Patents by Inventor Raffaele Costa

Raffaele Costa 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: 9983820
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for re-programming memory is disclosed. In the embodiment, the method involves selecting a memory page based on version information and re-programming the selected memory page using cyclic redundancy check (CRC) data for the memory page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Sönke Ostertun, Wolfgang Stidl, Raffaele Costa
  • Publication number: 20170285996
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for re-programming memory is disclosed. In the embodiment, the method involves selecting a memory page based on version information and re-programming the selected memory page using cyclic redundancy check (CRC) data for the memory page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: SÖNKE OSTERTUN, Wolfgang STIDL, Raffaele COSTA
  • Patent number: 6166593
    Abstract: A complex integrated circuit comprises at least a plurality of modules coupled together through at least a system channel. The circuit further comprises a plurality of input/output devices for interfacing the circuit with structures outside the circuit. The plurality of input/output devices comprise at least a first circuit portion implemented as a module coupled to the remaining modules of the circuit by the first channel system (BUS1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Roberto Ganzelmi, Raffaele Costa, Cesare Pozzi
  • Patent number: 6151617
    Abstract: A multiplier circuit multiplies together both natural and two's complement binary numbers, which it receives in the form of electric signals having predetermined logic values, that are applied to input terminals of logic gating circuits. The logic gating circuits provide partial products of the bits of the two binary factors, and a combinatorial network provides the final sum of the partial products. The partial multiplications that include at least one of the more significant bits of the operands are performed by logic gating circuits which can be enabled to also carry out a two's complement partial multiplication. The multiplier circuit further includes additional logic gating circuits which supply the combinatorial network with additive constants with predetermined logic values unrelated to the factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Raffaele Costa, Anna Faldarini, Laura Formenti
  • Patent number: 6005502
    Abstract: A method for reducing the number of bits needed to represent constant values in a data processing device. A group of constant values is defined by selecting them as a function of their statistical frequency of use. Each constant value of this group in the instructions is represented by means of a shorter coded operand field and a current instruction is loaded from a bus in an instruction register. A corresponding operand field is derived from the coded operand field of the current instruction by expansion means, and a bus and an output of the expansion means are selectively connected as input to an arithmetic logic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: SGS Thompson Microelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Raffaele Costa, Davide Santinoli
  • Patent number: 5935201
    Abstract: A multiplier circuit which multiplies together both natural and two's complement binary numbers, which it receives in the form of electric signals having predetermined logic values, that are applied to input terminals of logic gating circuits. The logic gating circuits provide partial products of the bits of the two binary numbers, and a combinatorial network provides the final sum of the partial products. The partial products that include at least one of the more significant bits of either of the operands are performed by logic gating circuits which can be enabled to complement the partial product. The multiplier circuit further includes additional logic gating circuits which supply the combinatorial network with additive constants with predetermined logic values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.r.l.
    Inventors: Raffaele Costa, Anna Faldarini, Laura Formenti
  • Patent number: 5535157
    Abstract: An integrated device with electrically programmable and erasable memory cells, including one time programmable (OTP) read-only memory cells. A matrix of user memory cells is added at least one row of OTP cells sharing the column selection lines with the other cells. Similarly to the other cells, these have a selection terminal connected to a row selection line. The source terminals of such OTP cells in the row are connected to the device ground through a common selection transistor which is driven from the same row selection line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giovanni Campardo, Raffaele Costa, Piero Torricelli
  • Patent number: RE38387
    Abstract: A multiplier circuit which multiplies together both natural and two's complement binary numbers, which it receives in the form of electric signals having predetermined logic values, that are applied to input terminals of logic gating circuits. The logic gating circuits provide partial products of the bits of the two binary numbers, and a combinatorial network provides the final sum of the partial products. The partial products that include at least one of the more significant bits of either of the operands are performed by logic gating circuits which can be enabled to complement the partial product. The multiplier circuit further includes additional logic gating circuits which supply the combinatorial network with additive constants with predetermined logic values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Raffaele Costa, Anna Faldarini, Laura Formenti