Patents by Inventor Wally Meinel

Wally Meinel 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: 6657495
    Abstract: A multi-stage differential amplifier with rail-to-rail input may utilize an output stage including first and second low-voltage rated transistors and first and second high-voltage transistors. The first low-voltage rated transistor and the first high-voltage rated transistor may be connected in series, and the second low-voltage rated transistor and the second high-voltage rated transistor may be connected in parallel. The low-voltage rated transistors are biased by signals provided by the input stage. In this way, the input stage controls the biasing of the low-voltage rated transistors in the output stage, thereby increasing the overall gain and speed of the amplifier system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Wally Meinel, David Baum
  • Patent number: 6642789
    Abstract: A precision operational amplifier operating in single supply mode, including a single differential transistor input pair and a cascoded CMOS transistor pair, stabilizes the drain-to-source voltage of the input transistor pair to ensure a stable off-set voltage and increased power supply and common mode rejection. The precision amplifier biases the cascoded CMOS transistor pair in accordance with the stabilized drain-to-source voltage of the differential transistor input pair. Such biasing may take the form of body biasing or biasing the gates of the cascode CMOS transistor pair to ensure that the CMOS transistor pair remain in the active region of operation when the common mode supply voltage approaches zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Wally Meinel, Junlin Zhou
  • Publication number: 20030184379
    Abstract: A multi-stage differential amplifier with rail-to-rail input may utilize an output stage including first and second low-voltage rated transistors and first and second high-voltage transistors. The first low-voltage rated transistor and the first high-voltage rated transister may be connected in series, and the second low-voltage rated transistor and the second high-voltage rated transistor may be connected in parallel. The low-voltage rated transistors are biased by signals provided by the input stage. In this way, the input stage controls the biasing of the low-voltage rated transistors in the output stage, thereby increasing the overall gain and speed of the amplifier system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Wally Meinel, David Baum
  • Patent number: 6628169
    Abstract: An exemplary trimming circuit can be further simplified to include a single current source to provide for trimming of offset and temperature drift in a device, such as an op amp, voltage reference and the like. A single temperature-dependent current source is trimmed to a predetermined value, for example to zero, at a first temperature, and then the current from the temperature-dependent current source is used to trim output parameters, i.e., adjust the output variables, to a desired value at a second temperature. An exemplary trimming circuit comprises a temperature-dependent current source I(T), a current switch and a device to be, trimmed. The current switch is configured to suitably facilitate the trimming of the trimmed device through coupling of a fraction or multiple of the current signal from temperature-dependent current source I(T) to one or more offset-control terminals of the trimmed device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Junlin Zhou, Wally Meinel
  • Publication number: 20030169111
    Abstract: A precision operational amplifier operating in single supply mode, including a single differential transistor input pair and a cascoded CMOS transistor pair, stabilizes the drain-to-source voltage of the input transistor pair to ensure a stable off-set voltage and increased power supply and common mode rejection. The precision amplifier biases the cascoded CMOS transistor pair in accordance with the stabilized drain-to-source voltage of the differential transistor input pair. Such biasing may take the form of body biasing or biasing the gates of the cascode CMOS transistor pair to ensure that the CMOS transistor pair remain in the active region of operation when the common mode supply voltage approaches zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Wally Meinel, Junlin Zhou
  • Patent number: 6614305
    Abstract: A trimming circuit and method of trimming is provided for offset and temperature drift trimming of an op amp or voltage reference device, having an input stage, on at least two different temperatures. The trimming circuit has a current source stage, having first and second current sources which are trimmed at a first temperature, in a first step, to balance the currents of the first and second current sources. The two current sources are configured to be selectively connected, in a second step and at the first temperature, to the offset-control terminal(s) of the input stage and thereby to trim the output of the input stage. The first and second current sources also have different temperature coefficients and are interchangeable with other current sources to facilitate changing, in a third step, the temperature coefficient of one of the two current sources to facilitate offset trimming at a second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Junlin Zhou, Wally Meinel
  • Publication number: 20030155974
    Abstract: A trimming circuit and method of trimming is provided for offset and temperature drift trimming of an op amp or voltage reference device, having an input stage, on at least two different temperatures. The trimming circuit has a current source stage, having first and second current sources which are trimmed at a first temperature, in a first step, to balance the currents of the first and second current sources. The two current sources are configured to be selectively connected, in a second step and at the first temperature, to the offset-control terminal(s) of the input stage and thereby to trim the output of the input stage. The first and second current sources also have different temperature coefficients and are interchangeable with other current sources to facilitate changing, in a third step, the temperature coefficient of one of the two current sources to facilitate offset trimming at a second temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Junlin Zhou, Wally Meinel
  • Publication number: 20030155975
    Abstract: An exemplary trimming circuit can be further simplified to include a single current source to provide for trimming of offset and temperature drift in a device, such as an op amp, voltage reference and the like. A single temperature-dependent current source is trimmed to a predetermined value, for example to zero, at a first temperature, and then the current from the temperature-dependent current source is used to trim output parameters, i.e., adjust the output variables, to a desired value at a second temperature. An exemplary trimming circuit comprises a temperature-dependent current source I(T), a current switch and a device to be trimmed. The current switch is configured to suitably facilitate the trimming of the trimmed device through coupling of a fraction or multiple of the current signal from temperature-dependent current source I(T) to one or more offset-control terminals of the trimmed device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim V. Ivanov, Junlin Zhou, Wally Meinel