Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics N.V.
  • Publication number: 20040052144
    Abstract: In a particular embodiment using a distributed architecture, the electronic device comprises a source memory means partitioned in N elementary source memories for storing a sequence of input data, processing means clocked by a clock signal and having N outputs for producing per cycle of the clock signal N data respectively associated to N input data respectively stored in the N elementary source memories at relative source addresses, N single port target memories, N interleaving tables containing for each relative source address the number of one target memory and the corresponding relative target address therein, N cells connected in a ring structure, each cell being further connected between one output of the processing means, one interleaving table, and the port of one target memory, each cell being adapted to receive data from said output of the processing means and from its two neighbouring cells or to write at least some of these received data sequentially in the associated target memory, in accordance
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics N.V., STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Freidbert Berens, Michael J. Thul, Franck Gilbert, Norbert Wehn
  • Publication number: 20040047414
    Abstract: A controllable pulse generator generates the pulses of the signal which are respectively contained in successive time windows, and a control device formulates a control signal for the generator including, for each pulse, an indication of its position in the corresponding window. The control device includes a processor to deliver for each time window, at a delivery frequency Fe greater than the pulse repetition frequency, successive groups of N bits together defining a digital cue of position of a pulse inside the window. Also, a converter converts this digital position cue into the control signal temporally spread over the length (T) of the window and including the indication of position at an instant corresponding to the digital position cue. This makes it possible to position the pulse inside its window with a temporal precision equal to 1/N.Fe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Didier Helal, Fritz Lebowsky
  • Publication number: 20040032756
    Abstract: AC/DC converters comprise rectifiers for rectifying AC signals into DC signals. By providing these AC/DC converters with voltage dividing capacitors located between converter-input, a resistor, added to voltage dividing capacitor for filtering peak signals, and a rectifier, the rectifier can be better integrated, as it no longer receives the entire input voltage present at the converter-input of the AC/DC converter, without a conventional transformer comprising an iron core and windings being required. Such an AC/DC-converter is small sized, of light-weight and low costly made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Luc Jozef Louis Van Den Bossche
  • Publication number: 20040022211
    Abstract: A radio-frequency switching device includes first and second radio-frequency channels connected to an input/output terminal. A controllable switching device selects one of the radio-frequency channels in response to a switching control signal. The switching device includes a respective control module connected to each radio-frequency channel. Each control module includes a PIN diode whose cathode is connected to the input/output terminal, and a control transistor whose base is connected to a control input for receiving the switching control signal. A conducting terminal of the control transistor is connected to the anode of the PIN diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Patrick Conti
  • Patent number: 6680682
    Abstract: A remote terminal includes a receiver stage for receiving a transmitted signal and for delivering an analog signal. The remote terminal further includes an analog/digital converter for converting the analog signal to a digital signal, and a processing stage for processing the digital signal. The analog/digital converter is a delta-sigma converter having adjustable parameters, and the processing stage includes a tuning circuit for adjusting these parameters on the fly as a function of the transmission standard, of the actual rate of transmission of the useful data, and of the actual conditions of reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Thierry Arnaud, Friedbert Berens
  • Publication number: 20030189972
    Abstract: The method of interference cancellation in a CDMA wireless communication system comprises receiving an incident digital signal containing a user signal transmitted on a CDMA user physical channel and an interfering signal, projecting said incident digital signal onto a projection space orthogonal to the space containing said interfering signal, filtering said projected signal with a filter matched to the CDMA user physical channel for detecting the data contained in said user signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Friedbert Berens, Timo Roman
  • Patent number: 6625112
    Abstract: A mechanism for achieving frame synchronization in the frequency domain. In order to synchronize a receiver with a transmitter, on signal acquisition, the interval in which orthogonality exists is determined. Once this has been achieved, an argument function is calculated from the received frame. This argument function can then be used to improve the synchronization. This system is particularly suitable for use in ADSL and VDSL modems which can be used to give broad band access over copper networks. It is also relevant to broad band transmission in mobile and semi-mobile systems for transmission over radio channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Lennart Olsson, Gunnar Bahlenberg, Daniel Bengtsson, Siwert Hakansson, Anders Isaksson, Lars-Ake Isaksson, Mikael Isaksson, Magnus Johansson, Mauritz Lahti, Lis-Marie Ljunggren, Hans Lundberg, Tomas Nordstrom, Sven-Rune Olofsson, Tomas Stefansson, Hans Ohman, Goran Okvist
  • Publication number: 20030156363
    Abstract: A protection device is provided for protecting a switching device that is able to control a current through an inductive load which is subject to a supply voltage, by switching a first and a second terminal of the inductive load to the respective pole of the supply voltage. The switching device is under control of a switching control device. The switching control device operates based on a predetermined algorithm. The switching device also includes flyback body diodes. The protection device includes measuring means for measuring a voltage level on a terminal of the load, and decision means for making a decision on switching the first terminal of the load if the measured voltage level exceeds the supply voltage. The protection device also includes instructing means for instructing the switching control device based on the decision for switching a first terminal of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Koen Emiel Jozef Appeltans, Lucas Emiel Elie Vander Voorde
  • Publication number: 20030151395
    Abstract: The invention relates to a DC/DC converter or power supply with a switched-mode regulator (2), said regulator (2) being provided or associated to a feedback comparator (1) of a feedback voltage (Vact) for improving the stability of the output signal. It is further provided or associated to a means (3, D) for adding an offset voltage (Voff) to the feedback voltage (Vact) during at least one phase (&phgr;1) of the switched-mode regulator (2) or at least a portion thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Koen Emiel Jozef Appeltans, Christian Bruno Gislain Binard
  • Patent number: 6591283
    Abstract: A data processing circuit includes a digital data source having an output carrying a sequence of digital signals. A pre-filter is coupled to the output of the digital data source. The pre-filter has a first output that carries a second sequence of digital signals and a second output that carries a third sequence of digital signals. The second sequence of digital signals is time shifted relative to the third sequence of digital signals. The circuit also includes an interpolation circuit with a first input coupled to the first output of the pre-filter and a second input coupled to the second output of the pre-filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Conway, Jason Byrne
  • Patent number: 6584516
    Abstract: The invention provides a high-speed interface that transfers servo position data from the read channel integrated circuit to the drive control integrated circuit or another integrated circuit. The high-speed interface eliminates the need for analog pins on the integrated circuits to lower the cost of the system. The high-speed interface also eliminates the use of the serial interface to transfer the servo position data which speeds up the data transfer. Examples of servo position data include high-resolution servo position data and coarse-resolution servo position data. A read channel integrated circuit transfers the user data and the high-resolution servo position data to a data bus, such as an NRZ bus. The data bus transfers the user data and the high-resolution servo position data to another integrated circuit, such as a drive control integrated circuit. The other integrated circuit receives the user data and the high-resolution servo position data from the data bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: John P. Hill
  • Publication number: 20030087625
    Abstract: A direct-conversion receiver includes an analog stage for receiving an incident signal from a transmission channel, mixers and programmable-gain amplifiers. The receiver further includes at least one compensation module having input and output terminals respectively connected between the output of the mixers and the input of the programmable-gain amplifiers. The compensation module compensates for both a static DC voltage offset and a possible dynamic DC voltage offset of the analog stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Patrick Conti
  • Patent number: 6545514
    Abstract: An inductive load driver circuit including a first switch that switches between a conductive state and a non-conductive state selectively applies a first power supply potential to a first side of the inductive load in response to a control signal. A second switch that switches between a non-conductive state and a conductive state selectively applies a second power supply potential to a second side of the inductive load in response to the control signal. The control signal places a control node of the second switch at a lower potential than the second side of the inductive load while the second switch is in the conductive state. In operation, a steady state current in a first direction is driven through the inductive load. The nodes of the inductive load are placed in a high impedance state, after which a steady state current is driven in a second direction through the inductive load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Jeffrey G. Barrow
  • Publication number: 20030060164
    Abstract: A process for estimating a speed of movement of a mobile terminal operating in a wireless communication system and communicating with a base station via a transmission channel includes estimating fading of the transmission channel, and performing an autocorrelation on the fading for providing a first autocorrelation result. Reference autocorrelation results are calculated for predetermined values of speed of movement of the mobile terminal, with the calculating being based upon a known autocorrelation function performed on the fading. The process further includes comparing the first autocorrelation result to the various reference autocorrelation results, and estimating the speed of movement of the mobile terminal based upon the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Corinne Bonhomme
  • Publication number: 20030060167
    Abstract: First estimations of the fading coefficients of a multi-path transmission channel are carried out in the sense of maximum likelihood. Sets of Wiener filter coefficients are stored according to predetermined speeds of movement of the mobile terminal and predetermined power levels of the signal. The real speed of the mobile terminal is estimated and the power of the signal for each path is measured. From this, a set of Wiener filter coefficients is derived with which the first estimations are filtered to obtain the final estimation of the fading coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Corinne Bonhomme
  • Publication number: 20030058963
    Abstract: An incident pulse signal of the ultra wideband type conveys digital information that is coded using pulses having a known theoretical shape. A decoding device includes an input for receiving the incident signal, and for delivering a base signal. A comparator receives the base signal and delivers an intermediate signal representative of the sign of the base signal with respect to a reference. A sampling circuit samples the intermediate signal for delivering a digital signal. A digital processing circuit correlates the digital signal with a reference correlation signal corresponding to a theoretical base signal arising from the reception of a theoretical pulse having the known theoretical shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Chiara Cattaneo, Didier Helal, Thierry Arnaud, Fritz Lebowsky, Regis Cattenoz
  • Patent number: 6538986
    Abstract: A transmission system using nQAM. A control channel is superimposed on a nQAM data channel. It is desirable to separate control channel data from user data without using a higher level protocol layer. In multi-carrier systems with variable bit-loading it is particularly desirable that the control channel data be separable from user data when the value of n. that is the bit-loading, or constellation identifier are unknown. Binary data is transmitted using nQAM modulation. The binary data includes both user data and control data. This means that a control channel is superimposed on a user data channel within the same nQAM constellation. Separation of the control data is facilitated by arranging control data points to have either a unique phase or unique amplitude values. These unique values are not employed for user data points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Mikael Isaksson, Magnus Johansson, Harry Tonvall, Lennart Olsson, Tomas Stefansson, Hans Ohman, Gunnar Bahlenberg, Anders Isaksson, Goran Okvist, Lis-Marie Ljunggren, Tomas Nordstrom, Lars-Ake Isaksson, Daniel Bengtsson, Siwert Hakansson, Ye Wen
  • Publication number: 20030054771
    Abstract: Estimating the speed of movement of a mobile terminal includes estimating the impulse response of the transmission channel at a given instant, and estimating the time derivative of the estimated impulse response. Estimating the speed also includes determining of a ratio of the energy of the estimated impulse response to the energy of the estimated time derivative.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: David Chappaz
  • Publication number: 20030050017
    Abstract: Estimating the speed of movement of a mobile terminal of a wireless communication system communicating with a base station includes calculating a normalized auto-covariance of the instantaneous power of the signal received by the mobile terminal or by the base station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventor: Miguel Kirsch
  • Patent number: 6526476
    Abstract: a firm ware based technique related to managing defective data sector information in a disk drive. Specially, technique provides for a dynamic method by which the number of spare or served alternate sectors and their locations can be allocated in the event defective data sectors exist. One advantage of the present invention exists for certain applications where the capacity and/or configuration of the drive are configured at run time. The present invention also has the advantage of improving performance when accessing “grown” defects by allowing the block relocation information to be placed physically closer to the location of the defective blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Aaron Wade Wilson, Wayne Aaron Thorsted