Current Ramping During Multiphase Current Regulation
Granted: November 13, 2014
Application Number:
20140333270
Voltage regulators in a current share arrangement may provide a total current to a common load, and may be simultaneously turned on to ramp up member currents. Each voltage regulator may provide a respective member current in the current share configuration. A target current value may be determined from a cycle-averaged current value of the member currents and a voltage error value of the voltage regulator, and each member current may be ramped to the target current value instead of the…
VC-2 DECODING USING PARALLEL DECODING PATHS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140269904
Methods, devices and systems that perform VC-2 decoding are disclosed. In an embodiment, a VC-2 decoder includes three parallel data paths including top-band, current-band and bottom-band data paths. The top-band data path performs variable length decoding (VLD), inverse-quantization (IQ) and inverse-DC-prediction (IDCP) processing of a top compressed data-band. The current-band data path performs VLD, IQ and IDCP processing of a current compressed data-band. The bottom-band data path…
DIGITAL VOLTAGE COMPENSATION FOR POWER SUPPLY INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140266141
Systems and methods for digital voltage compensation in a power supply integrated circuit are provided. In at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a digital voltage code, the digital voltage code corresponding to an output voltage value; setting an output count on a first counter to change from a present first digital count corresponding to a present voltage code value toward a target first digital count corresponding to a new voltage code value; and setting a second count…
INTERNAL COMPENSATION FOR POWER MANAGEMENT INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140266120
A voltage regulator integrated circuit comprises a control circuit driving at least one power switch to provide a regulated voltage at an output of an inductor/capacitor (LC) circuit coupled to the at least one power switch; an error amplifier having a first input coupled to a feedback signal representative of the regulated output voltage and a second input coupled to a reference signal; and a compensation network coupled to an output of the error amplifier and configured to provide a…
INTERNAL COMPENSATION FOR POWER MANAGEMENT INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140266093
A voltage regulator integrated circuit comprises a control circuit driving at least one power switch to provide a regulated voltage at an output of an inductor/capacitor (LC) circuit coupled to the at least one power switch; an error amplifier having a first input coupled to a feedback signal representative of the regulated output voltage and a second input coupled to a reference signal; and a compensation network coupled to an output of the error amplifier and configured to provide a…
OPTICAL SENSORS FOR DETECTING RELATIVE MOTION AND/OR POSITION AND METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR USING SUCH OPTICAL SENSORS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140264689
An optical sensor, according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes a photodetector region and a plurality of slats over the photodetector region. In an embodiment, the slats are made up of a plurality of metal layers connected in a stacked configuration with a plurality of metal columns. The metal columns can be made of metal vias, metal contacts and/or metal plugs. In an embodiment, the slats are angled relative to a surface of the photodetector region, wherein the angling…
DETERMINING A CHARACTERISTIC OF A SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO A CHARGE ON A CAPACITOR
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140239933
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a charging circuit and a determining circuit. The charging circuit is configured to generate a charge on a capacitor with a first current that is related to a signal having a characteristic, and the determining circuit is configured to determine the characteristic of the signal in response to the charge on the capacitor. For example, such an apparatus can determine an average of an input current to a power supply, or an average of an output current…
DETERMINING A CHARACTERISTIC OF A SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO A CHARGE ON A CAPACITOR
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140239932
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a charging circuit and a determining circuit. The charging circuit is configured to generate a charge on a capacitor with a first current that is related to a signal having a characteristic, and the determining circuit is configured to determine the characteristic of the signal in response to the charge on the capacitor. For example, such an apparatus can determine an average of an input current to a power supply, or an average of an output current…
SIGMA-DELTA CONVERTER SYSTEM AND METHOD
Granted: July 31, 2014
Application Number:
20140210655
A sigma-delta converter may include a filter coupled to a first summation circuit and a second summation circuit. A multi bit quantizer may be coupled to the second summation circuit. A single bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) may be included that defines a feedback path between the multi-bit quantizer and the first summation circuit. A feed-forward coefficient circuit defining a feed forward path between the first summation circuit and the second summation circuit may be included.
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR NOISE AND INTERFERENCE CANCELLATION
Granted: July 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140206300
Signals propagating from an aggressor communication channel can cause detrimental interference in a victim communication channel. One or more noise cancellers can generate an interference compensation signal to suppress or cancel the interference based on one or more settings. A controller can execute algorithms to find preferred settings for the noise canceller(s). The controller can use a feedback signal (e.g., receive signal quality indicator) received from a victim receiver during…
CURRENT LIMITING SCHEME FOR A CONVERTER
Granted: July 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140197811
A modulator configured to control switching of current through an inductor of a converter according to a current limiting scheme while converting an input voltage to an output voltage, which includes a current limit generator and a comparator network. The current limit generator is configured to provide a periodic ramping current limit value based on either the input voltage or the output voltage, an inductance of the inductor, a timing signal, and a predetermined maximum output current…
SENSING A PHASE-PATH CURRENT IN A COUPLED-INDUCTOR POWER SUPPLY
Granted: July 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140191738
An embodiment of a power supply includes an output node, inductively coupled phase paths, and a sensor circuit. The output node is configured to provide a regulated output signal, and the inductively coupled phase paths are each configured to provide a respective phase current to the output node. And the sensor circuit is configured to generate a sense signal that represents the phase current flowing through one of the phase paths. For example, because the phase paths are inductively…
LEAD FRAME HAVING A PERIMETER RECESS WITHIN PERIPHERY OF COMPONENT TERMINAL
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140175627
Embodiments described herein relate to manufacturing a device. The method includes etching at least one recess pattern in an internal surface of a lead frame, the at least one recess pattern including a perimeter recess that defines a perimeter of a mounting area. The method also includes attaching a component to the internal surface of the lead frame such that a single terminal of the component is attached in the mounting area and the single terminal covers the perimeter recess, wherein…
CLAMP CIRCUITS FOR POWER CONVERTERS
Granted: June 5, 2014
Application Number:
20140157015
A power converter comprises an input port configured to receive a source of power, an output port configured to provide output power, and a bridge circuit coupled to the input port. The bridge circuit comprises a first switch coupled in series with a second switch, and a third switch coupled in series with a fourth switch. A first clamp rectifier is coupled in series with a second clamp rectifier, and the first and second clamp rectifiers are coupled in parallel with the first and second…
PACKAGED LIGHT DETECTOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES WITH NON-IMAGING OPTICS FOR AMBIENT LIGHT AND/OR OPTICAL PROXMITY SENSING, METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE SAME
Granted: May 29, 2014
Application Number:
20140145069
Packaged light detector semiconductor devices (PLDSDs), methods for manufacturing PLDSDs, and systems including a PLDSD are described herein. In an embodiment, a PLDSD includes a light detector die having a surface including an active photosensor region, and a non-imaging optical concentrator including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture axially aligned with one another and with the active photosensor region. A molding material forms the non-imaging optical concentrator and…
PHOTODETECTORS USEFUL AS AMBIENT LIGHT SENSORS AND METHODS FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Granted: May 22, 2014
Application Number:
20140138784
Photodetectors, methods for use in manufacturing photodetectors, and systems including photodetectors, are described herein. In an embodiment, a photodetector includes a plurality of photodiode regions, at least some of which are covered by an optical filter. A plurality of metal layers are located between the photodiode regions and the optical filter. The metal layers include an uppermost metal layer that is closest to the optical filter and a lowermost metal layer that is closest to…
LIMITING A CURRENT
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140125303
In an embodiment, a power-supply controller includes a switching regulator and a current limiter. The switching regulator is configured to generate an input current such that an output voltage is generated in response to the input current and an input voltage, and the current limiter is configured to limit the input current in response to a quantity that is related to a ratio of the output voltage divided by the input voltage. For example, an embodiment of such a power-supply controller…
BALLASTED POLYCRYSTALLINE FUSE
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140110819
A polycrystalline fuse includes a first layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate and a second layer of a silicide material on the first layer. The first and second layers are shaped to form first and second terminal portions of a first width joined along a length of the fuse by a fuse portion of a second width narrower than the first width. First and second contacts are connected to the first and second terminal portions respectively. The silicide material being discontinuous in…
ACTIVE AREA BONDING COMPATIBLE HIGH CURRENT STRUCTURES
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140113444
A semiconductor structure comprises a top metal layer, a bond pad formed on the top metal layer, a conductor formed below the top metal layer, and an insulation layer separating the conductor from the top metal layer. The top metal layer includes a sub-layer of relatively stiff material compared to the remaining portion of the top metal layer. The sub-layer of relatively stiff material is configured to distribute stresses over the insulation layer to reduce cracking in the insulation…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING SCANNING MIRRORS FOR A DISPLAY DEVICE
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140111703
Certain embodiments described herein relate to a scanning controller configured produce a horizontal (H) and vertical (V) scanning control signal that is used to control a bi-axial scanning mirror of a scanning laser projector device, a system including such a scanning controller, and a method for generating such an H and V scanning control signal. In an embodiment, the H and V scanning control signal includes H scanning frequency content that is used to control a H scanning frequency of…
