03rd week of 2014 patent applcation highlights part 21 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20140015479 | Customer Device Presentation Unit - A consumer device presentation unit is disclosed. The consumer device presentation unit includes at least a first electric consumer device including at least a first rechargeable energy storage; at least a first autonomous energy provision unit; and a charge module coupled at least to the first autonomous energy provision unit and the first electric consumer device. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015480 | DEVICE FOR CHARGING A PORTABLE ELEMENT AND ASSOCIATED METHOD | 2014-01-16 |
20140015481 | ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY DEVICE - Provided is an electric power supply device that supplies electric energy from the outside of a vehicle ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015482 | REMOTE ANNUNCIATOR FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT - A remote annunciator for electric vehicle supply equipment includes a housing, and an interface to the electric vehicle supply equipment consisting of a number of power conductors, a number of ground conductors, and a number of control conductors. A plurality of indicators on the housing are structured to provide a remote annunciation function for the electric vehicle supply equipment. A circuit structured to drive the indicators drives the indicators based upon information from only the number of power conductors, the number of ground conductors and the number of control conductors of the interface. The number of control conductors have a control function other than driving the indicators. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015483 | BATTERY MANAGEMENT UNIT FOR VEHICLE - The battery management unit for a vehicle includes a charger mounted on the vehicle, configured to connect to an external power source and charge an assembled battery including a plurality of cells with electric power from the external power source; a memory that records which cell is a lowest cell having the lowest voltage when the battery is fully charged; and a cell-balancer that carries out cell-balancing on the voltage of the battery by discharging, when the charger is not charging the battery, the cells having a voltage higher than a current voltage of the lowest cell to the current value of the lowest cell. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015484 | IN-VEHICLE CHARGER - Provided is an in-vehicle charger capable of reliably obtaining charging control parameters prior to charging and capable of safe charging. In this charger, a charging unit ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015485 | CHARGING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE, VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH CHARGING DEVICE, AND OFFSET CORRECTION METHOD FOR CURRENT SENSOR - A vehicle is configured to be able to charge an electrical storage device using an external power supply outside the vehicle. A charger receives electric power supplied from the external power supply to charge the electrical storage device. A current sensor detects a current input to or output from the electrical storage device. During external charging, when the charger and the auxiliary load are turned off and a determination condition for determining that the current (IB) is zero on the basis of the value detected by the current sensor is satisfied, the controller carries out offset learning of the current sensor. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015486 | VEHICLE CHARGING DEVICE - Provided is a vehicle charging device vehicle charging device ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015487 | ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT - Electric vehicle supply equipment includes an enclosure, an electric vehicle supply circuit for providing a flow of current to an electric vehicle, a charge circuit interrupting device, the charge circuit interrupting device arranged to interrupt the flow of current to the electric vehicle, a grounding monitor circuit, the grounding monitor circuit coupled to grounding conductors, the grounding monitor circuit having a grounding output signal, a ground default detection circuit, the ground fault detection circuit coupled to current carrying conductors, the ground fault detection circuit having a fault detection output signal, a controller, the controller coupled to the grounding monitor circuit, the ground fault detection circuit and the charge circuit interrupting device, the controller arranged to control the charge circuit interrupting device, and logic arranged to receive the grounding and fault detection signals and the control signal, and assert a close signal based upon the grounding and fault detection signals. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015488 | Battery with Individual Cell Management - The invention relates to a battery comprising a plurality of modules arranged in series, characterised in that a module comprises a cell and a cell switch arranged in series with the cell, and in that a circuit for controlling the cell switch is electrically fed directly by at least one cell of a module of the battery. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015489 | System and Method Used to Charge the Batteries of a Vehicle - A system used to charge a battery of an electric or gas/electric vehicle is disclosed. The system comprises an axle having a rear suspension, at least one voltage generating device and a voltage regulator. The axle is attached to a wheel of a vehicle. The voltage generating device is fitted in line with and driven by the axle. The voltage regulating device is configured to operate by modulating the small field of current of the voltage generating device to produce a constant voltage at the battery terminals. In one embodiment, a gear box may be used with the system. In another embodiment, a shield may be used to protect the voltage generating devices. A method used to charge a battery of an electric or gas/electric vehicle is also disclosed. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015490 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING BATTERY BALANCING CONTROL WITH AID OF PLUGGABLE MECHANISM - A method for performing battery balancing control with aid of pluggable mechanism is provided. The method is applied to a power supply device. The method includes the steps of: providing a pluggable external module, wherein the pluggable external module includes a first connection port, and further includes a set of external balancing circuits corresponding to a set of battery cells of a specific battery module within the power supply device, respectively; and on a case of the specific battery module, providing a second connection port corresponding to the first connection port, allowing the pluggable external module to be coupled to the specific battery module with aid of the pluggable mechanism formed with the first connection port and the second connection port, in order to utilize the set of external balancing circuits to perform balancing operations on the set of battery cells. Associated apparatuses are further provided. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015491 | INTERNALLY REFERENCED SCALABLE AUTO DISCHARGE METHOD FOR HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A circuit for discharging a battery including a voltage divider network having a plurality of resistors and being electrically coupled in parallel with the battery, where the voltage divider network divides a voltage potential of the battery and where a voltage potential across one of the resistors in the voltage divider network provides a reference voltage. The circuit also includes a load electrically coupled in parallel with the battery and the voltage divider network and a switch electrically coupled in series with the load and being controlled by the reference voltage. A current flow through the load generated by the battery discharges the battery which causes the reference voltage to decrease until the reference voltage falls to a predetermined voltage that causes the switch to open so that the battery is discharged to the predetermined voltage. The switch can be a soft-switch or a hard-switch. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015492 | EXTERNALLY REFERENCED SCALABLE AUTO DISCHARGE METHOD FOR HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A system and method for discharging a high voltage vehicle battery. The system includes a discharge circuit having a reference voltage source providing a reference voltage and a load for discharging the battery. A negative terminal of the voltage source is electrically coupled to a negative terminal of the battery so that upon initiation of the discharging sequence, the battery is discharged through the load to the reference voltage. The discharge circuit can be electrically configured so that the battery, the voltage source and the load are electrically coupled in series or the battery, the voltage source and the load are electrically coupled in parallel. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015493 | SELF-OPTIMIZING POWER TRANSFER - A method is disclosed for charging a power source of a device. The method is performed by one or more processors. The one or more processors detect that a charging interface of the device and a charging interface of a charging dock are misaligned when the device is placed into contact or operational proximity with the charging dock. The device is automatically caused to move relative to the charging dock to achieve alignment. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015494 | IN-VEHICLE CHARGING DEVICE - An in-vehicle charging device is provided with: a recording unit ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015495 | BATTERY PACK, METHOD OF CHARGING THE SAME, AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME - A battery pack, a method of charging the same, and a vehicle including the same. The battery pack includes: a battery cell for storing electric power; and a Battery Management System (BMS) for controlling charging or discharging the battery cell, wherein, in order to charge the battery cell, the BMS increases a charge current in a first period of time, decreases the charge current in a second period of time, and increases the charge current again in a third period of time. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015496 | CHARGING DEVICE - A charging device has an AC power supply input part that rectifies an AC voltage, a power factor correction part that converts a rectified voltage outputted from the AC power supply input part into a DC intermediate voltage, a power conversion part that converts the intermediate voltage outputted from the power factor correction part into a charge voltage, and supplies the charge voltage to a secondary battery, an input voltage acquisition unit that acquires the rectified voltage outputted from the AC power supply input part, an output voltage acquisition unit that acquires the charge voltage outputted from the power conversion part, and a storage part in which the rectified voltage, the charge voltage, and a target intermediate voltage correlated with the rectified voltage and charge voltage are stored. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015497 | Balancing Vibrations At Harmonic Frequencies By Injecting Harmonic Balancing Signals Into The Armature Of A Linear Motor/Alternator Coupled To A Stirling Machine - Vibrations at harmonic frequencies are reduced by injecting harmonic balancing signals into the armature of a linear motor/alternator coupled to a Stirling machine. The vibrations are sensed to provide a signal representing the mechanical vibrations. A harmonic balancing signal is generated for selected harmonics of the operating frequency by processing the sensed vibration signal with adaptive filter algorithms of adaptive filters for each harmonic. Reference inputs for each harmonic are applied to the adaptive filter algorithms at the frequency of the selected harmonic. The harmonic balancing signals for all of the harmonics are summed with a principal control signal. The harmonic balancing signals modify the principal electrical drive voltage and drive the motor/alternator with a drive voltage component in opposition to the vibration at each harmonic. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015498 | STATOR ARRANGEMENT AND ELECTRICAL GENERATOR - A stator arrangement includes a stator extending in a circumferential direction and plural teeth alternating with plural slots arranged along the circumferential direction. A first wire is arranged in a first slot of the plural slots. A second wire is arranged in a second slot of the plural slots, wherein the second slot is circumferentially adjacent to the first slot. A first converter has an input terminal connected to the first wire and a second converter has an input terminal connected to the second wire. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015499 | VOLTAGE RESOLUTION ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A voltage resolution adjustment system and method increase voltage resolution of an output voltage of a processor from a first voltage resolution to a second voltage resolution. The system includes a processing module, a voltage-dividing module, and an amplifying unit. The processing module generates a first voltage of a first voltage resolution. The voltage-dividing module increases the first voltage of the first voltage resolution to a second voltage of a second voltage resolution. The amplifying unit increases the second voltage to a third voltage (i.e., the output voltage). After comparing the third voltage and the first voltage and detecting a voltage difference therebetween, the processing module generates a control signal for changing a voltage partitioning ratio of the voltage-dividing module to render the third voltage and the first voltage equal, wherein the third voltage is of the second voltage resolution. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015500 | MULTIPHASE DIGITAL CURRENT MODE CONTROLLER WITH DYNAMIC CURRENT ALLOCATION - A multiphase switching regulator includes a power stage with at least a first phase and a second phase for supplying power to a load through inductors coupling the phases to the load. The multiphase switching regulator is operated by switching the first phase at a higher switching frequency than the second phase via pulse width modulation (PWM) signals provided to the phases. A phase-specific target current is generated for each phase at the switching frequency for that phase based on the difference between an output voltage of the power stage and a reference voltage. The current in the inductors coupling the phases to the load is sensed, and a duty cycle of the PWM signal provided to each phase is adjusted based on the phase-specific target current and sensed inductor current for that phase. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015501 | CIRCUIT FOR DRIVING GATE OF POWER MOS TRANSISTOR - A circuit for driving a gate of a power MOS transistor includes an adaptive pull-up unit and an adaptive pull-down unit. The adaptive pull-up unit is connected between a first power source voltage and the gate of the power MOS transistor. The adaptive pull-up unit maximizes pull-up current driving ability. The adaptive pull-down unit is connected between a second power source voltage and the gate of the power MOS transistor. The adaptive pull-down unit maximizes pull-down current driving ability. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015502 | LOW DROPOUT VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF - A low dropout voltage regulator is provided. The low dropout voltage regulator includes a comparison unit, a buck unit, a feedback unit and a current-drawing unit. The comparison unit is used for receiving a reference voltage and a feedback voltage, and comparing the reference voltage and the feedback voltage to output a first voltage. The buck unit is used for receiving an input voltage and the first voltage and transferring the input voltage to a output voltage. The feedback unit is used for receiving the output voltage, and converting the output voltage to a feedback voltage, and then transmitting the feedback voltage to the comparison unit. The current-drawing unit determines whether to draw a portion of a first current generated by the buck unit, so as to stabilize the output voltage. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015503 | BOOT-STRAP CIRCUIT AND VOLTAGE CONVERTING DEVICE THEREOF - A boot-strap circuit for a voltage converting device includes a boot-strap capacitor; a charging module, for charging the boot-strap capacitor; and a protection module, for detecting a capacitor voltage of the boot-strap capacitor and adjusting conducting statuses of one of an upper-bridge switch and a lower-bridge switch of the voltage converting device according to the capacitor voltage and a duty cycle signal utilized for controlling conducting statuses of the upper-bridge switch and the lower-bridge switch. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015504 | VOLTAGE GENERATING CIRCUIT - A voltage generating circuit, in which the influence of offset of an amplifier on an output voltage is reduced, has first and second bipolar transistors (Q | 2014-01-16 |
20140015505 | Efficient Energy Use in Low Power Products - Techniques are provided that can extend the efficiency of a switching regulator further into the low current region by making use of the available knowledge on predictable load variations and voltage ripple tolerance across different states, providing improved efficiency and reducing total current consumption. The load current requirement in low power states is provided using switch mode rather than linear regulation, the switch mode operation being controlled by a mode dependent control circuit so as to minimize the energy cost of the switching operation in each mode and thus obtain improved efficiency from the power source. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015506 | POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF - A power conversion apparatus and a controlling method thereof are disclosed. The power conversion apparatus is applied with a power generation apparatus, which outputs a first signal. The power conversion apparatus includes a conversion-sensing circuit, a control signal generating circuit and a switching circuit. The conversion-sensing circuit converts the first signal into a second signal, and senses at least a voltage waveform change of the second signal to generate a time interval. The control signal generating circuit is electrically connected with the conversion-sensing circuit and outputs a control signal according to the time interval. The switching circuit is electrically connected with the power generation apparatus and the control signal generating circuit, and has a plurality switching elements. The switching circuit receives the first signal and conducts one of the switching elements according to the control signal so as to convert the first signal and output an output signal. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015507 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING POWER IN MOBILE TERMINAL - An apparatus for supplying power in a mobile terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a battery, a power management integration circuit including a buck-boost converter for converting a battery voltage to output a specific voltage, and a plurality of regulators for regulating the specific voltage output from the buck-boost converter to voltages of respective corresponding constituent elements and for outputting the regulated voltages, the buck-boost converter operating in a buck mode when the battery voltage is greater than the specific voltage, and the buck-boost converter operating in a boost mode when the battery voltage is less than the specific voltage, such that the constituent elements include a controller for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal, a touch panel for generating an input and for providing the generated input signal to the controller, and a display unit for displaying an operation of the mobile terminal under control of the controller. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015508 | INDUCTOR THAT SWITCHES BETWEEN COUPLED AND DECOUPLED STATES - An apparatus includes first core spaced from a second core. The second core has a first section with a first winding, a second section with a second winding, and a third section between the first and second sections. At least one filler is included between the first core and the third section of the second core. The operational state of the apparatus changes based on the amount of magnetic flux through the filler. When the flux is at an unsaturated level, the first and second windings operate as decoupled inductors. When the flux is at a saturated level, the first and second windings operate as a coupled inductor. The amount of magnetic flux through the filler may be determined based on the size of the current through one or more of the windings and/or the magnetic permeability of the filler material. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015509 | BANDGAP REFERENCE CIRCUIT AND REGULATOR CIRCUIT WITH COMMON AMPLIFIER - A bandgap voltage reference and voltage regulator system includes a bandgap voltage reference circuit and a voltage regulator circuit that share a single, common amplifier. The amplifier acts as a gain stage for the reference circuit and as an error amplifier for a driver stage of the regulator circuit. The regulator circuit has an input reference generated by the reference circuit, and the reference circuit acts as a load to the driver stage, obviating the need for a bias resistance network. By sharing the amplifier and obviating the need for a resistance network, the area and overall quiescent current of the system are reduced. The system can be implemented in CMOS/BiCMOS technology and is suited for low power applications. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015510 | Method And Device For Linearizing A Transformer - A method for linearizing voltage transmission through a transformer including a magnetic core and, input and output windings. A measurement signal is supplied to the input winding at a first frequency and an output signal is measured at the output winding of the transformer, wherein the voltage of the measurement signal may be so low that the transformer operates in a non-linear region. The method includes, for a conditioning signal, selecting a second frequency different from the first frequency, defining an amplitude value of the conditioning signal and supplying the conditioning signal to the input winding at the second frequency with the defined amplitude value so that the transformer operates in its linear region. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015511 | ENHANCED CONDUCTIVE FLUID SENSOR FOR HV LIQUID COOLED BATTERY PACKS - A sensor for detecting leaked cooling fluid in a battery pack or container. The sensor is part of a sensor wire, where one end of the wire is electrically coupled to the positive terminal or the negative terminal of the battery pack and the other end of the wire is positioned at a location where the leaked cooling fluid may accumulate. A fault isolation detection circuit monitors a voltage output from the sensor and determines that there is a cooling fluid leak if the measured voltage potential is greater than a predetermined voltage threshold. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015512 | Diagnostic Device, Apparatus and Method - A diagnostic device comprises a comparison section to compare an input voltage with a threshold voltage, wherein the input voltage is a power supply voltage for a component on a circuit board; and an indicator to provide an indication of the result of the comparison by the comparison section, the indication to render the circuit board identifiable to direct inspection, wherein the supply of power to the component is independent of the result of the comparison. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015513 | DEVICE FOR MEASURING A SUPPLY VOLTAGE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES - A sensor arrangement for measuring an electric voltage (U | 2014-01-16 |
20140015514 | POWER CONSUMPTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A power consumption management system includes: a main part that is connected to a power line; a breaker that is electrically connected to the main part, and limits a current supplied to a load to a predetermined set value; a sensor unit including a current sensor and a signal processing part. The current sensor measures a current supplied from the main part to the breaker, and outputs a current detection signal based on the measured current. The signal processing part receives the current detection signal over a predetermined time, determines a range of a signal level from the received current detection signal, and adjusts an input range of the current detection signal in accordance with the determination result. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015515 | Shunt Resistance Type Current Sensor - A shunt resistance type current sensor includes a bus bar which has a flat plate shape, a circuit board which is provided on the bus bar, connecting terminal portions which are extended from the bus bar, and are electrically connected to the circuit board, and a voltage detecting section which is provided on the circuit board and detects a voltage value applied to the circuit board through the connecting terminal portions for detecting the amplitude of a measured electric current flowing through the bus bar. The connecting terminal portions are formed in pair by being protruded towards each other, and each of the connecting terminal portions is a cantilever that rises from a flat plate part of the bus bar. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015516 | AN AC CURRENT OR VOLTAGE SENSOR - A current sensing device ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015517 | POWER DETECTING APPARATUS - A power detecting apparatus detects electrical power consumed by a load by multiplication of voltage information detected by a voltage detecting unit and current information detected by a current detecting unit. The power detecting apparatus includes: a switching unit including a single pole double throw relay that switches between a first circuit, in which a current flows through both of the voltage detecting unit and the current detecting unit, and a second circuit, in which a flow of a current to the voltage detecting unit is interrupted and a current flows through a bypass path to bypass the current detecting unit; and a control unit that performs control to switch to the first circuit when the power detection is to be performed, and control to switch to the second circuit when the power detection is not to be performed. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015518 | LENS MODULE TESTING DEVICE - A device for testing a multiplicity of lens modules includes a base, a circuit board, a connection member, and a support assembly. The base includes a support surface. The support surface includes a loading area and a slide area. The circuit board is positioned on the base in the loading area. The circuit board includes a number of signal input interfaces. The connection element includes a shell and a number of elastic and flexible metal elements. Each metal element connects to the number of signal input interfaces. The support assembly supports the lens modules, and can slide in the slide area to bring the metal elements into electrical contact with the lens modules. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015519 | Flow Valve and Method of Manufacturing such a Valve - Flow valve comprising a casing ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015520 | 180-DEGREE ARC POSITION ENCODER WITH AN EXTENDED ANGULAR POSITION SENSING RANGE - This disclosure describes techniques for sensing an angular position of a rotating object over an angular position range that includes up to 360 degrees using an arc position encoder comprising a substantially 180-degree angular position sensing range. The encoder may include a base comprising an arc length defined by a first and a second end, one or more magnetic field sensors disposed within the base between the first and second ends, and one or more polarity transition sensors also disposed within the base between the first and second ends. The encoder may further include a magnetic target that includes first and second magnetic poles disposed on opposite ends so as to generate a uniform magnetic field, wherein the magnetic target is coupled to the rotating object so as to rotate about an axis of rotation located substantially in a center of a circle defined by the base. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015521 | CONDUIT SENSOR DEVICE WITH MAGNETIC SHUNT AND PROCESS FOR MODIFYING A MAGNETIC FIELD - A conduit sensor device comprises a first end portion, a second end portion, a first magnet rotor assembly residing proximate the first end portion of the device and rotatable between first and second positions, a second magnet rotor assembly residing proximate the second end portion of the device and rotatable between first and second positions. The first magnet rotor assembly includes a first plurality of magnets axially arranged about a first axis. The first magnet rotor assembly includes a first top portion and a first bottom portion securing the first plurality of magnets within the first magnet rotor assembly. The second magnet rotor assembly includes a second plurality of magnets axially arranged about a second axis. The second magnet rotor assembly includes a second top portion and a second bottom portion securing the second plurality of magnets within the second magnet rotor assembly. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015522 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION OF METAL OBJECTS IN A PREDETERMINED SPACE - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for detecting foreign objects. In one aspect an apparatus for detecting a presence of an object in a magnetic field is provided. The apparatus includes a power circuit configured to generate the magnetic field and transfer power wirelessly at a level sufficient to power or charge a load via the magnetic field. The apparatus further includes a detection circuit configured to transmit signals and detect, based on a reflection of the transmitted signals, a frequency of vibration of the object caused by the magnetic field. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015523 | SENSOR DEVICE, A DETECTOR ARRANGEMENT AND A METHOD FOR DETECTING ARCING - Detecting arcing events in a DC driven semiconductor tool is a challenging process. Various embodiments comprise dedicated sensor devices capable of detecting arcing events by observing the slope of voltage and/or current of a DC power supply line. Using the incorporated interfaces, the sensor could be connected to a computer system. Besides the detector arrangement the unit also provides a method and a corresponding computer program product. Furthermore a simple detection, the unit has the capability of separating the events into its severeness. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015524 | INTEGRATED INTERCONNECT AND MAGNETIC-FIELD DETECTOR FOR CURRENT SENSING - A device is provided. The device may include a first electrical connector, a second electrical connector, an interconnect, and a magnetic field detector. The interconnect is mounted in electrical contact with the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector and includes a loop. The magnetic field detector is located in proximity to the loop of the interconnect. The magnetic field detector is located to detect a current flowing in the interconnect when the current flows in the interconnect. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015525 | INTEGRATED MULTILAYER MAGNETORESISTIVE SENSOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A magnetic-field sensor includes: a chip including a substrate having a first surface and an insulating layer covering the first surface; first and second magnetoresistors each extending into the insulating layer and having a main axis of magnetization and a secondary axis of magnetization; a first magnetic-field generator configured to generate a first magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the first magnetoresistor; a second magnetic-field generator configured to generate a second magnetic field having field lines along the main axis of magnetization of the second magnetoresistor. The main axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other and the secondary axes of magnetization extending transversely to each other. The first and second magnetoresistors extend into the insulating layer at a first distance and a second distance, respectively, that differ from one another, from the first surface. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015526 | NUCLEAR MAGNETIC FLOWMETER - A nuclear magnetic flowmeter with a measuring tube through which a multiphase medium can flow and which can be connected to an inlet tube which is located in the flow direction of the medium upstream of the measuring tube and to an outlet tube which is located in the flow direction downstream of the measuring tube. The nuclear magnetic flowmeter is, first of all, characterized essentially in that a medium bypass is assigned to the measuring tube, that the medium bypass includes a bypass tube, an inlet valve and/or an outlet valve and that, for a calibration operation, the bypass tube, on the one hand, can be connected to the inlet tube, and on the other hand, to the outlet tube, specifically via the inlet valve, via the outlet valve or via the inlet valve and via the outlet valve. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015527 | Through-Time GRAPPA - Example apparatus and methods control a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus to acquire, from an object to be imaged, throughout a period of time, a partitioned non-Cartesian fully-sampled calibration data set. Different groups of lines in the calibration data set are acquired at different points in time under different gradient encoding conditions that yield phase encoding in the direction perpendicular to the non-Cartesian encoded plane. The MRI apparatus is controlled to acquire an under-sampled non-Cartesian data set from the object to be imaged and to reconstruct an image from the under-sampled data set based, at least in part, on a through-time GRAPPA calibration. A GRAPPA weight set can be computed from data in different groups of lines in the calibration data set because different groups of lines can be treated as unique calibration time frames due to phase encoding produced by the different gradient encoding conditions. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015528 | METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS TO REDUCE MOVEMENT ARTIFACTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES - In a method and apparatus to reduce movement artifacts in magnetic resonance images an essentially unmoving area of a region to be imaged is located in a region of high sensitivity of a first group of individual local antennas, and a moving area is located in the region of high sensitivity of a second group of local antennas. Spatially coded magnetic resonance signals are received by a first group of the local antennas and are individually processed further. Spatially coded nuclear magnetic resonance signals are received by the second group of local antennas and are combined with a weighting, using weighting factors. The weighting factors are determined so as to reduce gradient of the weighted, combined, spatially dependent sensitivity of the local antennas of the second group. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015529 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PERFORMING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING - A method of performing spatially localized magnetic resonance spectroscopy includes receiving a magnetic resonance image of an object; identifying a plurality C of compartments that generate magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals in the object including at least one compartment of interest; segmenting in at least one spatial dimension the magnetic resonance image of the object into the C compartments; acquiring magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals from the compartments by applying a plurality of M′ phase encodings applied in the at least one spatial dimension, wherein M′≧C; calculating a spatially localized magnetic resonance chemical shift spectrum from the at least one compartment of interest; and rendering a spatially localized magnetic resonance spectrum that is substantially equal to a spatial average of magnetic resonance chemical shift spectra from the at least one compartment of interest. A magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging system is configured to perform the above method. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015530 | ELECTRONICS FOR A THIN BED ARRAY INDUCTION LOGGING SYSTEM - A logging tool electronics system is disclosed (FIG. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015531 | TESTING APPARATUS - The disclosure discloses a light emitting diode testing apparatus, which includes a power supply module, a probe, a control unit and a data acquisition unit. The power supply module provides a first current or a second current to a testing item. The probe measures characteristics of the testing item. The control unit controls the power supply module to provide the first current or the second current. The data acquisition unit acquires the characteristics of the testing item from the probe. The power supply module includes a first current source, at least one second current source and at least one protector. The first current source provides the first current to the testing item. The at least one second current source provides at least one additional current. The at least one protector prevents the first current from feeding back to the at least one second current source. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015532 | REMAINING LIFE DETERMINING SYSTEM FOR STATIONARY STORAGE BATTERY, AND METHOD OF DETERMINING REMAINING LIFE OF STATIONARY STORAGE BATTERY - A remaining life determining system for a stationary storage battery has a detecting unit configured to detect an evaluation value indicative of a deterioration level of the stationary storage battery, a first storage unit configured to store a usage history of the stationary storage battery, a second storage unit configured to store remaining life information associated with usage information of the stationary storage battery, a third storage unit configured to store remaining life basic information of the stationary storage battery, and a controller configured to estimate the remaining life of the stationary storage battery, from the usage history, the evaluation value, and the remaining life information. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015533 | CURRENT SENSOR - A current sensor including at least one first current detection element, which detects a load current (I | 2014-01-16 |
20140015534 | BATTERY SYSTEM CONTROLLER - A battery system controller is provided which is used for a battery system including a generator, electrical loads, a lead storage battery, a high performance storage battery which has higher-power and higher-energy density, and an opening and closing switch which switches the generator and the lead storage battery, and the high performance storage battery to an electrically conducting state or an interrupted state, a terminal voltage of the high performance storage battery being controlled so as to be lower than a terminal voltage of the lead storage battery. The battery system controller includes a control unit which allows the opening and closing switch to switch from an electrically conducting state to an interrupted state on the condition that charging current flowing to the high performance storage battery is smaller than a determination value, the larger an internal resistance of the lead storage battery, the smaller the determination value is set. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015535 | DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR BATTERY CELL FAULT DETECTION - A battery cell assembly includes a battery cell, a pouch, and a conductive lead. The pouch surrounds the battery cell and includes an inner insulative jacket, an outer insulative jacket, and a conductive foil disposed between the inner and outer insulative jackets. The conductive lead extends through the outer insulative jacket and is electrically coupled to the conductive foil. The conductive lead is configured to electrically couple to battery circuitry for monitoring a voltage on the conductive foil to determine a fault condition. The battery circuitry may include measurement circuitry for measuring the voltage on the conductive foil and logic circuitry for determining a fault condition based on the measured voltage. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015536 | Battery System for Measuring Battery Module Voltages - A battery system includes at least one module which comprises a large number of battery cells. Each module has an associated cell voltage detection unit which is connected to an evaluation unit by a communications bus. Each module additionally includes a module voltage detection circuit which is connected to the evaluation unit. The disclosure also relates to a method for monitoring a battery system having at least one module comprising a large number of battery cells. A voltage of each of the battery cells is detected and supplied to an evaluation unit by a cell voltage detection unit. In addition, a module voltage is separately detected and supplied to the evaluation unit. The disclosure also describes a motor vehicle having a battery system. The battery system is connected to a drive system of the motor vehicle. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015537 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR BATTERY ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF DETERMINING REUSE OF BATTERY ASSEMBLY - A control system for a battery assembly that consists of a plurality of batteries determines whether the battery assembly can be reused, by using detected values of the open voltage, internal resistance and full charge capacity of each of the batteries, as evaluation parameters. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015538 | Method of Measuring Earth Ground Resistance of a Pylon - The present disclosure relates generally to a facilitated method for accurately measuring the earth ground resistance of a ground rod, in particular a footing of a pylon acting as a ground rod or a ground rod attached to the footings of a pylon, and obtaining an overall value for the resistance of the pylon. A method of determining the earth ground resistance of two or more pylon footings is provided according to the present disclosure, comprising conducting selective measurements of each footing of a pylon consecutively and wherein true values for the resistance of each footing measured are calculated. According to the present disclosure, the testing means is connected directly to two auxiliary electrodes which are placed at predetermined distances from the pylon, and a current measurement means which is placed around a pylon footing in order to measure the current flowing along the footing. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015539 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A LOCATION OF FAULT IN A CABLE - A system for detecting a location of fault in a cable includes a cable transmitting a fault current, a current transforming unit connected to the cable and receiving the fault current and detecting an original signal of fault current, a detecting unit detecting a first detail signal and a second detail signal from the original signal of fault current, where both signals are detail components in a high frequency band, a comparing unit comparing the first detail signal with a preset reference value and determining a fault in the cable, and a signal filtering unit generating a first filtering signal and a second filtering signal by use of the first detail signal and the second detail signal and outputting a fault detection signal based on a result of comparing both signals. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015540 | Method for Ascertaining at least one Malfunction of a Conductive Conductivity Sensor - A method and a sensor for ascertaining at least one malfunction of a conductive conductivity sensor having at least two electrodes applying a first electrical variable to the electrodes measuring at least a second electrical variable on the electrodes and deciding whether a malfunction is present based on measuring the second electrical variable. The second electrical variable is located in a first range when measuring the medium when no malfunction is present, and the second electrical variable is located in a second range in the case of a first malfunction, especially when the conductivity sensor is located at least partially outside of the medium, and the second electrical variable is located in a third range when a second malfunction is present, especially an electrode break or a break in a line to the electrodes. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015541 | ELECTRIC FIELD MEASURING DEVICE - In the electric field measuring device, a DC bias circuit applying a DC bias voltage to an optical intensity modulator is disposed in an area, and a DC bias control portion controlling a DC bias voltage is disposed outside the area. An electrical signal of a DC bias voltage which is output from the DC bias control portion is converted into an optical signal by an electrical-optical converter (E/O) so as to be introduced into the area via an optical fiber, and the optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by an optical-electrical converter (O/E) disposed in the area such that the electrical signal is input to the DC bias circuit. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015542 | MEASUREMENT CIRCUIT FOR LEAKAGE CURRENT OF CAPACITOR - A measurement circuit includes an instruction input unit, a charging circuit to charge a capacitor, a charging and discharging circuit to control the capacitor to leakage discharge, a control circuit, a first amplifying circuit, and a display unit. The control circuit receives a measurement instruction through the instruction input unit to control the charging circuit to charge the capacitor, and receives a stop charging signal from the charging circuit when a voltage of the capacitor reaches a saturation voltage for controlling the charging circuit to stop charging the capacitor. The first amplifying circuit measures a leakage voltage of the capacitor, amplifies the measured leakage voltage, and outputs the amplified leakage voltage to the control circuit. The display unit displays the leakage voltage of the capacitor. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015543 | SIGNAL SAMPLER WITH A CALIBRATION CIRCUIT - A circuit configured to sample a signal of a source circuit and to provide calibration signals to a testing device of the signal sampled from the source circuit. The circuit may include an amplifier, a sampling circuit, and a calibration circuit. The amplifier may be configured to drive signals on an internal node to the testing device. The sampling circuit may be configured to provide a sample of a signal from the source circuit to the internal node. The calibration circuit may be configured to provide a first calibration signal and a second calibration signal to the internal node. The second calibration signal may be a known proportion of the first calibration signal. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015544 | DETECTION CIRCUIT FOR CAPACITIVE SENSOR - A detection circuit for a capacitive sensor includes a drive signal generator for applying drive signal to a sensor common terminal, a sense amplifier having input terminals respectively connected to sensor detection terminals, and a controller for controlling input common-mode voltage of the sense amplifier to predetermined voltage. The controller includes a feedback amplifier for outputting feedback voltage according to difference between the common-mode and predetermined voltages, a pair of first feedback capacitors having one ends respectively connected to the detection terminals and another ends connected together, a second feedback capacitor having one end connected to the other ends, and a voltage switcher for applying first preset voltage to the other ends during first level of the drive signal and for applying second preset voltage to the other ends and the predetermined voltage to another end of the second feedback capacitor during second level of the drive signal. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015545 | METHOD FOR INSPECTING HOLLOW FIBER FILTRATION MODULES - Analyze a hollow fiber filter module for defects by providing a membrane header assembly with a header having a conduit defined there-through by a wall with multiple holes and a hollow fiber membrane inserted into a hole, directing a probe device with a sensor through the conduit, receiving sensory response information with the sensor, the sensory response information containing information sufficient to identify defect in the form of a hole lacking a hollow fiber membrane, a hole that has a hollow fiber membrane inserted to a non-desired depth, or both and then interpreting the sensory response information to detect such defects if they exist. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015546 | OBJECT DETECTION AND ESTIMATION IN RFID SYSTEMS - A radio frequency (RF) object detector is disclosed. The RF object detector in example embodiments transmits an RF signal. A receiver measures the amplitude, the phase, or both the amplitude and phase of the signal as reflected from objects in an interrogation zone. The RF object detector can be deployed in a combined system that performs multiple functions. For example, the RF object detector can be integrated with an EAS system that also sends RFID commands and receives RFID responses. In some embodiments the object detector can discriminate between moving objects and stationary objects, and/or discriminate between objects in the interrogation zone and objects outside the interrogation zone, and/or provide location estimates. An antenna or antennas can be connected in a mono-static or bi-static configuration and the phase and/or amplitude signals can be either DC-coupled or AC-coupled into the system through a mixer. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015547 | HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE RF POWER MONITOR - A device with at least one channel for measuring high dynamic range, radio frequency (RF) power levels over broad-ranging duty cycles includes a power sensor circuit comprising at least one logarithmic amplifier; at least one directional RF coupler electrically connected to the at least one power sensor; at least one RF attenuator electrically connected to the at least one RF coupler; and at least one sampling circuit electrically connected to the at least one RF attenuator and the at least one RF coupler. The at least one sampling circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion of electrical signals received to provide digitals signals for measuring the RF power level in the at least one channel. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015548 | NANOSCALE SENSORS WITH NANOPOROUS MATERIAL - A nanocoaxial sensor includes an outer conductor, an inner conductor, a nanoporous dielectric material disposed between the outer and inner conductors, a nanocavity sized to allow target species to enter the nanocavity between the outer and inner conductors. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015549 | TOUCH MODULE HAVING A DYNAMIC CAPACITANCE MATCHING MECHANISM - A touch module having a dynamic capacitance matching mechanism, including: a comparator, having a first input end and a second input end, the second input end being coupled with a reference voltage; a touch capacitive circuit, having a variable touch capacitor, a voltage source, and a second output end, wherein the voltage source is used to perform a charging procedure on the variable touch capacitor, and the variable touch capacitor is coupled to the first input end of the comparator via the second output end after the charging procedure; and a transferred-charge-storing capacitive circuit, having a variable transferred-charge-storing capacitor and a third output end, wherein the variable transferred-charge-storing capacitor is used to couple with the first input end of the comparator via the third output end to perform a charge transfer procedure. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015550 | DETECTION CIRCUIT FOR CAPACITIVE SENSOR - A detection circuit for a capacitive sensor includes a drive signal generator for applying drive signal varying between first and second levels to a sensor common terminal, a sense amplifier having input terminals respectively connected to sensor detection terminals, and a controller for controlling input common-mode voltage of the sense amplifier to predetermined voltage. The controller includes a feedback amplifier for outputting feedback voltage according to difference between the common-mode and predetermined voltages, a pair of feedback capacitors having one ends respectively connected to the detection terminals and another ends connected together, and a voltage switcher for applying preset voltage, between the predetermined voltage and a limit voltage outputtable by the feedback amplifier in direction where the second level exists relative to the first level, to the other ends during the first level and the feedback voltage to the other ends during the second level. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015551 | SALINITY SENSOR FOR EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING - The invention is a method of measuring salinity that presents an alternative to conventional salinity sensors that require AC voltage to measure salinity. The use of AC voltage is undesirable due to the need for two accurate analog measurements (current and voltage) and, in the case of computer based measurements both analog measurements must be converted to a digital signal. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015552 | SINGLE-POSITION HALL EFFECT MEASUREMENTS - A method for determining a distance (Y) between a first position on and an electrical boundary ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015553 | MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING RESISTANCE OF MEMORY CELL - A memory device includes a plurality of resistive memory units configured to receive a voltage of a corresponding line of a plurality of program/read lines, a plurality of switch units configured to each electrically connect a corresponding one of the resistive memory units with a corresponding line of a plurality of column lines in response to a voltage of a corresponding line of a plurality of row lines, where the program/read lines correspond to the row lines, respectively, a row control circuit configured to turn on the switch units by selecting at least one of the row lines and apply an external voltage to a program/read line corresponding to the selected row line in a first test mode, and a column control circuit configured to select at least one of the column lines and couple the selected column line with a ground voltage terminal in the first test mode. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015554 | INSPECTION APPARATUS - An inspection apparatus includes an insulating substrate, a socket in which a body portion having a through-hole in a wall thereof is integrally formed with a connection portion secured to the insulating substrate, and a contact probe detachably secured to the socket. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015555 | HARDWARE-IN-THE-LOOP GRID SIMULATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD - A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) electrical grid simulation system and method that combines a reactive divider with a variable frequency converter to better mimic and control expected and unexpected parameters in an electrical grid. The invention provides grid simulation in a manner to allow improved testing of variable power generators, such as wind turbines, and their operation once interconnected with an electrical grid in multiple countries. The system further comprises an improved variable fault reactance (reactive divider) capable of providing a variable fault reactance power output to control a voltage profile, therein creating an arbitrary recovery voltage. The system further comprises an improved isolation transformer designed to isolate zero-sequence current from either a primary or secondary winding in a transformer or pass the zero-sequence current from a primary to a secondary winding. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015556 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFORMING TEST TOOLING TO INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE PROFILES WITH COMPLIANT PEDESTALS - A test socket assembly, useful in association with a thermal control unit used to maintain a set point temperature on an IC device under test, has at least one compliant pedestal is configured to facilitate the testing of integrated circuits where the device under test comprises a substrate having multiple IC chips with different heights and testing requirements. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015557 | Measurement Apparatus and Method - A method and apparatus for extracting the contents ( | 2014-01-16 |
20140015558 | CURRENT APPLYING DEVICE - A current applying device is provided in which a contact body which surface-contacts with an inspection target body makes contact with the surface of the inspection target body uniformly; current can be favorably applied from the contact body to the inspection target body; and the contact body alone can be replaced. A probe device | 2014-01-16 |
20140015559 | SOCKET FOR TESTING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND TEST EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THE SAME - A test socket has a housing with an inlet configured to receive a substrate. A plurality of terminals are coupled to the housing, and a plurality of sliding pins are coupled to the terminals. The pins are configured to make contact with respective pads or terminals of the substrate to be tested. The pins have different lengths or positions to send and receive test signals. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015560 | INTERFACE BOARD OF A TESTING HEAD FOR A TEST EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND CORRESPONDING PROBE HEAD - An interface board of a testing head for a test equipment of electronic devices is described. The testing head includes a plurality of contact probes, each contact probe having at least one contact tip suitable to abut against contact pads of a device to be tested, as well as a contact element for the connection with a board of the test equipment. Suitably, the interface board comprises a substrate and at least one redirecting die housed on a first surface of that substrate and a plurality of contact pins projecting from a second surface of that substrate opposed to the first surface. The redirecting die includes at least one semiconductor substrate whereon at least a first plurality of contact pads is realized, suitable to contact a contact element of a contact probe of the testing head, the contact pins being suitable to contact the board. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015561 | HIGH FREQUENCY PROBE CARD - A high frequency probe card includes at least one substrate having at least one first opening, an interposing plate disposed on the at least one substrate and having at least one second opening corresponding to the at least one first opening, a circuit board disposed on the interposing plate and having a third opening corresponding to the at least one first and second openings, and at least one probe module including at least one N-type ground probe and at least one high frequency signal probe passing through the corresponding substrate, the interposing plate and the third opening and being electrically connected with the circuit board. Each high frequency signal probe includes an N-type signal probe and a first conductor corresponding to the N-type signal probe and being electrically connected with the N-type ground probe. An insulation layer is disposed between the first conductor and the N-type signal probe. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015562 | PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC MONITORING CIRCUIT AND METHOD - A performance characteristic monitoring circuitry includes a first delay circuitry providing a first delay path, where transmission of a data value over that first delay path incurs a first delay that varies in dependence on the performance characteristic. Reference delay circuitry is also included to provide a reference delay path, where transmission of the data value over the reference delay path incurs a reference delay. The reference delay circuitry includes components configured to provide a capacitive loading on the reference delay path in order to produce a self-compensating effect on the reference delay that causes the reference delay to be less sensitive than the first delay to variation in the performance characteristic. Comparison circuitry is then used to generate the output signal of the monitoring circuitry in dependence on a comparison of the first delay and the reference delay. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015563 | TRACE STRUCTURE FOR THE TOUCH PANEL AND ELECTRICAL TESTING METHOD - A trace structure for a touch panel having a transparent substrate with a touch sensing region and a border region surrounding the touch sensing region, the trace structure including: a plurality of traces disposed on the transparent substrate and within the border region; a plurality of bonding pads disposed in the border region of the transparent substrate, wherein each bonding pad has a first side and a second side, and the first side of each bonding pad is connected to a corresponding trace of the plurality of traces; and at least two trace extending portions extended toward an outer edge of the border region from the second side of two of the plurality of bonding pads. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015564 | SINGLE EVENT TRANSIENT AND UPSET MITIGATION FOR SILICON-ON-INSULATOR CMOS TECHNOLOGY - A circuit and methods for mitigating radiation-induced Single Event Effects (SEE) in Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits are presented. A primary logic output is generated from a primary logic gate in response to an input. A redundant logic output is generated from a redundant logic gate that duplicates the primary logic output in response to the input if an SEE is not present. An interleaved C-gate output is generated from an interleaved C-gate that emulates an inverter output when the primary logic output and the redundant logic output match, and does not changes its output when the primary logic output and the redundant logic output do not match during the SEE. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015565 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH PROGRAMMABLE DEVICES - A circuit arrangement includes a programmable logic device. The programmable logic device includes configuration logic circuitry. The programmable logic device also includes configurable interconnects. The circuit arrangement further includes a storage device configured to provide data to the programmable logic device. The storage device communicates with the programmable logic device via a bi-directional interface. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015566 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - An object is to provide a programmable logic device having logic blocks connected to each other by a programmable switch, where the programmable switch is characterized by an oxide semiconductor transistor incorporated therein. The extremely low off-state current of the oxide semiconductor transistor provides a function as a non-volatile memory due to its high ability to hold a potential of a gate electrode of a transistor which is connected to the oxide semiconductor transistor. The ability of the oxide semiconductor transistor to function as a non-volatile memory allows the configuration data for controlling the connection of the logic blocks to be maintained even in the absence of a power supply potential. Hence, the rewriting process of the configuration data at starting of the device can be omitted, which contributes to the reduction in power consumption of the device. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015567 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN A DIGITAL CIRCUIT BY CONTROLLING THE CLOCK - A method and apparatus that controls the clock of a digital circuit, and therefore power consumption, without substantially comprising performance is provided. The apparatus may include monitoring the utilization of a First in First Out (FIFO) buffer. For example in a systems and methods according to the invention, clock speed may be reduced when the FIFO is relatively empty and increased when the FIFO is relatively full. The clock speed may be controlled by a phase locked loop, a clock divider, a clock masking device or a combination of more than one of these methods. Power reduction may also be obtained by controlling the clocking of different stages of a pipelined device. One or more aspects of the inventions may be implemented in combination with other aspects of the invention to further reduce power use. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015568 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT APPARATUS AND RADIO-FREQUENCY POWER AMPLIFIER MODULE - In a semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus and a radio-frequency power amplifier module, a log detection portion including multiple-stage amplifier circuits, multiple level detection circuits, adder circuits, and a linear detection portion including a level detection circuit are provided. Output current from the log detection portion and output current from the linear detection portion are multiplied by different coefficients and the results of the multiplication are added to each other to realize the multiple detection methods. For example, current resulting from multiplication of the output current from the log detection portion by ×6/5 is added to the output current from the linear detection portion to realize a log detection method and, current resulting from multiplication of the output current from the log detection portion by ×1/5 is added to current resulting from multiplication of the output current from the linear detection portion by ×3 to realize a log-linear detection method. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015569 | FREQUENCY SYNTHESIZER TUNING - A frequency synthesizer circuit includes a phase determinator configured to output a phase difference signal based on a phase difference between an output signal and a reference signal. The frequency synthesizer circuit may further include a voltage controlled oscillator configured, during a fine tuning mode, to generate the output signal based on the phase difference signal and a value of a frequency band signal. The voltage controlled oscillator may be further configured, during a coarse tuning mode, to generate the output signal based on a voltage and the value of the frequency band signal. The frequency synthesizer circuit may further include a control unit configured to generate the frequency band signal. The value of the frequency band signal may be static during the fine tuning mode and changing during the coarse tuning mode based on a frequency difference between the reference signal and the output signal. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015570 | SWITCHING CONTROL CIRCUIT AND SWITCHING DEVICE - A switching control circuit controls a switching circuit based on decoded signals obtained by decoding several input signals. The switching control circuit is includes a decoder circuit that outputs decoded signals obtained by decoding coded input data signals. The switching control circuit includes a driver circuit that generates control signals for controlling the switching circuit based on the decoded signals. The switching control circuit is provided with a synchronous control circuit that synchronizes the input signals before outputting them for decoding. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015571 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REGULATING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - A system for regulating semiconductor devices may include a current regulator configured to regulate one or more currents provided to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The current regulator may regulate the currents by generating a current profile based at least in part on a collector voltage value associated with the IGBT, a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, or any combination thereof The current profile may include one or more current values to be provided to a gate of the IGBT such that the current values are configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change to a first value. The current regulator may then send the one or more current values to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015572 | ULTRA LOW PHASE NOISE SIGNAL SOURCE - An apparatus and method for providing an output signal. The apparatus comprises an input for receiving a reference signal, an oscillator for providing an output signal, and an offset signal generator for frequency multiplying the reference signal to generate an offset signal that has a plurality of frequency products in a plurality of frequency bands. The apparatus further includes a mixer for mixing the offset signal with the output signal to produce a combined signal, an offset frequency selector for controllably selecting a frequency band of the offset signal, and a difference detector for detecting a difference between the reference signal and the combined signal and for providing a control signal to the oscillator based on the detected difference. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015573 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO AUTOMATICALLY SCALE DLL CODE FOR USE WITH SLAVE DLL OPERATING AT A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY THAN A MASTER DLL - A method and apparatus for scaling a DLL code for a slave DLL operating at a different frequency than a master DLL is disclosed. An apparatus includes a master DLL coupled to receive a first clock signal and a group of series-coupled slave DLLs coupled to receive a second clock signal. The master DLL may provide a specified fraction of a cycle of the first clock signal. Scaling circuitry coupled between the master DLL and the group of slave DLLs may determine a ratio of frequencies of the first clock signal to the second clock signal. Based on the ratio and a delay code from the first DLL, the scaling circuitry may generate an adjusted delay code received by the group of slave DLLs to set a delay for the second clock signal to the specified fraction. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015574 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A semiconductor device includes a delay locked loop (DLL) configured to generate a DLL clock signal by delaying a reference clock signal in response to a second delay amount tracked using a first delay amount as an initial delay amount, and track the second delay amount again by adjusting the first delay amount in response to a reset signal, and a DLL controller configured to activate the reset signal when the second delay amount deviates from a given range. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015575 | SYNCHRONOUS SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING DELAY LOCKED LOOP FOR LATENCY CONTROL - A synchronous semiconductor device includes an internal command generation unit configured to generate an internal command corresponding to a source command, a delay locked loop configured to delay a source clock by a first delay time required for delay-locking to generate a delay locked clock, a delay time determination unit configured to determine a second delay time for delay-locking the internal command using the source clock, the second delay time being determined by reflecting a third delay time generated on a command path, and a latency control unit configured to shift the internal command by a shifting period, in which the second delay time is reflected, in response to the delay locked clock. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015576 | PHASE-LOCKED LOOPS THAT SHARE A LOOP FILTER - An integrated circuit includes a first die and a second die. The first die comprising a first phase-locked loop (PLL) and the second die comprising a second PLL. The integrated circuit includes a shared loop filter, wherein the first PLL in the first die is combined with the shared loop filter to form a first PLL feedback loop, the second PLL in the second die is combined with the shared loop filter to form a second PLL feedback loop and the shared loop filter is configured to provide configurable bandwidths to each of the first PLL feedback loop and the second PLL feedback loop. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015577 | PHASE LOCKED LOOP CIRCUIT WITH REDUCED JITTER - A system and method for providing a phase-locked loop that reduces the effects of jitter caused by thermal noise of a resistor in a low-pass filter in the PLL. Thermal noise from various electronic components may cause unwanted jitter is a PLL. The size of various components in the filter are typically set to specific sizes to realize a transfer function suited for loop stability and reduction in phase jitter. In one embodiment, the jitter due to thermal noise in the resistor may be reduced by reducing the size of the gain affecting the signal through this resistor. By adjusting the size of the resistor by a scaling factor as well as other components in the PLL, one may then control a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) using two or more control signals through the LPF. | 2014-01-16 |
20140015578 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING SPREAD-SPECTRUM CLOCK CONTROL - A terminal includes control logic to control a phase-locked loop to output a spread-spectrum clocking signal. The control logic controls the generation of the spread-spectrum clocking signal by adjusting at least one parameter of the phase-locked loop. The parameter may be a charge pump setting or a loop-filter capacitance of the phase-locked loop, or their digital equivalents. Adjustment of the parameter reduces a predetermined portion of a communications spectrum. The predetermined portion may be located within a range of frequencies allocated to a specific channel, and reduction of the spectrum in this range may serve to reduce noise associated with clocking harmonics. | 2014-01-16 |