Nxp B.v.

St-ericsson Sa

Other

Dsp Group Switzerland Ag

Hermanus Johannes Effing

Jens Fleischhacker

Henricus Cornelis Johannes Buthker

Maarten Jacobus Swanenberg

Robert Kofler

Yorgos Christoforou

Deepak Gajanana

Dimitar Milkov Dochev

Dennis Aan De Stegge

Patrick Emanuel Gerardus Smeets

Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier

Alfred Ronnie Hamstra

Henricus Petronella Maria Derckx

In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit one or more radio frequency signal pulses; a detection unit configured to detect one or more load changes at a radio frequency interface occurring in response to the radio frequency signal pulses transmitted by the transmitter, wherein said load changes are indicative of the presence of an external communication device; a first clock generator comprising a free-running oscillator, wherein said first clock generator is configured to provide a clock signal to the transmitter and the detection unit while said transmitter transmits said radio frequency signal pulses and the detection unit detects said load changes. In accordance with a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding method of operating a communication device is conceived.

Communication device and operating method

A vehicle communication system includes a vehicle access module, a plurality of cables coupled to the vehicle access module, and an antenna coupled to the plurality of cables, wherein based upon short circuit analysis of the plurality of cables by the vehicle access module, the plurality of cables are decoupled from the vehicle access module. In order to determine with a short circuit exists in the plurality of cables, the short circuit analysis includes a determination as to whether a maximum of antenna current samples taken from the antenna is greater than a diagnostic parameter times an average of the antenna current samples.

Short circuit detection apparatus for resonant antenna networks and methods therefor

A circuit for measuring temperature of an external switch is disclosed. The circuit includes a variable resistor, a switch coupled to the variable resistor in series, a fixed value resistor coupled to the variable resistor and a comparator coupled between the variable resistor and the fixed value resistor. The circuit is configured to compare voltage drop between a drain and a source of the external switch when the external switch is in ON state with voltage drop at the variable resistor and output a signal to indicate an overtemperature based on the comparing.

Thermal protection of SMPS switch

A switching amplifier circuit () connected to drive an impedance-based output load () includes high side and low side switches (-) configured and connected to connect first and second supply voltage lines to first and second output nodes (ANTP, ANTN) in response to gating control signals, and also includes an output current sensing circuit for measuring a current through the output load with a current sensing resistor (Rs) connected between the second supply voltage line and a source of one or more split gate-source switching transistors (C) in the low side gate-source switching transistor, where a voltage sense circuit connected across the current sensing resistor is configured to sample a voltage across the current sensing resistor for measuring a sense current at the current sensing resistor.

Low cost LF driver current sense topology

A low frequency (LF) antenna control circuit is disclosed. The LF antenna control circuit includes an antenna driver to drive an antenna, a current and phase measurement circuit to measure antenna current and signal phase, a modulator to modulate a signal to be transmitted via the antenna and a controller configured to drive the antenna through the antenna driver using a first fixed amplitude for a first time period, a second fixed amplitude for a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period and subsequent to the second time period, and subsequently, to drive the antenna using step up/down voltages based on the measured antenna current and signal phase. The signal included encoded bits of data to be transmitted.

Device to minimize current overshoot in detuned antenna

A switching amplifier circuit () connected to drive an impedance-based antenna drive circuit () includes high side and low side switches (-) configured and connected to connect different reference voltages to first and second output nodes (ANTP, ANTN) in response to gating control signals during an active phase and a disabled phase, and also includes an output drive circuit () that provides a ramped output voltage drive signal to the first output node while the second output node is connected over the second low side electronic switch to the second reference voltage during a transition phase of operation between the disabled phase and active phase, where the ramped output voltage drive signal is characterized by a predetermined slew-rate between the second reference voltage and the first reference voltage over a specified time interval.

Common mode voltage ramping in Class-D amplifiers minimizing AM band emissions in passive keyless entry systems

An amplifier circuit including opposing-phase electronic switches, and an output drive circuit that provides an output drive signal in response to output signals from the opposing-phase electronic switches. Each of the opposing-phase electronic are configured and arranged to rapidly switch back and forth in response to an amplifier input signal and based on a power source defined to provide a supply voltage to the switching amplifier circuit. Further, an output-amplitude control circuit is used to limit a maximum-achievable voltage that is applied (e.g., gate or source voltage) to at least one of the opposing-phase electronic switches, with each such applied voltage being less than the supply voltage provided by the power source. Consistent therewith, more specific aspects concern an arrangement or circuit-based system of wireless communication in an automobile, wherein an automotive battery is the power source.

Switching amplifier circuit with amplitude control

A driver circuit for driving a resonance circuit is disclosed. The driver circuit includes an input to receive an input signal, an amplifier to amplify the input signal, a pulse generator to generate a pulse train based on a modulation signal, a switch coupled to the pulse generator, a capacitor coupled to the switch in parallel such that when the switch is on, the capacitor is bypassed and a Resistor-Inductor-Capacitor (RLC) tank circuit coupled to the switch and the capacitor such that the capacitor is connected in series to capacitance of the RLC tank circuit.

Efficient driver circuit

A voltage converter connectable to a power source (PS) and a load (LD) provides a regulated output voltage (Vout) from a voltage (Vin) power source by switchable current paths including an inductive element (L). The voltage converter includes a plurality of switching elements for switching the current paths of the voltage converter as a forward-phase current path when the input voltage corresponds to the output voltage, as an up-phase current path when the input voltage is lower than the output voltage, and as a down-phase current path when the input voltage is higher than the output voltage. A central controller controls a switching state of the plurality of switching elements, a current sensing unit including a comparator for sensing a current flowing through at least one of the switching elements, and a plurality of processing units for processing the current sensing.

Voltage converter

The present invention relates to an electronic device including electronic circuitry, wherein the circuitry includes a first switching transistor (MN) being adapted to serve as an integrated switch, and a first clamp transistor (MNC) being coupled to the first switching transistor and being adapted to protect the first switching transistor (MN) if an ESD event occurs.

ESD protection for DC/DC converter

The present invention relates to a boost converter which can operate both in a capacitive and in an inductive mode. In the capacitive mode the converter operates as a charge pump circuit by making use of a set of switches and a set of capacitors. In the inductive mode the converter operates as a boost circuit and uses a sub-set of the switches and an inductor. The mode is selected by means of a selection terminal that is also used in the capacitive mode for coupling of a battery to the boost converter.

Boost converter circuit having selectable modes

A voltage converter comprises an inductive circuit (L) for storing energy during an inductive magnetizing mode and transferring energy during an inductive demagnetizing mode. In addition the voltage converter comprises at least two non-inverting branches () for providing at least two non-inverted output voltages (Va, Vb, Vc) and an inverting branch () for providing an inverted output voltage. The inverting () and non-inverting () branches being parallely coupled to an output () of the inductive circuit (L). The inductive circuit being arranged to transfer energy to the inverting branch () and to one of the at least two non-inverting branches (). Through this, the inverted voltage (Vinv) and the corresponding non-inverted output voltage (Va, Vb, Vc) of the one of the at least two non-inverting branches () are having an opposite polarity and a substantially equal magnitude.

Growing community of inventors

Overasselt, Netherlands

Hermanus Johannes Effing