{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853642","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9853642","title":"Data-dependent current compensation in a voltage-mode driver","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2016-08-11T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H04L"],"num_claims":17,"abstract":"An example output driver includes a plurality of output circuits coupled in parallel between a first voltage supply node and a second voltage supply node. Each of the plurality of output circuits includes a differential input that is coupled to receive a logic signal of a plurality of logic signals and a differential output that is coupled to a common output node. The output driver further includes voltage regulator(s), coupled to the voltage supply node(s), and a current compensation circuit. The current compensation circuit includes a switch coupled in series with a current source, where the switch and the current source are coupled between the first voltage supply node and the second voltage supply node. An event detector is coupled to the switch to supply an enable signal and to control state of the enable signal based on presence of a pattern in the plurality of logic signals."},"analysis":{"summary":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver patent, US-9853642, introduces an innovative method to enhance signal integrity and power efficiency in high-speed digital output drivers by dynamically compensating for current fluctuations. At its core, this invention describes an output driver composed of multiple parallel output circuits, each processing a logic signal and connected to a common output node. The critical innovation lies in its current compensation circuit, which includes a switch in series with a current source.\n\nCrucially, this compensation circuit is not always active. Instead, an integrated event detector continuously monitors the incoming stream of logic signals for specific patterns. These patterns are typically those known to induce significant current transients, which can lead to voltage droop, ground bounce, and signal distortion. Upon detecting such a pattern, the event detector generates an enable signal, activating the compensation circuit only when necessary.\n\nThis intelligent, data-dependent activation offers significant advantages over traditional, static, or always-on compensation methods. By precisely timing the compensation, the system minimizes unnecessary power consumption while effectively stabilizing the voltage supply nodes. This results in cleaner signals, reduced jitter, and the ability to support higher data rates with greater reliability.\n\nFor executives and decision-makers, this technology represents a substantial leap forward in semiconductor design. It addresses a fundamental challenge in high-speed digital communication, offering a pathway to more efficient, reliable, and higher-performance electronic systems. The market opportunity spans various sectors, including high-performance computing, data centers, telecommunications, and advanced consumer electronics, all of which demand robust signal integrity and optimized power usage. Companies adopting this approach can gain a competitive edge by delivering products with superior performance characteristics and lower operational costs.","layman_explanation":"### What Problem Does This Solve?\n\nImagine you're running a massive online store, and every second, millions of customer orders, product updates, and inventory changes are zipping through your computer systems. For these digital messages to travel quickly and reliably, they need to pass through electronic components called 'drivers.' Think of these drivers as high-speed expressways for data. The challenge is, when data traffic gets intense—especially with complex or rapidly changing patterns—these expressways can experience 'traffic jams' or 'potholes' in the form of electrical current fluctuations. These fluctuations can degrade the quality of the digital signals, causing errors, slowing down data transmission, and even increasing the power consumption of the entire system. Existing solutions often either consume too much power by constantly trying to smooth out the road, or they're not fast enough to react to sudden problems.\n\n### How Does It Work?\n\nThe Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver patent offers a much smarter solution. Picture our data expressway again. This invention introduces a clever 'traffic monitoring system' (an event detector) that constantly watches the flow of data (logic signals). It's not just passively observing; it's looking for specific patterns in the data traffic that are known to cause those problematic potholes or traffic jams (current fluctuations). When the monitoring system spots such a pattern, it acts immediately. It triggers a 'road repair crew' (a current compensation circuit) that quickly and precisely smooths out the specific section of the expressway that's about to become problematic. Crucially, this repair crew isn't always working; it only deploys when the monitoring system signals a potential issue, making it incredibly efficient. This means the expressway stays smooth, data flows without interruption, and energy isn't wasted on unnecessary repairs.\n\n### Why Does This Matter?\n\nThis intelligent approach has significant business implications. First, it leads to **enhanced reliability and performance**. By ensuring cleaner, more stable data signals, businesses can achieve higher data transmission rates with fewer errors, which is critical for everything from cloud computing to AI processing. Second, it delivers **substantial power savings**. Since compensation is only activated when needed, the overall energy consumption of high-speed drivers is reduced. For data centers, this translates directly into lower operational costs and a smaller carbon footprint. For consumer electronics, it means longer battery life. Third, it provides a **competitive advantage**. Companies that integrate this technology can offer products that are faster, more reliable, and more energy-efficient than their competitors, capturing greater market share. This innovation is a foundational technology for the next generation of high-speed digital infrastructure, impacting sectors like telecommunications, automotive, and high-performance computing.\n\n### What's Next?\n\nThe principles behind this patent open doors for even more adaptive and intelligent electronic systems. We can expect to see this technology integrated into next-generation processors, network interfaces, and high-speed memory controllers. Its adoption will likely accelerate the development of devices capable of handling exponentially growing data volumes with unprecedented efficiency and reliability. For investors, this represents an opportunity to back technologies that are critical enablers for future digital economies, driving both innovation and profitability.","technical_analysis":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver patent (US-9853642) presents a sophisticated solution for mitigating current-induced signal integrity issues in high-speed voltage-mode output drivers. The technical architecture revolves around an output driver featuring a plurality of output circuits operating in parallel, each designed to process a differential logic signal and contribute to a common differential output. These output circuits are typically constructed using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors, configured to switch rapidly based on the input logic states.\n\nThe core technical innovation lies within the current compensation circuit and its intelligent activation mechanism. The compensation circuit itself comprises a switch coupled in series with a current source. This series combination is strategically connected between the first and second voltage supply nodes (e.g., VDD and VSS) that power the output driver. The purpose of this circuit is to dynamically inject or draw current from the supply rails to counteract transient current demands caused by the switching activity of the output circuits.\n\nThe intelligence aspect is provided by an event detector. This detector is coupled to the input path of the output driver, continuously monitoring the plurality of logic signals. The event detector is designed to identify specific data patterns or sequences that are known to induce significant current fluctuations. For instance, a sudden transition from an all-zero pattern to an all-one pattern (or vice-versa) can cause a large, simultaneous switching current (SSC) event. Similarly, specific pseudo-random binary sequences (PRBS) or long runs of identical bits can create predictable current dips or surges.\n\nUpon detecting such a problematic pattern, the event detector generates an enable signal. This enable signal controls the state of the switch within the current compensation circuit. When the enable signal is active, the switch closes, allowing the current source to operate. The current source can be designed as a current sink or a current injector, depending on whether it needs to draw current from VDD or supply current to VSS (or vice-versa), effectively counteracting the transient current drawn by the output circuits. This targeted intervention stabilizes the voltage levels on the supply nodes, preventing voltage droop or ground bounce.\n\nPerformance characteristics of this approach are significantly improved compared to static compensation. By activating the compensation only when needed, the system minimizes quiescent power consumption. This dynamic control leads to a substantial reduction in power integrity (PI) noise, which directly translates to lower timing jitter in the output signals. Lower jitter allows for higher effective data rates and improved bit error rate (BER) performance. Furthermore, the stabilization of supply rails reduces electromagnetic interference (EMI), simplifying system compliance and improving overall system reliability. The integration with voltage regulators, also coupled to the supply nodes, provides an additional layer of stability, working synergistically with the data-dependent compensation to maintain robust power delivery. The algorithm for pattern detection can range from simple shift registers with XOR gates for specific pattern matching to more complex state machines, depending on the desired granularity of detection and the anticipated problematic patterns.","business_analysis":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver patent (US-9853642) represents a significant business opportunity across multiple high-growth technology sectors. The core problem it solves—maintaining signal integrity and power efficiency in high-speed digital communications—is a universal challenge in modern electronics, making its market applicability broad and impactful.\n\n**Market Opportunity Size:** The global market for high-speed interconnects, SerDes, and power management ICs is valued in the tens of billions of dollars and is projected to grow substantially. This patent directly addresses critical performance bottlenecks in these areas. Industries like data centers, AI/ML hardware, 5G/6G telecommunications, automotive electronics (e.g., ADAS systems), and high-performance computing (HPC) are constantly pushing for faster data rates with lower power consumption. Each of these sectors relies heavily on robust voltage-mode drivers, making them prime targets for adoption of this technology.\n\n**Competitive Advantages:** Companies that license or implement this technology can gain a distinct competitive edge by offering products with superior performance metrics. Key advantages include:\n\n1.  **Lower Power Consumption:** Reduced power dissipation in driver circuits translates to longer battery life for mobile devices, lower operating costs for data centers, and reduced thermal management complexity across all platforms.\n2.  **Higher Data Rates:** Enhanced signal integrity and reduced jitter enable devices to reliably transmit data at higher frequencies, pushing the boundaries of bandwidth.\n3.  **Improved Reliability:** Stable power delivery and cleaner signals lead to fewer data errors and more robust system operation, crucial for mission-critical applications.\n4.  **Reduced Design Complexity:** By intelligently handling current compensation on-chip, it can simplify power delivery network design and reduce the need for extensive external filtering components.\n\n**Revenue Potential and Business Models:** This patent can generate revenue through various business models:\n\n*   **Licensing:** Semiconductor IP companies can license this technology to chip manufacturers.\n*   **Integration:** Chip manufacturers can integrate this innovation directly into their CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, and SerDes transceivers, offering differentiated products.\n*   **Product Differentiation:** System-level companies can leverage chips incorporating this technology to build more power-efficient and higher-performing servers, networking equipment, and consumer electronics, commanding premium prices.\n\n**Strategic Positioning:** The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver allows companies to strategically position themselves as leaders in power-efficient, high-performance digital interfaces. It enables them to meet stringent industry standards for signal quality (e.g., PCIe, USB, Ethernet) at ever-increasing speeds, making their products future-proof against rising data demands.\n\n**ROI Projections:** Investing in or adopting this technology can yield significant ROI through:\n\n*   **Market Share Gain:** Superior product performance can capture market share from competitors.\n*   **Cost Savings:** Reduced power consumption leads to lower operational expenditures for end-users (e.g., data centers) and potentially simpler, cheaper board designs for manufacturers.\n*   **Faster Time-to-Market:** Solving signal integrity challenges efficiently can accelerate product development cycles.\n\nIn essence, this patent offers a critical building block for the next generation of high-speed, power-optimized digital systems, promising substantial returns for early adopters and innovators.","faqs":[{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver (US-9853642) is a patented electronic circuit design aimed at improving the performance and power efficiency of high-speed digital output drivers. It addresses a critical challenge in modern electronics where rapid data transmission causes fluctuating electrical currents within circuits. These fluctuations, if unmanaged, can lead to signal distortion, timing errors (jitter), and increased power consumption.\n\nEssentially, this invention provides an intelligent mechanism to stabilize the power supply for output drivers. Instead of applying continuous, general compensation, it specifically targets problematic current surges or dips that arise due to the varying patterns of digital data being transmitted. This makes the compensation process highly efficient and precise.\n\nThe system achieves this by incorporating an 'event detector' that actively monitors the incoming data signals for specific patterns known to cause these issues. When such a pattern is identified, a dedicated current compensation circuit is activated only for the necessary duration, ensuring that the electrical signals remain clean and stable.","question":"What is Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver operates through a sophisticated, event-driven mechanism. It starts with an output driver composed of multiple parallel circuits, each responsible for transmitting a logic signal to a common output. These circuits draw current from voltage supply nodes, and their switching activity can cause transient current demands.\n\nAt the core of its operation is an event detector. This detector continuously analyzes the stream of incoming logic signals, looking for specific data patterns. These patterns are typically those that, based on circuit characteristics, are known to induce significant current fluctuations in the output driver. For example, a rapid transition from a sequence of all '0's to all '1's might be one such pattern.\n\nWhen the event detector identifies a problematic pattern, it generates an enable signal. This signal then activates a current compensation circuit, which consists of a switch in series with a current source. This compensation circuit is strategically connected between the voltage supply nodes. Once enabled, the current source dynamically injects or absorbs current from the supply rails, effectively counteracting the transient current drawn by the output driver. This precise, on-demand intervention stabilizes the voltage supply, ensuring clean and reliable signal transmission.","question":"How does Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver work?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver solves the pervasive problem of data-pattern-dependent current fluctuations in high-speed voltage-mode output drivers. In modern digital systems, as data rates increase, the rapid switching of driver circuits causes transient demands on the power supply. These transient currents can lead to several critical issues:\n\nFirstly, they cause 'voltage droop' and 'ground bounce,' where the power supply voltage fluctuates, degrading the signal integrity of the transmitted data. This manifests as increased 'jitter' (timing errors) and 'inter-symbol interference' (ISI), which limits the maximum achievable data rates and increases bit error rates. Secondly, traditional compensation methods are often inefficient; they either consume continuous power (even when not needed) or are too slow to react to rapid, localized transients. This leads to higher overall power consumption and thermal management challenges.\n\nBy intelligently and dynamically compensating for these specific current fluctuations, this patent ensures a stable power environment for the output driver. This results in cleaner signals, reduced jitter, higher data rates, and significantly improved power efficiency, directly addressing the core limitations of prior art solutions.","question":"What problem does Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver solve?"},{"answer":"The patent for Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver (US-9853642) lists specific inventors responsible for this innovative technology. While the provided patent data does not explicitly state the names of the inventors, a full review of the patent document on platforms like Patentable.app would reveal these details. Typically, such inventions are the result of dedicated research and development efforts by skilled engineers and scientists working in the field of integrated circuit design and high-speed electronics.\n\nThese inventors contributed their expertise in areas such as analog and digital circuit design, power management, signal integrity analysis, and semiconductor fabrication to conceive and develop this solution. Their work addresses fundamental challenges in ensuring reliable and efficient data transmission in an increasingly data-intensive world. The collective ingenuity behind this patent reflects a deep understanding of the complex interplay between electrical currents, data patterns, and circuit performance.","question":"Who invented Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver offers several transformative benefits for high-speed digital systems:\n\n1.  **Enhanced Signal Integrity:** By actively stabilizing the voltage supply rails, the technology significantly reduces noise, voltage droop, and ground bounce. This leads to cleaner, more precise digital signals with lower jitter, enabling more reliable data transmission at higher speeds.\n2.  **Improved Power Efficiency:** Unlike always-on compensation methods, this patent's intelligent, data-dependent activation ensures that power is only consumed when specific problematic data patterns are detected. This 'on-demand' approach dramatically reduces the power overhead associated with current compensation in output drivers, leading to lower overall energy consumption.\n3.  **Higher Data Rates:** With improved signal integrity and reduced jitter, devices can reliably operate at higher clock frequencies and data rates. This pushes the boundaries of bandwidth for interconnects and communication channels, supporting the demands of next-generation technologies.\n4.  **Increased System Reliability:** Cleaner power and signals reduce the likelihood of data errors, leading to more robust and stable system operation, which is critical for mission-critical applications and long-term device performance.\n5.  **Simplified Design and Cost Reduction:** By managing power integrity intelligently on-chip, it can potentially reduce the need for extensive external power filtering components, simplifying board design and potentially lowering manufacturing costs.","question":"What are the key benefits of Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver stands apart from prior art solutions primarily due to its intelligent, 'data-dependent' activation and targeted compensation strategy. Traditional approaches often fall into a few categories:\n\nPrior art frequently relies on static power supply decoupling (e.g., capacitors), which provides general noise reduction but cannot dynamically respond to specific data-pattern-induced transients at high frequencies. Other methods involve always-on current or voltage feedback loops, which, while providing some stability, continuously consume power regardless of whether a problematic data pattern is present, leading to inefficiency. Slow-reacting voltage regulators might address broader power integrity but lack the speed and precision for rapid, localized current fluctuations. Over-designing the power delivery network is another common but costly and area-intensive approach that may still not fully mitigate pattern-dependent noise.\n\nIn contrast, this patent's innovation lies in its 'event detector,' which actively monitors incoming data patterns and enables the compensation circuit *only* when a known problematic pattern is identified. This 'on-demand' and pattern-specific approach ensures maximum efficiency by minimizing unnecessary power consumption, while simultaneously providing highly effective and fast-acting compensation precisely when and where it's needed most. This targeted intelligence is a significant departure from the less efficient, more generalized, or constantly active methods of the past.","question":"How is Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver different from prior art?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver has the potential to significantly impact a wide array of industries that rely on high-speed, reliable, and power-efficient digital communication. Its core benefits address universal challenges in modern electronics.\n\n**High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Data Centers:** These sectors demand maximum data throughput with minimal power consumption. This technology can enable faster processors, more efficient memory interfaces (like DDR and HBM), and high-bandwidth interconnects within servers and across data center networks, leading to lower operational costs and enhanced computational power.\n\n**Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML):** AI accelerators and specialized ML hardware require extremely fast and clean data transfer between processing units and memory. This patent can ensure the integrity of these critical data paths, boosting the performance and efficiency of AI workloads.\n\n**Telecommunications (5G/6G):** Next-generation wireless infrastructure relies on ultra-fast and reliable data transmission. This technology can improve the performance of base stations, network switches, and optical transceivers, enabling higher bandwidth and lower latency communication.\n\n**Consumer Electronics:** Devices like smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart TVs will benefit from faster internal data transfer, improved battery life (due to power efficiency), and enhanced overall performance.\n\n**Automotive Electronics:** With the rise of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles, robust and error-free data communication between sensors, processors, and control units is paramount. This patent can contribute to the reliability and speed of these critical systems.","question":"What industries will Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver impact?"},{"answer":"The patent for Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver, identified as US-9853642, has specific key dates associated with its lifecycle.\n\nThe **filing date** for this patent was **2016-08-11**. This is the date when the patent application was officially submitted to the patent office, marking the beginning of the examination process and establishing the priority date for the invention. It signifies when the inventors formally claimed their invention.\n\nThe **publication date** for this patent was **2017-12-26**. This is the date when the patent application was made publicly available by the patent office. At this point, the details of the Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver invention become accessible to the public, including researchers, competitors, and the broader industry. The patent was subsequently granted on this date, making the protection legally enforceable.","question":"When was Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver filed/granted?"},{"answer":"The commercial applications for Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver are extensive, spanning any product or system that requires high-speed and reliable digital data transmission while optimizing power consumption. This innovation offers a critical competitive edge for manufacturers and service providers.\n\n**Semiconductor Industry:** Chip manufacturers can integrate this technology into their core products such as microprocessors (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and SerDes (serializer/deserializer) transceivers. This allows them to offer chips with superior performance-per-watt metrics, making their products more attractive to system integrators.\n\n**Networking Equipment:** Companies producing routers, switches, network interface cards (NICs), and optical transceivers for data centers and telecommunication networks can leverage this patent to build more efficient and higher-bandwidth products. This translates to faster network speeds, lower latency, and reduced energy footprints for critical infrastructure.\n\n**Consumer Electronics:** Manufacturers of smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart home devices can use this technology to enhance processor performance, extend battery life, and improve the overall user experience through more stable and faster internal data communication.\n\n**Automotive Sector:** With the increasing complexity of in-car electronics for infotainment, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and autonomous driving, robust and error-free data communication is paramount. This patent ensures the reliability and speed of these critical internal networks, contributing to safer and more advanced vehicles.\n\n**Cloud Computing and Hyperscale Data Centers:** Operators of large data centers can benefit from the reduced power consumption and increased reliability of hardware incorporating this technology, leading to significant operational cost savings and improved service levels.","question":"What are the commercial applications of Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver?"},{"answer":"The Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver patent lays a strong foundation for future advancements in high-speed digital design. Several key developments can be anticipated:\n\n**More Sophisticated Pattern Detection:** Future iterations of the event detector could incorporate machine learning algorithms to 'learn' and predict complex current transient patterns in real-time. This would move beyond pre-defined patterns to an adaptive system that continuously optimizes compensation based on actual operating conditions and workloads, making the system even more intelligent and efficient.\n\n**Adaptive Compensation Levels:** Instead of a fixed compensation current, future designs might dynamically adjust the strength and duration of the current source based on the severity of the detected transient or real-time voltage measurements. This fine-grained control would further optimize power efficiency and signal integrity across a wider range of operating scenarios.\n\n**Integration with Advanced Modulation Schemes:** As data rates continue to climb, advanced modulation techniques like PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level) and PAM8 are becoming standard. Future developments of Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver will likely optimize its compensation mechanisms specifically for these multi-level signaling schemes, where noise margins are tighter and the impact of current fluctuations is even more critical.\n\n**Application in Heterogeneous Integration and Chiplets:** With the rise of chiplet architectures, ensuring robust, high-speed, and power-efficient communication between different chiplets on a single package is a major challenge. This technology can evolve to provide localized, intelligent current compensation for these inter-chiplet interfaces, enabling highly optimized and scalable systems.\n\n**Enhanced Diagnostics and Self-Healing Capabilities:** Future systems might integrate diagnostic capabilities that not only detect and compensate but also log and report on power integrity issues, potentially leading to self-healing or reconfigurable interconnects that adapt to aging or environmental changes.","question":"What are the future developments expected for Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver?"}],"topics":["data-dependent current compensation","voltage-mode driver","signal integrity","power efficiency","output driver","realm","speed","digital"],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver - Patent US-9853642","description":"Discover how Data-dependent Current Compensation in a Voltage-mode Driver boosts signal integrity & power efficiency. Full patent analysis, claims & impact.","keywords":["data-dependent current compensation","voltage-mode driver","signal integrity","power efficiency","output driver","current compensation circuit","event detector","high-speed data","semiconductor patent","US-9853642","digital communications","jitter reduction","power integrity","electronic design"]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853642","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853642","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Data-dependent current compensation in a voltage-mode driver\" (US-9853642). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853642","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853642","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9853642","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T09:29:09.829Z"}