The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 14, 1999
Shivaling S. Mahant-Shetti, Garland, TX (US);
John W. Fattaruso, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A conducting path with a path meander provides a precision voltage-dividing circuit. At each location wherein a voltage level is to be established, the conducting path has an expanded region called a junction region. The centers of all junction regions are equidistant from the centers of neighboring junction regions. Junction regions are positioned at predetermined intervals along the straight portions of the conducting path and at each corner of the path meander. Each junction region has a metal patch extending therefrom. The metal patches are coupled to conducting plugs that, in turn, can be coupled to switching elements of a digital-to-analog converter unit. The junction regions can be altered to increase the precision of the voltage-dividing circuit. Because the junction regions are equidistant from the neighboring junction regions, a cell that includes the switching elements can have a square geometry.