Patents by Inventor Hugo Gicquel

Hugo Gicquel 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: 20230228554
    Abstract: An electronic system includes a first LC oscillator connected to a first general-purpose input/output (GPIO) circuit and a second LC oscillator connected to a second GPIO circuit. A threshold generator is coupled to an input of the comparator. A control circuit is configured to control a measurement phase comprising a first capture phase and a second capture phase. A microcontroller is coupled to the control circuit and a power management circuit is configured to switch-off the microcontroller following activation of the control circuit by the microcontroller. The control circuit is configured to control the application of an excitation signal to the each oscillator via the respective GPIO circuit, control the GPIO circuit so that oscillations of the oscillator are provided to the comparator, and count, based on an output of the comparator, a number of oscillations in the oscillator exceeding a threshold output by the threshold generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Santi Carlo Adamo, Cyril Joubert, Bastien Mahtal, Damien Giot, Hugo Gicquel, Alexandre Gimard
  • Publication number: 20230018356
    Abstract: In an embodiment an amplifier includes a first MOS transistor having a drain connected to an output of the amplifier and a source coupled to a first node configured to receive a first power supply potential, a first capacitive element connected between an input of the amplifier and a gate of the first MOS transistor, a first current source connecting the drain of the first MOS transistor to a second node configured to receive a second power supply potential and a resistive element and a second capacitive element connected in parallel between the gate and the drain of the first MOS transistor, the resistive element including a switched capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Hugo Gicquel, Sandrine Nicolas, Cedric Rechatin, Reiner Welk
  • Patent number: 11294504
    Abstract: A touch screen controller includes an input stage configured to receive and condition a touch output from a touch matrix to produce a touch signal. An accumulation stage is configured to receive the touch signal and accumulate the touch signal to produce an accumulated output. The accumulated output is digitized by an analog to digital converter to produce a touch strength value. A given amount of charge is subtracted from or added to accumulated output during a next accumulation if the touch strength value is greater than an upper threshold or less than a lower threshold. This avoids saturation of components in the touch screen controller and therefore increases the signal to noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Yannick Guedon, Leonard Liviu Dinu, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 11086448
    Abstract: A touch screen controller disclosed herein includes a circuit configured to generate a digital touch voltage comprises of samples, at a base sampling rate. The touch screen controller also includes a digital processing unit configured to analyze a first subset of samples of the digital touch voltage samples to determine noise content thereof, the first subset of samples corresponding to samples at a first investigated sampling rate that is a first function of the base sampling rate. The digital processing unit is also configured to analyze a second subset of samples of the digital touch voltage to determine noise content thereof, with the second subset of samples corresponding to samples at a second investigated sampling rate that is a second function of the base sampling rate, and determine a preferred sampling rate from among the first and second investigated sampling rates as a function of determined noise content thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Leonard Liviu Dinu, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 11086455
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a circuit including a driver circuit applying a received drive signal to a capacitive sensing line of a capacitive touch panel as a boosted drive signal, the driver circuit powered by a boosted supply voltage. A charge pump circuit receives an input supply voltage and output the boosted supply voltage, the charge pump circuit including a voltage sensing circuit to sense the boosted supply voltage and a comparison circuit to compare the sensed boosted supply voltage to a threshold and produce a comparison signal. A control circuit determines a ratio of a pulse width of the comparison signal to the drive signal, and tunes operation of the charge pump circuit to drive the ratio to match a performance threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Abhishek Singh, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 10790791
    Abstract: A feedback stage for an integrator circuit is provided. The integrator receives a first input current and a second input current that include respective measurement current components and an offset current component. The integrator integrates the first input current and the second input current and generates a first output voltage and a second output voltage. The feedback stage including a transconductance amplifier detects a difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage and sinks or sources a first output current and a second output current based on the difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage. The first output current is additively combined with the first input current and the second output current is additively combined with the second input current to mitigate the offset current component at an input of the integrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific PTE Ltd
    Inventors: Supriya Raveendra Hegde, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 10775930
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a plurality of charge-to-current converters each including a first NMOS transistor having a source coupled to a sense line, a first capacitor between a gate and source of the first NMOS transistor so that a transient component of noise from the sense line is applied to both, a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the sense line, a second capacitor between a gate and source of the first PMOS transistor so the transient component of the noise is applied to both, a first current mirror having an input coupled to a drain of the first NMOS transistor and an output coupled to an output for that charge to current converter, and a second current mirror having an input coupled to a drain of the first PMOS transistor and an output coupled to the output for that charge to current converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Leonard Liviu Dinu, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 10747382
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a touch screen controller including a driver circuit applying a drive signal to a drive line of a capacitive touch sensing panel. The driver circuit is powered by an accurate supply voltage. A driver supply circuit receives an input supply voltage and outputs the accurate supply voltage. The driver supply circuit includes a clocked comparator comparing a divided version of the accurate supply voltage to a reference voltage and outputting a comparison signal based thereupon. A voltage control circuit (e.g. a charge pump circuit) generates the accurate supply voltage in response to the comparison signal. The clocked comparator and voltage control circuit are both clocked by a driver supply circuit clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Hugo Gicquel, Abhishek Singh
  • Patent number: 10742197
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes a first current generator circuit that generates a current complementary to absolute temperature and a second current generator that generates a current proportional to absolute temperature. A temperature slope control circuit adjusts slopes of the current complementary to absolute temperature and the current proportional to absolute temperature in a complementary fashion and adds the current complementary to absolute temperature to the current proportional to absolute temperature after slope control to produce a temperature independent current. A current control circuit adjusts magnitude of the temperature independent current to produce a magnitude adjusted temperature independent current. A current controlled oscillator generates an output signal as a function of the magnitude adjusted temperature independent current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Li Cai, Yannick Guedon, Hugo Gicquel
  • Publication number: 20200192520
    Abstract: A touch screen controller includes an input stage configured to receive and condition a touch output from a touch matrix to produce a touch signal. An accumulation stage is configured to receive the touch signal and accumulate the touch signal to produce an accumulated output. The accumulated output is digitized by an analog to digital converter to produce a touch strength value. A given amount of charge is subtracted from or added to accumulated output during a next accumulation if the touch strength value is greater than an upper threshold or less than a lower threshold. This avoids saturation of components in the touch screen controller and therefore increases the signal to noise ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Yannick GUEDON, Leonard Liviu DINU, Hugo GICQUEL
  • Publication number: 20200174597
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a circuit including a driver circuit applying a received drive signal to a capacitive sensing line of a capacitive touch panel as a boosted drive signal, the driver circuit powered by a boosted supply voltage. A charge pump circuit receives an input supply voltage and output the boosted supply voltage, the charge pump circuit including a voltage sensing circuit to sense the boosted supply voltage and a comparison circuit to compare the sensed boosted supply voltage to a threshold and produce a comparison signal. A control circuit determines a ratio of a pulse width of the comparison signal to the drive signal, and tunes operation of the charge pump circuit to drive the ratio to match a performance threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Abhishek SINGH, Hugo GICQUEL
  • Publication number: 20200169221
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes a first current generator circuit that generates a current complementary to absolute temperature and a second current generator that generates a current proportional to absolute temperature. A temperature slope control circuit adjusts slopes of the current complementary to absolute temperature and the current proportional to absolute temperature in a complementary fashion and adds the current complementary to absolute temperature to the current proportional to absolute temperature after slope control to produce a temperature independent current. A current control circuit adjusts magnitude of the temperature independent current to produce a magnitude adjusted temperature independent current. A current controlled oscillator generates an output signal as a function of the magnitude adjusted temperature independent current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Li CAI, Yannick GUEDON, Hugo GICQUEL
  • Publication number: 20200153399
    Abstract: A feedback stage for an integrator circuit is provided. The integrator receives a first input current and a second input current that include respective measurement current components and an offset current component. The integrator integrates the first input current and the second input current and generates a first output voltage and a second output voltage. The feedback stage including a transconductance amplifier detects a difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage and sinks or sources a first output current and a second output current based on the difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage. The first output current is additively combined with the first input current and the second output current is additively combined with the second input current to mitigate the offset current component at an input of the integrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Supriya Raveendra HEGDE, Hugo GICQUEL
  • Publication number: 20200133411
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a touch screen controller including a driver circuit applying a drive signal to a drive line of a capacitive touch sensing panel. The driver circuit is powered by an accurate supply voltage. A driver supply circuit receives an input supply voltage and outputs the accurate supply voltage. The driver supply circuit includes a clocked comparator comparing a divided version of the accurate supply voltage to a reference voltage and outputting a comparison signal based thereupon. A voltage control circuit (e.g. a charge pump circuit) generates the accurate supply voltage in response to the comparison signal. The clocked comparator and voltage control circuit are both clocked by a driver supply circuit clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Hugo Gicquel, Abhishek Singh
  • Patent number: 10585528
    Abstract: A method of differential self-capacitance measurement is used to enhance a signal-to-noise ratio of sense lines in a touch panel display, thereby improving touch sensor accuracy. The differential self-capacitance measurement is implemented for a touch panel using charge sharing between adjacent sense lines of the touch panel matrix. Sequential differential self-capacitance measurements can be compared with one another by computing the difference |CS1?CS2|?|CS2?CS1| to sense a change caused by an intervening event. By scanning the entire touch panel matrix, events can be tracked across the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Hugo Gicquel, Eng Jye Ng
  • Publication number: 20200042140
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a plurality of charge-to-current converters each including a first NMOS transistor having a source coupled to a sense line, a first capacitor between a gate and source of the first NMOS transistor so that a transient component of noise from the sense line is applied to both, a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the sense line, a second capacitor between a gate and source of the first PMOS transistor so the transient component of the noise is applied to both, a first current mirror having an input coupled to a drain of the first NMOS transistor and an output coupled to an output for that charge to current converter, and a second current mirror having an input coupled to a drain of the first PMOS transistor and an output coupled to the output for that charge to current converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Leonard Liviu DINU, Hugo GICQUEL
  • Patent number: 10481731
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electronic device including a sensing layer including a plurality of sense lines, and a plurality of single ended charge converter circuits each receiving input from a corresponding one of the plurality of sense lines. The electronic device also includes a plurality of current mirror circuits, each respectively mirroring output from one of the plurality of single ended charge converter circuits so as to produce two substantially identical outputs for each of the plurality of single ended charge converter circuits. There may be a plurality of subtractor circuits coupled to the plurality of current mirror circuits, with each of the plurality of subtractor circuits configured to output a voltage that is a function of a difference between outputs from two of the plurality of current mirror circuits associated with adjacent ones of the sense lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Leonard Liviu Dinu, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 10248256
    Abstract: An alternating current (AC) drive signal having a first frequency and a high logic level at a boosted supply voltage is applied to drive a capacitive sensing line of a capacitive touch panel. The boosted supply voltage is generated by boosting an input voltage. The voltage boosting is effectuate by a charge pump circuit operating synchronous to assertion of the AC drive signal with a charge transfer time that is adaptable to different capacitive load conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Abhishek Singh, Hugo Gicquel
  • Patent number: 10191589
    Abstract: A circuit described herein includes a charge to voltage converter circuit having an input coupled to receive a sense signal from a sense node associated with a mutual capacitance to be sensed, and an output. A reset switch is coupled between the output of the charge to voltage converter circuit and the input of the charge to voltage converter. An accumulator circuit is configured to accumulate voltages at the output of the charge to voltage converter circuit and to generate an accumulator output signal. Control circuitry is configured to generate control signals for the reset switch and accumulator circuit so as to reduce noise in the accumulator output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Hugo Gicquel, Chee Weng Cheong
  • Patent number: 10146363
    Abstract: An alternating current (AC) drive signal having a first frequency and a high logic level at a boosted supply voltage is applied to drive a capacitive sensing line of a capacitive touch panel. The boosted supply voltage is generated by boosting an input voltage. The voltage boosting is effectuate by a charge pump circuit operating synchronous to assertion of the AC drive signal with a charge transfer time that is adaptable to different capacitive load conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Abhishek Singh, Hugo Gicquel