Patents by Inventor Cristian Porta

Cristian Porta 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: 10250150
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 10084385
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a primary switching circuit including a primary winding and upper and lower switching half-bridge circuits alternately activated during switching cycles of the resonant converter responsive to switching control signals. The switching half-bridge circuits each include a phase node to drive the primary winding. A resonance inductor is coupled to the primary winding. A secondary resonant circuit has a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and a resonance capacitor electrically coupled to the secondary winding. A driving circuit generates the switching control signals and senses if a voltage on the phase node of one of the upper and lower switching half-bridge circuits is a negative voltage. The driving circuit adjusts the switching control signals for the switching half-bridge circuit to be activated next switching cycle by a shift time reduced each switching cycle until the negative voltage is less than a negligible under-voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Trevisan, Massimiliano Picca, Roberto Cardu, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20180131287
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 9882501
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20170288555
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a primary switching circuit including a primary winding and upper and lower switching half-bridge circuits alternately activated during switching cycles of the resonant converter responsive to switching control signals. The switching half-bridge circuits each include a phase node to drive the primary winding. A resonance inductor is coupled to the primary winding. A secondary resonant circuit has a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and a resonance capacitor electrically coupled to the secondary winding. A driving circuit generates the switching control signals and senses if a voltage on the phase node of one of the upper and lower switching half-bridge circuits is a negative voltage. The driving circuit adjusts the switching control signals for the switching half-bridge circuit to be activated next switching cycle by a shift time reduced each switching cycle until the negative voltage is less than a negligible under-voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Lorenzo Trevisan, Massimiliano Picca, Roberto Cardu, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 9780670
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a primary switching circuit with a primary winding and a primary full-bridge switching stage that drives the primary winding. A resonance inductor is in series with the primary winding. A secondary resonant circuit has a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and a resonance capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the secondary winding. A secondary rectification stage is electrically connected in parallel to the resonance capacitor. A driving module receives a signal representing the voltage measured across an upper or lower switching half-bridge. The drive module detects a negative voltage in the signal. At each cycle, the drive module anticipates a control signal for control of the switches of the lower or upper switching half-bridge that is to be activated the next switching cycle by a shift time that is reduced cycle until the condition of absence of negative voltage in the signal is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Trevisan, Massimiliano Picca, Roberto Cardu, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20170207709
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 9647565
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20170099002
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a primary switching circuit with a primary winding and a primary full-bridge switching stage that drives the primary winding. A resonance inductor is in series with the primary winding. A secondary resonant circuit has a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and a resonance capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the secondary winding. A secondary rectification stage is electrically connected in parallel to the resonance capacitor. A driving module receives a signal representing the voltage measured across an upper or lower switching half-bridge. The drive module detects a negative voltage in the signal. At each cycle, the drive module anticipates a control signal for control of the switches of the lower or upper switching half-bridge that is to be activated the next switching cycle by a shift time that is reduced cycle until the condition of absence of negative voltage in the signal is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Lorenzo Trevisan, Massimiliano Picca, Roberto Cardu, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20170099001
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Publication number: 20120049900
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter based switching voltage regulator circuit is for powering a microprocessor including regulated power supplies configured to produce different output voltages. The DC-DC converter has an output power stage configured to generate a regulated DC supply voltage and comprising a plurality of power transistors. A driver circuit is configured to drive the plurality of power transistors at an adjustable drive voltage in response to a drive control signal. Circuitry is configured to adaptively adjust the adjustable drive voltage and has a voltage selector configured to select between at least two different output voltages for the regulated power supplies of the microprocessor to be coupled to the driver circuit. The voltage selector is controlled by a state logic signal generated based upon logic signals generated by the microprocessor, the state logic signal indicating whether the microprocessor is entering a given power state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro ZAFARANA, Cristian Porta, Osvaldo Enrico Zambetti
  • Patent number: 7486054
    Abstract: A method for generating a reading signal of a sense element in at least a phase of a multiphase controller controlled by means of PWM control signals having a preset period and a duty cycle varying according to the load current and voltage of said controller, the reading signal being a digital signal having a first logic value during a reading period and a second logic value at the end of the reading period and showing a periodical trend which has a half cycle. The method provides that the value of said half cycle is so set that the reading period ends in a different instant from the switching instants of external power transistors comprised in the driving circuits of the controller phases not being read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro Zafarana, Cristian Porta, Ernesto Manuel Cantone
  • Publication number: 20050113981
    Abstract: A method for generating a reading signal of a sense element in at least a phase of a multiphase controller controlled by means of PWM control signals having a preset period and a duty cycle varying according to the load current and voltage of said controller, the reading signal being a digital signal having a first logic value during a reading period and a second logic value at the end of the reading period and showing a periodical trend which has a half cycle. The method provides that the value of said half cycle is so set that the reading period ends in a different instant from the switching instants of external power transistors comprised in the driving circuits of the controller phases not being read.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Alessandro Zafarana, Cristian Porta, Ernesto Cantone