Methods and apparatuses for clock domain crossing
Granted: July 3, 2012
Patent Number:
8212594
Clock-domain-crossing systems and methods include an integrator that accumulates input samples over multiple clock cycles in a first clock domain to generate an accumulation result. Clock-domain-crossing circuitry samples the accumulation result in the first clock domain after each of a repeating accumulation count to generate a first domain accumulation. The first domain accumulation is sampled in a second clock domain after a time delay to generate a second domain accumulation. The…
Apparatuses and methods for physical layouts of analog-to-digital converters
Granted: June 12, 2012
Patent Number:
8199042
Physical layouts of integrated circuits are provided, which may include an analog-to-digital converter including a plurality of comparators. Individual transistors of each comparator of the plurality are arranged in a one-dimensional row in a first direction. Neighboring comparators of the plurality of comparators are positioned relative to each other in an abutting configuration in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The plurality of comparators may include multiple,…
Signal amplitude distortion within an integrated circuit
Granted: June 5, 2012
Patent Number:
8194721
An integrated circuit 2 includes a serial data transmitter 12 and a serial data receiver 14. A signal amplitude distorting circuit 30 is provided to introduce distortion in the amplitude of a serial data signal generated by the serial data transmitter 12 and looped back to the serial data receiver 14 so as to stress test the serial data receiver 14.
Electronic display with array context-sensitive search (ACS) technology
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8179372
A system and method for efficient computation in the course of locating a position on the face of a touch-screen-equipped display device by limiting the amount of computations to weighted vectors within a range substantially less than the entire range of data input from the touch screen sensors.
Programmable duty cycle distortion generation circuit
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8179952
An integrated circuit is provided comprising: a serial transmitter, a serial receiver and a serial connection providing communication between the serial transmitter and the serial receiver. The integrated circuit further comprises a duty cycle distortion circuit so that the integrated circuit can be stress tested by distorting the duty cycle of a signal within the integrated circuit.
Compression of signals in base transceiver systems
Granted: May 8, 2012
Patent Number:
8174428
A signal compression method and apparatus for a base transceiver system (BTS) in a wireless communication network provides efficient transfer of compressed signal samples over serial data links in the system. For the uplink, an RF unit of the BTS compresses signal samples resulting from analog to digital conversion of an analog signal received via an antenna. The RF unit transfers the compressed signal samples over the serial data link to the base station processor where they are…
Congestion management for a packet switch
Granted: May 8, 2012
Patent Number:
8174969
A packet switch includes a flow control circuit for preventing a downstream ingress port of the packet switch from providing a non-posted packet to an upstream egress port of the packet switch when a downstream egress port of the packet switch is congested. As a result, congestion is reduced in the downstream egress port. Additionally, congestion is reduced in an upstream ingress port of the packet switch that receives completion packets in response to non-posted packets output from the…
Spread spectrum clock generation technique for imaging applications
Granted: April 24, 2012
Patent Number:
8164367
A clock signal generator includes a phase-lock loop for generating an imaging clock signal having a frequency based on a reference clock signal. The imaging clock signal generator also includes a modulation circuit for determining a number of pixels in a horizontal line of an image to be generated based on the imaging clock signal. The modulation circuit generates a modulation signal based on the determined number of pixels and the clock signal generator spreads the frequency of the…
Audio output circuits having ramped attenuation circuits that inhibit pop disturbances when audio sources are switched
Granted: April 17, 2012
Patent Number:
8160272
An audio output circuit includes a port attenuation circuit, which is configured to convert an abrupt dc voltage offset transition between a pair of audio signals received in sequence at an input thereof into a more gradual transition. This conversion is achieved by performing, in sequence, a ramp-to-mute operation on a first of the pair of audio signals and a ramp-from-mute operation on a second of the pair of audio signals. The ramp-to-mute operation includes ramping an output of the…
Multi-queue system and method for deskewing symbols in data streams
Granted: April 17, 2012
Patent Number:
8161210
A communication system includes a transmitter that transmits multiple data streams to a receiver in the communication system. Each of the data streams includes data and a skip ordered set. The receiver includes a deskew unit for each data stream, each of which includes multiple data queues. Each of the deskew units stores symbols of the data stream received by the deskew unit into the data queues of the data unit by distributing the symbols among the data queues. The deskew unit aligns…
Method and apparatus for active line interface isolation
Granted: April 10, 2012
Patent Number:
8154880
A method and apparatus for active line interface isolation have been described.
Computing system with detachable touch screen device
Granted: April 3, 2012
Patent Number:
8149224
A computing system includes a computer device and a detachable touch screen device. The computer device receives input from a touch screen of a detachable touch screen device when the detachable touch screen device is attached to a touch screen port of the computer device and displays an image on a display device of the computer device based on the input. Further, the detachable touch screen device receives input from the touch screen when the detachable touch screen device is detached…
Electrostatic discharge event protection for an integrated circuit
Granted: April 3, 2012
Patent Number:
8149553
An integrated circuit 2 is provided with a clamp transistor 20 for providing electrostatic discharge event protection. A detector circuit 28 produces a clamp control signal for switching the clamp transistor 20 to a conductive state so as to provide the electrostatic discharge protection. The detector circuit 28 also generates an electrostatic discharge event signal 36 which is distributed elsewhere within the integrated circuit 2 and controls a protection circuit element 60, 64, 44 to…
Memory register having an integrated delay-locked loop
Granted: April 3, 2012
Patent Number:
8151132
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a plurality of memory chips coupled in series, and a register serially coupled to the memory chips. The register includes an integrated delay-locked loop. The memory device may be included in a processing system. Moreover, a method for improving timing budgets in a registered dual in-line memory module (RDIMM) may be implemented using the memory device having a register with an integrated delay-locked loop.
Method and apparatus for auto-frequency calibration for multi-band VCO
Granted: March 20, 2012
Patent Number:
8138845
A method and apparatus for auto-frequency calibration for multi-band VCO have been disclosed where a VCO is first adjusted to a major frequency band and then adjusted to a sub-band within the major frequency band.
Clock, frequency reference, and other reference signal generator with frequency stability over temperature variation
Granted: March 13, 2012
Patent Number:
8134414
Exemplary embodiments provide a reference signal generator having a reference or center frequency within a predetermined variance over variations in temperature within a specified range. An exemplary apparatus comprises a reference resonator to generate a first reference signal having a resonant frequency, with the reference resonator having a first temperature dependence; and a plurality of switchable circuits, with at least one switchable circuit providing a second temperature…
Interleaved/all-phase mode switched PWM system
Granted: March 6, 2012
Patent Number:
8129964
A multi-phase power switching converter having first and second states includes a pulse width modulator having an output, a converter output providing an output signal, and a plurality of drivers, each having an output electrically coupled to the converter output and an input. When the converter is in the first state where a duty cycle of the converter is less than or equal to 100 divided by the number of drivers, each of the driver inputs is configured to be sequentially electrically…
Method and apparatus of ATE IC scan test using FPGA-based system
Granted: February 28, 2012
Patent Number:
8127187
An apparatus and a method for enhancing the use of automated test equipment (ATE), are presented. The apparatus comprises a test load board that mounts a plurality of devices to be tested (DUTs), and a daughter card communicating with the test board and the ATE, testing each of the plurality of devices, and providing test results to the ATE. The method comprises mounting a plurality of devices to be tested on the test load board, using the daughter card to communicate with the test board…
Package with improved connection of a decoupling capacitor
Granted: February 21, 2012
Patent Number:
8120162
A package (216) for electrically connecting an integrated circuit (212) to a printed circuit board (214) includes a mount array (219) and a substrate body (216A). The mount array (219) is electrically connected to the integrated circuit (212). The mount array (219) includes a plurality of positive terminal mounts (342), a plurality of negative terminal mounts (344), and a plurality of signal mounts (346). The substrate body (216A) includes a first conductive layer (220a), a second…
Method and apparatus for an output buffer with dynamic impedance control
Granted: February 21, 2012
Patent Number:
8120405
A method and apparatus for an output buffer with dynamic impedance control have been disclosed.
