Patents by Inventor Steven Mark Mercer

Steven Mark Mercer 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: 9726697
    Abstract: A voltage proportional to a sum of currents flowing though first and second coupled inductors is developed across a first capacitor common to first and second series RC networks if the RC networks are time constant-matched to the inductors. The first and second inductors are coupled between a first and second switched drive phase input terminal, respectively, and an apparatus output terminal. The first and second RC networks are coupled in parallel with the first and second inductor, respectively. Inverting and non-inverting inputs of an amplifier are coupled to junctions of third and fourth time constant-matched series RC networks coupled in parallel with the first and second inductors, respectively. The amplifier subtracts voltages sensed at the junctions to generate a difference signal proportional to a magnitude difference of the currents flowing through the inductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Dina Reda El-Damak, Jeffrey Morroni, Steven Mark Mercer
  • Patent number: 9383761
    Abstract: In described examples, a phase interleaver obtains (i) a first signal indicating a variance between a reference voltage and a regulated output voltage and (ii) a second signal indicating a voltage across an energy storage device. A voltage regulator includes multiple phase blocks collectively configured to generate the regulated output voltage. In a repeating cycle, (i) the voltage across the energy storage device is increased while the second signal is less than the first signal and (ii) in response to a determination that the second signal is greater than the first signal, the energy storage device is substantially discharged, multiple stages of a clock divider are transitioned in the phase interleaver, and a set of control signals is output from the clock divider. The control signals have a common switching frequency and a common switching period. The control signals control the phase blocks active in generating the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Steven Mark Mercer
  • Publication number: 20160187386
    Abstract: A voltage proportional to a sum of currents flowing though first and second coupled inductors is developed across a first capacitor common to first and second series RC networks if the RC networks are time constant-matched to the inductors. The first and second inductors are coupled between a first and second switched drive phase input terminal, respectively, and an apparatus output terminal. The first and second RC networks are coupled in parallel with the first and second inductor, respectively. Inverting and non-inverting inputs of an amplifier are coupled to junctions of third and fourth time constant-matched series RC networks coupled in parallel with the first and second inductors, respectively. The amplifier subtracts voltages sensed at the junctions to generate a difference signal proportional to a magnitude difference of the currents flowing through the inductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Dina Reda El-Damak, Jeffrey Morroni, Steven Mark Mercer
  • Publication number: 20160124446
    Abstract: In described examples, a phase interleaver obtains (i) a first signal indicating a variance between a reference voltage and a regulated output voltage and (ii) a second signal indicating a voltage across an energy storage device. A voltage regulator includes multiple phase blocks collectively configured to generate the regulated output voltage. In a repeating cycle, (i) the voltage across the energy storage device is increased while the second signal is less than the first signal and (ii) in response to a determination that the second signal is greater than the first signal, the energy storage device is substantially discharged, multiple stages of a clock divider are transitioned in the phase interleaver, and a set of control signals is output from the clock divider. The control signals have a common switching frequency and a common switching period. The control signals control the phase blocks active in generating the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventor: Steven Mark Mercer
  • Publication number: 20160004266
    Abstract: In described examples, a phase interleaver obtains (i) a first signal indicating a variance between a reference voltage and a regulated output voltage and (ii) a second signal indicating a voltage across an energy storage device. A voltage regulator includes multiple phase blocks collectively configured to generate the regulated output voltage. In a repeating cycle, (i) the voltage across the energy storage device is increased while the second signal is less than the first signal and (ii) in response to a determination that the second signal is greater than the first signal, the energy storage device is substantially discharged, multiple stages of a clock divider are transitioned in the phase interleaver, and a set of control signals is output from the clock divider. The control signals have a common switching frequency and a common switching period. The control signals control the phase blocks active in generating the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventor: Steven Mark Mercer