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…
Adaptive dead time control
Granted: February 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9577525
A dead time detector detects when a dead time occurs in a switching regulator comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch and generates an output signal based on a duration of the dead time. A first circuit generates a first turn-on signal to turn on the high-side switch and a first turn-off signal to turn off the low-side switch based on the output signal in response to a first edge of a pulse width modulated pulse. A second circuit generates a second turn-on signal to turn on…
Systems and methods for low power time-domain measurement of complex impedance
Granted: February 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9575105
Various embodiments of the invention enable low-power accurate measurement of complex impedance at a range of frequencies of interest to determine a frequency response of a test sample. The system requires only a few external precision components that are not integrated into a microprocessor, thereby, providing a low-cost alternative to existing designs. In certain embodiments, low-power operation is accomplished by utilizing a simplified digital signal processing scheme that requires…
Systems and methods to monitor current in switching converters
Granted: February 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9575096
Various embodiments of the invention increase current monitoring accuracy in switching converters. In particular, certain embodiments of the invention allow reduce noise associated with transients that are typically generated at transitions when power FETs are turn on and off and allow to accurately sense inductor DC current of switching converters, thereby, increase current monitoring accuracy without requiring any blanking circuitry. In certain embodiments of the invention, this is…
Adaptive phase delay adjustment for MEMS sensors
Granted: February 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9575089
Various embodiments of the invention allow to cancel demodulation phase error. In certain embodiments, cancellation is accomplished by determining the phase delay of a drive front end signal that is in phase with an undesired signal and digitally adjusting the demodulation signal with a calibrated signal. The phase delay may be adaptively compensated during regular circuit operation, only at predetermined times, or during a factory calibration.
Group aware current-limited amplifier and system
Granted: February 14, 2017
Patent Number:
9571039
A group-aware, current limited amplifier system including a group brownout control bus and a number of current-limited amplification channels coupled to the group brownout control bus. In an example embodiment, each current-limited amplification channel includes an amplifier, an amplifier power supply developing a current level signal that represents the amount of current being drawn by the amplifier, a brownout controller responsive to a digital audio input, the group brownout control…
Hermetic solution for thermal and optical sensor-in-package
Granted: February 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9564569
A sensor-in-package device, a process for fabricating a hermetically-sealed sensor-in-package device, and a process for fabricating a hermetically-sealed sensor-in-package device with a pre-assembled hat that employ example techniques in accordance with the present disclosure are described herein. In an implementation, the sensor-in-package device includes a substrate; at least one thermopile, at least one photodetector, at least one light-emitting diode, an ultraviolet light sensor, and…
Semiconductor package device having passive energy components
Granted: February 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9564415
A semiconductor package device is disclosed that includes a passive energy component integrated therein. In an implementation, the semiconductor package device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The semiconductor substrate includes one or more integrated circuits formed proximal to the first surface. The semiconductor package device also includes a passive energy component positioned over the second surface. The passive energy component is…
Switch mode battery charger with improved battery charging time
Granted: January 31, 2017
Patent Number:
9559538
Various embodiments of the invention relate to a battery charging system that enhances the charge rate and reduces the charge time for a battery applied in a mobile device. The battery charging system is provided with an adapter output voltage, and generates a battery charging current to drive the battery. This adapter output voltage is controlled to vary within a reference voltage range which is narrowly controlled to include and track a preferred adapter voltage. The battery is…
Magnetic amplifier assisted LED constant current sink overhead voltage regulation
Granted: January 31, 2017
Patent Number:
9560705
A power circuit includes a plurality of LED strings, each LED string having multiple LEDs connected in series. A plurality of magnetic amplifiers, reset current sources, and a control circuit are used to drive each LED string with equal current and to independently regulate the amount of voltage supplied to each LED to maximize efficiency. One magnetic amplifier, one reset current source, and one current sink are dedicated to each LED string. The control circuit measures the voltage drop…
Ambient temperature measurement
Granted: January 31, 2017
Patent Number:
9557228
A temperature measuring device includes a heat plate exposed to the ambient, one or more sensor chips, and one or more device electronics that include a power transmitter, a wireless communication receiving block, and a processor. Each sensor chip includes a wireless communication transmitting block, a temperature sensor, a signal processing block, and an energy harvesting circuit. The heat plate and the sensor chips are positioned within an indent formed in an exposed surface of a…
Active bridge back powering protection and powered device interface with active bridge control
Granted: January 24, 2017
Patent Number:
9553525
A method is disclosed to at least partially prevent back powering of power sourcing equipment. In one or more implementations, the method includes detecting a magnitude of current through a current sensor, such as a transistor and/or a resistor. The active FET bridge is configured to rectify input power supplied by power sourcing equipment to a power over Ethernet (PoE) powered device. The method also includes causing the transistor to transition from a closed configuration to an open…
System including integrated optical sensors for determination of impairment of motorized system operators
Granted: January 24, 2017
Patent Number:
9549702
A system includes one or more optical sensors for the measuring and monitoring of physiological information of a motorized system operator. The system is configured to determine an incapacitation state of the motorized system operator based upon the measured physiological information. When the measured physiological information indicates an incapacitation state (intoxication level, stress level, and so forth), the system is configured to provide a response thereto including, but not…
Maintain power signature (MPS) from a powered device (PD) while power is drawn from another source
Granted: January 17, 2017
Patent Number:
9548613
A system for sinking maintain power signature (MPS) current to a rectifier bridge from a powered device (PD) controller in a Power over Ethernet (PoE) network is disclosed. In one or more implementations, the system includes a rectifier bridge configured to electrically connect to Power over Ethernet power sourcing equipment for receiving power from the power sourcing equipment. The system also includes a powered device controller operatively connected to the rectifier bridge and…
Electronic circuit arrangement for receiving low frequency electro-magnetic waves with an adjustable attenuator element
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9544043
An electronic circuit arrangement for receiving low-frequency electromagnetic waves is proposed, having an inductor (L) acting as an antenna for generating a received signal, having a first receiver (2), connected to the inductor (L), for decoding a first component of the received signal and having a second receiver (3), connected to the inductor (L), for decoding a second component of the received signal, wherein at least the second receiver (3) is connected to the inductor (L) via an…
Eliminating flicker in LED-based display systems
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9542880
A system includes a driver circuit, a modulator circuit, and a reset circuit. The driver circuit drives a plurality of light emitting diodes via a switch. The switch is controlled by a first signal having a first frequency. The driver circuit controls brightness of the light emitting diodes based on a second signal including a plurality of pulses. The modulator circuit modulates the first signal using a direct sequence spread spectrum modulation. The direct sequence spread spectrum…
Voltage transition technique for a voltage converter
Granted: January 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9541974
The present invention relates to a voltage converter based on a switching regulator, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of dynamically controlling an output of the voltage converter to rapidly transition between different power supply voltages as required in many electronic devices. The switching regulator generates an output supply voltage that tracks a voltage originally provided by an internal DAC. During the supply voltage variation, a step control signal is…
Multi-channel UV detection for improved solar spectrum and UV index estimation
Granted: January 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9534955
The present disclosure describes an ultraviolet (UV) sensor configured to detect a target UV spectrum (e.g., UVB spectrum). The UV sensor includes a first photodiode with a first UV spectral response and a second photodiode with a second UV spectral response. A filter layer having a graded spectral response is formed over the second photodiode, and the second UV spectral response is affected by a controlled parameter (e.g., thickness) of the filter layer. The UV sensor further includes a…
Systems and methods for managing cryptographic keys in a secure microcontroller
Granted: January 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9537656
The present invention relates to key management in a secure microcontroller, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of automatically and transparently employing logic or physical address based keys that may also be transferred using dedicated buses. A cryptographic engine translates a logic address to at least one physical address, and processes a corresponding data word based on at least one target key. The target key is selected from a plurality of keys based on the…
Extending RunTime with battery ripple cancellation using CPU throttling
Granted: January 3, 2017
Patent Number:
9535484
Methods of extending runtime with battery ripple cancellation in a CPU based system by providing a CPU that includes an input pin capable of throttling the power consumed by the CPU responsive to the input of a throttling signal, sensing a ripple in the form of a decrease in voltage or an increase in current responsive to a load on a CPU power supply, and when the ripple exceeds a predetermined limit, providing a throttling signal to the input pin to throttle the CPU to reduce the…
