Method and system for a battery charger
Granted: March 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10594152
One embodiment pertains to a method including determining if external power is supplied to a power system which includes a DC-DC voltage converter; if external power is not supplied to the power system, then turn on a switching transistor in the DC-DC voltage converter and provide battery power to the load through the switching transistor; if external power is supplied to the power system, then charge a battery.
Method of fabricating a circuit module
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10582617
A circuit module includes a plurality of electronic components and a single-layer conductive package substrate. The single-layer conductive package substrate is adapted to physically support and electrically interconnect the electronic components. The substrate has a peripheral portion and an interior portion. The peripheral portion includes a plurality of peripheral contact pads coupled to corresponding electronic components. The interior portion includes a plurality of floating contact…
Enhanced layout of multiple-finger electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device
Granted: January 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10535649
An enhanced layout for a multiple-finger ESD protection device has several embodiments. In these embodiments, the base contacts of the NPN (or PNP) transistors utilized as voltage clamps in the multiple-finger NPN-based (or PNP-based) multiple-finger ESD protection device are disposed at opposite edges of the multiple-finger ESD protection device and oriented perpendicularly to the orientation of the fingers in the multiple-finger ESD protection device. Similarly, the body contacts of…
Open loop correction for optical proximity detectors
Granted: January 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10534446
An optical proximity detector includes a driver, light detector, analog front-end, sensor(s) that sense correction factor(s) (e.g., temperature, supply voltage and/or forward voltage drop), and a digital back end. The driver drives the light source to emit light. The light detector produces a light detection signal indicative of a magnitude and a phase of a portion of the emitted light that reflects off an object and is incident on the light detector. The analog front-end receives the…
Inductor structure including inductors with negligible magnetic coupling therebetween
Granted: January 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10529475
An embodiment of an apparatus includes first and second core regions, first and second conductors, and an isolation region. The first core region has a first permeability, and the first conductor is disposed in the first core region. The second core region has a second permeability, and the second conductor is disposed in the second core region. And the isolation region is disposed between the first and second core regions, and has a third permeability that is significantly different…
System and methods for substrates
Granted: January 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10528104
One embodiment is directed towards a molded insulator substrate. The molded insulator substrate includes a first insulator having a first surface and a second surface. A recess in said first surface of the first insulator is configured to facilitate venting of a second insulator over exposed regions of the first surface. A first conductive terminal is exposed through the first surface. A second conductive terminal is exposed through the second surface and electrically coupled to the…
Voltage converters and methods to use therewith
Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number:
10523025
A voltage error signal is provided to a PWM controller of a voltage regular and used to produce a PWM signal that drives a power stage of the regulator. When operating in an adapter current limit regulation mode, an adapter current sense voltage, indicative of an adapter current, is compared to an adapter current reference voltage to produce an adapter current error signal. A compensator receives the adapter current error signal and outputs a compensated adapter current error signal. The…
Power supply with enhanced phase current sharing utilizing active droop control
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498239
A system, power supplies, controller and method for enhanced phase current sharing are disclosed. For example, a power supply for enhanced phase current sharing is disclosed, which includes a plurality of power modules, a communication bus coupled to an input of each power module of the plurality power modules, and an output voltage node coupled to a first side of an inductor of each power module of the plurality of power modules, wherein each power module of the plurality of power…
Method and circuitry to soft start high power charge pumps
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498229
A method to soft start a charge pump circuit according to embodiments includes enabling switching for a plurality of power transistors, selecting a first switching control signal from a plurality of switching control signals for the selected plurality of power transistors, slowly ramping up a plurality of bootstrap supply voltages associated with the selected plurality of power transistors, driving a gate-to-source voltage of each power transistor of the selected plurality of power…
Method and apparatus for reverse over current protection
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10447027
The present embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for providing fault protection in a power controller such as a voltage regulator, and particularly protection against reverse over current fault conditions. Some embodiments are capable of distinguishing between different types of reverse over current conditions, such as a high-side short or a normal over voltage condition. In these and other embodiments, fault protection is performed in favor of a load connected to the voltage…
Method and structure for reducing switching power losses
Granted: September 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10418481
One embodiment is directed towards a method. The method includes forming a drift region of a first conductivity type above or in a substrate. The substrate has first and second surfaces. A first insulator is formed over a first portion of the channel, and which has a first thickness. A second insulator is formed over the second portion of the channel, and which has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. A first gate is formed over the first insulator. A second gate is…
Systems and methods for optical proximity detection with multiple field of views
Granted: September 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10401494
An optical proximity detector includes a plurality photodetectors (PDs) and a winner-take-all (WTA) circuit. Each of the PDs has a respective field of view (FOV) and produces a respective analog current detection signal indicative of light incident on and detected by the PD. In an embodiment, the WTA circuit includes a comparator and a multiplexor (MUX). The comparator compares the analog current detection signals produced by the PDs and produces a selection signal in dependence thereon.…
Enhanced power mode transistions in buck-boost converters
Granted: July 9, 2019
Patent Number:
10348204
An electronic system, DC-DC voltage converter, method of operating a buck-boost DC-DC converter, and method for power mode transitioning in a DC-DC voltage converter are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving a compensated error signal associated with an output voltage of the DC-DC voltage converter, determining a power mode of operation of the DC-DC voltage converter, and if the power mode of operation is a first mode, outputting a first control signal to regulate the…
Photodetectors useful as ambient light sensors and methods for use in manufacturing the same
Granted: July 9, 2019
Patent Number:
RE47503
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…
Method and system for increasing efficiency and controlling slew rate in DC-DC converters
Granted: June 18, 2019
Patent Number:
10326365
One embodiment pertains to a method including transitioning a logic state of at least one enable signal. A first power transistor begins to turn off. A parameter level of the input of the first power transistor is directly sensed. A second power transistor is turned off when the parameter level is less than a threshold level.
Method and system for DC-DC voltage converters with diminished PWM jitter
Granted: June 18, 2019
Patent Number:
10326354
An embodiment pertains to a method including determining if an amplitude of an error signal has entered steady state. If the amplitude of the error signal has not entered steady state, then amplify with a high gain the amplitude of the AC component of the error signal. If the amplitude of the error signal has entered steady state, then initiate a timer. Determining if the amplitude of the error signal has remained in steady state while the timer runs. If the amplitude of the error signal…
Apparatuses and methods for encapsulated devices
Granted: June 11, 2019
Patent Number:
10317965
One embodiment is directed towards an encapsulated device. The encapsulated device includes a device, and a first encapsulation covering the device. The first encapsulation has one or more exterior surfaces. One or more recesses in one or more of the exterior surfaces is configured to receive a second encapsulation.
Switching power supply for low step down conversion ratio with reduced switching losses
Granted: May 21, 2019
Patent Number:
10298132
Disclosed herein is a power converter with low step down conversion ratio with improved power conversion efficiency. The power converter includes a first inductor to receive the input voltage, and a second inductor to supply the output voltage to a load. The first inductor and the second inductor are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The power converter further includes a first switch coupled between the first inductor and the second inductor. The first switch is switched…
Systems and methods for lead frame locking design features
Granted: May 14, 2019
Patent Number:
10290564
Systems and methods for lead frame locking design features are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises: fabricating a lead frame for a chip package, the lead frame having a paddle comprising a step-out bottom locking feature profile across at least a first segment of an edge of the paddle that provides an interface with a mold compound; etching the paddle to have at least a second segment of the edge having either an extended-step-out bottom locking feature profile or an…
Back-to-back stacked dies
Granted: May 14, 2019
Patent Number:
10290618
Embodiments disclosed herein provide for a circuit including first die having an active side and a backside, wherein the first die is flip-chip mounted to a carrier. The circuit also includes a second die stacked on the backside of the first die, wherein the second die is stacked on the first die such that a backside of the second die is facing the backside of the first die and an active side of the second die faces away from the first die.
