Patents by Inventor Steven K. Watkins

Steven K. Watkins 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: 9891277
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a normal voltage detector configured to detect a normal voltage at which the integrated circuit being fully functional. A first voltage detector detects a first voltage that is less than the normal voltage. A second voltage detector detects a second voltage that is less than the first voltage. A reset module is coupled to a supply voltage, the normal voltage detector, the first voltage detector, and the second voltage detector. The reset module includes test logic to, when the supply voltage rises to the first voltage from the second voltage, perform a pass/fail test when the integrated circuit is in a pass/fail test mode, and perform a power up reset when the integrated circuit in not in the pass/fail test mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel R. Knight, James B. Eifert, Stefano Pietri, Steven K. Watkins
  • Patent number: 9697065
    Abstract: A method for managing a reset process in a processing system is provided. The method includes enabling a watch dog unit based on a power-on reset (POR) event. A stuck in reset condition indication is received at the watch dog unit and used to determine whether the received reset condition indication corresponds to an unintentional reset condition. If the received reset condition indication is an indication of an unintentional reset condition, a watch dog POR trigger signal is generated and a reset state machine is repeated for system recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Kumar Abhishek, Steven K. Watkins, Garima Sharda, James M. Giandelone, Stefano Pietri, Thomas H. Luedeke
  • Publication number: 20160091561
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a normal voltage detector configured to detect a normal voltage at which the integrated circuit being fully functional. A first voltage detector detects a first voltage that is less than the normal voltage. A second voltage detector detects a second voltage that is less than the first voltage. A reset module is coupled to a supply voltage, the normal voltage detector, the first voltage detector, and the second voltage detector. The reset module includes test logic to, when the supply voltage rises to the first voltage from the second voltage, perform a pass/fail test when the integrated circuit is in a pass/fail test mode, and perform a power up reset when the integrated circuit in not in the pass/fail test mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: JOEL R. KNIGHT, JAMES B. EIFERT, STEFANO PIETRI, STEVEN K. WATKINS
  • Patent number: 9088280
    Abstract: A body bias control circuit including an output coupled to provide a bias voltage to a body terminal. The body bias control circuit is configured to change the bias voltage from a first bias voltage to a second bias voltage over a period of time in which a magnitude of an effective rate of change of the bias voltage varies over the period of time. For voltages between the first and second bias voltages closer to a source voltage, the magnitude of the effective rate of change is smaller than for bias voltages between the first and second bias voltages further from the source voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Anis M. Jarrar, Stefano Pietri, Steven K. Watkins
  • Publication number: 20150116030
    Abstract: A body bias control circuit including an output coupled to provide a bias voltage to a body terminal. The body bias control circuit is configured to change the bias voltage from a first bias voltage to a second bias voltage over a period of time in which a magnitude of an effective rate of change of the bias voltage varies over the period of time. For voltages between the first and second bias voltages closer to a source voltage, the magnitude of the effective rate of change is smaller than for bias voltages between the first and second bias voltages further from the source voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: ANIS M. JARRAR, Stefano Pietri, Steven K. Watkins
  • Patent number: 8710906
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including a substrate, multiple devices, and voltage control devices. The devices may include high threshold, low threshold, and standard threshold voltage devices. The devices and the voltage control devices are distributed across and coupled to the same substrate. Each voltage control device is configured to apply a back bias voltage at one of multiple discrete offset voltage levels. At least one voltage control device applies a first offset voltage level for back biasing high threshold voltage devices and at least one voltage control device applies a second offset voltage level for back biasing low threshold voltage devices. The selection of back biasing is based on relative population density of the different types of devices and varies across the substrate. Fine grain reverse back biasing reduces leakage current while reducing any performance decrease. Fine grain forward back biasing improves performance while reducing any leakage current increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Anis M. Jarrar, Stefano Pietri, Steven K. Watkins
  • Patent number: 7778252
    Abstract: Local Interconnect Network message budget calculation error is reduced by utilizing an eight bit time measurement of the sync byte in the message header. The method determines the header budget separately from the data budget, simplifying the required logic. The sync byte reference time is multiplied by the message data size to determine the data budget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven K. Watkins
  • Publication number: 20070268991
    Abstract: Local Interconnect Network message budget calculation error is reduced by utilizing an eight bit time measurement of the sync byte in the message header. The method determines the header budget separately from the data budget, simplifying the required logic. The sync byte reference time is multiplied by the message data size to determine the data budget.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventor: Steven K. Watkins