Patents by Inventor Xu Jason Ma

Xu Jason Ma 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).

  • Publication number: 20230308052
    Abstract: A system includes a reference field effect transistor (FET), wherein the reference FET is a depletion mode transistor, and a bias control circuit. The bias control circuit includes a voltage sensor connected to a drain terminal of the reference FET. The voltage sensor is configured to measure a voltage at the drain terminal of the reference FET as a measured voltage, determine a voltage difference between a reference voltage and the measured voltage, and output the voltage difference at a voltage sensor output terminal. The system includes a translation circuit connected the voltage sensor output terminal. The translation circuit is configured to convert the voltage difference into a negative gate bias voltage, and apply the negative gate bias voltage to a gate terminal of the reference FET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Xu Jason Ma
  • Publication number: 20230299720
    Abstract: An amplifier system includes an amplifier transistor and a reference transistor used to provide a direct current (DC) bias voltage to bias a gate terminal of the amplifier transistor. The amplifier transistor may have a drain terminal coupled to a drain voltage supply and a radio frequency (RF) output node and a gate terminal coupled to bias circuitry that includes the reference transistor. The reference transistor may have a gate terminal coupled to a reference potential, a drain terminal coupled to the drain voltage supply, and a source terminal coupled to a constant current source and to the gate terminal of the amplifier transistor. The reference transistor may be formed on the same die as the amplifier transistor and may have a threshold voltage that is correlated with that of the amplifier transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Ngai-Ming Lau, Xu Jason Ma
  • Patent number: 11742809
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a current sensing circuit includes first and second integrated resistors on a semiconductor die, a controllable current source configured to provide a reference current, and a current determination circuit. A resistance value of the second integrated resistor is a factor n larger than a resistance value of the first integrated resistor. A current drawn by a target circuit is configured to flow through the first integrated resistor, and the reference current is configured to flow through the second integrated resistor. The current determination circuit is configured to determine a value of the current drawn by the target circuit based on the value of the reference current when a first voltage at a terminal of the first integrated resistor is approximately equal to a second voltage at a terminal of the second integrated resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Xu Jason Ma
  • Patent number: 11689100
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, by a first circuit of a charge pump circuit, charge sourced from a power supply operative at a first voltage level, wherein the first circuit comprises a first plurality of transistors, and wherein each of the first plurality of transistors is rated for operation at an applied voltage that is less than the first voltage level, storing the charge in a first capacitor of the first circuit at a first point in time, and transferring the charge stored in the first capacitor to a second capacitor of a second circuit of the charge pump circuit at a second point in time such that the second capacitor stores the charge, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Nizam Kabir, Madan Mohan Reddy Vemula, Xu Jason Ma
  • Publication number: 20230015111
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, by a first circuit of a charge pump circuit, charge sourced from a power supply operative at a first voltage level, wherein the first circuit comprises a first plurality of transistors, and wherein each of the first plurality of transistors is rated for operation at an applied voltage that is less than the first voltage level, storing the charge in a first capacitor of the first circuit at a first point in time, and transferring the charge stored in the first capacitor to a second capacitor of a second circuit of the charge pump circuit at a second point in time such that the second capacitor stores the charge, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Nizam Kabir, Madan Mohan Reddy Vemula, Xu Jason Ma
  • Patent number: 11519795
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a calibration circuit for a temperature sensor circuit includes a current source configured to generate a temperature independent reference current and further includes a voltage window generator circuit. The voltage window generator circuit is configured to generate a voltage window for the temperature sensor circuit using at least the temperature independent reference current. The voltage window is defined by a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The voltage window generator circuit is further configured to control a width of the voltage window to include a range of proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage outputs of a temperature sensor in the temperature sensor circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Xu Jason Ma, Elie A. Maalouf
  • Publication number: 20220131507
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a current sensing circuit includes first and second integrated resistors on a semiconductor die, a controllable current source configured to provide a reference current, and a current determination circuit. A resistance value of the second integrated resistor is a factor n larger than a resistance value of the first integrated resistor. A current drawn by a target circuit is configured to flow through the first integrated resistor, and the reference current is configured to flow through the second integrated resistor. The current determination circuit is configured to determine a value of the current drawn by the target circuit based on the value of the reference current when a first voltage at a terminal of the first integrated resistor is approximately equal to a second voltage at a terminal of the second integrated resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Elie A. MAALOUF, Xu Jason MA
  • Patent number: 11194357
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method and a device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for operating a bias controller for an amplifier circuit involves obtaining temperature data corresponding to a temperature of the amplifier circuit, generating a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) bias voltage based on a first PTAT slope when the temperature is within a first range of temperatures or a second PTAT slope when the temperature is within a second range of temperatures, wherein the second PTAT slope is greater than the first PTAT slope, and biasing the amplifier circuit based on the generated PTAT bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Xu Jason Ma, Ngai-Ming Lau
  • Patent number: 10972054
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and method for automatically biasing power amplifiers using a controllable current source are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bias controller for a power amplifier includes a first reference device source/drain interface, a first controllable current source configured to generate a first reference current in response to a first current control signal and to provide the first reference current to the first reference device source/drain interface, a first reference device gate interface, a first current-to-voltage controller configured to generate a first stabilized voltage in response to the first reference current and to provide the first stabilized voltage to the first reference device gate interface, and a first power amplifier (PA) interface configured to output a first control voltage in response to the first stabilized voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Xu Jason Ma
  • Publication number: 20210088389
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a calibration circuit for a temperature sensor circuit includes a current source configured to generate a temperature independent reference current and further includes a voltage window generator circuit. The voltage window generator circuit is configured to generate a voltage window for the temperature sensor circuit using at least the temperature independent reference current. The voltage window is defined by a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The voltage window generator circuit is further configured to control a width of the voltage window to include a range of proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage outputs of a temperature sensor in the temperature sensor circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Xu Jason MA, Elie A. MAALOUF
  • Publication number: 20210080992
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method and a device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for operating a bias controller for an amplifier circuit involves obtaining temperature data corresponding to a temperature of the amplifier circuit, generating a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) bias voltage based on a first PTAT slope when the temperature is within a first range of temperatures or a second PTAT slope when the temperature is within a second range of temperatures, wherein the second PTAT slope is greater than the first PTAT slope, and biasing the amplifier circuit based on the generated PTAT bias voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Elie A. MAALOUF, Xu Jason MA, Ngai-Ming LAU
  • Publication number: 20200358404
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and method for automatically biasing power amplifiers using a controllable current source are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bias controller for a power amplifier includes a first reference device source/drain interface, a first controllable current source configured to generate a first reference current in response to a first current control signal and to provide the first reference current to the first reference device source/drain interface, a first reference device gate interface, a first current-to-voltage controller configured to generate a first stabilized voltage in response to the first reference current and to provide the first stabilized voltage to the first reference device gate interface, and a first power amplifier (PA) interface configured to output a first control voltage in response to the first stabilized voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Elie A. Maalouf, Xu Jason Ma