Patents by Inventor Davide LENA
Davide LENA 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).
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Patent number: 10129942Abstract: LED strings cascaded to one another are driven by an electronic circuit that includes regulation modules and a brightness-compensation module. The regulation modules carry out in sequence a current-regulation phase, in which they regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED strings. The regulation module includes: a compensation regulator coupled to a compensation LED string and to a capacitor and a generator that generates an electrical quantity indicating the luminous flux emitted by the LED strings and by the compensation LED string. The compensation regulator regulates a current that flows in the compensation LED string as a function of the electrical quantity, discharging the capacitor through the compensation LED string.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Patent number: 9948188Abstract: A control device for a switching converter having a transformer, with a primary winding receiving an input quantity, a secondary winding providing an output quantity, an auxiliary winding providing a feedback quantity, and a switch element. The control device has a processing module for generating a control signal for switching the switch element on the basis of the feedback quantity in order to regulate the output quantity via alternation of phases of storage and transfer of energy. The processing module controls the end of the transfer phase by comparing the feedback quantity with a comparison threshold. A discrimination circuit generates a signal for discrimination between the presence of a short circuit on the output or the fact that the input quantity is lower than a threshold. The processing module controls the end of the energy-transfer phase also on the basis of the discrimination signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2015Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Francesco Ferrazza, Davide Lena, Mirko Gravati, Domenico Tripodi, Massimiliano Leggenda
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Publication number: 20180092168Abstract: LED strings cascaded to one another are driven by an electronic circuit that includes regulation modules and a brightness-compensation module. The regulation modules carry out in sequence a current-regulation phase, in which they regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED strings. The regulation module includes: a compensation regulator coupled to a compensation LED string and to a capacitor and a generator that generates an electrical quantity indicating the luminous flux emitted by the LED strings and by the compensation LED string. The compensation regulator regulates a current that flows in the compensation LED string as a function of the electrical quantity, discharging the capacitor through the compensation LED string.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2017Publication date: March 29, 2018Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Patent number: 9918364Abstract: An electronic circuit drives a plurality of LED strings connected in series. The electronic circuit includes a regulation module corresponding to each LED string, with the regulation module connected to the cathode terminal of the corresponding LED string. Each regulation module is further coupled to receive a reference voltage in phase with a rectified a.c. voltage. The regulation modules execute in turn and in sequence a current-regulation phase as a function of a trend of the reference voltage. Each regulation module, when executing the current-regulation phase, functions to regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED string and in any previous LED strings in the series connection so that the regulated current is proportional to the reference voltage.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2017Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Patent number: 9867245Abstract: LED strings cascaded to one another are driven by an electronic circuit that includes regulation modules and a brightness-compensation module. The regulation modules carry out in sequence a current-regulation phase, in which they regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED strings. The regulation module includes: a compensation regulator coupled to a compensation LED string and to a capacitor and a generator that generates an electrical quantity indicating the luminous flux emitted by the LED strings and by the compensation LED string. The compensation regulator regulates a current that flows in the compensation LED string as a function of the electrical quantity, discharging the capacitor through the compensation LED string.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2017Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Publication number: 20170265257Abstract: An electronic circuit drives a plurality of LED strings connected in series. The electronic circuit includes a regulation module corresponding to each LED string, with the regulation module connected to the cathode terminal of the corresponding LED string. Each regulation module is further coupled to receive a reference voltage in phase with a rectified a.c. voltage. The regulation modules execute in turn and in sequence a current-regulation phase as a function of a trend of the reference voltage. Each regulation module, when executing the current-regulation phase, functions to regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED string and in any previous LED strings in the series connection so that the regulated current is proportional to the reference voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2017Publication date: September 14, 2017Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Patent number: 9730285Abstract: An electronic circuit drives a plurality of LED strings connected in series. The electronic circuit includes a regulation module corresponding to each LED string, with the regulation module connected to the cathode terminal of the corresponding LED string. Each regulation module is further coupled to receive a reference voltage in phase with a rectified a.c. voltage. The regulation modules execute in turn and in sequence a current-regulation phase as a function of a trend of the reference voltage. Each regulation module, when executing the current-regulation phase, functions to regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED string and in any previous LED strings in the series connection so that the regulated current is proportional to the reference voltage.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2016Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Publication number: 20170196054Abstract: An electronic circuit drives a plurality of LED strings connected in series. The electronic circuit includes a regulation module corresponding to each LED string, with the regulation module connected to the cathode terminal of the corresponding LED string. Each regulation module is further coupled to receive a reference voltage in phase with a rectified a.c. voltage. The regulation modules execute in turn and in sequence a current-regulation phase as a function of a trend of the reference voltage. Each regulation module, when executing the current-regulation phase, functions to regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED string and in any previous LED strings in the series connection so that the regulated current is proportional to the reference voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2016Publication date: July 6, 2017Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Publication number: 20170196051Abstract: LED strings cascaded to one another are driven by an electronic circuit that includes regulation modules and a brightness-compensation module. The regulation modules carry out in sequence a current-regulation phase, in which they regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED strings. The regulation module includes: a compensation regulator coupled to a compensation LED string and to a capacitor and a generator that generates an electrical quantity indicating the luminous flux emitted by the LED strings and by the compensation LED string. The compensation regulator regulates a current that flows in the compensation LED string as a function of the electrical quantity, discharging the capacitor through the compensation LED string.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2017Publication date: July 6, 2017Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Davide Lena, Simone Crespi
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Publication number: 20160126846Abstract: A control device for a switching converter having a transformer, with a primary winding receiving an input quantity, a secondary winding providing an output quantity, an auxiliary winding providing a feedback quantity, and a switch element. The control device has a processing module for generating a control signal for switching the switch element on the basis of the feedback quantity in order to regulate the output quantity via alternation of phases of storage and transfer of energy. The processing module controls the end of the transfer phase by comparing the feedback quantity with a comparison threshold. A discrimination circuit generates a signal for discrimination between the presence of a short circuit on the output or the fact that the input quantity is lower than a threshold. The processing module controls the end of the energy-transfer phase also on the basis of the discrimination signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2015Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Francesco Ferrazza, Davide Lena, Mirko Gravati, Domenico Tripodi, Massimiliano Leggenda
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Patent number: 8693256Abstract: A non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material. An embodiment of a memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first well and a second well of a first type of conductivity that are formed in an insulating region of a second type of conductivity. The memory cell further includes a first, a second, and a third region of the second type of conductivity that are formed in the first well; these regions define a selection transistor of MOS type and a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type that are coupled in series. Moreover, the memory device includes a selection gate of the selection transistor, a floating gate of the storage transistor, and a control gate of the storage transistor formed in the second well; the control gate is capacitively coupled with the floating gate.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Marco Pasotti, Davide Lena, Fabio De Santis
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Patent number: 8619469Abstract: An embodiment of a non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material is proposed. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first well and a second well of first type of conductivity that are formed in an insulating region of a second type of conductivity. The memory cell further includes a first, a second, a third and a fourth region of the second type of conductivity that are formed in the first well; these regions define a sequence of a first selection transistor of MOS type, a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type, and a second selection transistor of MOS type that are coupled in series. The first region is short-circuited to the first well. Moreover, the memory device includes a first gate of the first selection transistor, a second gate of the second selection transistor, and a floating gate of the storage transistor.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Marco Pasotti, Marcella Carissimi, Davide Lena
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Patent number: 8493787Abstract: An embodiment of non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material is proposed. The memory includes at least one sector of a plurality of memory cells; each sector includes a storage region of a first type of conductivity and a further storage region of a second type of conductivity. Each memory cell includes a first region and a second region of the second type of conductivity, which are formed in the storage region for defining a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type of the first type of conductivity; the memory cell likewise includes a further first region and a further second region of the first type of conductivity, which are formed in the further storage region for defining a further storage transistor of floating gate MOS type of the second type of conductivity. The memory cell also includes a common floating gate of the storage transistor and the further storage transistor.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Marco Pasotti, Davide Lena, Giancarlo Pisoni, Fabrizio Torricelli, Zsolt M. Kovacs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20110157972Abstract: An embodiment of non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material is proposed. The memory includes at least one sector of a plurality of memory cells; each sector includes a storage region of a first type of conductivity and a further storage region of a second type of conductivity. Each memory cell includes a first region and a second region of the second type of conductivity, which are formed in the storage region for defining a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type of the first type of conductivity; the memory cell likewise includes a further first region and a further second region of the first type of conductivity, which are formed in the further storage region for defining a further storage transistor of floating gate MOS type of the second type of conductivity. The memory cell also includes a common floating gate of the storage transistor and the further storage transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Marco PASOTTI, Davide LENA, Giancarlo PISONI, Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Zsolt M. KOVACS-VAJNA
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Publication number: 20110157975Abstract: An embodiment of a non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material is proposed. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first well and a second well of first type of conductivity that are formed in an insulating region of a second type of conductivity. The memory cell further includes a first, a second, a third and a fourth region of the second type of conductivity that are formed in the first well; these regions define a sequence of a first selection transistor of MOS type, a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type, and a second selection transistor of MOS type that are connected in series. The first region is short-circuited to the first well. Moreover, the memory device includes a first gate of the first selection transistor, a second gate of the second selection transistor, and a floating gate of the storage transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.Inventors: Marco PASOTTI, Marcella CARISSIMI, Davide LENA
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Publication number: 20110157977Abstract: An embodiment of a non-volatile memory device integrated in a chip of semiconductor material is proposed. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a first well and a second well of a first type of conductivity that are formed in an insulating region of a second type of conductivity. The memory cell further includes a first, a second, and a third region of the second type of conductivity that are formed in the first well; these regions define a selection transistor of MOS type and a storage transistor of floating gate MOS type that are coupled in series. Moreover, the memory device includes a selection gate of the selection transistor, a floating gate of the storage transistor, and a control gate of the storage transistor formed in the second well; the control gate is capacitively coupled with the floating gate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Marco PASOTTI, Davide LENA, Fabio DE SANTIS