Patents by Inventor Anton Stern

Anton Stern has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230387965
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a modified NFC framing is used by a reader and selected devices during at least a part of the communication between the reader and the selected devices. The reader and the selected devices store modification rules for modifying the frames. Devices not storing those modification rules will discard the received modified frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Gustavo Jose Henriques Patricio, Anton Stern
  • Patent number: 11444591
    Abstract: A method for controlling a signal envelope shape of modulation pulses in a driver of a wireless transmitter includes supplying a first voltage to the driver during a non-modulated state, supplying a second voltage configurable by a configurable modulation index value to the driver during a modulated state, switching between the non-modulated state and the modulated state comprising setting the modulation index value to configure the second voltage level at the same level as the first voltage and then switching between supplying the first voltage to the driver and supplying the second voltage to the driver, and filtering to a limited bandwidth the variations of the second voltage resulting from configuring the modulation index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS RAZVOJ POLPREVODNIKOV D.O.O., STMICROELECTRONICS (ALPS) SAS, STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Kosta Kovacic, Christophe Grundrich, Bruno Leduc, Anton Stern
  • Publication number: 20210006215
    Abstract: A method for controlling a signal envelope shape of modulation pulses in a driver of a wireless transmitter includes supplying a first voltage to the driver during a non-modulated state, supplying a second voltage configurable by a configurable modulation index value to the driver during a modulated state, switching between the non-modulated state and the modulated state comprising setting the modulation index value to configure the second voltage level at the same level as the first voltage and then switching between supplying the first voltage to the driver and supplying the second voltage to the driver, and filtering to a limited bandwidth the variations of the second voltage resulting from configuring the modulation index value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Kosta Kovacic, Christophe Grundrich, Bruno LEDUC, Anton Stern
  • Patent number: 10296822
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Maksimiljan Stiglic
  • Patent number: 10128913
    Abstract: A circuit of an actively transmitting tag includes an antenna, a digitizer, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), an output amplifier, a phase-displacement detector, and a regulator. The input of the digitizer connects to the antenna. The outputs of the digitizer and the output amplifier are connected to the input terminals of the phase-displacement detector. The output amplifier connects the output of the VCO to the antenna and the regulator connects the output of the phase-displacement detector to the VCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Maksimiljan Stiglic, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Anton Stern
  • Publication number: 20180165569
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Maksimiljan Stiglic
  • Patent number: 9928458
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Maksimiljan Stiglic
  • Publication number: 20170338862
    Abstract: A circuit of an actively transmitting tag includes an antenna, a digitizer, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), an output amplifier, a phase-displacement detector, and a regulator. The input of the digitizer connects to the antenna. The outputs of the digitizer and the output amplifier are connected to the input terminals of the phase-displacement detector. The output amplifier connects the output of the VCO to the antenna and the regulator connects the output of the phase-displacement detector to the VCO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Maksimiljan Stiglic, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Anton Stern
  • Patent number: 9760822
    Abstract: An actively transmitting tag detects a shift of a phase of an antenna signal (as) with regard to a phase of a transmitted signal (ts) in time intervals with a length of one half-period of a subcarrier, in which time intervals it transmits high-frequency wave packets with their phase being inverted according to a communication protocol at the ends of said half-periods. Generation of said wave packets is controlled by said phase shift in a way that said phase shift retains its absolute value at transitions into subsequent half-periods. Synchronizing the tag's transmission to a received interrogator signal carried out even during tag's transmitting enables the tag to transmit according to protocol ISO 14443 B by inverting a phase at transitions between said half-periods. Said synchronizing is carried out although no time window without a tag transmitting exists within the transmitted data frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Maksimiljan Stiglic, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Anton Stern
  • Publication number: 20170116509
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Maksimiljan Stiglic
  • Patent number: 9576237
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Kosta Kovacic, Albin Pevec, Maksimiljan Stiglic
  • Publication number: 20160371580
    Abstract: An RFID transponder device has antenna terminals for coupling an antenna system to the device. A transmitter and a receiver are coupled to the antenna terminals. The device has at least one damping resistance connected to at least one of the antenna terminals. The at least one damping resistance is connected, depending on a voltage swing at the antenna terminals during a transmission burst period, either together with a serially connected switch in parallel to the antenna terminals that are coupled to the receiver, or together with a parallel connected switch between one of the antenna terminals and a terminal of the transmitter. A damping control is configured to activate the at least one damping resistance during a damping period after the transmission burst period by controlling the respective switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Vinko KUNC, Anton STERN, Kosta KOVACIC, Albin PEVEC, Maksimiljan STIGLIC
  • Publication number: 20150347892
    Abstract: An actively transmitting tag detects a shift of a phase of an antenna signal (as) with regard to a phase of a transmitted signal (ts) in time intervals with a length of one half-period of a subcarrier, in which time intervals it transmits high-frequency wave packets with their phase being inverted according to a communication protocol at the ends of said half-periods. Generation of said wave packets is controlled by said phase shift in a way that said phase shift retains its absolute value at transitions into subsequent half-periods. Synchronizing the tag's transmission to a received interrogator signal carried out even during tag's transmitting enables the tag to transmit according to protocol ISO 14443 B by inverting a phase at transitions between said half-periods. Said synchronizing is carried out although no time window without a tag transmitting exists within the transmitted data frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: AMS AG
    Inventors: Vinko KUNC, Maksimiljan STIGLIC, Kosta KOVACIC, Albin PEVEC, Anton STERN
  • Patent number: 8867989
    Abstract: A calibrating output signal of the transmitter is generated in an interrogator in that a first output signal of a local oscillator is shallowly amplitude-modulated with a pilot signal having a frequency at which a contactless-card encodes data. A receiver reference signal is generated by combining the calibrating output signal of the transmitter and a signal whose carrier signal has a frequency equaling the frequency of the local oscillator signals, conducting the combined signal through a band-pass filter and amplifying it. A first and a second receiver output signals are cleared by subtracting the receiver reference signal, which has been attenuated by a calibrated factor and has a calibrated polarity, from the first and the second receiver output signal, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: AMS International AG
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Andrej Vodopivec, Maja Atanasijevic-Kunc, Anton Stern
  • Patent number: 8315585
    Abstract: A difference between an output current signal (mos) of the mixing circuit (MC) and a current from a controlled current source (CCS) is conducted to an input of an operational amplifier (A). A control voltage (cv) for said current source is a voltage at the output of the operational amplifier (A) being filtered by a low-pass filter, whose limiting frequency equals a low frequency limit of the modulation signal in the received signal (rs). The method is speeded up in that the limiting frequency of the low-pass filter is increased by two to three orders of magnitude at the beginning and is gradually lowered to said value. A rather short time duration of the transient process is achieved so that the working point with a low voltage of the DC component and low-frequency components is set at least five times faster than so far.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Andrej Vodopivec, Maja Atanasijevic-Kunc
  • Publication number: 20110034143
    Abstract: A difference between an output current signal (mos) of the mixing circuit (MC) and a current from a controlled current source (CCS) is conducted to an input of an operational amplifier (A). A control voltage (cv) for said current source is a voltage at the output of the operational amplifier (A) being filtered by a low-pass filter, whose limiting frequency equals a low frequency limit of the modulation signal in the received signal (rs). The method is speeded up in that the limiting frequency of the low-pass filter is increased by two to three orders of magnitude at the beginning and is gradually lowered to said value. A rather short time duration of the transient process is achieved so that the working point with a low voltage of the DC component and low-frequency components is set at least five times faster than so far.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern, Andrej Vodopivec, Maja Atanasijevic-Kunc
  • Publication number: 20110032080
    Abstract: A calibrating output signal of the transmitter is generated in an interrogator in that a first output signal of a local oscillator is shallowly amplitude-modulated with a pilot signal having a frequency at which a contactless-card encodes data. A receiver reference signal is generated by combining the calibrating output signal of the transmitter and a signal whose carrier signal has a frequency equaling the frequency of the local oscillator signals, conducting the combined signal through a band-pass filter and amplifying it. A first and a second receiver output signals are cleared by subtracting the receiver reference signal, which has been attenuated by a calibrated factor and has a calibrated polarity, from the first and the second receiver output signal, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Andrej Vodopivec, Maja Atanasijevic-Kunc, Anton Stern
  • Publication number: 20080119093
    Abstract: The invention relates to a press-fit pin (1) made from wire material for electrical contacts, in particular plug-in connectors. When using press-fit pins (1) made from wire material the problem of the tips (23) of the press-fit pins (1) being damaged by the press-fit tool has previously occurred. To be able to support a tool on press-fit pins (1) made from wire material without the tips (23) being damaged the press-fit pin (1) made from wire material is provided according to the invention with a shoulder element (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Inventors: Martin Bleicher, Christoph Goeppel, Peter Goesele, Erich Koehnert, Karl Lechner, Anton Stern, Kurt Vaas
  • Patent number: 7324040
    Abstract: An attack is activated in a receiver amplifier of an interrogator whenever an amplified input signal exceeds an attack threshold voltage value Vatt, and the receiver amplifier at least during a waiting period, the length of which preferrably equals the double length of the longest time interval between adjacent pulses in a transponder data wave packet, after the end of the attack does not respond in the sense of setting the gain. However, the amplifier responds with a decay activated after the lapse of the waiting period, which started when the instantaneous amplified signal value for the last time after the end of the attack exceeded a waiting threshold voltage level Vw. The decay rate is of the same order of magnitude as the attack rate. The improved method for automatically setting the gain renders it possible that the interrogator receiver within the non-contacting identification system practically does not change the essential characteristics of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern
  • Publication number: 20060133545
    Abstract: An attack is activated in a receiver amplifier of an interrogator whenever an amplified input signal exceeds an attack threshold voltage value Vatt, and the receiver amplifier at least during a waiting period, the length of which preferrably equals the double length of the longest time interval between adjacent pulses in a transponder data wave packet, after the end of the attack does not respond in the sense of setting the gain. However, the amplifier responds with a decay activated after the lapse of the waiting period, which started when the instantaneous amplified signal value for the last time after the end of the attack exceeded a waiting threshold voltage level Vw. The decay rate is of the same order of magnitude as the attack rate. The improved method for automatically setting the gain renders it possible that the interrogator receiver within the non-contacting identification system practically does not change the essential characteristics of the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Vinko Kunc, Anton Stern