Patents by Inventor Stephen U. Yao

Stephen U. Yao 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: 8261002
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a unique capability of implementing a pair of pseudo-PHY interfaces using a bridge. From the host and device perspectives, the host and device communicate through a PHY interface. The bridge, however, avoids actually using a USB PHY interface. This PHY-less bridge allows communication between a host and a device at high speeds without high-power transceivers associated with a USB PHY interface. In accordance with the present invention, a host and a device may be coupled together using a PHY-less bridge using the same interface or translating between different interfaces by using a wrapper. Such PHY-less bridges include a UTMI-to-UTMI bridge, a UTMI-to-ULPI bridge, a ULPI-to-UTMI bridge and a ULPI-to-ULPI bridge, each avoiding the need for a USB PHY interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: QuickLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Eric So, Stephen U. Yao, Alan Shiu Lung Tsun
  • Patent number: 8091001
    Abstract: Testing of combinatorial logic in a programmable device is provided by routing input and/or output test values as signals from and back to dedicated logic through programming circuitry in programmable logic. Some embodiments of the present invention provide for a method for testing functional logic block of an application-specific standard product (ASSP) in a programmable logic device, the method comprising: storing an input value into a register; passing the input value from the register to combinatorial logic; producing an output value from the combinatorial logic; passing the output value from the combinatorial logic to the register; saving the output value in the register; and reading the output value out of the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: QuickLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen U. Yao, Darwin D. Q. Samson, Ket-Chong Yap
  • Patent number: 7646216
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of reducing power consumption across a switch, such as an unprogrammed antifuse, is provided. The invention applies to antifuses, other switches such as transistor based switches, (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM and/or SRAM) and other devices exhibiting a leakage current, especially during a sleep or stand-by mode. During a sleep mode, such switches or other devices may be uncoupled from signals driving the switches, then terminals of each switch may be coupled to a common potential or allowed to float to a common potential thereby eliminating or reducing leakage currents through the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: QuickLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Wilma Waiman Shiao, Stephen U. Yao, Ket-Chong Yap
  • Publication number: 20090070515
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a unique capability of implementing a pair of pseudo-PHY interfaces using a bridge. From the host and device perspectives, the host and device communicate through a PHY interface. The bridge, however, avoids actually using a USB PHY interface. This PHY-less bridge allows communication between a host and a device at high speeds without high-power transceivers associated with a USB PHY interface. In accordance with the present invention, a host and a device may be coupled together using a PHY-less bridge using the same interface or translating between different interfaces by using a wrapper. Such PHY-less bridges include a UTMI-to-UTMI bridge, a UTMI-to-ULPI bridge, a ULPI-to-UTMI bridge and a ULPI-to-ULPI bridge, each avoiding the need for a USB PHY interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Eric So, Stephen U. Yao, Alan Shiu Lung Tsun
  • Patent number: 7443222
    Abstract: An implementation of an apparatus and method to generate a dynamically controlled clock is provided. The resulting clock reduces otherwise produced narrow clock pulses and allows for control from two separate control signals. A first control signal indicates a low power mode, for example a chip-wide low power mode. A second control signal indicates a user-selected mode to shutdown a selected clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: QuickLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Saxe, Senani Gunaratna, Stephen U. Yao
  • Publication number: 20080133988
    Abstract: Testing of combinatorial logic in a programmable device is provided by routing input and/or output test values as signals from and back to dedicated logic through programming circuitry in programmable logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: QUICKLOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen U. Yao, Darwin D.Q. Samson, Ket-Chong Yap
  • Publication number: 20080122483
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of reducing power consumption across a switch, such as an unprogrammed antifuse, is provided. The invention applies to antifuses, other switches such as transistor based switches, (e.g., FLASH, EEPROM and/or SRAM) and other devices exhibiting a leakage current, especially during a sleep or stand-by mode. During a sleep mode, such switches or other devices may be uncoupled from signals driving the switches, then terminals of each switch may be coupled to a common potential or allowed to float to a common potential thereby eliminating or reducing leakage currents through the switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: QuickLogic Corporation
    Inventors: Wilma Waiman Shiao, Stephen U. Yao, Ket-Chong Yap