System and method for simultaneously transporting different types of information over a power line
Granted: November 4, 2008
Patent Number:
7447200
In one embodiment, an adapter is configured for coupling to a power line to receive and propagate multiple types of information including voice and video. In general, the adapter comprises (i) a physical layer adapter including a plug for coupling to the power line and logic to support electrical and mechanical connections to the power line, and (ii) logic to process information contained in HomePlug frames received over the physical layer and to route the processed information to one of…
EEPROM memory device with cell having NMOS in a P pocket as a control gate, PMOS program/erase transistor, and PMOS access transistor in a common well
Granted: October 14, 2008
Patent Number:
7436710
A memory device including a plurality of memory cells, each with a control gate NMOS transistor sharing a floating gate with a program/erase PMOS transistor which is, in turn, connected in series with an access PMOS transistor. The memory cells are formed in a common N-Well formed in a P-substrate, the NMOS transistor being formed in a p-doped pocket or base. The program/erase PMOS includes a gate, and first and second P+ doped regions formed in the N-Well, wherein the first P+ region is…
Image-rejection mixers having high linearity and high gain and RF circuits using the same
Granted: September 9, 2008
Patent Number:
7424281
An integrated semiconductor image-rejection mixer having high linearity and high gain. In addition to the components of a classic image-rejection architecture, the present mixer has a high-frequency current-diverting stage that permits the operation of the output stage with high conversion gain and sufficient headroom for good linearity, even in cases where the supply voltage is relatively low (such as 3 V). The conversion gain of the mixer and its image-rejection performance can be…
System and method for using an output transformer for laser diode drivers
Granted: August 12, 2008
Patent Number:
7411987
A laser diode driver output stage for driving an associated laser diode device. The laser diode driver output stage includes a driver circuit adapted to receive an input data signal at an input node and provide an output signal to a positive output node and a negative output node in response to the data signal. The laser diode driver output stage further includes a transformer having a positive terminal of a first side coupled to the positive output node of the driver circuit, a negative…
Wafer level packaging process
Granted: July 1, 2008
Patent Number:
7393758
Wafer level packaging process for packaging MEMS or other devices. In some embodiments, a MEMS wafer with normal thickness is firstly bonded to a cap wafer of normal thickness, followed by a thinning on the backside of the MEMS wafer. After this, the bonded wafer stack and the capping of the hermetically packaged MEMS devices are still rigid enough to do further processing. On this basis, through vias on the thinned substrate can be easily formed and stopped on the regions to be led out…
Low power high density random access memory flash cells and arrays
Granted: January 29, 2008
Patent Number:
7324387
Low power high density random access memory flash cells and arrays using Fowler Nordheim (FN) tunneling for both programming and erasing. The memory array is divided into sectors, each sector comprising a predetermined number of rows. The bit lines are similarly segmented, each global bit line being selectively connectable to a local bit line for each sector, each local bit line being connected to the drains of all floating gate cells in a respective column of each sector. The sources of…
Curvature-corrected band-gap voltage reference circuit
Granted: November 27, 2007
Patent Number:
7301389
This band-gap circuit overcomes the deficiencies of conventional band-gap circuits by compensating for higher order temperature effects, thereby increasing accuracy. A first resistor network including two resistors is connect to a first transistor while a second resistor network that includes one resistor is connected to a second transistor. One resistor in the first resistor network has a high temperature sensitivity, and therefore produces a temperature dependent ratio of currents…
Step-up/step-down (buck/boost) switching regulator control methods
Granted: November 20, 2007
Patent Number:
7298119
A step-up/step-down switching regulator control method for a regulator having an inductor with first and second leads, a first switch for controllably coupling the first lead to a source of power, a first device between the first lead and a circuit ground, a second switch for controllably coupling the second lead to the circuit ground, and a second device between the second lead and a regulator, the method comprising operating the switches in a sequence of phases when the source of power…
Adaptation algorithm based on signal statistics for automatic gain control
Granted: October 2, 2007
Patent Number:
7277510
An adaptation process for automatic gain control is adapted to obtains the statistical characteristics of the received signal to estimate the input signal power level. The estimated input signal power level is used to adjust the gain of a variable gain amplifier for the automatic gain control.
Area-efficient, digital variable resistor with high resolution
Granted: July 31, 2007
Patent Number:
7250890
A system, apparatus and method for providing a digital variable resistor with high resolution and efficient use of substrate area is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a digital variable resistor string comprises a serial array of resistors that is connected to a parallel array of resistors through a switching network. A compensation network is coupled in parallel to the parallel array of resistors in order to compensate for resistance drift caused by non-linear responses of…
Digital DC restore methods and apparatus
Granted: June 19, 2007
Patent Number:
7233365
Digital dc restore methods and apparatus to restore the DC component of an analog waveform to a quantized reference value level at a given temporal point on a waveform, prior to an ADC. This may used to establish the relationship between the full scale digital value out of the ADC and the waveform being digitized. For a video signal, the Digital Value of Black, is compared with the value on the back porch of the video signal. The difference is converted to the analog domain by a DAC…
Minimum on time, dual supply class D amplifiers with ground speaker returns and methods of class D amplification
Granted: May 15, 2007
Patent Number:
7218173
Class D amplifiers and methods of amplification wherein a load is periodically coupled to a positive power supply connection through a first switch or a negative power supply connection through a second switch for a period responsive to an input signal. A third switch couples the load to a circuit ground connection during times when the load is not coupled to either the positive or the negative power supply connection. This provides a load current recirculation path through the ground…
System and method of signal wave shaping for spectrum control of an OFDM signal
Granted: May 8, 2007
Patent Number:
7215715
A system and method of controlling the spectrum of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal. The method comprises receiving an input frame of data samples to be modulated onto orthogonal multi-carrier signals, performing frequency domain filtering and spectrum masking on the input frame of data samples, and modulating the respective frequency modified data samples onto a plurality of carriers. Such a system may include an over sampling logic to over sample the input…
Frequency stabilization of chopper-stabilized amplifiers
Granted: April 24, 2007
Patent Number:
7209000
Frequency stabilization of chopper-stabilized amplifiers using multipath hybrid double-nested Miller compensation. The compensation may provide a desired 6 dB/oct roll off for both instrumentation amplifiers and operational amplifiers. Various embodiments are disclosed.
Analog control integrated FET based variable attenuators
Granted: April 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7205817
Analog control integrated FET based variable resistors and attenuators using the variable resistors having a wide range of monotonic and substantially linear attenuation with control voltage for use in circuits having AC signals of AC signal frequencies. The variable resistors comprise field effect devices (FETs) biased to operate in their linear region and having their bodies and gates coupled to a reference voltage and a control voltage, respectively, through impedances, typically…
Accurate voltage to current converters for rail-sensing current-feedback instrumentation amplifiers
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202738
Accurate voltage to current converters for rail-sensing current-feedback instrumentation amplifiers using folded cascode transistors. Embodiments using various degrees of cascoding, as well as using bootstrapped folded cascoded input transistors are disclosed. Circuits for sensing around the negative rail are disclosed, though circuits for sensing around the positive rail may be readily achieved by use of complementary devices.
Hot swappable pulse width modulation power supply circuits
Granted: April 3, 2007
Patent Number:
7199643
Hot swappable pulse width modulation power supply circuits preferably realized in integrated circuit form. The hot swap circuits provide for de-bouncing, controlled charging of the input capacitor of the power supply circuit and soft-start of the pulse width modulator after charging the input capacitor. Other features include a low voltage lockout, and an output for coupling to a synchronous rectifier driver to synchronize synchronous rectifiers on the secondary side of a coupling…
Signal transmission in opto-electronic devices by moving the quiescent component of a differential signal
Granted: March 20, 2007
Patent Number:
7193478
Signal transmission in opto-electronic devices by moving the quiescent component of a differential signal. Exemplary circuits and techniques are disclosed for moving the quiescent component of the differential output signal of a preamplifier amplifying the output of a photodiode to provide an indication of the received signal strength. The quiescent component is moved in response to the average diode current, either symmetrically by imposing the same change on the differential outputs of…
Efficient low EMI switching output stages and methods
Granted: March 13, 2007
Patent Number:
7190225
Efficient low EMI switching output stages and methods that may be used, by way of example, in class D amplifiers. The output stages comprise class AB output stages having complementary FETs for the output. The FETs are switched in response to a switch control signal in a manner to simultaneously switch the FETs so that both FETs are not off at the same time. The extent to which both FETs are on at the same time is controlled to maintain efficiency of the circuit, and preferably the…
Single supply direct drive amplifier
Granted: February 27, 2007
Patent Number:
7183857
A driver amplifier operative from a single DC voltage supply, coupled directly to the output load without the need for DC coupling capacitors used for preventing DC reaching the output load. An onboard power supply generates a negative voltage rail that 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 load and the need for…
