Patents by Inventor Emanuele Bodano

Emanuele Bodano 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: 11722053
    Abstract: A method is provided for driving a half bridge circuit that includes a first transistor and a second transistor that are switched in a complementary manner. The method includes generating an off-current during a plurality of turn-off switching events to control a gate voltage of the second transistor; measuring a transistor parameter of the second transistor during a first turn-off switching event during which the second transistor is transitioned to an off state, wherein the transistor parameter is indicative of an oscillation at the first transistor during a corresponding turn-on switching event during which the first transistor is transitioned to an on state; and activating a portion of the off-current for the second turn-off switching event, including regulating an interval length of the second portion for the second turn-off switching event based on the measured transistor parameter measured during the first turn-off switching event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Hermann Groiss, Emanuele Bodano
  • Publication number: 20230208280
    Abstract: A method is provided for driving a half bridge circuit that includes a first transistor and a second transistor that are switched in a complementary manner. The method includes generating an off-current during a plurality of turn-off switching events to control a gate voltage of the second transistor; measuring a transistor parameter of the second transistor during a first turn-off switching event during which the second transistor is transitioned to an off state, wherein the transistor parameter is indicative of an oscillation at the first transistor during a corresponding turn-on switching event during which the first transistor is transitioned to an on state; and activating a portion of the off-current for the second turn-off switching event, including regulating an interval length of the second portion for the second turn-off switching event based on the measured transistor parameter measured during the first turn-off switching event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Stefan Hermann GROISS, Emanuele BODANO
  • Patent number: 10707840
    Abstract: A power stage having a power transistor coupled between a power supply and a switching node; a charge pump coupled between the power supply and a gate of the power transistor; and a gate driver configured to charge the gate of the power transistor until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage, and further charge the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Vratislav Michal, Joachim Pichler
  • Publication number: 20200099367
    Abstract: A power stage having a power transistor coupled between a power supply and a switching node; a charge pump coupled between the power supply and a gate of the power transistor; and a gate driver configured to charge the gate of the power transistor until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage, and further charge the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Vratislav Michal, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 10263518
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method of operating a switching power supply includes applying a periodic switching signal to a first switch that is coupled to an output node, detecting an offset delay between applying the periodic switching signal and a change in voltage of the output node, calculating a corrected midpoint of a half phase of the periodic switching signal based on the offset delay, generating a sampling pulse based on the corrected midpoint, and sampling a current at the output node according to the sampling pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Lagioia, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 10116209
    Abstract: A method of operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) includes starting up the switched-mode power supply by determining a rate of increase of a duty cycle of a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal based on an input voltage and a switching frequency of the SMPS; and generating the PWM signal having the duty cycle in accordance with the determined rate of increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Luca Bizjak, Emanuele Bodano, Stefano Marsili, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 9970980
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a gate drive circuit; an output transistor, and a gate coupled to the gate drive circuit; a normally-on transistor including a load path coupled to the gate drive circuit and to the gate of the output transistor; and a pull-up device, where the output transistor is configured to provide a test leakage current in a test mode when a measurement voltage is applied to a current test node coupled to the gate of the output transistor and a turn-off voltage is applied to the gate of the normally-on transistor; and the gate drive circuit is configured to provide a gate drive voltage to the gate of the output transistor in a nominal operation mode when a voltage of the gate of the normally-on transistor is pulled-up to a voltage of the pull-up node via the pull-up device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Emanuele Bodano
  • Publication number: 20180059166
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a gate drive circuit; an output transistor, and a gate coupled to the gate drive circuit; a normally-on transistor including a load path coupled to the gate drive circuit and to the gate of the output transistor; and a pull-up device, where the output transistor is configured to provide a test leakage current in a test mode when a measurement voltage is applied to a current test node coupled to the gate of the output transistor and a turn-off voltage is applied to the gate of the normally-on transistor; and the gate drive circuit is configured to provide a gate drive voltage to the gate of the output transistor in a nominal operation mode when a voltage of the gate of the normally-on transistor is pulled-up to a voltage of the pull-up node via the pull-up device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventor: Emanuele Bodano
  • Publication number: 20170149334
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method of operating a switching power supply includes applying a periodic switching signal to a first switch that is coupled to an output node, detecting an offset delay between applying the periodic switching signal and a change in voltage of the output node, calculating a corrected midpoint of a half phase of the periodic switching signal based on the offset delay, generating a sampling pulse based on the corrected midpoint, and sampling a current at the output node according to the sampling pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Lagioia, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 9570980
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method of operating a switching power supply includes applying a periodic switching signal to a first switch that is coupled to an output node, detecting an offset delay between applying the periodic switching signal and a change in voltage of the output node, calculating a corrected midpoint of a half phase of the periodic switching signal based on the offset delay, generating a sampling pulse based on the corrected midpoint, and sampling a current at the output node according to the sampling pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Lagioia, Joachim Pichler
  • Publication number: 20160380537
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) includes starting up the switched-mode power supply by determining a rate of increase of a duty cycle of a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal based on an input voltage and a switching frequency of the SMPS; and generating the PWM signal having the duty cycle in accordance with determined rate of increase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Luca Bizjak, Emanuele Bodano, Stefano Marsili, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 9479059
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided wherein a change of a mode of operation is performed based on a time where both switches of a first and a second switch are open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Giovanna Lagioia, Joachim Pichler, Massimiliano Fieni
  • Patent number: 9450492
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method for controlling a switched-mode power supply (SMPS), includes receiving a measurement of a supply voltage input of the SMPS, determining a change in the supply voltage input over time based on receiving the measurement, comparing the determined change in the supply voltage input with a predetermined threshold value and applying a correction factor to an integrator within a feedback control loop of the SMPS based on the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Luca Bizjak, Emanuele Bodano, Stefano Marsili
  • Patent number: 9385599
    Abstract: A converter circuit is described comprising a switch circuit configured to provide an output voltage, a control circuit comprising an analog control portion and a digital control portion and a noise generator configured to generate white noise, wherein the noise generator is configured to supply the generated white noise to the digital control portion of the control circuit and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the switch circuit based on the white noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
    Inventors: Andrea Congiu, Emanuele Bodano, Dirk Hammerschmidt
  • Publication number: 20150381044
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided wherein a change of a mode of operation is performed based on a time where both switches of a first and a second switch are open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Giovanna Lagioia, Joachim Pichler, Massimiliano Fieni
  • Publication number: 20150349636
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method of operating a switching power supply includes applying a periodic switching signal to a first switch that is coupled to an output node, detecting an offset delay between applying the periodic switching signal and a change in voltage of the output node, calculating a corrected midpoint of a half phase of the periodic switching signal based on the offset delay, generating a sampling pulse based on the corrected midpoint, and sampling a current at the output node according to the sampling pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Luca Bizjak, Maria Lagioia, Joachim Pichler
  • Patent number: 9178522
    Abstract: A circuit contains a successive approximation register and an adjustable capacitor with a set input for adjusting a capacitance value of the adjustable capacitor. Moreover, it comprises a comparator having an input coupled to a terminal of the adjustable capacitor, and with an at least one output, wherein at least one of the outputs of the comparator is coupled to an input of the successive approximation register. The circuit also includes an analog input which is coupled to a terminal of the adjustable capacitor. The circuit may be set into a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein an output of the circuit is controlled in the first operating state by the successive approximation register and is not controlled in the second operating state by the successive approximation register, but by the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Peter Bogner, Joachim Pichler, Mark Schauer
  • Patent number: 8981820
    Abstract: Devices and methods are provided in which a driver is supplied via a first current path and a second current path which can comprise a switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Emanuele Bodano, Maria Giovanna Lagioia, Joachim Pichler, Volha Subotskaya
  • Publication number: 20150061912
    Abstract: A circuit contains a successive approximation register and an adjustable capacitor with a set input for adjusting a capacitance value of the adjustable capacitor. Moreover, it comprises a comparator having an input coupled to a terminal of the adjustable capacitor, and with an at least one output, wherein at least one of the outputs of the comparator is coupled to an input of the successive approximation register. The circuit also includes an analog input which is coupled to a terminal of the adjustable capacitor. The circuit may be set into a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein an output of the circuit is controlled in the first operating state by the successive approximation register and is not controlled in the second operating state by the successive approximation register, but by the comparator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Emanuele BODANO, Peter BOGNER, Joachim PICHLER, Mark SCHAUER
  • Publication number: 20140320100
    Abstract: A converter circuit is described comprising a switch circuit configured to provide an output voltage, a control circuit comprising an analogue control portion and a digital control portion and a noise generator configured to generate white noise, wherein the noise generator is configured to supply the generated white noise to the digital control portion of the control circuit and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the switch circuit based on the white noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Andrea Congiu, Emanuele Bodano, Dirk Hammerschmidt