Patents by Inventor Maurizio Ricci

Maurizio Ricci 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: 12080327
    Abstract: An embodiment method includes rectifying a back electromotive force of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive and energizing a voice coil motor in the hard disk drive using the rectified back electromotive force of the spindle motor via a voice coil motor power stage to retract a head of the hard disk drive to a park position. The head is retracted by moving the head towards the park position during a first retract phase and retaining the head in the park position during a second retract phase by applying a bias voltage to the voice coil motor power stage during a bias interval of the second retract phase. The method also includes producing a saturation signal indicative of onset of saturation in the voice coil motor power stage and controlling the bias voltage during the second retract phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Giuseppe Maiocchi, Maurizio Ricci
  • Patent number: 12027964
    Abstract: An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposing ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Maurizio Ricci, Marco Sautto, Simone Bellisai, Eleonora Chiaramonte, Luigi Arpini, Davide Betta
  • Publication number: 20240038263
    Abstract: An embodiment method includes rectifying a back electromotive force of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive and energizing a voice coil motor in the hard disk drive using the rectified back electromotive force of the spindle motor via a voice coil motor power stage to retract a head of the hard disk drive to a park position. The head is retracted by moving the head towards the park position during a first retract phase and retaining the head in the park position during a second retract phase by applying a bias voltage to the voice coil motor power stage during a bias interval of the second retract phase. The method also includes producing a saturation signal indicative of onset of saturation in the voice coil motor power stage and controlling the bias voltage during the second retract phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Giuseppe Maiocchi, Maurizio Ricci
  • Publication number: 20230387781
    Abstract: An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposing ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Maurizio Ricci, Marco Sautto, Simone Bellisai, Eleonora Chiaramonte, Luigi Arpini, Davide Betta
  • Publication number: 20230352050
    Abstract: A method includes coupling an electric motor in a hard disk drive to a set of driver circuits. Each driver circuit includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch. The high-side switch has a high-side current flow path between a supply node coupled to a supply voltage and a switching node coupled to a winding of the electric motor. The low-side switch has a low-side current flow path between the switching node and ground. Respective conduction currents are generated through the low-side current flow paths, in response to a command to reduce the motor speed by coupling a drive voltage to the control terminals of the low-side switches. An intensity of at least one of the respective conduction currents is sensed. In response to the sensed current intensity exceeding a current intensity threshold, the control terminals of the low-side switches are coupled to respective ones of the switching nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Ezio Galbiati, Maurizio Ricci
  • Patent number: 11757346
    Abstract: An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposed ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Maurizio Ricci, Marco Sautto, Simone Bellisai, Eleonora Chiaramonte, Luigi Arpini, Davide Betta
  • Patent number: 11652479
    Abstract: A method of controlling a half-bridge circuit includes receiving an analog feedback signal proportional to an output of the half-bridge circuit, comparing the received analog feedback signal with a threshold value, selecting a digital feedback signal based on a result of the comparing, comparing the digital feedback signal with a digital reference signal to generate a digital error signal, integrating the digital error signal to generate an integration error signal, downscaling the integral error signal to generate a downscaled integration signal, sampling the downscaled integration signal to generate a sampled integration signal, and generating pulsed signals from the sampled integration signal to provide an input to the half-bridge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Maiocchi, Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Maurizio Ricci
  • Publication number: 20220239294
    Abstract: A method of controlling a half-bridge circuit includes receiving an analog feedback signal proportional to an output of the half-bridge circuit, comparing the received analog feedback signal with a threshold value, selecting a digital feedback signal based on a result of the comparing, comparing the digital feedback signal with a digital reference signal to generate a digital error signal, integrating the digital error signal to generate an integration error signal, downscaling the integral error signal to generate a downscaled integration signal, sampling the downscaled integration signal to generate a sampled integration signal, and generating pulsed signals from the sampled integration signal to provide an input to the half-bridge circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Giuseppe Maiocchi, Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Maurizio Ricci
  • Patent number: 11336280
    Abstract: A half-bridge control circuit comprises an input terminal, an output terminal for providing a pulsed signal to a half-bridge driver circuit configured to drive two electronic switches connected between two supply terminals, and a feedback terminal for receiving a feedback signal indicative of the instantaneous voltage value at a switching node between the two electronic switches. A selector circuit provides a digital feedback signal. A subtractor generates an error signal by subtracting the digital feedback signal from the reference signal. An integrator generates an integration signal by integrating the value of the error signal. A down-scale circuit generates a reduced resolution integration signal by discarding one or more least significant bits of the integration signal. A sampling circuit generates a sampled integration signal by sampling the reduced resolution integration signal. A pulse generator circuit generates the pulsed signal as a function of the sampled integration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Maiocchi, Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Maurizio Ricci
  • Publication number: 20220021306
    Abstract: An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposed ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Maurizio Ricci, Marco Sautto, Simone Bellisai, Eleonora Chiaramonte, Luigi Arpini, Davide Betta
  • Publication number: 20210226624
    Abstract: An embodiment half-bridge control circuit comprises an input terminal, an output terminal for providing a pulsed signal to a half-bridge driver circuit configured to drive two electronic switches connected between two supply terminals, and a feedback terminal for receiving a feedback signal indicative of the instantaneous voltage value at a switching node between the two electronic switches. A selector circuit provides a digital feedback signal. A subtractor generates an error signal by subtracting the digital feedback signal from the reference signal. An integrator generates an integration signal by integrating the value of the error signal. A down-scale circuit generates a reduced resolution integration signal by discarding one or more least significant bits of the integration signal. A sampling circuit generates a sampled integration signal by sampling the reduced resolution integration signal. A pulse generator circuit generates the pulsed signal as a function of the sampled integration signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Giuseppe Maiocchi, Ezio Galbiati, Michele Boscolo Berto, Maurizio Ricci
  • Patent number: 10751322
    Abstract: The therapeutic use of bacteria, specifically but not only lactobacilli, which produce indole-3-aldehyde, or directly of indole-3-aldehyde itself, is proposed as a means of prevention and treatment of immune dysreactive disorders in which the hyper-inflammatory or autoimmune component represents the basic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Universita′ degli Studi di Perugia
    Inventors: Luigina Romani, Paolo Puccetti, Teresa Zelante, Maurizio Ricci, Stefano Giovagnoli
  • Patent number: 6939256
    Abstract: The invention relates to new tools for a new game. The invention consists of a thin solid object, as can be obtained by slicing a cylindrical crown parallel to its axis, and of a net, which can separate the surface in two parts. This solid object is placed concave side up. It can rest on the ground or be mounted on legs or on floating devices. Different objects can be sent and returned over the net to and from players standing on both sides of the net. To send the objects over the net, the players can use their hands or tools as in the games of tennis, ping-pong, badmington, pelota, lacrosse etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Inventors: Paolo Giacomoni, Maurizio Ricci
  • Publication number: 20050009648
    Abstract: The invention relates to new tools for a new game. The invention consists of a thin solid object, as can be obtained by slicing a cylindrical crown parallel to its axis, and of a net, which can separate the surface in two parts. This solid object is placed concave side up. It can rest on the ground or be mounted on legs or on floating devices. Different objects can be sent and returned over the net to and from players standing on both sides of the net. To send the objects over the net, the players can use their hands or tools as in the games of tennis, ping-pong, badmington, pelota, lacrosse etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Paolo Giacomoni, Maurizio Ricci