Patents by Inventor Giovanni Saccomanno
Giovanni Saccomanno 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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Publication number: 20240088909Abstract: A tracking ADC with a feed-forward loop is disclosed. The tracking ADC includes a feedback circuit configured to generate a feedback signal using an input voltage and a comparison circuit configured to sample, using a plurality of threshold values, the feedback signal to generate a plurality of samples. A counter circuit is configured to update a count value using a subset of the plurality of samples. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit configured to generate a control signal using the count value. The feedback circuit is further configured to modify the feedback signal using the control signal and at least one of the plurality of samples. By modifying the feedback voltage, the settling time may be reduced, allowing the ADC to be run at a higher clock speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2022Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Giovanni Saccomanno, Alberto Celin, Fabio Busignani, Siarhei Meliukh
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Patent number: 11901806Abstract: A disconnect switch for a power converter is disclosed. An apparatus includes an inductor coupled between an input power supply node and a switch node, and a converter circuit configured to generate a particular voltage level on a boost node using a voltage level of the switch node. An output circuit is configured to provide the particular voltage level on the regulated power supply node using a voltage level of the boost node. In response to a determination that the regulated power supply node has been shorted to ground, the output circuit is configured isolate the boost node from the regulated power supply node. In response to a detection of a regulation event, the output circuit is configured to reduce the voltage level of the boost node to generate a reduced voltage on the regulated power supply node.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2021Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Giovanni Saccomanno, Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Yesim Inam
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Publication number: 20230116750Abstract: A disconnect switch for a power converter is disclosed. An apparatus includes an inductor coupled between an input power supply node and a switch node, and a converter circuit configured to generate a particular voltage level on a boost node using a voltage level of the switch node. An output circuit is configured to provide the particular voltage level on the regulated power supply node using a voltage level of the boost node. In response to a determination that the regulated power supply node has been shorted to ground, the output circuit is configured isolate the boost node from the regulated power supply node. In response to a detection of a regulation event, the output circuit is configured to reduce the voltage level of the boost node to generate a reduced voltage on the regulated power supply node.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2021Publication date: April 13, 2023Inventors: Giovanni Saccomanno, Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Yesim Inam
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Patent number: 11594957Abstract: A dual-stage boost converter is disclosed. The boost converter includes a charge pump and a boost stage. The charge pump is coupled between an input voltage source and the boost stage. The charge pump is coupled to receive the input voltage and configured to generate an intermediate voltage that is greater than the input voltage received from the input voltage source. The boost stage includes an inductor coupled to receive the intermediate voltage and is configured to generate an output voltage that is greater than or equal to the intermediate voltage.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2021Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Cristian Grecu, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno, Siarhei Meliukh, Yesim Inam
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Publication number: 20220302826Abstract: A dual-stage boost converter is disclosed. The boost converter includes a charge pump and a boost stage. The charge pump is coupled between an input voltage source and the boost stage. The charge pump is coupled to receive the input voltage and configured to generate an intermediate voltage that is greater than the input voltage received from the input voltage source. The boost stage includes an inductor coupled to receive the intermediate voltage and is configured to generate an output voltage that is greater than or equal to the intermediate voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2021Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Cristian Grecu, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno, Siarhei Meliukh, Yesim Inam
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Patent number: 11264900Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) control method for a boost converter and apparatus for carrying out the method. A boost converter includes an inductor and a transistor coupled thereto. A control circuit is arranged to control the transistor to cause current pulsed to be sourced through the inductor. When operating in a PFM mode, the control circuit may control the timing of pulses such that, at the beginning of a specified time period, current pulses may be sourced with no spacing between successive pulses. After a desired number of pulses have been sourced, no pulses are sourced for the remainder of the specified time period. Nevertheless, the number of pulses sourced over the time period corresponds to a desired average frequency of pulses.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2020Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: Apple IncInventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Alessandro Molari, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno, Hao Zhou
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Patent number: 11152846Abstract: A DC-DC converter providing adaptive peak current control is disclosed. A DC-DC converter includes an inductor having first and second terminals coupled to a voltage source and a transistor, respectively. The DC-DC circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control activation of the transistor. A first control block of the control circuit controls the transistor (and thus the inductor peak current) using pulse frequency modulation (PFM). A second control block controls the transistor using pulse width modulation (PWM) and PFM. In a first mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor, using PFM, such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor has a fixed value. In a second mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor is modulated, using both PWM and PFM.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Alessandro S. Molari, Angelo Bassi, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno
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Publication number: 20210257911Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) control method for a boost converter and apparatus for carrying out the method. A boost converter includes an inductor and a transistor coupled thereto. A control circuit is arranged to control the transistor to cause current pulsed to be sourced through the inductor. When operating in a PFM mode, the control circuit may control the timing of pulses such that, at the beginning of a specified time period, current pulses may be sourced with no spacing between successive pulses. After a desired number of pulses have been sourced, no pulses are sourced for the remainder of the specified time period. Nevertheless, the number of pulses sourced over the time period corresponds to a desired average frequency of pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2020Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Alessandro Molari, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno, Hao Zhou
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Publication number: 20210218343Abstract: A DC-DC converter providing adaptive peak current control is disclosed. A DC-DC converter includes an inductor having first and second terminals coupled to a voltage source and a transistor, respectively. The DC-DC circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control activation of the transistor. A first control block of the control circuit controls the transistor (and thus the inductor peak current) using pulse frequency modulation (PFM). A second control block controls the transistor using pulse width modulation (PWM) and PFM. In a first mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor, using PFM, such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor has a fixed value. In a second mode of operation, the control circuit activates the transistor such that the peak-to-peak current through the inductor is modulated, using both PWM and PFM.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2020Publication date: July 15, 2021Inventors: Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Alessandro S. Molari, Angelo Bassi, Fabio Ongaro, Giovanni Saccomanno
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Patent number: 11038413Abstract: A power converter circuit that includes a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor may, in response an assertion of a control signal, source current to the regulated power supply node. In response to initiating a charge cycle, a control circuit may assert the control signal. During an assertion of the control signal, the control circuit may adjust a slope of a transition of the control signal using a voltage level of the switch node.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Giovanni Saccomanno, Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Fabio Ongaro
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Publication number: 20210075321Abstract: A power converter circuit that includes a switch node coupled to a regulated power supply node via an inductor may, in response an assertion of a control signal, source current to the regulated power supply node. In response to initiating a charge cycle, a control circuit may assert the control signal. During an assertion of the control signal, the control circuit may adjust a slope of a transition of the control signal using a voltage level of the switch node.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2019Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Giovanni Saccomanno, Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Fabio Ongaro