Color correcting device driver
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9072138
A color correcting device driver is configured to vary the equivalent current into light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) with the frequency of the AC input current (e.g., 120 Hz). In implementations that include a fly-back controller with a power factor correction (PFC) controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver performs the method of: 1) turning on the loads (e.g., white and CA strings of LEDs); 2) determining if the voltage supplied to the loads has dropped by a…
Corrosion resistant touch sensor
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9071249
In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes a substrate. A plurality of conductive elements are formed on the substrate. A plurality of sacrificial conductive members overlay portions of the plurality of conductive elements. The sacrificial conductive members function as sacrificial anodes for the conductive elements.
Buffer-reference self-capacitance measurement
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9069423
In one embodiment, a method includes modifying an amount of charge of a capacitance of a touch sensor resulting in a voltage at the capacitance being a reference voltage level. The method also includes modifying the amount of charge of the capacitance resulting in the voltage at the capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level. The modified amount of charge of the capacitance induces a first amount of charge on an integration capacitor and the first amount of charge modifies…
Load-aware compensation in light-emitting-diode backlight illumination systems
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9064461
System(s) and method(s) are provided for power management in an electronic display via compensation of a power source of a light-emitting-diode (LED) backlighting system. A compensation feedback loop includes a load-aware controller that receives the bad condition from a dimming controller and supplies a control signal to the power source. An efficiency regulator functionally connected the backlight circuitry closes the compensation, feedback loop and provides an input signal to the…
Executing program to protected memory in transponder using wireless base station
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9063890
An apparatus and a method is provided for the execution of a program by a program-controlled device, in which the program-controlled device receives instructions and automatically executes the program if it receives an access instruction for accessing a protected memory area. The invention further relates to a programmable transponder containing at least one such program-controlled device.
Single wire bootloader for target device with self-programming capability
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9063751
A single-wire bootloader software architecture is disclosed that interfaces with any host device that has a serial port to program memory of a target device using only a single general-purpose I/O pin. The single-wire bootloader does not require any chip hardware resource modules. Instead, the single-wire bootloader implements a single-wire UART in software that monitors a single general-purpose I/O pin for commands from the host device.
Microcontroller input/output connector state retention in low-power modes
Granted: June 23, 2015
Patent Number:
9063734
A microcontroller is operable in a low-power mode and includes one or more I/O connectors, as well as an I/O controller operable to provide control signals for controlling a state of a particular one of the I/O connectors. The I/O controller is powered off or deactivated during the low-power mode. The microcontroller also includes I/O connector state control logic operable to control the state of the particular one of the I/O connectors in accordance with the control signals from the I/O…
Digitally controlled spur management technique for integrated DC-DC converters
Granted: June 16, 2015
Patent Number:
9059642
An integrated circuit for digital controlling switching noise spurs in a receiver by shifting a switching frequency (fs) to a clock frequency (fs+?f) to move a Kth harmonic of the switching frequency (fs) is provided. The integrated circuit includes a spur controlled clock that operates the clock frequency (fs+?f), and a DC-DC converter circuitry that includes a first power switch, and a second power switch. The first power switch and the second power switch are driven by the clock…
Main supply zero crossing detection for PFC converter
Granted: June 16, 2015
Patent Number:
9059641
A fault mode of a PWM module embedded in a microcontroller is used to detect main supply zero crossings for regulating output voltage of a PFC converter operating in BCM, without using an external detecting element or a comparator, ADC or other specialized component internal to the microcontroller. In some implementations, the end of decrease current flow in the energy storage inductor of the converter is used to reinitialize a PWM timer or counter (counting-up or counting-down timer).…
Operating a transceiver
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054718
In one embodiment, a transceiver may set a first receive frequency of a first channel of the transceiver and a second receive frequency of a second channel of the transceiver. The transceiver may receive, during a first time interval, a first radio frequency (RF) signal on the first channel. The transceiver may determine that a first measured value indicative of a first detectable received RF signal on the first channel exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and in response, receive a…
Programmable bus signal hold time without system clock
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054685
A circuit is disclosed that provides a programmable hold time for a bus signal without running a system clock and without a frequency requirement between the system clock and a bus clock.
Event system and timekeeping for battery management and protection system
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9054528
Operating a battery management and protection system includes generating a set of events each of which has a respective frequency F/n1, F/n2 . . . F/nm, where ni are integers. One or more of the events are provided to one or more modules in the system. The events, which are generated and provided to the modules independently of a central processing unit, trigger performance of respective actions by the modules.
Method and apparatus for virtualizing hardware dongle over a wireless connection
Granted: June 9, 2015
Patent Number:
9052739
In a computer system configured to handle I/O signals received by the computer system from input devices and/or output signals output by the computer system, a virtual attachment module includes logic for selecting such that program code for coupling can alter the operating system's selection of I/O devices used for particular I/O device operations, coupling to a wireless I/O device at least for determining whether the wireless I/O device is available, and causing redirection of I/O…
Combined accumulator and maximum/minimum comparator
Granted: June 2, 2015
Patent Number:
9046942
In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting, by a hardware accelerator, that a value has been written to a first location of a memory, the first location identified by a first address. The method further includes adding the value to an accumulated value stored in an accumulator register of the hardware accelerator and storing the result in the accumulator register. The method further includes comparing the value to a maximum value stored in a first register of the hardware…
Receiving circuit, use, and method for receiving an encoded and modulated radio signal
Granted: May 26, 2015
Patent Number:
9042501
A receiving circuit, use, and method for receiving an encoded and modulated radio signal is provided. The circuit comprise a demodulator and a digital filter connected downstream of the demodulator for moving averaging. The filter has at least two FIFO registers and subtractors. Whereby for subtracting an output value of the FIFO register from an input value of the FIFO register a subtractor is connected to each FIFO register. Wherein the filter has a weighting unit, which is connected…
Driving electrodes with different phase signals
Granted: May 26, 2015
Patent Number:
9041682
A controller includes drive circuitry to drive one target drive electrode of a touch sensitive device with a series of predetermined phase pulses and to drive at least one other drive electrode of the touch sensitive device with a corresponding series of out-of-phase pulses. Sense circuitry receives signal transferred to sense electrodes from the drive electrodes of the touch sensitive device. The received signal is responsive to one or more touches on the touch sensitive device.
Capacitive position encoder
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9035663
In one embodiment, a method comprises driving one or more drive electrodes formed on a substrate with one or more drive signals. A wiper comprising at least one arm is driven to a predetermined voltage. The wiper is electrically insulated from a plurality of sense electrodes formed on the substrate. For each sense electrode of the plurality of sense electrodes, a charge stored by the sense electrode is detected. A processor determines a position of the wiper based on the detected charges…
Circuit for a radio system, use and method for operation
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9036754
A circuit and method of operation for a circuit of a radio system in which a system time is divided into symbols, in which a system clock generator is activated in an operating mode, so that the system time is determined from an output clock signal of the system clock generator by counting, in which the system clock generator is deactivated in a sleep mode, in which an output clock signal of a sleep clock generator is blanked as a function of an output signal of a modulo divider in the…
Method and apparatus for operating a wireless PAN network using an overlay protocol that enhances co-existence with a wireless LAN network
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9036613
A computing device is interfaced with other devices in a wireless personal area network (PAN) to enhance co-existence with a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the WLAN is characterized by a plurality of nodes intercommunicating for various network devices and the wireless PAN is characterized by lower power transmissions relative to transmissions over the WLAN. The computing device coordinates activity of the wireless PAN as a coordinator for the wireless PAN, including…
Gate control circuit for MOS switch
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9035691
A gate drive circuit is disclosed that charges the gate of a switching transistor to a voltage that is high enough to turn the switching transistor fully on and then prevent the charge from flowing back into the gate drive circuit. The gate drive circuit works with a ground rectifier switch by providing a fully differential connection of the switching transistor and its capacitor and resistor in parallel with the antenna.
