Ford Motor Company Limited

Intel Corporation

Marvell International Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Paul E Stevenson

Jon E Tourville

Leland Joseph Spangler

John Carlson Ames

Charles F Eagen

Carlton S Avant

Amer Mohammad Samman

Jay DeAvis Baker

Craig Hammann Stephan

Myron Lemecha

Paul Thomas Carson

John Ralph Lindsey

Chester J Blechinger

Bernard A Meyer

Wells L Green

Richard K McMillan, Ii

Kenneth A Salisbury

Judd Steven Carper

Nathan L Pihlstrom

Nathan Enger

Thomas B Merala

Richard A Klinger

Matti Mikkor

Craig Hamman Stephan

William John Boardman

Karl Allen Dierenbach

John Crumlin

William Lahey

Fred John Trusell

Embodiments of the present invention include techniques for regulating discharge of a capacitor. In one embodiment, the circuit may be used to store power on a capacitor and regulate the discharge of the capacitor to power a load, such as system electronics, circuitry, or electronic devices. In one embodiment, a first capacitor is charged from a power source and stores energy for powering an electronic device. A second capacitor is coupled to the electronic device for providing power to the electronic device. Switched capacitors are configured to transfer charge from the first capacitor to the second capacitor. A control circuit controls switching of the switched capacitors in response to voltage on the first capacitor. The switching frequency may be increased as the voltage on the first capacitor decreases so that a steady flow of charge is provided across all capacitor voltage levels.

Circuit and method for regulating discharge of a capacitor

Clock generation circuitry is arranged in stages so as to convert a slow slew rate input signal into a high slew rate clock signal in a low power environment. Each stage includes a capacitor and an inverter, both fed by respective current mirrors. The capacitor is trickle-charged through its current mirror, and charge of the capacitor is dumped onto an output of the stage at a controlled timing. Two or more such stages may be provided, so as to improve the slew rate of both of the leading and trailing edges of the clock signal, and also so as to provide a convenient source of timing for dumping charge of each capacitor. Each stage might also include a diode switchably connected across the capacitor, so as to discharge the capacitor at appropriate timings, to reduce interference on succeeding stages that might otherwise be caused by residual charge on the capacitor.

Low power high slew non-linear amplifier for use in clock generation circuitry for noisy environments

An oscillator circuit for a plurality of resonator-based oscillators is provided. In a dual oscillator circuit, a first oscillator circuit operating at a first frequency is coupled to a second oscillator circuit operating at a lower frequency. The two circuits are separated by a low-pass filter that isolates the input stage of the first oscillator circuit from the input stage of the second oscillator circuit. A circuit leg shared between the first oscillator circuit and the second oscillator circuit is configured to couple the first input stage of the first oscillator circuit to a first external resonator resonate at the first frequency and couple the second input stage of the second oscillator circuit to a second external resonator resonate at the second frequency.

Shared pin resonator oscillators

Embodiments of the invention provide an image display mode for displays, such as a television, that do not use the entire display field for displaying an image. A user selectable modification of the image display is provided, where the image may be stepped a predefined column of pixels, or predefined row of pixels, depending on viewing format, at a time at a very slow rate. The image may be stepped a predefined column of pixels per predefined time period until it is entirely to one side of the display, at which point it may be slowly stepped back to the other side of the display.

Slow dither display

A system, apparatus, and method to connect an oscillator network to multiple parallel oscillator circuits. The apparatus may include multiple modules located within a platform, where each of the multiple modules includes an internal oscillator circuit and the platform includes an input port; and an oscillator network located external to the platform. The oscillator network is coupled to each of said internal oscillator circuits through the input port. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Apparatus, system, and method for oscillator network with multiple parallel oscillator circuits

An oscillator circuit may be operated in a high power mode or a reduced power mode. The high power mode provides fast start-up of the oscillator circuit.

Crystal oscillator with variable bias generator and variable loop filter

Briefly, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, switched capacitors may be utilized to emulate resistors in a longer time constant feedback network for amplitude regulation of a crystal oscillator.

Oscillator system with switched-capacitor network and method for generating a precision time reference

A power delivery apparatus, system may include a series-connected plurality of energy storage devices, a voltage sensor to sense a supply voltage across a load coupled to a selected one of the plurality of storage devices, and a switch to couple and decouple various ones of the series-connected plurality of energy storage devices from the load when the supply voltage is less than or equal to a reference voltage. An article, including a machine-accessible medium, capable of directing a machine to carry out a method of delivering power may include data which directs the machine to couple each one of a series-connected plurality of energy storage elements to a power source, couple a selected one of the plurality of storage elements to a load, discharge a selected amount of energy from the selected one of the series-connected plurality of storage elements into the load, and decouple the selected one of the series-connected plurality of storage elements from the load.

Cyclic regulation apparatus, system, and method

An inspection method for evaluating the hermeticity of integrated circuits and micro-electromechanical devices having a cavity. The method includes submerging one or more of the devices in a liquid, under pressure, for a given time period in order to allow the liquid to seep into any cavities that have leak paths. After the pressure soak, the devices are transferred to another liquid and observed under a microscope for signs of the liquid in any of the devices cavities, thereby determining if hermeticity is present.

Micro-electromechanical device inspection

A protective coating is utilized to protect the silicon during a wet chemical etch step in the process of making a micromachine, thereby preventing the formation of etched holes or pits in the micromachine. In another embodiment, silicon sacrificial pedestals are used to eliminate or greatly reduces the electrical potential difference between metal on the glass substrate and the silicon, thereby eliminating arcing and the resulting damage to silicon and metal. These pedestals may be removed after the anodic bond.

Silicon micromachine with sacrificial pedestal

A micro-machined accelerometer includes a moveable metal plate, mounted upon a semiconductor substrate. The moveable metal plate includes an aperture which contains a pedestal and at least one torsion bar for connecting the pedestal to the moveable metal plate. Measurement electrodes formed on the semiconductor substrate combine with the metal plate to form measurement capacitors A combined self-test/common electrode provides a dual function of a common electrode during operation of the accelerometer and a testing electrode during a self-test procedure.

Acceleration sensing module with a combined self-test and ground

A micro-machined accelerometer includes a moveable metal plate, mounted upon a semiconductor substrate. The moveable metal plate includes an aperture which contains a pedestal and at least one torsion bar for connecting the pedestal to the moveable metal plate. Measurement electrodes formed on the semiconductor substrate combine with the metal plate to form measurement capacitors. A combined self-test/common electrode provides a dual function of a common electrode during operation of the accelerometer and a testing electrode during a self-test procedure.

Accelerometer with a combined self-test and ground electrode

Described is a method of manufacturing a silicious micro-valve comprising the steps of providing a first silicious substrate; removing a portion of the first substrate to reveal the 111 planes of the first substrate; drawing an epitaxial layer to conform to the 111 planes of the first substrate; and assembling the first substrate and the epitaxial layer as two separate identical pieces to form a micro-valve having 111 planes.

Method of manufacturing a micro-valve

A micro soldering apparatus and method comprising a system (10) for attaching an electronic component (12) to a substrate (14). The system (10) comprises a soldering tool (16) including a dispensing orifice assembly (18) for pulsatingly dispensing a controlled quantity of molten solder (19) to a component (12) and substrate (14) so that the component is joined to the substrate (14) mechanically and electrically upon solidification of the molten solder (19). There is no physical contact between the dispensing orifice assembly (18) and joint. The system (10) also includes a controller for the soldering tool (16). The controller functions in response to process control parameters so that the controlled quantity of molten solder (19) is dispensed through a non-oxidizing atmosphere by a pressure pulse applied to the molten solder.

Micro soldering system for electronic components

Described is a microvalve comprised of a movable spool and/or seat comprising a silicious spool having three planes, e.g. three planes aligned with all of the spool's planes, and a silicious seat conforming to the spool's planes. The spool and/or the seat may move to open or close the valve.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Paul E Stevenson