Duty Cycle Control Patents (Class 327/175)
  • Patent number: 10110227
    Abstract: An internal voltage generation circuit includes a comparison circuit, a driving signal generation circuit and a driving circuit. The comparison circuit generates a comparison signal from an internal voltage in response to a reference voltage. The driving signal generation circuit generates a pull-up driving signal and a pull-down driving signal having different duty ratios in response to the comparison signal. The driving circuit drives the internal voltage in response to the pull-up driving signal and the pull-down driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Yeon Uk Kim
  • Patent number: 10110223
    Abstract: A single-ended-to-differential converter for driving an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) driving circuit includes a first converting circuit, a second converting circuit, and a controller. The first converting circuit converts an input signal into a first output signal. The first converting circuit has a tunable delay time. The second converting circuit converts the input signal into a second output signal. The second converting circuit has a fixed delay time. The controller generates a first control signal and a second control signal according to the first output signal and the second output signal, so as to adjust the tunable delay time of the first converting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: VIA ALLIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yeong-Sheng Lee
  • Patent number: 10103647
    Abstract: A sensorless measurement device for filter capacitor current by using a state observer is provided. The sensorless measurement device comprises a chip, wherein the chip comprises the state observer. The state observer is configured to retrieve a filter-capacitor-voltage actual value and a direct current link (dc-link) voltage of a present sampling time. According to the filter-capacitor-voltage actual value and the dc-link voltage, the state observer is configured to output a filter-capacitor-voltage state variable value, a filter-capacitor-current state variable value, and a disturbance-voltage state variable value of a next sampling time. The filter-capacitor-current state variable value is an average current value without ripples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Shu-Syuan Huang, Yoshihiro Konishi, Zong-Zhen Yang, Min-Ju Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10079606
    Abstract: A clock generation circuit includes a clock generation unit suitable for generating a first clock, a first inversion clock having an opposite phase to the first clock, a second clock having a different phase from the first clock, and a second inversion clock having an opposite phase to the second clock; and a reset control unit suitable for comparing the phases of the first and second clocks, and controlling the clock generation unit to disable for a time and then enable the second clock and the second inversion clock when the second clock leads the first clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hae-Rang Choi, Yong-Ju Kim, Dae-Han Kwon, Shin-Deok Kang
  • Patent number: 10075058
    Abstract: In an example, a device for operating a switching converter is configured to receive a composite command duty cycle value. The device is further configured to generate an effective duty cycle value based on a voltage at a switching node. The device is further configured to generate a duty cycle mismatch value using the composite command duty cycle value and the effective duty cycle value so as to generate a plurality of duty cycle mismatch values. Each duty cycle mismatch value of the plurality of duty cycle mismatch values corresponds to a candidate natural frequency value of the converter. The device is further configured to output a candidate natural frequency value of the converter that corresponds to a maximum duty cycle mismatch of the plurality of duty cycle mismatch values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Harald Gietler, Andreas Berger, Marc Kanzian, Robert Priewasser, Christoph Unterrieder
  • Patent number: 10063222
    Abstract: A duty cycle correction device may be provided for correcting a duty cycle of an input signal. The device includes a first duty cycle correction circuit. The first duty cycle correction circuit receives the input signal. The first duty cycle correction circuit generates a first intermediate signal. The device includes a first programmable delay circuit. The first programmable delay circuit is controlled by a first delay control signal. The first programmable delay circuit receives the first intermediate signal. The first programmable delay circuit generates an output signal. The device includes a second duty cycle correction circuit. The second duty cycle correction circuit receives the input signal. The second duty cycle correction circuit generates a second intermediate signal. The device includes a second programmable delay circuit. The second programmable delay circuit generates a reference signal. The device includes a skew control arrangement operable for generating the first delay control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas H. A. Arp, Fatih Cilek, Michael V. Koch, Matthias Ringe
  • Patent number: 10050037
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns an integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of circuit domains, each circuit domain comprising: a plurality of transistor devices positioned over p-type and n-type wells, the transistor devices defining one or more data paths of the circuit domain; a monitoring circuit adapted to detect when the slack time of at least one of the data paths in the circuit domain falls below a threshold level and to generate an output signal on an output line based on said detection; and a biasing circuit adapted to modify a biasing voltage of the n-type and/or p-type well of the circuit domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS SA, STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
    Inventors: Florian Cacho, Vincent Huard
  • Patent number: 10050613
    Abstract: A device includes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensor and a PWM modifier circuitry. The MEMS sensor may include a drive circuitry and a sense circuitry. The MEMS sensor is configured to sense motion. A carrier signal is used in the sense circuitry and the drive circuitry. The PWM modifier circuitry is configured to generate a PWM modifier signal for modifying a portion of a PWM signal and to form a modified PWM signal to compensate for changes in the carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventor: Sriraman Dakshinamurthy
  • Patent number: 10003328
    Abstract: A hybrid pulse-width control circuit is provided that includes a ramp voltage generator for generating a ramp voltage signal. A clock pulse generator asserts an output clock signal responsive to the ramp voltage signal equaling a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Wenjing Yin, Xuhao Huang
  • Patent number: 9985535
    Abstract: A negative power supply generates a voltage Vm that is negative when a source voltage Vh? of an activation element is used as a reference. A differential voltage between the above-described voltage Vh? and the voltage Vm is applied to an activation circuit arranged between the activation element and a control power supply voltage Vcc. The activation circuit is configured to include a current detection resistor, a voltage conversion resister, a current source, a first PMOS switch, a second PMOS switch, and a control amplifier. The control amplifier operates in a voltage range between Vh? and Vm, and an output of the control amplifier is connected to a gate of the first PMOS switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kawashima
  • Patent number: 9954517
    Abstract: Apparatuses, duty cycle adjustment circuits, adjustment circuits, and methods for duty cycle adjustment are disclosed herein. An example duty cycle adjustment circuit may be configured to receive a signal and adjust a duty cycle of the signal a first amount using a coarse adjustment. The duty cycle adjustment circuit may further be configured, after adjusting the duty cycle of the signal a first amount, to adjust the duty cycle of the signal a second amount different from the first amount using a fine adjustment to provide a duty cycle adjusted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 9941871
    Abstract: Duty cycle sampling circuitry is disclosed that may generate offsets that cancel each other out, thereby improving the accuracy of duty cycle sampling of input clock signals based on sampling clock signals. The input clock input signals may be swapped, or the sampling clock signals may be swapped, or both may be swapped, at various times. Erroneous samples obtained in one configuration can cancel out other erroneous samples obtained in another configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Ker Yon Lau
  • Patent number: 9882687
    Abstract: Techniques for packet classification for IEEE 802.11ax capable devices are provided. Specifically, methods are presented, that when taken alone or together, provide a device or group of devices with a means for determining the modulation and coding scheme used, through robust bit indication in a WLAN 802.11ax frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minyoung Park, Thomas J. Kenney, Eldad Perahia, Robert Stacey, Shahrnaz Azizi
  • Patent number: 9882570
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for duty cycle correction of clock signals. An input clock signal passes through a pair of output transistors, which provides an output clock signal based on the input clock signal. A duty cycle sensor generates a first correction signal based on the output clock signal. The first correction signal is at least partially opposite of the output clock signal. A duty cycle corrector generates a second correction signal based on the first correction signal. The duty cycle corrector includes two or more transistors for generating the second correction signal. The second correction signal is applied to the output clock signal. There are other embodiments as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: INPHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Simon Forey, Rajasekhar Nagulapalli, Parmanand Mishra
  • Patent number: 9870252
    Abstract: Multi-threaded processing with reduced context switching is disclosed. Context switches may be avoided through the use of pre-emption notification, a pre-emption wait time attribute and a no-context-save yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: John P. Bates
  • Patent number: 9838029
    Abstract: A clock generation circuit coupled to an integrator circuit uses a variable resistance that is adjusted in a transconductance bias feedback circuit. This resistance is calibrated to the reciprocal of the transconductance of the input amplifier. The product of the adjusted resistance and a capacitance in the clock generation circuit provides a time constant for the settling time of the integrator and controls a pulse width of an adaptively controlled duty cycle output clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Analog Devices Global
    Inventor: Ting Gao
  • Patent number: 9831862
    Abstract: A duty cycle correction circuit includes a detection block suitable for detecting a duty cycle of a first clock in response to the first clock and a second clock, and a correction block suitable for generating a first corrected clock having a corrected duty cycle relative to the first clock and a second corrected clock having a corrected duty cycle relative to the second clock, based on a detection result of the detection block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Chan Lim
  • Patent number: 9824730
    Abstract: A first timing reference signal and a second timing reference signal are sent to a memory device. The second timing reference signal has approximately a quadrature phase relationship with respect to the first timing reference signal. A plurality of serial data patterns are received from the memory device. The transitions of the first timing reference and the second timing reference determining when transitions occur between the bits of the plurality of data patterns. Timing indicators associated with when received transitions occur between the bits of the plurality of data patterns are received from the memory device. The timing indicators are each measured using a single sampler. Based on the timing indicators, a first duty cycle adjustment for the first timing reference signal, a second duty cycle adjustment for the second timing reference signal, and a quadrature phase adjustment are determined and applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Giovannini, Scott C Best, Lei Luo, Ian Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 9780766
    Abstract: The techniques of this disclosure may digitally generate a driver signal with a period (or frequency) at a finer resolution than can be achieved by simply counting clock cycles of a system clock. The driver signal may be configured to trigger based on single output clock signal that may be phase-shifted relative to the master system clock. A clock phase shift circuit may increment the phase shift of the output clock signal to any fraction relative to the master system clock. A driver signal generated based on the phase-shifted output clock may achieve the high resolution in frequency desirable when controlling some pulse-width modulated circuits, such as an LLC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Martin Feldtkeller
  • Patent number: 9762223
    Abstract: A clock-signal generator circuit, for generating an output clock signal starting from an input clock signal, includes: a monostable stage having a clock input configured to receive the input clock signal, a control input configured to receive a control signal, and an output configured to supply the output clock signal having a duty cycle variable as a function of the control signal; and a feedback loop, operatively coupled to the monostable stage for generating the control signal as a function of a detected value, and of a desired value, of the duty cycle of the output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Davide Magnoni
  • Patent number: 9748898
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit with an oscillator stage and a first current source arranged to drive the oscillator stage is presented. The oscillator stage has an oscillator stage input terminal, an oscillator stage output terminal, an oscillator arranged to provide an oscillating signal between the oscillator stage input terminal and the oscillator stage output terminal. The oscillator circuit has an operational amplifier with an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an operational amplifier output. The oscillator stage input terminal and the oscillator stage output terminal are coupled to the inverting input and non-inverting input. The operational amplifier output is coupled to the oscillator stage input terminal such that the oscillator stage input terminal and the oscillator stage output terminal are controlled to have a same DC voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor B.V.
    Inventor: Petrus Hendrikus Seesink
  • Patent number: 9735735
    Abstract: The application discloses a tuner and a method for tuning a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: MONTAGE TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhenbiao Li
  • Patent number: 9716492
    Abstract: A duty cycle detection circuit, comprises a charge storage component and compare logic. The charge storage component has at least one capacitor, at least one switch, and, at least one current source. A clock signal is used to operate the at least one switch for charging the at least one capacitor using the at least one current source. The charge storage component outputs a first signal indicative of an amount of charge stored when the clock signal is logic high and a second signal indicative of an amount of charge stored when the clock signal is logic low. The compare logic compares the first signal and the second signal to determine a duty cycle for the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Invecas, Inc.
    Inventor: Venkata N. S. N. Rao
  • Patent number: 9691470
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a restricted range calibration is disclosed. A system includes a memory coupled to a memory controller. The memory controller is coupled to receive a clock signal, and is configured to operate in different performance states corresponding to different frequencies of the clock signal. The memory controller provides a data strobe signal to synchronize transfers of data to and from the memory. When operating in a first performance state, the memory controller may perform a first calibration of a delay applied to the data strobe signal. Performing the first calibration includes varying the delay over a first range of values. Thereafter, responsive to returning to the first performance state from another performance state, the memory controller may perform a second calibration. The second calibration includes varying the delay over a second range of values that is less than the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Jeter, Rakesh L. Notani
  • Patent number: 9685884
    Abstract: It is composed of a three-phase three-level inverter 1, three single-phase five-level inverters 2, each of which is connected in series with an output of each phase of the three-phase three-level inverter 1, and pulse width modulation control means 8 provided for each phase which supplies gate pulses to the three-level inverter 1 and the single-phase five-level inverter 2 of the relevant phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oka
  • Patent number: 9667238
    Abstract: A duty cycle correction circuit includes an inversion block suitable for generating a first inverted clock that is in an inversion relationship with a first clock and a second inverted clock that is in an inversion relationship with a second clock, in response to the first clock and the second clock, and a correction block suitable for generating a first corrected clock having a corrected duty cycle relative to the first clock and a second corrected clock having a corrected duty cycle relative to the second clock, based on a logic state of the first clock, a logic state of the second clock, a logic state of the first inverted clock, and a logic state of the second inverted clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Chan Lim
  • Patent number: 9641165
    Abstract: A duty cycle correction circuit has a delay line comprising a plurality of current-starved inverters coupled together in series. An input of a first current-starved inverter receives an input clock signal. A relatively weak inverter is coupled in parallel with each of the current-starved inverters. A low pass filter having an operational amplifier has a differential input coupled to the output of the delay line for receiving an output clock signal. A single-ended output of the operational amplifier is coupled to current source and current sink transistors of each of the current-starved inverters to control the amount of delay provided by the delay line. The low pass filter corrects the duty cycle of the input clock signal so that the output clock signal has a 50 percent duty cycle. The relatively weak parallel-connected inverters insure that no clock pulses are skipped if the current-starved inverters fail to transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NXP USA, INC.
    Inventors: Venkataram Mooraka, Firas Abughazaleh, Roby Thomas
  • Patent number: 9584073
    Abstract: A single-to-differential converter and a method of fabricating the single-to-differential converter on an integrated circuit are described. The single-to-differential converter provides a pair of differential outputs based on a single-ended input and includes an input node to receive the single-ended input, and a first transistor connected to a power supply pin. A second transistor is connected to the power supply pin. The first transistor and the second transistor are biased under a same amount of direct current (DC) and the pair of differential outputs are generated at respective collectors of the first transistor and the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Pan Hsuanyu, Alexandros Margomenos, Hasan Sharifi, Igal Bilik
  • Patent number: 9584108
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose an apparatus for managing clock duty cycle. The apparatus comprises a Duty Cycle Control Circuit (DCCC) for receiving at least an input clock signal and generating an output clock signal with adjustable duty cycle, a first Low-Pass Filter with Pull-Up Resistor (LPFPR) for receiving the output clock signal with adjustable duty cycle and simultaneously averaging and raising the common mode of the output thereof, a frequency divider for generating a signal with a 50% duty cycle, a second LPFPR for receiving the generated signal with 50% duty cycle and simultaneously averaging and raising the common mode of the output thereof and an OPAMP for receiving the outputs of the first and second LPFPRs for generating an equivalent reference signal to be fed to the DCCC as a control input, thereby facilitating correction of the duty cycle of the input clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SILAB TECH PVT. LTD.
    Inventor: Sujoy Chakravarty
  • Patent number: 9583162
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device suitable for sequentially performing a ZQ calibration operation and a read operation in response to a ZQ calibration enable signal and a read enable signal. The nonvolatile memory device includes a duty ratio control block suitable for receiving the read enable signal, performing a duty correction operation and setting a duty ratio, in a ZQ calibration operation period, and receiving the read enable signal and outputting a duty-corrected clock based on the set duty ratio, in a read operation period; a clock generation block suitable for generating an internal clock signal in response to the duty-corrected clock; and a data output block suitable for outputting data outputted from an internal memory cell region, in synchronization with the internal clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 9568942
    Abstract: A memory system in which a timing drift that would occur in distribution of a first timing signal for data transport in a memory device is determined by measuring the actual phase delays occurring in a second timing signal that has a frequency lower than that of the first timing signal and is distributed in one or more circuits mimicking the drift characteristics of at least a portion of distribution of the first timing signal. The actual phase delays are determined in the memory device and provided to a memory controller so that the phases of the timing signals used for data transport may be adjusted based on the determined timing drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kim, Pak Shing Chau, Wayne S. Richardson
  • Patent number: 9520867
    Abstract: A clock generating circuit includes a clock generator, a first clock tree, a second clock tree, and a duty cycle correction circuit. The clock generator is configured to generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal. The first clock tree includes a driver cell configured to generate a first output clock signal based on the first clock signal and a set of control signals, and to generate a second output clock signal based on the second clock signal and the set of control signals. The second clock tree includes a driver cell configured to generate a third output clock signal based on the set of control signals. The duty cycle correction circuit is configured to receive the first output clock signal and the second output clock signal and to generate the set of control signal based on the first output clock signal and the second output clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Mu-Shan Lin
  • Patent number: 9515636
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods have been disclosed. One such apparatus includes a plurality of gates coupled together in series. A first pull-down circuit can be coupled to a node between two adjacent gates of the plurality of gates and controlled responsive to a first control signal. A second pull-down circuit can be coupled to an output of one of the gates and controlled responsive to a second control signal. A duty cycle of a signal provided by the plurality of gates can be increased responsive to the first control signal and can be decreased responsive to the second control signal. The plurality of gates and the first and second pull-down circuits can make up a duty cycle adjuster circuit that can adjust the duty cycle of the signal by adjusting only a single type of edges of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 9484894
    Abstract: A duty cycle tuner measures high and low periods of a signal, calculates an actual duty cycle, generates duty control signals based on the actual duty cycle and a desired duty cycle, and adjusts the duty cycle responsive to the duty control signals. The high and low periods are measured using high-speed counters to provide a high count for the high period and a low count for the low period. The actual duty cycle value is then computed from the high and low counts, and compared to the desired duty cycle value to generate increment and decrement signals which may be positive or zero, to increase, decrease or maintain the actual duty cycle. In this manner, even if the high and low counts are subject to variations due to process, temperature or power supply voltage, their ratio is independent of such variations, so the tuner is immune to those effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9461631
    Abstract: A method of measuring duty-cycle distortion in a signal (e.g., flowing between an operating circuit and a memory circuit), where the signal has a known period, the signal being measured is in a first state during a first portion of the period, and is in a different state during a second portion of the period, includes advancing or retarding the signal until an edge of the signal intersects an edge of the other signal. From the amount of the advancing or retarding, the duty cycle and the magnitude of duty-cycle distortion are determined. This may be used to control correction of the duty-cycle distortion. An interpolator circuit may be used to advance or retard the signal. A processor may be used to keep track of the amount of advancing or retarding, to determine the duration of the duty cycle, and control correction of the duty-cycle distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Sean Shau-Tu Lu
  • Patent number: 9455716
    Abstract: Aspects of a reconfigurable frequency divider circuit are provided. A reconfigurable frequency divider can include a frequency divider that is configured to receive an input signal. The frequency divider can also include a delay circuit that is configured to receive a divided signal produced by the frequency divider. The frequency divider can also include a frequency multiplier that is configured to produce an output signal based on the delayed signal produced by the delay circuit, wherein the delay circuit is configured to receive the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Hung-Chuan Pai, Gang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9438208
    Abstract: A duty cycle correction circuit includes a rising edge variable delay circuit and a falling edge variable delay circuit. The variable delay for each delay circuit depends upon an uncorrected duty cycle for an uncorrected clock signal being corrected by the duty cycle correction circuit into a corrected clock signal having a desired duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Shraddha Sridhar, Vaishnav Srinivas
  • Patent number: 9436193
    Abstract: A driver for an electric load includes a power device having a control terminal and an output terminal for an output current, and a control module. The control module is configured to drive the power device in an auto-recovery mode by switching between activation and deactivation in the occurrence of an overcurrent condition, wherein the output current reaches a threshold current. The control module is also configured to evaluate a first time interval between a time wherein the overcurrent condition occurs, and a first time, and generate a limit signal when the time interval is equal to a time threshold. The power device is driven in a switching-off condition at least as a function of the limit signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giovanni Luca Torrisi, Domenico Massimo Porto, Vanni Poletto
  • Patent number: 9413338
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and duty cycle correction circuits are described. An example apparatus includes a duty cycle correction (DCC) adjustment circuit configured to receive an input signal, and to adjust a duty cycle of the input signal to provide an output signal. The DCC circuit including a coarse adjust control circuit configured to adjust the duty cycle of the input signal by a first amount that is equal to one or more unit adjustments, and a fine adjust control circuit that is configured to adjust the duty cycle of the input signal responsive to a pulse signal by a second amount that is less than the unit adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 9396779
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a clock input block suitable for generating first and second internal clocks in response to an external clock, a clock correction block suitable for generating a data clock by correcting a duty ratio of the first and second internal clocks in response to a signal activated in an initial operation mode of the semiconductor memory device, and a data control block suitable for controlling data in synchronization with the data clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Chang-Ki Baek
  • Patent number: 9391614
    Abstract: Sequential logic elements may consume less static power in response to a first state of a clock signal than in response to a second state of a clock signal (the first and second state may be either low or high depending on the type of sequential logic). This can be exploited to reduce static power consumption of an integrated circuit by controlling the level of a clock signal so that is in the first state for a greater amount of time than the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventor: Richard Paterson
  • Patent number: 9372233
    Abstract: A scan test circuit includes: a pulse generator, for generating differential pulses according to a system clock signal; a functional path, including: a D-type latch clocked by the differential pulses; a test path, including: a scan latch clocked by a test clock signal; and a tri-state inverter. When a test enable signal is enabled, the generation of the differential pulses is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: MediaTek Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Kin Hooi Dia
  • Patent number: 9369118
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a duty cycle correction circuit including an input inverter, an output inverter, a charge distribution unit, and a drawing-off unit. The input inverter includes a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor and receives a clock signal. The output inverter outputs a clock signal according to a signal transmitted via a signal line from the input inverter. The charge distribution unit distributes, when one transistor of the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor is turned on, charge to capacitance elements selected from among one or more first capacitance elements placed on side of the signal line and among a plurality of second capacitance elements disposed on side of source of the one transistor. The drawing-off unit draws off the distributed charge from the selected capacitance elements while the one transistor is maintained to be on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Masashi Nakata
  • Patent number: 9331705
    Abstract: A timing adjustment circuit includes a detection unit to generate a detection signal in response to a first clock having a duty cycle of 50% and a first frequency, a second clock having a duty cycle of 50% and a second frequency that is half the first frequency, and a third clock having a duty cycle of 50%, the second frequency, and a phase displacement of 90 degrees relative to the second clock, the detection signal indicating timing relationship between the first clock and the second and third clocks, a low-pass filter to receive the detection signal, and a variable-delay circuit to adjust relative timing relationship between the first clock and the second clock in response to an output of the low-pass filter such that a center point of a pulse of the first clock is aligned with a center point of a pulse of the second clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Win Chaivipas
  • Patent number: 9329210
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a reference voltage generator, a voltage regulator, a reset controller, and a voltage monitoring circuit. The reference voltage generator generates first and second reference voltages, and the voltage regulator generates a supply voltage. The reset controller stabilizes the first and second reference voltages in a first predetermined time period, and generates a power down signal after the first predetermined time period. The voltage monitoring circuit compares a level of the supply voltage with a level of the second reference voltage after the first predetermined time period and generates a (low) voltage monitor signal. The reset controller also generates a (high) reset signal when the supply voltage is greater than the second reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMIOCNDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Sunny Gupta, Nitin Pant, Shubhra Singh
  • Patent number: 9331674
    Abstract: A multi-phase signal generator and a multi-phase signal generating method thereof. The multi-phase signal generator includes a signal generator, a first comparator, a second comparator and a logic operation circuit. The signal generator generates a periodic signal. The first comparator receives the periodic signal and respectively compares the periodic signal with a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage to generate a first output signal. The second comparator receives the periodic signal and compares the periodic signal with a first threshold voltage to generate a second output signal. The logic operation circuit performs logic operations on the first output signal and the second output signal so as to generate a plurality of first phase output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Chung Wang, Yen-Chin Chen
  • Patent number: 9312839
    Abstract: A buffer circuit section receives an input clock, and outputs an output clock by wave-shaping the input clock, a measurement circuit section measures a first pulse width at a first potential level of the output clock and a second pulse width at a second potential level of the output clock, and an adjustment circuit section adjusts a ratio between the first pulse width and the second pulse width by varying a drive capability of the buffer circuit section on the basis of the measurement result of the measurement circuit section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Socionext Inc.
    Inventor: Ryoichi Inagawa
  • Patent number: 9306547
    Abstract: The present disclosure regards adjusting a duty cycle, which includes generating a duty cycle signal having a voltage representing a duty cycle of a clock signal; adjusting a reference voltage generated by an adjustable reference voltage generator to match the duty cycle signal to produce a first matched value; inverting voltage sources of the reference voltage generator; adjusting, while the voltage sources are inverted, the reference voltage to produce a second matched value; and calculating a duty cycle value based on the first and second matched values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Arp, Fatih Cilek, Guenther Hutzl, Michael Koch, Christian I. Menolfi, Dieter Nissler, Matthias Ringe
  • Patent number: 9280230
    Abstract: There are provided an apparatus for sensing capacitance, a method for sensing capacitance, and a touch screen apparatus. The apparatus for sensing capacitance includes; a first integration circuit unit including a first capacitor charged by a change in capacitance occurring in a sensing electrode; a comparison circuit unit comparing a level of an output signal of the first integration circuit unit with a predetermined reference level; and a noise removal unit including a plurality of switches operating according to an output of the comparison circuit unit, wherein the comparison circuit unit controls an operation of each of the plurality of switches to discharge charges charged in the first capacitor when the level of the output signal of the first integration circuit unit is higher than the reference level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byeong Hak Jo, Hyun Suk Lee, Moon Suk Jeong, Yong Il Kwon, Tah Joon Park
  • Patent number: 9270197
    Abstract: There are provided a power factor correction device and a method for controlling power factor correction using the same. The power factor correction device includes a power factor correction circuit and a control circuit. The power factor correction circuit includes first and second inductors connected to an input power source stage and first and second main switches performing a switching operation on the first and second inductors, respectively. The control circuit may provide control signals to the first and second main switches, respectively, and when phase currents flowing in the respective first and second inductors are unbalanced, the control circuit may change a phase of at least one of the first and second main switches to correct an imbalance of the phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In Wha Jeong, Bum Seok Suh, Kwang Soo Kim