Patents by Inventor Paul Sferrazza

Paul Sferrazza 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: 7898310
    Abstract: A phase doubler driver circuit includes first control logic generates a first output PWM drive signal and a second output PWM drive signal responsive to an input PWM drive signal. In a first mode of operation, alternating pulses of the input PWM drive are output as the first output PWM drive signal and the second PWM output drive signal respectively. In a second mode of operation, the input PWM drive signal is provided as the first output PWM drive signal when a second phase current associated with the second output PWM drive signal exceeds a first phase current associated with the first output PWM drive signal and the input PWM drive signal is provided as the second output PWM drive signal when the phase current associated with the first output PWM signal exceed the phase current associated with the second output PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Weihong Qui, Chun Cheung, Emil Chen, Paul Sferrazza, Robert Isham
  • Publication number: 20100079175
    Abstract: A phase doubler driver circuit includes a first input for receiving a input PWM drive signal. First control logic generates a first output PWM drive signal and a second output PWM drive signal responsive to the input PWM drive signal. In a first mode of operation, alternating pulses of the input PWM drive are output as the first output PWM drive signal and the second PWM output drive signal respectively. In a second mode of operation, the input PWM drive signal is provided as the first output PWM drive signal when a second phase current associated with the second output PWM drive signal exceeds a first phase current associated with the first output PWM drive signal and the input PWM drive signal is provided as the second output PWM drive signal when the phase current associated with the first output PWM signal exceed the phase current associated with the second output PWM signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: Weihong Qiu, Chun Cheung, Emil Chen, Paul Sferrazza, Robert Isham
  • Publication number: 20050168249
    Abstract: An over-voltage protection circuit prevents an anomaly, such as a short circuit in the upper-switched electronic device of a DC-DC power supply, from propagating to downstream circuitry. The over-voltage protection circuit, which includes an overvoltage sense resistor coupled between an output of the upper or high side FET and the gate of the lower FET, is operative to sense a short circuit fault condition in the circuit path through the upper FET during initial power up of the system. In response to this condition, the lower NFET device is turned on so as to provide an immediate by-pass of the overvoltage condition to ground, and thereby prevent excessive voltage from being applied by the output terminal to downstream powered circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: Noel Dequina, Donald Preslar, Paul Sferrazza
  • Publication number: 20050128776
    Abstract: A body diode comparator circuit for a synchronous rectified FET driver including a sample circuit and a comparator. The FET driver has a phase node coupled between a pair of upper and lower switching FETs and is responsive to a PWM signal having first and second phases for each cycle. The sample circuit samples an initial voltage of the phase node during the first phase of the PWM signal and provides a sum voltage indicative of the initial phase voltage added to the voltage level of the phase node during the second phase of the PWM signal. The comparator compares the sum voltage with a predetermined reference voltage and provides an output indicative of an activation state of the lower FET during the second phase of the PWM signal. The FET driver turns on the upper FET when the comparator indicates that the lower FET is off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Noel Dequina, Donald Preslar, Paul Sferrazza