Systems and methods for discharging inductors with temperature protection
Granted: June 6, 2017
Patent Number:
9673007
An integrated circuit for demagnetizing an inductive load includes a first switch to control current supplied by a voltage supply to the inductive load. A Zener diode includes an anode connected to a control terminal of the first switch and a cathode connected to the voltage supply. A second switch includes a control terminal and first and second terminals. A temperature sensing circuit is configured to sense a temperature of the first switch and to generate a sensed temperature. A…
Daisy chain configuration for power converters
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9667064
A system includes a plurality of power supplies and a controller. The plurality of power supplies outputs power to a load. A serial bus connects the plurality of power supplies in a daisy chain. The controller is connected to first and last ones of the power supplies by the serial bus. The controller is connected to a management bus via a management bus interface. The controller monitors the plurality of power supplies via the serial bus. The controller transmits status information of…
Detecting pressure exerted on a touch surface and providing feedback
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9665213
A system includes a sensor device configured to detect a touch pressure dependent characteristic of a body part of a user while the user touches a touch surface with the body part. The system also includes an image capture device configured to capture an image of the body part of the user while the user touches the touch surface. The system further includes a processor configured to associate the image with an amount of pressure exerted on the touch surface by the user. The processor is…
Power over ethernet powered device interface with non-power over ethernet supply detection
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9665151
A method for detecting and classifying powered devices in power over Ethernet/non-power over Ethernet applications is described. In one or more implementations, the method includes deactivating a non-power over Ethernet component for a predetermined time period. The method also includes activating an isolation switch of a powered device after the predetermined time period has elapsed since no characteristic impedance associated with the powered device has been detected.
One wire parasite power switch control circuit
Granted: May 23, 2017
Patent Number:
9660638
A power switch control circuit is provided for power management in one-wire application. The circuit comprises a controllable switch coupled between an input node and an internal power node. A comparator is utilized for power loss sensing to close the switch when necessary to minimize the power loss while the input is low or floating. A watchdog circuit is incorporated within the control circuit to pull down the input node periodically to detect small leakage current when the input node…
Systems and methods for protecting data using reconfigurable logic paths
Granted: May 16, 2017
Patent Number:
9654111
Various embodiments of the invention allow to protect data in a logic circuit from being detected by commonly known observation methods. In certain embodiments, this is accomplished by selecting a set of reconfigurable logic blocks within the logic circuit to form a routing path in such a manner that the circuit performs a given function while making it virtually impossible to follow data through the circuit as the data is being processed. The routing path may be selected in a random or…
Multi-level step-up converter topologies, control and soft start systems and methods
Granted: May 16, 2017
Patent Number:
9653986
A multi-level, step-up converter circuit includes an inductor including one terminal in communication with an input voltage supply. N transistor pairs are connected in series, where N is an integer greater than one. First and second transistors of a first pair of the N transistor pairs are connected together at a node. The node is in communication with another terminal of the inductor. Third and fourth transistors of a second pair of the N transistor pairs are connected to the first and…
Piezo driver having passive energy storage component recharging capability
Granted: May 16, 2017
Patent Number:
9652013
A piezo driver is described that is configured to furnish electric charge to a piezo component during a first operational state and configured to transfer electric charge from the piezo component to a passive energy storage component during a second operational state. In one or more implementations, the piezo driver includes a passive energy storage component configured to store electric charge. The piezo driver also includes a voltage converter configured to electrically connect between…
Three phases controller for buck-boost regulators
Granted: May 9, 2017
Patent Number:
9647557
Systems, devices and methods using three separate switching phases for a buck-boost regulator are disclosed. The regulator may operate in a boost mode, a buck mode or in a buck-boost mode. The output voltage remains constant through mode changes and the ripple voltage is well-controlled. If the input voltage is lower than the output voltage by a first threshold, the regulator operates in boost (step-up) mode. If the input voltage is higher than the output voltage by a second threshold,…
Powered device controllers having shared connection interfaces and two-level inrush current limit
Granted: May 2, 2017
Patent Number:
9640989
A system for controlling the operation of isolation transistors in high power Power over Ethernet (PoE) networks to achieve greater power delivery to a load is disclosed. In one or more implementations, the system includes a first power over Ethernet (PoE) powered device controller configured to control power supply to a load, and a second PoE powered device controller coupled to the load and to the first PoE powered device controller. The second PoE powered device controller is…
Electrical transformer open and short detector
Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9625514
A circuit for monitoring the health of the transformers is disclosed. In an implementation, the circuit includes a transformer that provides an input signal and a pulse generator that generates a pulse signal. An analog-to-digital converter receives a combined signal that includes the input signal and the pulse signal, and the analog-to-digital converter converts the combined signal to a digital representation of the combined signal. The circuit includes a first digital filter and a…
Systems and methods for authentication based on physically unclonable functions
Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9621359
Presented are systems, devices, and methods for reliably authenticating asymmetric cryptography-based ICs based on Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) that are immune to reverse engineering. Various embodiments of the invention enhance the level of security in IC architectures without the need to connect to a remote certification authority, thereby, eliminating shortfalls associated with online authentication. Certain embodiments accomplish this by using a PUF-generated secure private…
Integrated circuit package having surface-mount blocking elements
Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9620462
A first cavity-down ball grid array (BGA) package includes a substrate member and an array of bond balls. The array of bond balls includes a pair of parallel extending rows of outer mesh bond balls and a row of inner signal bond balls that is parallel to the pair of rows of outer mesh bond balls. A surface-mount blocking element is disposed between the row of inner signal bond balls and the pair of rows of outer mesh bond balls. The surface-mount blocking element is either a passive or…
Digital input circuit and method for high voltage sensors
Granted: March 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9608635
A digital input circuit includes a series connection of a current limiter and a switch having a switch control input coupled between a signal input and ground, and a logic level shifter coupled to the signal input and having a switch control output coupled to the switch control input and a signal output, where a maximum amplitude at the signal input is greater than a maximum amplitude at the signal output. A digital input method includes coupling an input signal to ground with a current…
Integrated circuit with precision current source
Granted: March 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9608626
An integrated circuit with precision current source includes a first MOSFET, a second MOSFET, an op-amp and a resistor formed on a common semiconductor substrate. The first MOSFET is characterized by a first multiplier (×M1) and the second MOSFET is characterized by a second multiplier (×M2) where a ratio of ×M2 to ×M1 is greater than one. An inverting input of the op-amp is coupled to a drain of the first MOSFET and an output of the op-amp is coupled to a gate of the first MOSFET. A…
System and method to eliminate transition losses in DC/DC converters
Granted: March 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9608517
Various embodiments of the invention reduce switching losses associated with existing non-zero volt switching and non-zero current switching in DC/DC converters without the need for a resonant design. Certain embodiments of the invention provide for improved efficiency by reducing switching losses related to the simultaneous presence of current and voltage across high power switching devices. In certain embodiments, this is accomplished by adding a relatively small inductor and two…
Soft start systems and methods for multi-stage step-up converters
Granted: March 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9608512
A control circuit for a step-up converter includes a soft start module configured to control states of N transistor pairs of the step-up converter, where N is an integer greater than two. A driver module is in communication with the soft start module and configured to generate a first signal when N transistor pairs of the step-up converter are ready to switch. A first charging circuit is configured to charge (N?1) capacitors of the step-up converter to an input voltage of the step-up…
Semiconductor device having trench capacitor structure integrated therein
Granted: March 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9608130
Semiconductor devices are described that include a capacitor integrated therein. In an implementation, the semiconductor devices include a substrate. The substrate includes multiple capacitor regions, such as a first capacitor region and a second capacitor region that are adjacent to one another. Each capacitor region includes trenches that are formed within the substrate. A metal-insulator-metal capacitor is formed within the trenches and at least partially over the substrate. The…
Integrated touchless joystick-type controller
Granted: February 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9582078
Techniques are described to furnish a touchless joystick-type controller in a portable electronic device. The techniques may be implemented within an electronic device that comprises one or more sensors configured to detect a target at a distance from the sensor and provide a signal in response thereto. The signal is received in response to the sensor detecting a target within a field of view of the sensor. A position of the target relative to a point of reference is then determined…
Transfer triggered microcontroller with orthogonal instruction set
Granted: February 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9582283
A microcontroller includes a program memory, data memory, central processing unit, at least one register module, a memory management unit, and a transport network. Instructions are executed in one clock cycle via an instruction word. The instruction word indicates the source module from which data is to be retrieved and the destination module to which data is to be stored. The address/data capability of an instruction word may be extended via a prefix module. If an operation is performed…
