Patents by Inventor Massimo Grasso
Massimo Grasso 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: 7619450Abstract: A startup circuit for providing a startup voltage from a high voltage DC bus voltage to an application circuit, the startup circuit comprising an integrated circuit package for at least a control circuit for driving at least one power switch of the application circuit having a low voltage terminal; a dropping resistor in the integrated circuit package having a first terminal for coupling to the high voltage DC bus and a second terminal, the dropping resistor dropping the high voltage DC bus voltage to a reduced voltage and providing the reduced voltage at the second terminal; further comprising a low voltage regulator coupled to the second terminal for using the reduced voltage for enabling generation of a regulated startup low voltage DC output at a preset level at the low voltage terminal for powering at least one part of the application circuit during startup of the application circuit, wherein the high voltage DC bus voltage is the only voltage source provided externally to the integrated circuit package.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2008Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Massimo Grasso, Sergio Morini
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Patent number: 7554276Abstract: A safety circuit for providing protection against failures that impact safety of an inverter circuit driving a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) including high and low side switches connected in a bridge and driven by a gate driver circuit during operation of the PMSM in a field weakening mode, the gate driver circuit including stages for driving the high and low side switches, the safety circuit comprising a main power supply and a back-up power supply for supplying voltage to the gate driver circuit driving the switches of the bridge of the inverter circuit, wherein if the main power supply fails to deliver adequate power to the gate driver circuit, the back-up power supply provides power to the gate driver circuit to allow the gate driver circuit to turn ON the low side switches and turn OFF the high side switches.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2006Date of Patent: June 30, 2009Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Giovanni Galli, Massimo Grasso, Cesare Bocchiola
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Publication number: 20090102488Abstract: An integrated ground fault detection circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes a shunt resistor provided on a positive rail of a DC bus, a high voltage pocket including a sensory circuit connected to the shunt resistor and operable to detect a fault condition indicating a short circuit and a transmitter section operable to continuously transmit a fault condition signal indicating the fault condition and a low voltage pocket including a receiver operable to receive the fault condition signal from the sensory circuit and a logic unit, connected to the receiver, and operable to provide a fault output signal indicating the presence of a fault condition based on the fault condition signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2008Publication date: April 23, 2009Applicant: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Sergio Morini, Marco Giandalia, Davide Respigo, Stefano Ruzza, Massimo Grasso
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Patent number: 7474069Abstract: A circuit for optimizing power transferred from an inverter circuit to a motor, the circuit using an open loop method to start-up the motor and have it reach a minimum speed, each phase of the motor receiving voltage from the inverter circuit.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Marco Palma, Massimo Grasso
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Publication number: 20080297212Abstract: A startup circuit for providing a startup voltage from a high voltage DC bus voltage to an application circuit, the startup circuit comprising an integrated circuit package for at least a control circuit for driving at least one power switch of the application circuit having a low voltage terminal; a dropping resistor in the integrated circuit package having a first terminal for coupling to the high voltage DC bus and a second terminal, the dropping resistor dropping the high voltage DC bus voltage to a reduced voltage and providing the reduced voltage at the second terminal; further comprising a low voltage regulator coupled to the second terminal for using the reduced voltage for enabling generation of a regulated startup low voltage DC output at a preset level at the low voltage terminal for powering at least one part of the application circuit during startup of the application circuit, wherein the high voltage DC bus voltage is the only voltage source provided externally to the integrated circuit package.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2008Publication date: December 4, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATIONInventors: Massimo Grasso, Sergio Morini
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Publication number: 20080266043Abstract: A planar transformer arrangement and method provide isolation between an input signal and an output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATIONInventors: Marco Giandalia, Massimo Grasso, Marco Passoni
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Patent number: 7430131Abstract: A startup circuit for providing a startup voltage from a high voltage DC bus voltage to an application circuit including an integrated circuit package for at least a control circuit for driving at least one power switch of the application circuit; a dropping resistor in the integrated circuit package having a first terminal for coupling to the high voltage DC bus and for dropping the high voltage DC bus voltage to a reduced voltage level at a second terminal; and a low voltage regulator in the package coupled to the second terminal for providing a startup regulated low voltage DC output at a preset level for powering at least one part of the application circuit during startup of the application circuit. The application circuit may be, for example, a switching mode power supply.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: September 30, 2008Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Massimo Grasso, Sergio Morini
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Patent number: 7414507Abstract: A planar transformer arrangement and method provide isolation between an input signal and an output signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2006Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Marco Giandalia, Massimo Grasso, Marco Passoni
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Publication number: 20070285047Abstract: A circuit for optimizing power transferred from an inverter circuit to a motor, the circuit using an open loop method to start-up the motor and have it reach a minimum speed, each phase of the motor receiving voltage from the inverter circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2007Publication date: December 13, 2007Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATIONInventors: Marco Palma, Massimo Grasso
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Publication number: 20070212034Abstract: A circuit for indirectly measuring a sign of a current flowing in an inverter stage coupled to a phase of a motor or indirectly measuring the sign of the voltage induced by a counter Electromotive Force (EMF) in a coil of the phase of the motor, the inverter stage being connected between a power supply and the ground. The circuit includes a gate driver circuit coupled to the inverter stage for alternatively connecting the phase of the motor to the power supply and to ground, the gate driver circuit having a current sign detection circuit, wherein the current sign detection circuit senses the sign of the current flowing in the inverter stage, or the sign of the counter EMF for controlling the commutation of switches in the inverter stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2007Publication date: September 13, 2007Inventors: Massimo Grasso, Andrea (Francesco) Merello, Christian Locatelli
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Publication number: 20070063661Abstract: A safety circuit for providing protection against failures that impact safety of an inverter circuit driving a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) including high and low side switches connected in a bridge and driven by a gate driver circuit during operation of the PMSM in a field weakening mode, the gate driver circuit including stages for driving the high and low side switches, the safety circuit comprising a main power supply and a back-up power supply for supplying voltage to the gate driver circuit driving the switches of the bridge of the inverter circuit, wherein if the main power supply fails to deliver adequate power to the gate driver circuit, the back-up power supply provides power to the gate driver circuit to allow the gate driver circuit to turn ON the low side switches and turn OFF the high side switches.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2006Publication date: March 22, 2007Applicant: INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER CORPORATIONInventors: Giovanni Galli, Massimo Grasso, Cesare Bocchiola
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Patent number: 7180273Abstract: A power factor correction circuit for driving a switch of a boost type converter circuit having an AC line frequency input, comprising a sense circuit for sensing and comparing the output voltage of the boost type converter circuit to a reference voltage, a circuit responsive to the output of the sense circuit for providing a drive signal for driving the switch, wherein the drive signal comprises a pulsed signal comprising a pulse grouping during each half cycle of the AC line frequency comprising at least one pulse wherein the number of pulses and frequency of the pulses of the pulse grouping changes with the output of the sense circuit up to a threshold value with the pulse width of the pulses being substantially constant; and when the output of the sense circuit has reached the threshold value, the pulse width of the pulses of the pulse grouping are varied in accordance with the output of the sense circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2005Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Cesare Bocchiola, Massimo Grasso, Toshio Takahashi
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Patent number: 7135891Abstract: Current through a wire is sensed with a shunt resistor and a sense resistor in a current divider circuit. The values of the shunt resistor and sense resistor are related to provide a specified gain ratio to increase a dynamic range of current measurement. The sense resistor is a trimmable resistor, the configuration of which can be discerned from a look-up table based on a level of precision needed for current measurement. The two resistors can also be related by thermal coefficients to improve linearity of current measurements.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2005Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Massimo Grasso, Aldo Torti, Andrea Merello, Jonas Aleksandravicius
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Publication number: 20060109072Abstract: A planar transformer arrangement and method provide isolation between an input signal and an output signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2006Publication date: May 25, 2006Inventors: Marco Giandalia, Massimo Grasso, Marco Passoni
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Patent number: 7042325Abstract: A planar transformer arrangement and method provide isolation between an input signal and an output signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2003Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Marco Giandalia, Massimo Grasso, Marco Passoni
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Publication number: 20060049854Abstract: Current through a wire is sensed with a shunt resistor and a sense resistor in a current divider circuit. The values of the shunt resistor and sense resistor are related to provide a specified gain ratio to increase a dynamic range of current measurement. The sense resistor is a trimmable resistor, the configuration of which can be discerned from a look-up table based on a level of precision needed for current measurement. The two resistors can also be related by thermal coefficients to improve linearity of current measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2005Publication date: March 9, 2006Inventors: Massimo Grasso, Aldo Torti, Andrea Merello, Jonas Aleksandravicius
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Publication number: 20060044854Abstract: A power factor correction circuit for driving a switch of a boost type converter circuit having an AC line frequency input, comprising a sense circuit for sensing and comparing the output voltage of the boost type converter circuit to a reference voltage, a circuit responsive to the output of the sense circuit for providing a drive signal for driving the switch, wherein the drive signal comprises a pulsed signal comprising a pulse grouping during each half cycle of the AC line frequency comprising at least one pulse wherein the number of pulses and frequency of the pulses of the pulse grouping changes with the output of the sense circuit up to a threshold value with the pulse width of the pulses being substantially constant; and when the output of the sense circuit has reached the threshold value, the pulse width of the pulses of the pulse grouping are varied in accordance with the output of the sense circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2005Publication date: March 2, 2006Inventors: Cesare Bocchiola, Massimo Grasso, Toshio Takahashi
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Publication number: 20060033556Abstract: A startup circuit for providing a startup voltage from a high voltage DC bus voltage to an application circuit comprising an integrated circuit package for at least a control circuit for driving at least one power switch of the application circuit; a dropping resistor in the integrated circuit package having a first terminal for coupling to the high voltage DC bus and for dropping the high voltage DC bus voltage to a reduced voltage level at a second terminal; further comprising a low voltage regulator in the package coupled to the second terminal for providing a startup regulated low voltage DC output at a preset level for powering at least one part of the application circuit during startup of the application circuit. The application circuit may be, for example, a switching mode power supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2005Publication date: February 16, 2006Inventors: Massimo Grasso, Sergio Morini
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Publication number: 20050017760Abstract: Current through a wire is sensed with a shunt resistor and a sense resistor in a current divider circuit. The values of the shunt resistor and sense resistor are related to provide a specified gain ratio to increase a dynamic range of current measurement. The sense resistor is a trimmable resistor, the configuration of which can be discerned from a look-up table based on a level of precision needed for current measurement. The two resistors can also be related by thermal coefficients to improve linearity of current measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2003Publication date: January 27, 2005Inventors: Massimo Grasso, Aldo Torti, Andrea Merello, Jonas Aleksandravicius
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Patent number: 6828753Abstract: An input filter to block noise components of motor phase current used as an input signal for a PWM motor controller. The input filter includes an integration circuit driven by a triggering signal at a frequency which is twice the frequency of operation of the inverter. In one embodiment, a first integrator is coupled directly to the motor drive current signal, and a second integrator is coupled to the motor drive current signal through a circuit which introduces a delay equal to the period of the triggering signal. The difference between the outputs of the integrators is then sampled at the triggering signal frequency. In a second embodiment, a voltage-to-time converter generates a first ramp representing the integral of the phase current signal during a first triggering interval, and a second ramp representing the integral of a reference signal, is subtracted from the value of the first ramp during a second triggering interval until value of integrator output returns to zero.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2003Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: International Rectifier CorporationInventors: Massimo Grasso, Sergio Morini, Alessandro Rugginenti