Patents by Inventor Luciano Prandi
Luciano Prandi 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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Patent number: 8820136Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a sensing mass, which is movable with a degree of freedom in response to rotations of the body about an axis. A self-test actuator is capacitively coupled to the sensing mass for supplying a self-test signal. The capacitive coupling causes, in response to the self-test signal, electrostatic forces that are able to move the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom at an actuation frequency. A sensing device detects transduction signals indicating displacements of the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom. The sensing device is configured for discriminating, in the transduction signals, spectral components that are correlated to the actuation frequency and indicate the movement of the sensing mass as a result of the self-test signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2013Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Andrea Donadel, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Patent number: 8813565Abstract: A multi-axis gyroscope includes a microelectromechanical structure configured to rotate with respective angular velocities about respective reference axes, and including detection elements, which are sensitive in respective detection directions and generate respective detection quantities as a function of projections of the angular velocities in the detection directions. The gyroscope including a reading circuit that generates electrical output signals, each correlated to a respective one of the angular velocities, as a function of the detection quantities. The reading circuit includes a combination stage that combines electrically with respect to one another electrical quantities correlated to detection quantities generated by detection elements sensitive to detection directions different from one another, so as to take into account a non-zero angle of inclination of the detection directions with respect to the reference axes.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2013Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi
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Patent number: 8800369Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope that includes a first mass oscillatable according to a first axis; an inertial sensor, including a second mass, drawn along by the first mass and constrained so as to oscillate according to a second axis, in response to a rotation of the gyroscope; a driving device coupled to the first mass so as to form a feedback control loop and configured to maintain the first mass in oscillation at a resonance frequency; and an open-loop reading device coupled to the inertial sensor for detecting displacements of the second mass according to the second axis. The driving device includes a read signal generator for supplying to the inertial sensor at least one read signal having the form of a square-wave signal of amplitude that sinusoidally varies with the resonance frequency.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.Inventors: Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi, Ernesto Lasalandra
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Patent number: 8752429Abstract: A MEMS gyroscope includes: a microstructure having a fixed structure, a driving mass, movable with respect to the fixed structure according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, mechanically coupled to the driving mass so as to be drawn in motion according to the driving axis and movable with respect to the driving mass according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the microstructure; and a driving device, for keeping the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device includes a discrete-time sensing interface, for detecting a position of the driving mass with respect to the driving axis and a control stage for controlling the driving frequency on the basis of the position of the driving mass.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Patent number: 8714012Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a driving mass, which is movable with respect to the body according to a driving axis and is capacitively coupled to the body. The gyroscope moreover includes a driving device, which forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and is configured for supplying to the driving mass driving signals having a common-mode component and respective differential components so as to maintaining the driving mass in oscillation according to the driving axis. The driving device is provided with an actuation stage configured for inverting in a controlled way the sign of the differential components of the driving signals.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi, Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni
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Patent number: 8667842Abstract: An electronic device includes a capacitive component with variable capacitance coupled to a control stage that controls the capacitance, based on a reference signal, with a reference frequency, and an excitation signal, that is a multiple of the reference frequency. The capacitive component includes a variable capacitive network having a plurality of switched capacitors, each being switchable between a first configuration, where it is connected between connection terminals of the capacitive component, and a second configuration, where it is connected at most to one of the connection terminals. The control stage includes a logic module, coupled to the variable capacitive network for switching periodically each capacitor between the first configuration and the second configuration. A sign circuit, coupled to the capacitive component supplies a control signal having edges concordant with the excitation signal in one half-period of each cycle of the reference signal and discordant edges in the other half-period.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventor: Luciano Prandi
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Publication number: 20130307581Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2013Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Arber Cauli, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Publication number: 20130285767Abstract: A band-pass filter made up by an operational amplifier and by an input circuit. The input circuit is formed by a capacitive filtering element, connected to the input of the operational amplifier; a coupling switch, coupled between an input node and the capacitive filtering element; a capacitive sampling element, coupled between the input of the filter and the input node; and a sampling switch, coupled between the input node and a reference-potential line. The coupling switch and the input sampling switch close in phase opposition according to a succession of undesired components sampling and sensing steps, so that the capacitive sampling element forms a sampler for sampling the undesired component in the undesired components sampling step, in the absence of the component of interest, and forms a subtractor of the undesired components from the input signal in the sensing step.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: Andrea Visconti, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Paolo Angelini
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Publication number: 20130249642Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes a body, a movable mass, elastically connected to the body and movable in accordance with a degree of freedom, and a driving device, coupled to the movable mass and configured to maintain the movable mass in oscillation at a steady working frequency in a normal operating mode. The microelectromechanical device moreover includes a start-up device, which is activatable in a start-up operating mode and is configured to compare a current oscillation frequency of a first signal correlated to oscillation of the movable mass with a reference frequency, and for deciding, on the basis of the comparison between the current oscillation frequency and the reference frequency, whether to supply to the movable mass a forcing signal packet so as to transfer energy to the movable mass.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni, Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi
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Patent number: 8539834Abstract: A gyroscope includes a body, a driving mass, which is mobile according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, which is driven by the driving mass and is mobile according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the body. A driving device forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and maintains the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device comprises a frequency detector, which supplies a clock signal at the frequency of oscillation of the driving mass, and a synchronization stage, which applies a calibrated phase shift to the clock signal so as to compensate a phase shift caused by components of the loop that are set between the driving mass and the control node.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni
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Publication number: 20130239680Abstract: A gyroscope includes a body, a driving mass, which is mobile according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, which is driven by the driving mass and is mobile according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the body. A driving device forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and maintains the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device comprises a frequency detector, which supplies a clock signal at the frequency of oscillation of the driving mass, and a synchronization stage, which applies a calibrated phase shift to the clock signal so as to compensate a phase shift caused by components of the loop that are set between the driving mass and the control node.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni
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Publication number: 20130239651Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a sensing mass, which is movable with a degree of freedom in response to rotations of the body about an axis. A self-test actuator is capacitively coupled to the sensing mass for supplying a self-test signal. The capacitive coupling causes, in response to the self-test signal, electrostatic forces that are able to move the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom at an actuation frequency. A sensing device detects transduction signals indicating displacements of the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom. The sensing device is configured for discriminating, in the transduction signals, spectral components that are correlated to the actuation frequency and indicate the movement of the sensing mass as a result of the self-test signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Andrea Donadel, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Patent number: 8519736Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Arber Cauli, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Patent number: 8497746Abstract: A band-pass filter made up by an operational amplifier and by an input circuit. The input circuit is formed by a capacitive filtering element, connected to the input of the operational amplifier; a coupling switch, coupled between an input node and the capacitive filtering element; a capacitive sampling element, coupled between the input of the filter and the input node; and a sampling switch, coupled between the input node and a reference-potential line. The coupling switch and the input sampling switch close in phase opposition according to a succession of undesired components sampling and sensing steps, so that the capacitive sampling element forms a sampler for sampling the undesired component in the undesired components sampling step, in the absence of the component of interest, and forms a subtractor of the undesired components from the input signal in the sensing step.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2010Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Andrea Visconti, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Paolo Angelini
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Patent number: 8474317Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes a body, a movable mass, elastically connected to the body and movable in accordance with a degree of freedom, and a driving device, coupled to the movable mass and configured to maintain the movable mass in oscillation at a steady working frequency in a normal operating mode. The microelectromechanical device moreover includes a start-up device, which is activatable in a start-up operating mode and is configured to compare a current oscillation frequency of a first signal correlated to oscillation of the movable mass with a reference frequency, and for deciding, on the basis of the comparison between the current oscillation frequency and the reference frequency, whether to supply to the movable mass a forcing signal packet so as to transfer energy to the movable mass.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni, Carolo Caminada, Luciano Prandi
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Patent number: 8459109Abstract: A multi-axis gyroscope includes a microelectromechanical structure configured to rotate with respective angular velocities about respective reference axes, and including detection elements, which are sensitive in respective detection directions and generate respective detection quantities as a function of projections of the angular velocities in the detection directions. The gyroscope including a reading circuit that generates electrical output signals, each correlated to a respective one of the angular velocities, as a function of the detection quantities. The reading circuit includes a combination stage that combines electrically with respect to one another electrical quantities correlated to detection quantities generated by detection elements sensitive to detection directions different from one another, so as to take into account a non-zero angle of inclination of the detection directions with respect to the reference axes.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2009Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi
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Patent number: 8459093Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a body and a sensing mass, which is movable with a degree of freedom in response to rotations of the body about an axis. A self-test actuator is capacitively coupled to the sensing mass for supplying a self-test signal. The capacitive coupling causes, in response to the self-test signal, electrostatic forces that are able to move the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom at an actuation frequency. A sensing device detects transduction signals indicating displacements of the sensing mass in accordance with the degree of freedom. The sensing device is configured for discriminating, in the transduction signals, spectral components that are correlated to the actuation frequency and indicate the movement of the sensing mass as a result of the self-test signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Andrea Donadel, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Publication number: 20130133396Abstract: The present invention concerns an MEMS sensor and a method for compensation of a quadrature error on an MEMS sensor, which is intended for detection of movements of a substrate, especially accelerations and/or rotation rates. At least one mass arranged on the substrate and mounted to move relative to it is driven by means of drive electrodes. The mass/es execute a movement deviating from the prescribed movement due to a quadrature error. A deflection of the mass/es occurring due to Coriolis force and quadrature error is detected with detection electrodes. It is proposed according to the invention that a capacitance change be detected as a function of drive movement of the mass/es by means of compensation electrodes. A compensation charge dependent on the quadrature error of the MEMS sensor is generated on the compensation electrodes. For compensation, the distorted or incorrect charge generated by the quadrature error in the detection electrodes is compensated with the compensation charge.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2012Publication date: May 30, 2013Inventors: Luca Coronato, Gabriele Cazzaniga, Carlo Caminada, Manuel Santoro, Luciano Prandi, Demetre Kondylis
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Patent number: 8375789Abstract: A MEMS gyroscope includes: a microstructure having a fixed structure, a driving mass, movable with respect to the fixed structure according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, mechanically coupled to the driving mass so as to be drawn in motion according to the driving axis and movable with respect to the driving mass according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the microstructure; and a driving device, for keeping the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device includes a discrete-time sensing interface, for detecting a position of the driving mass with respect to the driving axis and a control stage for controlling the driving frequency on the basis of the position of the driving mass.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2010Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
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Patent number: 8347715Abstract: An electronic device includes a capacitive component with variable capacitance coupled to a control stage that controls the capacitance based on a reference signal, with a reference frequency, and an excitation signal, that is a multiple of the reference frequency. The capacitive component includes a variable capacitive network having a plurality of switched capacitors, each being switchable between a first configuration, where it is connected between connection terminals of the capacitive component, and a second configuration, where it is connected at most to one of the connection terminals. The control stage includes a logic module, coupled to the variable capacitive network for switching periodically each capacitor between the first configuration and the second configuration. A sign circuit, coupled to the capacitive component supplies a control signal having edges concordant with the excitation signal in one half-period of each cycle of the reference signal and discordant edges in the other half-period.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2009Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventor: Luciano Prandi