Patents by Inventor Richard David Nicholson

Richard David Nicholson 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: 9407250
    Abstract: The disclosure presented herein provides example embodiments of systems for accurate multiplexing. The systems and methods presented may be suitable for non-limiting examples of analog to digital conversion with a switched input voltage (for a switched capacitor application) or any circuit with high voltage/high accuracy voltage multiplexing. In an example embodiment, pulsed current sources may be implemented to rapidly turn on and turn off the selected and unselected multiplexer ports while maintaining relatively low power consumption. A Kelvin input port may allow a high voltage input to be accurately sensed by avoiding a voltage drop associated with a selected pass gate p-channel FET channel resistance and parasitic wire resistance. The Kelvin input port biases the gate of a pass FET structure whose body terminals are allowed to remain floating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Bradford Lawrence Hunter, Richard David Nicholson, Wallace Edward Matthews
  • Publication number: 20140376134
    Abstract: In an integrated circuit device having an internal circuitry that requires voltage protection (e.g. negative voltage protection), the voltage protection is provided by a FET. In some embodiments, the source and drain of the FET are connected in series with the internal circuitry and an I/O node through which the voltage can be received (e.g. the source connected to the internal circuitry and the drain connected to the I/O node). In some embodiments, the FET is drain-extended (e.g. a drain-extended PFET).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Bradford Lawrence Hunter, Richard David Nicholson
  • Patent number: 8093941
    Abstract: Systems and devices for dynamically scaled charge pumping are presented. Example embodiments of the disclosed systems of dynamically scaled charge pumping enable regulation of the output voltage at a particular ratio and to dynamically control the ratio based on the input voltage. A charge pumping circuit is enabled by an oscillator. The charge pump oscillator is enabled by the output of a comparator. The comparator compares an input voltage to a comparator voltage, which is a divided version of the output voltage. The output voltage is referenced to a regulated voltage and the comparison voltage is divided between the two voltages by a resistor divider. The regulated voltage remains flat until the input voltage equals the reference voltage. At that point, the regulated voltage will begin to rise and follow the input voltage. Before the reference voltage is reached, the output voltage equals the input voltage multiplied by the resistor divider ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Bradford Lawrence Hunter, Richard David Nicholson, Tsing Hsu
  • Publication number: 20110089992
    Abstract: The disclosure presented herein provides example embodiments of systems for accurate multiplexing. The systems and methods presented may be suitable for non-limiting examples of analog to digital conversion with a switched input voltage (for a switched capacitor application) or any circuit with high voltage/high accuracy voltage multiplexing. In an example embodiment, pulsed current sources may be implemented to rapidly turn on and turn off the selected and unselected multiplexer ports while maintaining relatively low power consumption. A Kelvin input port may allow a high voltage input to be accurately sensed by avoiding a voltage drop associated with a selected pass gate p-channel FET channel resistance and parasitic wire resistance. The Kelvin input port biases the gate of a pass FET structure whose body terminals are allowed to remain floating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Bradford Lawrence Hunter, Richard David Nicholson, Wallace Edward Matthews
  • Publication number: 20110068735
    Abstract: Systems and methods for accurate control of battery pre-charge current use external charge FET external discharge FET for accurate control of battery pre-charge current. A low Vforward diode or other component and series resistor form a parallel path around the discharge FET. It is preferable for the component to have a voltage drop significantly less than that of the parasitic diode in the FET when carrying current in one direction and substantially higher voltage drop in the other direction. During a pre-charge condition, the discharge FET is turned off, and a servo amplifier monitors the voltage across the series resistor. The servo amplifier controls the gate of the charge FET such that a desired current is flowing from the charger to the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard David Nicholson, Garry Ross Elder