Patents by Inventor Claudio Cantoro

Claudio Cantoro 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).

  • Patent number: 9019725
    Abstract: A control device for a resonant converter is described. The converter comprises a switching circuit adapted to drive a resonant circuit that includes at least one capacitor. The converter is adapted to convert an input signal into an output signal and the switching circuit includes at least a half bridge of first and second switches, the central point of said half bridge being connected to the resonant circuit. The control device comprises a controller adapted to generate at least a control signal of the switching circuit by comparing a signal representative of the energy of the resonant circuit with at least another signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Claudio Cantoro
  • Patent number: 8884654
    Abstract: A peak detector circuit receives an oscillating power supply signal. A capacitor is selectably coupled to the signal and charged to a value corresponding to a peak value of the signal. A switch is then opened to isolate the capacitor. A comparator continually compares the signal with the value stored on the capacitor. When the signal rises to within a selected threshold, relative to the stored value, the comparator produces a command signal to close the switch, again coupling the capacitor to the signal. The peak detector can also include a tracking circuit that controls the capacitor to track the oscillating signal while the switch is closed, a timer circuit configured to close the switch and activate the tracking circuit if more than a selected time passes without production of a command signal, and a circuit configured to control the polarity of a leakage current of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mirko Gravati, Claudio Cantoro
  • Patent number: 8810307
    Abstract: An apparatus to control a tuneable Gm-C filter, including and a filter that can be reconfigured as a free running oscillator by toggling the feedback sign of an output amplifier (304), a digital controller (42), sensitive to the output of the filter in the calibration configuration, and a DAC (44) to provide an analogue control signal (48) to the gm inputs of the transconductance amplifiers (310, 320) composing the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Francesco Piazza, Claudio Cantoro
  • Publication number: 20120327692
    Abstract: A control device for a resonant converter is described. The converter comprises a switching circuit adapted to drive a resonant circuit that includes at least one capacitor. The converter is adapted to convert an input signal into an output signal and the switching circuit includes at least a half bridge of first and second switches, the central point of said half bridge being connected to the resonant circuit. The control device comprises a controller adapted to generate at least a control signal of the switching circuit by comparing a signal representative of the energy of the resonant circuit with at least another signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Claudio Cantoro
  • Publication number: 20110025411
    Abstract: An apparatus to control a tuneable Gm-C filter, including and a filter that can be reconfigured as a free running oscillator by toggling the feedback sign of an output amplifier (304), a digital controller (42), sensitive to the output of the filter in the calibration configuration, and a DAC (44) to provide an analogue control signal (48) to the gm inputs of the transconductance amplifiers (310, 320) composing the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Francesco Piazza, Claudio Cantoro