Patents by Inventor Ignazio Cala'

Ignazio Cala' 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: 11271555
    Abstract: A circuit includes a set of LED driver devices and a controller including a set of nodes coupled to a first slave address pin and a second slave address pin in each LED driver devices in the set of LED driver devices. Each LED driver device includes a finite state machine (FSM) configured to generate LED drive PWM-modulated signal patterns, an oscillator configured to generate a clock signal for the FSM, a first signal path activatable between the first slave address pin and the FSM, and a second signal path activatable between the FSM and the second slave address pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala', Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Publication number: 20200383189
    Abstract: A circuit includes a set of LED driver devices and a controller including a set of nodes coupled to a first slave address pin and a second slave address pin in each LED driver devices in the set of LED driver devices. Each LED driver device includes a finite state machine (FSM) configured to generate LED drive PWM-modulated signal patterns, an oscillator configured to generate a clock signal for the FSM, a first signal path activatable between the first slave address pin and the FSM, and a second signal path activatable between the FSM and the second slave address pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala', Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Patent number: 10757779
    Abstract: A circuit includes a set of LED driver devices and a controller including a set of nodes coupled to a first slave address pin and a second slave address pin in each LED driver devices in the set of LED driver devices. Each LED driver device includes: a finite state machine (FSM) configured to generate LED drive PWM-modulated signal patterns; an oscillator configured to generate a clock signal for the FSM; a first signal path activatable between the first slave address pin and the FSM; and a second signal path activatable between the FSM and the second slave address pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala′, Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Patent number: 10674578
    Abstract: A circuit includes: a communication interface configured to receive data; a plurality of output terminals; a bank of input registers coupled to the communication interface; a bank of buffer registers; a bank of output registers; a signal generator configured to generate a plurality of output signals based on respective registers of the bank of output registers at respective output terminals; and a conversion stage configured to: when data is received by the bank of input registers from the communication interface, sequentially convert content of the input registers of the bank of input registers and store the converted content into corresponding buffer registers of the bank of buffer registers based on a conversion function, and when the conversion stage finishes storing the converted content into the buffer registers, simultaneously copy content from the buffer registers into corresponding output registers of the bank of output registers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala′, Salvatore Pantano, Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Publication number: 20190261473
    Abstract: A circuit includes a set of LED driver devices and a controller including a set of nodes coupled to a first slave address pin and a second slave address pin in each LED driver devices in the set of LED driver devices. Each LED driver device includes: a finite state machine (FSM) configured to generate LED drive PWM-modulated signal patterns; an oscillator configured to generate a clock signal for the FSM; a first signal path activatable between the first slave address pin and the FSM; and a second signal path activatable between the FSM and the second slave address pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala', Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Patent number: 10206258
    Abstract: A circuit includes: a plurality of memory locations configured to store pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation data, the memory locations being arranged in N sets of memory locations, each including i channel memory locations, each channel memory location being configured to store a respective duty-cycle value for a respective one of N PWM modulation patterns; a selection circuit configured to selectively access a selected set of the sets of memory locations; a buffer circuit configured to store the PWM signal generation data from the channel memory locations of the selected set; and a finite state machine configured to receive PWM signal generation input data indicative of a plurality of PWM modulation patterns with a respective plurality of duty-cycle values, the finite state machine configured to activate the selection circuit to load the PWM signal generation data from the channel memory locations of the selected set to the buffer circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala', Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Publication number: 20180368227
    Abstract: A circuit includes: a plurality of memory locations configured to store pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation data, the memory locations being arranged in N sets of memory locations, each including i channel memory locations, each channel memory location being configured to store a respective duty-cycle value for a respective one of N PWM modulation patterns; a selection circuit configured to selectively access a selected set of the sets of memory locations; a buffer circuit configured to store the PWM signal generation data from the channel memory locations of the selected set; and a finite state machine configured to receive PWM signal generation input data indicative of a plurality of PWM modulation patterns with a respective plurality of duty-cycle values, the finite state machine configured to activate the selection circuit to load the PWM signal generation data from the channel memory locations of the selected set to the buffer circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Ignazio Cala', Santi Carlo Adamo
  • Patent number: 9275000
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a set of programming terminals for receiving corresponding programming signals, and assignment circuitry for assigning an address to the electronic device according to the programming signals. The assignment circuitry includes circuitry for providing a set of comparison signals, with at least part of the comparison signals that is variable during a non-zero comparison interval, and comparison circuitry for determining the address according to a comparison between the programming signals and the comparison signals during the comparison interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Ignazio Cala'
  • Publication number: 20120137022
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a set of programming terminals for receiving corresponding programming signals, and assignment circuitry for assigning an address to the electronic device according to the programming signals. The assignment circuitry includes circuitry for providing a set of comparison signals, with at least part of the comparison signals that is variable during a non-zero comparison interval, and comparison circuitry for determining the address according to a comparison between the programming signals and the comparison signals during the comparison interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Ignazio Cala'
  • Patent number: 6418039
    Abstract: Presented is a circuit and method capable to digitally control and, in particular, to control the switching of one or two MOSFETs used as rectifiers in switched mode power supply isolated topologies. Basic circuit implementation of the presented technique is also introduced. A controller has a fixed frequency square wave signal main clock input, generically switching from a low to a high value in two different time intervals. The controller has one or two square wave outputs, swinging from low to high in phase or in opposite with respect to the clock signal. The digital control method is able to generate output signals timed to anticipate output transitions from high to low level with respect to the clock signal transitions. In the control scheme, one or two other secondary inputs set the amount of anticipation time of the respective transitions of the outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.r.l.
    Inventors: Franco Lentini, Fabrizio Librizzi, Pietro Scalia, Ignazio Cala'
  • Publication number: 20020001204
    Abstract: Presented is a circuit and method capable to digitally control and, in particular, to control the switching of one or two MOSFETs used as rectifiers in switched mode power supply isolated topologies. Basic circuit implementation of the presented technique is also introduced. A controller has a fixed frequency square wave signal main clock input, generically switching from a low to a high value in two different time intervals. The controller has one or two square wave outputs, swinging from low to high in phase or in opposite with respect to the clock signal. The digital control method is able to generate output signals timed to anticipate output transitions from high to low level with respect to the clock signal transitions. In the control scheme, one or two other secondary inputs set the amount of anticipation time of the respective transitions of the outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: Franco Lentini, Fabrizio Librizzi, Pietro Scalia, Ignazio Cala
  • Patent number: 6194935
    Abstract: A circuit and method are disclosed for controlling the slew rate of the output voltage of a driver in a push-pull configuration. The circuit includes a capacitive element and a current generator circuit for generating one or more currents. The circuit further includes a switching circuit for selectively charging and discharging the capacitive element in response to an input signal, wherein the voltage across the capacitive element is a voltage signal whose edge transitions have slopes which are controlled based upon the capacitance of the capacitive element and the current level of the one or more currents. The circuit further includes a conversion circuit for converting the voltage signal into one or more current signals, the one or more current signals being used to control a pull-up device and pull-down device of the driver so that the slopes of the edge transitions of the output voltage thereof is based upon the slopes of the edge transitions of the voltage signal appearing across the capacitive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Sergio Franco Pioppo, Ignazio Cala'