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: 20130308795
    Abstract: An interface circuit is provided that is adapted to connect a microphone circuit to a preamplifier. The microphone circuit has a microphone and at least an output node and the preamplifier has at least an input node connected to the output node by the interface circuit. The interface circuit has at least a decoupling capacitor for DC decoupling the input node from the output node. The decoupling is connected between the input node and the output node. The interface circuit has at least one active circuit, comprising a resistor connected the decoupling capacitor. The resistor acts as part of a resistance multiplier and has an equivalent resistance that together with the decoupling capacitor defines a high-pass filter connected between the microphone and the preamplifier. The interface circuit may also have a biasing circuit connected to the resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Germano Nicollini
  • Publication number: 20130214948
    Abstract: A single-ended to differential buffer circuit is is disclosed, adapted to couple at least an input analog signal to a receiving circuit. The buffer circuit comprises an output section comprising a differential amplifier having a first and a second input, a first and a second output. The buffer circuit further comprises an input section comprising a first and a second switched capacitor, each adapted to sample said input analog signal and having a first side and a second side, the first sides of the first and second switched capacitors being controllably connectable/disconnectable to/from said first and second outputs respectively. In the buffer circuit the second sides of said first and second switched capacitors are controllably connectable/disconnectable to/from said first and second inputs of the differential amplifier respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Alberto Minuti, Marco Zamprogno
  • Publication number: 20130208922
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic integrated amplifier for driving an acoustic transducer. The amplifier comprises two differential input terminals to receive an input signal and a first and a second output terminal to provide an output signal to the transducer. In addition, the amplifier comprises an operational amplifier having an input end including differential inputs and an output end operatively associated with the first and second output terminals. A pair of input resistors connect the two differential input terminals to two intermediate terminals, respectively. A pair of feedback resistors connect the first and second output terminals to the two intermediate terminals, respectively. The integrated amplifier also comprises means for high-pass filtering the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Federico Guanziroli, Massimo Orio, Carlo Pinna
  • Patent number: 8044718
    Abstract: An integrated programmable gain amplifier circuit that receives at an input an analog signal, circuit including an operational amplifier and a gain setup network comprising resistive elements and selection elements, which may be controlled in order to setup the gain of the amplifier circuit. The gain setup network further includes capacitive elements, for defining, together with the resistive elements and the operational amplifier, an anti-aliasing filter of the active RC type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Angelo Nagari
  • Patent number: 8035450
    Abstract: An operational amplifier having a first amplification stage with an input terminal to receive a signal to be amplified, and a first output terminal, and a second amplification stage having a first input terminal connected to the first output terminal, and an output terminal to provide the amplified signal. The first and second amplification stages define, between the input terminal and the output terminal, a signal transfer function having first and second poles. The amplifier further includes a decoupling stage having a further input terminal connected to the first stage input terminal, and a further output terminal connected to the second stage output terminal. The decoupling stage is so arranged as to introduce at least one zero in the operational amplifier transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Sergio Pernici, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7986181
    Abstract: A calibration circuit for calibrating an adjustable capacitance of a circuit having a time constant depending on the adjustable capacitance, the calibration circuit generating a calibration signal for calibrating the capacitance and including a calibration loop, suitable to carry out a calibration cycle in several sequential steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Pierangelo Confalonieri, Riccardo Martignone, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7952503
    Abstract: A voltage following device is described, for the driving of a sampling network coupleable to an analog/digital converter, comprising at least one first transistor provided with a first terminal to receive an input signal, and a second terminal to provide an output signal to the sampling network which is representative of the input signal translation of an amount equal to a gate and source voltage of said at least one first transistor. The voltage following device having a driving network of said at least one first transistor to keep said gate and source voltage equal to a shift reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Germano Nicollini
  • Publication number: 20110074221
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electronic regulation device of a variable capacitance of an integrated circuit having a time parameter depending on the variable capacitance. The regulation device includes a regulation loop, and is configured to generate in output a plurality of binary regulation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Pierangelo Confalonieri, Federico Guanziroli, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7864493
    Abstract: An electric circuit includes a supply terminal to receive an outer supply voltage and a voltage regulator coupled to the supply terminal and to provide supply and resting voltages. A lock-out circuit is switchable between active and inactive states and receives the supply voltage at a supply node to generate, in the active state, an output voltage on a output terminal thereof. A protection circuit protects against electrostatic discharge, having at least one first diode coupled between the supply node and the output terminal. A cut-off electronic lock couples, in the inactive state, the supply node to the supply terminal by reverse biasing the at least one first diode to make a voltage of the output terminal float.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: St-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Carlo Pinna, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7795947
    Abstract: An integrated buffer device for a switched capacitance circuit having a buffer with an output for an output voltage dependent upon an input voltage that can be supplied by a source to the buffer device; a capacitive switching component that can be switched between a first and second condition and connected, respectively, to the source and to the buffer to transfer the input voltage onto the output; the capacitive switching component provided with a terminal having an associated stray capacitance; a charging and discharging device configured to pre-charge the stray capacitance at a reference voltage before taking up the second condition and to pre-discharge the stray capacitance before taking up the first condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Marco Zamprogno, Germano Nicollini, Alberto Minuti
  • Publication number: 20100156535
    Abstract: An integrated programmable gain amplifier circuit that receives at an input an analog signal, circuit including an operational amplifier and a gain setup network comprising resistive elements and selection elements, which may be controlled in order to setup the gain of the amplifier circuit. The gain setup network further includes capacitive elements, for defining, together with the resistive elements and the operational amplifier, an anti-aliasing filter of the active RC type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Angelo Nagari
  • Publication number: 20100141343
    Abstract: An operational amplifier having a first amplification stage with an input terminal to receive a signal to be amplified, and a first output terminal, and a second amplification stage having a first input terminal connected to the first output terminal, and an output terminal to provide the amplified signal. The first and second amplification stages define, between the input terminal and the output terminal, a signal transfer function having first and second poles. The amplifier further includes a decoupling stage having a further input terminal connected to the first stage input terminal, and a further output terminal connected to the second stage output terminal. The decoupling stage is so arranged as to introduce at least one zero in the operational amplifier transfer function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Sergio Pernici, Germano Nicollini
  • Publication number: 20100123612
    Abstract: An analog-to-digital conversion circuit and device having an input stage arranged to receive an input signal and to provide an output analog signal as a function of the input signal; an analog-to-digital conversion block arranged to receive the output analog signal and to provide a respective output digital signal. The input stage includes a first voltage buffer arranged to provide the output analog signal to the conversion block as the translation of the input signal of an amount equal to a translation voltage; a second voltage buffer arranged to provide a first reference signal to the conversion block that is representative of the translation of a first reference voltage of an amount equal to the translation voltage, so that the conversion block stores the input signal as the difference of the input signal and the first reference voltage regardless of the translation voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Marco Zamprogno, Federico Guanziroli, Germano Nicollini, Pierangelo Confalonieri
  • Publication number: 20100001890
    Abstract: A voltage following device is described, for the driving of a sampling network coupleable to an analog/digital converter, comprising at least one first transistor provided with a first terminal to receive an input signal, and a second terminal to provide an output signal to the sampling network which is representative of the input signal translation of an amount equal to a gate and source voltage of said at least one first transistor. The voltage following device having a driving network of said at least one first transistor to keep said gate and source voltage equal to a shift reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: ST-ERICSSON SA
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Germano Nicollini
  • Publication number: 20090212830
    Abstract: An integrated buffer device for a switched capacitance circuit having a buffer with an output for an output voltage dependent upon an input voltage that can be supplied by a source to the buffer device; a capacitive switching component that can be switched between a first and second condition and connected, respectively, to the source and to the buffer to transfer the input voltage onto the output; the capacitive switching component provided with a terminal having an associated stray capacitance; a charging and discharging device configured to pre-charge the stray capacitance at a reference voltage before taking up the second condition and to pre-discharge the stray capacitance before taking up the first condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Marco Zamprogno, Germano Nicollini, Alberto Minuti
  • Publication number: 20090201083
    Abstract: A device comprising: an input for an electric signal; an integrator stage connected to said input to provide an integrated signal; an amplifier stage electrically coupled to the integrator stage to receive said integrated signal and to provide an output signal. The device being characterized in that the integrator stage is such that the integrated signal is obtained by an individual signal integration operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: ST WIRELESS SA
    Inventors: Federico Guanziroli, Germano Nicollini
  • Publication number: 20090051401
    Abstract: A calibration circuit for calibrating an adjustable capacitance of a circuit having a time constant depending on the adjustable capacitance, the calibration circuit generating a calibration signal for calibrating the capacitance and including a calibration loop, suitable to carry out a calibration cycle in several sequential steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Pierangelo Confalonieri, Riccardo Martignone, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7400285
    Abstract: A circuit for reconstructing an analog signal starting from a digital input signal includes a digital to analog converter and a low pass-filter connected at the output of the converter for receiving the analog format signal and outputting a reconstructed analog signal. The low pass filter is an active filter continuous in time and current-coupled to the output of the digital-analog converter. The digital-analog converter is of the current-steering type functioning at a sampling frequency greater than the Nyquist frequency of the analog signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Germano Nicollini, Pierangelo Confalonieri, Riccardo Martignone
  • Publication number: 20080130181
    Abstract: An electric circuit includes a supply terminal to receive an outer supply voltage and a voltage regulator coupled to the supply terminal and to provide supply and resting voltages. A lock-out circuit is switchable between active and inactive states and receives the supply voltage at a supply node to generate, in the active state, an output voltage on a output terminal thereof. A protection circuit protects against electrostatic discharge, having at least one first diode coupled between the supply node and the output terminal. A cut-off electronic lock couples, in the inactive state, the supply node to the supply terminal by reverse biasing the at least one first diode to make a voltage of the output terminal float.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Carlo Pinna, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 7348912
    Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter includes a first section (MSB) that converts the more significant bits of a digital code into a first voltage (Vin) of a multiplicity of discrete voltages that are integral multiples of a predetermined first voltage step (?V1). A second section (LSB) of the converter converts the less significant bits of the digital code into a current. The current is transformed into a second voltage of a multiplicity of discrete voltages that are integral multiples of a second voltage step (?V2) equal to ½ L of the product of the first voltage step (?V1) multiplied by a predetermined coefficient, where L is the number of the less significant bits of the digital code to be converted. A summer generates an output voltage (Vout) that is the sum of the second voltage and the product of the first voltage multiplied by the predetermined coefficient. With a view to obtaining a low consumption, the summer has a resistive feedback circuit including a voltage divider (R3, R4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Pierangelo Confalonieri, Germano Nicollini, Riccardo Martignone