Patents by Inventor Joshua A. Zazzera

Joshua A. Zazzera 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: 9344022
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for driving resonant actuators. In one embodiment, a drive signal is applied to an actuator during a portion of a plurality of half cycles of a period of the drive signal. The actuator has a resonant frequency and may vibrate in response to the drive signal. An induced voltage is generated on terminals of the actuator in response to the vibration. A detection circuit may detect when the induced voltage on the actuator crosses a threshold after the drive signal is turned off. The drive signal may be triggered based on when the induced voltage crosses the threshold to align a frequency and phase of the drive signal with the resonant frequency and a phase of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Qadeer A Khan, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Joshua A Zazzera, Todd R Sutton
  • Publication number: 20150069939
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes circuits and methods for driving resonant actuators. In one embodiment, a drive signal is applied to an actuator during a portion of a plurality of half cycles of a period of the drive signal. The actuator has a resonant frequency and may vibrate in response to the drive signal. An induced voltage is generated on terminals of the actuator in response to the vibration. A detection circuit may detect when the induced voltage on the actuator crosses a threshold after the drive signal is turned off. The drive signal may be triggered based on when the induced voltage crosses the threshold to align a frequency and phase of the drive signal with the resonant frequency and a phase of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Qadeer A. Khan, Sandeep Chaman Dhar, Joshua A. Zazzera, Todd R. Sutton