Patents by Inventor Nicolo Nizza

Nicolo Nizza 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: 10234487
    Abstract: A current sense circuit for a pass transistor is described. The circuit comprises a sense transistor having input and control ports that are coupled to input and control ports respectively of the pass transistor. The circuit comprises a differential amplifier comprising a differential input and output. An output port of the pass transistor is coupled to a first port of the differential input and an output port of the sense transistor is coupled to a second port of the differential input. The differential amplifier comprises a first sub-amplifier and a second sub-amplifier that are arranged in parallel and which are operated in an auto-zero phase and in an amplification phase in an alternating manner, and which are operated in the auto-zero phase in a mutually exclusive manner. The output of the differential amplifier is used to control voltage drops across the sense transistor and the pass transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Nicolo Nizza, Danilo Gerna
  • Patent number: 10177659
    Abstract: A switching mode power converter circuit and a method are presented. The circuit comprises a first transistor switch and a second transistor switch coupled in series between an input voltage level and ground. There is a control circuit for controlling switching operation of the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch. There is a detection circuit for sensing a voltage at an intermediate node arranged between the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch, for deriving an indication of a slope of the sensed voltage, and for generating a switching control signal for the control circuit on the basis of the derived indication of the slope of the sensed voltage. The control circuit sets a first timing for activating the first transistor switch and/or a second timing for activating the second transistor switch on the basis of the switching control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Francesco Dalena, Nicolo Nizza, Danilo Gerna, Enrico Pardi, Stefano Scaldaferri, Alexandre Morello, Tommaso Baldetti
  • Patent number: 10041983
    Abstract: A current sense circuit for a pass transistor is described. The current sense circuit comprises a sense transistor, a differential amplifier comprising a differential input and a differential output, and a differential difference amplifier, referred to as DD amplifier, comprising a main differential input, an auxiliary differential input and an output; wherein the differential output of the differential amplifier is coupled to the auxiliary differential input of the DD amplifier; wherein the output port of the pass transistor is coupled to a first port of the main differential input and wherein the output port of the sense transistor is coupled to a second port of the main differential input. The output of the DD amplifier is used to control a voltage drop across the sense transistor and the pass transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Danilo Gerna, Stefano Scaldaferri, Nicolo Nizza
  • Publication number: 20180026538
    Abstract: A switching mode power converter circuit and a method are presented. The circuit comprises a first transistor switch and a second transistor switch coupled in series between an input voltage level and ground. There is a control circuit for controlling switching operation of the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch. There is a detection circuit for sensing a voltage at an intermediate node arranged between the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch, for deriving an indication of a slope of the sensed voltage, and for generating a switching control signal for the control circuit on the basis of the derived indication of the slope of the sensed voltage. The control circuit sets a first timing for activating the first transistor switch and/or a second timing for activating the second transistor switch on the basis of the switching control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Francesco Dalena, Nicolo Nizza, Danilo Gerna, Enrico Pardi, Stefano Scaldaferri, Alexandre Morello, Tommaso Baldetti
  • Patent number: 9709533
    Abstract: A method determines a resonance frequency of a resonant device. The method includes stimulating the resonant device with a periodic input signal having a frequency in a frequency interval; determining a frequency value for said periodic input signal in said frequency interval for which a phase-difference between said periodic input signal and a corresponding periodic output signal of the resonant device is minimum; generating a flag indicating that a resonance frequency has been determined; and generating signals representing said resonance frequency as a value of the frequency of said periodic input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Nicolo Nizza, Paolo Pascale, Andrea Diruzza, Michele Berto Boscolo
  • Publication number: 20160266178
    Abstract: A current sense circuit for a pass transistor is described. The current sense circuit comprises a sense transistor, a differential amplifier comprising a differential input and a differential output, and a differential difference amplifier, referred to as DD amplifier, comprising a main differential input, an auxiliary differential input and an output; wherein the differential output of the differential amplifier is coupled to the auxiliary differential input of the DD amplifier; wherein the output port of the pass transistor is coupled to a first port of the main differential input and wherein the output port of the sense transistor is coupled to a second port of the main differential input. The output of the DD amplifier is used to control a voltage drop across the sense transistor and the pass transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Danilo Gerna, Stefano Scaldaferri, Nicolo Nizza
  • Publication number: 20160266175
    Abstract: A current sense circuit for a pass transistor is described. The circuit comprises a sense transistor having input and control ports that are coupled to input and control ports respectively of the pass transistor. The circuit comprises a differential amplifier comprising a differential input and output. An output port of the pass transistor is coupled to a first port of the differential input and an output port of the sense transistor is coupled to a second port of the differential input. The differential amplifier comprises a first sub-amplifier and a second sub-amplifier that are arranged in parallel and which are operated in an auto-zero phase and in an amplification phase in an alternating manner, and which are operated in the auto-zero phase in a mutually exclusive manner. The output of the differential amplifier is used to control voltage drops across the sense transistor and the pass transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Nicolo Nizza, Danilo Gerna