Patents by Inventor Patrick Villard

Patrick Villard 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: 9602114
    Abstract: A design method for a phase-locked loop comprises: a controlled-frequency oscillator; a phase comparator, to determine a phase difference between an output signal of the controlled-frequency oscillator and a reference signal; a corrector to receive as input a signal representative of the phase difference and to generate at its output a first correction signal; at least one second corrector, to receive as input a signal representative of or affected by a phase noise of the reference signal or of the output signal of the controlled-frequency oscillator and to generate at its output a second correction signal; and a circuit for generating a slaving signal for the controlled-frequency oscillator on the basis of the first and second correction signals; the method using the H-infinity method. Method for fabricating such a loop comprising a design step implementing this method. Phase-locked loop thus obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Michael Pelissier, Anton Korniienko, Mykhailo Zarudniev, Gèrard Scorletti, Olesia Mokrenko, Eric Blanco, Patrick Villard, Gèrard Billiot
  • Patent number: 9515608
    Abstract: A multimode oscillator comprising: a resonator including: a moving element; actuators of the moving element according to two symmetric and antisymmetric resonance modes; several detectors of the displacement of the moving element; polarization circuitry of the detectors by signals out of phase with each other; a first calculator carrying out a first operation conserving the frequential components of the first mode and cancelling those of the second mode; a second calculator carrying out a second operation conserving the frequential components of the second mode and cancelling those of the first mode; and in which the resonator and the calculators form two self-oscillating loops making the oscillator resonate simultaneously in the two modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Guillaume Gourlat, Gerard Billiot, Patrick Villard
  • Publication number: 20160181977
    Abstract: A multimode oscillator comprising: a resonator including: a moving element; actuators of the moving element according to two symmetric and antisymmetric resonance modes; several detectors of the displacement of the moving element; polarization circuitry of the detectors by signals out of phase with each other; a first calculator carrying out a first operation conserving the frequential components of the first mode and cancelling those of the second mode; a second calculator carrying out a second operation conserving the frequential components of the second mode and cancelling those of the first mode; and in which the resonator and the calculators form two self-oscillating loops making the oscillator resonate simultaneously in the two modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Guillaume GOURLAT, Gerard BILLIOT, Patrick VILLARD
  • Publication number: 20160079991
    Abstract: A design method for a phase-locked loop comprises: a controlled-frequency oscillator; a phase comparator, to determine a phase difference between an output signal of the controlled-frequency oscillator and a reference signal; a corrector to receive as input a signal representative of the phase difference and to generate at its output a first correction signal; at least one second corrector, to receive as input a signal representative of or affected by a phase noise of the reference signal or of the output signal of the controlled-frequency oscillator and to generate at its output a second correction signal; and a circuit for generating a slaving signal for the controlled-frequency oscillator on the basis of the first and second correction signals; the method using the H-infinity method. Method for fabricating such a loop comprising a design step implementing this method. Phase-locked loop thus obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Michael PELISSIER, Anton KORNIIENKO, Mykhailo ZARUDNIEV, Gèrard SCORLETTI, Olesia MOKRENKO, Eric BLANCO, Patrick VILLARD, Gèrard BILLIOT
  • Patent number: 9100025
    Abstract: In the field of nanoresonator oscillators or NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) oscillators, a circuit is proposed for measuring the oscillation frequency of a resonator, including a phase-locked loop with a frequency-controlled oscillator and a phase comparator. The resonator includes a vibration excitation input and a dynamic polarization input (using strain gauges). The frequency-controlled oscillator applies a polarization frequency f1 to the polarization input. A frequency generator supplies a fixed intermediate frequency FI; a mixer receives the frequencies f1 and FI for producing an excitation frequency f0 that is the sum or difference of f1 and FI. The phase comparator receives the frequency FI and the output signal of the resonator and produces a control signal that is sent to the frequency-controlled oscillator, indirectly locking the oscillation frequency onto the resonant frequency of the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Patrick Villard, Gerard Billiot
  • Patent number: 9013241
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to nanoresonator oscillators or NEMS (nanoelectromechanical system) oscillators. A circuit for measuring the oscillation frequency of a resonator is provided, comprising a first phase-locked feedback loop locking the frequency of a controlled oscillator at the resonant frequency of the resonator, this first loop comprising a first phase comparator. Furthermore, a second feedback loop is provided which searches for and stores the loop phase shift introduced by the resonator and its amplification circuit when they are locked at resonance by the first loop. The first and the second loops operate during a calibration phase. A third self-oscillation loop is set up during an operation phase. It directly links the output of the controllable phase shifter to the input of the resonator. The phase shifter receives the phase-shift control stored by the second loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Patrick Villard
  • Publication number: 20140312980
    Abstract: In the field of nanoresonator oscillators or NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) oscillators, a circuit is proposed for measuring the oscillation frequency of a resonator, including a phase-locked loop with a frequency-controlled oscillator and a phase comparator. The resonator includes a vibration excitation input and a dynamic polarization input (using strain gauges). The frequency-controlled oscillator applies a polarization frequency f1 to the polarization input. A frequency generator supplies a fixed intermediate frequency FI; a mixer receives the frequencies f1 and FI for producing an excitation frequency f0 that is the sum or difference of f1 and FI. The phase comparator receives the frequency FI and the output signal of the resonator and produces a control signal that is sent to the frequency-controlled oscillator, indirectly locking the oscillation frequency onto the resonant frequency of the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Patrick VILLARD, Gerard BILLIOT
  • Patent number: 8860836
    Abstract: A device for compressing an image for an image sensor, including a module for analog decorrelation of an image for providing low-frequency coefficients and high-frequency coefficients from the image, an analog-digital coefficient converter, and a module for a differentiated analog amplification of the low-frequency coefficients and of the high-frequency coefficients, provided by the analog decorrelation module to provide modified coefficients to the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Tristan Thabuis, Patrick Villard
  • Publication number: 20140055203
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to nanoresonator oscillators or NEMS (nanoelectromechanical system) oscillators. A circuit for measuring the oscillation frequency of a resonator is provided, comprising a first phase-locked feedback loop locking the frequency of a controlled oscillator at the resonant frequency of the resonator, this first loop comprising a first phase comparator. Furthermore, a second feedback loop is provided which searches for and stores the loop phase shift introduced by the resonator and its amplification circuit when they are locked at resonance by the first loop. The first and the second loops operate during a calibration phase. A third self-oscillation loop is set up during an operation phase. It directly links the output of the controllable phase shifter to the input of the resonator. The phase shifter receives the phase-shift control stored by the second loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventor: Patrick Villard
  • Patent number: 8642359
    Abstract: An integrated circuit intended to be assembled with an electromagnetic radiation detector, the integrated circuit comprising a device for processing signals stemming from the detector, the processing device being covered with at least one conductive plate for protection against electromagnetic radiation, intended to be placed between said detector and said integrated circuit, said conductive plate including one or more apertures letting through conductive elements providing an electrical connection between the processing device and the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Rostaing, Olivier Billoint, Patrice Ouvrier-Buffet, Patrick Villard
  • Patent number: 8577320
    Abstract: An oscillation detector having an RF oscillator configured to be synchronized with a first frequency and a comparator for distinguishing the synchronized state from the non-synchronized state of the radiofrequency oscillator on the basis of an oscillating signal produced by the radiofrequency oscillator and indicating the presence of oscillations in a frequency band around the first frequency in response to identifying the synchronized state and, in alternation, indicating the absence of oscillations in this frequency band otherwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Michaël Quinsat, Marie-Claire Cyrille, Ursula Ebels, Jean-Philippe Michel, Michaël Pelissier, Patrick Villard, Mykhailo Zarudniev
  • Patent number: 8558623
    Abstract: An oscillator including two groups of elementary junctions having giant magnetoresistance effect traversed by electric currents, the junctions of each of the two groups being in series and energized by respective main currents and the voltages across the terminals of the groups being added together to provide a voltage on an output of the oscillating circuit. The voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of a first group is applied to a first input of a phase comparator and the voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of the other group is applied to another input of the phase comparator, the phase comparator providing on two outputs secondary currents of the same amplitude and of opposite signs, which are dependent on the mean phase difference between the voltages applied to the inputs, the secondary currents each being added to a respective main current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Mykhailo Zarudniev, Eric Colinet, Patrick Villard
  • Publication number: 20120268172
    Abstract: An oscillation detector having an RF oscillator configured to be synchronized with a first frequency and a comparator for distinguishing the synchronized state from the non-synchronized state of the radiofrequency oscillator on the basis of an oscillating signal produced by the radiofrequency oscillator and indicating the presence of oscillations in a frequency band around the first frequency in response to identifying the synchronized state and, in alternation, indicating the absence of oscillations in this frequency band otherwise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Michaël Quinsat, Marie-Claire Cyrille, Ursula Ebels, Jean-Philippe Michel, Michaël Pelissier, Patrick Villard, Mykhailo Zarudniev
  • Publication number: 20120154065
    Abstract: An oscillator including two groups of elementary junctions having giant magnetoresistance effect traversed by electric currents, the junctions of each of the two groups being in series and energized by respective main currents and the voltages across the terminals of the groups being added together to provide a voltage on an output of the oscillating circuit. The voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of a first group is applied to a first input of a phase comparator and the voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of the other group is applied to another input of the phase comparator, the phase comparator providing on two outputs secondary currents of the same amplitude and of opposite signs, which are dependent on the mean phase difference between the voltages applied to the inputs, the secondary currents each being added to a respective main current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Mykhailo ZARUDNIEV, Eric COLINET, Patrick VILLARD
  • Publication number: 20120092518
    Abstract: A device for compressing an image for an image sensor, including a module for analog decorrelation of an image for providing low-frequency coefficients and high-frequency coefficients from the image, an analog-digital coefficient converter, and a module for a differentiated analog amplification of the low-frequency coefficients and of the high-frequency coefficients, provided by the analog decorrelation module to provide modified coefficients to the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENE ALT
    Inventors: Tristan Thabuis, Patrick Villard
  • Patent number: 7702062
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic sensor including capture means producing a signals comprising x pulses during a given capture time, such that a?<x<b?, wherein a?, b? and x are non-null natural integers, and counting means receiving the signals, which are incremented with each pulse received, including a maximum counting capacity equal to z such that (b??a?)?z<a?, where z is a non-null natural integer, resetting the counting, when the maximum counting capacity z is exceeded and outputting, at the end of the capture time, a number representative of the number of pulses x of the signals, wherein a? is the minimum value and b? is the maximum value of the number of pulses that can be produced by the capture means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Bertrand Dupont, Patrick Villard, Gilles Chamming's, Jean-Luc Martin
  • Publication number: 20100010779
    Abstract: An integrated circuit intended to be assembled with an electromagnetic radiation detector, the integrated circuit comprising a device for processing signals stemming from the detector, the processing device being covered with at least one conductive plate for protection against electromagnetic radiation, intended to be placed between said detector and said integrated circuit, said conductive plate including one or more apertures letting through conductive elements providing an electrical connection between the processing device and the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Rostaing, Olivier Billoint, Patrice Ouvrier-Buffet, Patrick Villard
  • Patent number: 7575165
    Abstract: A remote transmission device having a fixed station and a portable object provided with an antenna inductively coupled to the station, the object having a variable load impedance connected to terminals of the antenna, and a regulation loop regulating the voltage at terminals of the variable load impedance having rectifier means for rectifying the voltage at the terminals of the antenna and control means designed to modify the variable load impedance according to the output voltage of the rectifier means, and the station emitting an alternating magnetic field modulated in amplitude on 2N levels by data to be transmitted, encoded on N bits, the object having demodulation means having an n-bit analog to digital converter, clocked at an oversampling frequency much higher than the frequency of the data and connected between the rectifier means and the control means, and digital processing means connected to the output of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Patrick Villard, Nicolas Delorme, Cyril Condemine
  • Publication number: 20080253498
    Abstract: Electronic sensor comprising at least: capture means producing a signal s comprising x pulses during a given capture time, such that a?<x<b?, where a?, b? and x are non-null natural integers, counting means receiving the signal s, which are incremented with each pulse received, comprising a maximum counting capacity equal to z such that (b??a?)?z<a?, where z is a non-null natural integer, resetting the counting when the maximum counting capacity z is exceeded and outputting, at the end of the capture time, a number representative of the number of pulses x of the signal s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Bertrand Dupont, Patrick Villard, Gilles Chamming's, Jean-Luc Martin
  • Publication number: 20060281405
    Abstract: The portable object (1) is provided with an antenna (3) inductively coupled to a fixed station of a remote transmission device that emits an alternating magnetic field whose amplitude is modulated on 2<SP>N</SP> levels by data, which are to be transmitted and are encoded in N bits. The portable object has a variable load impedance (Z) connected to antenna terminals (3), and a control loop for controlling the voltage (Vac) to the terminals of the load impedance. The control loop comprises, in series-connected manner, a rectifier circuit (5) for rectifying the voltage (Vac) to the antenna terminals, an analog/digital converter (9) having n bits and being clocked at an oversampling frequency (Ck) much higher than the frequency of the data, and comprises a control circuit (10) serving to modify the load impedance (Z) according to the output voltage (Vdc) of the rectifier circuit (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Patrick Villard, Nicolas Delorme, Cyril Condemine