Encrypting an address-dependent value along with code to prevent execution or use of moved code
Granted: March 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8675868
A memory is organized into blocks. In a write operation, data to be stored is combined with an address-dependent value (ADV) to form a block of information, and this block is encrypted. The block of encrypted information is written into a block of memory identified by the write address of the write operation. In a read operation, the block of encrypted information is read back from the memory and is decrypted to recover the data and the ADV. The address of the memory block from which the…
Transmitter circuit with integrated power control
Granted: March 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8675770
An integrated circuit device, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes an IC package provided with a plurality of leads and enclosing: a) a buffer amplifier, b) a switching-mode power amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the buffer amplifier and having an output coupled to at least one of the plurality of leads, and c) a digital controller. A method, set forth by way of example and not limitation, for controlling the power output of a RF transmitter circuit…
Parallel, pipelined, integrated-circuit implementation of a computational engine
Granted: February 25, 2014
Patent Number:
8660193
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to parallel, pipelined, integrated-circuit implementations of computational engines designed to solve complex computational problems. One embodiment of the present invention is a family of video encoders and decoders (“codecs”) that can be incorporated within cameras, cell phones, and other electronic devices for encoding raw video signals into compressed video signals for storage and transmission, and for decoding compressed video…
Calibration for mixed-signal integrator architecture
Granted: February 25, 2014
Patent Number:
8659343
A mixed signal correlator utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. In some applications, the mixed signal correlator is used to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An external capacitor whose capacitance is measured is kept small for improved sensitivity and can be used for a variety of applications having varied integration periods for measurement. The external capacitor is kept small and can be used for varied applications by adjusting the…
Strapped dual-gate VDMOS device
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8643067
Semiconductor devices are described that include a dual-gate configuration. In one or more implementations, the semiconductor devices include a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The substrate includes a first and a second body region formed proximal to the first surface. Moreover, each body region includes a source region formed therein. The substrate further includes a drain region formed proximal to the second surface and an epitaxial region that is configured to…
Method for lowering power consumption in secure devices
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8645735
The invention relates to a secure device, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods of reducing power consumption of the secure device by limiting the amount of secure volatile memory that needs to be supplied by a battery. In a transport power mode, a sensitive data originally stored in a volatile memory is backed up in an encrypted format to a non-volatile memory, such that none or only a small area of the secure volatile memory has to be retained and powered by the…
Continuous time correlator architecture
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8643619
An analog front end circuit utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. The analog front end circuit uses coherent detection to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An analog excitation signal is modulated by a capacitor to be measured. The modulated signal is synchronously demodulated using a correlator, which includes an integrated mixing and integration circuit. The correlator includes a programmable impedance element that generates a…
Passive offset and overshoot cancellation for sampled-data circuits
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8643424
A zero-crossing detector with effective offset cancellation includes a set of series connected capacitors and an amplifier having an input terminal. An offset capacitor is operatively connected between the amplifier and the set of series connected capacitors. A switch is operatively connected to the input terminal, and an offset sampling capacitor is operatively connected to the switch. The switch connects the offset sampling capacitor to the input terminal of the amplifier during a…
Enhanced voltage-based fuel gauges and methods
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8643331
Enhanced voltage-based fuel gauges and methods that increase the accuracy of voltage-based fuel gauges and allow the use of voltage-based fuel gauges to detect current, and particularly excessive current from a battery without the use of a sense resistor. When used with a coulomb counter, the outputs of a voltage-based fuel gauge and a coulomb counter may be combined in a manner that allows the combination to provide better performance that either alone may provide. Various embodiments…
Wafer-level package device having solder bump assemblies that include an inner pillar structure
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8643150
Wafer-level package (semiconductor) devices are described that have a pillar structure that extends at least partially into a solder bump to mitigate thermal stresses to the solder bump. In implementations, the wafer-level package device may comprise an integrated circuit chip having a surface and a solder bump disposed over the surface. The wafer-level package device may also include a pillar structure disposed over the surface that extends at least partially into the solder bump.
Side wettable plating for semiconductor chip package
Granted: February 4, 2014
Patent Number:
8642461
A method for providing a semiconductor chip package with side wettable plating includes singulating a semiconductor chip package from an array of packages formed in a block format, immersing the semiconductor chip package in a bath of plating solution, contacting a lead land of the semiconductor chip package with conductive contact material within the bath of plating solution, connecting the conductive contact material to a cathode electrical potential, connecting an anode within the…
Digital power management using serial data transfer
Granted: January 28, 2014
Patent Number:
8638242
Methods and systems for digital control utilizing oversampling.
Single supply headphone driver/charge pump combination
Granted: January 28, 2014
Patent Number:
8638170
A headphone driver amplifier operative from a single DC voltage supply, coupled directly to the headphone speakers without the need for DC coupling capacitors used for preventing DC reaching the headphones. An onboard power supply generates a negative voltage rail which powers the output amplifiers, allowing driver amplifier operation from both positive and negative rails. Since the amplifiers can be biased at ground potential (0 volts), no significant DC voltage exists across the…
Vertical MOSFET device
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8629499
A MOSFET power chip includes a first vertical MOSFET and a second vertical MOSFET. The first vertical MOSFET includes a semiconductor body having a first surface defining a source and a second surface defining a drain and a gate structure formed in the semiconductor body near the second surface. A via is formed within the semiconductor body and is substantially perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The via has a first end electrically coupled to the first surface and…
System and method for automatically assigning bus addresses to slave devices
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8631179
An example method for generating bus addresses for slave devices on a two wire interface bus includes providing a base address to each of N slave devices connected to the two wire interface bus and providing a sequence of N?1 clock pulses to each of the N slave devices to provide unique bus addresses. Circuitry within each of the example slave devices is operative to receive a base address followed by a plurality of clock pulses from the host device and to increment the base address by a…
Dynamic trim method for non-volatile memory products
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8630137
A dynamic trim method includes testing a selected number of cells on a die with predetermined testing margins. Data from this testing is used to determine dynamic reference margins for improving yield. Advantageously, yield is improved by allowing functioning fast or slow units to pass wafer sort by applying the dynamic reference margins for varying processes.
Systems for integrated switch-mode DC-DC converters for power supplies
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8629663
A first control system for a power supply includes a switch-mode DC-DC converter module and an FET gate drive module. The switch-mode DC-DC converter module receives an input voltage and generates first and second voltages, the first voltage powering a DC-DC control module. The FET gate drive module selectively drives a plurality of FETs of the power supply using the second voltage thereby generating a desired output voltage from the input voltage. A second control system is directed to…
Critical conduction resonant transition boost power circuit
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8629660
A boost regulator is provided that has increased efficiency. The increased efficiency is provided by incorporating a sensing circuit that senses when the current in the boost regulator's inductor is near zero or when the voltage at its switching node is near zero or virtual ground. A switching signal is provided to the boost regulator's switching transistor when the near zero current or voltage is sensed. Switching at the near zero current or voltage moment (the “critical conduction…
LED backlight driver
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8629632
The present invention relates to a LED driver that minimizes the driver electronic pin count and integrates the short circuit protection feature. An NPN bipolar transistor is employed in a boost converter configuration to drive a LED string in the backlight display applications. The bipolar transistor is integrated with the driver electronics by two pins. Drive current is injected from the NPN transistor to the LED string to minimizing high voltage connection of each LED string to one.
Power factor correction in and dimming of solid state lighting devices
Granted: January 14, 2014
Patent Number:
8629629
An apparatus and method provides a driver circuit that provides for power factor correction (PFC) to a load, such as a solid-state lighting (SSL) device, such as, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) or an array or cluster of LEDs. A programmable reference is provided in the circuit to operate in a fixed frequency peak current mode control (FFPCMC) or in a fixed frequency average current mode control (FFACMC). A driver circuit is employed to operate the SSL device using power…
