Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics
  • SWITCHED CAPACITOR AMPLIFIER
    Publication number: 20110205098
    Abstract: A switched capacitor amplifier having an amplification unit adapted to amplify a differential signal; a first switched capacitor block including a first plurality of capacitors operable to sample a first differential input signal during a first sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a first drive phase; and a second switched capacitor block including a second plurality of capacitors operable to sample a second differential input signal during a second sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a second drive phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Sabut, Hugo Gicquel, Fabien Reaute, François Van Zanten
  • METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MULTIPHASE INTERLEAVING CONVERTER AND CORRESPONDING CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20110205767
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a converter of the multiphase interleaving type. According to the method, there is detected when a change of the load applied to an output terminal of the converter occurs. All the phases of the converter are simultaneously turned off, and a driving interleaving phase shift is recovered so as to restart a normal operation of the converter. A controller for carrying out such a method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.
    Inventors: Alessandro Zafarana, Osvaldo Zambetti
  • Region-based cadence detector
    Patent number: 8004607
    Abstract: In a method for detecting the cadence of a sequence of images, each pixel in each current field in the sequence of images is compared to at least one pixel in at least one previous field. A pixel motion phase value is assigned to each pixel in the field as a function of the result of that comparison. For each block of pixels in the current field, a block motion phase value is determined from the motion phase values of the pixels in the block. The current field is segmented into at least one region, with each region comprising a whole number of blocks, as a function of at least the determined block motion phase values. A region motion phase value is assigned to each region, based on the block motion phase values for the blocks in the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Frankie Eymard, Christophe Barnichon
  • Control of a triac for the starting of a motor
    Patent number: 8004231
    Abstract: A method and a circuit for controlling a triac intended to be series-connected with a resistive element of positive temperature coefficient or a capacitive element, and a winding for starting an asynchronous motor, for supply by an A.C. voltage, the present invention including the steps of: detecting a voltage representative of the voltage across the series connection of the element and of the triac; comparing this detected voltage with respect to a threshold; and blocking a turning back on of the triac when the threshold has been exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Laurent Gonthier, Jean-Michel Simonnet
  • Highly photoluminescent organic compounds, synthesis thereof, and use thereof in electroluminescent devices
    Patent number: 8003228
    Abstract: New, highly photoluminescent compounds are described having structural formula (I) wherein: R1, R2, R3, R4, independently from each other, represent H; alkyl, alkenyl; aryl; —(CH2CH2—O)n—CH3. These compounds are highly photoluminescent and have high quantum yield; they have optimal plasticity characteristics and optimal miscibility with other amorphous polymers; they lead to the formation of thin, stable and uniform layers of photoluminescent material, obtainable by simple techniques of deposition from solution. A simple and high yield process is described for obtaining the aforesaid compounds. In addition, the use of the compounds of formula (I) and their polymer derivatives is described in the preparation of electroluminescent devices, for example LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giovanna Salzillo, Antonio Roviello, Giuseppina Roviello, Giuseppe Russo
  • Graphic rendering method and system comprising a graphic module
    Patent number: 8004521
    Abstract: A graphic rendering method includes: providing data primitive representing primitives of a scene; defining a plurality of three-dimensional cells of a scene view frustum; ordering the cells according to an order based on cell depths from a reference plane; associating each primitive to a cell; and processing data primitives according to the cell order to renderize the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Mirko Falchetto
  • System and method for a semiconductor switch
    Patent number: 8004340
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor circuit for coupling a first node to a second node includes a first transistor having a first terminal coupled to the first node, a second terminal coupled to the second node, and a control terminal coupled to a control node. The circuit also includes a level shifting circuit having a series diode for coupling a bulk terminal of the first transistor to the control node, and a supply coupling circuit coupled between a first power supply node and the control node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Dianbo Guo, Eng Jye Ng, Kien Beng Tan
  • Radio frequency amplifier with digital amplitude modulation and method for controlling the delivering of power
    Patent number: 8004368
    Abstract: A digital amplitude modulator. The digital amplitude modulator is configured to modulate the amplitude of an input carrier signal based on input digital data and generate a corresponding output signal. The digital amplitude modulator includes a first variable gain amplifier for receiving the input carrier signal and generating a corresponding first amplified carrier signal, a second variable gain amplifier for receiving the input digital data and generating corresponding digital amplitude control data and a plurality of selectively activatable amplifier stages. Each amplifier stage receives a replica of the first amplified carrier signal and generates a corresponding second amplified carrier signal when activated. The output signal corresponds to a combination of the second amplified carrier signals generated by the activated amplifier stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.r.l.
    Inventors: Calogero Davide Presti, Francesco Carrara, Antonino Scuderi, Guiseppe Palmisano
  • METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DRIVING THE FREQUENCY OF A CLOCK SIGNAL OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
    Publication number: 20110199149
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a controlled generator configured to generate an adjustable frequency clock signal at at least one part of an integrated circuit coupled to the output of the controller generator and including at least one transistor having a gate of less than forty-five nanometers in length. The electronic device may include determination circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the at least one part of the integrated circuit, and drive circuitry coupled to the determination circuitry and configured to control the generator to increase the frequency of the clock signal when the temperature increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Robin Wilson, Sylvain Engels, Eric Balossier
  • WIDE INPUT VOLTAGE RANGE POWER FACTOR CORRECTION CIRCUIT
    Publication number: 20110199066
    Abstract: A boost circuit is used for power factor correction (PFC). In a low power application, transition mode control is utilized. However, switching frequency varies with different input voltages, and over a wide input voltage range, the switching frequency can become too high to be practical. To address this issue, a boost circuit is provided whose effective inductance changes as a function of input voltage. By changing the inductance, control is exercised over switching frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc,
    Inventors: Jianwen Shao, Thomas Lea R. Hopkins
  • Continuous Time Analogue/Digital Converter
    Publication number: 20110200152
    Abstract: Continuous time analogue/digital converter, comprising a sigma delta modulator (MSD1) configured to receive an analogue input signal (x(t)) and comprising high-pass filtering means (MF) the chopping frequency of which is equal to half of the sampling frequency (Fs) of the quantization means (QTZ) of the modulator (MSD1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics SA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
    Inventors: Didier Belot, Jean-Baptiste Begueret, Yann Deval, Dominique Dallet, Andre Mariano
  • EVALUATION OF A CHARGE IMPEDANCE AT THE OUTPUT OF A DIRECTIONAL COUPLER
    Publication number: 20110199100
    Abstract: A method and circuit for evaluating a charge impedance at the output of a directional coupling having a first line adapted to convey a wanted signal between a first terminal and a second terminal adapted to be connected to an antenna, and having a second line coupled to the first one including a third terminal on the side of the first terminal and a fourth terminal on the side of the second terminal, wherein the signal present on the fourth terminal is submitted to a homodyne detector having its local oscillator signal sampled from the third terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
    Inventors: Sylvain Charley, François Dupont, Benoît Bonnet
  • MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE WITH CALIBRATED SYNCHRONIZATION OF ACTUATION AND METHOD FOR ACTUATING A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL GYROSCOPE
    Publication number: 20110197674
    Abstract: A gyroscope includes a body, a driving mass, which is mobile according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, which is driven by the driving mass and is mobile according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the body. A driving device forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and maintains the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device comprises a frequency detector, which supplies a clock signal at the frequency of oscillation of the driving mass, and a synchronization stage, which applies a calibrated phase shift to the clock signal so as to compensate a phase shift caused by components of the loop that are set between the driving mass and the control node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.
    Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni
  • METHOD FOR DETECTING POTENTIALLY SUSPICIOUS OPERATION OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING ELECTRONIC DEVICE
    Publication number: 20110202948
    Abstract: A method may be for detecting potentially suspicious operation of an electronic device configured to operate in the course of activity sessions. The method may include within the device, a metering, from an initial instant of the number of activity sessions having a duration below a first threshold, and a comparison of this number with a second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS, STMicroelectronics N.V.
    Inventors: Marco Bildgen, Jean Devin
  • ARCHITECTURE INCORPORATING CONFIGURABLE CONTROLLER FOR REDUCING ON CHIP POWER LEAKAGE
    Publication number: 20110202782
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for controlling leakage power consumption at a System on Chip (SoC) level during a normal run or a boot-up mode. The leakage power reduction is achieved by incorporating a central programmable controller in the SoC architecture and test structures of idle SoC peripherals to place them into an Absolute Minimum Power consumption state with respect to static and dynamic power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Pvt Ltd.
    Inventors: Satinder Singh MALHI, Arant Agrawal
  • Data parallelized encryption and integrity checking method and device
    Patent number: 8000467
    Abstract: A method and device for encrypting and/or decrypting binary data blocks protecting both confidentiality and integrity of data sent to or received from a memory. The encryption method comprises steps of: applying to the input data block a reversible scrambling process, the scrambling process providing a scrambled data block in which the bits of the input data block are mixed so that a modification of one bit in the scrambled data block impacts on every bit of the input data block, and applying to the scrambled data block a stream cipher encryption algorithm providing an encrypted data block. Application can be made to secured integrated circuits requiring to securely store data in an external memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics SA, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Porton World International N.V.
    Inventors: Reouven Elbaz, Joan Daemen, Guido Bertoni
  • Optical integrated device manufacturing process
    Patent number: 7998356
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing an integrated optical device. The method involves forming a silicon dioxide multilayer structure on a silicon substrate containing, in a first region a core layer of a waveguide of the optical device. The core includes an electromagnetic radiation inlet/outlet A trench in a second region of the multilayer structure adjacent said first region is formed by a an anisotropic etching, the trench including side walls and a bottom wall spaced from the Substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Francesco Martini, Daniela Barge, Ubaldo Mastromatteo
  • Front-rear contacts of electronics devices with induced defects to increase conductivity thereof
    Patent number: 7999349
    Abstract: An electronic device is proposed. The device is integrated in a chip including at least one stacked layer having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the device including: an insulating trench insulating an active region of the chip, the insulating trench having a section across each plane parallel to the front surface extending along a longitudinal line, and a front-rear contact electrically contacting the front surface to the rear surface in the active region, wherein the section of the insulating trench has a non-uniform width along the longitudinal line, and/or the device further includes at least one further insulating trench within the active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Pietro Montanini, Fabrizio Fausto Renzo Toia, Marta Mottura
  • Method for recovering a position and clock period from an input digital signal
    Patent number: 8000051
    Abstract: A method for recovering a position and clock period from an input bi-phase encoded digital signal such as an SPDIF signal counts the intervals between phase changes of the input digital signal to derive the longest interval between the phase changes. The longest interval indicates the position and period length of a preamble portion of sub-frames of the signal and is stored, and a signal indicating the position of the longest interval between phase changes and an indication of the clock period of the input digital signal is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Alan Lloyd
  • Package, in particular for MEMS devices and method of making same
    Patent number: 7998774
    Abstract: A package includes a substrate provided with a passing opening and a MEMS device. The MEMS device includes an active surface wherein a portion of the MEMS device is integrated sensitive to the chemical/physical variations of a fluid. The active surface of the MEMS device faces the substrate and is spaced therefrom, the sensitive portion being aligned to the passing opening. A protective package incorporates the MEMS device and the substrate, leaving at least the sensitive portion of the MEMS device exposed through the passing opening of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Federico Giovanni Ziglioli, Fulvio Vittorio Fontana, Mark Shaw