Patents Issued in July 4, 2017
  • Patent number: 9698775
    Abstract: The operating device for an electrical apparatus or a system, in particular for a vehicle component, is provided with at least one elastically mounted operating element (12), a counter-element (14), relative to which the at least one operating element (12) is movable when actuated, thereby varying the distance, namely as seen in the movement direction, and at least one capacitor (38) which comprises a first carrier body (20) with a first capacitor electrode (34) and an elastically bendable second carrier body (22), designed as a bending bar, having a first end (26) and a second end (32) opposite said first end and having a second capacitor electrode (36) opposite the first capacitor electrode (34). Connected to the first and second capacitor electrode (34, 36) is an evaluation unit (42) for determining the capacitance and/or a change in the capacitance of the at least one capacitor (38) upon actuation of the at least one operating element (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Behr-Hella Thermocontrol GMBH
    Inventors: Winfried Fust, Karsten Marquas
  • Patent number: 9698776
    Abstract: A system and method for ultrasonic touch switch combined with piezoelectric touch mode is described. The sensor structure may be embodied as a substrate with a piezoelectric element at the back surface of the substrate, with the front surface being a touch sensitive surface. Both operational modes are possible by use of the same sensor element with filtering of the signals so that different advantages of two modes are combined, while disadvantages of either mode are mitigated. The tolerance of substrate thickness of ultrasonic touch mode is improved by use of a wide range of frequency deviation of drive signal by filtering out the fundamental modulation frequency from the output signal and wherein only sharp pulses corresponding to abrupt impedance changes of the piezoelectric element are extracted. The amplitude of the sharp pulses decreases with touching the front surface of substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Measurement Specialties, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Toda, Kyung Tae Park
  • Patent number: 9698777
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a keyboard and circuitry. The keyboard includes at least an interface line and a key. The key is configured to connect the interface line to first and second different capacitances when positioned in first and second positions, respectively. The circuitry is connected to the interface line and is configured to detect whether the key is in the first position or in the second position, by sensing electrical current flowing on the interface line in response to a stimulation waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Moshe Alon
  • Patent number: 9698778
    Abstract: An on-die termination (ODT)/driving circuit includes a connection pad, and a sub-circuit. A first side of the sub-circuit is connected to the connection pad. The ODT/driving circuit further includes a first switch directly connected to a second side of the sub-circuit. The second side of the sub-circuit is opposite the first side of the sub-circuit. The first switch is configured to selectively connect the second side of the sub-circuit to a supply voltage. The ODT/driving circuit further includes a second switch directly connected to the second side of the sub-circuit. The second switch is configured to selectively connect the second side of the sub-circuit to a reference voltage. The ODT/driving circuit further includes a receiver connected to a node located between the connection pad and the first side of the sub-circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tien-Chien Huang
  • Patent number: 9698779
    Abstract: Methods for reconfiguring an ASIC at runtime without using voltage over scaling. A functional criticality of a set of logic in the ASIC is identified. Then, the set of logic are classified into a set of regions based on the functional criticality, each region of the set of regions having a target error threshold. Further, each region is power gated at runtime based on the functional criticality such that the target error threshold is achieved without using voltage over scaling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Devanathan Varadarajan, Karthik Srinivasan, Neel Talakshi Gala
  • Patent number: 9698780
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to leakage current reduction in integrated circuits (ICs). In one aspect, an IC can include a digital logic circuit and a polarization circuit. The digital logic circuit can have a plurality of inputs and can include a plurality of logic gates. The polarization circuit can receive a standby signal and a digital input signal comprising a plurality of bits. When the standby signal is deactivated, the polarization circuit can control the plurality of inputs of the digital logic circuit based on the digital input signal. However, when the standby signal is activated the polarization circuit can control the plurality of inputs of the digital logic circuit to a low power state associated with a smaller leakage current of the plurality of logic gates relative to at least one other state of the digital logic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Christophe Vincent Antoine Laurent
  • Patent number: 9698781
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus may be provided that includes a clock device to provide a clock signal, and a clock gate to receive the clock signal, the clock gate to be selectively provided in an enabled state or a disabled state. The electronic apparatus may also include a controller to determine a frequency transition and to control the clock gate to be in the enabled state or the disabled state based on the determined frequency transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Arojit Roychowdhury, Ajaya Durg, Shilpa Huddar, Sunil Shanbhag, Vishram Sarurkar, Tejpal Singh
  • Patent number: 9698782
    Abstract: A circuit includes a data input in communication with a first transistor stack; a first capacitor having a first capacitance and in communication with a power supply via a first transistor of the first transistor stack, wherein the first transistor is configured to charge the first capacitor in response to the data input receiving a signal corresponding to a first binary value; a data output node coupled between the first transistor stack and a transmission line having a second capacitance; and wherein the first capacitor is coupled between the data output node and a second transistor of the first transistor stack, further wherein the second transistor is configured to discharge the first capacitor to the data output node in response to the data input receiving a signal corresponding to a second binary value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Luverne Ray Peterson, Thomas Bryan, Stephen Thilenius
  • Patent number: 9698783
    Abstract: Provided is a configuration of a driver integrated circuit that can output a voltage exceeding the withstand voltage of a process, and that satisfies required apparatus performance (high speed and high voltage). A differential input circuit, a level shift circuit, and an output circuit are manufactured by the same process and divided and disposed on three or more chips with different substrate potentials (sub-potentials). By setting different applied voltages to the substrates of the chips, an output voltage greater than the process withstand voltage can be provided (see FIG. 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen Li, Norio Chujo, Masami Makuuchi, Takehito Kamimura
  • Patent number: 9698784
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a contention-free single-wire latch controller that includes first and second bidirectional signal pins (e.g., the L and R pins in the FIGS), a latch enable output pin (or signal), E, and a decision element (such as a NAND or a NOR gate). A first driving transistor may be coupled between the first bidirectional signal pin and a power rail. A second driving transistor may be coupled between the second bidirectional signal pin and the power rail. A first half-latch may be coupled to the first bidirectional signal pin. A second half-latch may be coupled to the second bidirectional signal pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Dana How
  • Patent number: 9698785
    Abstract: A digital signal up-converting apparatus includes: a clock generating circuit arranged to generate a reference clock signal; an adjusting circuit coupled to the clock generating circuit and arranged to generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal according to the reference clock signal; a baseband circuit coupled to the adjusting circuit for receiving the first clock signal, wherein the baseband circuit further generates a digital output signal according to the first clock signal; and a sampling circuit coupled to the adjusting circuit and the baseband circuit for receiving the second clock signal and the digital output signal, wherein the second clock signal and the digital output signal are non-overlapping; wherein the sampling circuit samples the digital output signal based on the second clock signal and then combines the sampled digital output signal in order to generate a combined digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Yang-Chuan Chen, Chi-Hsueh Wang, Hsiang-Hui Chang, Bo-Yu Lin
  • Patent number: 9698786
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to detecting and powering external circuits via a common port. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, an accessory detection circuit detects a type of an external circuit based upon a pull-down resistance at an interface port (e.g., where each accessory type provides a discernable pull-down resistance). Power switching circuitry couples power between the interface port and an internal power-based circuit, and operates in an open condition when the accessory detection circuit is active. An adaptive biasing circuit sets a voltage across the power switching circuitry to about zero, based on a voltage level provided on the interface port, thereby mitigating changes in the pull-down resistance due to current leakage. Once the type of external circuit is identified, the power switching circuitry couples power between the external circuit and the internal circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Nexperia B.V.
    Inventors: Madan Mohan Reddy Vemula, Harold Hanson
  • Patent number: 9698787
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) output circuit, a high-speed current steering logic (HCSL) output circuit, a bias control circuit, a programmable voltage reference circuit coupled to the bias control circuit, an output stage circuit coupled to the HCSL output circuit, a first plurality of switches to switchably couple the bias control circuit to the LVDS output circuit, a second plurality of switches to switchably couple the bias control circuit to the output stage circuit and to the HCSL output circuit and a logic control circuit coupled to the programmable voltage reference circuit, the first plurality of switches and the second plurality of switches. The logic control circuit is configured to activate either the LVDS output circuit or the HCSL output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: INTEGRATED DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Vikas Agrawal, Feng Qiu, John C. Hsu
  • Patent number: 9698788
    Abstract: An interface device may include a first transistor, a pull-up unit, a pull-down unit, a first power supply terminal, a ground terminal, an output signal terminal, and a bias unit. A first gate terminal of the pull-up unit is electrically connected to a source terminal of the first transistor. A drain terminal of the pull-down unit is electrically connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor. The first power supply terminal is electrically connected to a source terminal of the pull-up unit. The ground terminal is electrically connected to a source terminal of the pull-down unit. The output signal terminal is electrically connected to each of a drain terminal of the pull-up unit and the drain terminal of the pull-down unit. An output terminal of the bias unit is electrically connected, without any intervening transistor, to a gate terminal of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (Shanghai)
    Inventors: Jie Chen, Kai Zhu
  • Patent number: 9698789
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided. The integrated circuit includes a pad, a core circuit, an impedance matching component, a first switch and a second switch. The pad is configured to transmit a communication signal. A communication terminal of the core circuit is coupled to the pad, and a power terminal of the core circuit is coupled to a system voltage rail. A first terminal of the impedance matching component is coupled to the pad. A first terminal of the first switch is coupled to the system voltage rail, and a second terminal of the first switch is coupled to a second terminal of the impedance matching component. A first terminal of the second switch is coupled to a control terminal of the first switch, and a second terminal of the second switch is coupled to the second terminal of the impedance matching component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chiao-Wei Hsiao, Shyr-Chyau Luo
  • Patent number: 9698790
    Abstract: A programmable device comprises one or more programming regions, each comprising a plurality of configurable logic blocks, where each of the plurality of configurable logic blocks is selectively connectable to any other configurable logic block via a programmable interconnect fabric. The programmable device further comprises configuration logic configured to, in response to an instruction in an instruction stream, reconfigure hardware in one or more of the configurable logic blocks in a programming region independently from any of the other programming regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Roberts
  • Patent number: 9698791
    Abstract: A forwarding plane comprising a scalable array of field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices, a memory bank, FPGA data and transport network ports, and an array interconnect. The scalable array is configured to execute a networking application source code partitioned as computing elements executed by the FPGA devices with a uniform global memory address space. The memory bank includes an allocated portion of the FPGA devices addressable by the address space. The ports are coupled to data networks and include ingress ports configured to receive traffic and egress ports configured to transmit traffic. The array interconnect is configured to forward the traffic from the ingress ports to the egress ports, choose cell sizes of data cells that encapsulate payload data units of the traffic, control latency between the FPGA devices based on the chosen cell sizes; and enable utilization of the memory bank for buffering of the traffic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Scientific Concepts International Corporation
    Inventor: Andrei V. Vassiliev
  • Patent number: 9698792
    Abstract: An electronic device includes multiple functional logic modules each having a corresponding settling time, a clock generator element, and multiple memory elements. The clock generator element generates multiple clock signals having clock periods of a common duration. Each clock signal has a first clock transition and a second clock transition during each clock period, and a latest second clock transition of the clock signals in a particular clock period precedes an earliest first clock transition in a subsequent clock period by the settling time. Each memory element is clocked by a respective one of the clock signals, and each memory element includes an input latch clocked on a first clock transition of the respective one of the clock signals, and an output latch clocked on a second clock transition of the respective one of the clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Henri Verhoeven
  • Patent number: 9698793
    Abstract: A method for upgrading a programmable logic device (PLD) in a network element is provided. The method includes writing PLD configuration data to a nonvolatile memory and directing a signal control device external to the PLD to hold system control signals in the network element at a predefined state irrespective of direction by the PLD. The method includes loading the PLD configuration data from the nonvolatile memory into a PLD configuration memory in the PLD, while the signal control device holds the system control signals at the predefined values. The method includes directing the signal control device to release the holding the system control signals, so that the PLD directs the system control signals, responsive to completion of the loading the PLD configuration data into the PLD configuration memory. A network element is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Arista Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Melvin Aden, Xiaoping Han
  • Patent number: 9698794
    Abstract: Systems and methods for coalescing regions on a virtualized programmable logic device are provided. A first function is configured on a first subregion on the virtualized programmable logic device. The first subregion may border an unused subregion on the programmable logic device. The first function operated on the first subregion is migrated to a second function operated on a second subregion on the virtualized programmable logic device by mapping a first set of bits configuring the first subregion to a second set of bits configuring the second subregion for the second function. The first subregion is then released from the first function. The second function is configured to perform a same task with the first function, and the first subregion and the unused subregion together form a larger unused subregion on the virtualized programmable logic device. Similarly, multiple subregions can be migrated and vacated to form a larger available region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua David Fender, Benyamin Siman-Tov
  • Patent number: 9698795
    Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms allow a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) to support a pseudo open drain (POD) input/output (I/O) standard used in interface protocols such as fourth generation double data rate (DDR4). An OR gate with inputs including data and an inverted output enable from a user's design may be inserted into programmable logic. The output of the OR gate may be coupled with an input of an I/O buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: ALTERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Navid Azizi, Gordon Raymond Chiu, Michael Howard Kipper
  • Patent number: 9698796
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a clock synchronizing circuit that operates in synchronization with a clock; an enable signal generating circuit that generates an enable signal in an operation period during which the clock synchronizing circuit is operated; and a clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to the clock synchronizing circuit or stop the supply of the clock according to the enable signal when a clock frequency is equal to or lower than a predetermined frequency, and supply a clock to the clock synchronizing circuit, irrespective of the enable signal, when the clock frequency is higher than the predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hideyuki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 9698797
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to feedback-controlled oscillators (e.g., phase-locked loops) arranged in two or more levels. In some embodiments, in a relatively higher-frequency mode, a first level feedback-controlled oscillator provides reference signals to one or more second level feedback-controlled oscillators that in turn generate output clock signals to clock sequential circuitry. In some embodiments, in a relatively lower-frequency mode, the first level feedback-controlled oscillator bypasses the second level feedback-controlled oscillators and provides output clock signals directly to sequential circuitry (without using any intervening feedback-controlled oscillators).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Manu Gulati, Suhas Kumar Suvarna Ramesh, Venkata Ramana Malladi, Thomas H. Huang, Rakesh L. Notani, Robert E. Jeter, Kai Lun Hsiung
  • Patent number: 9698798
    Abstract: A digital control loop circuit is disclosed which is coupleable to an oscillator to form a configurable, digital phase-locked loop to generate an output signal having a configurable or selectable output frequency. A representative embodiment of the digital control loop circuit may include a memory storing a plurality of configuration parameters, at least one configuration parameter specifying the output frequency; and a digital controller coupleable to receive an input signal from a reference frequency generator having a reference frequency, the digital controller adapted to access the memory and retrieve the plurality of configuration parameters, and to generate a plurality of control signals to the oscillator both to generate the output signal having the output frequency in response to the plurality of configuration parameters, and to match a phase of the output signal to an input signal phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Movellus Circuits, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Fredenburg, David Michael Moore
  • Patent number: 9698799
    Abstract: A phase locked loop frequency calibration circuit and a method are provided. The circuit includes a timer, a counter, a control module, a frequency divider and a voltage controlled oscillator; output of voltage controlled oscillator is connected with first input of frequency divider, output of frequency divider is connected with first input of counter, second input of frequency divider, first input of timer and second input of counter are respectively connected with first output of control module, third input of counter is connected with output of timer, output of counter is connected with first input of control module, a reference clock signal is respectively sent to second input of timer and second input of control module, the number of clocks used by frequency divider to perform frequency division on output clock signal of voltage controlled oscillator is sent to third input of control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SHANGHAI EASTSOFT MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ruijin Liu, Xu Zhang, Jingjing Tao, Jiejie Lv
  • Patent number: 9698800
    Abstract: A system and a method generate clock signals using an output divider with modulus steps of half-integers (i.e., the output circuit includes a divider which divides by one or more of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 . . . ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Jan-Michael Stevenson
  • Patent number: 9698801
    Abstract: A phase locked loop circuit control device includes: a phase locked loop circuit configured to generate a clock signal; and a control unit configured to, when being instructed to change a frequency of the clock signal from a current frequency to a target frequency, control the phase locked loop circuit to make the frequency change stepwise from the current frequency to the target frequency, in which the control unit changes the frequency of the clock signal by a first change amount in a first frequency range out of the range of the current frequency to the target frequency, and changes the frequency of the clock signal by a second change amount in a second frequency range out of the range of the current frequency to the target frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shinnosuke Fujiwara, Michiharu Hara
  • Patent number: 9698802
    Abstract: A method for amplifying an echo signal, in which an analog echo signal suitable for detection of a vehicle's surroundings is amplified by a gain dependent on the transit time of the echo signal, the analog echo signal being amplified by an amplifier having a plurality of outputs, each having a different gain, and a downstream A/D converter having a time-variable reference voltage. In the process, there is a switch between the different outputs of the amplifier at predefined switching points in time, and the reference voltage of the A/D converter varies over time between the switching points in time in such a way that the echo signal is present at the output of the A/D converter with a transit time-dependent total gain having a predefined characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Matthias Karl
  • Patent number: 9698803
    Abstract: In one aspect a system is provided. The system a plurality of flash compare modules to output a set of unordered output signals based on an analog input signal; a plurality of device selection modules that receive the unordered output signals and generate ordered signals representing the analog input; and a temperature and voltage compensation module for receiving one or more of temperature and voltage signals from at least a temperature and voltage sensor module that senses one or more of temperature and voltage values that are used to compensate for changes in output signals caused by changes in one or more of die temperature and core voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventor: Frank R. Dropps
  • Patent number: 9698804
    Abstract: During a period of calibration of the ADC, the effect of unexpected external noise can be excluded. Provided is an analog to digital convertor including: an ADC that converts an analog value into a digital value; and an averaging circuit that calculates a correction value by a calibration operation. The converted value is corrected and output using the correction value being held in a normal operation. The analog to digital convertor is configured as follows. In the calibration operation, an elemental correction value on the basis of a converted value by the ADC corresponding to a predetermined analog value is supplied to the averaging circuit. The averaging circuit calculates the average value of the remaining elemental correction values obtained by removing the maximum value and the minimum value from the elemental correction values supplied a plurality of times, and calculates the correction value on the basis of the average value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Funato, Yasuo Morimoto, Kazuaki Kurooka
  • Patent number: 9698805
    Abstract: A system and method can be provided for sampling the residual error in an oversampled SAR ADC, bandpass filtering the sampled residual error, and providing the bandpass filtered signal to an input of a DAC, such as to provide a bandpass filtered output of the SAR ADC. The bandpass filtered output of the SAR ADC can have a reduced electrical noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Abhishek Bandyopadhyay
  • Patent number: 9698806
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for dynamic power switching in current-steering digital-to-analog converters (DACs). A DAC circuit may be configured to apply digital-to-analog conversions based on current steering, and to particularly incorporate use of dynamic power switching during conversions. The DAC circuit may comprise a main section, which may connect a main supply voltage to a main current source. The main section may comprise a positive-side branch and a negative-side branch, which may be configured to steer positive-side and negative-side currents, such as in a differential manner, to effectuate the conversions. The dynamic power switching may be applied, for example, via a secondary section connecting a main current source in the DAC circuit to a secondary supply voltage. The secondary supply voltage may be configured such that it may be less than the main supply voltage used in driving the current steering in the DAC circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Maxlinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Jianyu Zhu
  • Patent number: 9698807
    Abstract: A technique for on-chip time measurement includes dynamically scaling a range of a time-based digital-to-analog converter to enhance resolution of the time measurement. An apparatus includes a first time-based digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a first clock signal based on a first reference clock signal and a first digital code. The apparatus includes a second time-based digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a second clock signal based on a second reference clock signal and a second digital code. The first reference clock signal has a first frequency and the second reference clock signal has a second frequency that is harmonically related to the first frequency. The apparatus includes a time signal converter configured to generate an output signal having a level indicative of a time-of-arrival of a first edge of the first clock signal relative to a time-of-arrival of a second edge of the second clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron J. Caffee, Brian G. Drost, Volodymyr Kratyuk
  • Patent number: 9698808
    Abstract: A circuit provides for phase adjustment of an offset clock pair, and includes an analog stage and a digital stage. The analog stage provides for generating an adjusted offset clock pair and detecting a phase difference between the adjusted offset clock pair. The digital stage operates to quantify the phase difference and provide a command for further adjusting the phase of the adjusted offset clock pair, at the analog stage, towards a target phase offset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Cavium, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Meninger, Lu Wang
  • Patent number: 9698809
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for identifying and reporting failures of an analog to digital (A/D) conversion system. An A/D conversion system includes a test signal generator configured to generate a test signal including an identifiable characteristic, an A/D converter configured to convert an analog signal measured at an input of the A/D converter to a digital output, and signal injection circuitry configured to inject at least a portion of the test signal from the test signal generator as an injected signal into the analog signal using trace-to-trace crosstalk. A method includes determining whether the digital output generated by the A/D converter indicates the identifiable characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Scweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Travis C Mallett
  • Patent number: 9698810
    Abstract: A method, computer-readable storage medium, and signal processing apparatus for processing a plurality of input signals. The method includes receiving or generating a first intermediate signal and a second intermediate signal. The first and second intermediate signals are output to a signal analog-to-digital converter having a predetermined sampling frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Luke Fay
  • Patent number: 9698811
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and apparatus for converting an analog input value to a digital output code are provided. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a digital-to-analog converter, a comparator, and control logic circuitry. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to generate an analog reference value based on a received digital reference value. The comparator is configured to compare an analog input value to the analog reference value after expiration of an allotted settling time for the digital-to-analog converter and generate a comparison result indicative a relationship between the analog input value and the analog reference value. The control logic circuitry is configured to select the allotted settling time for the digital-to-analog converter based on a bit position of a digital output code to be determined, and update the bit position of the digital output code based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MAXLINEAR, INC.
    Inventors: Kaveh Moazzami, Pawan Tiwari, Gaurav Chandra
  • Patent number: 9698812
    Abstract: A multiplying analog to digital converter including an analog to digital converter (ADC) having a sample input and a feedback input and an ADC output configured with a feedback path configured to couple the ADC output to a digital to analog converter. A feedback attenuator is disposed in the feedback path, the feedback attenuator being configured to attenuate a feedback signal coupled to the feedback input, the feedback attenuator being configured to provide analog multiplication observed at the ADC output. A barrel shifter is configured to provide digital multiplication of the ADC output. The feedback attenuator may be configured as a divider network. The feedback attenuator may be configured to provide attenuation using only passive components. The feedback attenuator may be configured as a capacitive divider network. The feedback attenuator may be configured to provide attenuation ranging between 1 and 0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jintao Zhang, Zhuo Wang, Naveen Verma
  • Patent number: 9698813
    Abstract: An input buffer for an ADC is provided. The input buffer includes a receiving circuit and an impedance circuit. The receiving circuit is coupled between a power supply and a sample-and-hold circuit of the ADC, and receives an analog input signal and generating an analog signal. The impedance circuit is coupled to the receiving circuit, and selectively provides a variable impedance. When the sample-and-hold circuit of the ADC is operated in a first phase, the impedance circuit provides a small impedance, and when the sample-and-hold circuit of the ADC is operated in a second phase, the impedance circuit provides a large impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chihhou Tsai, Ying-Zu Lin
  • Patent number: 9698814
    Abstract: A method for indirect conversion of a voltage value to a digital word consisting in sampling an input voltage through a parallel connection of a sampling capacitor to a source of the input voltage, and next in mapping a sample value of the input voltage to a time interval, and in assignment of a corresponding value of n-bit output digital word by the use a control module characterized in that the time interval is mapped to a difference of a length of a reference time and a length of a signal time, while the reference time is generated from an instant when the beginning of the time interval is detected by the use the control module, and the signal time is generated from an instant when the end of the time interval is detected by the use the control module, whereas generation of the reference time and the signal time is terminated at the same instant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA
    Inventors: Dariusz Koscielnik, Marek Miskowicz
  • Patent number: 9698815
    Abstract: A multiplying digital to analog converter includes first and second inputs for receiving first and second differential input signals. A differential amplifier has first and second differential input nodes and first and second differential output nodes. A first capacitor is coupled in series with a first switch between the first differential input node and the first input. The first capacitor is further coupled to at least one reference voltage supply node via one or more further switches. A second capacitor is coupled between the first differential input node and the first differential output node. A third capacitor is coupled between the first differential input node and the first input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Mounir Boulemnakher, Stephane Le Tual
  • Patent number: 9698816
    Abstract: Reduction in signal intensity of a harmonic component included in an output of a delta-sigma modulator is suppressed. A signal processing device includes: a delta-sigma modulator 11 that outputs a pulse signal; a first processor 12 that generates, from the pulse signal PO outputted from the delta-sigma modulator 11, a discontinuous pulse signal PC in which each of one-pulse sections in the pulse signal PO has a low level region on at least one of a rear end and a front end of the one-pulse section; and a second processor that generates a short-width pulse signal PS having a pulse width shorter than a pulse width of the discontinuous pulse signal PC generated by the first processor 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Maehata
  • Patent number: 9698817
    Abstract: A data compression apparatus and a data recovery apparatus for a digital baseband transmission system. The data compression apparatus includes compressor A configured to generate a first compression signal through up-down sampling an input signal; and compressor B configured to generate a second compression signal through partial bit sampling whereby at least one least-significant bit is eliminated from the first compression signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Seung Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9698818
    Abstract: Decomposing a value range of the respective syntax elements into a sequence of n partitions with coding the components of z laying within the respective partitions separately with at least one by VLC coding and with at least one by PIPE or entropy coding is used to greatly increase the compression efficiency at a moderate coding overhead since the coding scheme used may be better adapted to the syntax element statistics. Accordingly, syntax elements are decomposed into a respective number n of source symbols si with i=1 . . . n, the respective number n of source symbols depending on as to which of a sequence of n partitions into which a value range of the respective syntax elements is sub-divided, a value z of the respective syntax elements falls into, so that a sum of values of the respective number of source symbols si yields z, and, if n>1, for all i=1 . . . n?1, the value of si corresponds to a range of the ith partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: GE VIDEO COMPRESSION, LLC
    Inventors: Detlev Marpe, Tung Nguyen, Heiko Schwarz, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 9698819
    Abstract: A method for generating Huffman codewords to encode a dataset includes selecting a Huffman tree type from a plurality of different Huffman tree types. Each of the Huffman tree types specifies a different range of codeword length in a Huffman tree. A Huffman tree of the selected type is produced by: determining a number of nodes available to be allocated as leaves in each level of the Huffman tree accounting for allocation of leaves in each level of the Huffman tree; allocating nodes to be leaves such that the number of nodes allocated in a given level of the Huffman tree is constrained to be no more than the number of nodes available to be allocated in the given level; and assigning the leaves to symbols of the dataset based an assignment strategy selected from a plurality of assignment strategies to produce symbol codeword information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Baranchik, Ron Diamant, Muhannad Ghanem, Ori Weber
  • Patent number: 9698820
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding. For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiko Schwarz, Detlef Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 9698821
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding. For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiko Schwarz, Detlef Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 9698822
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding. For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiko Schwarz, Detlef Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 9698823
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding. For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Heiko Schwarz, Detlef Marpe, Thomas Wiegand
  • Patent number: 9698824
    Abstract: A data transfer device includes a calculation unit and a compression processing unit. The calculation unit determines, from a plurality of compression techniques, a combination of a first compression technique and a second compression technique for optimizing effective throughput based at least on compression performance parameters related to the plurality of compression techniques and a transfer performance parameter related to transfer processing, the first compression technique being a technique in which a speed of compression processing serves as a constraint in a data transfer as compared with a speed of transfer processing, the second compression technique being a technique in which a speed of transfer processing serves as a constraint in a data transfer as compared with a speed of compression processing. The compression processing unit compresses target data using at least one of the first compression technique and the second compression technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masumi Ichien