Patents by Inventor Germano Nicollini

Germano Nicollini 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).

  • Publication number: 20190372535
    Abstract: A switching amplifier, such as a Class D amplifier, includes a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit is formed by replica loop circuits that are selectively coupled to corresponding output inverter stages of the switching amplifier. The replica loop circuits operated to produce respective replica currents of the output currents generated by the output inverter stages. A sensing circuitry is coupled to receive the replica currents from the replica loop circuits and operates to produce an output sensing signal as a function of the respective replica currents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano RAMORINI, Alberto CATTANI, Germano NICOLLINI, Alessandro GASPARINI
  • Patent number: 10439569
    Abstract: A switching amplifier, such as a Class D amplifier, includes a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit is formed by replica loop circuits that are selectively coupled to corresponding output inverter stages of the switching amplifier. The replica loop circuits operated to produce respective replica currents of the output currents generated by the output inverter stages. A sensing circuitry is coupled to receive the replica currents from the replica loop circuits and operates to produce an output sensing signal as a function of the respective replica currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Ramorini, Alberto Cattani, Germano Nicollini, Alessandro Gasparini
  • Patent number: 10416702
    Abstract: A first current proportional to absolute temperature flows in a first current line through a first p-n junction and a second p-n junction arranged in series. A cascaded arrangement of p-n junctions is coupled to the second p-n junction and includes a further p-n junction with a current flowing therethrough that has a third order proportionality on absolute temperature. A differential circuit has a first input coupled to the further p-n junction and a second input coupled to a current mirror from the first p-n junction, with the differential circuit configured to generate a bandgap voltage with a low temperature drift from a sum of first voltage (that is PTAT) derived from the first current and a second voltage (that is PTAT3) derived from the third current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronic S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Stefano Polesel
  • Patent number: 10389376
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a circuit for use in devices involving digital-to-analog conversion of signals includes: a capacitive digital-to-analog converter array and an amplifier. The capacitive digital-to-analog converter includes an input port for receiving a digital input signal and an output port. The amplifier includes capacitive feedback loops that include a first capacitor coupling the output of the amplifier with the input of the amplifier and a second capacitor coupled to the output port of the digital-to-analog converter array at the input of the amplifier. The circuit further includes a set of switches that include a first switch and a second switch coupled with opposed ends of the second capacitor at the input and at the output of the amplifier, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luigino D'Alessio, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 10326418
    Abstract: A circuit includes an input transistor pair with first and second input transistors, the first input transistor having a control terminal configured to receive an input signal and a cascode transistor pair including a first and second cascode transistors having a common control node. A bias circuit has a bias input configured to receive the input signal and a first bias output coupled to the common node of the first and second cascode transistors. The bias circuit includes a signal tracking circuit operating to generate the first bias output to track the input signal. A pair of load transistors are coupled to the input transistor pair and biased by a second bias output of the bias circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Ramorini, Alberto Cattani, Alessandro Gasparini, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 10277178
    Abstract: A triangular-voltage generator has an input terminal that receives a power supply voltage and an output terminal that supplies a triangular-wave voltage having a repetition period. An operational amplifier in an integrator configuration has a first input, a second input and an output coupled to the output terminal. The second input receives a reference voltage as a function of the power supply voltage. The first input is selectively and alternately connected to the input terminal during a first half-period of the repetition period and to a reference terminal during a second half-period of the repetition period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Ramorini, Germano Nicollini, Alberto Cattani, Alessandro Gasparini
  • Publication number: 20190113946
    Abstract: A first current proportional to absolute temperature flows in a first current line through a first p-n junction and a second p-n junction arranged in series. A cascaded arrangement of p-n junctions is coupled to the second p-n junction and includes a further p-n junction with a current flowing therethrough that has a third order proportionality on absolute temperature. A differential circuit has a first input coupled to the further p-n junction and a second input coupled to a current mirror from the first p-n junction, with the differential circuit configured to generate a bandgap voltage with a low temperature drift from a sum of first voltage (that is PTAT) derived from the first current and a second voltage (that is PTAT3) derived from the third current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano NICOLLINI, Stefano POLESEL
  • Publication number: 20190036518
    Abstract: A comparator circuit is implemented using a simple comparator core having two gain stages integrated in a single circuit block. The circuit operates with improved speed and resolution in comparison to a conventional continuous-time comparator. Offset trimming allows for the crossing time of the comparator to be adjusted close to an ideal crossing time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano RAMORINI, Germano NICOLLINI
  • Patent number: 10182292
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit, for a capacitive acoustic transducer defining a sensing capacitor that generates a sensing signal as a function of an acoustic signal, has a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are coupled to the sensing capacitor and: a dummy capacitor, which has a capacitance corresponding to a capacitance at rest of the sensing capacitor and a first terminal connected to the first input terminal; a first amplifier, which is coupled at input to the second input terminal and defines a first differential output of the circuit; a second amplifier, which is coupled at input to a second terminal of the dummy capacitor and defines a second differential output of the circuit; and a feedback stage, which is coupled between the differential outputs and the first input terminal, for feeding back onto the first input terminal a feedback signal, which has an amplitude that is a function of the sensing signal and is in phase opposition with respect thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Andrea Barbieri
  • Publication number: 20190013819
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a circuit for use in devices involving digital-to-analog conversion of signals includes: a capacitive digital-to-analog converter array and an amplifier. The capacitive digital-to-analog converter includes an input port for receiving a digital input signal and an output port. The amplifier includes capacitive feedback loops that include a first capacitor coupling the output of the amplifier with the input of the amplifier and a second capacitor coupled to the output port of the digital-to-analog converter array at the input of the amplifier. The circuit further includes a set of switches that include a first switch and a second switch coupled with opposed ends of the second capacitor at the input and at the output of the amplifier, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Luigino D'Alessio, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 10177720
    Abstract: An electronic circuit for amplifying signals with two components in phase quadrature, which includes: a feedback amplifier with a feedback capacitor; a switch that drives charging and discharging of the feedback capacitor; an additional capacitor; and a coupling circuit, which alternatively connects the additional capacitor in parallel to the feedback capacitor or else decouples the additional capacitor from the feedback capacitor. The switch opens at a first instant, where a first one of the two components assumes a first zero value; the coupling circuit decouples the additional capacitor from the feedback capacitor in a way synchronous with a second instant, where the first component assumes a second zero value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Marco Garbarino
  • Publication number: 20180342993
    Abstract: A switching amplifier, such as a Class D amplifier, includes a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit is formed by replica loop circuits that are selectively coupled to corresponding output inverter stages of the switching amplifier. The replica loop circuits operated to produce respective replica currents of the output currents generated by the output inverter stages. A sensing circuitry is coupled to receive the replica currents from the replica loop circuits and operates to produce an output sensing signal as a function of the respective replica currents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano RAMORINI, Alberto CATTANI, Germano NICOLLINI, Alessandro GASPARINI
  • Publication number: 20180337647
    Abstract: A circuit includes an input transistor pair with first and second input transistors, the first input transistor having a control terminal configured to receive an input signal and a cascode transistor pair including a first and second cascode transistors having a common control node. A bias circuit has a bias input configured to receive the input signal and a first bias output coupled to the common node of the first and second cascode transistors. The bias circuit includes a signal tracking circuit operating to generate the first bias output to track the input signal. A pair of load transistors are coupled to the input transistor pair and biased by a second bias output of the bias circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano RAMORINI, Alberto CATTANI, Alessandro GASPARINI, Germano NICOLLINI
  • Patent number: 10116267
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit a differential input stage coupled to a first input and to a second input between which a differential input voltage is present. A converter stage is coupled to the input stage to convert the differential input voltage into a converted voltage. An output stage is coupled to the converter stage and generates, starting from the converted voltage, an output voltage on a single output of the amplifier circuit. A biasing stage is coupled to the input stage and to the output stage to supply a biasing current. A chopper module reduces a contribution of offset and noise associated with the output voltage. The chopper module is coupled to the input stage, converter stage, and to the biasing stage. The chopper module includes an input chopper stage, a converter chopper stage, and a biasing chopper stage that operate jointly under control of a chopper signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Polesel, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 10056892
    Abstract: A comparator circuit including: a first node and a second node, which receive a first current and a second current, respectively; a first current mirror, which includes a first load transistor and a first output transistor; and a second current mirror, which includes a second load transistor and a second output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Roberto Modaffari
  • Publication number: 20180234062
    Abstract: A triangular-voltage generator has an input terminal that receives a power supply voltage and an output terminal that supplies a triangular-wave voltage having a repetition period. An operational amplifier in an integrator configuration has a first input, a second input and an output coupled to the output terminal. The second input receives a reference voltage as a function of the power supply voltage. The first input is selectively and alternately connected to the input terminal during a first half-period of the repetition period and to a reference terminal during a second half-period of the repetition period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Stefano Ramorini, Germano Nicollini, Alberto Cattani, Alessandro Gasparini
  • Patent number: 10033352
    Abstract: A phase shifter, which carries out a ninety-degree phase shift of a sinusoidal input signal having an input frequency, at the same input frequency, envisages: a continuous-time all-pass filter stage, which receives the sinusoidal input signal and generates an output signal phase-shifted by 90° at a phase-shift frequency that is a function of a RC time constant of the all-pass filter stage; and a calibration stage, which is coupled to the all-pass filter stage and generates a calibration signal for the all-pass filter stage, such that the phase-shift frequency is equal to the input frequency of the sinusoidal input signal, irrespective of variations of the value of the input frequency and/or of the RC time constant with respect to a nominal value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Roberto Modaffari, Marco Garbarino, Federico Guanziroli
  • Publication number: 20180139536
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit, for a capacitive acoustic transducer defining a sensing capacitor that generates a sensing signal as a function of an acoustic signal, has a first input terminal and a second input terminal, which are coupled to the sensing capacitor and: a dummy capacitor, which has a capacitance corresponding to a capacitance at rest of the sensing capacitor and a first terminal connected to the first input terminal; a first amplifier, which is coupled at input to the second input terminal and defines a first differential output of the circuit; a second amplifier, which is coupled at input to a second terminal of the dummy capacitor and defines a second differential output of the circuit; and a feedback stage, which is coupled between the differential outputs and the first input terminal, for feeding back onto the first input terminal a feedback signal, which has an amplitude that is a function of the sensing signal and is in phase opposition with respect thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Andrea Barbieri
  • Publication number: 20180123524
    Abstract: An amplifier circuit a differential input stage coupled to a first input and to a second input between which a differential input voltage is present. A converter stage is coupled to the input stage to convert the differential input voltage into a converted voltage. An output stage is coupled to the converter stage and generates, starting from the converted voltage, an output voltage on a single output of the amplifier circuit. A biasing stage is coupled to the input stage and to the output stage to supply a biasing current. A chopper module reduces a contribution of offset and noise associated with the output voltage. The chopper module is coupled to the input stage, converter stage, and to the biasing stage. The chopper module includes an input chopper stage, a converter chopper stage, and a biasing chopper stage that operate jointly under control of a chopper signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Stefano Polesel, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 9961451
    Abstract: A MEMS acoustic transducer has: a detection structure, which generates an electrical detection quantity as a function of a detected acoustic signal; and an electronic interface circuit, which is operatively coupled to the detection structure and generates an electrical output quantity as a function of the electrical detection quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Silvia Adorno, Andrea Barbieri, Federica Barbieri, Sebastiano Conti, Edoardo Marino, Sergio Pernici