Patents by Inventor Stephen Timothy Hodapp

Stephen Timothy Hodapp 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: 7446686
    Abstract: A method of operating a delta-sigma data converter includes receiving an input signal at an input of a delta-sigma modulator having a loop filter including a plurality of integrator stages, a quantizer for generating a quantized output code from outputs of the integrator stages, and a feed-back loop coupling a feed-back signal from the output of the quantizer to the input of the delta-sigma modulator. The input signal is converted to quantized output codes during a conversion period including a plurality of integrator cycles in which at least one of the integrator stages is held in reset for at least one integration cycle at the start of the conversion period to maintain stability of the modulator over a wider range of levels of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Rueger, Stephen Timothy Hodapp
  • Patent number: 7400284
    Abstract: A circuit including a first element sampling noise from and discharging noise to a signal line in response to an input signal transitioning on selected edges of a clock signal. A second element samples noise from and discharges noise to the signal line in response to another input signal transitioning on other edges of the clock signal differing from the selected edges of the clock signal such that noise coupled into substrate and supply are independent of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Gong Lei, Bruce Eliot Duewer, Stephen Timothy Hodapp
  • Publication number: 20080074303
    Abstract: A method of operating a delta-sigma data converter includes receiving an input signal at an input of a delta-sigma modulator having a loop filter including a plurality of integrator stages, a quantizer for generating a quantized output code from outputs of the integrator stages, and a feed-back loop coupling a feed-back signal from the output of the quantizer to the input of the delta-sigma modulator. The input signal is converted to quantized output codes during a conversion period including a plurality of integrator cycles in which at least one of the integrator stages is held in reset for at least one integration cycle at the start of the conversion period to maintain stability of the modulator over a wider range of levels of the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Timothy Rueger, Stephen Timothy Hodapp
  • Patent number: 7068200
    Abstract: A driver circuit with power-down transient suppression includes an amplifier for driving a load coupled to an output of the amplifier, a ramp-down voltage generator having a capacitor and a resistor for generating a ramp-down voltage during power-down of the amplifier, and a differential transistor pair responsive to the ramp-down voltage for pulling-down current at the output of the amplifier during power-down of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Timothy Hodapp, Timothy Thomas Rueger, Bruce Eliot Duewer
  • Patent number: 7053684
    Abstract: A charge pump including a differential pair of transistors for controlling a current at a charge pump output node and a replica bias generator for selectively driving a first transistor of the differential pair of transistors into a fully-on state and a second transistor of the differential pair of transistors into a weak inversion state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Subhajit Sen, Stephen Timothy Hodapp, John Laurence Melanson
  • Patent number: 6946890
    Abstract: A driver circuit includes an operational amplifier having an input and an output coupled by a feedback element. A voltage level shifter generates a voltage drop from the operational amplifier output to the operational amplifier input with a current source transistor setting a current controlling the voltage drop across the feedback element. A chopper circuit shifts flicker noise generated by the current source transistor to a higher frequency spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Gong Lei, Timothy Thomas Rueger, Stephen Timothy Hodapp