second node, a plurality of switches, and a bypass circuit having an activated state and a deactivated state. The switches includes a first switch connected between a battery voltage and the first node, a second switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, a third switch connected between the second node and the ground voltage, and a fourth switch connected between the second node and the output. The bypass circuit includes a first pair of transistors connected between the first node and the second node and configured to turn on to bypass the inductor in the activated state and to turn off in the deactivated state.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2017Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignees: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC., SNAPTRACK, INC.Inventors: Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot, Florinel G. Balteanu, Martin Wilson, Mark Tuckwell
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Patent number: 9831834Abstract: A low frequency loss correction circuit that improves the efficiency of a power amplifier at near-DC low frequencies The low frequency loss correction circuit can include a signal error detection circuit configured to produce an error signal in response to detecting one or more frequency components of a tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through a capacitive path. The low frequency loss correction circuit can include a drive circuit configured to convert the error signal into a low frequency correction signal, and provide the low frequency correction signal to a voltage supply line, the low frequency correction signal including at least some of the one or more frequency components of the tracking signal below a cutoff frequency that are substantially attenuated through the capacitive path.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jose Alejandro Macedo, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot
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Publication number: 20170300076Abstract: Low leakage current switch controller. In some embodiments, a controller for a radio-frequency switch can include a low-dropout regulator configured to generate a plurality of reference voltage levels for operation of a switch, or to be in a sleep mode to conserve power, based on a control signal received through a common input node. The controller can further include a mode detector in communication with the low-dropout regulator, and be configured to provide a first form of the control signal to the common input node to allow the plurality of reference levels to be generated by the low-dropout regulator, or a second form of the control signal to the common input node to put the low-dropout regulator in the sleep mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Bang Li LIANG, Peter Harris Robert POPPLEWELL, Gregory Edward BABCOCK
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Publication number: 20170230007Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reducing inductor ringing of a voltage converter are provided. In certain configurations, a voltage converter includes an inductor connected between a first node and a second node, a plurality of switches, and a bypass circuit having an activated state and a deactivated state. The switches includes a first switch connected between a battery voltage and the first node, a second switch connected between the first node and a ground voltage, a third switch connected between the second node and the ground voltage, and a fourth switch connected between the second node and the output. The bypass circuit includes a first pair of transistors connected between the first node and the second node and configured to turn on to bypass the inductor in the activated state and to turn off in the deactivated state.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot, Florinel G. Balteanu, Martin Wilson, Mark Tuckwell
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Patent number: 9698832Abstract: Apparatus and methods for negative voltage generation with reduced clock feed-through are provided. In certain configurations, a method of negative voltage generation in a wireless device is provided. The method includes generating a regulated voltage from a battery voltage using a voltage regulator, powering a first charge pump and a second charge pump using the regulated voltage, generating a first negative voltage based on timing of a first clock phase using the first charge pump, generating a second negative voltage based on the first negative voltage and on timing of a second clock phase using the second charge pump, and generating the first clock phase and the second clock phase with different phases using a poly-phase oscillator such that the first charge pump and the second charge pump draw from the regulated voltage at different points in time.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2016Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot, Florinel G. Balteanu
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Patent number: 9673707Abstract: Apparatus and methods for bypassing an inductor of a voltage converter are provided. In one embodiment, a voltage converter includes an inductor and a bypass circuit that selectively bypasses the inductor based on a state of a bypass control signal. The inductor includes including a first end electrically connected to a first node and a second end electrically connected to a second node. The bypass circuit includes a first p-type field effect transistor and a second p-type field effect transistor electrically connected in series between the first node and the second node. The first p-type field effect transistor includes a body electrically connected to a first voltage, and the second p-type field effect transistor includes a body electrically connected to a second voltage greater than the first voltage.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignees: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC., SNAPTRACK, INC.Inventors: Peter Harris Robert Popplewell, Jakub F. Pingot, Florinel G. Balteanu, Martin Wilson, Mark Tuckwell
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Publication number: 20170133935Abstract: Voltage regulator circuits for wireless devices are provided. In some implementations, a transceiver module includes a transceiver circuit that generates a radio frequency (RF) signal, a power amplifier circuit that receives the RF signal and generates an amplified RF signal, and a voltage regulator circuit that receives an input voltage and provides a desired voltage to the power amplifier circuit. The voltage regulator circuit is operable in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage and in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage. The voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor (FET) electrically connected between the input voltage and the desired voltage, an amplifier that controls the FET, and a voltage generator that receives the input voltage and biases the amplifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Publication number: 20170131734Abstract: Methods for fabricating an integrated circuit with a voltage regulator are provided. In some implementations, a method includes forming a primary regulator on a semiconductor substrate, including fabricating a switch, fabricating an amplifier for controlling the switch, and fabricating a voltage generator for biasing the amplifier to operate the primary regulator in a bypass mode or in a regulating mode. The method further includes forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the primary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, forming a secondary regulator on the substrate, forming an input terminal and an output terminal of the secondary regulator on the semiconductor substrate, and forming an electrical connection between the output terminal of the primary regulator and the input terminal of the secondary regulator.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell
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Publication number: 20170131735Abstract: Apparatus and methods for voltage regulation are provided. In some implementations, a voltage regulator circuit includes a field-effect transistor including a source that receives a battery voltage from an input node and a drain coupled to an output node, an amplifier including an output coupled to a gate of the field-effect transistor, and a voltage generator that receives the battery voltage from the input node and provides a reference voltage and one or more bias voltages to the amplifier. The voltage generator controls the amplifier to operate the voltage regulator circuit in a regulation mode or in a bypass mode based on a voltage level of the battery voltage. The amplifier and the field-effect transistor regulate the battery voltage in the regulation mode to provide a regulated voltage at the output node, and the amplifier turns on the field-effect transistor in the bypass mode to provide a bypass voltage substantially equal to the battery voltage at the output node.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Jakub F. Pingot, Peter Harris Robert Popplewell