Method for providing power to an electronic device
Granted: February 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10209752
A method for providing power through a USB port of an electronic device includes connecting a power supply to a USB port of an electronic device, emulating a personal computer (PC) host system such that the electronic device believes that the power supply is a PC host system, retrieving at least one descriptor from the electronic device, identifying the electronic device from the at least one descriptor, and setting a charging voltage based upon the identity of the electronic device.
Device and method for monitoring body hydration
Granted: February 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10206619
A device configured to furnish hydration monitoring employs a method using multiple different wavelengths of light transmitted into a human body part, each wavelength being input at a given respective input intensity. Respective output intensities of respective ones of the multiple wavelengths can be measured, upon transmission thereof through the human body part. The corresponding input intensity and the corresponding output intensity for the respective ones of the transmitted…
Pad defined contact for wafer level package
Granted: February 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10204876
A device and fabrication techniques are described that employ wafer-level packaging techniques for fabricating semiconductor devices that include a pad defined contact. In implementations, the wafer-level package device that employs the techniques of the present disclosure includes a substrate, a passivation layer, a top metal contact pad, a thin film with a via formed therein, a redistribution layer structure configured to contact the top metal contact pad, and a dielectric layer on the…
Gesture detection device having an angled light collimating structure
Granted: February 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10203759
A gesture detection device that includes an angled optical lens is disclosed. In one or more implementations, the gesture detection device includes a gesture sensor configured to detect electromagnetic radiation occurring within a limited spectrum of wavelengths and provides one or more signals in response thereto. The gesture detection device also includes an illumination source assembly configured to emit the electromagnetic radiation occurring within the limited spectrum of…
System and method for reducing ambient light sensitivity of infrared (IR) detectors
Granted: February 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10203411
Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a system and method for reducing ambient light sensitivity of Infrared (IR) detectors. Optical filter(s) (e.g., absorption filter(s), interference filter(s)) placed over a sensor of the IR detector (e.g., gesture sensor) absorb or reflect visible light, while passing specific IR wavelengths, for promoting the reduced ambient light sensitivity of the IR detector.
LDMOS transistors and associated systems and methods
Granted: February 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10199475
A lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect (LDMOS) transistor includes a silicon semiconductor structure, a dielectric layer at least partially disposed in a trench of the silicon semiconductor structure in a thickness direction, and a gate conductor embedded in the dielectric layer and extending into the trench in the thickness direction. The dielectric layer and the gate conductor are at least substantially symmetric with respect to a center axis of the trench…
Systems and methods for DC power line communication in a photovoltaic system
Granted: January 22, 2019
Patent Number:
10187115
A method for direct current power line communication in a photovoltaic system includes (a) transferring power between at least one photovoltaic device and a load using a power line, (b) maintaining a magnitude of a current flowing through the power line above a threshold value in a normal operating mode of the photovoltaic system, (c) detecting a change in operation of the power line in response to magnitude of a direct current component of the current flowing through the power line…
System and method for output voltage overshoot suppression
Granted: January 22, 2019
Patent Number:
10186961
A method for suppressing voltage overshoot at an output of a voltage regulator is disclosed. The voltage regulator includes at least one channel having a first set of (high-side) transistors and a second set of (low-side) transistors. In implementations of the method, an output voltage at an output of at least one channel of a voltage regulator is detected and compared with a reference voltage. A rate of change associated with the output voltage is also determined and compared with a…
Fully integrated gas concentration sensor
Granted: January 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10168211
A gas concentration sensor is includes an integrated die-form electromagnetic radiation source and an integrated die-form infrared detector. In one or more implementations, the gas concentration sensor includes a package substrate defining at least one aperture, a gas permeable mesh coupled to the package substrate and covering at least a portion of the at least one aperture, a die-form electromagnetic radiation source positioned in an interior region of the package substrate, a die-form…
Advanced synchronization schemes for NFC card emulation mode, peer-to-peer mode and RFID tag design
Granted: December 25, 2018
Patent Number:
10164766
A start-up control for a transmitter (TX) output driver is implemented to prevent the stick state problem when the TX driver is not toggling. TX output driver is set in a high impedance (HZ) mode when data zero is delivered from the digital base band (DBB) and set in an enhanced mode to deliver a stronger signal when data one is delivered from the DBB. The transmitter comprises a dual-loop PLL to synchronize the TX output pulse and the carrier. The dual-loop PLL is composed of a…
Local indoor positioning and navigation by detection of arbitrary signals
Granted: December 11, 2018
Patent Number:
10151844
A wireless mobile device for local indoor positioning and navigation by detection of arbitrary signals comprising a GPS signal module capable of detecting a GPS constellation, an arbitrary signal module capable of interacting with a local device constellation, an application processor coupled to the GPS signal module and the arbitrary signal module, and memory coupled to the application processor including code segments executable on the application processor for a) identifying a GPS…
Systems and methods for reducing switch stress in switched mode power supplies
Granted: November 27, 2018
Patent Number:
10141832
In various embodiments described in the present disclosure, various methods and systems are introduced, that may reduce and/or eliminate the voltage spikes on the power switches by avoiding operation at zero-ripple duty ratios. In a first aspect, a method for reducing voltage spikes across switches in a multi-level converter is provided, the method comprising: receiving an error value associated with a difference between a measured output voltage and a reference output voltage;…
Warpage compensation metal for wafer level packaging technology
Granted: November 20, 2018
Patent Number:
10134689
A wafer level package device and method are disclosed that include a warpage compensation metal adhered to a backside of a semiconductor wafer for minimizing warpage of the semiconductor wafer, where multiple metal features have been formed on the device side of the semiconductor substrate. The warpage compensation metal may include a copper film.
Ultraviolet sensor having filter
Granted: November 20, 2018
Patent Number:
10132679
Techniques are provided to furnish a light sensor that includes a filter positioned over a photodetector to filter visible and infrared wavelengths to permit the sensing of ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. In one or more implementations, the light sensor comprises a semiconductor device (e.g., a die) that includes a substrate. A photodetector (e.g., photodiode, phototransistor, etc.) is formed in the substrate proximate to the surface of the substrate. In one or more implementations, the…
Heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring system
Granted: November 13, 2018
Patent Number:
10123711
An integrated circuit device includes an insulating body provided with a number of electrically conductive leads and having a surface provided with a red LED aperture, an IR LED aperture and a photodetector aperture. The insulating body also includes an optical isolator optically separating the photodetector aperture from the red LED aperture and the IR LED aperture. A red LED is aligned with the red LED aperture, an IR LED is aligned with the IR LED aperture, and a photodetector is…
Power supply charge pump and protection circuit
Granted: November 6, 2018
Patent Number:
10122266
In an embodiment, set forth by way of example and not limitation, an integrated circuit includes charge pump circuitry formed on an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a first protective circuit formed on the integrated circuit chip and coupling the first output node to a first IC port, a second protective circuit formed on the integrated circuit chip and coupling the second output node to a second IC port, and a third protective circuit formed on the integrated circuit chip and coupling the…
Non-contact temperature measurement sensor
Granted: October 30, 2018
Patent Number:
10113915
The present disclosure is directed to a sensor package having a thermopile sensor and a reference (or dark channel) thermopile sensor disposed therein for temperature measurements. In one or more implementations, the sensor package includes a substrate, a thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference thermopile sensor disposed over the substrate, a reference temperature sensor disposed over the substrate surface, a lid assembly disposed over the thermopile sensor and the…
Electric-field imager for assays
Granted: October 23, 2018
Patent Number:
10107790
This disclosure describes an electric-field imaging system and method of use. In accordance with implementations of the electric-field imaging system, a fluid sample can be placed on top of a pixel-based impedance sensor. An image of the target analytes can be created immediately afterwards. From this image, computer imaging algorithms can determine attributes (e.g., size, type, morphology, volume, distribution, number, concentration, or motility, etc.) of the target analytes.
Systems and methods to secure industrial sensors and actuators
Granted: October 9, 2018
Patent Number:
10095858
Various embodiments of the invention provide for secure data communication in industrial process control architectures that employ a network of sensors and actuators. In various embodiments, data is secured by a secure serial transmission system that detects and authenticates IO-Link devices that are equipped with secure transceivers circuits, thereby, ensuring that non-trusted or non-qualified hardware is prevented from connecting to a network and potentially compromising system…
Multiple camera synchronization system
Granted: October 2, 2018
Patent Number:
10091399
A system for at least substantially plesiochronously operating a receiver in communication with a plurality of cameras (e.g., at least two plesiochronously operational cameras) is described. In one or more implementations, the system includes a plurality of cameras. Each camera is configured to generate a signal for transmission via a communications link, and the signal comprises data packets encoded in a forward channel. The system also includes a receiver communicatively coupled to the…
