Patents by Inventor Stephen F. Contreras

Stephen F. Contreras 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: 10757801
    Abstract: A printed circuit board having a substrate layer, at least one electrically conductive trace disposed on the substrate layer, and a solder mask layer disposed over the substrate layer and the electrically conductive trace, wherein the solder mask later includes a void region over at least a portion of the electrically conductive trace. Also, a method of optimizing printed circuit board designing including selecting printed circuit board data comprising at least a solder mask layer area, varying the solder mask layer area, determining an insertion loss value for each varied solder mask layer area, comparing the insertion loss values for each varied solder mask layer area, and selecting a solder mask layer area based on the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: David W. Engler, Stephen F. Contreras
  • Publication number: 20200084876
    Abstract: A printed circuit board having a substrate layer, at least one electrically conductive trace disposed on the substrate layer, and a solder mask layer disposed over the substrate layer and the electrically conductive trace, wherein the solder mask later includes a void region over at least a portion of the electrically conductive trace. Also, a method of optimizing printed circuit board designing including selecting printed circuit board data comprising at least a solder mask layer area, varying the solder mask layer area, determining an insertion loss value for each varied solder mask layer area, comparing the insertion loss values for each varied solder mask layer area, and selecting a solder mask layer area based on the comparing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: David W. Engler, Stephen F. Contreras
  • Patent number: 10453516
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a memory module having a voltage regulator module (VRM) to receive input power and deliver output power to components of the memory module at a first power plane. A sufficient number of stitching capacitors are to couple the first power plane to a second power plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Reza M Bacchus, Melvin K Benedict, Stephen F Contreras, Eric L Pope, Chi K Sides, Chun-Pin Huang
  • Publication number: 20180218763
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a memory module having a voltage regulator module (VRM) to receive input power and deliver output power to components of the memory module at a first power plane. A sufficient number of stitching capacitors are to couple the first power plane to a second power plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Reza M. BACCHUS, Melvin K. BENEDICT, Stephen F. CONTRERAS, Eric L. POPE, Chi K. SIDES, Chun-Pin HUANG
  • Patent number: 9972941
    Abstract: A memory module connector (100) is described herein. The memory module connector (100) comprises a plurality of connector pins (102) distributed into a plurality of columns (104). The plurality of connector pins (102) further comprises a plurality of ground pins (106) for providing electrical ground to the memory module connector (100) and a plurality of signal pins (108) for carrying data signals across the memory module connector (100). Further, for each signal pin (108) provided in a column (104), each connector pin (102) adjacent to the signal pin (108) in an adjacent column (104) is a ground pin (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Melvin K Benedict, Stephen F Contreras
  • Patent number: 9928897
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a memory module having a voltage regulator module (VRM) to receive input power and deliver output power to components of the memory module at a first power plane. At least one stitching capacitor is to couple the first power plane to a second power plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Reza M. Bacchus, Melvin K. Benedict, Stephen F. Contreras, Eric L. Pope, Chi K. Sides, Chun-Pin Huang
  • Publication number: 20170243626
    Abstract: An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a memory module having a voltage regulator module (VRM) to receive input power and deliver output power to components of the memory module at a first power plane. At least one stitching capacitor is to couple the first power plane to a second power plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
    Inventors: Reza M. BACCHUS, Melvin K. BENEDICT, Stephen F. CONTRERAS, Eric L. POPE, Chi K. SIDES, Chun-Pin HUANG
  • Publication number: 20170005438
    Abstract: A memory module connector (100) is described herein. The memory module connector (100) comprises a plurality of connector pins (102) distributed into a plurality of columns (104). The plurality of connector pins (102) further comprises a plurality of ground pins (106) for providing electrical ground to the memory module connector (100) and a plurality of signal pins (108) for carrying data signals across the memory module connector (100). Further, for each signal pin (108) provided in a column (104), each connector pin (102) adjacent to the signal pin (108) in an adjacent column (104) is a ground pin (106).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Melvin K Benedict, Stephen F Contreras
  • Publication number: 20160336047
    Abstract: A system can include a memory circuit having a first signal via, a first signal return via, and at least one second signal return via located closer to the control signal via than the first signal return via.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Melvin K BENEDICT, Karl J BOIS, Stephen F CONTRERAS, Mark FRANK
  • Patent number: 8866023
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed to reduce trace length and capacitance in a large memory footprint. When more dual in-line memory module (DIMM) connectors are used per memory channel, the overall bus bandwidth may be affected by trace length and trace capacitance. In order to reduce the overall trace length and trace capacitance, the system and method use a palm tree topology placement, i.e., back-to-back DIMM placement, to place surface mount technology (SMT) DIMM connectors (instead of through-hole connectors) back-to-back in a mirror fashion on each side of a printed circuit board (PCB). The system and method may improve signal propagation time when compared to the commonly used traditional topology placements in which all DIMM connectors are placed on one side of the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rachid M. Kadri, Stephen F. Contreras
  • Publication number: 20120175160
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed to reduce trace length and capacitance in a large memory footprint. When more dual in-line memory module (DIMM) connectors are used per memory channel, the overall bus bandwidth may be affected by trace length and trace capacitance. In order to reduce the overall trace length and trace capacitance, the system and method use a palm tree topology placement, i.e., back-to-back DIMM placement, to place surface mount technology (SMT) DIMM connectors (instead of through-hole connectors) back-to-back in a mirror fashion on each side of a printed circuit board (PCB). The system and method may improve signal propagation time when compared to the commonly used traditional topology placements in which all DIMM connectors are placed on one side of the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Rachid M. Kadri, Stephen F. Contreras
  • Patent number: 7219322
    Abstract: A first signal passes through a first layer of a circuit apparatus at a first propagation speed, and a second signal passes through a second layer of the circuit apparatus at a second propagation speed different from the first propagation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Reza M. Bacchus, Stephen F. Contreras, Mitchel E. Wright
  • Patent number: 6738857
    Abstract: A computer system with various component modules with each of the modules interconnected with a single midplane board, thereby eliminating the need for ribbon cables to interconnect between the modules. One of the modules includes an embedded controller and associated data bus. An in-line connector is coupled in the data bus which receives either a jumper connector or interconnect connector. The interconnect connector intercepts the data bus from the embedded controller and transfers connection to a user added controller. The interconnect connector can operate in two modes, a single mode and a differential mode. The interconnect connector includes logic circuitry that determines the type of controller connected and places the interconnect connector in the appropriate mode. If the logic circuitry detects that a single-ended controller is connected to the interconnect connector, a quick switch, which is connected to one wire of the data bus, is closed, thereby grounding the one wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael C. Sanders, Stephen F. Contreras, John T. Spencer, Morrel O. Jones, III
  • Publication number: 20030041204
    Abstract: A computer system with various component modules with each of the modules interconnected with a single midplane board, thereby eliminating the need for ribbon cables to interconnect between the modules. One of the modules includes an embedded controller and associated data bus. An in-line connector is coupled in the data bus which receives either a jumper connector or interconnect connector. The interconnect connector intercepts the data bus from the embedded controller and transfers connection to a user added controller. The interconnect connector can operate in two modes, a single mode and a differential mode The interconnect connector includes logic circuitry that determines the type of controller connected and places the interconnect connector in the appropriate mode. If the logic circuitry detects that a single-ended controller is connected to the interconnect connector, a quick switch, which is connected to one wire of the data bus, is closed, thereby grounding the one wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Michael C. Sanders, Stephen F. Contreras, John T. Spencer, Morrel O. Jones
  • Patent number: 6449680
    Abstract: A computer system with various component modules with each of the modules interconnected with a single midplane board, thereby eliminating the need for ribbon cables to interconnect between the modules. One of the modules includes an embedded controller and associated data bus. An in-line connector is coupled in the data bus which receives either a jumper connector or interconnect connector. The interconnect connector intercepts the data bus from the embedded controller and transfers connection to a user added controller. The interconnect connector can operate in two modes, a single mode and a differential mode. The interconnect connector includes logic circuitry that determines the type of controller connected and places the interconnect connector in the appropriate mode. If the logic circuitry detects that a single-ended controller is connected to the interconnect connector, a quick switch, which is connected to one wire of the data bus, is closed, thereby grounding the one wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Michael C. Sanders, Stephen F. Contreras, John T. Spencer, Morrel O. Jones, III
  • Patent number: 6249832
    Abstract: A bus configuration and associated termination for an Intel Slot 2 bus supporting communication for at least one Intel Pentium II Xeon processor. The Intel Slot 2 bus is configured in an in-line topology and includes a plurality of Intel Slot 2 bus connectors connected to the Intel Slot 2. A first plurality of bus terminators are electrically connected to a first end of the in-line Intel Slot 2 bus and a second plurality of bus terminators are electrically connected to a second end of the in-line Intel Slot 2 bus. The first and second plurality of bus terminators are constructed in accordance with termination specifications required by Intel on terminator cards which are inserted into unpopulated Intel Slot 2 bus connectors except that one end of the bus has the one hundred and fifty ohm pull-up resistor required by Intel replaced with an eighty two ohm pull-up resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation
    Inventors: Michael C. Sanders, Stephen F. Contreras