Patents by Inventor Charles Vera

Charles Vera 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).

  • Temperature detection cell, and method to determine the detection threshold of such a cell
    Patent number: 7003424
    Abstract: A temperature detection cell includes a circuit for producing a voltage that increases with temperature, a circuit producing a voltage that decreases with temperature, and a comparison circuit to compare the increasing voltage with the decreasing voltage. The comparison circuit produces a warning signal when the temperature reaches a detection threshold such that the decreasing voltage becomes lower than the increasing voltage. The cell also has a test circuit to determine the detection threshold of the cell. Also disclosed is a method for testing a temperature detection cell, during which the detection threshold of a cell is determined from measurements of the increasing voltage and the decreasing voltage at a reference temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: François Ravatin, Charles Vera, Marco Cioci
  • Temperature detection cell, and method to determine the detection threshold of such a cell
    Publication number: 20050038625
    Abstract: A temperature detection cell includes a circuit for producing a voltage that increases with temperature, a circuit producing a voltage that decreases with temperature, and a comparison circuit to compare the increasing voltage with the decreasing voltage. The comparison circuit produces a warning signal when the temperature reaches a detection threshold such that the decreasing voltage becomes lower than the increasing voltage. The cell also has a test circuit to determine the detection threshold of the cell. Also disclosed is a method for testing a temperature detection cell, during which the detection threshold of a cell is determined from measurements of the increasing voltage and the decreasing voltage at a reference temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Francois Ravatin, Charles Vera, Marco Cioci